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The Writer
A brutal attack ends Frankie Moretti’s love affair with New York City, so she trades subways and high-rises for grape vines and rugged Central California shorelines, and speech writing for fiction. The sleepy beach town is the perfect new beginning for Frankie until she spins the drama meant for her pages into real life and has a tumultuous affair with a married man. And when she finds herself in the center of a murder investigation, there’s no turning back, no hitting the delete key.
Amidst spoiled relationships, wine, loneliness, and a battle with PTSD, Frankie loses sight of what’s real and what’s not. In order to survive, she will have to navigate a dangerous situation and conquer her past trauma. But what if she can’t? Will she succumb to impulsive behavior and poor decisions?
Amidst spoiled relationships, wine, loneliness, and a battle with PTSD, Frankie loses sight of what’s real and what’s not. In order to survive, she will have to navigate a dangerous situation and conquer her past trauma. But what if she can’t? Will she succumb to impulsive behavior and poor decisions?
- GenresFiction
361 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 1, 2022
17 people are currently reading
2872 people want to read
About the author
Tracy Thorne
2 books39 followersAfter years of often challenging public service work, Tracy found writing fiction to be more cathartic than running at a mad pace on the treadmill in her garage or sipping red wine as she watched mind numbing television. And she discovered she loved writing fiction as much as reading it.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
January 7, 2023
Oh my God! This is one heck of a thriller and what a ride the author takes you on with twists and turns on almost every page of the book.
This book had me convinced at different points that each of the characters was guilty and or crazy. Great combination for a book!
Frankie Moretti has transplanted her life to a small coastal town in California after a terrifying experience in New York City. She was a speech writer for a politician and now she has written a political thriller. She’s hiding from the past and from just about everyone else until she meets Bryce, who happens to be the estranged husband of one of the literary agents to whom she sends her novel. Along the way at a vineyard she meets Jason, who is a vintner and interested in her and then there is Bryce’s wife Meadow who rejects Frankie’s manuscript and even goes so far as to veto it when another agent at her agency has accepted it. Bad writing or bad attitude?
This story moves very quickly with the short chapters and lots of action and lots of crazy going on with stalkers, murders, police with attitude and then Frankie seems to tend to put herself in danger which left me saying several times “is she crazy?” See?
Great read!
I won this book in a First Reads giveaway. Thank you to the author Tracy
This book had me convinced at different points that each of the characters was guilty and or crazy. Great combination for a book!
Frankie Moretti has transplanted her life to a small coastal town in California after a terrifying experience in New York City. She was a speech writer for a politician and now she has written a political thriller. She’s hiding from the past and from just about everyone else until she meets Bryce, who happens to be the estranged husband of one of the literary agents to whom she sends her novel. Along the way at a vineyard she meets Jason, who is a vintner and interested in her and then there is Bryce’s wife Meadow who rejects Frankie’s manuscript and even goes so far as to veto it when another agent at her agency has accepted it. Bad writing or bad attitude?
This story moves very quickly with the short chapters and lots of action and lots of crazy going on with stalkers, murders, police with attitude and then Frankie seems to tend to put herself in danger which left me saying several times “is she crazy?” See?
Great read!
I won this book in a First Reads giveaway. Thank you to the author Tracy
October 6, 2024
4.8 overall. Dark but with a sense of humor, and I liked Frankie even though she was a hot mess during most of the story. With noir style elements, this is a quick read with lots of twists and turns and surprises. I would definitely recommend this book.
December 4, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an advance copy of Tracy Thorne’s latest novel, The Writer, in exchange for an honest review.
The Writer is a thriller/suspense novel about a thirty-five-year-old woman named, Frankie Moretti, who quits her job as a speechwriter in NYC and moves to Cayucos, CA to pursue her dreams of becoming a fiction writer after a harrowing experience. If you enjoy stories with a garden-variety unreliable narrator, purple prose, and contrived endings that stretch on for pages, then this book is for you.
*Note that readers who are sensitive to the following topics should steer clear: sexual assault, homicide, harassment, and depression/mental health conditions.
Frankie Moretti is the survivor of a brutal sexual assault. Her subsequent struggles with depression and PTSD, along with her preferred coping mechanisms of drugs and alcohol, are starting to make it difficult for her to discern reality from fantasy. The fact that she can’t get her manuscript published only causes her to sink into a deeper depression.
She becomes obsessed with a literary agent named, Meadow Owens, who Frankie whole-heartedly believes is the answer to all her problems. Frankie thinks Meadow is cooler and more laid-back than the pretentious agents in NYC. She also thinks that befriending Meadow may be the key to getting her novel published. Then Frankie receives a rejection email from Meadow, waylaying her plans.
Frankie begins stalking Meadow. While on an excursion to Meadow’s house, Frankie encounters Meadow’s husband, Bryce Owens, and the two end up hitting it off instead. Their meeting is the catalyst that propels the remainder of the story.
Pros: compelling plotline, breakneck pace, use of unconventional imagery, treatment and portrayal of sexual assault survivor and their internal mindset.
Cons: confusing passages, too many random descriptions of weather (though pretty), contrived ending (makes me think this is book one of a future series deal), unexplained/outlandish character motives, and jagged connections between events/characters.
In sum, the story was intriguing enough that I needed to know how it ended; plus, it helped that the chapters were short. However, it could use some editing. Also, not sure if there is a formatting issue with the Kindle version or if this is how the author intentionally wrote it, but some passages are incredibly confusing; especially, some of the character dialogue and breaks between chapters.
The Writer is a thriller/suspense novel about a thirty-five-year-old woman named, Frankie Moretti, who quits her job as a speechwriter in NYC and moves to Cayucos, CA to pursue her dreams of becoming a fiction writer after a harrowing experience. If you enjoy stories with a garden-variety unreliable narrator, purple prose, and contrived endings that stretch on for pages, then this book is for you.
*Note that readers who are sensitive to the following topics should steer clear: sexual assault, homicide, harassment, and depression/mental health conditions.
Frankie Moretti is the survivor of a brutal sexual assault. Her subsequent struggles with depression and PTSD, along with her preferred coping mechanisms of drugs and alcohol, are starting to make it difficult for her to discern reality from fantasy. The fact that she can’t get her manuscript published only causes her to sink into a deeper depression.
She becomes obsessed with a literary agent named, Meadow Owens, who Frankie whole-heartedly believes is the answer to all her problems. Frankie thinks Meadow is cooler and more laid-back than the pretentious agents in NYC. She also thinks that befriending Meadow may be the key to getting her novel published. Then Frankie receives a rejection email from Meadow, waylaying her plans.
Frankie begins stalking Meadow. While on an excursion to Meadow’s house, Frankie encounters Meadow’s husband, Bryce Owens, and the two end up hitting it off instead. Their meeting is the catalyst that propels the remainder of the story.
Pros: compelling plotline, breakneck pace, use of unconventional imagery, treatment and portrayal of sexual assault survivor and their internal mindset.
Cons: confusing passages, too many random descriptions of weather (though pretty), contrived ending (makes me think this is book one of a future series deal), unexplained/outlandish character motives, and jagged connections between events/characters.
In sum, the story was intriguing enough that I needed to know how it ended; plus, it helped that the chapters were short. However, it could use some editing. Also, not sure if there is a formatting issue with the Kindle version or if this is how the author intentionally wrote it, but some passages are incredibly confusing; especially, some of the character dialogue and breaks between chapters.
September 14, 2024
I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for choosing me.
Although intriguing, I found this book to be slightly chaotic (which might have been the authors goal). It felt kind of like an episode out of Law & Order SVU mixed with an episode out of Criminal Minds. There's a lot going on, a whole lot of characters that at first glance seem random but end up being big parts of the story, so pay attention! Frankie is put through the wringer again and again, and just when you think there's no way for her to come out of it, there's a light at the end of the dark tunnel.
I loved the short chapters but did find myself slightly confused with the way it jumped from character to character without letting you know at first who was narrating (usually a few sentences into the new chapter I could figure it out). I wasn't expecting so many twists and turns, yet I enjoyed the journey.
I do believe it should come with trigger warnings, as this book may not be for everyone. It deals with sexual assault, abuse, and murder. So it's important that the reader knows that before going into it. The ending did lead me to think there might be a sequel later on, which I would read.
All in all, the characters were interesting and crazy. The twists kept coming, and once everything began to unravel and the puzzle pieces were pieced together, it all made sense and made for a great story.
Although intriguing, I found this book to be slightly chaotic (which might have been the authors goal). It felt kind of like an episode out of Law & Order SVU mixed with an episode out of Criminal Minds. There's a lot going on, a whole lot of characters that at first glance seem random but end up being big parts of the story, so pay attention! Frankie is put through the wringer again and again, and just when you think there's no way for her to come out of it, there's a light at the end of the dark tunnel.
I loved the short chapters but did find myself slightly confused with the way it jumped from character to character without letting you know at first who was narrating (usually a few sentences into the new chapter I could figure it out). I wasn't expecting so many twists and turns, yet I enjoyed the journey.
I do believe it should come with trigger warnings, as this book may not be for everyone. It deals with sexual assault, abuse, and murder. So it's important that the reader knows that before going into it. The ending did lead me to think there might be a sequel later on, which I would read.
All in all, the characters were interesting and crazy. The twists kept coming, and once everything began to unravel and the puzzle pieces were pieced together, it all made sense and made for a great story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 17, 2023
An utterly okay book
I won this book in a goodreads giveaway, and it is completely and utterly okay. It’s decent enough if you need something to read, but I would not recommend this one.
For starters, every character in this book is so unlikable. Frankie is the worst and consistently makes bad situations worse for no obvious reason. Nobody else is much better. The book will occasionally have a chapter from another person’s point of view, but it is not inherently obvious until a few sentences in.
The book is not well edited, with some crazy comma use, words that don’t make sense in context of the sentence, and my personal pet peeve of using “frig” in the place of fridge.
Overall, I’m not sure if the author appreciates that Frankie’s editors in the story said that the book she was trying to write was mediocre, unrealistic, and has too much action because that is exactly the critiques that needed to be made of this one for real. Two stars. I would not place this one very high on your TBR.
thank you to goodreads and the publisher for my copy.
I won this book in a goodreads giveaway, and it is completely and utterly okay. It’s decent enough if you need something to read, but I would not recommend this one.
For starters, every character in this book is so unlikable. Frankie is the worst and consistently makes bad situations worse for no obvious reason. Nobody else is much better. The book will occasionally have a chapter from another person’s point of view, but it is not inherently obvious until a few sentences in.
The book is not well edited, with some crazy comma use, words that don’t make sense in context of the sentence, and my personal pet peeve of using “frig” in the place of fridge.
Overall, I’m not sure if the author appreciates that Frankie’s editors in the story said that the book she was trying to write was mediocre, unrealistic, and has too much action because that is exactly the critiques that needed to be made of this one for real. Two stars. I would not place this one very high on your TBR.
thank you to goodreads and the publisher for my copy.
September 23, 2021
3.5 stars - thank you netgalley + Tracy Thorne for my ARC !
Frankie is attacked in NYC and soon moves. She’s looking forward to a new beginning in California writing her book. She meets a married man and finds her self intertwined in a love triangle. Soon, Frankie finds herself in even bigger trouble- roped into a murder mystery. Weird things begin to happen around her and she isn’t sure if she’s losing her mind or if it’s really happening. Her PTSD from the attack in NYC keeps coming back, especially during these circumstances she’s facing in Cali.
This book flowed well for the first half and then I feel like it had a slow burn. I figured out who was behind stuff in the first 17% of the book.. it was just obvious to me. I found at the end, there were people barely mentioned anywhere else in the book that came through. I mostly became confused.
I grew to hate the deputy that was involved with this case, he annoyed me…. A lot.
Overall, it was okay.
Frankie is attacked in NYC and soon moves. She’s looking forward to a new beginning in California writing her book. She meets a married man and finds her self intertwined in a love triangle. Soon, Frankie finds herself in even bigger trouble- roped into a murder mystery. Weird things begin to happen around her and she isn’t sure if she’s losing her mind or if it’s really happening. Her PTSD from the attack in NYC keeps coming back, especially during these circumstances she’s facing in Cali.
This book flowed well for the first half and then I feel like it had a slow burn. I figured out who was behind stuff in the first 17% of the book.. it was just obvious to me. I found at the end, there were people barely mentioned anywhere else in the book that came through. I mostly became confused.
I grew to hate the deputy that was involved with this case, he annoyed me…. A lot.
Overall, it was okay.
November 27, 2023
The Writer
by Tracy Thorne
Pub Date 31 Jul 2021
Tracy Thorne
General Fiction \(Adult\)| Mystery & Thrillers| Women's Fiction
The Writer was provided to me by Tracy Thorne and Netgalley for review:
In the aftermath of a brutal attack, Frankie Moretti trades subways and high-rises for grape vines and rugged Central California shorelines, and speech writing for fiction. She spins the drama meant for her pages into real life when she has a tumultuous affair with a married man in the sleepy beach town. A murder investigation puts her at the center of a dilemma she can't reverse.
Frankie loses sight of what's real and what's not amid spoiled relationships, wine, loneliness, and PTSD. She will have to overcome her past trauma and navigate a dangerous situation in order to survive. But what if she's not able to? What will happen if she succumbs to impulsive behavior and poor decisions?
I give The Writer four out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
by Tracy Thorne
Pub Date 31 Jul 2021
Tracy Thorne
General Fiction \(Adult\)| Mystery & Thrillers| Women's Fiction
The Writer was provided to me by Tracy Thorne and Netgalley for review:
In the aftermath of a brutal attack, Frankie Moretti trades subways and high-rises for grape vines and rugged Central California shorelines, and speech writing for fiction. She spins the drama meant for her pages into real life when she has a tumultuous affair with a married man in the sleepy beach town. A murder investigation puts her at the center of a dilemma she can't reverse.
Frankie loses sight of what's real and what's not amid spoiled relationships, wine, loneliness, and PTSD. She will have to overcome her past trauma and navigate a dangerous situation in order to survive. But what if she's not able to? What will happen if she succumbs to impulsive behavior and poor decisions?
I give The Writer four out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
September 9, 2021
Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy of The Writer.
A brutal attack ends Frankie Moretti’s love affair with New York City, so she trades subways and high-rises for grape vines and rugged Central California shorelines, and speech writing for fiction. The sleepy beach town is the perfect new beginning for Frankie until she spins the drama meant for her pages into real life and has a tumultuous affair with a married man. And when she finds herself in the center of a murder investigation, there’s no turning back, no hitting the delete key.
Amidst spoiled relationships, wine, loneliness, and a battle with PTSD, Frankie loses sight of what’s real and what’s not. In order to survive, she will have to navigate a dangerous situation and conquer her past trauma. But what if she can’t? Will she succumb to impulsive behavior and poor decisions
A brutal attack ends Frankie Moretti’s love affair with New York City, so she trades subways and high-rises for grape vines and rugged Central California shorelines, and speech writing for fiction. The sleepy beach town is the perfect new beginning for Frankie until she spins the drama meant for her pages into real life and has a tumultuous affair with a married man. And when she finds herself in the center of a murder investigation, there’s no turning back, no hitting the delete key.
Amidst spoiled relationships, wine, loneliness, and a battle with PTSD, Frankie loses sight of what’s real and what’s not. In order to survive, she will have to navigate a dangerous situation and conquer her past trauma. But what if she can’t? Will she succumb to impulsive behavior and poor decisions
September 3, 2021
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. However, I was hooked right from the start! All of the characters were interesting and the storyline itself had me guessing and trying to figure out where exactly this book was going to go. The little twists and turns and suspense elements were woven into the story without seeming to be far-fetched or over the top. The characters were likable, yet had a mystery about them that had me suspecting and wondering if any of them were who I thought or if there were ulterior motives. There was a lot of dialogue and story building in between the suspense moments but it was done in such a great way I felt it added to the book as opposed to making it feel like it dragged on. I was also very satisfied with the ending and can only hope there’s a sequel!
October 27, 2021
This is my first book by this author. Although I didn't love this book, I like the idea of the story and at times I was intrigued. But unfortunately it lost me along the way at many intervals. It really had so much potential but I just couldn't relate to the characters enough to stay interested. That being said it didn't turn me off to the author as she has another published book that I intend to add to my tbr and give that one a go. The talent and creativity is there, so I will keep my interest in this author.
March 18, 2023
I received a free advanced copy of this book and am voluntarily reviewing it. This book is easy to read and enjoyable. It is a bit unbelievable that one person can get in and out of this much trouble, but that’s fiction for you. It is not a predictable story line, as there are many crimes, perpetrators, and victims. Sometimes the reader is called to question the main character’s sanity since she makes some wild, dangerous, and unnecessary choices. The ending is also a surprise. It is a good book for the beach since it takes place on the California coast.
March 31, 2022
When Frankie moves from NYC to California in search of peace and safety she is not prepared for what is coming her way and the way it plays with her mind, her emotions and her life. The book is certainly engaging and page turning as you have to know what happens next and how Frankie’s journey ends. There are definitely trigger warnings to be issued here around sexual assault, PTSD qnd violence against women.
February 2, 2023
Overall, not a terrible book. At first I enjoyed all of the random characters that came in and out but at some point I did think it was a little much.
Lots of typos and grammatical errors, which at one point was funny when the author made a handful of typos and on the following page the character was mentioning how his “literary agent wife hated typos”
A good book, just not sure it was ready for publication.
Lots of typos and grammatical errors, which at one point was funny when the author made a handful of typos and on the following page the character was mentioning how his “literary agent wife hated typos”
A good book, just not sure it was ready for publication.
December 24, 2023
This story starts building from page 1 and adds a new character of new action often, as if she's living the writing of her book. The main character has suffered a serious trauma, changing locations and careers to help her cope. She moves through the new community quickly, finding friends and acquaintances around each corner until you start to wonder......what is going on. Well, if I told you, you'd not believe it so you'll just have to read the book.
December 6, 2021
I’ve recently vacationed in Cambria, and the book took me back to the Central Coast and Paso Robles wine county, and I was happy to be there.
Thoroughly engaging from start to finish. This isn’t your run of the mill thriller, but different enough to make it interesting and unpredictable. I was rooting for Frankie from the beginning. Five Star read—recommended it to my new book club.
Thoroughly engaging from start to finish. This isn’t your run of the mill thriller, but different enough to make it interesting and unpredictable. I was rooting for Frankie from the beginning. Five Star read—recommended it to my new book club.
October 27, 2021
This would be a fantastic choice for a long flight. What a page turner. The pacing is fast and the story is unique. I found myself intrigued until the end. You will either love Frankie or hate Franke and that’s ok. But you will definitely love this book.
February 5, 2023
I liked this book. I kept thinking I knew what was happening with the characters but I was totally wrong. I did like the ending but I’m thinking this will not be the end of the story! I received the book through a giveaway.
January 2, 2025
Good story, but...
SO many chapters! And when most of them started, you weren't sure who the chapter was about. It got confusing a few times. If you can get past that, and the all the dates thrown in there, it's not a bad story.
SO many chapters! And when most of them started, you weren't sure who the chapter was about. It got confusing a few times. If you can get past that, and the all the dates thrown in there, it's not a bad story.
August 29, 2021
This book struggled to hold my attention and seemed to drag on forever. I wasn’t a fan of any of the characters. I found Frankie extremely annoying.
September 23, 2021
This book is fresh and fast paced with interesting characters and beautiful descriptions. I got caught up in the story and Frankie's life and couldn't put this down.
Read
February 16, 2022DNF. I tried and tried to get into it but it seemed convoluted and over the top and I just couldn’t get into the characters or the story, so unfortunately I DNF this book.
February 16, 2023
Interesting!
Won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. I called who-done-it but found that halfway through I definitely needed to finish and validate my suspensions. Good read!
Won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. I called who-done-it but found that halfway through I definitely needed to finish and validate my suspensions. Good read!
February 18, 2023
Wish I could give this book a 3.5 rating. It is a good thriller with many twists.
March 1, 2023
Loved this book. The main character was so well done. The story was full and entertaining. Very nicely written and very detailed.
May 30, 2023
Goodreads Giveaway Win
February 11, 2024
This was a Goodreads giveaway winner. This didn’t hold my interest, well written story.
May 13, 2025
I felt like this was unnecessarily too long..
September 12, 2025
I liked the pacing, the story, and Badass, Frankie Moretti. Captivating writing, a quaint small town setting, and unexpected twists and turns—this is a smart, five star read.
January 26, 2023
Wow this was a good story. I couldn’t decide if it was all in her head or someone was out to get her. A great read and couldn’t put it down. She went through a lot of trauma but the book was left with their could be a second one to see if meadow comes back for her. I highly recommend this read
January 5, 2022
A writer who has experienced some trauma in New York and has since moved to a quiet town. Since then she has become involved with a married man and the relationship has not gone well. The writers stories are a mix of fact and fiction - and the police are very much interested in knowing more about her - and she is very much a person of interest in the people who are disappearing around her. Highly recommend. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews