#CrimeTime

• Author: Jeneva Rose and Drew Pyne
• Genre: Mystery/Suspense
• Publication Date: December 12, 2023
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio Originals

Thank you to libro.fm for providing me with an ALC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

The first audio original from Jeneva Rose, the author of blockbuster bestseller The Perfect Marriage, #CrimeTime is a full-cast mystery written with her husband, Drew Pyne, perfect for fans of Only Murders in the Building and Finley Donovan Is Killing It.

Going viral has never been so dangerous.

Nadiya loves her privacy: living alone and writing a popular series of crime novels under a pen name, she’s worked hard to build the quiet life she cherishes. But all that changes when her long-lost half-brother Chase comes to town, needing a place to stay until he can get back on his feet. Chase’s dream job is Nadiya’s worst nightmare: he’s an aspiring TikTok star, oversharing on the internet at every opportunity.

When a burglary occurs in the apartment upstairs, Chase decides to film and post all the action. Unbeknownst to him, this was not a random break-in, but a targeted operation run by dangerous criminals. Overnight, Chase’s videos go viral, garnering millions of views and amassing a huge following of loyal #Chasers. It’s everything he’s ever dreamt of, except the attention has brought the wrong kind of heat. Chase and Nadiya are plunged into a world of organized crime, and together, they must uncover the truth and clear their names before they become the next victims.

Performed by a full cast and filled with both laugh-out-loud banter and shocking twists, #CrimeTime is a delightful romp through the murky, unpredictable realms of crime, family, and the TikTok algorithm.

I’m sure you all know the pain of reading a book because the comps are some of your favorites, and then reading the entire book only to discover that it is absolutely nothing like either of the books it was compared to. Well, I’m here to tell you that this is absolutely perfectly matched when it was compared to Only Murders in the Building and Finley Donovan is Killing It. 

Nadiya and Chase living together is basically The Odd Couple—they couldn’t be more different if they tried. Chase came off as a little irritating to me at first, probably because I’m a lot more like Nadiya. Chase is constantly on TikTok, oversharing about everything and anything every chance he gets. 

So when a break-in occurs at apartment upstairs and the two of them decide to go and check to see if their neighbor is okay, Chase decides to film it all just in case it could be his big break to TikTok fame. They don’t know that it isn’t just a regular break-in, but that they’ve stumbled into an operation by a very dangerous crew. When Chase posts his videos to TikTok, they blow up overnight, gaining him millions of followers and ten million views by the next morning. And they’re thrown into the dangerous world of organized crime.

I’m a sucker for an audiobook with a full cast, and despite the super-short length of this one, it’s got a full cast. It’s done wonderfully, and I adored the characters and the plot. I have to admit that I even liked Chase by the end! While there’s a ton of funny banter and ridiculousness that goes on, it also gets into the importance of family, forgiveness, and love. It’s also fitting that in a story centering around TikTok, it’s a fast-moving story that’s short and ever changing to always hold the reader’s interest. Plus, it’s an audio exclusive!

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