A Novel Crime - by Deborah Levison (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

She wanted to write the perfect novel. Instead, she became the perfect villain.

Struggling romance writer and recent divorcée Marcy Jo Codburn feels like a failure. She's green with author envy and longing for a book deal, a launch party with cupcakes, and the admiration of her daughter. But her dream of literary success is fading faster than her beige hair dye. When she witnesses celebrated author Francesca Barber in a compromising position, Marcy sees her chance. Transforming into Summer Branigan, her bolder, blonder pen name, she leverages Francesca's secret to secure the ultimate coauthor.

As their collaboration spirals from Marcy's modest Connecticut home to Francesca's lavish Hamptons estate, both women discover that in the cutthroat world of publishing, every story has its price. With looming deadlines, a kidnapping plot gone awry, and more than one fraud to hide, their twisted partnership careens toward a surprise ending neither could have written.

In this darkly comic page-turner, critically acclaimed author Deborah Levison skewers the publishing industry with razor-sharp wit. A Novel Crime asks just how far an aspiring writer will go to see her name on a book jacket--and what happens when the stories we tell start to write themselves.

(c) 2026 by Deborah Levison, all rights reserved.

Review Quotes

"Gleefully unlikable characters and witty observations about the drudgery of writing...It's a wild exploration of the lengths some people will go to be known." --Publishers Weekly

"Deborah Levison's assuredly nuanced A Novel Crime is a definite cut above the rest...you don't have to be a writer to appreciate its tonal brilliance and pacing fit for a day at the beach." --BookTrib

"A Novel Crime is a tongue-in-cheek tale of what happens when an aspiring author of bodice rippers decides to blackmail a famous author into writing her a bestseller. Humor and intrigue fly in this one as Marcy Jo Codburn, aka Summer Branigan, sets out to deceive and cajole her way into the big time. A fun, breezy read packed with drama and tabloid-worthy conniving." --Gregg Hurwitz, New York Times #1 internationally bestselling author of the Orphan X series

"Wickedly hilarious and utterly compelling, A Novel Crime is a delight. I was entranced and in stitches following the very endearing and imaginative heroine as she chases success while entangling herself in a heap of crimes. A refreshingly bold, highly addictive, and uproarious suspense that showcases Deborah Levison's phenomenal talent and warns us all how quickly we can cross the line from fantasy into a nightmare." --Samantha M. Bailey, USA Today and #1 internationally bestselling author of Hello, Juliet

"A Novel Crime is a fast, funny, utterly unputdownable romp through the wild world of publishing--where ambition meets chaos, and nothing goes according to plan. When Marcy Jo Codburn decides it's her turn to be famous, she launches a scheme involving a bestselling mentor, A-list celebrities, and a whole lot of trouble. Levison packs this novel with jaw-dropping twists, a mind-blowing plot, and an ending you'll be texting your friends about." --Elise Hart Kipness, USA Today bestselling author of Close Call

"Deborah Levison's A Novel Crime is an affectionately acerbic takedown of the book industry, where bottom lines and bylines are often the only lines that matter...resulting in a riotous romp that juxtaposes the romance of writing with the realities of it." --Criminal Element

"Uproariously funny, exquisitely unputdownable, and ingeniously plotted with a heroine you'll be rooting for every step of her wildly hilarious journey, Deborah Levison's A Novel Crime is the perfect delicious escape!" --May Cobb, bestselling author of The Hunting Wives

"Levison nailed it in A Novel Crime. It's totally bingeworthy. Struggling romance writer Marcy Jo Codburn wants nothing more than to publish her novel and make her daughter proud, but how far is she willing to go to achieve bestseller status? When a fluke encounter with a celebrity author presents an opportunity to cut the line, Marcy casts her morals aside and seizes her chance. What follows is a mesmerizing downward spiral that ultimately leads to murder, every twist of which is delivered with tightrope tension and razor-sharp wit. Fans of Finlay Donovan and Yellowface will love this crime caper, and readers of all stripes won't soon forget Marcy's wild rise to the top." --Tessa Wegert, author of In the Bones

"Wickedly funny, deliciously dark, and razor-sharp in its skewering of literary ambition, A Novel Crime is an absolute triumph. Deborah Levison spins a tale of envy, duplicity, and desperate reinvention that crackles with wit and menace. You'll laugh, you'll gasp, and you'll devour every page of this sly, twisted thrill ride. A dazzlingly original thriller that proves in publishing--as in life--there's nothing more dangerous than a writer with everything to lose. Levison turns literary envy into lethal entertainment. A Novel Crime is biting, brilliant, and impossible to put down." --Steve Urszenyi, author of the Alex Martel series, including Blood Oath

"Deftly plotted with jaw-dropping twists and a deliciously dark turn that will leave you breathless. When aspiring author Marcy kicks down the door to her publishing future, there's no coming back. Deception, desperation, and duplicity combine for a thrill ride you won't soon forget." --James L'Etoile, award-winning author of the Detective Emily Hunter series and the Detective Nathan Parker series

"A Novel Crime is a witty, engaging, beautifully paced nail-biter that channels a disarming narrative voice to deftly explore themes of artistic ambition, morality, female empowerment, and familial love. Deborah Levison has whipped up a true winner!" --Elizabeth McCullough Keenan and Greg Wands, internationally bestselling authors of Trust Issues