“While keeping the action moving at a brisk pace, Pinter (Hide Away) creates an imaginative future that seems alarmingly close at hand. Narrator Ellen Quay’s portrayal of Cassie, full of heart and bravery, emotionally grounds the story. This critique of social media culture and the widespread obsession with true crime is recommended for fans of sci-fi/thriller hybrids. Share with readers of Blake Crouch, Nick Harkaway, and Daniel Burke.” – Library Journal

Welcome to Earth+. The year is 2037, and nearly all human interactions have migrated to the virtual world. Now, true-crime fans don’t just listen to podcasts or watch documentaries—they participate in hyper-realistic simulations and hunt for clues to solve the most famous and gruesome crimes in history. Criminal entertainment is a multibillion-dollar industry, and at the forefront is Past Crimes: known by its millions of fans as the Disneyland of Death.

Cassie West licenses crimes for V.I.C.E, spending long hours convincing grieving families to allow her to sell their tragedies to the highest bidder. Life is hard and the cost of living high, but she and her husband Harris have never been happier. After years of trying, Cassie is finally pregnant.

But leaving work late one evening, Cassie starts to worry. Harris isn’t responding to texts or calls. Even worse, dozens of emergency drones seem to be heading in the same direction as she is: straight to their home.

What she finds there changes everything. Soon, Cassie finds herself in a fight for survival, becoming a target in both the real and virtual worlds. But it’s not just her own life at stake. If Cassie can’t uncover the truth of what happened to her husband, thousands more may die…

Action-packed, satirical, and beyond compelling, Past Crimes examines our obsession with true crime and how the pain of others has become a multi-billion-dollar industry, while also exploring the sinister possibilities of the virtual world.