Austin Translation by Zach Selwyn is a darkly comedic crime mystery set in Austin, Texas during the pandemic summer of 2020. The story follows Rob Stoner, a true-crime podcaster whose life takes a bizarre turn when he becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a young woman. With the world in lockdown, social unrest mounting, and conspiracy theories swirling, Rob must scramble to clear his name while juggling the pressures of internet notoriety, police suspicion, and a marriage on the rocks. Blending sharp satire with suspense, Selwyn skewers modern culture–especially the true-crime obsession, influencer spectacle, and pandemic paranoia–while delivering a tightly plotted whodunit. Rob’s attempts to play detective spiral into a mix of absurd encounters, questionable decisions, and laugh-out-loud mishaps, proving that sometimes life is stranger (and funnier) than fiction. Set against the backdrop of Austin’s eccentric personality and the surreal climate of 2020, Austin Translation offers readers a fast-paced ride that’s equal parts mystery and comedy. Beneath the laughs, the novel also explores themes of loyalty, perception, and the way truth bends in the age of podcasts and social media.
