Catherine Ryan Howard

I've read Catherine Ryan Howard's work in the past and so I knew I was in for a cracker of a read with The Nothing Man. I didn't expect something quite so innovative and cunning as this though.

For this is a book within a book. We begin with a man, a security guard, who we know is The Nothing Man. The blurb tells us this so it's definitely not a spoiler. He's reading a book, one he spotted at the supermarket where he works. That book is The Nothing Man! It's a true crime book about his own show more crimes, told by Eve Black, the only survivor out of her family who were murdered by The Nothing Man.

Clever right? Eve's book is actually embedded into the book so that we read exactly what Jim reads. It took me a little time to settle fully into the two different styles of writing (one true crime and factual in style and the other very much fiction) but once I had a handle on that I was away and fully engrossed in the whole thing.

It's not hard to imagine what a serial killer might feel upon reading about his crimes for the first time in twenty years. Excited, wary, nervous, energised. I was all of these things too. Also scared! This is not a book to read in bed, at night, not if you want to get any sleep anyway.

The Nothing Man is a fast-paced and exhilarating read, with layer upon layer of thrills and spills to delight the reader. I think the author has done something very clever here, something unique. Don't have nightmares folks! show less

The Liar's Girl is a book with such an intriguing premise. What if your boyfriend turns out to be a serial killer and how do you ever move on with your life? Well, if you're Alison Smith you don't really.

Alison is the main voice we hear from, both 'now' and 'then'. Ten years ago she had just become a student at St John's College, Dublin, her best friend, Liz, at her side. Very soon after she met Will and they entered into a relationship. But students were going missing, their bodies found in show more the canal and it was Will who was charged with their murders and dubbed The Canal Killer.

Now, new developments and a possible copycat mean that Alison is back in Dublin where she finds herself right back in the middle of the action. I really found her to be a fascinating character, considering all that she had been through and the way it had affected everything that happened afterwards.

We also hear a little from Will, although most of what we read about him is from Alison's point of view. The parts that come from him, though, are what provide the framework for the whole story and he too is a thoroughly fascinating character as I couldn't quite get a handle on whether he was telling the truth or manipulating Alison,

This is a book I was really looking forward to reading and I wasn't disappointed at all. I raced through it, desperate to know if there really was a copycat killer, what really happened in 2007 and what was going to happen to Alison and Will next. It's such a cleverly plotted thriller, fast-paced and completely gripping.

I kind of want to know what happens to Will, Alison and Michael Malone, one of the Garda detectives (who I thought was great), next but I don't know if they have another story in them or not. But I think it shows how engrossed I was as I don't quite want to let them go.

This is a story full of suspense, full of mystery, full of me wondering if Will was really the killer or not. The ending was pure class, in fact the whole book was pure class. I loved it. show less

4.25 Stars — Poor Alison Smith. She couldn’t wait to move to Dublin and attend St. John’s College with her best friend Liz, but her happiness was short-lived. Will, the charming boy Alison fell in love with freshman year, turned out to be a serial killer, and worse yet was that his last victim was Liz. A decade passes with Will locked up and Alison trying to forget that terrible time, when a copycat killer strikes. Will has new information to share that may help police, but the only show more person he’s willing to talk to is Alison.

THE LIAR’S GIRL is an absorbing slow-burn novel of suspense. I was easily wrapped up in the lives of the characters. The author has an engaging and descriptive writing style that makes the reader feel like part of the story. The mystery was constructed well and kept me guessing. I loved that final disturbing twist which brought everything together.

I listened to the audiobook which was narrated by Alana Kerr Collins, with smaller parts by Alan Smyth and Gary Furlong. Ms. Collins’ performance of Alison was fitting with her character – not overly dramatic, yet emotional and expressive when the situation called for it. Alan Smyth narrated Catherine Ryan Howard’s previous book DISTRESS SIGNALS, and I loved, loved, loved his performance. Though his part was smaller in this book, he was just as wonderful. I’d listen to anything he narrates.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this audiobook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. show less

4.5 ⭐️ Review - This was a suspense murder mystery set in Ireland during Covid lockdown that literally had me on the edge of my seat and speed reading to learn what happens next.

😷 For Fans of:
- murder mystery thriller
- edge of your seat thriller
- suspense thriller
- dating gone wrong
- multiple POV
- multiple timeline
- COVID-19 setting
- forced proximity
- plot twists
- past crime

✏️ Spoiler-Free Review
We all remember Covid times, right? Maybe you’ve blocked it from your mind but for show more those of us who were trying to date during Covid, we remember all the horror stories (and maybe some not so bad ones?)

Anyways, this book is like the worst case scenario of Covid dating. Honestly, it gave me some flashbacks and reminded me of those trapped feelings, giving the book a more surreal yet realistic and uncomfortable thriller suspense vibes.

Ciara meets Oliver and seems to hit it off but then he ghosts for a bit. Then he’s back and everything is back to normal but since lockdown is starting, they decide to do a 2-week trial of living together.
Too bad Oliver isn’t who he says he is. Too bad he thinks Ciara isn’t who she says she is either. Too bad Oliver is found dead, alone, weeks later.

This book really grabbed my attention because you already KNOW there’s something off about these characters but with the three timelines and points of view, you’re getting the before, the during, and the after — all from different points of view: Ciara, Oliver, and the cops trying to solve Oliver’s death.

As the pieces began to fall into place, I was absolutely enthralled. I needed to keep reading and it was such a fun buddy read because we were just sending theories back and forth to each other.

This book had me in a chokehold all the way until the end because there were so many surprises, plot twists, and bits of information that we got chapter by chapter as the full story came together.

I definitely can’t wait to read more by this author, including Buyer Beware, coming out July 16!

📚 Book: 56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard
📅 Release Date: OUT NOW (2021)
⭐ Rating: 4.5 out of 5 show less