A robust enough fast paced ‘is he bad/‘is he good’story

Ryan is perfect, handsome, intelligent, debonair and even plays his guitar to the very ill at his local hospice in his spare time

Abbie has found her dream man and wants nothing more than to marry him, she is 100% besotted

Ed, her Dad, however has an instinctive bad feeling, something isn’t right, the last time he had one of these ‘feelings’ he didn’t act on it and a disaster happened that wrecked his families lives

Is Ed right? Is Ryan the new Ted Bundy or is he actually just a decent hard working good good guy, sickening in his virtue lol but none the less a dream?

The book takes you on Ed’s journey to find this out and how his own life takes a steep downward turn as he tries to prove what he feels

Well written, thumpingly good characters to hate and others to love and although at times a bit eye raising on the believable stakes a real page turning high drama family thriller that hits all the right spots as it speeds you onto a quite frightening conclusion

8/10
4 Stars

“He caught me watching, and our eyes met. That was when it hit me. There was something not quite right about my daughter’s new boyfriend…”

The Catch is the new thriller from TM Logan, known for his bestselling book The Holiday that was released last year. I was keen to get my hands on his new book and I was very happy to be granted a copy of the e-book on Netgalley.

The story starts with Ed, meeting his daughter’s fiancé for the first time. Ryan comes across as charming, handsome and very successful. He seems to be the perfect future husband to Abbie. To Ed however, he seems too good to be true. He knows in his gut that something is off about Ryan. The shadows in his eyes, the family that is conveniently no longer around, the strange stories he comes out with that don’t seem to add up. Claire, Ed’s wife thinks he is ridiculous and is too over protective of Abbie. This doesn’t stop Ed digging around trying to find out more about his future son-in-law’s past. The more he digs however, the more his own family start to think he is going through some kind of mid life crisis and is going a bit crazy. He risks losing them, his job and his sanity. The book makes you question who is really the crazy one and who do you believe?

This book is probably very close to home to a lot of doting, over protective fathers of daughters. This though is just like a twisted version of the film Father of The Bride. I was horrified at the lengths Ed was going to trying to investigate Ryan. I did think, who on earth would go to such extremes to find out about someone’s past just because of a feeling that something is off. I was at times really cringing at how much of a sticky situation Ed was getting himself into. I just wanted to shout at him and tell him not to do certain things as it always ended up messing everything up. But it all really does bring together a fantastic thriller that draws your attention in so you don’t want to put the book down.

It is quite an easy read with small chapters and it has that type of ending where you race through the pages to find out how it is all going to end. The Peak District makes the perfect setting for some parts of story. The main thing is that you never are sure who to believe throughout the book. Is Ryan hiding something or is Ed just paranoid?

This is bound to be a summer sensation just like the author’s last book. Thriller fans will definitely not be disappointed.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bonnier Books UK for my ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“Smart, intense, and with a humdinger of a mid-point twist. I loved it.” Gillian McAllister author of Anything You Do Say
Last summer, I was on vacation in the blazing Mediterranean sunshine, reading TM Logan’s novel The Holiday. I read it in a matter of hours; it was pacy, dynamic and so careful with the way it drip-fed readers information, leaving us hanging right until the very last page.
When I received an email about TM Logan’s next book, I didn’t hesitate. YES PLEASE!
The main difference between The Holiday and The Catch is that in The Holiday, Logan keeps the audience desperate for information until the very last page. In The Catch, it’s all about the prologue; we know where roughly where we’re going to end up, there’s only the question of who’s perspective it’s written from. There’s a creeping sense of dread when you realise what is happening.
In the first few pages of The Catch, we meet Ed & Claire’s family; their daughter Abbie and her new boyfriend Ryan. We know very little about everyone, aside from Ryan. We quickly learn that Abbie is thrilled with him — he’s the model boyfriend. Then it’s revealed — even though this is the first time he’s meeting the parents — he’s actually her fiancé. Then it’s revealed they’re getting married the following month.
It’s all moving very quickly and Ed, Abbie’s father, is extremely hesitant. But the soon-to-be wed couple have an answer for everything, and a grandmother who’d miss the wedding if they waited any longer, Ed struggles to find a concrete reason why he feels so uneasy.
We spend the novel trying to decide if Ed is unhinged or if Ryan is bad news. TM Logan takes us to the edge of believing both — Ed could be seen as a deranged, stalking, over-protective-to-a-fault father, whilst Ryan has a lot of inconsistencies in his life that Ed just can’t get his head around. But Ed also seems to have secrets of his own.
This is a pacy, smart thriller that will keep heads turning the whole way through the book. TM Logan writes of a father’s insecurity effortlessly, playing on the lengths that a father would go to, to protect his little girl.

The Catch by T.M. Logan
3.5 stars

Synopsis

Ed should be happy. His only daughter (Abbie) has just announced her engagement to the perfect man (Ryan). Ryan has a well-paid job, he volunteers at a local hospice and he runs marathons for charity. Abbie informs her parents that not only is she moving in with Ryan, but they also intend to wed within the month. Ed’s gut instinct is telling him that Ryan is not as perfect as he seems; a gut instinct he once ignored resulting in tragedy….

Review

The opening of this book starts with someone digging a grave which captured my interest straight away! Along with the short chapters, I found this book to be fast-faced and ended up reading it in one sitting.

I hate to admit that although I enjoyed the ending of this book, I did find it a little far-fetched. I do enjoy storylines that I can see occurring in “real life”.

Overall, an enjoyable and fast-paced read.

Thank-you to Amazon Publishing UK via Netgalley for providing me with an advanced electronic copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Catch is due to be published on the 11th June 2020.

Another 5* read from Mr Logan. I didn't think he could beat last year's Summer hit, but The Catch is just as good, if not better. The plot hooks you in and the writing keeps up the pace so there is never fear of any boredom!

This is the story of Ed. He and his wife Claire are shocked when their daughter Abbie brings home the boyfriend she has been dating for 7 months for the first time. Not only is it revealed that they are planning to move in together but also they plan to marry in a few weeks time. Ed immediately feels that something isn’t right about her daughter’s fiancé. On the outside he seems to be perfect but Ed can see a darkness to him. No matter how gently he tries he cannot persuade his daughter to postpone the wedding so they can get to know him better. This story is a race against time to find evidence against his future son in law to stop his daughter making the biggest mistake of her life. But maybe this could all be in Ed’s mind.

As always with this author this was a fast paced thriller which is easy to read. I managed to finish this in just one sitting. I wasn’t the greatest fan of the plot. I thought that Ed took some stupid risks and did very stupid things in order to try and get some evidence against his future son in law. The ending was actually the exact opposite of what I was expecting.

This was split into five parts – the boyfriend, the son-in-law, the husband, the catch and the epilogue – mainly narrated by Ed but with some chapters from his wife, adult daughter and her boyfriend. Basically Ed has a bad feeling about Abbie’s new boyfriend, soon-to-be husband, and spends the book trying to prove he’s right? But, Ed has history of disliking and warning off Abbie’s previous boyfriends....

Refreshingly this wasn’t one of those books where the bad things don’t happen to good people or where someone can be hit, kicked, punched, stabbed, break a leg, etc and yet still manage to escape the baddie cartoon-stylee. 

Yet in another way it was quite unbelievable. Yes Ed has suffered immense loss in the past but he’s basically a normal guy, doting father, loyal husband, stable job, hobbies, friends, etc.

And, I know it’s a book so things have to be sped up but his rapid downward spiral from there to being fired, estranged from his daughter and wife, cautioned by the police, and stone-broke in the space of a just a few weeks based on solely on a ‘look’ from his daughter’s new husband seemed a bit insane.

Hypocritically though the first parts of book were quite slow as apart from Ed’s downward spiral and increasing obsession with Ryan nothing much happens. There are real no hints or clues, no twists and turns, nothing to try and work out or second-guess. 

Whilst it was fairly slow-paced it’s still strangely compelling, perhaps because TM Logan takes ordinary characters and throws them into extraordinary situations. The characters make crazy decisions but for the best of reasons and maybe we’d do the same in their situation. With short chapters it’s also a really easy read. So, not edge-of-your-seat reading but surprisingly enjoyable nonetheless.

I first came across this author's work in The Holiday, a hot and claustrophobic story of friends spending a week together in a rather lovely house in Languedoc - Roussillon. That kept me well hooked.

The novel opens as Abbie is visiting her parents, Ed and Claire and introducing her new boyfriend, Ryan (fiancé, in fact, as it turns out). He is suave, good looking, he drives a nice car and has a good job, he has seen service in the army in Afghanistan, he volunteers at a hospice. What's not to like? Plenty, as it turns out, believes Ed. The women, of course are smitten.

Ed wants the best for his little girl. He has already despatched (in the sense of 'sent away') former boyfriend George. As a family they lost their youngest child Joshua in an accident and of course Ed is going to be over protective to his remaining child. That is his job as a father.

The wedding is scheduled for just a few weeks hence. The countdown to the nuptials marks the ever-increasing and fevered investigations, bordering on the obsessive, that Ed is carrying out, at great cost to himself. His job is on the line, he is threatened, as he follows Ryan across the city, even installing a tracker. Is this psychopathy? Is he having a breakdown?

Ryan meanwhile remains as cool as a cucumber. The author keeps the two men's stories running parallel which builds the pathos. What is the reality of the situation?

The Peak District makes a great backdrop for some of the scenes in the novel and I read it in a day and it kept my attention, away from current world events. If you enjoyed The Holiday, then you will love The Catch.

Well, what can I say, The Catch ticks all the boxes! T.M. Logan has done it again. My last read of his was The Holiday which I also loved.

A slow burner at the start, Ed an overly-protective father, who undoubtedly worships and adores his only daughter Abbie, particularly after the loss of his son in an accident years ago. Ed is not a happy man when Abbie announces her engagement to Ryan, whom himself and his wife have only just met. Alarm bells start to ring for Ed and he starts to suspect something is not quite right about Abbie's new fiancée who seems just too good to be true. Ryan comes across as a genuinely nice guy to everyone else, but Ed knows there is just something about him that does not quite add up.

Ed becomes so obsessed in proving to Abbie that there is something amiss about Ryan that he starts following him, putting a tracker on his car and looking into his background through a private investigator. He is against the clock now as the wedding date is fast approaching. So obsessed is Ed with Ryan that he loses his job, his marriage is crumbling and even Abbie is sick of him, although the family are not aware to the extent he is set on finding out more about Ryan, But Ed is not good at it, Ryan has nearly caught him a few times but luckily for him, he has managed to come up with excuses all the time.

Other things also seem to be happening around this time. While Ed is stalking Ryan, he is in a red light area and is picked up in a sting operation. Also, he is being questioned in connection with the disappearance of Abbie's ex-boyfriend who Ed was last seen talking to. Is he a suspect in this inquiry?

The question is - is Ryan a genuinely nice reliable guy or his Ed right in his assumptions? Is Ed going all out to the point of madness – he is obsessed with Abbie after all. All will be revealed later in the book…...

Really enjoyed this book! Five stars!

“The Catch” is a storyline that’s probably very close to home for a lot of over protective and doting father’s of daughters, introducing their suitors to their family for the first time.
I totally ‘got’ Ed’s worries and suspicions when his daughter Abbey brings home her boyfriend Ryan to introduce to the family and then announces that they are to be married in just over a month’s time. Something just isn’t right with Ryan but Ed can’t put his finger on what it is. Only Ed seems to be concerned, everyone else think him to be a catch and Abbey is obviously infatuated.
However, is obsessive fatherly concern a touch too far or has Ed every right to be a pyscho dad?
I thought this was a fab summer thriller, I raced through it and enjoyed every moment. Having not particularly connected with the author’s previous novel “The Holiday”, I thought this was miles better and a much more realistic premise. Although the logistics was generally implausible, I could totally see the story unfold, the characters were people you could relate too and I was very happy with the satisfactory ending and denouement.
Told in four parts, ‘the boyfriend’, ‘the son in law’, ‘the husband’ and ‘the catch’, it’s an easy story to follow, quite gripping and a one that most parents will sympathise with, regarding the feelings and emotions when their kids start dating.
All in all an entertaining read and anyone looking for a decent summer/beach thriller should consider this in their reading plans.

5 stars

What a roller coaster of a read, loved every page with their twists and turns, brilliantly addictive and I couldn't stop reading.

T.M.Logan draws you into the story line with excellent descriptive characters and I really enjoy his style of writing.

I can thoroughly recommend this book and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bonnier Books for giving me the opportunity to read this brilliant book.

I was so excited to get my hands on this book having loved his previous three. In this one we first meet Ed as he meets his daughter's fiance for the first time. Abbey is proud to be showing off Ryan but there is something about him that just seems a bit off to Ed. And the more he thinks about it, the more he delves into Ryan, the worse it looks to him. But he appears to be alone in his opinion of Ryan and his behaviour starts to irk his family as they have all taken a shine to Ryan. Is Ed delusional, is he seeing things there cos he wants desperately to see them? Is he over protective, overbearing? Or is he right? And why?
This was a captivating read from start to finish. The interest and intrigue started from the very first page for me and didn't let up until the very last. The characters were all extremely well fleshed out and developed nicely as the story progressed. As with most good books of this genre I changed my mind, opinion, and allegiance to several of them along the way as I discovered more about them. OK, I admit it, I was floundering!
Pacing was great and there was no superfluous waffle or padding to get in the way of the narrative. And the ending, when it came, shocked the core of me. I'm usually better at guessing but, nope, fooled me!
All in all, a cracking addition to an already impressive back catalogue. Hanging for the next one now. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Ed has always been an over protective father to his daughter Abbie. But when Abbie brings home Ryan, Ed knows this isnt just another boyfriend who might hurt his beloved daughter by cheating on her or playing silly games, this new man is very bad news.
Ed launches into an investigation to try prove to Abbie and his wife, Claire, that Ryan cant be trusted. Much to Abbie and Claire's dismay who think Ryan is perfect in every way. But when someone seems too good to be true, it's usually because they are!
This clever, page-turner kept me guessing until the very end with so many twists and turns. The obsessive father, the naive daughter, the mother caught in between the two and the "seems to good to be true" son-in-law make for a great character combination.
I definitely knew when I picked up this book that I was in for a treat. Highly recommended.

I’ve read and enjoyed the holiday of T M Logan so I knew what I was getting myself into. The Catch was fast paced, thrilling and full of twists and turns. Recommended.

This is the story of Ed, his daughter Abbie is getting married. Ed is immediately suspicious of Ryan, there's something not quite right but he can't put his finger on it. He is determined to protect his daughter but is he just an over-protective dad?

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, I couldn't decide if Ed was just plain crazy or if Ryan really was the psychopath Ed claimed he was! It's a real page turner, infact I read it in a day!

This is the first book I have read of T.M. Logans but I can't wait to read more.

Thank you to Netgalley, Bonnier Books and T.M. Logan for the advanced copy.

The Catch
Ed is delighted to meet his daughters fiancé Ryan. Smart, successful and handsome it almost seems to be too good to be true! Abbie is absolutely head over heels but something just doesn’t sit right...

I absolutely loved this book, thanks to netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review. It had me guessing right up until the last moment and each chapter made me want that little bit more. This book comes highly recommended and is out on 11th June 💙

Being a cynical divorcee and a parent of young adults myself I found this book to be a really interesting insight into people's characters. I suppose I am much like the dad in this book, Ed Collier, in that if someone looks too good to be true, they must be hiding something about themselves and therefore I do not trust anyone easily. I don't instantly take a liking to someone although I can take an immediate dislike to them.
Daughter Abbey is bringing her new beau to meet her parents for the first time - a big deal after her previous boyfriend George turned out to be more than a little difficult to shake off when their relationship came to an end. Abbey is clearly totally smitten with Ryan who, on paper, is the complete package: good looks, charming, polite, and with a university degree and resounding army career behind him what more could a girl ask for? Abbey and her mum are confused when Ed is less than warm in his welcome to Ryan. Something about him just isn't right - but Ed cannot put his finger on it. So imagine his distress when the couple announce they are getting married - and the wedding is only a matter of weeks away!
The book follows Ed's ever-increasingly desperate efforts to uncover more about Ryan, where he's from, what his background is and just what it is that Ed doesn't trust about the young man. There are numerous heart-in-mouth moments as the seemingly overprotective dad takes bigger and bigger risks to prove to his incredulous family that his instincts are right. The clock is ticking and the evidence is eluding him at every turn.
Whether Ed finds out in time to protect his daughter from a man who he feels is not right for her I will leave you to discover by reading the book but I can honestly say that I will be reading more from this author as soon as I can. The background to the characters is so well smoke screened from the reader, the pace of the book instils just the right amount of tension at any given time and the conclusion to the story is explosive and shocking in the extreme.
I loved this book and it's clever title: is Ryan the perfect 'Catch' or is there a hidden catch to getting involved with him?
Grab yourself a copy - it's perfect to get engrossed in and forget all about the real world for a few hours.

This review will be posted on my blog at www.sandiesbookshelves.blogspot.co.uk

After reading The Holiday by T.M Logan, I couldn't wait to start this book!

Compelling from the start, I powered through this book in less than 24 hours as I found it impossible to put down.

Ed knows something isn't right about his Daughter Abbie's new partner Ryan...but he could never have prepared himself for the revelations that come to light when he starts digging for information.

This was quite honestly the perfect thriller, the characterisation was immaculate and the story fast paced and kept you on the edge of your seat.

Thank you for my ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

Having read T.M. Logan’s ‘The Holiday‘ , last year, I was excited to receive his new book as a review copy and after starting to read it I realised it was going to be every bit as compelling as his previous novel. In fact it was so good I raced through it in 24 hours whilst sitting in my sunny garden. It’s a perfect Summer read!
This story is about Ed and Claire, a middle aged couple, who at the beginning of the book meet their daughter Abbie’s boyfriend for the first time. However, despite Claire and Joyce, her mother thinking Ryan is perfect for Abbie, Ed has misgivings. There is something about him that is not quite right.
Abbie and Ryan then announce their engagement and a speedy marriage in a matter of weeks.
Ed is horrified and embarks on a mission to discover as much about Ryan as possible before the wedding date. Unfortunately he seems to become completely obsessed with discovering more information about Ryan, neglecting his day job, ignoring Claire’s warnings and upsetting Abbie.
The book is so cleverly written- the reader does not know if Ed is just an over protective father or if there really is something strange about the ‘oh so perfect’ Ryan. Mainly told from Ed’s point of view in the first person, it is difficult to work out if he is a reliable narrator and concerned father or someone heading for a breakdown.
I will not say anymore About the plot as it will spoil the story with all its twists - you will just have to read the book to find out if Ed is right or not.
A thoroughly enjoyable read and highly recommended for psychological thriller fans.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

TM Logan’s latest thriller, The Catch is another superb thriller, which had me captivated and guessing what on Earth what happen next, who was to be trusted and how would matters be resolved!
Ed is horrified when his daughter, Abbie, brings home her latest boyfriend, Ryan, and announces they are to be married. Abbie’s mum and grandmother are besotted with Ryan and cannot understand Ed’s hostility towards him. But Ed has form; having really disliked Abbie’s ex boyfriend, George.
Is Ed right to be wary of Ryan? Could he possibly be correct about him and everyone else be wrong? Or is Ed an unreasonable, overprotective father? As Ed’s behaviour becomes more extreme, isn’t it more likely he is unraveling and becoming obsessed with Ryan, intent on ‘being right’ rather than finding out the truth?
An intriguing, well-plotted book, full of interesting characters and plot twists. Highly recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.