Member Reviews
The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard is one of my favourite books of all time but every other book I have read by her I never enjoy as much as that one. But this one was really really good. I've been in a reading slump for ages and this was the first book that I picked up and was actually able to finish.
This book was so good and I flew through it within a couple of days. It constantly has you questioning all of the characters and their secrets and whether or not you can trust them. Even the main character has a massive secret that she is hiding throughout the book.
There was so much about this book I really enjoyed. The writing was so easy to fall into and the mystery kept me on my toes throughout the whole book. I loved the little authors note at the beginning that gave us background on how the author came up with the idea of the story and I feel like that added an element to the story when I was reading it as I knew where she was pulling her inspiration from.
I was quite scared that the ending would be left open-ended and I am so glad that she didn't do that and we got a conclusion to this story.
I cannot wait to pick up more Catherine Ryan Howard books in the future
Catherine Ryan Howard has done it again!! This book is so eerie. I was holding my breathe in parts and the ending blew me away. Catherine has a real knack of making you think you absolutely have it all worked out and the pulling the rug from under you. I can't say anymore because I don't want to spoil anything for anyone. Just WOW!!
Another book with lots and twists and turns. You never know what is right and wrong until the end.
Good captivating read
Firstly thank you for my early access in exchange for a review .
This was an interesting read and an insight into a writers life and dilemma they face.
At Times the characters and timelines felt confusing for me and when reading the ending I wasn’t sure if I had missed a page .
Fast paced and full of revelations to keep the reader turning the page .
Catherine Ryan Howard is the queen of the high concept premise and she’s knocked it out of the park again with Burn After Reading. There’s a gripping heart-in-mouth opening, a main character you can’t help rooting for in writer Emily, and plenty of twists before reaching that dramatic conclusion…. This latest offering from Howard will keep you guessing — and flip-flopping between Jack Smyth’’s guilt or innocence — right to the end. A one (or two at most!) sitting reading.
Emily an author has been sent by her publishers to be a ghostwriter for an athlete who is suspected of killing his wife.
She doesn’t want to take on the assignment but she owes the publisher a second book and feels that she has no choice.
An engaging thriller with lots of twists and turns.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House, Transworld Publishing for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
A great story, which I always find with this author. Well written with plenty of dark, family secrets, I highly recommend. You will never know who to trust xx
Would possibly round up to a 2.5star.
After reading and enjoying 56 Days by this author I have been wanting to read more by them. Unfortunately this one didn't quite hit the mark for me.
This was nearing 400 pages and so much of it felt repetitive due to the back and forth between flashbacks and the present.
The two main characters were pretty fleshed out but all the side characters felt like after thoughts so I did find myself not really caring what happened to them.
The plot was pretty straight forward and I found the ending lacked bite. It did cover some important topics such as domestic violence and I wish these extras were explored more as it would have given the characters more depth.
I did enjoy the authors writing style and would probably give them one more try after this but overall this just didn't work for me as a domestic thriller and I found myself a little bored by the end.
This is such a great book. I absolutely loved it. Loads if twists and turns. I couldn't put it down. Great ending as well.
This is the kind of thriller that gets under your skin and leaves you questioning what role everyone has and whether they’re on the protagonists side or messing with their head. Set over a very short but intense time frame with some flash backs to before the fire this gets increasingly tense as the story progresses. The storyline is simple but works well and I love how it was inspired by true locations and events - the actual book location had me freaked, I would have hated to be there but it really added to the tension.
Burn After Reading is the upcoming release by one of my favourite authors, Catherine Ryan Howard. This author has become an auto-buy for me now and so I was delighted to be offered the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Burn After Reading.
Burn After Reading follows Emily, a one-hit wonder author of bestselling book, The Witness. Five years on, Emily has failed to even begin to write the second book that she has been contracted to write by her publisher, Morningstar. She is constantly looking over her shoulder, wondering when they will come looking for her to pay back the advance for said book.
When the publishers do get in contact, they offer her a deal that she should, but cannot refuse. A ghostwriting opportunity for the memoir of a man, who claims his innocence, that the public deem a murderer. Will she be able to unearth the truth of what happened to Jack's wife Kate? And will Emily's own truth be revealed in the process?
I absolutely adored this book! It is right up there with some of my other favourites by the author, The Nothing Man, and 56 Days. The writing is utterly gripping, and although at times I was completely spooked, I kept coming back for more.
The character development across the whole book was excellent - plenty of fleshing out of the main characters and just enough of the secondary characters. I felt it was really well balanced. I was a big fan of the protagonist, Emily. She came across as a really great person who had been given a rough hand. I loved her relationship with her friend, Alice. I did question her sanity and how easily she went along with staying in the adjoining guest house when a suspected murderer was staying in the main residence, and I questioned how easily her boyfriend let her go. Although, perhaps it shows just how desperate Emily was to clear her debts and move on with her life.
I really enjoyed the format of this book, going back and forth between the past and present, and between different characters, but in a way that wasn't difficult to follow.
If you're looking for a book that will keep you second-guessing yourself right until the end, this is it. I was so sure on countless occasions that I had it all figured out, only to back-track a few chapters later.
With sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and the publishers Penguin Random House, Transworld, for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Burn After Reading. As always, all opinions are my own.
Started off slowly but I stuck with it and overall it was an ok read. It just seemed to be lacking that certain something to make it a great read. I’ve really enjoyed the authors other books but this one fell short for me.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House uk for the Arc.
Thank you Netgalley for my copy.
Thank goodness this book was better than the (unrelated ) film of the same name.
I enjoyed this book, as thrillers go, it's a bit different in the sense the "twists/ confessions/ realiations" seem to come early, then you're treated to the fall out after. Not a formula I'm used to as an avid psycholical thriller reader but I enjoyed it none the less.
Looking forward to reading more by Howard.
I honestly didn't know where it was going to go when I started it, and whether I'd even enjoy it. However, I got sucked into it and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's fast paced and full of twists - half of which I didn't see coming.
Catherine Ryan Howard is one of my favourite authors and I've yet to be disappointed by one of her books!
Sadly this book fell a bit flat for me, the twist at the end was a bit predictable and not as dramatic as it could have been. The timeline and characters were confusing, but this thriller still had an interesting plot that kept me reading.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Burn After Reading. It has me gripped from the start and I struggled to put it down.
I found Emily agreeing to be a ghost writer for a possible murderer seems far fetched but understandable when you know why she has to take on the project.
I like the flitting back and forth between now and then because it really helps set the story.
Another fantastic thriller from this author, I was hooked and I found it really well paced! It wasn’t quite as fast as some other thrillers I’d read but it worked perfectly! Brilliant story and perfectly executed! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC
I absolutely loved this book by Catherine Ryan Howard, she can do no wrong in my eyes I love all her books! As always with her work, Burn After Reading is full of twists and turns that leaves the reader on the edge of your seat from start to finish. I couldn't put this down as I just wanted to know how it would turn out! I loved how the opening chapter began with a snippet of the ending without any context which leaves you as the reader wondering and guessing where it's going to go. Definitely gets you right on your toes at the start. I loved the descriptive writing and the characters in this I felt transported to that house in Sanctuary Florida, a creepy planned out town that no body lives in yet. The setting of the town definitely added to the suspense and intrigue.
Burn after reading tells the story of Emily, a writer who had one huge hit and now finds herself not able to write her second book and Jack a former professional cyclist whose wife died in a fire at their home. At first Jack, a celebrity in Ireland receives sympathy from the public until the shocking revelation that his wife died of horrific injuries before the fire and Jacks the main suspect. Emily still in contract with her publisher has never fulfilled her contract of the second book, so they propose a solution, she becomes the ghostwriter for Jack in a tell all of what really happened to his wife. She ends up being flown to Sanctuary, Florida a secluded town that no body else lives in yet and soon Emily finds herself thrown into Jack's world and the truth of what really happened
Overall, I loved this one and would definitely recommend it if you want a fantastic thriller that leaves you guessing right till the end!
When Emily - under contract for a second book that she is struggling to write after a blockbuster debut - is approached by her publisher to act as ghostwriter for a controversial public figure accused of killing his wife, she feels she has little choice to accept. But she hadn't reckoned for the reality of being locked in an interview room with a potential murderer for several hours a day.
Catherine Ryan Howard can always be relied on for compelling and entertaining writing, and Burn After Reading is no exception to this. The narrative is cleverly structured to steer the reader in various directions as we - alongside Emily - slowly figure out the truth underlying everything.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
I am an avid fan of Catherine Ryan's books and had high hopes for this book. what a great novel. I flew throught it. Thank you for the opportunity to review