56 Days

Catherine Ryan Howard is a writer at the top of her game. I have been desperate to read "56 Days" and it didn't disappoint. The growing suspense and tension is breathtaking. I love that it's set during Covid lockdown. The timeline zips about and we have different perspectives but it's well sign-posted. Oliver and Ciara are new Dublin blow-ins. Their fledgling relationship is immediately put under pressure by restrictions on movement due to the global pandemic. What ensues is carnage, secrets and lies. The novel is perfectly plotted and paced. I couldn't put it down, reading long into the night to finish it. Catherine Ryan Howard is an author whose work I will now happily blind buy. Top notch thriller!

56 days is the sort of magical story that comes along once in a blue moon, it has everything a reader could possibly want and then some! It’s clever, dark, thrilling and that’s just the few chapter!

I’ve seen coronavirus try to be inserted in a few books I’ve read recently and it just didn’t work but 56 Days does it perfectly. From the beginning to the end every word feels authentic and the twists will rip through your core! Emotional, fast paced and overall BRILLIANT! 5/5

56 Days is going to be a huge hit and you NEED to read it.

#56Days #NetGalley
Excellent novel.
Ciara and Oliver meet in a supermarket queue in Dublin and start dating the same week COVID-19 reaches Irish shores.
When lockdown threatens to keep them apart, Oliver suggests they move in together. Ciara sees a unique opportunity for a relationship to flourish without the scrutiny of family and friends. Oliver sees a chance to hide who - and what - he really is. Detectives arrive at Oliver's apartment to discover a decomposing body inside.
Can they determine what really happened, or has lockdown created an opportunity for someone to commit the perfect crime?
Thanks to NetGalley and Atlantic Books for giving me an advanced copy of this book.

56 Days - Catherine Ryan Howard

A unique, brave and bang up to the minute premise.

A couple meet and start dating in the weeks leading up to the start of the first Lockdown. Lockdown speeds things up and they move in together.

56 Days later only one is still alive, the other lying dead in the apartment.

Wow! A perfect blend of in-depth fully realised characters, intricate plotting, police investigation, twists and tension.

The going into Lockdown experience is vividly told and relatable easing the reader in. I loved the use of the timeframe, and the retelling of certain aspects from more than one viewpoint, the weaving together of the past and present (even though only a few weeks apart) is simply sublime.

The plotting is faultless the tension keeps ramping up and the twists keep coming.

The is the first of Catherine Ryan Howard's books I've read but will be rushing off to read the others asap.

This book is a work of art and sure to be in my top books of this year.


Thanks to Netgalley and Corvus, Atlantic.

Perfectly Timed...
The perfect opportunity for the perfect crime? With a slow but perfectly timed mounting of tension, a supremely well crafted cast of characters and a credible storyline this is a breath holding suspense which shows this author at the top of her game. An excellent read which should keep the reader engaged from the very first page to the last.

56 days is the book which has had me most invested in a book so far this year, It is contemporary, intriguing and full of mistrust between the characters.

Ollie and Ciara meet in the queue at Tesco, the beginnings of the covid19 restrictions meaning they are both a little wary of one another due to social distancing and all the other new rules being enforced by the supermarket. But is it just the restrictions which make them cautious of getting too close or is there more to their backgrounds which makes them so?

The chapters are told from the different characters' point of view and at various times between when Ollie and Ciara meet and the present day, 56 days later when it's obvious something awful has happened behind the closed doors of Ollie's apartment at The Crossings. But where are all the characters now? And more importantly - WHO are they?

I loved trying to work out which of the characters was the bad guy, who had what information about the other -and what did the mysterious woman across the courtyard have to do with all of it?

The reader gets snippets about each of the characters drip fed throughout, just enough to raise even more questions rather than answer any of the existing ones. The time switching set up won't suit everyone as you do need to keep track of the the chapter headings to keep with the story but I found it extremely clever and intricately woven. I do hope people don't let this put them off though as it is SO worth working with. You can feel the discomfort of the detectives as they attend the scene, including the very green (literally!) pair of newly qualified PC's who are first on the scene. The writing is descriptive enough for the reader to really imagine being on scene, and at times maybe even wish that they weren't!

Having read the Nothing Man previously by this author and been impressed by the author I was delighted to have been approved to read 56 Days and I cannot thank you enough. I have already recommended this to a large number of my fellow reader friends who have added it to their reading lists and are keen for publication day to come around quickly. In my opinion this even better than the Nothing Man, which I didn't think the author would be able to top.

Catherine Ryan Howard - takes you on a journey during a Covid lockdown
The only thing you need to do is remember to breath

End to end suspense, the tension is electrifying, the twist and turns are plenty
and has always an ending you just won't guess.

I have read all of Catherine Ryan Howard's book, she just keeps getting better and better

Thank you netgalley, Atlantic books and Catherine Ryan Howard

This is the first novel that I’ve read that’s set in the COVID 19 lockdown and it was fantastic!

Ciara and Oliver get together before the start of the first lockdown and quickly end up moving in together so that they aren’t forced to be apart. Ciara sees this as an opportunity to settle into a blissful bubble without the interference of family and friends. Oliver on the other hand sees it as the perfect way to disguise his true self. 56 days later, only one of them is still alive whilst the other lays dead on the apartment floor.

56 days is fast paced and full of suspense and I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it!

Ciara and Oliver have just started dating when the unthinkable happens: the virus in the news hits Ireland, and the country is put into lockdown. When Oliver suggests that Ciara move in with him for the duration so that they can get to know each other better, Ciara quickly agrees: Oliver is smart, handsome, and intriguing, and she wants to learn everything she can about him.

But Oliver isn't who he says he is. What does he really want from Ciara? And what is it that he is keeping to himself?

I really enjoyed this well-written, smartly paced thriller, lent an extra edge given its setting against the coronavirus pandemic. The characters are well realised, and the revelations just keep coming. I don't think I predicted a single twist, which is very unusual given that I read a LOT of this type of book! I loved the twists, and that the author made us care for both characters, despite their flaws. I loved it, and will definitely be recommending!

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher, who granted me a free ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A very clever idea, and a well-written book. I loved this, and couldn't put it down. Lots of unexpected twists, and I particularly enjoyed the idea of presenting the same scene from the point of view of each of the main characters. I would thoroughly recommend this book, and I look forward to reading more books by this author.

Who is the goody? Who is the baddy? Just as you think you have got it straight there is another hairpin bend in the plot. The first COVID thriller I have read - I almost felt nostalgic for those innocent days when we thought it was going to be over in two weeks.

A young couple meet and decide that with lockdown coming fast they should move in together. As you can imagine, neither get what they are expecting. A top twisty, turny thriller.

My thanks to NetGalley and Atlantic Books for a copy of 56 Days for an honest review..

This was my first book by Catherine Ryan Howard and I was really impressed with her style of writing.
I was drawn in by the premise, made even more pertinent taking place during the Pandemic.
This was an excellent read, suspenseful and really hard to put down.
I cannot recommend it highly enough.

What a fantastic book. I was gripped from the start and it kept me up reading well into the night. The writing is excellent, the characterisation is great and the plot is exceptional, with twists and turns you don't see coming.

Two unreliable protagonists lead the reader down their own secret alleyways while a wonderfully drawn police duo bicker and banter as they attempt, not to solve a crime, but to find out if one has even been committed. Meanwhile, the stench practically lifts off the page. I can see this becoming a runaway success like Gone Girl.

I must now go and get Catherine Ryan Howard's other books. Thankyou NG for introducing me to this exciting writer.

This was a book I really enjoyed and the setting at the start of the pandemic made for interesting reading
A dead body is found in a Dublin apartment and as the officers start to investigate we go back in time and hear from Oliver and Ciara who have recently met and started a relationship at the outset of lockdown . we know early on that Oliver is hiding something from his past , and it does have you wondering about Ciara's motives too
The story comes out slowly as the young couple struggle with the restrictions imposed by the government and it was a gripping read with a very good twist . Would definitely recommend

The Nothing Man was compelling. This just as compelling. The second book I've read set in Lockdown but skillful handled. A romance or is it? Ryan Howard plays her red herrings with a skill that's hard to beat. Great writing. Great characters. Great stuff.

Thank you for my copy of this book to review.

I have read all of Catherine Ryan Howard’s books so far and have given them all 5 stars.

To be honest, I did wonder how long it would be til someone published a book around the lockdown and this did make me have some reservations, but I trust this author to write a good story and I wasn’t disappointed. You forget how eerie those first few weeks of the lockdown were but in a weird way I actually enjoyed reading about it.

It was a completely original storyline and I liked the psychological edge but with a detective side to it aswell, as with her other books too. I did think it was a bit slow to get going but then picked up about half way through. I liked how the chapters switch between time frames and I did not see the twist coming at all. I had to go back to the start of that chapter to make sure I’d read it right.

I will say that it was probably my least favourite of her books but it hasn’t stopped me giving it 5 stars still and recommending it to anyone that will listen. Definitely one of my favourite authors and one of those that you know you will enjoy before you even start reading.

March 2020. How could any of us forget it? As the world goes into lockdown because of the coronavirus global pandemic, one person is only too happy to be restricting his movements.
Oliver meets Ciara a few days before Dublin goes into lockdown and rather than stop seeing each other, they decide to move in together for 2 weeks until the lockdown is lifted.
At the end of the 56 days one of them will be dead.
I have to admit it was strange reading about the start of this pandemic, considering we are still very much going through it over a year later, but only Catherine Ryan Howard could write about something everyone wants to forget and make it so so interesting.
This book was tense, creepy, riveting and sad all at the same time and I loved it! I found myself really caring for Oliver and Ciara and really enjoying the banter between DI Leah Riordan and her young, playful colleague Karl. Super characters and lots of twists. You won't want to miss this one.
Thank you to Netgalley and Blackstone publishing for my ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

After being quite unsure yet curious to read a lockdown themed psycological thriller whilst still embroiled in the global pandemic,this storyline absolutely blew me away. So much detail of every day life under Covid restrictions, cleverly intertwined with an absorbing and very well written storyline. Really hope this is a massive success and will most definitely be looking out for this author's next offering.

‘They walk back together as far as his office, then wave each other goodbye. She doesn’t take a deep breath until she’s turned her back to him. And so it begins’
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Every time Catherine Ryan Howard has a new book out I RAVE about it, there is just something about the way she writes a story that always gets me hooked, and this new instalment is no different!!
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56 Days Ago…
Clara and Oliver meet in a supermarket queue in Dublin and start dating.
Today…
Detectives arrive at Oliver’s apartment to discover a decomposing body inside…
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THE PREMISE ALONE!!! Like jeez, already I was pulled in. The way CRH masterfully pulls together a mystery revealing snippet by snippet of information for you to fully piece it together and then BAM always there’s a curve ball you didn’t see coming, yet makes complete sense and you kick yourself for not realising! A true master of the genre, and I’m already head over heels excited for her next novel!!
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Heads up also… this book is set during Covid-19’s lockdown in Dublin, for those who may think a novel set in Lockdown is ‘too early’ or ‘too close to home’, I urge you to put that aside and read this still, the Lockdown is merely a setting for the novel, one that creates a locked room mystery and nothing more, COVID doesn’t play into the story, it merely adds for a very interesting and relatable setting, so fear not!!
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All in all, a triumph yet again, thank you to Netgalley, Atlantic Books and Catherine Ryan Howard for the ARC!

I have never read anything by Catherine Ryan Howard but I most certainly will look out for books by her now! My mind is actually blown by how amazing this book was!! I was so drawn in and even messaged my sister who had recommended it to me demanding to know what Oliver had done!! Extremely current with lock down one and two still very much in our recent memories, it was so well written I was still there at 1am despite it being a work night!!
I would give it many more stars if I could!! Outstanding !!!

Oliver meets Ciara in a supermarket just before lockdown hits.They decide to stay together in Olivers flat for the duration.They can get to know each other can't they?But will they like what they find out?Secrets always come out in the end don't they?
Very fast paced told from 3 points of view Olivers Ciara's and the police with plenty of surprises making it a must read.
Another hit for Catherine Ryan Howard.
Thank you to Netgalley and Atlantic books for the ARC

Howard has managed to make a story about the first Covid-19 lockdown than I actually wanted to keep reading, which is a feat in itself. Plus, she weaves together multiple perspectives on the same events, moving back and forth between different timelines, without any confusion for the reader, which is not a small task. I don’t actually want to say too much about the plot, because it would be easy to spoil, but at its root, 56 Days is a love story and a crime thriller, and it’s nothing like you are expecting. I love love loved that the Gardaí detectives dealing with the events of 56 Days mentioned the Nothing Man case, creating a sense of a Howard cinematic universe. I also hope there’s more to come from the detectives because they were well-rounded characters. Whatever she does next, I’ll be following Howard’s fiction closely.

This is an amazingly clever plot and extremely well-written.

Set in Dublin, Ciara and Oliver meet just before lockdown, so they decide to give their relationship a good chance by taking the opportunity to move into Oliver’s swish apartment together. The story covers various points throughout the 56 days and moves between them, but I had no problem with this as the story was easy to follow.

Weeks later, a neighbour reports a bad smell in the apartment block, so detectives Lee and Karl investigate. There’s a dead, and decomposing, body in the shower. As they delve deeper into the find, we discover that there was far more to Ciara and Oliver than met the eye.

I was totally hooked and couldn’t put this down. Utterly brilliant.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atlantic Books, and Corvus for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

This a very solid read which also serves well to remind us of the early days of the pandemic and just how weird everything was then. Told over a time frame of 56 days from when Ciara and Oliver first met to now when the Gardaì are investigating a body found in Oliver’s apartment we see snapshots of their time together told from both perspectives, the timeframes do skip a bit but I found it easy to keep track and it revealed more elements of the story really well. I really don’t want to give any spoilers but there’s so much going on between the two and they both have so many secrets that you really do feel compelled to work out just what has happened between them. This is a fantastic thriller, I think I preferred it to The Nothing Man which was also fantastic, can’t wait to see what Catherine Ryan Howard pulls out next.

Although there are many books out there that touch on or are indeed set in the pandemic this one explores a different view, from a couple who meet only days before lockdown and make the decision to give it a go together, moving in to create their own bubble.
The book move between now- when a gruesome body is found in the flat to the past 56 days at various time points as we disover more about Ciara and Oliver all whilst wondering what went so wrong that now someone is dead.
Tension is high throughout and the final conclusion is mind blowing!
A truely successful pandemic story.

This is a fantastic read and I highly recommend it.

I've really struggled recently to find a book I could truly and honestly recommend as more than a 'decent / 3* good read' and I was genuinely considering a break from reading. How glad I am that I found this gem in my TBR list. It's a real cracker.

Ciara meets Oliver by accident in a supermarket in Dublin town centre and so begins a flirtation that is accelerated due to lockdown. Now, I'm not sure I'd normally have gone for a lockdown narrative. However, this was so highly recommended that I gave it a shot and I'm delighted I did as it's so incredibly well written and not in the slightest bit boring about COVID, if that makes sense. It's a multi layered read with a genuine sense of unease as it appears that both these individuals have something to hide and I was absolutely gripped throughout as more was revealed.

There's a murder enquiry and again, I'm not a massive fan of police procedurals, but, the 2 detectives involved are so well written, incredibly likeable and they bring another dimension to the overall story that I loved it and them.

It's also a heartbreaking read at times and for anyone who enjoys a fabulous, well written murder / mystery / suspense / romance / thriller, this is a 'not to be missed' read.

5* fabulous and I hope the author is at this moment, penning another amazing read!
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing / Corvus / Atlantic Books for the opportunity to preview.

I was intrigued by this book, a perfect murder in lockdown, how did that work? And it worked really well! Ciara meets Oliver in Tesco one day and they hit it off. But a few days later, Dublin gets locked down and they have to make a decision what to do.

Although it’s based around the pandemic and lockdown, it’s not overly prominent and I didn’t feel like I was re-living it. The characters are really well built up and I actually found that I was sympathising with the bad ones. I finished the story wishing that I’d had that story idea last year.

Well written and kept me on the edge of my seat. Highly recommended.

What a great story that keeps you hooked in, even when you think you know what is happening, everything shifts again...

This is the first book I've read that's set in the recent Covid-19 lockdown and what a cracking book it was! Told from 3 different points of view we're given a well written, fast paced book with an exciting and novel plot that twists and turns - often when/where I least expected it to go. The timeline jumps back and forth too but it all adds to the tension as secrets are shared and uncovered. I thoroughly enjoyed this bang-up- to- date page turner and I'll now go and check out some of her previous books.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author for an advance copy of this book.

This was amazing l. Still thinking about it a few days later. Thrilling and twists and I couldn’t put it down.

I don't usually read thrillers due to being a massive wuss, but as soon as I read the description of this lockdown-set novel I was all in. And I wasn't disappointed. Completely gripping, with characters you'll root for even though you don't it doesn't, couldn't work out for them. And lockdown is rendered so well - although it's a little disorientating to read about covid while it's still happening. Just an excellent idea, brilliantly executed.

This book is seriously brilliant. This book is seriously addictive. It should contain a warning, as once I’d started reading this book there was no going back, I couldn’t put it down. The author’s writing just keeps getting better and better and this one is in my opinion the best one so far. The pandemic in this story is used to perfection as it helps create the perfect atmosphere, a sense of tension and remoteness. The way this story is presented is one of the best I’ve read for a while as you have the current timeline but also the days before countdown told from the both the main characters point of views. What you think you know at the beginning is all thrown out by the end as the real story is gradually revealed. A definite must read for 2021.

This is the third book from the super talented Catherine Ryan Howard that I have read so I knew I was in for a brilliant read but nothing quite prepared me for just how good it turned out to be it was amazing.
Set at the beginning of the covid pandemic with multiple timelines it was a story that I was convinced I knew exactly what was going on but I completely wrong.
The book is a slow burn and you really have to keep your wits about you as the timelines change and bits of information are revealed and it has one hell of a jaw dropping, brilliant ending. So a story filled with secrets in many ways a sad story but with some excellent and unreliable characters it kept me gripped till the end and of course the writing was superb and this is an author who really can spin a fine yarn that goes above and beyond the norm.
No hesitation in giving this 5 stars and looking forward to the next book which I know will be brilliant.
My thanks to NetGalley and Atlantic Books, Corvus for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

An intriguing thriller which had me hooked from the very beginning. The characters are totally believable and as it is set during a lockdown due to COVID the whole plot was relatable.

The way the chapters are written made me want to keep on reading as it went from present day to the past and also from both the main characters perspectives, so it sometimes repeated the text, but for me this added more tension.

Ciara and Oliver meet in a supermarket and begin dating, but then lockdown happens so they move in together so they can carry on seeing each other. It soon becomes clear that they are both hiding something.

It starts with a death in present day then ends with an outcome of cause of death. All the chapters in between blend well together for the reader to get an insight into what happened and why.

If you like fast paced thrillers then this isn’t for you as it is a slow build up with a background story. For me this was a 5 star read as I really enjoyed the slow reveal.

Many thanks to netgalley, the publishers and the author for an arc.

This book is brilliant! It follows Ciara and Oliver who randomly meet one day and seem to click straight away. But then lockdown is announced and they decide to move in together for this period of time so that they can keep seeing each other. This is 56 days ago. In the present day we follow the police as a body has been found in an apartment and it’s the place this new couple were living! I was gripped from the very first pages of this novel and I devoured it as I just didn’t want to put it down. This is a novel that seems like it’s going one way and then the rug is pulled out from under you and I loved that. I was stunned by some of the reveals that come along and it had me unnerved that I hadn’t seen certain things coming. This is my favourite thriller of the year so far and I highly recommend it!

I absolutely tore through this book. Twisty, fast-paced, and full of highly charged moments that leave you breathless, I couldn't put it down. The timeline isn't linear and some scenes are told from two different points of view, but at no point was it unclear or confusing due to the sharp, clever writing and perfect plotting.

56 Days is not the first book to mention Covid-19, but it is the first book I've read to actively feature and be set during the pandemic. The author is spot on in her note at the end - many authors have dismissed the idea of writing or even reading books set during this time, but here we are 18 months after the first lockdown and we are still very much living through the pandemic. It has changed the world and so too the world we set our books in. I hope to see more of it, because although fiction can provide an escape, it can also be a way of understanding the world around us.

Well this was a fantastic surprise for me. A hugely enjoyable read.

As seems to be the norm for me these days, I went into this one more or less blind and I would advise you to do the same also, if you want to get the full enjoyment out of it.

Set during 56 days in Dublin(my home town) during the early stages of the Covid 19 outbreak, I knew that it involved a murder but not much else.

Told in different timelines and also from our two main protagonists perspectives, it not only jumps back and forward but also returns to the same timeline, viewed from the persons perspective.
This might be jarring for some as it repeats scenarios but its a brilliant tool to really flesh out the story and the characters.

This is a story of secrets, of regrets, of love, of revenge and of self doubt.

It is beautifully written and plotted with some lovely surprises that I didnt see coming in the final third.

One of the best books Ive read this year. Highly highly recommended.

Thanks to the publisher for an ARC through Netgalley.

A novel set during lockdown? Do we need this? Is it necessary? Whatever one's opinion, Catherine Ryan Howard has given us a crackin' novel. I absolutely loved this book! By turns, exciting, shocking, tense, funny (the banter between the cops) and, in places, tender and terribly sad, this is a novel to remember. Well done and thank you, Catherine!

PS The cops mention a previous case referred to as The Nowhere Man. I didn't realise it while reading, but this is, in fact, a nod at one of Howard's previous novels and right now, I'm scuttling off to buy a copy. If it's half as good as 56 days, it'll be something to look forward to.

This book kept you on your toes all the way through.
First you think it is a love story set during the pandemic but before you know it someone is dead and is it murder or suicide.Then you find out that both of the parties have terrible secrets.
All the twists and turns keep you on your toes right to the very last page.
Very clever plot which I can highly recommend.

This Fascinating and powerful thriller from Catherine Ryan Howard is a brilliant read.

Setting a story slap bang in the first lockdown after Covid-19 hit takes some guts from an Author, especially when we are far from out of the woods yet.

The story tells of Ciara and Oliver, who meet just before the first Lockdown in Dublin, after just a few dates and with Lockdown about to kick in, they take a massive plunge and decide to move in together on the basis the Lockdown was going to be 2 weeks as we all first thought way back when.

The trouble is, that not all is at it seems with the charming Oliver, as Ciara soon finds out…But all is not as it seems with Ciara…

Extremely clever, this thriller is absolutely rammed with tension and suspense as you flick though waiting for the worst, and when the reveals and twists do come they are absolutely awesome, completely surprising and so well hidden and crafted, I loved that I had no inkling. Absolutely top class writing.

The intrigue plays out though chapters bouncing between timelines, from
Ciara and Oliver’s point of View, and also the quite entertaining detectives investigating , as they bring a little light to the dark and atmospheric proceedings.

I couldn’t have enjoyed this one anymore and I absolutely loved the Lockdown setting, a Top Drawer Crime Thriller

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Wow. Absolutely gripping thriller that kept me gasping and enthralled. Set during the first lockdown in Dublin, it is told by three narrators and from different times and I guarantee that the story that you think you are reading will not be the one that you finish with. Cleverly constructed with just enough information to keep it real, this is excellent and I will be searching out more by this author.

When I read the synopsis of 56 Days, it really piqued my interest. The COVID pandemic has thrown so many of us in to uncharted territory, with no rule book to consult.
I remember seeing newly found couples in the news, who had decided that moving in together would be make or break. They were full of optimism for their greatly accelerated relationships. Having read this book, it makes you wonder how they fared.
The story merges two book genres, we have the age old “boy meets girl”, Oliver and Ciara meeting in a queue in a supermarket; but we also know from the start that we are reading about a crime. We have the start of a relationship, and 56 days later, a decomposing unidentified body. We don’t know who, why or when.

I don’t think any of us will forget those early terrifying days, weeks and months of lockdown, where everything we ever knew had been turned on it’s head. I wasn’t sure that was ready to read a book so heavily centred on the pandemic yet, but I’m very glad that I chose 56 Days. This is a clever book, the author sucked me in, and let me believe I had solved the plot, I felt jubilant that I had solved the crime, and why. Then Catherine very quietly let me know how wrong I was, and I loved it. It is very hard to say anything about the story, and not give any of it away, and I want everyone to read this 5* book with fresh eyes, as I did; and love it, as I did.
I had not heard of Catherine Ryan Howard prior to this book, but she is definitely on my radar now. I’m heading off now to consult Fantastic Fiction to find her other books, and add them to my towering TBR pile.

I adored The Nothing Man and that made 56 Days a ‘must read’ for me. Catherine Ryan Howard is an inventive and entertaining writer and she approaches her subject with verve and originality. That is absolutely the case with 56 Days, a novel inspired by lockdown and set just as Ireland is about to enter the first lockdown phase.

Don’t worry, though, this isn’t a Covid novel, just the starting point for a brilliant mystery that will keep you guessing all the way through.

56 Days is an engrossing and immersive story about two people who meet for the first time on the eve of lockdown. Their story is one of secrets, lies and sharing spaces amidst the fear and isolation of the pandemic.

Catherine Ryan Howard’s story moves back and forwards across her three time zones, but is never difficult to follow. It’s a very clever device in which she slowly reveals snippets of information which the reader has to piece together, all the time jumping to conclusions which may – or as proves to be the case- may not pan out.

This makes it a fascinating thriller as we listen to the stories of Ciara and Oliver, meeting by accident for the first time. Then, after we have established that first attraction, the present day brings us to DI Lee Riordan and DS Karl Connolly. They are standing over a dead body in a shower, in an upmarket set of apartments in Dublin City. It’s been there a while. Has this person died an accidental death, or was it murder? Only by following the timelines will be able to reach a conclusion.

It is obvious when Ciara and Oliver first meet that there’s a mutual attraction. They find common ground very easily and though both are slow to trust, their attraction to each other leads to a relationship forming pretty quickly and that is only accelerated when lockdown comes. Forced to choose between separation and the isolation that would bring to each of these lonely souls, they choose instead to be together when lockdown kicks in.

Because of Howard’s time shifting plot, we know someone is going to end up dead in Oliver’s building. Which one will it be?

Howard is a brilliant writer whose reveals are at once fascinating and also deceptive. This is an excellent masterclass in how to reveal secrets and develop characterisation, all the while leaving the reader wrong footed in their conclusions.

She writes with wit, too. There’s a terrific vein of humour threaded through what turns out to be a dark and troubled story and even when you think you’ve got to the bottom of her fast paced and excellently twisted plotting, she still has some last surprises for you.

Verdict: 56 Days is quite cinematic in construction. It is vivid, very well written, twisty and propulsive. The premise is clever and the execution staggeringly good and all achieved with a seemingly light touch. A great suspense thriller that is as good as it gets.