“56 Days” (Blackstone Publishing, paperback, 320 pages, $10.39) by Catherine Ryan Howard is a suspenseful psychological thriller set in Dublin, Ireland during the early days of the pandemic.
Throughout the novel, Howard does an excellent job of planting questions in reader’s minds. Is main character, Ciara, a naïve romantic? Is debonair Oliver who he presents himself to be, or does the secret he harbors hold the key to his true colors? The narrative jumps between the point of view of these two characters starting on the day they met in a supermarket and moving around in various time sequences. Scenes in current time are also depicted by Detective Leah Riordan as she tries to sort out the identity of a decomposing body in a bathtub.
Thirty-five days after Ciara and Oliver meet and begin dating, Ireland goes into lockdown. Ciara takes a leap of faith and moves in with Oliver. The stakes are high because Ciara may have made a critical error by not letting her family know her whereabouts. When a journalist warns Ciara to be careful of Oliver, and as readers ponder why Oliver fled London, the tension skyrockets. As clues unfold and Oliver and Ciara’s relationship deepens, readers are left wondering what happened on day 56.
I highly recommend picking up this novel, even if you cringe at the thought of being reminded of those days we all spent in lockdown. The tight tension and twisty plot of this page turner will make you forget that you were a part of these dark days of the global pandemic. The story is told in various time periods, so readers who are not fond of this storytelling approach may not appreciate the intricacies of this tale. However, if you love a good who-dun-it that will leave you guessing about the character’s motivations, then this is the book for you.
“56 Days” was a #1 bestseller in Ireland, a New York Times Best Thriller of 2021, a Washington Post Best Thriller for 2021, a New York Public Library Best Book of the Year and an Amazon Editors’ Pick. It was short-listed for the Edgar Award for Best Novel and is currently being developed for screen by Amazon Studios and Atomic Monster.
Catherine Ryan Howard is an internationally bestselling author of seven crime novels. Her debut novel “Distress Signals” won, or was shortlisted, for many prestigious awards, such as the WA John Creasey New Blood Dagger, and the Independent Press Awards Best Mystery of 2017. Her fourth novel, “The Nothing Man” was a #1 Irish Times bestseller and a #1 Kindle bestseller in the UK and was shortlisted for Irish Crime Novel of the Year. She has also authored two light-hearted travel novels detailing her experiences working in Europe and the United States. She lives in Cork, Ireland. Find out more on http://www.catherineryanhoward.com.//
ABOUT JILL HEDGECOCK
Jill Hedgecock is a local author of several novels featuring animals. Her newest release “In Shadow’s Reflection” is the third novel in her Doberman series. www.JillHedgecock.com
You can find her books on Amazon HERE.
About the Author
