Rewind is the latest book by Catherine Ryan Howard and it is a very different murder investigation and like her previous book is very enjoyable

One of my dislikes is a story told by multiple characters over different timelines but in this book, because it is done so well, the author cleverly uses the buttons on a video to rewind; play: forward to move across the timeline and to tell the story from different angles and characters.

The main characters are well sketched out which also assists with the moving about.

The book itself is very readable and is definitely one where you think just a few more pages before you put it down.

Catherine Ryan Howard is definitely one of those authors who I keep an eye out for her new books.

Recommended

Well this was rather convoluted but, once the whole truth was out, it all came together rather nicely at the end. The journey towards that was a bit of a challenge for me however as it did flit about quite a lot and I had my work cut out for me trying to keep track of it all.
We start with a holiday cottage manager reviewing his hidden camera footage. But he gets more than he bargained for when he sees something he is really not expecting. The murder of his one and only guest. The murderer goes one step further as, after finishing, they turn toward the camera, making it obvious that they know someone will see. But the manager can't report the incident for, in doing so, he will implicate himself. When the murdered woman's identity is discovered it solves the mystery of the disappearance of Internet superstar Natalie who had previously posted that she is taking some time out from everything, including husband Mike. We then follow Audrey as she, desperate to get on into proper journalism, is sent to interview Mike. Supposed to be a one off, she then defies her boss and carries on investigating. And here's where it all gets convoluted and mixed up... and more than that, well, spoilers!
Once you get to the end, it's all a bit simple cause and effect compounded with assumptions and a few bad choices thrown in for good measure. But, it's the delivery that mixes it all up, throwing the reader this way and that as it races towards its rather shocking conclusion. There are a few things guessable en route, partially if not fully, but there are way more that you will kick yourself over with the benefit of hindsight.
Pacing was interesting but I guess this was more to do with the way the book was set out and the way that the past integrated into the present which did mean that it didn't quite flow as well as it could for me. But, that said, the story got on with itself well, within the bounds of the time-hop stuff, obviously. Characterisation was good, a neat trick to pull off with the type of cast contained within the book - this will make sense once you have read it, honest.
All in all, not the best book for me due to the delivery method not suiting me, but that's hardly the author's fault. The end did justify the journey and I have also added the book to my very short list of books I'd like to re-read, as I think this might prove interesting.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

An explosive read, indeed! The beginning had me hooked and the play, rewind, pause parts did not disappoint, either. I couldn’t put the book down. The story has twists and turns from the beginning and kept me glued to it till the end, I loved the characters; (although many - had a bit of difficulty keeping up) and the description of Shannamore cottages made me want to visit, yet gave me the creeps.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review

Andrew, manager of Shanamore Cottages, does not trust his eyes when he watches the camera he secretly installed in the bedroom of the cottages: his only guest has just been murdered. Yet, he surely cannot call the police but has to cope with the situation. Rewind. Strange things seem to happen in the life of influencer Natalie. However, her husband Mike does not believe her, supposedly because he himself is behind it all. He not only seems to have an affair but also wants her to believe that she has gone nuts. The key to it all seems to lie in the cottages where her obviously spent several days, so she packs her bag and spontaneously goes there. She knows immediately that this has been a mistake, the place is not only remote but more than literally abandoned in November and the people out there more than creepy. She does not know how correct her assessment of the place is and how wrong she was about the connection between this village and herself.

I have read Catherine Ryan Howard’s former novel “The Liar’s Girls” about Dublin’s Canal Killer and had liked it a lot. That’s why I was eager to read another of her thrillers and I wasn’t disappointed. Again, she starts with a murder and the reader has to figure out how this character ended up killed. “Rewind” is cleverly constructed and it takes some time to connect the dots and to make sense of it all. Yet, suspense does not decline once you see through the plot as there is still a chance that the actual culprit might simply walk away without ever being discovered and charged.

What I found strongest apart from the carefully composed plot, was the atmosphere the author creates. The small village of Shanamore really gives you the creeps only when reading about it. This place – added the time of the year, November, which is in itself often spine-chilling due to the cold and darkness – is perfect for hideous murders and you wouldn’t expect anybody else than weird and dubious characters walking around there. But also the action taking place in Dublin that makes Natalie feel increasingly hesitant and insecure about herself adds to the overall frightening ambiance of the novel.

Catherine Ryan Howard provides a lot of wrong leads that make you readjust the picture again and again and ponder how all can possibly fit into the picture. The solution is plausible and does not leave any question unanswered. “Rewind” is a perfect page-turner that I read in just one sitting since it hooked me immediately.

This was a great twisty book that kept my interest all through. I rattled through it as it was a good thriller based in an Irish holiday cottage resort, but also a good old detective novel. Anyone who is conscious about security in remote holiday destinations may find this extremely unsettling!

This book opens with a brutal and frenzied murder, it certainly grabs your attention.
Then the book introduces each character and jumps in timeline. It took a little concentration to remember each character but it all comes together.
A great and enjoyable read, I particularly enjoyed Jennifer, I would have loved more from her perspective.

I found this title somewhat confusing because not only did it 'rewind' from the actual murder at the start of the story but each time it rewinds it is not necessarily in order but rewinds backwards and forwards. The plot itself is clever but each section takes a bit of time to work out whose point of view we are reading from. I definitely think with this format it will be much clearer if the tale is read in page form rather than digitally so that the reader can dart backwards and forwards to check the time line. At least the conclusion is clearly set out at the end of the book so the reader can finally completely understand the plot.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Catherine Ryan Howard/Atlantic Books for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

A thriller set in Southern Ireland. The book is well written and follows the words on the front well, I just didn't like the characters and found it very difficult to get engrossed in the book because of it.

I read an advance review copy which I received for free from Net Galley. This review is voluntary, true and my own work.

So, the book starts, with an unbelievable creepy and authentic atmosphere as a man who runs 6 holiday cottages in Ireland is ‘reviewing’ his hidden camera footage from last night from room 6, ( there is a reason he is doing this, not just pure perversion but that becomes apparent much later on ) as he settles to watch, he is horrified as someone else enters the room, stands watching the guest in bed, walks up to the bed and gently wakes her
Then murders her
All on film!!!
When they are finished they look directly at the hidden camera letting him know they know he is watching!!
Scareeeeee stuff, a very memorable opening to a book indeed
The story then, by rewinding, pieces together who the victim was, why she was there, who the killer was and why they were there and everything inbetween
And what a story it is, involving the dark web, Insta influencers, deranged obsessive stalkers and the like all the way through to lovely Audrey a journo wannabee stuck in the ‘make it up about famous people’ section of her newspaper to authentic and wonderfully portrayed Irish landladies who are doing you a favour serving you this book has it all and whats important all of it is done so well
The narrative and writing ( by various characters ) is superb, the characters themselves leap out of the book at you and stay with you and it was, although at times uncomfortable, an enthralling read
Its rare that the initial suspense of a book can be carried throughout, this author manages it and manages it brilliantly
A book to make you pleased reading is your passion
Wonderful!
10/10
5 Stars

I almost gave up on this book as it seemed to have too many characters and too many timelines at the beginning. However, I'm really pleased I continued as it became a nailbiting thriller with some well written characters, really dark moments and a satisfying ending.
Thank you to netgalley and Atlantic books for an advance copy of this book.

#Rewind # Netgally
I actually enjoyed this book, yet I wasn't sure after the disenchanted if I would. Yet as time went on it became better and better. I can't say I was as all gripped by it I the first few chapters. Although about a third was through it I became addictive. I didn't want to put it down. After s!is start I was fascinated before I was half way through.A marvel read all rounder most defiantly worth reading.

Atmospheric and creepy this book is the ultimate page turner. Every chapter leaves the reader in suspense, demanding more. Natalie O’Connor an instagram ‘star’, believes her husband is having an affair and makes plans to uncover the truth. Wanting clear evidence she makes her way to a remote coastal village where she believes he has stayed with his mistress. While the accommodation is beautifully presented, the manager and a strange local man leave her feeling vulnerable and shaken. Meanwhile a young reporter for a Dublin based newspaper picks up the story of the ‘missing’ Natalie and embarks on a mission to find her. A clever plot staged amid the bleakness of the coast in winter that only emphasises this terrifying and shocking story.

Now, some books make me feel uneasy but this terrified me!
A bit of a read before I go to bed I thought, well that didn't turn out right well. Within a couple of minutes, every one of my senses were ringing warning bells! It felt like fight or flight mode but I had nowhere to run to at this time of night. I was definitely NOT getting under the covers in bed!!!!!!!! I had to read the book and hope to find some answers and a vicious killer before I went anywhere near the stairs!
What an opening, some of the most memorable characters in movies and books have the briefest of appearances and the most impact. This is one of them. Natalie had come to this out of the way motel to find answers but she had felt uneasy with the Andrew the manager. She was spot on with her assumption as he had hidden cameras in the rooms. When he got time to rewind and playback the tape he had captured Natalie being murdered. Whoa, this was some vicious attack.
Natalie was a pretty well-known celebrity who had posted on social media that she was disappearing for a few days but her hubby asks the question, where is Natalie? Budding reporter Audrey goes on a mission to find out, in exchange for an exclusive from him.
The tension never lifts from the first chapter in this book, which is impossible to stop reading once you open it up. It really did make me so very edgy, yes my own fault for reading so late which did add to the feel of the read. There is a cracking line up of characters and more than one person with a bunch of screws missing!
This isn't a very long read but it is certainly memorable, think Psycho! think Bates Motel! think I am never booking into a motel again! Stunning.
I wish to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.

Firstly I will be thoroughly checking every hotel room I ever stay in from now onwards.

I really enjoyed this book. I struggled a little at the start to keep up, we jump around in the timeline alot and between characters - once it calmed down a little and I got to know the 'cast' i started trying to work out the mystery along with the reporter.

Psycho meets Fatal Attraction with deathly results.
Perhaps we should take a pause catch our breath and rewind this murder mystery.
After all Andrew is getting a reputation for simply being a peeping Tom --Oh wait-- I mean manager of the Shanamore Holiday Cottage.....
Surely Natalie may have just confused his intentions. Right?!
She's totally creeped-out by this lunatic but she can't leave until she finds what she's looking for.
I know it's a fascinating read that starts at the end and backtracks forward, a really interesting way for plot reveals.
Just hold on tight as it's one hell of a ride!

A well written thriller with shifting timelines that entices and captivates. The unusual sequencing of events keeps you completely hooked and you will wonder where the next pause, rewind or fast forward will take you. This device helps the story become something more challenging and engaging.

A woman is sleeping in a holiday home, when a figure clad in black emerges from the shadows calmly holding a knife. The intruder flicks the cheek of the sleeping woman, intent on waking her. Then a stabbing frenzy. The woman fights for her life. When it is over the killer calmly walks over to an alarm clock on the chest of drawers and destroys it...breaking the feed signal of the camera hidden inside....

When Instagram blogger Natalie goes offline and is later declared missing, small time online reporter Audrey sets about trying to find a story where there doesn't always appear to be one, and ends up getting more than she bargained for.

Wow wow wow. I really loved this book. This is a cracker of a read, a creepy and twisted thriller for the modern digital era we now live in. It is suspenseful, immersive and clever. The story is slowly teased out giving great character development and keeping your interest from the shock opening right through to the brilliant reveal at the end. Fantastic. One of my favourite reads this year so far.

Being from Dublin and having visited Cork, it was made all the more enjoyable for being familiar with the names of some of the places mentioned, Irish people and their ways, and childhood memories of bygone Irish summers . Absolutely loved this element of the.book too.

This book will leave you thinking about your online life and will also change how you look at your next hotel room...

Rewind is a fantastic psychological thriller written as if you are watching a film/videotape, with chapters divided into play, pause, run and rewind. I think this is a nice way to differentiate between timescales and is integral to the plot.
Audrey, a news reporter in the making, is whiling away her time on the entertainment section of the paper she works for, bored with writing pointless stories about vacuous celebrities. When the mysterious disappearance of instagram sensation Natalie Collins comes to the attention of Audrey’s boss, this could be the lucky break she needs. No one at the time can foresee what a scoop this story could become as what initially starts as a story about someone maybe needing time out from a hectic schedule quickly escalates into the possibility of foul play.
Most of the action takes place in Shannamore, a tiny seaside town in East Cork, the kind of place that really only comes alive in the summer months. Small places like this are a haven for gossip and Audrey wastes no time in heading there, the last place Natalie was sighted. The question is what prompted her to leave her supposedly happy life in Dublin to rent one of the holiday lets known as Shannamore cottages?? Is she having relationship problems with her husband Mike or is she being stalked by one of her Instagram followers?? These are questions Audrey is trying to answer as she follows in Natalie’s footsteps, renting the same cottage, searching for clues as to Natalie’s whereabouts.
There are some great characters in this novel, many of whom are not above suspicion such as Andrew, the caretaker of the cottages and Richard the local weirdo always skulking around. Both are unlikeable creepy characters with secrets to hide as the reader gradually discovers. The location of this thriller is brilliantly portrayed with the author setting the scene so vividly you could be there right amongst the action. Rewind had me hooked from the start, totally invested in the outcome. The plot was perfectly paced in terms of tension and had me making assumptions/taking certain facts at face value, outwitting me until the end when all the loose threads are neatly tied together. Some shocking revelations make this a superb read and I predict this will fly off the shelves. Thanks to the author and publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this.

I gave up reading this book about half-way in as the storyline was too slow and it did not hold my attention. I found the plot convoluted and after a promising start, it petered out.
The flashbacks evidently had a purpose but the outcome of those moments took a long time revealing themselves and had still not done so by the time I gave up on the book.
It is rare for me to discard a book, as I am an avid reader of this genre of book, but it just did not catch hold of me.

Rewind by Catherine Ryan Howard.
I rate this book 4.5 stars
A murder is recorded,You need to PAUSE PLAY REWIND to find out exactly what happened!
Natalie an online popular blogger goes missing, Andrew and Shanamore holiday cottages hold a dark secret, Audrey a reporter from an online paper gets drawn into the mystery.
Brilliant the way the story was told through chapters..... play,pause,rewind,although I did get a little confused at times.Wow! I read this book in a day and loved it! Hooked from the start l couldn't put it down.Highly recommended reading.
Great suspense thriller,will be looking out for more books by this author.
Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read this book.