Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC
Overall I thought that this was a good read and a bit different to other crime books. A work of fiction it is written, and very well written as a True Crime. The events unfold just as they would if you were reading a newspaper article or watching a documentary. This is interspersed with Jim's story. Jim is the Nothing Man- this is not a spoiler- you know from the very beginning that he is guilty of the most horrendous crimes. It's almost a bit like Columbo. The story is how, many years after the event, Eve, who survived his most horrific attack goes in search of him in order to gain justice for herself and her family. The reason for 4 stars is that it did drag a little in places and took a while to really get going. I did, very much, like the different slant on a crime read and the characters were well drawn and believable. I will certainly be very interested in reading more from this author

Intricate and unusual story told to us by both the only survivor in a murdered family and by the perpetrator. Some big twists along the way ,a good read.

For me this is most definitely a contender for thriller of the year. The format and style of the book is quite unique and very cleverly done. I found the characters very believable and the tension just mounts up as the book within a book moves forward. Fast paced throughout this story is suspense at its best.

I loved the story, truly I did. However, the style and framing of the book did take a while to get used to. The pay off is there, but this isn’t a book you dip in and out of. You’ll lose the flow of the narration and whose perspective you are reading from.
That said, the mystery and the voyeur element will keep anyone hooked, and its a perfect binge read.

Probably the best thriller I’ve read all year. Left me on the edge of my seat and finished it within a few hours.

Thinking about reading it? Do it. NOW.

A fascinating story which keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering how it is going to end. The style it is written in is also really interesting to read through as so different to most novels.

I found it pretty unreadable. The way story is told doesn't grab your attention or makes you want to find out what happens next, jumping from one character from another just gets you more confused with what's going on. And somehow even descriptions of horrendous events do not sound scary.
It did sound much more interesting when I read a description of it, novel itself turned out to be boring, I would say.

Wow! The Nothing Man is a book you just have to read from start to finish, in one sitting; if you can. There are twists and turns to keep you guessing and the style of writing is so different, it is refreshing. Imagine being the only survivor when a serial killer comes into your home and kills your family. At just 12 years old there is so much you are incapable of understanding, even though this event has shaped who you are, almost twenty years on. Will your determination to track down this killer see justice done or will it lead to him finishing what he started...?

Thanks to Netgalley and Atlantic Books for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Eve Black is the survivor of a killer named The Nothing Man by the police, named because they had nothing on him.
She’s written a book about her experiences and one of her readers is an ageing security guard called Jim.

“When you find him, you’ll probably be shocked at how nothing he is”.

Jim leads a dull life, he hates his job, he hates his wife and everyone hates him. He’s never amounted to anything, even during his time as a Garda, where he was given the most menial of jobs.
Except he has a secret which he believes makes him a Somebody. He is the Nothing Man.

Such an intriguing premise - a book within a book. This was such a compelling read and had enough twists and excitement from start to finish.

I was fascinated by the idea raised about all the ‘armchair sleuths’ who devour anything they can get their hands on about true crime. And that by writing the book, Eve would appeal to their wanting to solve these crimes and finally uncover the Nothing Man’s true identity. Along with the leading detective from the case, Ed Healey, Eve effectively re-opens the cold case.
Will they finally give a name to the Nothing Man?

A different take on the usual crime fiction genre which gives this book an edge and makes for a very satisfying read.

I loved the twists and turns of this story about a girl who survived a traumatic experience and lived to tell the tale. The author tells all that happens to both parties involved and I found it was an easy read which I did not want to put down!!!
A great story that you will not want to miss. You'll want to know the ending trust me!!!!

Well 12 year old Eve Black lost her Parents and her 7 year old sister Anna no that's not true she had them taken from her by someone called "the nothing man" his name is Jim but the nothing man is a more worthy title given him by the press Eve's family weren't his first victims but the were his last, except for his family they well you need to read about all those he effected but it's Eve's story not his, but you will hear it from both of their sides the rapist murder and vile human being and the surviver the damaged and lonely Eve who has to deal with the events each day. Till one day when everything changed the past became her future.
This is a thriller that had twists that I don't expect but then that would have made a boring read and this is definitely not boring. I was engaged from the start able to jump in and feel involved from page one till the end. The characters are credible and with a sense that you could bump into anyone of them in life which I love as it allows me the opportunity to feel I'm there on the street in in the house with anyone of them or at work you may know a Steve like Jim's boss, they do get under your nose but they help me to feel I'm not as bad as that "am I".
I hope you do get this thriller and enjoy it, you may well find it hard to put down if so you won't be alone in that. So go on you know you want to.......

Eve Black decides to write a novel about the serial killer nicknamed The Nothing Man. She has a personal interest in his crimes, as his last act before apparently stopping was to slaughter her entire family. Security guard Jim Doyle is reading the book with a growing sense of rage and aggression, and the sense that Eve is getting closer to discovering the identity of The Nothing Man, and he can’t let that happen. An extremely dark and sinister novel, utterly gripping and highly recommended.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 gripping stars

This is a great book - cleverly written from the viewpoint of the victim and the killer.

The book tells the journey of a killing spree, the aftermath, and the victim perspective - a victim who is trying to seek out the unknown killer; the Nothing Man.

It’s like reading a book within a book and it works really well - I was hooked.

Highly recommended and I look forward to the author’s next book.

Wow! I absolutely loved this book, the plot about the book within a book is very clever and the character of the nothing man is very well written. Would highly recommend it.

What a great concept! A book within a book - a plot within a plot! Well written and paced, I enjoyed reading this one. The characters are believable and real and it's an intriguing storyline with a great twist that I didn't see coming. I liked the switches of point of view because it wasn't done in the conventional sense, so it didn't get confusing and on the whole it was a very enjoyable read.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a read! What a cleverly written, intricate, layered story! What I love most about Catherine’s books is the unique angles she has them telling the story from! The serial killer and the victim intertwined together through a book, about the crime involving them both, told through a book?! It’s utter genius! Such a refreshing take and a breathe of fresh air to read! I read this book in only a few sittings and was raving about within a few chapters! I couldn’t wait to find out what happened and was constantly questioning everything! Thoroughly enjoyable read and the only downer is that it’s finished!

A quality crime thriller with plenty of twists and turns to delight the reader. What sets The Nothing Man apart from the usual murder mystery is a refreshing perspective change, with most of the book told from the murderer himself.
Not what I expected when I first started reading, very pleasantly surprised by where the story ended up.

The Nothing Man offers something a bit different to the serial killer, cat-and-mouse thriller staple and two nights running I read up until midnight because I wanted to know what would happen. Initially, the book-in-a-book idea made me a little sceptical but I needn't have been. We have two narrators; the first, of our book, is Jim Doyle, who we already know is the serial killer in question; the second, of the book he's reading, is Eve Black, a woman who survived Jim's most brutal attack as a child. Neither are 100% trustworthy, which adds some nice extra layers of mystery. Catherine Ryan Howard has done well to make Jim a really odious figure and - despite him being our primary narrator - we really want him to get caught.

Added bonus is this is not a thriller set in America, like so many are; it's set in Ireland, in otherwise sleepy Co. Cork, and this gives the impact of the murders a little more punch because they truly stand out in the collective memories and because we know then that law enforcement was never prepared for such crimes.

Overall, this is a captivating read and well worth looking into for a bit of a different approach to storytelling in the thriller genre.

This is the best book I've read so far this year. It kept me up at night reading and reading (and constantly checking for intruders). So full of tension and twists and turns, and was similar to nothing I've read before - rare in the thriller world! I'll definitely be picking up more of Catherine's books. Thank you for letting me read!

This is the first book I've read by Catherine Ryan Howard and OMG what a bloody good book. I've just been on Amazon and bought her other books, before I wrote this review. The Nothing Man blew me away, I stayed up through the night because I couldn't stop reading. It's one of the best books I've ever read and I've read hundreds, if not thousands of books. It's absorbingly gripping. You no who the murderer is right from the beginning because you're reading his story whilst he reads his own story through Eve Black's book. I've never read a book within another book, including the copyright and acknowledgement pages are included as well. It's very cleverly written and I felt like I was there watching from above. I can't express how much I loved it. It has tension, psychological trauma, murders and a very clever twist. I am really hoping this will be number one on the bestseller lists and I'm also hoping it's turned into either a drama or a film, because it truly deserves it. Huge Congratulations to Catherine because reading this book stopped me thinking about the pandemic for a while. I will be recommending it when it's published.