I didn't know if I was going to enjoy 56 Days with it being set during the Covid-19 pandemic but I really wanted to read it and I am so glad I did. I found it gripped me throughout and is so cleverly written. I liked the characters in this story and obviously going into the lockdowns was extremely relatable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for ARC.

This is the first book I've read that's set in the current pandemic (I imagine many more will follow) and the author weaved it into the story very well, using the lockdowns as clever plot devices. However, I did get quite frustrated with the timelines and the lengthy repetition of some episodes with only a slight change to reflect a different character's point of view. I also found the police officers, particularly the male one, really irritating; hopefully that was the author's intention!

Thank you to netgalley and publishers and Atlantic books for an advance copy of this book

56 days is the first book I have read that has directly referenced the pandemic and while I was a bit apprehensive as to whether it would be a bit too close to home, it actually felt quite normal and was a useful story tool.

When Ciara bumps into Oliver in the supermarket on her lunch break, they strike up a conversation and end up going out on a date. They really hit it off and as lockdown is announced they can't face not being able to see each other, do make the snap decision to move in together.

In a different timeline Garda officers - DI Riordan and DS Connolly, are called to investigate a body at a swanky apartment block. But when they find a link to a shocking old case, they are uo against it to find out what has happened.

It does go back and forth in time and between narrators, so takes a little getting used to, but it is used really well and unfolds the story in a controlled way.
As the two timelines are told you get to see how they are weaved together, with lots of secrets and twists and trying to work out who to trust will keep you guessing until the end!

This story is set in the weeks just before and after lockdown takes effect in Ireland.
Told from the point of view of Ciara and Oliver. Ciara has only been in Dublin for a few days and Oliver a few weeks. They first meet in a supermarket queue and strike up a conversation. They begin dating but then comes lockdown. Not wanting to spend lockdown alone, Oliver invites Ciara to move in with him as his apartment is bigger than hers.
They quickly settle into a routine but something isn't quite right. Ciara knows Oliver is hiding something from her but what is she hiding from him?
This story was great but being set in lockdown gave it an additional edge. It brought back the tension, confusion and anxiety felt by most when everything first closed down. With a twist I didn’t see coming, this is a book that deserves to be read and talked about.

56 Days is an enjoyable thriller, set during the first Irish COVID-19 lockdown. Ciara and Oliver, two people who have only been dating for a few weeks, take the drastic leap of moving in together for the duration of the lockdown. But both of them are hiding secrets, and it won't be long before the lies start to unravel.

56 Days has a clever concept, and I never thought I'd be so excited to read a book set during a lockdown, so that part was enjoyable. However, I did feel as though the story got slightly out of hand towards the final third and the unreliable narrator aspect of the story was stretched a bit too far.

I received a copy of this e-arc in exchange for an honest review thanks to NetGalley and Atlantic Books.

I was a bit worried that this book would feel too close to home with it being set during the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, I ended up really enjoying it. I was completely gripped, unable to stop reading because I wanted to know what would happen next.

It’s very cleverly written. You feel like you know exactly what’s happening but as the twists are revealed, you don’t actually know what is really going on.

This is the 2nd book I’ve read by this author. I’ve got 2 other books on my tbr which are definitely going to be prioritised now!

The only thing that annoyed me was that it mentioned the killer from ‘The Nothing Man’ which spoiled it for me since I’ve not read it yet.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was well written, the characters were believable, and the story kept me page turning as fast as I could read. It was a cracker, and I loved the twists and tension in the book. It was quite different to anything I have read before, and I can't wait to read more by this wonderful author, this was definitely a winner for me.

Another good storyline, although the back and forward timelines with the same content I did find myself skimming through, I enjoyed reading this. It took a little while to get going and when it did I was engaged quickly. The COVID pandemic running alongside was interesting and true to read as well. This was my second read by this author, I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the first but it won’t stop me from reading more by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A book based on lockdown, I found this both irritating and fascinating, irritating as I think any mentions of lockdown past ( or one’s in the future ) bring a surreal yet very real feeling of uncomfortableness with them, a thing we did but was unpleasant and as much as we dont want it to be life changing…….fascinating as a lot of the narrative was bang on on how I ( all of us ) felt and reacted to the growing crisis
So a very strange mixed feeling on starting the book, then again no one forced me to
The story is based around 2 strangers who meet in a supermarket and decide pretty quickly to spend lockdown together when it is announced, one has a secret, the other a life lie, and never the twain should meet, but of course they have and what fate has set in motion will end, nastily
Annoying Police investigators, way way too much dialogue on a particular smell in the story, it just didn’t stop and their interaction although amusingly banterey at times was also annoying
The main characters were neutral, almost likeable, almost not and at times the sub plots got confusing
But it is an ingenious tale, very different and even when I didn’t want it to it kept pulling me back in
A fitting ending that maybe left a bit too much unanswered
Would be interested in other people’s views on it if/once read

7/10
A good 3 Stars

A clever book that captures the confusion and fear felt at the start of COVID lockdown, and then magnifies these feelings and emotions with some jaw-dropping reveals and twists.
The use of the two timelines allows clues to be dropped and secrets to be revealed in a wholly satisfying way. This meant I was constantly re-evaluating my perspective of Oliver and Ciara and found myself completely immersed in the book. When I wasn't reading '56 Days' I was thinking about where it was headed and, whilst I had deduced some things, there were still some surprising reveals.

A fabulous read that invigorates the genre, and I would like to thank the publishers and NetGalley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

Catherine Ryan Howard writes page turning thrillers with a number of twists which keep a reader guessing and second guessing until the very end and in 56 Days she has once again written another excellent book with all of the above and more.

Set during in Dublin the pandemic and told from multiple viewpoints and different timelines the story just seemed to flow without any confusion due to the characters being well sketched and easily identifiable.

As per the blurb the finding of a decomposed body is the starting point for the story but who is it and why is it in an apartment are unknown.

Some readers may, understandably, be reluctant to read a book about the pandemic however the author uses it well to add to the story without it being the main part

So, with 56 Days, Catherine Ryan Howard has delivered once again.

Definitely recommended.

56 Days is set in Dublin over a time period of 56 days at the start of the 2020 lockdown due to the Covid 19 virus pandemic. Oliver and Ciara meet just as the pandemic is taking hold on the world and three weeks later find themselves facing total lockdown so decide to live together rather than be isolated in separate flats..

56 days after first meeting a badly decomposed body is found in the flat where they are living. Detectives Karl and Leah (Lee) are the main investigating officers. We first meet them as Lee rescues Karl from handcuffs following a sex game. This fact had no relevance to the plot and was presumably only included for the benefit of entertaining the reader. I’m getting rather bored with authors using sexual devices for no good reason so this didn't endear me to this book from the start,

The plot jumps about between Lee and Karl in the present day and Oliver and Ciara in the past. The jumps are pretty random at time and those in the past do not follow sequentially which made keeping track of ‘who knew what and when’ challenging.

Oliver and Ciara are both hiding secrets which become clear in the last half of the book. There were some good twists but I found the ending rather disappointing and rushed.

With thanks to NetGalley and Atlantic Books for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ciara and Oliver meet just as the lockdown is beginning. Instead of halting their burgeoning relationship they decide to move in together for the duration of the lockdown, but all is not as it seems and someone may have their own agenda.

I loved 57 Days, it felt pretty current as the characters described the beginning of the virus and the feeling of lockdown. It kept me guessing till the end and I had to read it in one sitting.

I loved this book. Not only was it set within the first few weeks of Covid and lockdown but it followed a story of a childhood tragedy and a quest for the truth but also a love story. This kept twisting my mind as I was convinced other things were happening all the way through. I loved it. This would make a great tv drama as well.

56 Days is a skillfully clever and darkly captivating psychological thriller that brilliantly uses our current situation of Covid and lockdown to heighten the tense atmosphere of a confined murder mystery.

I’ve read a few books that float around the subject of Covid-19/lockdown, but this is the first book that I’ve read where the author really uses the setting in a substantial way. The pressures of lockdown really suit this locked-room mystery, adding a desperation that we can all relate to far too well. I’m not sure if it will read the same in a few years time, as there are a lot of nods to the emotions that we are feeling right now in the year of 2021, but it’s certainly very easy to relate to right now.

Told from three perspectives, including one by the detective in charge of the investigation, the book expertly overlaps narratives from Ciara and Oliver to expose the many layers of this story, as the characters’ hidden secrets and misdirections are slowly revealed. There’s so much of this story to come undone, and I enjoyed every twist that it took.

Most of all, I loved that so much of this book is left up to speculation, meaning that everybody will react differently to it depending on how you feel about the characters. And it’s because you have spent so much time confined with Ciara and Oliver that the book can rely on the reader’s own interpretation, as your emotions will depend on who you believe, whether you trust them, and if you think that people deserve a second chance.

56 Days is sure to be one of this year’s best thrillers. Not only because of its fresh and relevant take on our current situation, but because Catherine Ryan Howard is undoubtedly a fantastic crime writer. I need to go out and buy The Nothing Man now!

Wow an absolutely brilliant book by this author, so well written and accurately portrays the claustrophobia associated with the lockdowns . I loved the characters and twists in the book . This is definitely a book to not miss this year , definitely 5 stars

I was interested in his 56 Days would play out as it was set during the beginning of the pandemic. I have to say though I found it to be an enjoyable and gripping read. The plot moved on at a steady pace and it had me gripped to the end. Thank you to NetGalley, Atlantic Books and the author for the chance to review.

3.5 stars

A enjoyable and well plotted thriller set during the early days of the Covid19 pandemic

This was my first book set in the pandemic because I haven't been ready to read about a situation that were clearly still in the middle of, but I'm happy that I trusted Catherine Ryan Howard. The author of The Nothing Man, one of my top books last year has written an intriguing mystery, which although didn't wow me like her previous book, was still enjoyable, with some shocking, sad and horrifying twists, some of which disgusted me!

Ciara and Oliver were very relatable, as they struggled to navigate those early days of the pandemic, where we all went from' oh it's only flu,' to 'ah we have a problem!' Memories hit hard of quiet roads, apologising and waving as we crossed the street to avoid others, the supermarket queues and empty loo roll and pasta shelves! 😂🙈

56 Days was told by Ciara, Oliver and Detective Leah Riordan from different time lines, which was good. I enjoyed seeing it all unfold, from when the couple first met, moved in together, and to what happened after that.. And really liked Detective Lee's perspective. BUT it did get quite repetitive, as we see the same scene play out from a different character's pov several times. This didn't quite work for me, as no real new details were added, and it dragged the story out a bit for me.

I did like Detective Lee and DS Karl Connolly's banter, and was interested to see if they would figure it out.

If you're looking for a chilling mystery/thriller set during the pandemic, give this one a go!

I loved this mystery/murder thriller set in the first lockdown in Dublin Ireland. The story switches between current events and police investigating a murder, and the past meeting and subsequent relationship between Oliver and Ciara. The twists and turns kept me hooked until the end. I also loved the fact it referenced the events of 2020, so many books I have read recently have been set in a similar time zone and yet have no glimpse of what was actually happening, including the reporting and lockdowns made this feel much more real. Thank you so much for this arc! I’ll be looking out for more by the same author.

This was excellent! I have never read any of this author's work before but the premise was too good to miss - the perfect murder committed during lockdown! Set in Dublin just as the covid pandemic was hitting, this book captures well the confusion and uncertainty of these first weeks.
This book really didn't go in the direction I expected, it was much cleverer than that! It was told from the POV of both main characters, Ciara and Oliver, which helped the reader get under the skin of both of them. I loved the two cops in this too, they didn't take over the whole book which is good, but their characters were just interesting and quirky enough to add to the story.
Really good, plenty of surprises and I thought it was brilliant!