The way I do a little dance every time I see CRH has a new book! One of my absolute favourite authors! Emily is offered a job as a ghostwriter for a man accused of killing his wife. Everyone, including herself, thinks he’s guilty but she desperately needs the money so she takes the job.
This book is definitely different to the rest of her books but still an absolute page turning masterpiece of a story. Told from three perspectives, Emily’s anxiety and desperation to get out of this situation she’s found herself in, Jack’s desperate plea for redemption and flashbacks to Kate’s final days. Throw in a couple
of characters who may or may not be suspicious and you’ve got another belter from the Queen of Irish crime writing.
As always, I highly recommend

In Catherine Ryan Howard's psychological thriller, a struggling ghostwriter named Emily finds herself entangled in the life of Jack, a former pro cyclist accused of killing his wife. Jack wants Emily to write his memoir, and Emily, battling writer's block after her first successful book, accepts the job to save her publishing contract.

As Emily starts the project, she discovers unsettling details about Jack's wife Kate’s death—Kate was already dead when their house caught fire. Working from the eerie town of Sanctuary, Florida, Emily's life takes a dangerous turn as she exposes buried truths.

Driven by financial troubles and self-doubt, Emily faces these challenges with resilience. Jack, charming yet shrouded in suspicion, adds layers of complexity. Supporting characters like Emily's friend Alice weave in themes of trust and betrayal.

The novel examines the power of perception and its ability to skew reality, mirroring social media's impact today. It addresses the pressures of creative success and failure, making Emily's struggles relatable.

Howard's sharp writing, vivid descriptions, and alternating timelines bring the story to life and keep readers hooked. The setting of Sanctuary, an isolated, unfinished town, intensifies the suspense and echoes the characters' internal battles.

From the chilling prologue to the unpredictable conclusion, the novel balances Emily's unease, Jack's fight to clear his name, and flashbacks of Kate's final days, making it an engaging thriller. It tackles societal issues like crime sensationalism while delivering thrilling twists.

The book is a compelling, thought-provoking read that entertains while challenging perceptions about truth, guilt, and personal narratives.

A really enjoyable read. This author has been recommended to me by so many fellow readers, so I was excited to get stuck in!

Since Emily’s first bestselling book was published, she hasn’t been able to produce anything else. The advance from her publisher is long gone and Emily lives in a constant state of anxiety about when her outstanding commitment will come back to bite her.

When Emily is approached to ghostwrite a book by retired Olympic cyclist, Jack Smyth, who is suspected of killing his beautiful TV presenter wife a year earlier, Emily knows this could be the answer to her problems. But is Jack guilty and will she be putting herself in danger?

The slow burn start was great up to a point, but it did drag on a bit too long for my preference. Once we got into the story, there were some great twists and I really enjoyed the suspense. I was hoping for a mega twist at the end, but the ending fell a bit flat. Overall though, it was a good read and I look forward to reading more from this author.

3 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Catherine Ryan Howard and Random House, Transworld for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Emily is an author suffering with "Second album syndrome" after the runaway success of her debut novel. Stuck in a rut and making ends meet in a call centre job when the her publisher looks to call in her long spent advance. Offering her a way out, Emily is pushed to take the role of ghost writer for former elite cyclist Jack Smyth. However this is no sports memoir, A year ago, Jack was praised as a hero for rescuing his wife's body from their burning home. But as investigations unfolded, authorities discovered that Kate had died before the fire even started—now, all eyes are on Jack with suspicion and everyone has their opinion. Jack now wants to tell his side of the story and prove his innocence. Burn after reading is an enjotable thriller and all is not what as it seems with both Jack and Emily as both carry their own secrets. The flashback chapters with Jack's wife Kate reveals the truth as we see Emily's conflict over Jack's innocent and her own ghosts.

I’m a fan of Catherine Ryan Howard’s thrillers - especially 56 Days! - so I’ve been awaiting this ever since the title metadata came out. CRH writes top-tier stories, usually with an Ireland connection, and this was no exception: were plunged into the world of elite cycling, American town planning, and ghostwriting. Emily, Mark, and - my personal favourite - her friend Alice, feel so real. This is fitting, considering the focus here on what is real and what is not in the picture-perfect but eerie new town of Sanctuary. (I also kinda want Alice as my dentist and best fiend too!). And as with all CRH books, the structure is *chef’s kiss* impeccable! Twists and turns that I couldn’t see coming, but that were - in hindsight - elegantly woven into the narrative fabric. A Tour de force!

A good story that has twists and turns enough to keep you hooked - if you have the reservoir of patience it requires to reach that point where the thriller really begins. The book is really good but what marred it for me was how slow it was. I enjoy slow burn mysteries, but this one would have done way way better if it had maintained a quicker pace throughout.

Overall, if you don't lose interest by the time the pulse of the novel begins to quicken, you will enjoy a good read. I struggled to maintain my interest in the book, that's why 3.5 stars rounded down to 3.

Catherine Ryan Howard writes brilliant, unique twisty thrillers and Burn After Reading is one of my favourites. It follows Emily, who has written one book, and has been given a hefty advance to write a second, but is unable to come up with the goods. She is approached by her publishers with a solution, to clear the debt by being a ghostwriter for a forthcoming autobiography of a former professional cyclist, Jack, who lost his wife in a fire less than a year ago. The problem is, Jack is suspected of killing his wife, and the book has to be started next week.
Emily is reluctant to take the job, but keen to clear her debt to the publishers. With no other way to clear the financial advance, she has no alternative but to agree.
Problems start from the outset with Jack but Emily is determined to finish the job, without putting herself in danger. Can she do this? Is Jack really guilty of killing his wife? Will Emily regret taking this job?
An excellent thriller, that I highly recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The night Jack Smyth ran into flames in a desperate attempt to save his wife from their burning home, he was, tragically, too late - but hailed a hero. Until it emerged that Kate was dead long before the fire began.
Suspicion has stalked him ever since. After all, there's no smoke without fire.

Present day, Emily has been contacted to see if she will be a ghostwriter to tell Jack's story and clear his name. After Emily's first novel was a huge success years earlier, she has not been able to write since and is desperate to settle the advance she was given so she agrees. But when she arrives to write with Jack, things are not as they seem and a twisted adventure unfolds.

This one was so intriguing, with Jack's backstory, his wife's tragic death and also Emily's past, that opens a whole other element to the story. The writing was, as always, absolutely brilliant and the story and twists were fabulous.

Very very slow burner, I thought I
Might give up, I
Plodded on waiting for it to grip me.
A page here & there, It did eventually fire up but a but late for me, Id totally lost interest in all of the characters whom I didn’t even like in the beginning.

A Scorching Good Read!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Catherine ignites the viewer’s imagination with the opening pages, then restarts the story with a slow burn. A clever plot, following Emily, an author who is way behind with her second novel, having spent her substantial advance. The publishers employ her as a Ghostwriter for Jack Smyth’s confess all story about the night his wife, Kate, was killed. Clever, as this would include a confessional chapter, but would this be the truth?

Emily travels to a secret location to meet Jack and interview him. When she arrives, there are strict rules and top secrecy. As she starts to find answers to some questions, more arise as additional characters become involved. Emily finds herself anxious as she does not know if she is safe and what the truth really is.

A thought-provoking plot, particularly on the ethical and legal side of publishing. The story was much more subtle than her usual style, slowly revealing details which kept the reader guessing constantly. I enjoyed the simplicity of the big question, did he, or didn’t he? Then, what exactly happened? Also, sub plots of how the other characters fitted into events leading up to and on the night that Kate was killed.

I really enjoyed this story, reminding me, in many ways, of a more up to date Agatha Christie novel. Thoroughly recommended, 4 stars.

As an author Emily, seems to be a one hit wonder. her first novel, was successful but now she is struggling to write another.

She is offered from her publisher the chance to ghostwrite the memoir of Jack Smyth,

Jack is an ex pro cyclist and his life changed when his wife, Kate, dies in an house fire.

This is a creepy and suspenseful novel, it has many twists and I was eager to discover the real facts of Kates death and if Jack had something to do with it .


The author is a brilliant storyteller and I absolutely loved this book.. I'm going to re read it during my summer hols..

Absolutely gorgeous book. A masterclass in successfully weaving time and history. So compassionate and honest too. I loved it thankyou

This is a gripping thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish
The plot is filled with unexpected twists and turns, the writing is both engaging and suspenseful, with well-developed characters that add depth to the narrative.
The pacing of the novel is perfect, with just the right amount of tension to keep readers hooked without feeling overwhelmed.
Really enjoyable

Absolutely loved this book. If I could recommend only one book this year. It’s this one. Totally absorbed me and I lost track of time with it. Loved it.

A twisty turny in all the right places thriller. I was hooked on this story... although I initially found the main character annoying and very predictable - author with a 1 hit wonder and struggling to write as well again is a storyline done again and again, however as the story progressed she became less annoying and more interesting to me. The many layers of the other characters around Emily kept the book interesting and kept the story flowing with big secrets revealed at the right time, and naturally having things come to light.
I will definitely be reading more Catherine Ryan Howard in the future

#netgalley

Catherine Ryan Howard is a master of the twisty thriller, and Burn After Reading is no exception. Layered stories within stories, shocking reveals, and expertly paced suspense make this an unputdownable read; I tore through it in just two sittings.

At its heart is Emily, a struggling author whose first novel, The Witness, was a hit. But years have passed, and her long-overdue second book remains unwritten. Is it just creative block, or is something darker at play?

Her publisher offers an unexpected solution: ghostwrite the memoir of Jack Smyth, a disgraced former pro cyclist whose life was shattered almost a year ago when he returned home to find his house in flames and his wife, Kate, inside.

But the autopsy reveals a chilling twist: Kate didn’t die in the fire. She was already dead before it started. Now, Jack is desperate to share his side of the story and clear his name. But is he really the victim he claims to be?

Set against the eerie backdrop of the unfinished town of Sanctuary, Florida, the tense atmosphere amplifies the suspense, pulling you deeper into the mystery. CRH expertly weaves the narrative through three gripping perspectives: Emily’s growing unease, Jack’s desperate plea for redemption, and haunting flashbacks of Kate’s final days. Just when you think you have it figured out, CRH throws in another jaw-dropping twist that will leave you breathless!

In the prologue, CRH mentions drawing inspiration from the O.J. Simpson case, but for me, the story immediately brought to mind the haunting murder of Reeva Steenkamp by Oscar Pistorius.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Burn After Reading hits the shelves on April 10, 2025, and you can pre-order it now—you truly won’t want to miss this gripping read!

Typically gripping, Catherine Ryan Howard really knows how to create and sustain tension. Particularly enjoyed the slightly surreal setting of her latest.

You can't go wrong with this author although this isn't my favourite.
An interesting storyline and good descriptive characters.
Bit of a slow burner for me, not quite edge of your seat read but a decent who done it.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

What a fantastic book, I was gripped from the start! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

What I loved about this book is how it’s loosely based on something real. It makes you think gosh this could happen. The plot was all encompassing and writing so fast paced! Catherine is definitely becoming a go to author for me.