Burn After Reading is the upcoming release by one of my favourite authors, Catherine Ryan Howard. This author has become an auto-buy for me now and so I was delighted to be offered the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Burn After Reading.

Burn After Reading follows Emily, a one-hit wonder author of bestselling book, The Witness. Five years on, Emily has failed to even begin to write the second book that she has been contracted to write by her publisher, Morningstar. She is constantly looking over her shoulder, wondering when they will come looking for her to pay back the advance for said book.

When the publishers do get in contact, they offer her a deal that she should, but cannot refuse. A ghostwriting opportunity for the memoir of a man, who claims his innocence, that the public deem a murderer. Will she be able to unearth the truth of what happened to Jack's wife Kate? And will Emily's own truth be revealed in the process?

I absolutely adored this book! It is right up there with some of my other favourites by the author, The Nothing Man, and 56 Days. The writing is utterly gripping, and although at times I was completely spooked, I kept coming back for more.

The character development across the whole book was excellent - plenty of fleshing out of the main characters and just enough of the secondary characters. I felt it was really well balanced. I was a big fan of the protagonist, Emily. She came across as a really great person who had been given a rough hand. I loved her relationship with her friend, Alice. I did question her sanity and how easily she went along with staying in the adjoining guest house when a suspected murderer was staying in the main residence, and I questioned how easily her boyfriend let her go. Although, perhaps it shows just how desperate Emily was to clear her debts and move on with her life.

I really enjoyed the format of this book, going back and forth between the past and present, and between different characters, but in a way that wasn't difficult to follow.

If you're looking for a book that will keep you second-guessing yourself right until the end, this is it. I was so sure on countless occasions that I had it all figured out, only to back-track a few chapters later.

With sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and the publishers Penguin Random House, Transworld, for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Burn After Reading. As always, all opinions are my own.

Started off slowly but I stuck with it and overall it was an ok read. It just seemed to be lacking that certain something to make it a great read. I’ve really enjoyed the authors other books but this one fell short for me.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House uk for the Arc.

I honestly didn't know where it was going to go when I started it, and whether I'd even enjoy it. However, I got sucked into it and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's fast paced and full of twists - half of which I didn't see coming.

Catherine Ryan Howard is one of my favourite authors and I've yet to be disappointed by one of her books!

Sadly this book fell a bit flat for me, the twist at the end was a bit predictable and not as dramatic as it could have been. The timeline and characters were confusing, but this thriller still had an interesting plot that kept me reading.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Burn After Reading. It has me gripped from the start and I struggled to put it down.
I found Emily agreeing to be a ghost writer for a possible murderer seems far fetched but understandable when you know why she has to take on the project.
I like the flitting back and forth between now and then because it really helps set the story.

Another fantastic thriller from this author, I was hooked and I found it really well paced! It wasn’t quite as fast as some other thrillers I’d read but it worked perfectly! Brilliant story and perfectly executed! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC

I absolutely loved this book by Catherine Ryan Howard, she can do no wrong in my eyes I love all her books! As always with her work, Burn After Reading is full of twists and turns that leaves the reader on the edge of your seat from start to finish. I couldn't put this down as I just wanted to know how it would turn out! I loved how the opening chapter began with a snippet of the ending without any context which leaves you as the reader wondering and guessing where it's going to go. Definitely gets you right on your toes at the start. I loved the descriptive writing and the characters in this I felt transported to that house in Sanctuary Florida, a creepy planned out town that no body lives in yet. The setting of the town definitely added to the suspense and intrigue.

Burn after reading tells the story of Emily, a writer who had one huge hit and now finds herself not able to write her second book and Jack a former professional cyclist whose wife died in a fire at their home. At first Jack, a celebrity in Ireland receives sympathy from the public until the shocking revelation that his wife died of horrific injuries before the fire and Jacks the main suspect. Emily still in contract with her publisher has never fulfilled her contract of the second book, so they propose a solution, she becomes the ghostwriter for Jack in a tell all of what really happened to his wife. She ends up being flown to Sanctuary, Florida a secluded town that no body else lives in yet and soon Emily finds herself thrown into Jack's world and the truth of what really happened

Overall, I loved this one and would definitely recommend it if you want a fantastic thriller that leaves you guessing right till the end!

When Emily - under contract for a second book that she is struggling to write after a blockbuster debut - is approached by her publisher to act as ghostwriter for a controversial public figure accused of killing his wife, she feels she has little choice to accept. But she hadn't reckoned for the reality of being locked in an interview room with a potential murderer for several hours a day.

Catherine Ryan Howard can always be relied on for compelling and entertaining writing, and Burn After Reading is no exception to this. The narrative is cleverly structured to steer the reader in various directions as we - alongside Emily - slowly figure out the truth underlying everything.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I am an avid fan of Catherine Ryan's books and had high hopes for this book. what a great novel. I flew throught it. Thank you for the opportunity to review

Thoroughly enjoyed this one. Only my second CRH novels I’ve read (first was The Trap). Gripping and suspense throughout. Thanks to CRH, the publisher and NetGallery for this ARC!

I’m sorry to say that I really struggled with this book. The plot was bizarre and convoluted and the characters two-dimensional. There was nothing remotely believable about the storyline and I struggled to connect with any of the characters. There were parts that did grab me, notably the parts about cycling, but they were few and far between. Thanks, however, to the publisher for giving me access to this ARC in return for an honest review.

A good book but definitely not her best. I found there were times when it dragged a bit, but that might just be because I never had much time in one sitting to really get into it. There were definitely tense and creepy moments which put you on edge but I found the ending to be a bit of a let down.

This is my first Catherine Ryan Howard book and it certainly won’t be my last! From the very start of the book I was enthralled!

The opening chapter starts with Emily who wakes up to find someone just leaving the apartment she is in. She then realises the apartment is on fire and she is trapped.

The book then goes back to one week prior to this and we find that Emily is a writer who has written a number-one bestseller book over five years ago. She hasn’t delivered her second promised book to which she’s received money for, so she is asked to be a ghostwriter for a man who is ‘Ireland’s most famous innocent guilty man’, and who’s wife was found dead in their house. Emily goes to interview him in Florida and this is where the majority of the story is set.

I felt a range of emotions whilst reading this book: sorrow, anxiety, compassion, annoyance and helplessness! I loved reading this book and found myself rushing to get home from work so that I could continue reading it!

How many stars? All the stars! 5+ for Burn After Reading!
Catherine Ryan Howard has an incredible ability to create twisty, mysterious novels that are true rollercoaster rides.
In Burn After Reading, our protagonist is Emily, after successful author who is struggling to start her second novel, when she becomes a ghostwriter for Jack. He is a former Olympic cyclist, who now stands accused of murdering his wife Kate. And Emily's role is to write his story, about his innocence.
The storyline has several timelines and PoV, we meet Kate, a week or so before her death. And, then we have Emily in the present day, experiencing an increasing number of bizarre events. There's in issue with moving back and forth in the storyline as the author has clearly delineated the sections through the use of dates and names at the stage of the section.
There are so many twists, and the reader soon realises that Emily's past may be coming back to haunt her, as the tension builds up and the conclusion is fan-blooming- tastic!
I raced through this book - honestly, family and pets went hungry as I couldn't put Burn After Reading down long enough to make a cup of tea!

I'm a massive fan of this author's work and this book, like her others, is insanely good; I genuinely believe she is a genius! There is alot I'd like to talk about but, as I don't want to give even a smidge of this plot away, I'm going to keep it short.

The setting is creepy and the mystery element brilliant. Little nuggets of information are drip fed and this , along with occasional flashbacks from another character's perspective, make for a thrilling propulsive read; I couldn't put it down.

In addition to the thriller/crime element, topical issues are also explored, a main one perfectly depicted (I really want to talk about this but I can't) Ah dammit, I can't say much more so I'll end here with .......READ THIS BOOK!!!!

This book was for me, a slow burn, but in the best possible way! It was a departure from the fast paced psychological fiction I am used to, but it was no less enjoyable for all that!

The story is shared by Emily, a woman who previously wrote a successful novel, but much to the disdain of her publisher, was unable to produce the promised second novel. Having been paid an advance by the publisher to deliver the second novel, she feels obliged to accept their request that she steps up and act as 'ghostwriter' to a man who is notorious in the local community, as despite trying to save his wife from a home fire, suspicion is cast in his direction when it comes to light that she died before the fire. The husband, Jack, proclaims his innocence and hopes that a novel will help clear his name. Right from the get go we discover that Emily has put herself in danger by being associated with this book and this novel plays out at a pace that really builds up the tension, it is deliciously dark...and once you are into it, kinda hard to put down!!

My thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an advance copy.

Another twisty novel from this author who has a terrific head for plotting in a way that keeps readers on their toes.

Burn After Reading has a classic psychological thriller feel with well rounded and intriguing characters, some twists in the tale and a huge addictive quality.

It was predictable but not in a bad way, it was gripping and entertaining.

‘Burn After Reading‘ is the latest psychological thriller by Catherine Ryan Howard. This is an atmospheric psychological thriller full of tension that leaves the reader suspecting every characters motives. I enjoy this authors novels and loved ’56 Days’ and although I enjoyed this novel in my opinion fell short of some of her other books.

Jack Smyth is a former professional cyclist whose life fell apart after his wife’s brutal death. A year on after a fire destroyed their home and claimed her life, Jack remains a prime suspect in the public eye. Jack was never charged but a cloud of suspicion remains above him and feels the need to tell his story. Emily Joyce is a ghostwriter who accepts the task of telling Jack’s story although she is doing it mainly for the financial reward rather than a career move. What Emily doesn’t anticipate is how quickly she’ll become entangled in a much darker dangerous web.

Jack’s story is unreliable and forces Emily to constantly re-evaluate what is the real truth. Emily herself has her own agenda and so is also unreliable which gives the story an added layer. The more Jack tells of his story the more Emily loses control of the interviews. The dynamic between Emily and Jack is both fascinating and disturbing.

I enjoyed the read and would rate this book 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Random House UK for supplying a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

Saved this for a holiday read
Liked the concept of the book, thought having a ghost writer to find out what happened to Jack's Wife is quite clever
There are plenty twists and turns and some stings in the tale
The plot opens at a perfect pace and then picks up speed
There is quite a lot going on which means you never know which direction and keep you on your toes
I also like the front cover of this book draws you in

Thank you Catherine Ryan Howard for a great read, Netgalley and Random House UK

I devoured this book. I actually tried to slow down so I could savour it!

Catherine Ryan Howard’s writing is so engaging and I was hooked from the start.

A ghostwriter in a ghost estate in a ghost town with a possible killer … what could possibly go wrong?

I loved the premise of this book! The vivid descriptions of the uninhabited town transported me there and the feeling of isolation for Emily is palpable from the beginning.

I’m incredibly grateful to have read an early copy of this book. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Random House UK for the ARC.