I’ve read a few books by Catherine Ryan Howard and enjoyed them fairly well – Burn After Reading was no different. I always enjoy books about writers and writing so that got me interested. There were lots of twists and turns which is to be expected with this author – I was guessing till the very end. I enjoyed how the locations came to life quite effortlessly through the writing.

3.5/5

Burn After Reading follows a struggling writer who is asked to become a ghost-writer for an olympic celebrity, who may or may not have murdered his wife.

I was intrigued by this at the start, the setting was put into place and it felt completely eerie. But then majority of the book felt repetitive, especially conversations. I'm aware the reader knowing what's going on too soon would ruin the plot but it was the same conversations happening that irked me.

I wanted more from the basically ghost town, the eerie buildings, the buttery? Nothing came of them which was disappointing. To me the twists were obvious, and it only became more exciting towards the end when the reveal happened. However, like I say, obvious (to me, don't let me dissuade you). It also felt very rushed, after that all happened it just sort of came to a small interview then ended?

I did like the way the scenery was described and the idea of the town, and I was surprised by Emily's other story that she had wrote, that was very interesting. I would recommend this book, especially to someone who hasn't read or is only just getting into thrillers, I think they'd enjoy it!

An absolute page-turner, Burn After Reading is packed full of plot twists and contradictions that will keep you second-guessing right up to the final chapters. It’s a well-written, fast-paced and extremely compelling read with a cast of relatable (but then are they, really?) characters, a unique setting and a masterfully woven narrative. Highly recommended!

Had been very excited to see what was next from Catherine Ryan Howard as I have long been a fan of her books and I wasn’t disappointed! Emily is sent on a ghostwriting mission, to write the story of a famous cyclist who is accused of murdering his wife - giving his side of the story, pleading his innocence. However once she gets to Florida, things start appearing far stranger than they originally did, and she starts receiving notes suggesting her own hidden secret will be exposed…. I couldn’t put it down, fab read!

An unputdownable , twisty thriller! This story will hold you until the end , and have you questioning who is telling the truth and who you can trust as Emily, an author who’s published debut novel and is delayed on writing her second book of the series is coerced into ghost writing a memoir for a defamed Olympian cyclist, who may or may not have killed his wife. With this tell-all memoir, he wants to clear up what really happened that night his wife died. As the story unfolds, Emily finds herself in a precarious and dangerous position. Leaving the reader to deeply think about the perceptions about the narratives we are told.


Thank-you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers | Bantam for the opportunity to read this fabulous ARC. This is my honest review.

A tense thriller about an author who signs on to ghostwrite a suspected murderer's book. Well written as all of Ryan's books are, with many creepy goings on in Florida. The ending fell a bit flat, but overall another strong offering from this offer.

Another very fun and twisty read from Catherine Ryan Howard. This is one of her more convoluted plots with a lot of nearly ridiculous threads to keep hold of but she tightly manages them. She kept me second guessing my conclusions right to the end and I had a blast on holiday with this book.

I enjoyed this book and wish the author all the best with the book thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for thre opportunity to read this book

kate gets trapped in a fire that she suspects is set on purpose due to her ghost writing work….

the writing of the book instantly grips you in leaving you wanting more.

as the book progresses we find out emily is writing a book for a man who is thought to be guilty of kate’s murder. i enjoyed how as the reader we never truly know if the man is guilty, leading us to drawn on our own conclusions.

overall this was a twisty and gripping crime thriller that i really enjoyed

This book had me on the end of my seat. Fast paced, brilliantly written and tons of things happening to keep you in suspense. Catherine Ryan Howard is becoming one of my favourite authors and I highly recommend giving this ago. Wish I could read again for the first time.

Another gripping, page turning thriller from Catherine!
Like her other books, I struggled to put this one down. Great twists!

Synopsis —-

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.

My thoughts -

Emily, a once-successful author struggling to write her second novel, is hired as a ghostwriter for Jack, a former pro cyclist with a scandalous past. He wants to tell his truth—the truth about the night his wife, Kate, died.

Emily arrived at the Sanctuary, an eerie, isolated town in Florida that seems to hold as many secrets as Jack himself. Emily is welcomed by Grace, Jack’s PA, but as she spends more time with Jack, his charm feels increasingly laced with something darker. Could he really have killed Kate? Or is his best friend, Ben, the one who’s committed all the atrocities that are uncovered ?

With support from her friend Alice and partner Mark—only ever a phone call away—Emily delves deeper into Jack’s version of events. The story unfolds through both Emily’s and Kate’s perspectives, keeping you guessing at every turn. In this gripping psychological thriller, the author’s sharp prose and vivid descriptions pull you in, twisting your suspicions until the very last page!

Burn After Reading is a gripping thriller that masterfully explores the blurred lines between truth and deception, justice and privilege. With an unreliable narrator at its core and a story that unfolds through layers of manipulation, this novel is an engrossing, thought-provoking read.
Jack Smyth has always insisted on his innocence in the brutal murder of his wife. However, stalked by suspicion, Jack is now determined to tell his version of events through a book deal. Enter Emily, a ghostwriter with her own secrets, who soon realizes that even in his own words, Jack is still hiding something. But when the interview process takes an unexpected turn, Emily finds herself unable to produce the book she was hired to write.
Ryan’s storytelling is razor-sharp, delivering a slow-burn suspense that keeps readers hooked from the first page. The novel plays with perception, questioning how much we can ever truly know about a person—especially one with a carefully curated public image. Jack is a fascinating, chilling character, while Emily provides a compelling counterpoint, navigating her own moral dilemmas.
What makes Burn After Reading stand out is its clever structure—Emily’s supposed “non-fictional” account adds an extra layer of intrigue, making the reader question what is fact and what is fiction. The tension builds with every chapter, leading to a conclusion that lingers long after the final page.
For fans of psychological thrillers that dissect power dynamics and media influence, Burn After Reading is an absolute must-read. It’s a sharp, unsettling, and deeply satisfying story that will leave you questioning how some always seem to get away with everything—even murder.

Emily, a once-aspired author, is a good while delayed writing her second book. In order to avoid having to pay her fee back, her publisher offers her to ghostwrite a memoir for a defamed Olympian cyclist, who may or may not have killed his wife. With this tell-all he wants to clear up what really happened THAT night. As the story unfolds, it's pretty clear that Emily finds herself in a delicate and dangerous position.

I absolutely devoured this book. It's suspenseful from start to finish. Catherine Ryan Howard is now officially one of the authors that I'll pick up, without having to know what the story is about. It'll be nail-biting stuff, guaranteed.

I absolutely blooming loved this book! Book hangover for days.

This book follows Emily who wrote a highly successful book The Witness but has been unable to write another book. Following a meeting with Morningstar her publisher, Emily takes on a job as a Ghostwriter for Jack Smyth. Jack ran into his burning home to save his wife Kate but tragically he was to late. Jack was hailed as a hero until the autopsy is performed a few days later and it's discovered Kate was dead long before the fire started. Suspicion has followed Jack ever since. A year after the fire Jack signs a book deal to tell his side of the story, to prove his innocence once and for all. Emily has never Ghostwritten before but she knows what it is like to live with secrets. Some secrets should stay that way.

This book was a slow burner that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. I would love another book about Emily, I want to know what happens to her next and more about her past. I also want more Alice, I loved her.

I was thinking this was the first Catherine Ryan Howard book I read. I didn't realise she wrote The Nothing Man, which I also loved. I have 56 days on my Kindle and that will be my next read, as I need more!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Random House UK and Transworld Publishers.

Catherine Ryan Howard is the queen of page turning thrillers and her latest offering, Burn After Reading, is no exception to that trend. I loved the author's notes at the beginning of the book where she talked about her inspiration, it added to my enjoyment of seeing how the story played out.
Emily is a writer struggling to figure out what to do about the second book she has been contracted for and has not yet started despite it being due two years ago. When her publisher contacts her to arrange a meeting she's immediately worried about paying back the advance but to her surprise that is not what the meeting is about- or not exactly at least. They have a proposition for Emily, instead of paying back the advance she could work as a ghost writer, helping a celebrity to write his memoir. If that sounds too good to be true it's because the celebrity in question is Jack, a former professional cyclist who may or may not have murdered his wife Kate a year ago and is now looking to tell his side of the story and clear his name.
This book just ticks so many boxes, from a glimpse inside the world of publishing to the nod towards the obsession with true crime. The setting is also fabulous, a partially developed town called Sanctuary in Florida adds the isolation that really feeds the paranoia that Emily experiences as she tries to figure out the truth about what happened to Kate that terrible night while not knowing who she can trust. The author uses a mix of timelines and character points of view to slowly ratchet the tension higher and higher while gradually dropping hints about the truth and that meant that I just kept turning those pages, eager to find out what actually happened. The opening is a little slow but once things get moving the pace picks up dramatically and from then on I was hooked.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

I have read all of the author’s novels so was delighted to get my hands on this ARC. It did not disappoint! The twists!! The suspense!! The way I gasped! This definitely felt different to Ryan Howard’s previous books but it had me gripped from the get go. The setting was epic and made me want to find out more about these built-to-order ‘towns’ in Florida. All in all a fast paced psychological thriller I recommend.

We are truly spoiled with all the talented female Irish crime writing we have right now.

The first time I’ve read a book by Catherine Ryan Howard and it won’t be the last!

Great character development, fast paced and kept me guessing till the end.

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.