Twists and turns from the start made this a gripping thriller. Well worth a read.
Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read this ARC which I thoroughly recommend

Catherine Ryan Howard delivers another masterfully crafted thriller with Burn After Reading, a gripping and atmospheric read that keeps you second-guessing everything until the very last page.

With a cleverly woven plot, intriguing characters and a strong sense of unease running throughout, this is a book that crime and thriller fans will find hard to put down.

The story follows Jack Smyth, a former professional cyclist whose life fell apart after his wife died in a fire at their home a year ago.

Initially, the tragedy sparked national sympathy, but everything changed when the truth emerged. She had died before the fire even started, the victim of a violent attack. Though Jack has never been charged with her murder, suspicion clings to him, turning him into a recluse. Convinced that the only way to clear his name is to tell his side of the story, he hires a ghostwriter to document his truth.

Emily Joyce is not particularly interested in Jack’s innocence or guilt. For her, this is just another job and the generous payday is all the motivation she needs. She travels to Sanctuary, Florida, a strange, eerie and almost deserted town, to spend a week interviewing Jack and writing his book.

But as she listens to his account, it quickly becomes apparent that there is more to the story than she expected.

The deeper she digs, the more unsettling the situation becomes and soon Emily finds herself trapped in a dangerous game where the truth could cost her more than just her reputation.

Howard’s writing is sharp and immersive, drawing the reader into an intricately layered mystery where nothing is as it seems. The setting adds an extra dimension to the suspense, with Sanctuary’s unsettling emptiness heightening the tension.

The plot is full of unexpected twists, keeping the reader engaged and constantly re-evaluating what they think they know.

Although I do not often read crime, I found Burn After Reading thoroughly entertaining. The pacing is spot on, with moments of creeping tension balanced perfectly with heart-racing developments. The characters are well drawn, particularly Emily, whose growing unease mirrors the reader’s own as the mystery unfolds. This book has piqued my interest in Catherine Ryan Howard’s work and I will be looking forward to exploring more of her books in the future.

Read more at The Secret Book 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.

A great read. Well paced with good three-dimensional characters. Lots of twists and turns along the way to a very satisfactory ending. I particularly enjoyed the way the backstory and plot comes together at the end.

This is a psychological thriller set in a weird, empty man made Florida town, based on the idea that truth is stranger than fiction. Fantastic setting, totally under-utilised. I loved the author's note about OJs "I didn't kill my wife, but if I had, here's how i would have done it" however the reality was the 2nd half was very slow moving, and I found myself skimming. There was also a 'secret' of the 'I know what you did' anonymous notes variety, which i felt wasn't as shocking or life threatening as it sounded, so ended with a bit of a whimper. Sadly, I didn't enjoy this book.

Burn After Reading is another twisty thriller by Catherine Ryan Howard that will keep your interest from the beginning to the end.

As you would expect from this author not everything is as you think with the twists and turns occurring on a regular basis.

An enjoyable read.

Another well written twisty turny thriller from Catherine Ryan Howard. It's a fast paced page turner that will keep you reading just one more chapter... I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you to the publisher, netgalley and the author for an early read. Highly recommend!

Burn After Reading seemed to take an awful long time to get going but my goodness when it does it goes at 100 miles an hour all the way to it's amazing crescendo of an ending. I have to admit I didn't really warm to any of the characters. The author did a wonderful job of making them all flawed. Even poor victim Kate who was a bit of a wet lettuce and a willing punch bag. For readers who like their books twisty there are twists and turns round every corner, especially in the second half of the book. A great thriller. Well worth reading as is the case with all of Catherine Ryan Howard's novels.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Absolutely brilliant! It's outstanding, suspenseful and intriguing. I loved the opening note from the author which reveals her inspiration for this thriller and this gives it credence. I liked how the mystery slowly unfolds and nothing is what it first seems. There is so much drama with twists and surprises galore. Highly recommended.

Gripping, twisting, enjoyable. A good read.
My thanks to NetGalley and Randon House UK for this arc in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House UK for this eCopy to review

I recently read Burn After Reading by Catherine Ryan Howard, this gripping thriller follows Emily Joyce, a struggling author who is offered a lifeline by her publisher: ghostwriting a memoir for Jack Smyth, a former professional cyclist whose wife died in a suspicious fire.

A year ago, Jack's wife died in a fire at their home, but it was later revealed that she had been violently attacked before the fire started. Although Jack was never charged, suspicion has clouded his life. Desperate to clear his name, Jack hires Emily to help him tell his side of the story. Emily travels to the eerie, empty town of Sanctuary, Florida, to work with Jack, but the story he tells is far from what she expected. As Emily delves deeper, she finds herself entangled in a dangerous plot that threatens her own life.

The novel's strengths lie in its tense, immersive atmosphere and the smart, twisty plot. The characters are well-developed, and the pacing keeps you on the edge of your seat. Howard's writing is sharp and engaging, making it hard to put the book down. The unexpected twists and turns kept me guessing until the very end. Even now I'm unsure who the real murderer is!

Overall, Burn After Reading is an addictive and thrilling read that I would highly recommend to fans of mystery and crime novels.

A good read. I like the premise of how she got roped into being the ghostwriter. Clever plot. The boyfriend was very annoying but interesting how it all pans out. Worth a read.

Wow what a read!… I was up all night reading this… An absolutely gripping psychological thriller that will keep you guessing until the last page… Full of mystery and suspense with twists and turns to keep you on your toes, I was completely hooked… Gives you goosebumps

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