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.

Slow burning to start but it got twistier and stranger as Emily becomes ghost writer to someone that the general public thinks is a murderer. It didn’t hit the spot as well as 56 days did but a decent tale.

This follows the story of Emily who wrote a very successful book and is struggling to write book two. I loved Emily's character. I thought the twists were clever and an all round enjoyable read.

This was a slow burner for me! But once I was in a bit further it was a real page turner, I just had to know the answers! This was my first CRH and won’t be my last

Totally gripping and another smash from CRH! I loved the tension, and because of that I didn't mind that it's not the twistiest of thrillers - after all, the author pretty much tells us what's happening in the author's note at the start. She's an autobuy author for sure.

Ideal for fans of slow-burn, mainstream and twisting psychological suspense stories.
I would have preferred to read the Author’s Note explaining the book’s inspirations at the end of the book rather than at the beginning because it anticipated the twists.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.

Jack Smyth tried to save his wife, Kate, from their burning home—but he was too late. Carrying her body to safety, he wept for the woman he’d lost. A tragic, heroic figure.

Or so it seemed.

When it’s later revealed that Kate was dead before the fire started, Jack is no longer a grieving husband—he’s the prime suspect.

A year on, sick of the whispers and accusations, he decides to tell his side of the story the only way he can: by writing a book to clear his name.

Enter Emily. She owes her publishers a second book but has no idea where to start. Desperate, she agrees to take on Jack’s project, flying to a remote location to hear him profess his innocence. But she wasn’t prepared for what he had to say ..

This book was twisty - expertly shifting suspicion between characters, keeping me second-guessing at every turn. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, I’d be proven wrong - but never in a way that felt forced or frustrating.

The characters? Deliciously shady. Manipulation, murder, and a disturbing enjoyment of others’ suffering run rampant. One character, in particular, was so well written, I felt their malevolence through the pages.

Told from dual perspectives - Emily in the present and Kate in the past - the story builds suspense masterfully. The voices are distinct and engaging, so I never had to flip back to remind myself whose perspective I was reading.

The pacing? Perfect. I tore through this in just a few sittings.

If you loved The Nothing Man, this is a must-read. If you haven’t read The Nothing Man, my recommendation still stands. Pick this one up and thank me later :)

A huge thanks to NetGalley, the author, and to Bantam for the ARC - All opinions are my own.

This is a page turning book. I was hooked. I had to know the answers. If you liked her previous books you will like this one.

Rating: 4.0/5

Emily had penned a bestselling debut thriller, "The Witness", but the challenge of producing "Book 2" has been too much. There have been false starts, but ultimately, lack of inspiration has left her with nothing but blank pages and an empty bank balance. She has long since spent the advance she had been given by her publisher, so now she faces the prospect of having to somehow pay back a huge debt to them, should they come knocking - and they do. But they also offer Emily a way out. The publishers have a client, Jack Smyth, who is looking for a ghostwriter. Twelve months earlier, Jack had been hailed as a hero when the former Olympic cyclist carried his wife's body out of their burning home. However, subsequent investigations discovered that his wife, Kate, had been dead well before the fire started and now suspicion is falling upon Jack. He wants to tell his side of the story in a memoir, which is why he needs a ghostwriter. Emily needs the money and feels cornered, but how wise it to agree to to being in a secret, isolated location with a man who may or may not be a murderer?

Somewhat unusually, this book begins with a preamble by the author informing the reader where her inspiration for this novel came from and how fact can sometimes be, quite literally, stranger than fiction. References are made to the factual O.J. Simpson case as well as the fictional movie, "Jagged Edge". Essentially, Catherine Ryan Howard tells her audience, at the very outset, what is going to happen, which should be the biggest spoiler going - and yet it isn't. The author still skilfully manages to construct a story that is gripping throughout and has the reader doubting the accounts of various characters and even their very own assessment of them. The premise is not unfamiliar, as the author herself points out, there have been high profile, real life instances of precisely this plotline. It has to be said that the story does not always rattle along at a galloping pace, so that may not sit well with all readers, but personally, I felt the pacing was ideally suited to the subject matter. Catherine Ryan Howard has produced a captivating thriller with a constant sense of menace and moments of genuinely high tension.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

Burn after Reading by Catherine Ryan Howard

The much awaited eighth novel by Catherine Ryan Howard (‘CRH’) opens with an absolutely terrifying, heart thumping, stuff of nightmares, chapter. Count me in.

In CRH’s usual style, Burn After Reading is another cleverly plotted thriller. This time our main character - Emily - has gone back to an office job after the success of her first novel, The Witness, and is approached by her publisher to ghostwrite a book.

The subject, a famous former cyclist, may or may not have killed his wife. Emily just has to spend a week alone with him to find out. Why would she do such a thing? Well, you’ll have to read the book to find out.

As you might expect, of a crime fiction novel, there are some graphic, violent scenes and quite a few jump scares. Personally, I must read CRH’s novels at night, in the dark, on my own, but you may prefer to leave the lights on.

As always, there are some Easter eggs for the die hard CRH fans - one of which I spotted immediately and was thrilled by and another I have yet to confirm, so if / when you read it, please slide into my DMs.

Burn after Reading will be published on 10 April 2025 and is available to pre-order now from all the usual places. Eason have an exclusive edition with bonus content and sprayed edges and Kenny’s have signed, first edition, hardbacks.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#TiredMammyBookClub #TiredMammy30minutes #TiredMammyRecommends #BurnAfterReading #CatherineRyanHoward

Do not miss this one! I received a proof copy of Burn After Reading and I’m thrilled to tell you all that you’re in for a massive treat when it hits the shelves.

Catherine Ryan Howard is the master of twists. I was fully invested — my phone was full of photographs of pages/lines I thought would be particularly relevant and I had a entry in my notes app that I kept plying with thoughts, theories and even more quotes whilst reading. Despite that I only managed to spot one of the twists — but I’m proud of it! There’s another particular one later on that is so dark. It's brilliant.

In Burn After Reading meet Emily. She’s a writer who is struggling with second book syndrome. But her publisher has a plan: Emily will ghostwrite a memoir for former professional cyclist Jack. Almost a year ago Jack returned home one night to find his house in flames — and his wife Kate tragically dead inside. But the autopsy reveals something chilling: Kate inhaled no smoke. She was already dead before the fire started. Now Jack is desperate to tell his side of the story and prove his innocence. But what’s the truth? And what secrets is Emily hiding?

I couldn’t sleep until like 3 am after finishing the book as I just couldn’t stop thinking about it. This book has firmly claimed the title of my new favourite book by CRH.