This was the first book I read that included a Covid storyline. There was a very suspenseful mystery and I never knew who was telling the truth and what secrets the characters are keeping. There was also a twisty ending I never saw coming.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! This was a page turner! Taking place during the pandemic, this murder mystery kept me guessing the whole book! Ciera meets Oliver at the grocery store right before orders for a lockdown are given. They decide after a couple dates that they will ride the lockdown out together. Little do they know that they are both harboring huge secrets from one another. How these secrets reveal themselves is shocking.

I loved this book! It was just the type thriller that I love! And set in such real time having just experienced lockdown was an added element for me. I highly recommend this to everyone that loves a book that will keep you guessing!!

In the span of 56 Days, Ciara and Oliver meet, move in together for lockdown, and only one leaves. Detectives find a decomposing body in their apartment and try to piece together what happened.

I thought going into it that this book might be too much while still in a pandemic, but I loved every minute of it. It really captured how it felt to be in a lockdown. I had no idea what was going on with either of the characters until it was revealed. This book did such a good job of having a countdown until present time while still keeping all timelines interesting. The only thing that I wish had been left out is when it goes to the other persons perspective and one character has a full on speech and its written out both times. But really that only happened once or twice and didn't detract from the story. I honestly couldn't have predicted the reasoning behind the ending when I started. I kept going through different roles for Ciara and kept getting surprised. This is definitely one you finish in one sitting. For me, this was a 4.5/5.

If you like murder mysteries told from the prospective of all characters, want to relive what it feels like to be in lockdown, or really love NASA, then this is the one for you.

I received a digital copy of this book free from NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

4.25 stars. Thought I had the twist figured out and then it switched on me a little!! Interesting mystery set during the pandemic; true crime fans will be able to pick up on some actual cases in the book also.

I received an advance reviewer copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

56 Days is set at the beginning of lockdown 2020. The book follows Ciara and Oliver who meet at a store purchasing lunch. This seems a coincidental meeting, but is it?
Oliver and Ciara begin to meet up for dates then lockdown begins. They decide to live together in Olivers apartment as Ciaras is too small. Both are new to the area and have no one nearby so it seems a good plan.
The book goes backwards and forwards across different timelines and is very repetitive in places during this back and forth. I got to 50% of the book and did begin to struggle as it did become boring because of all the repetitiveness. I'm glad I pushed through to the end as the twist was cleverly done!

Oo—this one was really giving me quarantine flashbacks! It was interesting to see how that strange, unprecedented time could be used for the plot device in a murder mystery. Told from alternating povs & going back & forth between present day & the days leading up to it, we don’t know what to expect. We’re not even sure who’s dead for quite a while. There was a good surprise at the end too…. I thought I knew where it was going but there were some good twists. I really enjoyed this story that brought all the fear & panic of lockdown back along with a good mystery.

This was a really good thriller that kept me guessing until the end!! 56 Days ago Ciara and Oliver met in a grocery store. It's the beginning of lockdown for Covid. They hit it off and Oliver suggests Ciara move in with him so they can be together during lockdown. 56 days later, there is a decomposing body found in Oliver's apartment. Who is dead in the apartment? This book shocked me until the very end!! I read it quickly because I just needed answers!!! I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

“…she could be the last person on earth and no one would ever have even known she was here.” 56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard

3 stars. I was excited to find this book on NetGalley and granted an arc of it, especially since it’s a www.bookofthemonth.com pick. Mostly because it was a pick.

I was still a bit hesitant to read it, especially since it’s about the pandemic, and we’re still living thru it now. This is the 2nd book I’ve read set when the pandemic called for lockdowns of cities all over the world. It’s a little uncomfortable you know? But I figured this should be ok.

56 Days is about 2 people who decided to move in together during lockdowns. And one of them turned up dead.

I started the book wondering which one of them died and which one of them did it and why. The timelines move from when Ciara and Oliver first met and their story to present, to the investigation of the murder itself. It was easy to follow. And when you find out who was killed, you start to wonder why and how.

Both MC were a bit dodgy, Oliver more so than Ciara. And you learn why earlier than I expected too. Still, my default expectation was a HEA for them both. But it was not to be.

When it was all revealed in the end, it was huh. A bit anticlimactic. And was just…ok. And a bit sad. Wasn’t fond of the one who entered the victim’s life with intent either.

So I liked the book enough.

Thank you @blackstonepublishing and @netgalley for the arc of this book.

I was a little wary to start a book about covid/lockdown while all of that is still happening, but this book really wasn't about covid and more just set during lockdown in Dublin. This is a slower paced thriller and lockdown helped set the stage for the characters to be isolated with no visitors. It took me a bit to get in to, but I enjoyed it! I definitely did NOT see the plot twists coming, and as soon as I thought I had it all figured out - I was wrong. This story is told from multiple POVs and different timelines which I enjoyed. I never felt a strong connection with any of the characters, but I did like the two detectives that investigate the case.

3.75 ⭐

Thank you Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

56 Days is the first book I read where COVID-19 was weaved tightly into the plot. How did I feel about that? Unsure, at first; reading is my way to escape the craziness that's going on in the world today but to be honest, once I started reading this book, I found myself really engaged. I didn't care as much that COVID was at the forefront because it's very much a reality and we need to come to terms with that. I was also very intrigued by the plot of trying to figure out a murder during a COVID lockdown.

With that said, I thoroughly enjoyed 56 Days although I did get a little confused between the different timelines for the various chapters. It took me a little to get used to it but once I did, I was hooked! I didn't expect the twist at the end so I always applaud the author for keeping me on my toes.

Overall, I give 56 Days 4/5 stars. If you're on the fence about reading a COVID-centric book, don't let that stop you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An intriguing page turner. I loved the format - moving back and forth in time and presenting from the different character's perspectives. Thoroughly entertaining!

✨ARC Review✨

Ciara and Oliver meet just as Covid-19 is sweeping through Dublin, and lockdowns are beginning. They developed a likeness for one another and decided to move in together very quickly. Now one of them is dead. Is it the perfect murder to be covered up by quarantine?

What I Liked/Loved:
-You do find out who is dead I would say about halfway through, but the whole beauty of the book is figuring out how it got to that point, because there are lots of twists!
-Dual timelines, we essentially flip between now (finding the body) and the events prior to that.
-Dual POV. This is really important as it puts you into the mind of the killer, and the POV of how all accounts take place is very different in the mind of Oliver versus Ciara.

This was truly a well crafted thriller! I felt like I was watching true crime television while reading this book! Some people might have issues reading this one because of the mention of lockdown/quarantine due to Covid-19. I did not find this factor being bothersome to me. In fact, it made for a great thriller!

✨Rating✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

A special thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this eARC! 56 Days is out August 17th!

I will start by saying that this book could be triggering for many. The majority of the story takes place during the COVID-19 lockdown in Ireland. While this is an entertaining read, it's not lost on me that this pandemic has been devastating.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
With that being said, being in quarantine with a killer makes for an interesting storyline. The reader goes into the story knowing that either Oliver or Ciara were murdered in their apartment during the lockdown, but the twisty ride that unfoldes is entertaining. As the pasts of both Oliver and Ciara are revealed, the reader will understand why the two are together and how this is the ultimate revenge story.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
The timeline is a bit jumpy in this book. You'll read happenings in the present day, then jump to 56, 21, 14, etc. days prior, then back to the present day. So the reader does need to pay attention to the timeline to completely understand the story.⁣⁣⠀

Thank you @netgalley and @blackstonepublishing for this advance ebook copy.
.
This was a well written, suspenseful thriller full of surprises that I could not put down! Perfect for a day of reading on the beach. This book takes place in Dublin in the beginning days of the coronavirus lockdowns, so be aware if it seems too soon for you. The focus is not on the virus itself, but uses the circumstances of the lockdown to throw these characters together in a unique way. The short chapters jump around within the 56 day window, and give the perspectives of the male & female characters as well as the police detectives, making this a book you can’t help but binge read! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What an amazing book! It's been several years since I have read a Catherine Ryan Howard book, and I am so glad I received this one as an advanced copy. Many books are popping up with timelines during the pandemic and this is the second fantastic one I have read. Regarding the way the story is told with differing timelines: I initially thought that going back and forth to different times would be very confusing but it was so well written and easy to follow. Near the end, I'd figured it out....but then....wham!....I didn't figure it out. Love the plot twists. Cannot recommend this book enough. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

Using the covid lockdown, this story. Oliver and Ciara both have a secret. And one of them is dead. Murder? A great read.

This is probably one of the best written books. I was nervous when I saw it has COVID in the plot when COVID is still so fresh but the author did such a good job at putting everything together. Different points from different people keep the book interesting.

56 Days by Catherin Ryan Howard was a first of a new genre for me..... a fictional story set during the Covid-19 pandemic! This book is written in a non-linear fashion. It jumps from current day in which a detective makes a gruesome discovery in an apartment in Dublin, Ireland, to the first hand account of what led to the current day from two different characters. Ciara is a girl new to Dublin who meets Oliver in the check out line of a grocery story. Oliver is someone who clearly is hiding something from his past, but what exactly is that? As the stories unravel, more and more details are revealed that keep you guessing as to who are Ciara and Oliver really, and what happened years again, days ago, and led to what is happening now.

This was a pretty quick read and kept me guessing as to what the twists would lead to. It was also a bit mind boggling to realize we are far enough into the Covid-19 pandemic to realize there could be a fictional novel with the initial lock down as part of its setting! I'd recommend this for readers who like thrillers and are looking for a relatively quick ready. I'd rate this as a 3.5 rounded up to a 4 for its genre.

Thank you to NetGalley, Catherine Ryan Howard, and Blackstone Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Aug 17, 2021
56 DAYS AGO: Oliver meets Ciara in line at a supermarket, days before the entire country goes into lockdown because of Covid 19.
35 DAYS AGO: Oliver and Ciara decide that, to keep their new relationship alive, they’ll live in the same apartment to ride out the Covid 19 lockdown wave. Both are wary of this idea, hoping that their new relationship won’t suffer. But Oliver is wary for other reasons- reasons that he must protect at all costs. He tells Ciara his strange behaviours are a result of being anxious over the pandemic, but Ciara starts to doubt him. However, Ciara is also hiding a secret about herself that she, too, must protect.
NOW: A body is found in an apartment complex, dead from an assumed homicide.
Catherine Ryan Howard delivers a gripping punch with her new pandemic thriller “56 Days”. The story is told from the perspective of both Oliver and Ciara, as well as from one of the detectives in present day, investigating the murder.
The story is told in reverse order, from the beginning (when the body is found), to the end (which is actually the beginning). “56 Days” can be a challenge to follow along with, but once you get into the flow, you will be so glad you kept going.
Ciara and Oliver are young millennials, trying to start and maintain an unexpected relationship during Covid 19. Both are initially likable, but Howard instantly hints that one (or both) have a dark past, so I didn’t immediately side with one character over the other.
The story starts off as a romantic love story, a meet-cute, but about one-third through the twists start coming and they don’t stop! Everything is turned on its head and everything you thought you knew is in doubt. The ending lands with a surprising gasp, and yet I was still satisfied with the justice each character received.
Howard delivers a Covid-lockdown thriller, set amidst the backdrop of Ireland, where two strangers share a history that connects them, and only a nationwide pandemic will force them to reveal the truth about who they really are.

When Ciara and Oliver meet under unusual circumstances at the beginning of a Pandemic, their relationship blossoms quickly. They rush into cohabitation during the COVID-19 Pandemic lockdown, but what do they really now about one anther? Are either of them who they say they are? This is great effort in what's sure to be a rise in popularity of Pandemic fiction. This very timely tale is full of dark twists and turns, and will keep readers turning the page. Readers will be able to relate to the struggles of new couples in the face of a Pandemic and will keep reading to discover the outcome. Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for providing this copy for my honest review.