A gripping isolation thriller with a pandemic twist that readers won't be able to put down!

Ciara thinks she's met the guy of her dreams when she bumps into Oliver in queue at her local supermarket. But when COVID-19 threatens to keep the pair apart, Oliver suggests she move in with him. Thinking this is her chance to take their new relationship to the next level, Ciara agrees. But is Oliver who she thinks he is, or is he hiding a dark and deadly secret?

Told in a shifting timeline between the time Ciara and Oliver meet to a couple of months later when a dead body is discovered by police in Oliver's apartment, this is one thriller that kept me guessing all the way through. This is sure to be one of the break-out thrillers of 2021!

“Set just before and during the first weeks of the Covid-19 lockdown in Dublin, Ireland, this captivating tale from Edgar finalist Howard opens with something amiss in an apartment complex. Flash back 56 days. Oliver and Ciara, two shy people in their 20s, meet in a supermarket. Both have recently moved to Dublin and are alone, so lockdown Set just before and during the first weeks of the Covid-19 lockdown in Dublin, Ireland, this captivating tale from Edgar finalist Howard opens with something amiss in an apartment complex. Flash back 56 days. Oliver and Ciara, two shy people in their 20s, meet in a supermarket. Both have recently moved to Dublin and are alone, so lockdown seems like the perfect time to start a relationship. But as their courtship unfolds, so do their secrets, seems like the perfect time to start a relationship. But as their courtship unfolds, so do their secrets.” Catherine Ryan Howard has used the Covid pandemic as the backdrop of this modern thriller. I could not put this book down. Told in alternative time frames, Ryan sets the scene with the main characters quarantining together. There is an underlying sense of danger and mistrust but Ryan does not show her cards. Bits & pieces are cleverly revealed, intensity rises and the reader is sucked in to this novel even after the last page. I have been waiting for a thriller that keeps you up reading all night and 56 Days did that and more.

This was all sorts of awesome.

Even though it's "soon" to talk about the pandemic (since we're still in it), this was a spot-on thriller that took a really original way to see what could happen when the world was on pause. I don't want to give anything away, but the twists and turns were great, and I didn't see them coming. Loved this book!

Set in Dublin during the initial stage of Covid, this story is about a couple who decided to live together during the lockdown. But things went awry when one of them is found dead. What really happened?

I know this is a brief synopsis but there is a lot going on in the plot. All I can say is that it was twisty, suspenseful, left me flabbergasted and I LOVED IT!

The story is told from different POVs with events happening within 56 days. Catherine is a brilliant writer and I do not know how she did it but these 56 days were intense and as the mystery unravels, oh my goodness, it was bananas!

I liked most of the characters but absolutely loved the two detectives - Lee and Karl. I want to be their friends!

In a nutshell, a MUST READ book!


Pub. Date: Aug 17th, 2021

***Thank you Blackstone Publishing, author Catherine Ryan Howard and NetGalley for this gifted ARC copy to read and review.***

This book focuses on two people who meet right before the COVID-19 lockdown. Seems that they really hit it off and are going to really enjoy ones company. Nope. The reader is told one of them is dead and no one knows whats going on. This book was a friggin blast to read. Timelines alternative between 56 days ago and to the "today". This kept it at such a great pace for a thriller. You get multiple perspectives from Ciara and Oliver which slowly made you question more and more about them. Who's lying to who? Who is being someone they aren't? This book blindsided me on multiple occasions. I thought I had it figured out but nope. Not even a little bit. I will be reading ALL the CRH books.

56 days ago, before COVID reached Ireland, Ciara and Oliver met at a store and immediately there seemed to be a mutual interest and attraction. 35 days ago they decided to move in together under the threat of a lockdown. Now there is a body in the apartment they share and Detective Inspector Leah Riordan is tasked with uncovering who the dead person is, and what happened to this person.

What a rollercoaster of a story! 56 Days kept me on the edge of my seat with all of its twists and turns; I never knew what would happen next. The story jumps from the present to the past--the recent and less-recent past--and back again, and I really enjoyed this arrangement. Howard is perfectly able to reveal bits of information at just the right times, creating suspense that kept me turning the pages with a swipe of my finger as quickly as I could. Some of the major events are brilliantly told from the perspectives of more than one character, adding a whole new level to the story. While the story takes place within the confusion and chaos that was the early days of the COVID pandemic, the realities of that time, while depressing to think about, are expertly used within 56 Days to advance the narrative without it being overused. 

I found 56 Days to be a highly enjoyable novel and I highly recommend it. Be sure to look for it August 17th!

Thank you to NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing and Catherine Ryan Howard for gifting me an early electronic copy of 56 Days, given in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own.

I was a bit skeptical to read this at first because the use of the current situation in a storyline just a over a year in maybe felt a bit like a ploy. But let me assure you that it was far, far from it. The evolution of the story actually stems from events from a time in the past with the characters having to navigate their way around it while being thrown in the deep end of the pandemic situation.

The story is told from multiple POVs with a shifting timeline counting down the 56 days. Of course, I always believe this leads to a bit of repetition but because it was executed well it was a good reading experience. The story was fairly straight forward but keeps you on the edge because the revelations are cleverly planned

A fantastic domestic thriller in all. If you're picking up a fiction book set against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic, then let this be the one!

I can very proudly say that this picture represents my Saturday that has just gone past. Proper lockdown feels while reading this book - cozied up on the couch with this very comfortable throw and my mug full of coffee!

Bonus tip: The author also has a highlight on her page which shows Ireland in the initial lockdown - Lockdown. Adds to the experience of reading the book.

Synopsis: 56 days ago, Ciara and Oliver meet at a queue in the supermarket. They both get along super well but the novel coronavirus lands on Irish shores and they decide to move in together. A chance to explore themselves without having to explain their decision to anyone, without having to be stuck with any labels. But do they actually get along? Each day brings forth a new lie and eventually one of them ends up dead.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 {CRIME FICTION} The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown brought them together, but Ciara and Oliver are hiding secrets from each other that become deadly. What happens when they quarantine together? You’ll have to read to find out!

I’m so torn on how to feel about this book. It was surreal to read about the events we just lived through with the pandemic. In one breath you can understand and visualize the circumstances because we just experienced them, but in another it almost feels uncomfortable and too soon to read.

I loved the plot twist! However, the nonlinear timeline and alternating character perspectives made the read a bit confusing and slightly repetitive.

A huge thank you to @netgalley, @blackstonepublishing, and @catherineryanhoward for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

56 Days will be available for purchase on August 17th!

4.5 Stars.

This was a fun mystery! I had my hesitations going into this about it being set during 2020 with the covid-19 entanglement, but I think this ended up being a very normal perspective on the whole situation. Aside from the obvious murder/mystery the book was actually about.

I loved the characters in this. Ciara and Oliver were quite the dynamic relationship all filled with secrets. I loved how the writer had the ability to make you feel a certain way for a character (can't give too much away here), you actually felt bad and wanted everything to work out for them in the long run. I enjoyed trying to figure out what the back story really was.

I also enjoyed the format. The jumps through time were easier to follow than I anticipated at first, and they really added to the story. I loved the dual perspective (kind of) of the past and even some of the repetition of the character's thoughts, but just with that little addition of information that kept you learning what was truly happening.

I would say this one will be towards the top of my list of recommendations for mysteries. Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for allowing me to review this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Set primarily in the first coronavirus lockdown in Dublin, in 56 Days Catherine Ryan Howard toys with the idea of Ciara and Oliver starting to date and begin their relationship just as the pandemic began. What would happen if two people who didn't know each other all that well decided to become one household for the purpose of a two-week lockdown? What could that look like? What skeletons could each of them be hiding in their closets? As it turns out, some pretty substantial ones! Oliver's choice as a twelve-year-old altered him forever and he's spent his adult life trying to hide from it, just as Ciara's childhood grief contributes to how she approaches relationships and difficult situations. The way Ryan Howard jumps back and forth in time doesn't lend itself to confusion -- she reveals bits and pieces at a time, until you're left wondering how you didn't figure it out earlier!

I had to let this one sit before I got into it. I was hoping after some time to think I would have a better lasting reaction.

However, this book just landed as “okay” for me. At times I was bored with the lack of answers and action. Other times I was pulled into the intensity of the mystery, only to soon fall out of it.

The twists at the end were very good. They caught me by surprise and I had an outward reaction. However, when the book ended, it did not feel the plot was even resolved. I had to go back and re-read parts of the ending due to my own confusion. Even that did not completely settle it, I still fee like the story ended unfinished.

The narrators all felt too unreliable. No one seemed to have any clue what was happening, and too many secrets were not being revealed The timeline was also very jumpy which was difficult to keep up with for me.

I appreciated that certain characters received closure at the end of the story. The buildup and payoff of the ending were better than I expected. I think there were thought that were well thought out and written, but this book just was not for me.

Honestly, when I saw what 56 Days was about, I was apprehensive. I wasn’t thrilled about reading a “pandemic book” and I don’t often like books with crazy timelines that jump around a lot.

56 Days begins in Dublin as a group of apartment residents stand outside after a fire alarm, one of a series of false alarms. Then the narrative jumps back almost two months as Ciara and Oliver meet by chance in a supermarket line and exchange numbers. Then, a body is discovered. Who died and why?

The most interesting part of the book to me was the way the narrative used the format to add suspense and the pandemic to make the crime harder to solve. The timeline jumped around with every chapter and the POV switched both between and sometimes within a section.

The narrative was told from the point of view of Oliver, Ciara, and two police officers, Lee and Kurt. In the present, Lee and Kurt were trying to solve the mysterious death, while in the past, the narrative shed light on what might have happened.

Once I adjusted to the crazy timeline, I liked the way 56 Days gave me different small insights into the story. With every new section, a new bit of information was added.

The negative (and I feel like I’m seeing this in many books written during the pandemic) is that there wasn’t much setting (which could be explained partly by lockdown in this book) nor much character development. 56 Days was more about a plot conveyed through twists, and secrets revealed, which is not a bad thing.

But overall this was a fun book with a creative concept and I recommend it!

What a fabulous book! I didn't see the end coming and was unsure how to feel about the real motive but found it was a true page turner. Well written and great characters.

Pandemic fiction! I am here for it. This book is twisty and exciting. You move back and forth through the span of a couple of months. Multiple POVs. I especially enjoy revisiting a familiar scene with new information and/or from a different perspective. This is a *smart* mystery.

Five stars. All the stars. I 💜 a smartly done thriller. There is a reveal that had me like 😮. If you were thinking about reading this one, I vote “do it”

Is it too soon for COVID pandemic-themed books? I think not! This was an excellent thriller about a murder that occurs during a lockdown in Dublin, Ireland. This boo is unique in that it switches among timelines and between characters/narrators to give you a unique perspective. I didn't see the big twists coming and while it did take me about half of the book to really get into the "must continue reading" aspect of it, I got there and you should, too!

(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review).

Thank you for Blackstone Publishing for the arc via NetGalley.

4.5*
I would never thought that I would read a book about the pandemic, I felt it was enough to live in it. But the hype got to me, I got interested. And I was not disappointed.
I liked the realness of it and the details about the unknown when it all started, the questions and how we suppose to continue with our life and like how it all happened in real life. But it was not overwhelmingly done, didn’t take the attention from the plot. The writing style was interesting with jumping time lines from character to character, it kept me on edge and I wanted to know what happened. It makes you think, what would you do in their situation? When you just met another person after long time who you are happy with, but a global pandemic begins with a lockdown and against all the red flags you move together and starting to question yourself if it was a good idea…
So this book really surprised me in a good way!
Theres some plot twists but didn’t felt so huge because as we follow the characters they show us what they do and why, so I was a little bit missing the “ Big Boom Moment” when turns out what happened, but its because of the jumping between times, so it couldn’t build up so much if that makes sense.
It was still interesting and exciting read, I really enjoyed it.

🔍🚀❗ BOOK REVIEW ❗🚀🔍

"People think the decisions you make that change the course of your life are the big ones. But she knows it's the little ones, the tiny moments, that really plot the course."

⭐⭐⭐⭐

I COULD NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN! The first few chapters had me hooked....I'm not kidding, when I wasn't reading I was constantly thinking about this book.

I really enjoyed the style of writing. It travels through time to show the reader what's happening with our protagonists and through out each time jump reveals HUGE SECRETS that leave you speechless. The way the author used time, characters and the pandemic to create this plot was absolutely brilliant and is the reason why I never wanted to put the book down.

Authors creating a book about the COVID-19 pandemic have a lot to prove because Catherine Ryan Howard nailed it! A huge thank you to her, Blackstone Publishing and Net Galley for giving me a copy of this AMAZING thriller.

There's quite a bit of a question mark about whether a story revolving around the 2020 pandemic is too soon to tell; I am here to say that if done right, no story is too soon to tell. In 56 Days we meet Ciara and Oliver two people besieged with each other right before the pandemic hits Dublin city center and they're forced to get to know each other very quickly and decide if they should bunk down together without really knowing each other-each of them harboring their own dark and secretive pasts.

This mulit-POV story was interesting in that the main characters (inducing a third main character; Detective Lee) switched between the three, the detective investigating present day and Oliver and Ciara each experiencing the same even in their own POV; i hadn't read this writing beat in a while and it felt refreshing versus having a third voice narration so well done! I also found myself compelled to find out what layers these characters had and what else they would reveal.

Fun, quick easy read and some unique twists. IMO the pace kind of fell off about three quarters in but otherwise recommend.

This was such a wonderfully twisty thriller. Told from multiple points of view and timelines, it’s about Ciara and Oliver who met and began dating right before the lockdown in Dublin began. In order to continue seeing each other, Ciara decides to move in with Oliver for the two week lockdown. But neither of them know each other very well and there are tons of secrets. Every time I thought I had this figured out, there was another twist. I love books that surprise me. I also enjoyed the dialogue and banter between the detectives in this story. I would love to read more books featuring them.

Hold on to those masks folks, a Covid-19 pandemic murder mystery is here. 😷

& it’s serving twist after twist after twist.

Yeah, that’s right. A thriller novel that takes place during the 2020 quarantine.

IMO it’s not too soon, it’s right on time.

Just about all readers can connect with this novel since the entire world just went through this global emergency together - We’ve all faced uncertainty, done the shelter in place, hand washing, news watching, alcohol drinking or banana bread baking…we’ve all been there.

This book takes place in Ireland (which is cool) despite being in a different country I found it relatable…except for the part about moving in with a new bae and then killing them off. That’s where the book does it’s own unique thing. 🤷🏼‍♀️

The author does a fabulous job of creating multiple points of view (girlfriend, boyfriend, and detective investigating the murder that takes place after the couple shacks up during Quar).

The suspense level was high and I was fully engaged from start to finish in this, dare I say, unprecedented *gasp* novel.