Oh how I love Catherine Ryan Howard! Other than Distress Signals - which I need to get to ASAP - I have read all of her books and I think this one might be just slightly behind my favorite of hers, The Nothing Man.

I just love the way Howard writes - her books have such a sense of place and are so incredibly propulsive! I just never want to put them down. This one is based off a real life case that happened in Cork when she was growing up and I think that really elevated the way she wrote this story even more. It seemed so real - the sense of dread was just constant throughout this one.

I loved the characters in this one - Lucy, the sister of one of the missing girls, was complicated and the agony she was going through not knowing what happened or if her sister was alive, really made me feel for her and root for her. I was constantly surprised in this book and that's hard for me now with how many thrillers I read. There were twists that I didn't see coming and the way CRH structured the book really made for a few shocking reveals. Just when I thought I had things figured out, she would hit me with something that changed the way I was viewing the story. I have heard some people that didn't love the way this one wraps up but I am not someone who needs my endings tied up in a pretty bow, so that didn't bother me.

For anyone who has read her other books, I also love the Easter eggs she sprinkles throughout - all her books take place in the same world and even though they aren't technically related, I love the little call outs of previous characters or cases or killers from previous novels.

I really felt this book had everything that I love about Catherine Ryan Howard and I will read absolutely everything and anything she writes.

If you read The Quiet Tenant this year and loved that - I think this would be a great one for you to read. The point of view of the serial killer in this one was incredibly terrifying. I don't get creeped out too often, but after I was done, I went out into our garage to get something and I guess I took too long cause the light turned off so I was left in a pitch black garage - you better believe I ran SO fast to the door to turn the light back on!

Thank you to Netgalley & Blackstone Publishing for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing and Catherine Ryan Howard for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Catherine Ryan Howard has done it again and written a fantastic detective thriller! I absolutely love her writing style and how she immediately pulls you in and won't let you go until the very last page. I love her storytelling and how she describes each scene from each characters POV.

Even though this is all fiction it felt like I was reading a True Crime novel and I absolutely loved it. The chapters with the detectives were my favorites but I loved it all! The twist was one I didn't figure out and I LOVE when that happens.

Solid 4.5 star read for me and I need to pick up a physical copy asap for my shelf!

One of my favorite thrillers of the year! I don't want to say too much and give away the plot but I couldn't put it down and the ending/twists were soooo crazy!

Read if you like:
🧠 Psychological Thrillers
🔍 Playing Detective
🔀 Twists and Turns
#️⃣ Various POV
🚨 Police Procedurals
🇮🇪 Books set in Ireland
🚙 Missing Women Cases

Wow!!!!! This was such a freaking phenomenal thriller!!!! This one has a ode to Catherine’s previous book The Whisper Man and it was freaking perfect!

The twists and turns in this one were absolutely phenomenal and I loved the feeling that you were missing information all the way until the end when the biggest reveal is made and holy crap I didn’t see it coming at all!!!

This one is one you have to pay attention to when reading because the author doesn’t call out the changes in POV and this was very intentional with the way the book was written that it is meant to flow and not be hardh changes in POV.

If you are looking for your next thriller with twists you won’t see coming I highly recommend this one as it was soooo good and I’ll be thinking about it for a while to come! Thank you so much to the publisher for my ARC in advance of its release!

I've only read one other book by this author (and it wasn't The Nothing Man) and it wasn't the best book for me. I am trying again with this book as I have seen so many good reviews.

Maybe it's me. Maybe I NEED to read The Nothing Man, because this was just an okay read for me, not amazing.

The beginning was interesting and downright tense with a woman walking alone in the dark with a dead cell phone. I definitely had a bad feeling when a car pulled over for her. Is he a good guy or not?

This story is about Operation Tide, the search for a serial killer. It's told through a few POVs: Lucy, whose sister, Nicki, is one of the missing girls believed to have been abducted by the killer. Lucy decides to take things into her own hands and do her own investigation.

There is also a point of view from Angela. She works for the Missing Persons Unit; and one POV from the killer, which was really creepy.

This is a slow-moving story for the most part until the ending, which I thought was really good.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and Netgalley for an advanced readers copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book follows multiple points of view, a favorite in my book, but first is Lucy, whose sister Nicki went missing a year ago and has never been heard from again. Lucy decides to take matters into her own hands, by walking deserted country lanes at night in a hopes to be abducted by the same predator. (Reminded me of The Butterfly Garden)

Then there’s Angela, who thinks Nicki’s case might be connected to the disappearances of two other women at around the same time. And finally we also have the point of view of the abductor, who is speaking directly to someone throughout the book whose identity is kept under wraps.

Again, books with multiple POVs always tell stories in the best way and always keep you guessing. I loved 56 Days so I was very excited to read this as well.

This book is inspired by the real-life disappearances of several women in Ireland whose cases have never been solved. I am alway fascinated by books based on true events, and this has encouraged me to look into those disappearances. Overall another hit for the author and another recommendation coming to my audience.

I truly enjoy Catherine Ryan Howard's writing. The Trap just wasn't for me. This book had a lot of promise for me but the end fell flat.

Aptly titled The Trap by Catherine Ryan Howard is a snappy and clever thrillery read, precisely what my brain craved. In no time flat I was lulled out of an otherwise lackluster day into the fascinatingly twisty world of crime. Multiple perspectives are wonderful if done well...and this certainly is.

Women disappear in Ireland and it is believed a serial killer may be lurking. Undeterred by the great risk, Lucy, sister of one of these women places herself into the path of danger but she is determined to undercover what others haven't. A female detective and a woman itching to be a detective who works in the Missing Persons Unit investigate. My favourite aspect is the killer's vantage point, incredibly interesting.

Looking for a bit of disturbing creep factor, intriguing (some likeable, others not) characters and insight into the dark soul of a killer all in one rollercoaster of a package? This may satiate your hunger. Do be sure to read the author's notes on her inspiration for this novel for excellent insight.

My sincere thank you to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this captivating book.

A fictional novel inspired by a slew of unsolved disappearances of women in Ireland in the 90's. Lucy's sister, Nicki, has been missing for a year and Lucy will do anything to find her. Her case gets lumped in with a few other missing women, who seemingly have nothing in common. The Gardai have formed a task force in order to look for these women but have had no luck.
We get this story from Lucy's POV, Angela, a paper-pusher with the Missing Persons Unit who yearns to be an officer, and the creepy kidnapper who may or may not have Nicki and the other missing women.
This story was twisty and topsy-turvey in the best way. When the mystery is finally revealed, it will shock you to your core.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this e-arc.*

Lucy’s sister, Nikki went missing but Lucy is determined to do anything to find her; even bait the man that took her.

This was very uniquely done. I enjoyed the different characters and chapters but was really creeped out by the chapters done by the kidnapper/bad guy. It was really chilling hearing his perspective and knowing what was going on. There was a lot to this story and I have a feeling I may have missed some small points but I still enjoyed it; especially the ending.

“That’s what’s really terrifying to people, so they prefer to think that some mysterious force is at work. But it’s just violence. And speed.”

The Trap comes out 8/1.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book!

Catherine Ryan Howard is such an incredible writer and has such a way with characters that makes them so thrilling! There are scenes that are so intriguing and frightening that just grip you and won’t let go!

Plot mechanics and plot credibility are clever and add to the story. People acting as one would expect, and the credibility makes sense and doesn’t leave many loopholes or unanswered questions. Love!

The Trap by Catherine Ryan Howard is my fourth novel I’ve read by Howard and they just keep getting better and better! Everything about this book was thrilling….
The plot, characters, and ending were absolutely brilliant!
Catherine Ryan Howard is one of the best psychological thriller authors out there.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing
eARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC to review!
Rating (on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being excellent)
Quality of writing: 5
Pace: 4
Plot development: 4
Characters: 4
Enjoyability: 4
Ease of Reading: 4

Overall rating: 4 out of 5

First of all, I loved this cover! It gave a wonderfully ominous and spooky vibe, which was true to the words within. I particularly enjoyed the police procedural sections of the story. The POV of the serial killer felt like it rambled, but relished the twists and the ending left me satisfied!

Twisty, suspenseful, and shocking! Told from multiple POVs with Howard's engagning writing, this book had me hooked from the start. We get the alternating perspectives of Lucy, whose sister Nicki went missing over a year ago, and who will go to any lengths to find out what happened; Angela, who works in the Missing Persons Unit and aspires to be a Garda, and inserts herself into Operation Tide - the task force set up to investigate three seemingly connected missing woman - and ends up working alongside Detective Denise Pope; and the man the media has dubbed The Phantom, who is more than happy to share his back story with his latest victim. "The Trap" is an enthralling read that masterfully explores the dark recesses of the human mind, making it a highly recommended choice for fans of psychological thrillers.



I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Blackstone Publishers and to Catherine Ryan Howard for the opportunity.

A creepy story inspired by a real life series of disappearances and murders in and around Dublin in the 1980s and 1990s, The Trap is a heartbreaking story of love and loyalty.

Two sisters, one missing and the other determined to make the police take a series of disappearances seriously. An Irish setting. The disturbing POV of the person responsible. This book sent literal shivers down my spine! Justice for the women of the Vanishing Triangle - someone needs to solve these crimes!

The Trap was just what I was craving- a fast paced thriller I couldn’t put down! It is told from alternating POV which always has me turning the pages quickly. The story follows a serial killer who is taking women in Ireland and is told from the POV of the serial killer, a victim’s sister, the police detectives on the case, and one of the missing women. I was captivated from the get go and enjoyed each POV but was especially interested in the serial killer’s story.

If you like a quick thriller- this would be the perfect book to pick up! This is my second book by the author but I will definitely be reading some of her older books now.

Thank you netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

{3.5 stars}

Young girls are going missing in Ireland and the police seem to have no credible leads. Lucy is determined to find her sister Nikki, one of those missing girls… including offering herself up as one to catch the killer.

Like all of Catherine Ryan Howard‘s books this one has great pacing and all of the charm of Ireland. It touches upon the biases we have towards missing women and how some get coverage and others do not. It also gives us a view into the killer’s mind which, or some of my favorite chapters. My favorite character, though was the police trainee, Angela, who had no business sticking her nose in but made some of the best finds.

Thanks to Blackstone Publishing for gifted access via NetGalley. All opinions above for my own.

Sad to say this book was just okay. I was totally intrigued by the first chapter, but the slow pace and lack of character development didn’t keep me invested in the story. The ending, while twisted, didn’t have the climactic wow factor I crave in a thriller.

Although I am a fan of CRH and some of her previous works, I stopped reading this book at the 20% mark because I didn't understand where it was going. It did not flow like the writing I know and love from Howard and it felt like I jumped straight into the middle of a book when I first started it-- nothing was making sense. I wanted to love this so bad because I was highly anticipating it, but if a book is going to hook me it's got to do better than that.