3.5 rounded up

I was initially drawn into this book within a book. The POV alternate between the girl who survived and the killer. Right from the start we know who the Nothing Man is and I found that to be an interesting idea. Somewhere along the way the book started to not be as engaging as I was bogged down by some mundane details. Overall it was still a good fast paced read.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The synopsis of this book sounded intriguing to me so I requested a copy to read.
Unfortunately, I have tried reading this book on 2 separate occasions and during that 2nd attempt, I have only managed to make it halfway through so I'd rather stop here and state that this book just wasn't for me.

Thank you to the publisher for my copy of this - all opinions are my own.

Catherine Ryan Howard has QUICKLY become one of my must read authors - and this book is just more evidence as to why.

I was sucked in from the SYNOPSIS on this one - I love a good serial killer book, and the idea that this one would be told partly from the perspective of the killer, who had since retired from killing and had never been caught was fascinating to me. I was NOT disappointed - this one absolutely FLEW by, I devoured the entire book in one afternoon as I could literally not set the book down.

I loved the concept of the book within the book, and that you were reading along with the killer, watching as his fragile mental state unfolded. I won't offer any spoilers but I will say that concept alone ratcheted up the tension considerably and I was on pins and needles waiting to see how things would play out.

I loved it, honestly, it was such a fresh and unique take on the genre, and absolutely nailed the vague sensation of Golden State Killer vibes that inspired the book. A must read for thriller book lovers this year!

This was such a unique, creative twist that blended the true crime genre with a dual POV mystery. I’m not normally a fan of a book within a book stories but the execution of this one was great.

It did lag a bit as we were reading two introductions simultaneously but the beginning hooked me enough to push me through to a fantastic ending.

ALL THE THRILLING STARS! Holy moly - this is the book I've been waiting for this month in the thriller category. Not only do I LOVE getting the POV of the killer, but then you throw in the killer finding a book written by his youngest survivor and now you've got two for the price of one! So thriller and true crime fans - this is THE book for you! I'm actually kicking myself for waiting so long to read this. Howard is an autobuy author for me and this is my fourth (and third 5 star) book by her. I can't recommend her books enough!

So let's get into the nitty gritty of it all. Jim Doyle, as we know from the blurb, is The Nothing Man. We get to watch him unravel as he reads the true crime book written by his victim, Eve. Could you imagine walking into a bookstore and being confronted with a book about YOU?! The way the author integrates these is nothing short of brilliant. I was equally fascinated with Eve's story as I was with watching Jim escalate.

Howard brings us a thriller where we already know who the killer is so there's no guessing on how the crime was committed or who will be revealed. Instead we are just instantly drawn into what is going to happen now that it's 20 years later. Book within a book stories are a bit of a hit or miss for me and quite honestly, this is probably one of, if not THE, best ones I've read. Obviously I recommend this book so go out and get yourself a copy... and if you already have one on your shelf, stop everything and pick it up NOW!

Thank you to NetGalley, Catherine Ryan Howard and Blackstone Publishing for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I am becoming quiet the fan of Ryan Howard's writing because it is so unique! I really enjoyed reading this book through the killers perspective and the true crime book that was written about him. I really love true crime and this book reads just like you'd expect. It's a page turner for sure and the twists in this one blew me away. Overall, super original and definitely one I'd recommend.

If you haven't read it yet and you're looking for a great fall read, I highly recommend The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard. I love the fact that it is a book within a book and that mixed with Jim Doyle's viewpoint made it a very layered and suspenseful novel. So many people were blown away by this one, and although I'm not quite there, it was still a very solid 4 stars for me and definitely a thriller I will be recommending! It is also a great one to go into blind so I will try to keep this review short (probably won't happen).

I started by reading the eBook and it has such an amazing beginning, but then I started getting a little distracted, so I decided to wait and listen to the audio. The audiobook helped keep me fully engaged and I really liked the narrators. Alana Kerr Collins voices the parts from Eve's book while John Keating voices Doyle. I think listening to it makes it even creepier, especially for Doyle's POV. I loved the dark humor, and the way the author wrote this one was just so incredibly clever. I ended up really loving the end and was very satisfied with it, although it may be slightly anticlimactic for some readers. The Nothing Man is a very unique take on a book where you already know who the killer is and watching his progression as he reads Eve's book was a great take on a serial killer thriller.

Overall I really enjoyed The Nothing Man and I'm looking forward to reading more by this author. I have already read Distress Signals which was a bit of a miss for me, but I can tell how she has progressed in her writing and I will definitely be reading her newer books!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book via Edelweiss and NetGalley, all opinions and thoughts are my own.

This was my first read from Catherine Ryan Howard, and won't be my last! This was the definition of a cat and mouse game. I love books within a book, and the way this story unfolded was perfect. Reading Jim’s thoughts and responses as he read the book was nothing short of terrifying. I applaud the author for writing a book where the killer is known from the start but the tension and suspense is maintained. Thank you Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I started this book but it felt too much like the Golden State Killer story which turned me off. I wanted to read something original and I didn't feel like this was it. I do think others who are less familiar with GSK they will enjoy this!

What does murder look like through the eyes of the victim's family? What does it look like through the eyes of the murderer? After 20 years, Eve Black has written a book about the murder of her family, hoping it would bring forth new information that would bring him to justice.

The book's format is unique. The story moves between reading chapters of Eve's book and the reaction and thoughts of the criminal himself. Having left no evidence at the crime scenes, The Nothing Man doesn't fear capture, but the victim's stories bring forth feelings and emotions he thought buried.

The book's format brings forth the story so you feel close contact with the crimes. It's an eerie look at the crimes and their aftermath. A really, really good thriller.

Contrary to popular opinion, I didn't love this book.

The writing is excellent, the premise is intriguing, but the execution didn't work for me.

Much of this book reads exactly like nonfiction, as Jim Doyle is "reading" Eve Black's true crime book about the murder of her entire family. In fact, the experience, for me, was a lot like reading the nonfiction book I'll Be Gone in the Dark, right down to the fictional killer's resemblance to the Golden State Killer. But this is a novel, not nonfiction, which brings me to my other problem.

I didn't feel any emotional connection at all. Eve's character doesn't invite us in to experience the turmoil someone in her situation should have felt. Instead, her part feels predictable and events are too convenient. Jim, The Nothing Man, is exactly that, a nothing of a man. He's dull, uninteresting, not even average.

And that brings me to my final grumbling point. Eve talks to a psychologist, who lectures her about killers being dull and uninteresting. And this comes across as a lecture to us, the readers. We're told that we turn killers into celebrities, elevating them to god status, when in reality they're ordinary, even boring. To prove this point, we're presented with The Nothing Man, a serial killer who is the quintessential boring human.

I can't say more without spoilers, but in the end I just didn't buy into the way the plot unfolded or the reasoning behind several events.

But most readers are raving about this book, so please ignore me and give it a try if the premise appeals to you.

In this mystery thriller, you know the “who” from the very beginning. But why? And how did he get away with it?
The book alternates between the viewpoint of the murderer and the text of the true crime memoir of one of his victims. Eve Black’s family was murdered by The “Nothing Man”. She writes a book of the same name and the murderer picks up the book and reads it.
The book inside the book is compulsive and surprising. I loved this twist in the alternating viewpoints and that the book explicitly discusses how serial killers are celebrated and the victims are forgotten. This book centers the victim in an interesting way.

The audio book was wonderfully narrated, the alternating actors made it easy to follow.

Holy crap was this good! Admittedly I haven’t read a straight out thriller since last years ‘The Chestnut Man’ and The Whisper Man’, so it’s been awhile since I got caught up in a book that I could not put down, but let me tell you, this was that book. (Side note, what’s the deal with ‘man’ being in every title in this post? 😂)
Catherine Ryan Howard has taken a clever narrative structure in a story about a woman who, when she was twelve, was the only surviving member of her family in a home invasion murder. Years later she sets out for closure by writing a true crime book of the killer that hits the bestseller lists and resurrects the past. But it also awakens the sleeping dragon who has been dormant for years, who decides to set out to finish off the grisly job he didn’t finish. Half of the book is Eve’s story told both in the present tense threaded with sections from her book including his other victims, while the other half is the terrifying Nothing Man. The audio version which I alternated with is top notch, the Irish readers, especially hers, adding to an already thrilling read. if you were a fan of the @netflix series, ‘The Fall’ this will be right up your alley. It’s definitely creepy, has some good twists, and should keep you up well into the night to finish. Trigger warnings for Murder, home invasion & rape.

I did not like this one as much as Rewind. I expected to enjoy it more after seeing all the positive reviews. The ending somewhat improved my opinion.

Told from the point of view of a survivor and from the point of view of the serial killer himself. I found this book to be dramatically creative and creepy.

At 12 years old, Eve was the only survivor of The Nothing Mans attack on her family. Now that she is an adult she is determined to find him. She is also finally ready to tell the story in her new book. Jim is at his job when he comes across the book. Jim immediately buys it so he can find out how much Eve has figured out about his past.

I loved this book! I loved the switch from reading Eve’s book, to changing the pov to Jim’s reactions to reading it. This one had me flipping pages well past my bedtime! It was such a unique way to write this thriller, and I am totally here for it! If you haven’t read this one yet you are missing out!

I loved reading and listening to The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard. It was fascinating to me how two books were intertwined in this true crime thriller (all fiction says the disclaimer at the end of the book).

If you look closely at the book's cover, you can see how one book is transformed into two with the cover torn. Eve's name has been removed to reveal Howard's name at the bottom. You can also see the notes and tabs. This is an ingenious way of giving a snippet of what is inside.

Whoa! What did I just read?! This was incredible. FAST paced, heart pounding incredible read. A few of the thriller bloggers I follow recommended this and it did not disappoint! Highly recommended!

Unique, clever & mind blowingly captivating. What a wild ride. I can not wait to read what’s next for this author.

Eve Black was made an orphan at twelve-years-old when the Nothing Man entered her family home killing her father, mother and sister. Decades later, Eve is on the hunt for the Nothing Man by writing a true crime memoir that also focuses on his other victims.

When The Nothing Man his shelves, Jim Doyle is surprised to see that name again. It's been years since he used that name. When he starts reading, Jim can't stop because he's worried if Eve finally figured out his true identity.

Catherine Ryan Howard drew inspiration for The Nothing Man from Michelle McNamara's I'll Be Gone in the Dark. I can easily see the similarities between the two but it didn't stop me from enjoying The Nothing Man. It was a refreshing mystery with a true crime twist. It easily felt like a real story instead of a fictional one.

Thank you to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for a copy of The Nothing Man in exchange for my honest review.