The Nothing Man refers to the name of a book written by Eve, an author whose entire family was murdered by a serial killer in Cork, Ireland two decades ago.  The killer is called The Nothing Man because he has not left any clues or evidence, and twenty years later the case is considered to be cold.  The recently published book has been discovered by security guard Jim, who has a keen interest in the case.  He is riveted not only from the author’s words, but because he himself is The Nothing Man.

Told from the point of views from both Eve and Jim and in several points in time, the crimes and circumstances are revealed with just enough detail for this reader.  The information about the series of murders is well-presented and not sensationalized.  I appreciated the information I learned about serial killers in general, especially when Eve attends a lecture by an authority on the subject. The concept of The Nothing Man written by Catherine Ryan Howard telling the story of Eve’s book of the same name is fascinating - indeed Eve even thanks Catherine Ryan Howard in her book.  

I was engaged throughout the book and the book flowed well.  The characters are so well developed - we learn a tremendous amount amount Jim in particular. I admire Eve for her ability to not only carry on with her life after such loss, but to educate herself,  to proceed with this book and to have the courage to see it to the end.  I was satisfied with the ending. This book felt real to me,  with an understanding that these events could very well have occurred.  To me, this is the sign of a great thriller.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book which was narrated by Alana Kerr-Collins and John Keating.  I appreciated the narrators having an Irish accent and voices representing the characters.  I really felt the creep factor coming from John Keating - both as Jim and as The Nothing Man.  I’d recommend the audiobook to those that appreciate this format.

Thanks to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for the ARC of this book in exchange for the honest review provided here.

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.

The Nothing Man tells the story of a serial rapist and murderer, now an aged security guard reading about his exploits in a books written by the last surviving member of a family he murdered.  The premises alone had me hooked.

The audiobook version is done in 2 voices, that of The Nothing Man (narrated by John Keating) as he reads the book and reflects back on his life and of Eve Black (narrated by Alana Kerr-Collins), the survivor, as she writes the book.   You can feel his immersion into the story and as he reacts to the pages.  

Years after the death of her family at the hands of The Nothing Man and after many years of hiding her true identity and living in denial, Eve Black finds herself submitting a short story assignment about The Nothing Man that rings a little too true for her professor to believe it is a work of fiction.   

Encouraged to explore what really happened to her family, Eve, with the help of one of the police officers that investigated the killings, digs deep into the case files, unpacking memories and discovering links between her family’s attack and others.  

While her book begins with the awkward hesitation of someone revealing that yes, she is “The girl who survived”, it soon gains speed as Eve gains confidence and the tone changes.  Toward the end of her book, Eve’s feelings of fear are replaced with those of contempt for The Nothing Man.

Jim Doyle, The Nothing Man, is a middle-aged security guard, working in a grocery when he spots a woman with a book in her hand.  The title immediately sends shivers down his spine as he realizes it is a survivor’s account or his exploits as the Nothing Man.

Curious, Jim begins to read the book, going so far as to write corrections in the margins.  But his feelings of disgust and condescension slowly turn to rage. At first it is laughable that Eve thinks she can find new clues to track him down but the tables begin to turn as she finds more and more connections and calls out the Nothing Man for being more Nothing than Man. 

The author did a great job making Jim Doyle completely unlikable and there are a couple of good twists near the end.  I wasn’t entirely in love with how things resolved but overall this was a good read.   Great book club read or snowy evening, wrapped in a blanket read.

I also love the cover art that appears to be a torn dust jacket.  I am a sucker for a good book cover.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Blackstone Audio for the audio-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was dismissive of this book for a while, no particular reason, I guess I just had to be in the mood for it. If I could go back and tell myself something it would be to read the book now! I devoured this audiobook in just a few days. I loved how creepy it was and the writing was phenomenal. This is a perfect fall read!

I sure enjoy reading a true crime book or similar type. This is truly a good book and has suspense with a narrator who just makes the book so much better to me. I highly recommend you just try and sample and get hooked as I did. It had a surprise ending too so enjoy!

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!

Narration:


I enjoyed the narration of this book. The transitions between the 2 narrators were smooth and suited the story well. The audio quality was excellent. I think the narrator's voices were good matches to the characters they are portraying.


Story:


The story is an interesting concept but it didn't draw me in the way I wanted it to. Some places seemed to drag. I did enjoy that the narrative went back and forth between Eve's perspective of events and the murderer's perspective. I found Eve's method of coping with the events of her life to be fascinating. The murderer seemed to want me to feel sorry for him but I just couldn't see him as the wounded party in any of the events.

This is a review of the audiobook version of “The Nothing Man”, this is also the first book that I have read/listened to by Ms. Howard. Wow, what a talented writer she is. I will definitely be looking forward to reading more of her novels.

The format of a book within a book is not an easy writing technique but this author does it flawlessly. Each part was easy to understand, equally interesting and flowed well.

Eve Black has been known as the “girl that survived The Nothing Man” since the age of 12. It has haunted and impacted her life and now, she has decided that she wants to be known as the woman who caught The Nothing Man. He was given this name because he never left any clues behind and the Garda could never find him. But, he never left any survivors before.

The narration in this book is fantastic!!!  We are able to hear the voice of Eve, who sounds intelligent and determined. At the same time we hear the voice of The Nothing Man, and it will scare the heck out of you, it sounds so fiendish and cold!

Hard to believe that Jim Doyle has been living in plain sight for all of these years. He has a family and is still working as a security guard. It will make you look at your neighbors in a whole different way!!!!!!

Without going into the gruesome killings, etc. I can reveal that this man is a psychopath. He had no regret for the crimes he committed and never felt a bit of compassion. He killed children as well as adults, Eve’s sister was only six years old. He is now reading Eve’s memoir and is infuriated that he left this survivor to tell her story, he plans to change that.

I had heard that this book was good and I can now vouch for how moving the audiobook was. 

This is terrifying without being too gory, it’s expertly written with great character development. It has everything I love in a great mystery/thriller.

I highly recommend this audiobook, you will not be disappointed.

I received this audiobook from the publisher through NetGalley.

The Nothing Man is perfect for true crime fans!

It's crime fiction, but it feels so real. I went in not knowing much about it and think that improved my reading experience, so I'll keep this review short: If you like the true crime and/or crime fiction genre, this is a book you won't want to miss out on.

Where the Nothing Man excels is in Catherine Ryan Howard's ability to use and shift common serial killer preconceptions. That made for a book that felt both smarter and creepier than others in the genre.

The author credits I'll Be Gone in the Dark as inspiration - if you liked that one, you definitely need to give this one a try. 

I recommend either the text or the audio. The text is cool, in that the book within the book is formatted as such. And the narration is great (two narrators, and they're both right for the part).

“Books must be finished long before they get stacked on the shelf and, perhaps, by the time this one is finally in print, the Nothing Man’s name will already be known. Perhaps you, dear reader, even know what he looks like.”

Every word of every page in this journey of a book was compelling, heart wrenching, and deeply interesting. I will try my best to explain the masterpiece that is The Nothing Man. Thank you THANK YOU to Catherine Ryan Howard, Blackstone Publishing, and Netgalley for this absolute gem of a book.

This book is written like if The Golden State Killer read the book I’ll Be Gone in the Dark right after it was published. The premise alone is genius and so well done. A serial killer reading a book from one of his escaped victims. A book within a book. Brilliantly throughout and masterfully written, this book follows The Nothing Man years after he finished killing. A surviving victim from his last and worst attack writes a book about her experience, and he see it on the shelf. This book follows him reading the book and basically switches between the actual book the victim wrote and the killer’s current experience.

Thoughts: I loved the plot of this book. It was written in a way that completely sucks you in from the first page and is perfect for lovers of true crime. The book within the book read just like Michelle Mcmanara’s I’ll Be Gone in the Dark. The bigger story does an amazing job of describing how a serial killer would feel if they were reading about themselves. It was everything I could ask for in a book- fast-paced, well-written, and completely one of a kind. I loved the main character of Eve and hated Jim, just like a reader should. There were so many suspenseful moments that led to a fantastic ending. I LOVED this book- highly recommend it to anyone who likes thrillers, true crime, mysteries, or crime fiction! 5-stars!

3.5 stars

not bad. i don't know that it ever fully grabbed me but it was entertaining enough to keep listening. i listened to an advanced reader copy of the audio book via netgalley's new app. shew, it was rough. the app has a lot of bugs, the worst being that the audio will shut off in regular intervals as your listening so you have to open up your phone and go back into the app to hit play again. a real pain when you're driving. i'm sure that didn't help me feel immersed in the story. the narration was good though.

it seemed to be heavily influenced by the golden state killer. not only his methods but also the hype surrounding I'll Be Gone in the Dark when it came out. not my favorite thriller but not a bad way to kill some time.

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). 

The voices move back and forth between the narrative of Jim, the security guard, and Eve. Listening to the audiobook, the move was easily recognizable because of the wonderful narration performed by Alana Kerr-Collins and John Keating. Their accents allowed the listener to feel they were in Ireland.

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.

I. Loved. This. Book. 

Period. 

I loved it from beginning to end. It's told from two different point of views: On one side you have a true psychopathic, serial murder, and on the other, you have the "victim" he didn't kill, although he killed her entire family. 

The two narrators do a great job. One narrator - a female - narrates the victim, and the killer is narrated by a man. They both sound excellent, and the emotion they put behind the narration is exquisite. Until the end, the man (killer) narrates in real time, but the female isn't narrating in real time; instead, she's reading a book written by the killer's lone survivor. The killer is reading the book, getting more and more upset and flustered by the author's way of referring to him as "useless, nobody, a loser." 

I don't want to give much more away beyond that because the excitement and not knowing is what makes this book spectacular, but it. is. phenomenal. I also think listening to it on audiobook is the way to go. I think it just adds a whole level of fear, anticipation and creepiness to the book that wouldn't be there if you were reading it off the page. 

The only complaint I have with this book - and it wasn't nearly enough for me to rank it less than 5 stars - is that the narration is a little slow. Not the pacing of the book - that's perfect. Just the actual act of reading the book is slow. I had to listen to it on 1.75x speed to keep from being annoyed by the slow pace of the reading.

Though we learn the identity of the killer early on, this in no way detracts from the tension and suspense of this exciting thriller,
Eve Black is twelve years old when her family is killed by the infamous serial killer, The Nothing Man. She is the sole survivor of that horrific night in Ireland.
Twenty years later, Eve decides to write a memoir, hoping to catch the killer that left virtually no clues and little is known about.
Jim Doyle is a supermarket security guard. One day a book in the store catches his eye. The Nothing Man memoir by Eve Black. As he surreptitiously begins to read it, he is filled with fury. Because he is The Nothing Man, and she is getting too close.
I loved this book within a book, as it alternates between her story and the killer's reactions.
This dark and chilling thriller really feels like a true crime novel.
I was completely enthralled by the audio version, the narrators did an excellent job of keeping me engaged and creeped out!
Thank you Blackstone Publishing for the audio book via NetGalley.
4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 stars.

This is one of the best stories I've ever listened to in my life! I'm just stunned at how good it was. My jaw had literally dropped at the end because it was so great! I was not expecting such a realistic story. If I didn't know this was fiction from the beginning I would've thought that this was a true crime book. I would recommend this one 100%! So well written and thoroughly thought out. Amazing!

Utterly Chilling.

You think you’re safe in your own home, and then you read “The Nothing Man.”   

Way to scare a girl, Catherine Ryan Howard!  Thanks so much for that.

Eve Black survived a horrific attack when she was twelve years old.  Her entire family was killed and until now, twenty years later, she has never spoken of it.  

The Nothing Man was never caught thus, Eve has decided to write a true crime novel hoping to bring the killer out.

I was the girl who survived the Nothing Man
Now I am the woman who is going to catch him.

Jim is a security guard at a local department store.  When he sees the book he immediately purchases it and reads it in secret.  He is after all married and doesn’t want his wife to know.  Jim, is after all, “The Nothing Man” and is reading about himself and what took place twenty years earlier.  

Disturbing, dastardly and totally gripping, “The Nothing Man” will scare the bejesus out of you.  It is a brilliantly plotted, ingenious mystery thriller that is twisty, turny and wholly captivating.  If you’re looking for a fabulous thriller with a great scare factor, this is it. 

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing and Catherine Ryan Howard for the arc.  Kudos the fabulous narrators, Alana Kerr-Collins and John Keating for keeping me glued to the audiobook.

Published on NetGalley, Goodreads and Insta on 8.26.20.

The Nothing Man.... Has been one of the best books I've read so far. 
So full of thriller ing suspense. You won't see the ending coming. 
I love reading the killers POV its great! 

Thank you NG publisher and author for this gifted ebook.

When Jim starts his security duty shift at the local department store, he wasn’t expecting to be surprised. Nothing surprised Jim. Distracted by a woman acting suspiciously in the book section, Jim finds himself staring at a row of books with a title that stops him cold: The Nothing Man. He knows that name. He knows that name because he’s him. He’s The Nothing Man.

Eve Black was — is — the sole survivor of The Nothing Man‘s final and most gruesome attack that left her mother, father, and sister (“seven years old then and forever“) dead. After a personal essay she wrote about the experience of being a survivor went viral, she was convinced that telling her story could help, not just herself, but the other survivors. And maybe, just maybe, they could finally catch this killer.

Jim can’t help himself: he has to read. As he opens the cover of his version of The Nothing Man, the physical book (or audiobook) appears to start over. Title page, copyright information, and brand new narrator. Jim might be reading the book, but Eve tells the reader her story, in her own words, and in her own voice. For me, this is what made the book stand out especially as an audiobook experience. It wasn’t a single narrator doing the voice for both Jim and Eve. Of course, the way Catherine Ryan Howard wrote The Nothing Man, you can feel the shift from Jim to Eve even reading the physical book.

Eve goes into the details of the attacks that came before the attack on her family. Her motivation was clear: she wants people to know what she and others went through in maybe a pointless hope that they’ll care. Jim, though, voices what I felt: people just want to be witnesses to other people’s misery.

What The Nothing Man seems to set out to do is to remind the genre that there are real people behind their escapism. The criminal mind might be something that is fascinating to hear about, but criminals leave bodies and blood in their wake. A fictional answer to Michelle McNamara’s I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, The Nothing Man is a twisted, fascinating look into both sides of a crime story.

Jim Doyle has a secret.  Eve Black is determined to bring that secret to the light.   

Once known as the Nothing Man, the terrifying serial killer of Cork, Ireland, now Jim Doyle works as a security guard in a grocery store.  Eve Black was the sole survivor of his last attack, one that left her mother, father, and younger sister dead.  And now Jim is surrounded by Eve's best selling book about the Nothing Man, the one vowing to catch him. 

Reminiscent of the Golden State killer, Howard delves into the mind of a man who was once an active serial killer, dispelling the myth that these men are too smart to get caught, too evil to be banished.  She also leaves the reader stunned with some unexpected twists. 

The audiobook is fantastic!  Dual narrators, Alana Kerr Collins and John Keating, are excellent!  Keating is a favorite narrator of mine, and he nails Jim Doyle.  I was so engrossed with the audiobook, that it was a struggle to turn it off and go to work.

A delightfully unique voice in crime fiction! This refreshing story is different than any other I’ve read.