Cover Image: Run Time

Run Time

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Member Reviews

Some of the tropes in this book were frustrating, but it did keep me on the edge of my seat and I enjoyed it for the most part. The gaslighting and naive MC made me cringe all the time, but I loved the book within a movie script within a book.

The isolated setting was really fun too.

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A book about a film featuring a book.

Did I like it? Yes. Did I love it? No. That's why it gets a 3-star review from me.

Adele Rafferty is ready to quit her career as an actress. She used to be in a popular soap opera in Ireland after being "discovered" as a teenager. She left the soap opera in order to star in new projects. However, during her first new one, an "incident" happened on set that made her leave Ireland.

At present, Adele is working in a motel and auditioning for commercials when she gets a call with a movie offer. The caveat is that it will begin filming in the next couple of days in Ireland. It's a hush-hush horror movie and she will need to take the job asap if she wants to get it. Without any other choices, Adele signs the NDA. As soon as she arrives at the remote location, weird things start happening. She begins wondering if she is losing her mind or if someone wants her to believe she is.

Run Time was predictable and yet I was never bored. I do wish the ending would have been a little different.

Even though this one is not my favorite by Catherine Ryan Howard, I would definitely read her next.

Cliffhanger: No

3/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Blackstone Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Run Time had me on the edge of my seat, turning page after page until it didn't. I'll be very honest, I couldn't put the book down. It was certainly a page-turner and I found myself at times freaked out and wanting to know what happened, but the ending fell really flat for me. While I didn't see it coming, it didn't have that "WHAT?!" moment I was hoping for after such a wild ride of a story.

I liked the character of Adele, although it was made out for her to be an unreliable narrator at times, but also found her to be a bit whiny and needy (again, probably the point.)

An interesting premise for a story, but with an ending that definitely could have been stronger.

3.5 stars simply because for most of the book I was on the edge of my seat.

Thank you Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC!

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Run Time by Catherine Ryan Howard is a fast paced thriller that I really LOVED.

The characters and well written, complex and flawed.

There were so many twists , I couldn't put this down!

So twisty and GOOD!

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Our main protagonist, Adele Rafferty made it big on a soap she starred in for many years. However work has dwindled down since then and especially since a certain event occurred on her last job, her reputation has been somewhat tarnished. So she escapes Ireland for LA where she can make a new life for herself.

But, an offer to take the starring role in a new project by up and coming director, Steve Dade seems too good to turn down, especially when she hears the pay.

So, she once again packs up her belongings and heads back to Ireland to a deserted part of West Cork to begin filming “Final Draft”. However, from the start things aren’t right and strange events begin to occur which makes her think things aren’t quite as they seem.

I really enjoyed this latest novel by Catherine Ryan Howard. Not only did we get an insight into Adele’s life on and off set, but through the inclusion of snippets of the script for Final Draft we were given access into the context of the project as well which helped immerse the reader further.

As the book warmed up the tension started to build and I will admit even I didn’t guess all the twists and turns which would await us. An abandoned house such as the one in this book is always a great setting for a psychological thriller, and although this setting can be generic or overdone I felt it worked well for this particular book and didn’t feel outdated or badly staged.

The best part of the novel is that you really felt you were a part of this b rated movie and this really provided more of a horror feel at times. I will admit that at times the book was slower than it needed to be but nonetheless I very much enjoyed Run Time, it kept me on the edge of my seat on many an occasion and the ending was fast paced, suspenseful and full of surprises just as a psychological thriller should be.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – if you are a fan of 56 days I highly recommend Catherine Ryan Howard’s latest installment. It is an eerie, tension filled ride full of twists and turns so buckle up.

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4.5 stars!

This was my first read by Catherine Howard and I am now super excited to dive into her other books! 🤩

Ever read a book that had a book within a book?! Well, Run Time is a whole other level above that! Let me introduce you to 🎥 a book within a movie's screenplay based on a book within a book. 😵‍💫 Sounds confusing but you'll definitely get the hang of it! The plot was brilliant and the execution was well done plus I loved the atmospheric setting in a dark, remote forest. I did not know what to expect but I was absolutely surprised about how twisty, and gripping it was! 👏🏼

I love the included snippets of the actual script (of the book within the book 😜) and how I was able to binge and easily fly through this great book!

Thank you to @netgalley for providing the digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

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I've read a lot of repeat authors this year.

This is my 2nd book by Catherine Ryan Howard. I read 56 Days about this time last year when I was in the beautiful CO mountains. Now, I'm just in toto country where it's starting to get cooler and I want to kick all those fall hungry people in the genitals.

56 Days ended up being a 4⭐️ read for me, which candidly speaking, I didn't remember liking that much, but I attribute that to being over 40 and vodka.

This book is not highly rated on GR's, so I went into this with low expectations.

Thank you to my friend, Jenny, over at @nottoomanybooks, for the buddy read!

I'm conflicted on this one.

I really like Howard's writing style. She has a way of drawing you into the story, making you feel completely invested in what's going to happen.

Unfortunately, the story here was just way too predictable. I found it boring and although there were a couple of twists, they were less than aweworthy. I liked the idea. I just felt like it could have gone a more interesting direction.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ for the writing style.

Thank you Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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I love anything by CRH, but this one felt like I spent a long time with Adele. It took me ages to get through (I'm talking over a week so not months anything) but I was totally on board with the unreliable narrator aspect, I'm all about that. I enjoyed the screenplay being woven in and I honestly couldn't tell you which part I enjoyed more. I had an inkling of what was going on and while I don't think this one grabbed me as much as some of her others, I still really enjoyed it!

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Great story with a rounded-up 4.5 stars rating. The plot twists get you off guard even though at some point everything g becomes clearer and you can tell who is who and what is what. I was able to dissect the story from early on. That does not mean that it's not worth it. To me, it was a.very entertaining read. Lots or questions were left unanswered for me. Still loved it.

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Overall, I really enjoyed Run Time. It is a fast paced thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end. Catherine Ryan Howard writes fantastic thrillers!

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

This is yet another excellent read from Catherine Ryan Howard, that I dove into and became totally addicted to reading because I NEEDED to know how it all plays out.

I loved the story within the story style of the plot - a horror movie being filmed that is based on a book, where the things that happen to the actress happened to the character of the book and the strangeness and nightmare of it all. This one was atmospheric and tense, and I can say that I was totally shocked by the twists.....I did NOT see them coming.

A perfect fit for spooky season!

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CRH brings us another electric, fast-paced, twisty book that hits all the marks of what a psychological thriller should be. You will love this book if you like: a book within a book, stranded/isolated cabin in the middle of nowhere, books where you can't trust what you're reading or what any character says, and a strong female protagonist who you are rooting for the whole time.

Adele is a struggling Irish actress living in LA. She's had a semi-successful past in acting, but she's trying to rebuild her career and reputation after being fired from a production for having a, well, emotional meltdown. She gets a call from an Irish number basically begging her to join a skeleton crew horror movie after the lead unexpectedly dropped out - everything super hush-hush, a quick production, and very good money. She does a few gut-checks on the director and accepts the offer. But as soon as she arrives in Ireland - in a far, far remote cabin with no cell service and no taxis - she gets a feeling that things are not as they seem.

As a reader, you have no idea who to trust or whose story to believe. Every second in the third act is a heart-pounding, shiver-inducing drama played out slowly and carefully - this was a great example of an ending done well. Thank you to Blackstone for the ARC via Netgalley!

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This was a fantastic thriller. Perfect creepy vibes. This is a great book for those who also love film. There were some twists and turns but the atmosphere was my favorite part! A must read!

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I previously read The Nothing Man, I was excited to run into this one. I'm not sure which I liked more or less.
I am a little iffy about isolation settings but I was surprise to not be turned off by it in Run Time.
There were multiple parts I found a little to easy or convenient, but I tried not to over analyze. Other parts were confusing but I pushed through.
I'm not sure I would read this again. It was kind of just there for me.

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This book had a fun premise, but the writing style didn't work for me. I kept finding myself getting distracted while trying to read it

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This book was not my favorite by Catherine Ryan Howard but it was still one of the best and most atmospheric books I have read in a while. I felt like i was Adele (the Irish actor who is a soap opera star and has landed a new role and hopes it will be her big break). I loved that this was a screen play intertwined throughout the book, and it was done in a way that I felt was easy to keep the two separate, which says a lot about CRH's writing abilities. This is not a book I would read at night, I felt like someone was watching me the entire time, which made it so incredibly fun! Definitely recommend if you love loved 56 days, this one will be another on your must read list!

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RUN TIME review

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

🎬Happy Thriller Thursday! I read 56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard last fall and enjoyed it so I knew I wanted to check out her latest thriller! The premise of this one sounded so interesting, I’d never read a thriller that takes place on the set of a movie. But I had a biiiit of trouble getting into this one. Once I was invested, I flew through the back half of this one!

🎬Here’s a summary of the plot:👇
Adele is a struggling actress who is cast in a last horror minute movie. She gets the call to play the lead role, and the very next day she’s flying across the world to start filming. But even before she gets on set, she has a feeling that something isn’t quite right. Adele is determined to push that feeling away to star in the role of a lifetime. But Adele has no idea what real life horrors await her…

🎬This book gave me major Inception vibes. It’s a story within a story within a story. At the beginning it was hard for me to follow which characters were in which storylines. Once I was able to straighten them out in my brain I enjoyed the book! I didn’t see the ending coming at all! I enjoyed 56 Days more than Run Time, but I definitely plan to read more of her books in the future!

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This is book you will read about an actress who is reading a screenplay about a writer who is reading a book about a woman who get scared shitless in a cabin in the middle of nowhere. Have I lost you yet? Don't worry - it's not as complicated as it sounds. It's also probably not really a horror (although they address that in the book too).

I can see why this has received so many low ratings - it's very meta in its form - but I had a good time. I liked how the book (author) poked fun itself and the genre - almost like a 4th wall wink to the camera. Some people may call it pretentious and oh so blasé, but honestly I am not that clever - I kinda liked the story within the story within the.... well, you get what I mean.

Many thanks to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Run Time
I LOVE Catherine Ryan Howard!

Out now!

“When real life on set starts to somehow mirror the sinister events portrayed in the script, Adele fears the real horror lies off the page. Isolated and unsure who in the crew she can trust, is there anywhere or any time left to run?”

This was a new kind of plot and I kept wondering if I was imagining things. The format was unique as well - a script mixed in with the story of Adele. This one was a great read but I’m still always chasing the high of reading The Nothing Man for the first time! So happy I still have her backlist to work through!

Thank you to @netgalley and @blackstonepublishing for my E-ARC!

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Run Time
Catherine Ryan Howard
Blackstone Publishing
August 16, 2022

Adele Rafferty had a lengthy run on a soap opera called These are the Days. She thinks her biggest career mistake was leaving the show. She got fired from her last job for having a psychotic break on set. Unemployed for almost a year, she agrees to act in a horror film set in the deep woods. She has only 24 hours notice and she has to travel trans-Atlantic to the set. The last actress has bowed out and the director only has two weeks to shoot the movie. Adele thinks this could be her brilliant comeback as an actor.

Little did she know that she was walking into the nightmare of Final Draft: The Film set in the isolated, deep, dark woods. And then strange things start happening starting with an eerie text from an unknown caller.

This book is downright scary. Howard’s writing keeps the tension going and going and going! It kept me turning the pages as fast as I could. The book goes from the screenplay text to the book it’s based on, to reality. It works really well. There are clever reveals and a wonderful cast of characters.

I recommend this book to those of us who enjoy psychological thrillers. It’s a mystery that will keep you guessing until the end.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to #Netgalley and #BlackstonePublishing for the arc. The opinions are my own.

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