3.5/5 - i liked this one! a book about a screenplay about a book? weird setup but it somehow worked. i listened to this one on audio and i loved the cast of characters. i think it helped a lot with keeping everything straight. the screenplay aspect of it was cool. i think the plot was a litttttle bit out there but overall i liked the ride. the twists were great & i liked how everything came together.

Run Time by Catherine Ryan Howard is a chilling thriller that follows Adele, a struggling actress with a past. The setting is one that I loved - people trapped with secrets in an Irish forest. It grapples with themes of the dark underbelly of the film industry and the misogyny that dominates.

The narration amplifies the book.

The ending is a bit ambiguous, which might frustrate some readers, but I'll come back for more from this author.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

I really wanted to like RUN TIME, but I couldn't get into it. Catherine Ryan Howard is a go-to read, so I was shocked when started and couldn't finish this one. I don't know if it was the audiobook or just the story. However, this one didn't work for me.

I think it is time for me to admit that I am no longer a fan of thrillers. I don't think there was anything inheritantly wrong with Run Time but I struggled to feel invest in what was happen or what the ultimate outcome was going to be, which is not ideal for a thriller. I think maybe there were just too many POVs for me?

I was such a fan of horror flicks when I was growing up. They scared the bejesus out of me. And don’t get me started on a book in a book, so this one was the best combination of a few things I like. There was a book and a screen play all inside this book.

It took me a little while to get used to the format and understand what is going on, but once I did, I found the setup clever. An actress with some past issues was hired last minute to act in this film. It’s based on a book and as the filming starts it seems to be playing out in real life. Of course there is a remote location and a maybe unreliable narrator with very poor cell service.

It is very atmospheric and I could really feel the location and the tension. At one point I was thinking Blair Witch Project. It does move a little slow, so it required me to pay attention. Especially since there were a lot of narrators and I solely listened to this one.

Speaking of narrators, there is a full cast bringing to life the many levels of this one. Alana Kerr Collins, Alan Smyth, Gary Furlong, Gerard Doyle, Siobhan Waring, and Alison McKenna do a good job of bringing the story to life and ratcheting up the tension.

If you are looking for a good horror listen that doesn’t get too gory, this should be on your radar.

Run Time by Catherine Ryan Howard is full of that mysterious atmosphere that immediately makes me fall in love with a book. It serves up that isolated setting - a cabin in the woods with scenes that almost borderline on a horror tale. Did some of it feel outlandish a bit, yes but that’s a 100% ok with me, it didn’t take away from this story I was truly captivated with. The narration was as superb as the story.

Catherine is making her mark one book at a time. I truly look forward to her next book. A huge thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for a gifted e-arc and listening copy in exchange for my honest review. I highly recommend this one. Happy Reading.

This was my second Catherine Ryan Howard book and I felt the same way about both of her books. So I think her books just aren’t my favorite thrillers. But they might be exactly what someone else wants.

Run Time had some cool elements. I liked that the setting was a remote movie set. It definitely gave Blair Witch Project vibes. It was a movie about a book that was about a book. In the book there is a woman in a remote cabin where strange things keep happening that mirror the book she’s reading. In the movie about the book, the main actress experiences things that mirror the script.

My main issue was just that fact that I didn’t feel any level of suspense. I could tell that I was supposed to and the audiobook narrator did a great job with the voice acting. It just wasn’t a heart pumping experience. I wanted to be freaked out but I wasn’t at all.

Ultimately, I wouldn’t try to dissuade anyone from reading this one. But if it’s a movie type action packed experience you’re looking for, this one isn’t it.

This had such a unique format. I’m not sure it’s my fav type of format but it’s definitely unique. I also like the idea of a story within a story. The film and the actual happenings was interesting. I do think it was a little long tho. There was a lot of tension and some good twists. overall i liked it.

I received Run Time as an ARC for review from NetGalley .
I did enjoy this book as it’s suspenseful throughout.

I loved this unique thriller! Howard’s writing is amazing with this story within a story.

Narrators are all great: Alana Kerr Collins, Alan Smyth, Gary Furlong, Gerard Doyle, Siobhan Waring, Alison McKenna.

Thank you, Catherine Ryan Howard, Blackstone Publishing & Netgalley for my copy! All opinions are my own.

Man this one is hard for me to review. I think the premise sounds so intriguing, but I do think it makes for a better experience when it's physically read rather than listened to. I found it to be a bit hard to follow. I love this author though, and will continue picking up all of her new releases.

I really enjoyed this quick paced thriller. The setting of a movie set was to die for snd gave me major friday the 13th vibes. I was fully interested in the story snd suspected everyone. I was very slightly underwhelmed with the ending but I adore this author snd can’t wait to see what she writes next.

This was the first book I've read with this author, and after a run of not so great thrillers, I'm so glad I picked it up.

I was pulled into this story from the first chapter, and found myself looking for more house stuff to do so I could keep listening.

The plot of this book turned into a story within a story, which was so fascinating to read. I've seen a few books like this before, but I really this this one was pulled off perfectly.

I loved the atmosphere of the spooky movie shooting location, limited connectivity to the outside world, and twisty truths and lies.

Highly recommend this book for your next thriller!

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Ultimately, this book was not for me. The multiple points of view jumped around too frequently for me to settle into the story and enjoy it.

I listened to an audiobook copy of RUN TIME, which really helped to differentiate between the characters, and get more into the story much easier than if I was trying to grasp who each character was if only reading the physical copy.

Run Time is a new high concept thriller 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 left to run?

*many thanks to Blackstone for the gifted copy for review

I actually really struggled getting into this book via audio. I am not sure if it was the narrator or all the names/twisty plot that was hard to follow, but I did have a hard time getting into it! I will be on the hunt for a paper copy though and hopefully will have better luck!

All of Catherine Ryan Howard's books, which I have read and adored, are excellent, and this one is no exception. It's much better because the narrators are the same as in her prior books. A suspenseful tale about an aspiring actress filming a horror film based on a book, in which the book or the movie based on the book comes to life. Sadly, I finished it in just two days. eagerly awaiting the upcoming release!

*I received an advanced copy of the audiobook from NetGalley.

The format of this book took a minute to understand, but once I knew the layout of the book it was fine. If I were to do it again, I would have listened for 30 minutes and then started again. Once the layout of the book was established it was a very interesting addition to the story. The parallels that are drawn/created make for an interesting and more enticing thriller. This is not my normal genre of choice, but I would definitely consider reading another work from this author. It could also be good starter for this genre. Nothing in the realm of jump scares, but I couldn't read it at night. lol

The six narrators were all nice to listen to. I did run into a few hiccups with the pronunciation of words and just the diction itself as Catherine Ryan Howard is from Ireland. But nothing that affected the story or my ability to follow along.

I really loved the premise of Run Time, but oh man, I did not care for two of the narrators. It was honestly hard to get through the first two hours and I stopped listening. The male narrators felt over the top and extremely cheesy, like the audiobook version of Nicolas Cage. I found myself too annoyed to pay attention to the story. Adele's narrator was a good choice, her accent was delightful.

I am however giving a good review because I ended up picking up the print version and I enjoyed it. As a horror movie fan this was really fun to read the movie-in-a-movie format. It did suck me in and I really wanted to know what would happen next. Howard's take on the thriller was fresh and kept me interested.

Overall, the book was probably a four star read for me, but the audiobook was a two. I will read more from Catherine Ryan Howard.

3.5 star rating

This is the second book I’ve read by Catherine Ryan Howard and she’s now on my instant-buy authors list! The story took a little bit to pick up, but I’m glad I stuck with it. The audiobook made me feel completely immersed in the story and I was pretty on edge for a lot. I do wish the book had scarier vibes compared to being mysterious, but the ending was decent. I think this book would be great for those looking for a mystery thriller compared to horror.