I really enjoyed this book! The characters were well developed and the story was engaging. I recommend that others try this book as well. Well done!

Catherine Ryan Howard is a must read author for me and I was excited to read her newest book - The Trap - and devoured it in a day. However this one is really tough to review.

I’m glad I read it and think it was clever - there are definitely things I didn’t see coming. However there were also times when it dragged a bit for me and felt repetitive. Would I recommend it? Yes - if you’ve read and enjoyed the other CRH books - but if you haven’t read 56 Days or The Nothing Man yet, I would say read those first!

Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley and libro.fm for the free ebook and audiobook to review.

I came across this author's book 56 Days a couple of years ago and have fallen into her being an auto-read author for me. This one is no exception. What a fun ride of a story! Nikki is considered a missing person in Dublin and her sister, Lucy is desperate to find her. Lucy is frustrated with the lack of media attention to her sister's case, despite there now being several young women who have also gone missing from a similar area within a couple of year time span. The MO appears the same and the women have features in common. Lucy decides to make herself "bait" for the supposed serial killer/kidnapper. One night she has left a pub late at night after drinking some alcohol and finds herself walking on a deserted road alone near the area that is being searched for the missing women. When a man in a car stops alongside her to see if she is okay, she is uncertain whether this could be the guy and what she should do about it. Twists and turns ensue. This book was based on a true story of missing women that occurred in Ireland within a 7 year span.
I definitely recommend this book if you are looking for a thriller.
#TheTrap #BlackstonePublishing #Netgalley

Can't breathe whenever you're gone, can't turn back now - I'm haunted.

A friend asked if I liked this book and I didn't know how to respond. Not really. And yet - it had me gripped, up past my bedtime. I think it's well done. For sure among the better thrillers I've read this year. But did I like it? ... Do I recommend it? Definitely.

The less you know going in, the better, so I think I'll leave it there.

The audiobook narrators, Alana Kerr Collins and John Keating, were well cast. Collins was easy to follow along with and Keating's voice added to my reading experience (as did the author's note at the end).

I started this book so mad. WHY would she get in that car? I should have known CRH had something larger at play, and she sure did. I loved this book.

My reading experience with this book was interesting because there were some things that I really strongly disliked (the unlabeled female POVs and confusion trying to keep the characters straight, an overall mediocre premise and low intrigue in the mystery) but some things that I absolutely loved (the villain's humorous POV, the big twist, and the conclusion of the mystery). Ultimately these even out to a 3-star rating, and at least I had strong feelings as opposed to mystery/thrillers that I often feel bored and nothing about. Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC!

4.5 stars!

this one was FUN. the story of a serial abductor, with multiple POVs ranging from sister of the missing, civilian working with the police, the abductor, and an unidentified woman we can only presume is one of the missing… WHEW. not to much some incredible suspenseful scenes that had me staring nervously at my bedroom door while reading late at night

the very first chapter had me holding my breath, and each switching POV was like a new story in itself. this is the first i’ve read by howard and it reminded me a lot of gillian mcallister’s writing as SHEESH. some clever damn plot twists in this one!!

i literally finished this book 10 minutes ago and there was a twist near the end that actually made me say “oh shit” out loud

i gave this 4.5 stars because i just needed more from the ending. i can definitely appreciate a cliffhanger or the insinuation of what’s to come, but i just like, need to know what actually comes lmao but again, that’s just a me thing!!

nonetheless, a truly great read with very enjoyable twists that straight up shocked me. if her other work is as entertaining as this, i know she will quickly become an auto-buy author for me!

lastly, be sure to read the author’s note on this one! i love getting to see what sparks the inspiration for a story.!

This is my first (and definitely not last) book by Catherine Ryan Howard. Wow what a ride, gripping from start to finish. Bravo!

Catherine Ryan Howard at her best! I was hooked from the first chapter, although I also wanted to stop reading and shove it at any and every man I see and make them read that chapter. It was so visceral.

Overall, the pacing was good and I didn't mind switching between POVs because they were all interesting. I'm still not sure how betrayed I feel about the ending, but the authors note made this a solid 5 stars.

I absolutely devoured this book. It has been a while since I have read a book in less than 24 hours, but I felt I had no other choice! And why have I only read one book by this author before now? I feel the need to go out and buy everything she has ever written! I loved The Nothing Man as well, so how had she fallen off my radar? A mistake I won't repeat!

The Trap was a wild ride from start to finish - with twists and turns and a true-crime feel. There are 3 missing women seemingly linked by the fact that their phones were thrown out near their last known whereabouts, but are they actually linked? One of the 3 missing women's sister, Lucy, is still reeling from her sister's disappearance and she is determined to catch her abductor by any means necessary.

This book hooked me in with the first INTENSE chapter and never let me go! Read it!

Really enjoyed this one! It was interesting that the author used real life events to inspire this story. It was a great mystery and I really enjoyed the multiple pov!

I would definitely read more books from this author.

2.5 stars
I was pretty disappointed in this book because I've liked Howard's last few books quite a bit. This one suffered from some issues.

It is the story of Lucy, whose sister Nicki disappeared a year ago and has started taking it into her own hands to try to flush out her kidnapper. She puts herself in dangerous situations in order to possibly be taken by the same man, she just wants to know what happened to her sister. The police have a task force and are working to find Nicki, as well as some other missing women that appear to have been taken in a similar manner. Two women, peripheral members of the police, think there may be even more victims.

I wanted to like this one so much, and many of my reviewer friends have loved it. I just didn't connect with any part of the story, it took me much longer to get through this book than I normally would have. It's really disjointed, skipping from perspective to perspective and timeline to timeline. There are times where you don't have any idea whose head you're in--that is the point when you get to some of the twists because sometimes you will believe you're in one character's head when it really was another one entirely, and the same thing with timelines.

This created a chaotic type of reading experience for me, I wanted it to be more cohesive and way less scattered. There are parts that are police procedural, yet just when I got into that groove it would switch to the villain's POV, then abruptly we go to Lucy's POV just long enough to gain momentum, then another switch. Even though that should have made the book fast paced, it slowed it way down for me.

Then I must talk about the ending. Ugh. Didn't like it.

Many, many people have loved this one, but I'm not one of them. Waving from outlier island for this one.

WOW! This book cleverly lived up to its namesake, and I stumbled like a hypnotized fool right into her trap. My mouth is still gaping in awe. The suspense was on point throughout and chillingly frightful. It had me turning the pages like my Kindle was on fire. The switching of POVs between Lucy, Angela and the unknown messenger was, in my opinion, the perfect way to narrate this story. It was brilliantly written, and the snarky thoughts and comments by some of the characters made this thriller even more enjoyable. This was my first Howard read and will definitely not be my last!

Thank you to the author, Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for granting me digital access in exchange for my honest review!

I enjoyed this clever novel and was initially thinking of giving it 3.5 stars for being a decent mystery, but around the 80% mark, things picked up and I couldn’t put it down. Catherine Ryan Howard swooped in during that last 20% of The Trap and gave me the all thrills I needed! I also loved how the final twist tied back to the very first chapter—I had to go back and read the beginning again to make sure I fully understood it! The Author’s Note was fascinating as well and had me immediately googling the real-life unsolved disappearances of several women known as Ireland’s Vanishing Triangle that acted as inspiration for this book.

Due to the propulsive final act, I bumped up my final score to 4 stars. “The Nothing Man” still remains my absolute favorite book by this author, but if you’re looking for a captivating mystery that reads very quickly, I would highly recommend this one!

Thank you to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for an advance copy!

Holy crap, what did I just read. The Trap by Catherine Ryan Howard is absolutely chilling. Everything that you think you know is wrong. Howard manipulated my thinking in the best way possible. I was shocked at one point and immediately re-read what I had just read. The pacing is superb, rarely letting you get a breath. One of the POV’s is one of the best and scariest that I’ve ever read. I read and loved The Nothing Man but I love The Trap even more.

"The Trap" is an enthralling and tragic tale that revolves around Lucy's relentless search for her missing sister, amidst a backdrop of two other mysterious disappearances under Operation Tide. Despite the promise of solving the mystery, the story takes unexpected turns, leaving Lucy to confront her own demons while attempting to rescue her sister.

This gripping thriller is an absolute 5-star gem. From the very first page, I was completely captivated, unable to put the book down until the very end. The author's impeccable storytelling and masterful pacing kept me on the edge of my seat, eagerly turning pages to uncover the truth.

The characters in "The Trap" are flawlessly flawed and raw, making them feel incredibly authentic and relatable. Lucy's determination and vulnerability made her a compelling protagonist, and I found myself emotionally invested in her journey. The twists and turns throughout the book heightened the suspense, leading to an ending that was both shocking and heart-wrenching, leaving me in awe of the author's creativity and skillful storytelling.

I must commend the author for the brilliant layout of the plot and the meticulous attention to detail, which added layers of depth to the narrative. The seamless blend of suspense and tragedy created a powerful and unforgettable reading experience that lingered long after I turned the last page.

The author's note at the end, discussing the real-life cases that inspired the book, added an extra layer of fascination and authenticity to the story. It was a delightful and rewarding experience to discover that my hunches about the inspirations were right.

In conclusion, "The Trap" is a rollercoaster of emotions, masterfully combining tragedy and enthralling suspense. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to all thriller enthusiasts seeking a captivating and thought-provoking read. Prepare to be utterly absorbed, emotionally moved, and thoroughly impressed by this exceptional work.

The Trap tells the story of Lucy as she tries to find her sister who has been missing for over a year. There are 2 other missing women who are included in Operation Tide. This is sure to solve the mystery but, somehow, it doesn't. Will Lucy be able to save herself and her sister when she tries to take matters into her own hands?

This book is a tragedy and enthralling all rolled into one. FINALLY a 5 star thriller. I stayed up entirely too late finishing this book and I have been waiting for this feeling for a long time and thank goodness for this book! The layout was impecable. The pacing couldn't have been better. The characters were flawed and raw and I loved it. The ending was so shocking and heartbreaking that it was almost too much. I was so impressed with her creativity. The authors note in this book is amazing and I kept thinking of the cases that she took inspiration from in the book so it was super fun to find out I was right. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!

Yikes! This book is insanely twisty. I was yelling at the characters from the first chapter, because you know they can hear me. Catherine Ryan Howard does an amazing job of setting up the plot, making you fly through the pages. It is told through multiple points of view. As the book progresses other characters will pop in. Which is a fun turn to what you think happened. You will never imagine the outcome; I am beyond mind blown!

Women around Dublin are vanishing into thin air. The only thing left behind is their smashed cell phones. Some have been missing for years, others for a few weeks. They all appear to be tied together somehow, or are they? Lucy's sister, Nicki, is one of the missing. She has not heard from her in over a year. Lucy's life has just stopped. She cannot stop thinking about what has happened to her sister, imagining the worst. As time marches on and few clues emerge, she is staring to become desperate. She needs to move on with her life, but she needs answers.

This is a book that you can read in a day. It is fast paced, mind spinning, rollercoaster ride type fun. You will be tossed from one side to the other. As the ending nears the speed races ahead. Thank you to Catherine Ryan Howard and Blackstone Publishing for my gifted copy.

Lucy’s sister Nicki has been missing for almost a year, when she left her friends at a pub, and she is the third woman to disappear under similar circumstances. Tormented by thoughts of what could have happened to her sister, Lucy is frustrated by the lack of progress made by the authorities, and unable to move forward with her life, she makes a desperate decision that could finally get her answers, but at what cost?

The plot unfolds in a slow burn, with chapters from different POVs, keeping the reader guessing until the end, which will stay with you for awhile. Recommended to anyone who loves suspense.

Blackstone Publishing via NetGalley kindly provided me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for gifting me a digital copy of the latest thriller by Catherine Ryan Howard - 5 stars!

One year ago, Lucy’s sister, Nicki, left to meet friends at a pub in Dublin and never came home. Nicki is the third Irish woman to vanish in the last three years, and Lucy is completely obsessed with finding out what happened to Nicki. There's been a police task force set up, Operation Tide, but the investigation is stalled. So much so that Lucy feels she has no choice put to take some matters into her own hands. Angela works in the Missing Person Unit but wants to be a Guarda. An investigator, Denise, takes her under her wing and pulls her into the investigation. But her latest venture is on her own and could cause big issues.

Catherine Ryan Howard has done it again - made a thriller with twists that make you smack your forehead that you didn't see coming! But you won't. I loved that there was narration by a nameless person who is talking to his latest victim in the back seat, telling her everything. Just added another creepy level to the book. There's also social commentary about which missing people get all the press. Highly recommended - I loved it!