While this book had a really interesting start, I found myself bored rather quickly. I wouldn't call it a thriller as much as slightly suspenseful. I really wish the story propelled me a little more.

Personal review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Loved the true crime aspect of this novel and Nicki’s character / I read this on a trip to Dublin, which was the perfect read! Although it took me a while to get into, I really enjoyed when I did. This is the story of three missing women in Ireland and the twisted connection, which now seems like a terrifying novel to read on my part! 😂

Synopsis: One year ago, Lucy’s sister, Nicki, left to meet friends at a pub in Dublin and never came home. The third Irish woman to vanish inexplicably in as many years, the agony of not knowing what happened that night has turned Lucy’s life into a waking nightmare. So, she’s going to take matters into her own hands.

Angela works as a civilian paper-pusher in the Missing Persons Unit, but wants nothing more than to be a fully-fledged member of An Garda Síochána, the Irish police force. With the official investigation into the missing women stalled, she begins pulling on a thread that could break the case wide open -- and destroy her chances of ever joining the force.

A nameless man drives through the night, his latest victim in the back seat. He’s going to tell her everything, from the beginning. And soon, she’ll realize: what you don’t know can hurt you …

The Trap follows Lucy, a woman who is haunted by the disappearance of her sister. Her coping mechanism is trolling the streets of Ireland, getting picked up by strangers to try and lure out her sister’s abductor by putting herself in danger. Then there is a determined cop and an even more determined Missing Persons Unit wannabe cop who team up to try and solve the case. And then of course there is the killer. Told through these multiple POVs, a thrilling mystery weaves itself together with some crazy twists and turns. I was so invested in this book, and there is a particularly brutal twist in the last third that I really can’t get over. This book apparently references other Catherine Ryan Howard books, and admittedly I’m late to the party and just started my trek into her backlist with her last book Run Time (which I loved), so I missed the references. But I really like her writing style. I already ordered The Nowhere Man and can’t wait to start my deep dive.

This review will be posted on my instagram closer to the pub date @boozehoundbookclub

I enjoyed the other Catherine Ryan Howard book immensely and was quite excite to jump into The Trap. Sure enough, the story grabbed me immediately and I loved the ride. There were times that I had to work to suspend my disbelief, but because the writing is strong and the story is a quick mover I was able to do so successfully. This is a fun, unique twist on the missing woman thriller and it's worth your time and money to pick up a copy.

I felt like this was a twist on the missing girls trope. I liked how it didn't make men too much of the focus when it should be on the women. So many books do that! I didn't really feel like I connected with the character though--maybe the book was too plot and concept heavy to really flesh them out? I liked it and with a little tweaking I think I would have loved it.

Lucy’s sister Nicki went out for a night of drinking with her friends at a pub, left late at night by herself and was never seen again. Her phone was found shattered on the ground right where she was last seen on the CCTV cameras. The police and the news have put her case on the back burner causing Lucy to take matters into her own hands and risk putting her life in danger to find her sister.

This was my first book by this author and will probably be my last. The chapters were an absolute mess; one minute readers are engrossed by the storyline, then the entire setting twists in the middle of a paragraph to a completely different time and a new set of characters and it was hard to decipher what’s going on.

The writing was rough to follow, so much that I had to take breaks or re-read an entire page to try to make since of it all. The premise of the story was great, it was the structure that I didn’t care for. The ending bounced around from past to present among different characters so much that it was dizzying. I’m trying to make sense of what I just read because I feel lost and disappointed because I expected more but it just never captivated me.

I’m a huge Catherine Ryan Howard fan. In her latest, The Trap, Lucy is hell bent on finding her missing sister. Nikki, along with two other women, are at the center of a missing persons case. Howard takes a fairly straight forward premise, but then adds a twist that makes it perfect.

This seems to be the summer of great thrillers. Catherine Ryan Howard has written another five star book for me with The Trap.

Thrilling from the first few pages and so relevant to how many women (dare I say most) feel when they are on a dark road, approached by a man alone, or when a man asks for directions, The Trap made the hairs on my arms stand up. The author has captured the collective fear and the all too real circumstances of serial killers.

While reading this book I briefly thought about how authors that write books like this must be deranged or true crime junkies because of the level of detail put into the crimes. Read the author’s note at the end to see how Howard came to her calling.

Thank you to @netgalley and @blackstonepublishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinions. The Trap publishes August 1, 2023. If you enjoy thrillers then definitely pick this one up. I’ll be sharing this recommendation with some of my IRL friends as well!

4.5 rounded up!

One year ago, Lucy’s sister, Nicki, went out to a pub with some of her friends only to never be seen or heard from again. One of a string of missing women cases to spring up around their town in Ireland, what unfolds is a fast-paced mystery in search of answers.

THE TRAP by Catherine Howard has easily become my favorite of her books - the opening chapter alone had my JAW ON THE FLOOR.

Howard does not hold back in her latest release and a lot of the situations she puts her characters through in this one had my palms sweating. She alternates from Lucy’s search for her sister, a detective and civilian working out other clues, and a nameless man driving in search of his next victim and somehow managed to have SO MANY cliffhangers!

I do wish this one was twice as long, so we could spend more time with the characters and get to know them better and I think(??) I’m mad at the ending(???) BUT I think a lot of readers will be pleased with this one!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: August 1

This was so good! Catherine Ryan Howard is great at writing crime fiction with lots of layers that make the twists seem extra twisty and unpredictable. It had some vibes of her novel, The Nothing Man, as well, with some POV chapters from the killer, which added to the creepy suspense factor.

The Trap by @cathryanhoward
Release Date: 8/1/23
Format: ebook
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

!!!! What a perfect summer thriller. This book was engaging from the first page to the very last. This one is for all the fans of unsolved cases and dual POVs!

Howard keeps you in the dark just enough thorough out this novel to have you guessing what the heck is going on at the end of every chapter, but since we’re getting the detective’s POV I got cocky a few times and thought I understood where the story was going. Don’t worry though, every time you think you’ve figured it out, you’ll be proven wrong 😂

I was so invested throughout but the last 20% of this book is especially incredible. I was literally screaming at my husband because I couldn’t believe it. Pure *chefs kiss*

I can’t say much more without ruining things but this book was amazing and you need to add it to your tbr immediately!

Huge thanks to @netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest opinion! This book absolutely ruled!

#TheTrap #CatherineRyanHoward #FiveStarRead

I have other Catherine Rayn Howard books but I have not read them yet, I might just have to after this one. I loved that this book was set in Ireland it's some place I really want to visit. One of my favorite parts of this book was how it started and ended kind of the same way that was a cool little switch. I can't believe this book was kind of based of some real life missing people for the 90s in Ireland as well as other murder cases in Ireland. I love true crime cases and see the inspiration at the end was so cool.

As always, thank you Netgalley for the ARC. This book was absolutely amazing, until it wasn't. It kept me on the edge of my seat, and I thoroughly enjoyed the POV of Lucy, Angela, and the killer. However, the ending was a huge disappointment for me and is why I rated it 3.5 stars. I needed answers, and I feel like I didn't get them. Maybe it was open ended so the reader could make their own assumptions as to some of the things that happened? Overall, 3.5 stars and I would still recommend as the rest of the book was amazing for me.

**4.5 stars rounded down to 4**

Thank you @netgalley @blackstonepublishing & @cathryanhoward for early access to this book!

I devoured this book! CRH has a way of pulling you right into the book, making you feel unsettled like you’re right there amidst the chaos. I didn’t see any of the many twists coming - which is always a plus while reading a thriller.

The story unfolds through three different POVs: Lucy, the sister of one of the missing girls; Angela, a trainee police officer working with Detective Denise on the case; and the mysterious kidnapper/killer. Reading the killer’s POV was something new to me, but I found it incredibly intriguing and eerie.

The only slight downside for me was the ending. I'm not a fan of open-ended conclusions; I prefer a bit more closure. While this book provided a general idea of where things were headed, it ended rather abruptly for my taste.

It was still an overall stellar read, and CRH is officially one of (if not my favorite) thriller authors!!!

Thanks for the ARC Netgalley! This new book hits the shelves August 1st - I highly recommend this for thriller lovers. This book had me on the edge of my seat.

Lucy cannot move on from her sister Nicki’s disappearance. It’s been over a year and Lucy has no answers from the Garda (the Irish Police Force) and more women have vanished. She decides enough is enough, taking big risks to discover the truth. Meanwhile, Angela is a civilian worker for the Missing Persons Unit and begins to discover things the Garda never have-but she needs to break the rules to pursue these clues. The final perspective comes from the culprit himself, spilling the truth to an unknown victim in his backseat.

This is inspired by actual unsolved missing women cases in Ireland (I highly recommend reading Howard’s Author’s Note at the end of the book.) The structure of this worked so well, keeping the pace fast. I was reminded of the excellent film “A Promising Young Woman” when reading this, in the quest for justice and truth. I think this will be a popular summer thriller for good reason!

✨Trigger Warnings: Kidnapping, Violence, Murder, Rape, Suicidal Thoughts

The beginning of this book was gripping and tense. I just knew this book was right up my alley. A woman walking alone on a road is picked up by a man who later drops her off at a service station. The ride was creepy and tense. As was the fact that she does this often, goes out walking late at night, setting the trap, hoping to catch the man who took her sister!

Buckle me in!

I had such high hopes but had difficulty connecting with any of the characters. I found myself feeling a little apathetic after the chilling beginning. The highlight for me was the POV of the killer. I found these to be so well done, sinister and creepy.

Then the second half of the book begins to ramp things up and then suddenly, I was shocked a few times. There were a nice number of twists and reveals which I thought were very clever and well done.

This book was a mixed bag for me. Really gripping and shocking parts with parts that I just felt meh about.

But the ending!!!!! That is how you do it!

Overall, I enjoyed this but didn't love it as much as the other books I have read by this author. I will still be excited to read whatever Catherine Ryan Howard writes next.

3.5 stars

#TheTrap #NetGalley #CatherineRyanHoward, #BlackstonePublishing

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing, and Catherine Ryan Howard for providing this book for my honest review. Wow! I really enjoyed this book. It’s full of twists and turns and is so entertaining! I love the different perspectives and how it all came together in the end. The short chapters beg you to keep reading! It’s so addicting! Catherine Ryan Howard always writes such unique books and this one is no different. I highly recommend it! Thank you again for such a wonderfully thrilling read.

It’s a trap, so why does Lucy try over and over again to fall into it?
In Ireland, 3 women have disappeared. One of them is Lucy’s sister, Nicki. She risk everything to find her. Hoping to attract the man who took her because not knowing is harder to live with.
When Angela from Missing Persons Unit receives information, she builds a case with Detective Denise. Even the killer gives insight to his mind revealing how he lures, chooses and captures them. Very chilling details!
This is a dark thriller containing such realistic scenes. Outstanding writing inspired by unsolved disappearances in the 90’s. It brought back memories of 1993 “The Vanishing” and 2012 movie “Gone”
Written from several POVs and at times you will be screaming “Do not get into that car!” The Epilogue will send a shock through you with an outstanding twist!
Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Based on a true story from Ireland. Lucy's sister is the third woman in three years to vanish and Lucy decides to take things into her own hands. POV switches from Lucy to Angela, a clerk with the Missing Persons Unit, who is working the case and training to become a Garda herself, and then to the nameless, faceless killer.

I really enjoyed this. The twist was fantastic. I was hooked from the beginning and found this a quick read. I didn't love the characters choices but they were real and down-to-earth making me care what happened to them even though I didn't like them. The story was very creepy since it was so realistic. I loved the author's last book, "56 Days" and I'm going to continue to read her.

I'm hesitant to reveal too much in this review lest I give away its secrets. This book sent shivers through my body as I read it and depriving anyone else of that experience would be a tragedy. The clues, the red herrings, the assumptions...All are perfectly plotted to create a haunting mystery. And that ending? Chills. I'll be haunted for days.