Guys! I really liked this book!! It was so good. I just wish I didn’t read it during one of my reading slumps. I don’t know what’s been wrong with me lately. I can still listen to my audiobooks, but when it comes to sitting down and actually reading a physical book, I just haven’t been able to do it. It took me over a month to finish this book. ( When I can usually bang out a book a week) And not because it wasn’t good. It was really good. But I just didn’t want to pick it up. It’s so hard to explain. @sammies_booked and I were talking about this exact thing one night. At least I know she knows what I mean. 😂
I received this as an ebook ARC from NetGalley and I was so excited when I did. I’ve read The Nothing Man, Run Time, and The Liar’s Girl by this same author (@cathryanhoward ) And I loved all of them, so I knew I would love this book too. And I did!
For those unfamiliar, this is a book about a serial killer (or abductor) who lures young girls over to his car asking for directions. He takes them and they are then missing to the public. So , after 3 girls go missing, one girl, Lucy, believes her missing sister was abducted by this serial killer. Lucy will do anything to find out what happened to her sister, even if it means having to go through the same exact thing her sister went through first, to find out.
This was so so good. Like I said, I just wish I read this during a different time. Not when I was in a slump. And the way it ended suggests there may be another book of the same story continuing sometime in the future. Which would be awesome! I highly recommend this book. It was ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars for me!!

Thank you @netgalley and @blackstonepublishing for the Arc of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.
Publication Date: August 1, 2023

4.5🌟
Lucy’s sister Nicki vanished without a trace. She’s not the first to go missing in this quiet part of Ireland and won’t be the last. But Lucy is done twiddling her thumbs, waiting patiently for the officials to break the case. It’s time to mount up and go monster hunting herself!

Angela desperately wants to be a member of the Irish Police force. Though failing in her first attempt, she’s still employed by them, but strictly as a desk-jockey. Angela has the mind-set and drive of a detective and just can’t help herself from being a little too involved.

Catherine Ryan Howard weaves a story of missing women, heartbroken families, meddling media and a foot dragging police force that was failing.

You’ll be lulled into the storyline until the author stars throwing twist after twist that will leave you picking your jaw up off the floor! No joke…I audibly gasped as I was completely blindsided! (More than once.)

If you’re a fan of this authors work don’t miss this latest!

Be sure to read the note from the author at the end.💔

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing

I LOVE this author and she always delivers! I would say this is definitely a book you need to pick up this summer. Three women have gone missing in Dublin, and the police aren’t any closer to finding the person responsible. One woman is determined to hunt down the monster that took her sister, even if she has to put herself in dangerous situations to find him. This book had me on the edge of my seat, and the twists blew me away.

What if you made a deal with the Devil?

And he's come to collect......

Catherine Ryan Howard has created a zigzag storyline that frustrated me and then banged my head against the wall in amazement. The Trap began with some heart-thumping scenes, initially. Then I was plowin' down Highway 3 Stars for quite a ways. Shock set in and then rattling questions of implausibility buckled in tight. Exactly where was Howard going in this one? (You'll be taking notes here on out.)

Lucy O'Sullivan is bound and determined to find her sister, Nicki. Nicki went out for drinks at a local bar in Dublin with her friends. The last vision of Nicki was her whipping her dyed purple hair back and forth as she made her way to the exit. It seemed that Nicki had had enough bonding with her pals that night. Nicki has not been seen since.

And now there are others. Left behind are cell phones tossed to the ground with their owners mysteriously disappearing. That's when Detective Denise Pope steps in as a Family Liaison Officer. The Gardai don't have many clues to go on in regard to these missing young women. There are no chances of a stray video or eye witness to be found. There's only the realization that families have had no answers in months and even in over a year.

Enter, once again, Lucy who is wandering the streets at night trying to be picked up by a stranger that could lead her to her sister. Desperation does crazy things to a person and this was one crazy avenue for Howard to travel down. I wasn't quite buyin' what she was sellin' here. And there are tons of characters to keep track of as well. We jump sporatically from scene to scene. And the psychopath has chapters of "think out louds" so we can walk around inside his demented head. This lightbulb dimmed a bit for me at times.

And then......And then the storyline rolled over like an over-weight dog learning new tricks. We were heading in a positively new direction. And it worked. Showtime for a shockaroo. The Trap lays a big surprise. A trail of wingnuts on the ground leading to a questionable ending that leaves open doors for some mighty discussions. You won't be finished with this one even when you're finished with this one. Whoa! (And read the Author's Note for some beady-eyed facts.)

I received a copy of this novel through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Blackstone Publishers and to Catherine Ryan Howard for the opportunity.

Catherine Ryan Howard does it again! Showcasing her expert ability to craft complex and unpredictable stories this book throws twists and turns at the reader until the very end.

Three women missing, a sister who will go to great lengths to find her sister and a missing persons unit who may or may not be doing all they can. Catherine Ryan Howard delivers again with another haunting thriller! Lucy's sister Nicki has been missing for a year, along with two other women who are all believed to have been abducted by the same person who lures them into his car and throws their phone. Tana, Nicki and Jennifer are now all missing and the Gardai established Operation Tide to find these women. Unfortunately, they have not gotten far and Lucy is doing all she can to find her sister. The book opens with a bang and ends with what I found to be a very satisfying ending. Howard's thrillers are smart and scary and will continue to be at the top of my TBR list.

I figure I’ll make the redundant observation that The Trap is a reimagining of multiple disappearances of women in Ireland. Burning from a crisp opening that feints at victimhood before revealing Lucy hunting the serial killer on through to the finish line, all written with a ghost story panache, the book showcases Howard’s nimble writing. The story is told from the multiple points of view of Lucy, the killer, and detective trainee Angela. The disappearance of Nicki locks her sister Lucy in a spiral, who halts her whole life and takes up the torch of searching for her alone along the roads at night. Concurrently, a detective and Angela, the trainee, are on the rapidly cooling trail of Nicki and the other women. The serial killer’s attitude is glib, and they are sober of what they are doing along to the inevitable conclusion. The book has axes to grind, be it ineffectual regulations, the forces that capture the national psyche, hampered police departments, or the sleazy avarice of unreputable news organizations. But Howard keeps the pace up, and despite treating certain minor characters as disposable pieces, the story is propulsive and haunting.

First I would like to say thank you to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read The Trap early. This novel was definitely an intense creepy tale.

I love that we were trying to catch a serial killer but I think my favorite part was the beginning. Sadly I didn’t feel as connected to the characters as I wanted to be, but it was still a good read!

I've loved Catherine Ryan Howard's books in the past, but her latest was just... fine.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free e-copy.

This read was twisty, suspenseful, and shocking. I absolutely was hooked from the start! The writing style was a bit on the detached side but it worked really well for the story. A lot of different perspectives and characters to keep track of, but it was easy to differentiate. Inspired by unsolved mysteries in Ireland, this one was truly believable. I would definitely recommend this read!

WTF! Seriously, W.T.F. This was something else. Whoa. Creepy. Chilling. Twisty.

From award-winning, internationally bestselling crime writer Catherine Ryan Howard comes The Trap: an unsettling mystery inspired by a series of still-unsolved disappearances in Ireland in the 90s, wherein one young woman risks everything to catch a faceless killer.

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 …

This was nuts. Very very very creepy. Extremely disorienting. So many twists that I'm dizzy. I would have liked more closure at the end, but ultimately this was a satisfying read. What an experience!

Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone publishing for the advanced reader copy. The Trap will be available on
August 1, 2023.

This was interesting from a historical standpoint. I can't say this was my favorite from Howard, it was still informative. I missed her seat of the pants thriller parts that I had read in her past novels.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Lucy wants to know what happened to her sister, Niki, and is willing to go to any extreme to find her. Niki was one of several women who has gone missing over the past several months. One woman was only 17 years old, with a mother who has been advocating fiercely for information. The other women were older and thus have had more time to not be perfect, which apparently is something the public needs to care about them.

This was told from multiple points of view—victims, law enforcement, the killer—and it had its moments, but parts were confusing and thus not enjoyable.

NetGalley provided an advance copy of this novel, which RELEASES AUGUST 1, 2023.

Holy crow, Catherine Ryan Howard does it again with another whopper of a story! I seriously can’t say enough good things about this book. I promise you readers, whatever you expect the ending to be, it won’t be what you read. What an intense ride, and the twists and turns built up to a pace where I had no idea which direction was up. Even better that the story was loosely inspired by real events. Absolutely fantastic!

Huge thanks to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!

Clever and Captivating

The Trap is a psychological thriller about three missing women in Dublin and those determined to find them.

Lucy will do anything to find her sister, Nicki, who disappeared without a trace a year ago. Angela, a civilian working in the Missing Persons Unit, finds a clue that could help unravel the entire case. A killer shares their story about what drives them to kidnap, abuse, and murder. All three narratives are uniquely tied together. I liked Angela’s character best, but I found the killer’s chapters the most intriguing.

The first chapter ends with a twist that hooked me! I thought this book was going to go in a similar direction to Strange Sally Diamond and The Quiet Tenant, but thankfully it goes in a different direction. Additional twists are woven throughout the narrative. They are clever and surprising and turn the missing girl's trope on its head.

The pacing is fast and twisty, but it did slow down for me in the first half. Things quickly pick back up, and I found myself immersed and unable to put this book down.

The ending is somewhat open-ended. It worked for me, but some readers might not be satisfied. I would have liked more concrete details on the fate of one of the missing girls, but I can use my imagination to fill in the gaps.

There are also some fun moments, especially when one of the narrators references The Nothing Man. This is a dark thriller with some standout twists and turns that sets it apart.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Blackstone in exchange for an honest review.

While this is a well known author, this was my very first read from her and man, am I impressed. This was written so methodically, so intricately that I found myself going back to the beginning to reread the first chapter thinking how unbelievably clever this author is. It's a page turner from the very beginning with disturbing, dark, unsettling moments. Each P.O.V. gives the perfect amount of insight into each character and perspective making it that much more enthralling. This was so perfectly executed, it left me wanting more. I highly recommend this one for all my fellow mystery/thriller readers. Four and a half stars.

Thank you Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for this ARC.

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, Based on a still-unsolved series of disappearances from the 90s, this gripping thriller is filled with twists and turns, Highly recommended. #TheTrap #NetGalley #SaltMarshAuthors

”You women aren’t as trusting or naive as you once were, you see. Thanks to all those bloody documentaries and true-crime podcasts, you’ve wised up. You know now that men like me love to use your own sweet and generous nature against you, that we’ll rely on your manners and pleasantness and your being nice, and prey on your fear that the absolute worst thing someone could accuse you of is being a b****.”

Excuse me while I pick my jaw up off the floor. This will be THE crime fiction novel for me of the year.

I spent too long waiting for a good time to write this review, and now my brain just keeps chanting, “Read it, read it, read it!” Between the Easter eggs for The Nothing Man and The Liar's Girl, the multi-pov providing insight into multiple aspects of the case(s), and the killer’s inner monologue, this was an incredibly suspenseful and well-written novel. It’s the kind of book I don’t want to say too much about, because I would hate to ruin the complexity of the story and its twists, but I cannot sing its praises highly enough. CRH has really outdone herself here, and I cannot wait for her next novel. She’s back!

Safe Girl 101 clearly states that getting into a car with a random man late at night is not okay, but what if you think you have a really good reason?

Lucy’s sister Nicki & two other women in the same general area of Ireland have inexplicably vanished over the course of the past couple years, & not knowing what happened to Nicki has kept Lucy’s life in a strange state of limbo. Lucy can’t take the unanswered questions anymore & is starting to get desperate.

Angela does general administrative duties for the Missing Persons Unit of the Irish police force but has dreams of becoming law enforcement someday. When she starts a line of inquiry that would make the task force responsible for the investigation into the missing women look bad, Angela ends up risking her future career in the hopes of unearthing the truth.

This book also has a third focus: the man driving around looking for women to throw into his car & make disappear. Although his brain wasn’t exactly a comfortable place to be, CRH does a fantastic job of describing his origins & thought process alongside the storylines of Lucy & Angela.

I was SO excited to get an ARC of this book! I’ve read two of CRH’s books in the past & they were both awesome (I own the other four that are currently published & I definitely need to bump them up on my TBR list). I loved the metaphors used (Everest & Jurassic Park) & the references to Dexter & one of her other works (The Nothing Man) were both so fun! I will say that the ending of this story was a bit like a slap to the face because I DID NOT see it coming - I was a little upset at first, but after mulling it over for a bit I’ve come to the conclusion that this author is a genius for writing such a cleverly plotted book & for not giving readers just another missing woman story.

Thank you to NetGalley & Blackstone for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

If you all have been following me, you know I have done nothing short of beg, borrow and/or steal to get a copy of The Trap.

I was two seconds away from a 37 year old tantrum. You know the kind where you roll around on your back kicking and screaming, looking like an upside down cockroach just begging for attention.

Hey look at me Catherine Ryan Howard, super fan over here! Do I have to sell off a damaged piece of my liver for an ARC of my most anticipated book of the year?

And just as I was about to contemplate something highly frowned upon…. I got the email.

The book gods sang, the skies opened on up and my bookish dreams have come true .

I promised the book gods I would hold my tongue and be kind all day if they would just grant me this book…

Looks like I’m in trouble .

Well it’s mine! Mine! All mine! I sang a little tune, I hugged my kindle and I did a couple of awkward spins .

The Trap was everything my little black soul had anticipated it would be and SO much more .

I sure do know how to pick them!

With Howard, every book released some how gets better and better. Not sure how this is possible as I have never rated one less than 5 stars .

Howard is a literary genius who will put you on the ride of your life . Hold on to your seats folks, there’s no way you can prepare for this one .

Teaser :

From award-winning, internationally bestselling crime writer Catherine Ryan Howard comes The Trap: an unsettling mystery inspired by a series of still-unsolved disappearances in Ireland in the 90s, wherein one young woman risks everything to catch a faceless killer.

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 …