A thriller that started with a bang but ended with a fizzle.

When I started listening to the audiobook I was immediately drawn into the narrative, high stakes and tension you could cut with a knife - what more could you want from a thriller?

But as the story progressed the pacing started to drag, the characters made increasingly idiotic decisions and were revealed to be insufferable, and the abrupt shifts in point of view left me confused and disengaged.

I held out hope for a satisfying ending, but unfortunately I was only left with questions and frustration.

This was a thriller with a lot of potential that missed the mark, and an author who seems to deride the use of trigger warnings while capitalizing off of violence against women in her writing.

I don’t imagine I’ll be reading any more of her work in future.

Trigger/Content Warnings: kidnapping, murder, sexual assault, blood, violence, death, confinement, misogyny, slut shaming

3.5 Stars, rounded to 4. I felt that this book was on the right track, however I feel it felt flat in some areas. I liked the multiple POV's and is what I felt really kept my interest. The "twist" was an interesting one as well that I didn't fully predict. However, it felt really had to connect with the characters which made it harder for me to find interest in their stories. Especially our FMC and the Guard-wanna-be (Andrea). It was a quick read and I am sure some people will eat up the multiple POV!

Catherine Ryan Howard is excellent at writing mystery/suspense that feels like real-life experiences with extra twists. I often feel like I have no idea where her stories are going, yet love the ride. In this book, inspired by Ireland's true cases of missing women, the victims' family members are front and center in a way often overlooked in crime writing. The chaos caused by the disappearances and the lengths the family members will go looking for their lost loved ones makes for a twisty story that kept surprising me.

I listened to the audio and the dual narration by Alana Kerr Collins and John Keating just made the story that much richer.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing via Netgalley for my eALC.

Catherine Ryan Howard's "The Trap" is a riveting psychological thriller that masterfully entangles its readers. From the opening pages, Howard weaves a complex narrative that keeps you guessing at every turn. The story follows a web of secrets, deception, and unexpected alliances, showcasing Howard's skill in crafting suspenseful plots. The characters are deeply layered, each with their own hidden motives that add depth to the unfolding drama. The pacing is relentless, maintaining a high level of tension throughout. Howard's writing is sharp, atmospheric, and evocative, creating a palpable sense of unease. "The Trap" is a must-read for fans of gripping, unpredictable thrillers that leave you breathless.

This psychological thriller had me hooked from chapter 1. Catherine Ryan Howard continues to write characters that I was immediately attached to. The Trap is pleasantly different from the typical missing girl stories. Once I started, I just couldn't stop.

THE TRAP by @cathryanhoward is my second book by this author this year and she is becoming a favorite. I have discussed here before how Thrillers are a real hit or miss genre for me but I absolutely love Howard's style. She has a way of taking standard thriller/true crime type tropes and shows you a very different perspective from the norm. Thank you to the author, @netgalley and the publisher, @blackstonepublishing for the e-ARC.

One of the most unique parts of this book was the narration from the killer's POV - this is where you learn his methods of madness while you are also following the main character who is playing a dangerous game of catch a killer after her sister has gone missing as well as the detectives investigating the case. The juxtapositions of these three narratives kept me racing through to the end.

There was also a very powerful discussion in this story about who we allow to be mourned or care about in the eyes of the media. Particularly, if a woman does not have a perfect character then she somehow was "asking for it" etc and how that numbs is to the reality of a situation. Humans are very good at rationalizing away reasons to care about the plight of others by framing it as "that could never happen to me because I am a good person."

Highly recommend picking up Catherine Ryan Howard's books if you are looking for a new thriller perspective and you want to unpack some of our obsession and revulsion to all things violent that we as humans seem to be consumed by.

I absolutely loved this book! I will admit I was skeptical about this book going in. No real reason why, I think it had just been on my self for a while so it had been taunting me. But now I’m mad at myself for not listening to it sooner. It was engaging and full of twist and turns that I loved. Also I loved how the ending called back to the prologue and was such a jaw dropping moment! Over all loved the book and the narrators!!

When I saw that I was approved for this book, I was so excited because I read The Nothing Man by this author and absolutely loved it! I also love thrillers that follow cases from the past. It gives me such a nostalgic vibe and to me, makes the story that much more creepy. On top of that, we get the killers point of view and having multiple views in a book is my favorite. That made the book more interesting and made me want to keep reading to find out how it ends.

Unfortunately the ending just didn't do it for me. I feel like it ended abruptly. The big twist was great, but there were parts that felt very slow. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I read it rather than listened to it. It was a quick read however, and I think a lot of people will enjoy this! Thank you so much NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

** A huge thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to review an ARC of this book**

Five stars!!

Perhaps I'm biased because this is my favorite type of thriller, but I just love psychological thrillers about serial killers and the author checked ALL the boxes with this one.

3 women missing without a trace in Dublin,

This was fast paced, twists that give you whiplash, and even nailed the ending.

Wow! This book completely sucked me in and then left me reeling. It opens with Lucy, who has been working tirelessly to find out what happened to her sister, Nikki. Nikki never came home one night months ago. The police don't seem too concerned until several other girls go missing. Lucy is doing everything she can to figure out where Nikki is.

I was riveted to this mystery. I wanted to know what happened to Nikki and the other girls. Howard weaves vignettes from the antagonist himself, explaining how and why he did the things he did. We also get a bit of police procedural action here as Angela becomes involved in the case. Angela is provided with key evidence while at work in the missing person's unit and sees this as her key into the true detective ranks. We meet the other families of the missing girls and see how the disappearances have affected these people in different ways. There is the true mystery, the antagonist's story, the media story, and the truth somewhere in all of that.

The ending is bananas! I highly recommend reading the author's note as I appreciated the way this book closed out much more after understanding her reasoning for it. This is a well-written book...good for anyone looking for a psychological thriller. The audio, in particular, is fantastic. As a listener, you get to her the emotion as Lucy struggles through her experience. You get a front seat to the kidnapper's story. You get to hear Angela work through all the pieces to come up with the real story. I wanted to keep listening beyond the time I had for it.

I have enjoyed Howard's books for their unique take on the thriller genre. I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

Clever! I enjoyed the characters and their motives. Multiple viewpoints created a full awareness of what was happening but still managed to surprise me.

What did I just read? Really, what did I just read? This book had to many POV's. It was hard to decipher what was going on. The ending was unrewarding to say the least.

The audio of this book was furnished by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I did end up using the print and audio in order to complete. The audio was read by John Keating and Alana Kerr Collins.

I don't read many thrillers but if I do I prefer to listen and puzzle out the twist rather than read and try to figure out what the author is trying to hide. Police procedurals are the usual thrillers I pick up. I will say straight off that the type of thriller I like the least and often just put down or don't pick up is one that highlights the point of view of the killer, I'm also not one for serial killer centered novels. Both of these are highlighted in this book and it immediately turned me off as a reader.

The story centers around two sisters, Nicki and Lucy. Nicki is missing and Lucy is searching for her for the past year. She appears to be feeling both concerned and responsible for Lucy's disappearance. It never quite clear to this reader what was the reason for Lucy's extreme feeling of guilt that was driving her obsessive need to find out what happened to her sister. Her obsession for feeling responsible drives her to try to lure the kidnapper or killer to take her just so she can find out what happened and perhaps find her sister. Nicki's disappearance is connected to 3 other women who have gone missing over the past many years in the same area and a task force is formed to see if a serial killer maybe at large.

It is cleverly plotted and the twist is a good one that comes in the last few pages and did make this reader to back to the beginning to see how it slipped right by. That I felt was the strongest element in this book. It was hearing the creepy point of view of the male kidnapper/killer that made this a hard book to keep reading. I did not want to listen to his dead pan voice outlining his need to capture and lure women and for that reason gave up on the audio and instead resorted to the print. 2.5 stars rounded up for the clever plotting,

Good book. The several POVs made it a bit confusing at times.
I didn’t love the end but I also get that it is the reality for some people who’ve had to live thru this situation.

Took me a while to get into the narrorators accent but once I did this was a fun ride! Recommend! 3.5

THE TRAP: A Gripping Tale of Suspense and Mystery

Catherine Ryan Howard's THE TRAP is a captivating psychological thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end. With its well-developed characters, intricate plot, and unexpected twists, this novel delivers a thrilling and satisfying reading experience.

The story follows the lives of three women who are connected to a series of mysterious disappearances. As the narrative unfolds, the reader is drawn into a web of deceit, betrayal, and secrets. Howard masterfully crafts a suspenseful atmosphere, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat with each page turn.

One of the strengths of THE TRAP is its strong female characters. Each woman is complex and relatable, facing their own personal struggles and challenges. Howard does an excellent job of portraying their emotions and motivations, making them easy to connect with.

The plot of THE TRAP is intricate and well-paced, with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged. Howard cleverly drops clues throughout the narrative, leading to a satisfying and unexpected conclusion.

While THE TRAP is an overall enjoyable read, there are a few minor drawbacks. At times, the plot can be a bit slow-paced, and some of the twists may be predictable for seasoned thriller readers. However, these minor flaws do not detract from the overall enjoyment of the novel.

Overall, THE TRAP is a well-written and suspenseful psychological thriller that will appeal to fans of the genre. With its complex characters, intricate plot, and unexpected twists, this novel is sure to keep you guessing until the very end.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This is a terrifying story of missing women and the police who can't seem to find them or who kidnapped them. Told from different points of view you get to see through the eyes of all of the players. They always say it's the not knowing that hurts the most and Lucy is stuck. She can't seem to move forward until she knows what happened to her sister even going so far as to consent to a live interview - something she has never done. In it she condemns the police who she feels aren't working hard enough and puts herself in the crosshairs of the kidnapper.

I don't know if this book was meant to be terrifying but it is in its realism. The people are so ordinary the circumstances so normal that it really could be anyone. I'm not sure I like how it ended but it did put you squarely back in the shoes of the people involved. Well written and absorbing. The narration was engaging and read like true crime.

3.5 ⭐

I'm not exactly sure how I felt about this book. The author's intent was spot on and there were enough twists to keep me engaged.

Still, I felt like something was missing the whole time I was reading it. At the very end, I figured out what it was that was bugging me the whole time (it's a spoiler so I won't tell it here). That explained a lot, but it's still a fact I went through the entire thing feeling something was off, and that prevented me from fully sinking in.

Still, this wasn't a bad thriller by all means. People who love stories about serial killers (which I don't) will I think like it even more. But do check the trigger warnings first.

Out of all the books I read by Catherine Ryan Howard, this was my least favorite, but that says more about how much I liked the other ones. And as with the others, I listened to The Trap as an audiobook, which is my preferred way to consume this type of stories.

A huge thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an audio arc of The Trap by Catherine Ryan Howard in exchange for my honest review.

Clearly this was not the book to listen too. I was not engaged enough to even know what was going on throughout this book. It wasn’t captivating or suspenseful enough to want to keep reading. I finished it and loved the narrator’s voice, but that was probably the only thing that kept me reading.

Publication Date: August 1, 2023

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Trap
Catherine Ryan Howard
Lucy’s life has become a never-awaking nightmare. Her sister Nicki disappeared a year ago. At least three women are missing; their families are living the torturous nightmare of not knowing whether they are dead or alive. Lucy is not willing to give up, she is determined to find her sister or at least help trap whoever took her. She walks the streets in darkness hoping to catch the attention of the abductor.
Lucy receives a message from Jack Keane, a True Crime Expert journalist; he tells her she has not been told all the truth.
The first missing woman was Tana Meehan, she was separated from her abusive husband. Niki Sullivan disappeared after leaving a pub where she visited with friends. Jennifer Gold was a mere 17 years old when she vanished, she was walking her dog. Walter returned home without her.
Angela works in the office of the Missing Person Unit; she wants to be a member of the Irish police. She failed her first test but hopes her second attempt will go better. She has an inkling of an idea that could solve the case but to do so could destroy any chance of her making the force. An employee from a Charity Shop brings some evidence in to the Missing Persons Unit; Angela finds herself working closely with Denise Pope the Family Liaison Officer.
This tale is told from several points of view including the abductor nicknamed the Phantom. He shares how he chooses the women he takes. His point of view is the most absorbing. I didn’t have strong feelings for Lucy however I liked Angela. The characters could have been better developed but this tale works well despite that flaw. This is a fast-paced thriller. The author had my attention from the first chapter. There are twists and turns throughout this tale. Kudos to author Catherine Ryan Howard.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a review copy. My reviews are my unbiased opinions.