Burn After Reading 🔥

By Catherine Ryan Howard.

Catherine Ryan Howard delivers another masterfully crafted thriller with Burn After Reading, a gripping and atmospheric read that keeps you second-guessing everything until the very last page.

With a cleverly woven plot, intriguing characters and a strong sense of unease running throughout, this is a book that crime and thriller fans will find hard to put down.

The story follows Jack Smyth, a former professional cyclist whose life fell apart after his wife died in a fire at their home a year ago.

Initially, the tragedy sparked national sympathy, but everything changed when the truth emerged. She had died before the fire even started, the victim of a violent attack. Though Jack has never been charged with her murder, suspicion clings to him, turning him into a recluse. Convinced that the only way to clear his name is to tell his side of the story, he hires a ghostwriter to document his truth.

Emily Joyce is not particularly interested in Jack’s innocence or guilt. For her, this is just another job and the generous payday is all the motivation she needs. She travels to Sanctuary, Florida, a strange, eerie and almost deserted town, to spend a week interviewing Jack and writing his book.

But as she listens to his account, it quickly becomes apparent that there is more to the story than she expected.

The deeper she digs, the more unsettling the situation becomes and soon Emily finds herself trapped in a dangerous game where the truth could cost her more than just her reputation.

Howard’s writing is sharp and immersive, drawing the reader into an intricately layered mystery where nothing is as it seems. The setting adds an extra dimension to the suspense, with Sanctuary’s unsettling emptiness heightening the tension.

The plot is full of unexpected twists, keeping the reader engaged and constantly re-evaluating what they think they know.

Although I do not often read crime, I found Burn After Reading thoroughly entertaining. The pacing is spot on, with moments of creeping tension balanced perfectly with heart-racing developments. The characters are well drawn, particularly Emily, whose growing unease mirrors the reader’s own as the mystery unfolds. This book has piqued my interest in Catherine Ryan Howard’s work and I will be looking forward to exploring more of her books in the future.

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