Title: BURN AFTER READING
Author: Catherine Ryan Howard
ISBN: 9781787636620
Publisher: Random House UK
Pages: 352
Source: NetGalley
Genre: Thriller
The night Jack Smyth ran into flames in a desperate attempt to save his wife from their burning home, he was, tragically, too late – but hailed a hero. Until it emerged that Kate was dead long before the fire began.
Suspicion has stalked him ever since. After all, there’s no smoke without fire.
A year on, he’s signed a book deal. He wants to tell his side of the story, to prove his own innocence in print. He just needs someone to help him write it.
Emily has never ghost written anything before, but she knows what it’s like to live with a guilty secret. And she’s about to learn that there are some stories that should never be told…
Official Summary
26 February 2025
I read two of Catherine Ryan Howard’s books in 2023, and I was excited about this review copy. I pushed it to the top of my TBR because I enjoyed the previous books by this author. I must read more from this author.
Burn After Reading is a gripping thriller that masterfully explores the blurred lines between truth and deception, justice and privilege. With an unreliable narrator at its core and a story that unfolds through layers of manipulation, this novel is an engrossing, thought-provoking read.
Jack Smyth has always insisted on his innocence in the brutal murder of his wife. However, stalked by suspicion, Jack is now determined to tell his version of events through a book deal. Enter Emily, a ghostwriter with her own secrets, who soon realizes that even in his own words, Jack is still hiding something. But when the interview process takes an unexpected turn, Emily finds herself unable to produce the book she was hired to write.
Ryan’s storytelling is razor-sharp, delivering a slow-burn suspense that keeps readers hooked from the first page. The novel plays with perception, questioning how much we can ever truly know about a person—especially one with a carefully curated public image. Jack is a fascinating, chilling character, while Emily provides a compelling counterpoint, navigating her own moral dilemmas.
What makes Burn After Reading stand out is its clever structure—Emily’s supposed “non-fictional” account adds an extra layer of intrigue, making the reader question what is fact and what is fiction. The tension builds with every chapter, leading to a conclusion that lingers long after the final page.
For fans of psychological thrillers that dissect power dynamics and media influence, Burn After Reading is an absolute must-read. It’s a sharp, unsettling, and deeply satisfying story that will leave you questioning how some always seem to get away with everything—even murder.
Also by Catherine Ryan Howard
THE NOTHING MAN
I was the girl who survived the Nothing Man.
Now I am the woman who is going to catch him…
You’ve just read the opening pages of The Nothing Man, the true crime memoir Eve Black has written about her obsessive search for the man who killed her family nearly two decades ago.
Supermarket security guard Jim Doyle is reading it too, and with each turn of the page, his rage grows. Because Jim was – is – the Nothing Man.
The more Jim reads, the more he realizes how dangerously close Eve is getting to the truth. He knows she won’t give up until she finds him. He has no choice but to stop her first…
About the Author
Author bio from the author’s site
Catherine Ryan Howard is an internationally bestselling crime writer from Cork, Ireland. Her debut novel, DISTRESS SIGNALS, was shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey/New Blood Dagger. THE LIAR’S GIRL (2018) was shortlisted for the Edgar Award for Best Novel. REWIND (2019) was shortlisted for Irish Crime Novel of the Year and is currently being developed for screen by Clerkenwell Films (Misfits, Lovesick, The End of the F***ing World.) THE NOTHING MAN was a no. 1 Irish Times bestseller and a no. 1 Kindle bestseller (UK) and was shortlisted for Irish Crime Novel of the Year. Her latest novel, 56 DAYS, was published in August 2021. It is a thriller set in lockdown that Catherine wrote while she was in lockdown.
Prior to writing full-time, Catherine worked as a campsite courier in France and a front desk agent in Walt Disney World, Florida. She still wants to be an astronaut when she grows up.
Thank you to Random House UK, Transworld Publisher and NetGalley for this review copy. Burn After Reading had me glued to pages and if I was not travelling while reading this, I would have finished it much quicker. I simply have to add more of Catherine Ryan Howard’s books to my TBR pile. I love her writing. Are you a fan? Which is your favourite book? I would love to hear from you, please leave a comment below. Until next time…. Happy Reading!
