56 Days
A Thriller
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3.9 • 433 Ratings
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
No one even knew they were together. Now one of them is dead.
56 DAYS AGO
Ciara and Oliver meet in a supermarket queue in Dublin and start dating the same week COVID-19 reaches Irish shores.
35 DAYS AGO
When lockdown threatens to keep them apart, Oliver suggests they move in together. Ciara sees a unique opportunity for a relationship to flourish without the scrutiny of family and friends. Oliver sees a chance to hide who—and what—he really is.
TODAY
Detectives arrive at Oliver’s apartment to discover a decomposing body inside.
Can they determine what really happened, or has lockdown created an opportunity for someone to commit the perfect crime?
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Dark secrets are uncovered in this nail-biting pandemic thriller. Ciara and Oliver meet just before COVID hits Ireland, and, afraid of facing the unknown alone, they decide to weather lockdown in his apartment together. But it’s hard getting to know each other under such extreme circumstances—especially since one of them might be trapped in quarantine with a murderer. Catherine Ryan Howard does an amazing job playing on our fears about vulnerability, new relationships, and the claustrophobia of the post-pandemic world. Every character feels real and lived in, and we especially enjoyed the banter between Garda detective Leah Riordan and her investigative partner Karl Connolly, who are called after the fact to figure out what really happened in that apartment. Mask up for a mystery about who we can trust when the world turns upside down.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Set just before and during the first weeks of the Covid-19 lockdown in Dublin, Ireland, this captivating tale from Edgar finalist Howard opens with something amiss in an apartment complex. Flash back 56 days. Oliver and Ciara, two shy people in their 20s, meet in a supermarket. Both have recently moved to Dublin and are alone, so lockdown seems like the perfect time to start a relationship. But as their courtship unfolds, so do their secrets, and Oliver becomes increasingly paranoid about the outside world—in particular about an older woman Ciara meets who gives her cryptic warnings about falling in love with him. Meanwhile, back in the present, police investigating a foul odor coming from an apartment discover a putrefying body in the shower. No fingerprints and no identification are found anywhere. As the link between the couple's outwardly simple yet complex romance and the murder becomes clearer through carefully doled out backstories, readers will find themselves rooting for these flawed characters no matter what their past indiscretions or crimes. Howard continues to impress.
Customer Reviews
Italics Overload
I get we need to emphasize some things. But this was excessive.
Amazing
This author has such a creative and fascinating mind for writing. This makes my second book of hers I’ve read. I can’t wait to read more.
First COVID-19 story
I enjoyed this one! Lots of turns and twists. Ending leaves you thinking.