The Nothing Man

Reviews

“Gripping, beautifully written, and genuinely chilling, The Nothing Man had me from page one. Simply stellar.”

“The Nothing Man is the most original and chilling thriller I’ve read in a long time, and is perfect for fans of Serial and The Fall.”

“Expertly crafted—storytelling at its best.”

“A book to steal your waking hours and haunt your sleeping ones. Chilling and brilliant.”

“I was truly blown away and couldn’t read it fast enough. I can’t shower it with enough praise. Terrifying, brilliantly plotted, and extremely satisfying.”

“Utterly compelling, completely original, The Nothing Man will be the standout novel for 2020. This is a book you won’t forget as Catherine Ryan Howard brings crime writing to a new level.”

“Whip-smart, thrilling, and utterly compelling.”

“The queen of high-concept crime fiction strikes again: this is the first novel I’ve read that really captures the chills and twists of the true crime that obsesses us. Catherine Ryan Howard has always been thrillingly good at what she does, but she’s just getting better and better with every book.”

“This is probably one of the best books I ever read…I absolutely loved the book within a book format…The author did a fantastic job, and if you are a fan of Meg Gardiner, which I am, you will love this book.”

“Fiendishly clever…Howard uses serial killer tropes in original and surprising ways in this tour de force.”

“[A] compulsive thriller…Those familiar with Michelle McNamara’s I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, which inspired Howard, may spot similarities between the Nothing Man and the real-life Golden State Killer, but Howard (nominated for an Edgar for The Liar’s Girl) takes her story in other directions. The Nothing Man is an ingenious nesting doll, revealing surprises in alternating chapters from Eve’s book and those from the killer’s point of view as he reads said book. Howard can paint moving depictions of grief and survivor’s guilt while terrifying readers and making them triple-check the locks on their doors. This isn’t nothing; it’s the author’s best work yet.”

“It might be cliché to say that a strong storytelling tradition runs in Irish genes, but…Cork native and current Dubliner Catherine Ryan Howard would seem to be indicative of this…This juxtaposition of predator and prey—and the underlying question of just who is which—renders the stakes breathtakingly high. It’s a clever, meta construct—and one the author fully, and frankly, embraces…The Nothing Man is clearly influenced by Michelle McNamara’s I’ll Be Gone In The Dark…but don’t be mistaken: it’s still very much a work of fiction, albeit one that’s grounded in the realities of crime, recidivism, and victimization. The Nothing Man himself may be quite ordinary, but Catherine Ryan Howard’s book-within-a-book is anything but.”

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