Thank you Libro.fm / Blackstone Publishing, for the ALC and Blackstone Publishing, #partner for the advanced copy of The Trap in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing / Blackstone Publishing
Published: August 1, 2023
Summary:
From award-winning, internationally bestselling crime writer Catherine Ryan Howard comes The Trap: an unsettling mystery inspired by a series of still-unsolved disappearances in Ireland in the 90s, wherein one young woman risks everything to catch a faceless killer.
One year ago, Lucy’s sister, Nicki, left to meet friends at a pub in Dublin and never came home. The third Irish woman to vanish inexplicably in as many years, the agony of not knowing what happened that night has turned Lucy’s life into a waking nightmare. So, she’s going to take matters into her own hands.
Angela works as a civilian paper-pusher in the Missing Persons Unit, but wants nothing more than to be a fully-fledged member of An Garda Síochána, the Irish police force. With the official investigation into the missing women stalled, she begins pulling on a thread that could break the case wide open—and destroy her chances of ever joining the force.
A nameless man drives through the night, his latest victim in the back seat. He’s going to tell her everything, from the beginning. And soon, she’ll realize: what you don’t know can hurt you …
My thoughts:
I have become a huge fan of Catherine Ryan Howard in the past few years and so requesting this book was a no-brainer. Her books are always so engaging and smart, and this new one was exactly that and more!
This book was so creepy and twisted and it really kept me on edge the entire time. The way the story unfolds is just so suspenseful and realistic – this author knows how to write one heck of a captivating psychological thriller! It really is plotted so brilliantly and I was gripped from the very start. The multiple points of view not only provide entirely different perspectives but add such layers to a very complex story. This is one that I just know I will have to read again to see how I missed certain clues along the way.
I love that this book is inspired by true events which the author discusses in her author’s note. To know that just makes this book all the more creepy! I already felt that this story had such a realistic sense to it and to know that it was based on true events just reaffirms that notion. Her characters, even the villains are so believable, yet it’s the creepy and sinister touches that make them the best fictional characters to read about.
This book was such a wild ride. It is unsettling and will draw you in, leaving you with that haunting feeling til the very end. I highly recommend this one!
Audio thoughts:
I was thrilled when I saw that Alana Kerr Collins was narrating this one. She has a great Irish accent and it seems so natural. Her pacing and intonation were spot on and she infuses just the right amount of tension and suspense into her voice as needed. I really enjoyed listening to this one.
