56 Days
After meeting at the start of lockdown, Oliver and Ciara decide to move in together, seeing a unique opportunity for a relationship to flourish without the scrutiny of family and friends. But when detectives arrive at Oliver’s apartment and discover a decomposing body inside, can they determine what really happened, or has lockdown created an opportunity for someone to commit the perfect crime?
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Readers say *56 Days* by Catherine Ryan Howard is a tense pandemic-era thriller that blends crime and suspense with a complex, fast-moving romance. Ma...
What happens when a global pandemic gives two strangers the perfect cover to hide who they really are?
Ciara and Oliver meet in Dublin just before a COVID lockdown begins and decide to move in together to avoid isolation. When the lockdown ends, a decomposing body is discovered in Oliver’s apartment. As the investigation unfolds, secrets from both of their pasts are revealed, casting doubt on everything they told each other. The story moves between timelines and perspectives, slowly uncovering the truth behind what really happened during those 56 days.
This book gave me full-on COVID-19 PTSD. It took me right back to those early days of 2020, when we were told to shelter in place for three weeks and then everything would be fine. Reading it felt oddly dystopian, except this was actually our reality at one point- which is wild???
I really enjoyed this book. The multiple perspectives kept things interesting, and I loved how the secrets slowly unraveled with each passing day. The only thing that threw me off a bit was the lack of traditional chapters—it just jumps back and forth between days, which made it a little harder to follow at times. I’m definitely a chapter girly, so that structure was tough for me.
Still, 56 Days was an intriguing read with layered characters and a gripping storyline. The COVID-19 element added such a unique (and unsettling) twist.
If you really want to take yourself back to those tense, uncertain days of the early pandemic, give this one a read. The atmosphere is eerie and all too familiar, which makes the story hit even harder. And if you enjoy dishonest main characters and a slow-unraveling mystery where everyone has something to hide, 56 Days will be right up your alley.
*Also, side note: do you ever associate books with a certain time or moment in your life??? This one will forever be “the book I read when we went to Warped Tour.” Total nostalgia.
Trigger Warnings: pandemic-related trauma, death, decomposition, murder, isolation, confinement, lying, manipulation, grief, loss, stalking, psychological distress.
From the title, it’s not apparent that this is an intensely engaging mystery/thriller, but, WOW! I did not see the ending coming. Now, it’s a revelatory, but rather quiet ending, but so good! This takes place during our recent (ongoing) pandemic, and although it’s a plot point, it’s not the focus. I’m not going to say anymore than that not everything is as it seems. Such an inventive narrative.
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What’s it about?
Ciara and Oliver meet just as Covid hits Dublin. The lockdown threatens to end their new relationship. Should you move in with someone you barely know?
What did it make me think about?
Catherine Ryan Howard has quite an imagination!
Should I read it?
This is a novel for all those who love a mystery with lots of good twists and turns.
Quote-
“The truth is, however well this may seem like it’s going they don’t know each other, not really. This situation is revealing that, up close and in harsh lighting.
They don’t know what the other does in times like this. Are they the kind of person who wears a mask before it’s mandatory and disinfects their phones and wipes their groceries down, or are they drinking cans in the park with friends on a sunny Saturday and sneering at anyone who tut-tuts as they pass.”
What’s it about?
Ciara and Oliver meet just as Covid hits Dublin. The lockdown threatens to end their new relationship. Should you move in with someone you barely know?
What did it make me think about?
Catherine Ryan Howard has quite an imagination!
Should I read it?
This is a novel for all those who love a mystery with lots of good twists and turns.
Quote-
“The truth is, however well this may seem like it’s going they don’t know each other, not really. This situation is revealing that, up close and in harsh lighting.
They don’t know what the other does in times like this. Are they the kind of person who wears a mask before it’s mandatory and disinfects their phones and wipes their groceries down, or are they drinking cans in the park with friends on a sunny Saturday and sneering at anyone who tut-tuts as they pass.”
Meh??? It was ok, which seems to be the standard for the CRH books that I’ve read. This is the third book from CRH that I've read and they’re all 3star ratings. I almost DNF’ed this one at around the 35% point because the MC’s Oliver and Ciera were kind of boring and stupid.
For example, this was a story that took place in the early days of the pandemic and the MC’s move in with each other after dating for three weeks. SERIOUSLY!!! I’m sorry if I offend anyone with this comment but, only a naïve, moron will make a stupid move like that. I really tried to brush it off as just the MC’s showing their ages (mid 20’s).
Yes, I’m well aware of that sounding like a stupid Gen Xer comment but, it truly sounded like something I would have done when I was a stupid, naïve, 20-something. Then again.... To be honest, that’s really not a very good excuse because I know a couple of people (who aren’t 20-somethings) that did the same thing in the early pandemic days. Guess it’s just me who thinks it's a stupid move. JMHO
Shortly after I decided to give the story one or two more chapters to start getting more interesting or I was going to DNF it, it started to get just a little more interesting. So, I stuck with it until the end. For me, the most interesting characters in the book were the two cops investigating the murder.
Anyway, most of the story comes off as a COVID love story gone very wrong somewhere during a lockdown isolation period. However, somewhere around the 70-75% mark, the rest of the story is revealed and it turns out to be a story about a couple of bullies and all the consequences and repercussions of a really horrible bullying incident 17yrs earlier. Actions have consequences - enough said.
For example, this was a story that took place in the early days of the pandemic and the MC’s move in with each other after dating for three weeks. SERIOUSLY!!! I’m sorry if I offend anyone with this comment but, only a naïve, moron will make a stupid move like that. I really tried to brush it off as just the MC’s showing their ages (mid 20’s).
Yes, I’m well aware of that sounding like a stupid Gen Xer comment but, it truly sounded like something I would have done when I was a stupid, naïve, 20-something. Then again.... To be honest, that’s really not a very good excuse because I know a couple of people (who aren’t 20-somethings) that did the same thing in the early pandemic days. Guess it’s just me who thinks it's a stupid move. JMHO
Shortly after I decided to give the story one or two more chapters to start getting more interesting or I was going to DNF it, it started to get just a little more interesting. So, I stuck with it until the end. For me, the most interesting characters in the book were the two cops investigating the murder.
Anyway, most of the story comes off as a COVID love story gone very wrong somewhere during a lockdown isolation period. However, somewhere around the 70-75% mark, the rest of the story is revealed and it turns out to be a story about a couple of bullies and all the consequences and repercussions of a really horrible bullying incident 17yrs earlier. Actions have consequences - enough said.