REVIEW:

The COVID books are coming! The COVID books are coming!

While riding out the COVID lockdowns of 2020, bestselling author Catherine Ryan Howard rolled up her (pajama) sleeves and said LET’S DO THIS. She had an idea for a story about a new couple locked down together in Dublin, “for whom the strange, isolating circumstances of this new and uncertain world was just the opportunity they were waiting for.”

The end result was 56 Days, a captivating thriller with great characters that kept me on my toes. Oliver clearly has a past he’s trying to keep hidden, so although he seems like a very likeable fellow readers aren’t sure if he’s the hero or villain of the story. Ciara, his girlfriend of only a few weeks, agrees to shelter in place with him though she perpetually second guesses her decisions. Wouldn’t you wonder what type of weirdo you were living with?

Heck, DIDN’T you wonder what type of weirdos you were living with in last year?

Since in real life COVID-19 is still our reality and not even 56 days behind us yet, there were moments when the setting very much felt too soon. But then again, reflecting back on the surreal early days of the pandemic is a little irresistible. We were all in it together, which makes it easy to relate to Ollie and Ciara.

56 Days had twists and turns that I did not see coming, and it might have been a 5-star read had the back-and-forth timeline not felt so repetitive in some places. But if you’re up for a stroll down COVID lane, this is a thrilling place to start.

My thanks to the author and Blackstone Publishing for my gifted copy to review via NetGalley. 56 Days is slated for US publication in August.

PUBLISHER SYNOPSIS:

No one knew they'd moved in together. Now one of them is dead. Could this be the perfect murder?

56 DAYS AGO
Ciara and Oliver meet in a supermarket queue in Dublin the same week COVID-19 reaches Irish shores.

35 DAYS AGO
When lockdown threatens to keep them apart, Oliver suggests that Ciara move in with him. She sees a unique opportunity for a new relationship to flourish without the pressure of scrutiny of family and friends. He sees it as an opportunity to hide who - and what - he really is.

TODAY
Detectives arrive at Oliver's apartment to discover a decomposing body inside.

Will they be able to determine what really happened, or has lockdown provided someone with the opportunity to commit the perfect crime?