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A review by wordsofclover
The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Twenty years ago, a serial killer hit homes in an area of County, Cork, in Ireland, leaving devastation in his wake. There were a couple of survivors including 12-year-old Eve Black who woke up to find her entire family dead in the house. Now Eve Black has written a book about The Nothing Man, her experiences with grief and her determination to discover who he is all these years later.
Jim Doyle is reading The Nothing Man, and the more he reads, the angrier he gets because he is The Nothing Man, and he remembers the night he murdered Eve Black's family, alongside all of the other people he terrified and tortured. Now he's ready to come out of retirement and he knows who his next victim will be.
This book is a genuinely very creepy and ofttimes terrifying read (especially if you have any fears of burglary, night stalkers or sleep alone!) but I really loved the premise of it. The book worked really well on audiobook due to the dual narration - Eve Black's portions of her book, and then Jim's POV and his reaction to what Eve is saying.
Catherine Ryan Howard is definitely becoming an auto-read author for me as she writes thrillers I love - engrossing, quick to read and original.
Part of me would have loved a little twist in the end with the epilogue and Katie's POV as it felt all a bit too safe, and a little sad but I do think it reflected a line in the book about a one-way ticket to loneliness and that was handed to Eve at 12 years, and Katie when she was a young adult.
Jim Doyle is reading The Nothing Man, and the more he reads, the angrier he gets because he is The Nothing Man, and he remembers the night he murdered Eve Black's family, alongside all of the other people he terrified and tortured. Now he's ready to come out of retirement and he knows who his next victim will be.
This book is a genuinely very creepy and ofttimes terrifying read (especially if you have any fears of burglary, night stalkers or sleep alone!) but I really loved the premise of it. The book worked really well on audiobook due to the dual narration - Eve Black's portions of her book, and then Jim's POV and his reaction to what Eve is saying.
Catherine Ryan Howard is definitely becoming an auto-read author for me as she writes thrillers I love - engrossing, quick to read and original.
Part of me would have loved a little twist in the end with the epilogue and Katie's POV as it felt all a bit too safe, and a little sad but I do think it reflected a line in the book about a one-way ticket to loneliness and that was handed to Eve at 12 years, and Katie when she was a young adult.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Sexual violence
Minor: Animal cruelty