Released last week!
Thanks to Blackstone Publishing for the free advanced copies in exchange for our honest reviews
REWIND – Catherine Ryan Howard (out now!)
You can see the other #allthebookreviews thoughts on her previous release: THE LIAR’S GIRL (here)
Book Description:
From the bestselling, multiple prize-shortlisted novelist Catherine Ryan Howard comes an explosive story about a twisted voyeur and a terrible crime…
PLAY
Andrew, the manager of Shanamore Holiday Cottages, watches his only guest via a hidden camera in her room. One night the unthinkable happens: a shadowy figure emerges onscreen, kills her and destroys the camera. But who is the murderer? How did they know about the camera? And how will Andrew live with himself?
PAUSE
Natalie wishes she’d stayed at home as soon as she arrives in the wintry isolation of Shanamore. There’s something creepy about the manager. She wants to leave, but she can’t – not until she’s found what she’s looking for…
REWIND
This is an explosive story about a murder caught on camera. You’ve already missed the start. To get the full picture you must rewind the tape and play it through to the end, no matter how shocking…
‘Catherine Ryan Howard is a gift to crime writing. Her characters are credible, her stories are original and her plotting is ingenious. Every book is a treat to look forward to.’ Liz Nugent
Chandra’s Thoughts: 3/5 stars
After reading The Liar’s Girl and Distress Signals (both 5 stars for me), I was SO excited to get Rewind! What a unique format that I absolutely enjoyed. The rewind, fast forward, pause – it actually did help me in keeping up with the varying timelines. However, I can see this becoming confusing for some characters – especially with quite a few characters to follow. I didn’t have an issue with either personally.
I love this author’s writing style. I think for me, the miss on this one was not having a more underlying understanding of the murderer. I get the motive, I can forgive the somewhat underwhelming reveal… I just wanted a better understanding. There was not much background and I feel hey, if that person is just cray and that’s what prompted this then OK – but I think there was more and with the diving into the past for some characters, I needed it for this one… which I did not get.
Outside of that, I did think it ran a little slower than the other two novels that I’ve read. I was still extremely intrigued as I was SO curious as to the why for sure. Top notch for unique format and I look forward to whatever else this author brings our way.
My Thoughts: 3.5/5 stars
I loved both of Howard’s other releases, DISTRESS SIGNALS and THE LIAR’S GIRL, so when I received a copy of her newest release, REWIND, I was so ready for another great thriller! This one did have a little bit of a slower pace than the other two, but that didn’t take away from the reading experience for me. Most seasoned readers in the thriller genre might have the twists figured out, but the unique format will definitely keep your attention.
Natalie is an Instagram celebrity and is staying at the Shanamore Holiday Cottages in search of something. She can’t help but feel creeped out by the manager, Andrew. She has every reason to be, considering he has a hidden camera in her room. As he is watching the camera, Andrew sees a dark figure come into Natalie’s room and kill her. Does he bring the evidence to the police and risk revealing his hidden cameras? Or does he simply destroy the video?
The was the story is told is really unique and intriguing. We get Rewind, Pause, and Fast Forward – so past, present, and future. I thought that was a fun and new way to set up those different timelines within the murder mystery. There were a lot of characters and some things got a little muddled for me in the changing timelines, but nothing I couldn’t quickly correct. Like I said, it will probably be easy for some readers to figure out the twists before they happen, but I wish we had just a little more on the motives. Overall, I would still highly recommend this murder mystery thriller. I know a lot of other readers have been raving about it! I will continue to pick up whatever Howard releases.
Jessicamap Reviews 