56 Days

By Catherine Ryan Howard https://catherineryanhoward.com/

Published by Corvus (an imprint of Atlantic Books Ltd) https://atlantic-books.co.uk/corvus/

428 pages ISBN 9781838951658 Publication date 3 March 2022

I was forwarded a paperback proof copy in exchange for a fair review. I would like to thank the author and publisher for this kind offer. I also love that it was timed to be with me 56 days before publication (allowing for the vagaries of the UK postal service).

From the blurb

No one even knew they were together. Now one of them is dead.

Synopsis

A bad smell is reported at the prestigious The Crossings apartment development. When the police investigate, a body is discovered in the bathroom of no.1 with a the glass shower screen shattered. Detectives Leah (Lee) Riordan and Karl Connolly investigate but they are struggling to determine whether it is an unfortunate accident or foul play.

56 days ago, Ciara and Oliver meet in a supermarket queue and connect over a shared love of NASA and space exploration. They start to date.

Their romance blossoms quickly, even though they both hold apprehensions, and it seems destined to be something serious. Then 35 days ago Ireland succumbs to Covid 19 which threatens to put a brake on things until Oliver suggests that Ciara moves in with him. Just for the two weeks of lockdown. Oliver hopes that their relationship will flourish without outside scrutiny and his real identity being revealed.

What is Oliver so keen to hide?

My thoughts

I suspect that many readers want to put the Covid 19 restrictions of 2019 behind them. Even if no personal loss was suffered these were difficult and unprecedented days for most of us. For thriller writers it is an opportunity too good to miss, the chance for a variation of the ‘locked room’ mystery which nobody can disparage as too far-fetched. 56 Days is one such novel, probably not the first, certainly not the last but in my estimation, it will be one of the standout examples.

It is set in Dublin which is a nice change from London and gives a slightly different view of the Lockdown we experienced in the United Kingdom.

In essence the plot is straightforward, is it a case of murder or just an accident?  It is in the structuring and reveal where the real craft is to be found. This is a book where the reader believes they understand the characters motives but time and again there is an unanticipated twist.

The story narrative is in the third person and switches between the police officers Lee and Karl, and the lovers Ciara and Oliver. The timeline is the 56 days of the title, between Oliver meeting Ciara and the body being found, but the progression is far from linear. There is the current day investigation strand, but the historic strand moves backwards and forwards along its timeline as we see incidents from the view of either Oliver or Ciara and then later from the other. This allows the character’s motivations and intent to be revealed piece by piece, leaving the reader feeling one step behind, confused and then surprised in turn. This is beautifully executed.

The combination of the length of the novel and the relative lack of action allows the characters to develop and tell the story. The banter between of police officers Lee and Karl is good and whilst being on the ‘buddy cop’ level I hope that there is more to come from them in the future. The characters of Ciara and Oliver are the true essence of the novel though. Oliver has a past that he is keen to hide (which is understandable when it is revealed) but leaves the reader considering whether he should have a chance of true redemption. Ciara appears to be a vulnerable innocent but of course nothing is quite what it seems. The progression of their relationship is nicely judged from its seemingly innocent beginnings to feelings being overcome. Throughout you are wondering if it can survive and even this old unromantic curmudgeon wondering if love could find forgiveness even though there is a dead body there.

The lockdown set up allows a myriad of feelings to develop in the characters. Oliver appears to be obsessive, almost to a level obsessive compulsive disorder, although his cleanliness habit is due to more that just his supposed asthma. Ciara can’t be seen by Oliver’s boss and so he can be controlling and limit her movements. Its also claustrophobic and they are cooped up in such proximity that they are unused to and as they both have secrets to keep hidden a sense of paranoia develops. In the end it’s a case of can they survive the truth?

A taut and intricately constructed thriller set during Lockdown in Ireland, that works on the feelings and emotions of the main characters rather than violence or an act of criminality. A book that had my mind running down so many blind alleys looking for the answer that I’m sure to look out for her next novel. It will have much to live up to.