Burn After Reading
As seen:
By Catherine Ryan Howard
avg rating
1 review
A ghostwriter is tasked with capturing the memoirs of a man who might be a murderer and he’s ready to confess…Get ready to be addicted to the gripping, must-read new mystery thriller from the bestselling author of 56 Days and The Trap.
THE INSTANT #1 BESTSELLER
‘Sharp, clever and wonderfully tense – an outstanding one-sitting read, I adored it’ — Andrea Mara, Sunday Times bestselling author of Someone in the Attic
‘The perfect thriller’ — L. V. Matthews, author of the Richard and Judy Book Club pick The Twins
The night Jack Smyth ran into flames in a desperate attempt to save his wife from their burning home, he was, tragically, too late – but hailed a hero.
Until it emerged that Kate was dead long before the fire began.
Suspicion has stalked him ever since. After all, there’s no smoke without fire.
A year on, he’s signed a book deal. He wants to tell his side of the story, to prove his own innocence in print. He just needs someone to help him write it.
Emily has never ghostwritten anything before, but she knows what it’s like to live with a guilty secret.
And she’s about to learn that some stories should never be told . . .
Praise for Burn After Reading:
‘[An] ingeniously twisted, intriguing and entertaining mystery. Bravo! — Liz Nugent, bestselling author of Strange Sally Diamond
‘A masterclass in suspense, utterly addictive, intelligently crafted, and impossible to put down’ —Clémence Michallon, bestselling author of The Quiet Tenant
‘This is one red hot thriller that boasts a vivid, true-crime authenticity at its molten core’ —Janice Hallett, bestselling author of The Appeal
‘A craftily constructed and genuinely sinister thriller’ — Mail on Sunday
‘Tense, chilling and extremely well-plotted — Sarah Turner, ‘The Unmumsy Mum’, bestselling author of Stepping Up
‘I love novels about authors writing and there’s just the right level of detail . . . A very compelling, original and entertaining thriller’ 5-star reader review
‘Captivating, original and perfectly plotted. Another brilliant book from this first class author’ 5-star reader review
‘This story is compelling and haunting in places and kept me gripped to the page’ 5-star reader review
- Don’t miss Catherine Ryan Howard’s 56 DAYS, coming soon to Amazon Prime Video! **
BURN AFTER READING was an instant #1 Irish Times bestseller on 20/4/2025
TweetReviews
This is a Machiavellian novel! When Jack Smyth ran into his burning home to rescue his wife he was, tragically, too late; and then the post mortem revealed that Kate had been dead long before the fire began. Suspicion has stalked Jack ever since but one year later he’s signed a book deal to tell his side of the story, and Emily is persuaded to be the ghostwriter. She flies to Florida to start work and finds herself locked in an interview room with a man who might be a murderer. The story is told by Emily, by Kate and by Jack, and you - the reader - lurch from believing Jack to be innocent to thinking he must be guilty. Clever plotting keeps you turning the pages. I enjoyed this so much I'm hunting for more books by this author now.
Review by: Norfolk Gal, Oundle Crime
