Piecing together the fragments and triggers behind a true crime with one Instagram influencers disappearance and murder.
The brutal murder of a woman as she sleeps sets the tone for this dark and thoroughly intriguing thriller with the culprit wrenching a hidden camera from its hiding place and immediately presenting the reader with a host of questions and a need to know the answers! However this story isn’t told chronologically but using the ‘Rewind’, ‘Fast Forward’, ‘Pause’ and ultimately ‘Play’ functions. In principle what that entails is flashbacks, answers to questions before they even arise and a narrative that contains first and third person commentary across a variety of characters. Whilst this might sound confusing it proves anything but due to the fact that the story intuitively reads well and benefits from being accompanied by Catherine Ryan Howard’s slick prose.
Rewinding to the start of the story sees popular Instagram influencer and a very anxious Natalie O’Connor descend on the bleak and isolated back end of beyond Irish village of Shanamore, East Cork and the far from appealing Shanamore Holiday Cottages managed by socially awkward oddball Andrew. Having signed off from her followers, Natalie is on a mission to secure evidence of her husband Mike’s affair and fearing she is being gaslighted she walks out of her “perfect life” facade and into the windspent Shanamore, populated by a motley crowd of locals where she meets her demise. For creepy manager, Andrew, troubled by the fear of reporting the crime but frozen by the knowledge that someone knows all about his hidden camera indecision reigns, but when Mike reports his wife missing and a media frenzy ensues with Natalie’s followers and journalists uniting, the search and speculation begins..
Enter journalist Audrey Coughlan who just shy of her thirteenth birthday is living in her younger sisters spare bedroom and posting rehashed entertainment content along the lines of who is “stepping out” or “flaunting their curves” in the world of celebrities. For feisty Audrey it is about as far from the serious news job that she dreamed of and when boss, Joel, tells her of the Garda report into Natalie’s disappearance an impulsive Audrey takes the bull by the horns. As Audrey speaks to Mike and reaches out to the public she makes a rash decision to follow Natalie’s trail in order to solve a mystery which has got under her skin. But by following in Natalie’s footsteps things quickly become decidedly more sinister as the dodgy behaviour of local Guard, manager of the cottages, Andrew, and creepy blow-in, “Icky Dickie” Richard, combine to keep her looking over her shoulder. As several classy and well-placed twists take the story back to right where it started, Ryan Howard’s crisp writing during ‘Play’ wraps things up nicely with every loose end firmly resolved and the chain of events slotting together before the reader’s eyes.
A brilliant novel with a captivating prologue that makes it hard to look away from the off and complete with real insight into the people behind the headlines and a credible resolution. As the point of view moves seamlessly between the key players with snapshots to what happened ‘before’, tenacious journalist, Audrey Coughlan’s present tense portion keeps the story anchored in the here and now and provides the reader with solid ground to venture back and forth from. The clues throughout are subtle and although the savvy reader might think they have this one sussed as a simple case of extramarital infidelity and a dead cert killer, watch out for plenty of surprises. The deepening characterisation of Andrew, Richard and Guard Seanie all add backstory and complications into the equation.
Catherine Ryan-Howard’s portrayal of social media and how it affects so many aspects of our lives is absolutely on point from the pressures it brings, the lack of privacy, the Dark web and the idea of an Instagram influencer qualifying as a job. In this aspect Rewind manages to capture the mindset of a generation and also brings with it some timely warning signs for where it all might lead. Utterly compelling and an infectious read with vivid characterisation and an atmospheric setting.
Rewind is the third of Catherine Ryan Howard’s novels that I have read all of which have pushed the boundaries of crime fiction with unique premises and skilful construction and with Rewind she has simultaneously captured the current generations obsession with social media. The adept construction with tidbits of information adding to the picture throughout and the final expose have the feel of a true crime podcast and a similar vibe to that of ‘West Cork’, the hugely popular Audible original series.
With thanks to Readers First who provided me with a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.
Rewinding to the start of the story sees popular Instagram influencer and a very anxious Natalie O’Connor descend on the bleak and isolated back end of beyond Irish village of Shanamore, East Cork and the far from appealing Shanamore Holiday Cottages managed by socially awkward oddball Andrew. Having signed off from her followers, Natalie is on a mission to secure evidence of her husband Mike’s affair and fearing she is being gaslighted she walks out of her “perfect life” facade and into the windspent Shanamore, populated by a motley crowd of locals where she meets her demise. For creepy manager, Andrew, troubled by the fear of reporting the crime but frozen by the knowledge that someone knows all about his hidden camera indecision reigns, but when Mike reports his wife missing and a media frenzy ensues with Natalie’s followers and journalists uniting, the search and speculation begins..
Enter journalist Audrey Coughlan who just shy of her thirteenth birthday is living in her younger sisters spare bedroom and posting rehashed entertainment content along the lines of who is “stepping out” or “flaunting their curves” in the world of celebrities. For feisty Audrey it is about as far from the serious news job that she dreamed of and when boss, Joel, tells her of the Garda report into Natalie’s disappearance an impulsive Audrey takes the bull by the horns. As Audrey speaks to Mike and reaches out to the public she makes a rash decision to follow Natalie’s trail in order to solve a mystery which has got under her skin. But by following in Natalie’s footsteps things quickly become decidedly more sinister as the dodgy behaviour of local Guard, manager of the cottages, Andrew, and creepy blow-in, “Icky Dickie” Richard, combine to keep her looking over her shoulder. As several classy and well-placed twists take the story back to right where it started, Ryan Howard’s crisp writing during ‘Play’ wraps things up nicely with every loose end firmly resolved and the chain of events slotting together before the reader’s eyes.
A brilliant novel with a captivating prologue that makes it hard to look away from the off and complete with real insight into the people behind the headlines and a credible resolution. As the point of view moves seamlessly between the key players with snapshots to what happened ‘before’, tenacious journalist, Audrey Coughlan’s present tense portion keeps the story anchored in the here and now and provides the reader with solid ground to venture back and forth from. The clues throughout are subtle and although the savvy reader might think they have this one sussed as a simple case of extramarital infidelity and a dead cert killer, watch out for plenty of surprises. The deepening characterisation of Andrew, Richard and Guard Seanie all add backstory and complications into the equation.
Catherine Ryan-Howard’s portrayal of social media and how it affects so many aspects of our lives is absolutely on point from the pressures it brings, the lack of privacy, the Dark web and the idea of an Instagram influencer qualifying as a job. In this aspect Rewind manages to capture the mindset of a generation and also brings with it some timely warning signs for where it all might lead. Utterly compelling and an infectious read with vivid characterisation and an atmospheric setting.
Rewind is the third of Catherine Ryan Howard’s novels that I have read all of which have pushed the boundaries of crime fiction with unique premises and skilful construction and with Rewind she has simultaneously captured the current generations obsession with social media. The adept construction with tidbits of information adding to the picture throughout and the final expose have the feel of a true crime podcast and a similar vibe to that of ‘West Cork’, the hugely popular Audible original series.
With thanks to Readers First who provided me with a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.