'Dark, creepy and very clever, The Trap will lure you in and keep you captive until the very last page' - C L TAYLOR

'Elegant and twisty, it lingers in the memory' - Daily Mail

'Topical, twisty, and with a real heart stopper of a moment halfway in that'll make you turn the lights back on' - GILLIAN MCALLISTER

Stranded on a dark road in the middle of the night, a young woman accepts a lift from a passing stranger. It's the nightmare scenario that every girl is warned about, and she knows the dangers all too well - but what other choice does she have?

As they drive, she alternates between fear and relief - one moment thinking he is just a good man doing a good thing, the next convinced he's a monster. But when he delivers her safely to her destination, she realizes her fears were unfounded.

And her heart sinks. Because a monster is what she's looking for.

She'll try again tomorrow night. But will the man who took her sister take the bait?

-

Inspired by a series of still-unsolved disappearances, The Trap is the startlingly original new thriller from internationally bestselling author Catherine Ryan Howard.

'As brain-teasing as it is gripping . . . [a] psychologically dazzling novel' - Sunday Times Thriller of the Month and chosen as one of the 12 best thrillers of 2023 by The Times

'Dark and witty and clever. An original and highly gripping read, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough' - Alice Feeney

'Howard has a sly gift for misdirection . . . Again and again, you'll blithely follow her down the wrong path' - New York Times

'A breakneck thriller with so many twists and turns that your head will spin. I absolutely tore through The Trap ' - Holly Seddon

About the Author
Catherine Ryan Howard is the author of 56 Days, which was an overall No. 1 bestseller in Ireland and a Kindle top ten bestseller, as well as winning Crime Fiction Book of the Year at the Irish Book Awards 2021, and The Nothing Man, which shot straight to the top of the Irish bestseller charts on publication, was a Kindle No. 1 bestseller in the UK and was shortlisted for the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger. Her work has been shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey/New Blood Dagger and the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for Best Novel, and she is currently longlisted for the Dublin Literary Award 2023. She lives in Dublin.

Reviews
Topical, twisty, and with a real heart stopper of a moment halfway in that'll make you turn the lights back on. * Gillian McAllister, author of WRONG PLACE WRONG TIME *
Everything a thriller should be: clever, page-tearing, devastating. Catherine Ryan Howard makes you feel for her characters so much, whether you love them or absolutely loathe them. It's impossible to stop reading - or to stop thinking about THE TRAP, long after you're done * Abigail Dean, author of GIRL A *
Dark, creepy and very clever, The Trap will lure you in and keep you captive until the very last page. Catherine Ryan Howard is the Queen of the Unguessable Twist * C L Taylor *
As brain-teasing as it is gripping . . . [a] psychologically dazzling novel * Sunday Times - Thriller of the Month *
The Trap is everything you want in a book - breathless pace, clever plot, addictive characters, and very pertinent social commentary on how victims are judged. Whip smart, utterly absorbing, and unputdownable * Andrea Mara, author of ALL HER FAULT *
Elegant and twisty, it lingers in the memory * Daily Mail *
Dark and witty and clever. An original and highly gripping read, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Catherine Ryan Howard has a deliciously dark imagination and always tells a good tale. * Alice Feeney, author of DAISY DARKER *
A propulsive thriller about a sister desperately trying to find her missing sibling. Twist after twist - left me simultaneously reeling and wanting more! * Sarah Pearse, author of THE SANATORIUM *
Howard has a sly gift for misdirection . . . Again and again, you'll blithely follow her down the wrong path * New York Times *
I was absolutely blown sideways by the twist . . . A white-knuckle ride of a serial killer thriller. A corker of a read. * Observer *
A heart-in-your-mouth, punch-you-in-the-gut, gripping thriller. Everything you'd expect from a Ryan-Howard read. Chilling, page-turning and shocking! This book will leave you breathless, terrified, and desperate for more. * L. C. North, author of THE UGLY TRUTH *
Add it to your must-buy lists, because it is fantastic . . . Howard's books really stand out as some of the absolute best, with clever plotting, interesting and often funny characters, and excellent twists. A real treat for anyone who loves an atmospheric thriller. * BookBrunch *
A breakneck thriller with so many twists and turns that your head will spin. I absolutely tore through THE TRAP * Holly Seddon, internationally bestselling author of THE WOMAN ON THE BRIDGE *
Intelligent, terse and propulsive, The Trap is a headlock of a book that refuses to let you go until you find out what happened. And when you do, it will blow your socks off. Prepare to be ensnared in Catherine Ryan Howard's very clever (but equally sinister) net. * Amanda Cassidy, author of BREAKING *
A taut, gripping page-turner. Catherine Ryan Howard at her dark and disturbing best. * Sam Blake, bestselling author of REMEMBER MY NAME *
Catherine Ryan Howard is a gifted storyteller and The Trap is her best book yet. From the dramatic opening chapter right the way through the twists and turns of this cleverly-plotted novel, the tension never lets up. Sinister, compelling, utterly addictive, this is heart-in-mouth stuff. Crime writing at its very best. * Karen Perry, author of YOUR CLOSEST FRIEND *
Compelling, intriguing, brilliantly written, and a complete page turner. * Catherine Kirwan, author of CRUEL DEEDS *
A really smart, witty thriller which grabs you from the start and won't let go until its terrifying ending * John Marrs, author of THE ONE *
Dark, gripping and terrifying with a killer final twist in the blistering, head-spinning final pages. Utterly brilliant! * Ellery Lloyd, author of PEOPLE LIKE HER *
A skilful, compelling read, I absolutely loved it. * Jo Spain, author of THE PERFECT LIE *
The Trap is an irresistibly suspenseful, heart-pounding read, full of perfectly executed twists. I never wanted to stop turning the pages. It has everything anyone could possibly want in a thriller. * Clemence Michallon, author of THE QUIET TENANT *
This one will chill you to the bone! The Trap is a taut police procedural, psychological thriller, and family drama crafted into one brilliant, breathless thrill ride. This might be my favourite Catherine Ryan Howard novel yet. * Wendy Walker, author of DON'T LOOK FOR ME *
Catherine Ryan Howard is an absolute master of suspense and her latest thriller, The Trap, is an utter triumph! Pulse-pounding, heart-wrenching, with razor-sharp commentary and twist after ingenious twist, I raced through this suspense, desperate to find out what was going to happen next. And my mind was blown when I did! A must-read for summer. * May Cobb, author of MY SUMMER DARLINGS *
Catherine Ryan Howard always delivers, and The Trap might be her most electrifying thriller yet. It takes a classic crime story and twists it into something vast, emotional, and absolutely terrifying. * Flynn Berry, author of UNDER THE HARROW *
A twisty, pacey thriller with a brilliant premise. This one kept me guessing right until the end. * Katie Bishop, author of THE GIRLS OF SUMMER *
Cracking with menace and with a killer twist, it's a propulsive and petrifying read * Sunday Post *
You're in for a night of reading into the early hours * Irish Country Magazine *
Heart-stopping . . . this gripping new read will have you turning the pages in no time! * Chat *
A compelling and fantastic read * 17 Degrees Magazine *



Book Information
ISBN 9781787636606
Author Catherine Ryan Howard
Format Hardback
Page Count 320
Imprint Bantam (Transworld)
Publisher Transworld Publishers Ltd
Weight(grams) 536g
Dimensions(mm) 240mm * 162mm * 31mm