Review: The Nothing Man

There have been many books written by those affected by unsolved crimes – what happens when the perpetrator, still on the loose, gets their hands on a memoir written by a family member of one of their victims? Catherine Ryan Howard’s nail-biting new thriller, The Nothing Man, documents the efforts of author Eve Black to find justice for her murdered family by publishing a new book. Little does Eve know, the man who killed them – a serial killer called ‘The Nothing Man’ – is closely following her every word.

The Nothing Man offers an intriguing take on the concept of the frame narrative, weaving expertly between the autobiographic style of Eve Black’s chapters and the more immediate, raw perspective of the book’s antagonist. Ryan Howard contrasts the refined, public voice of the victim with the private, uncensored musings of the killer in a refreshing narrative take. Rather than taking away from the novel, the fact that the killer’s identity is known to the reader causes the suspense to skyrocket, creating an atmosphere of great tension as the killer’s sense of self-preservation begins to take hold.

The reader is left to ponder the Irish response to violent crime and those left behind in the aftermath  in this heart-breaking account of family life after murder, and the chilling consequences of a murderer’s escape from justice. This fast-paced new novel from Catherine Ryan Howard stays with the reader long after they have finished, leaving the question of who can and cannot be trusted to defend and support us in times of need.

You can buy a copy of The Nothing Man here: