“56 Days” by Catherine Ryan Howard is about a new couple, Ciara and Oliver, who start dating just as the COVID-19 lockdown is about to hit Ireland. They decide, after only knowing each other for a month, to move in together. Now, one of them is dead. What happened?
I enjoyed the premise of this book, and it really provoked thoughts about what it would be like in the dating scene during the COVID lockdown. I wonder how many new couples decided to move in together in order to grow their relationship with someone they barely know during a time of social distancing. Anyway, moving on, there is a murder, and not only do we have the story of Ciara and Oliver, but we also get a side story of the detectives responsible for the investigation, and they really are a hoot. I enjoyed their quirkiness and the slight humor they brought to the story.
I would have enjoyed the story more if the dual timelines had been more consistent. They seemed to move around a lot, and it did leave me confused here and there. Not only that, but it shifts the POV from Ciara to Oliver, which essentially tells the whole scene over again from a different POV. It was a bit repetitive, and I found myself skimming a lot of the second POV.
The biggest appeal for me was the ending twist. Although it was slightly predictable, it had a creative touch.
Overall, this book was pretty good, but it is one that I probably won’t remember down the road. This book would appeal to anyone who would like to relive the COVID-19 lockdown, enjoys murder mysteries, and likes police procedurals.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5
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Page Turning Thrills 