The Trap by Catherine Ryan Howard – Book review

The Trap by Catherine Ryan Howard has a truly great opening chapter. It sets the scene for this clever, high-octane psychological thriller by capturing the endless thoughts that run through a woman’s mind when they find themselves alone in the dark walking somewhere, or trying to get home. Then it throws in a brilliant twist. The first of a few.

Opening sentence: She’d been out-out, and town had been busy.

The missing women

Set in Wicklow and Dublin, Ireland what The Trap does brilliantly is blend the narratives of several lead characters so seamlessly. First we have Lucy who is living the daily horror of not knowing where her sister Nicki is. The police think Nicki’s been taken by someone who is preying on young women.

We have Angela, a civilian working in the Missing Persons Unit, who wants to be a guard (police), and we have Detective Denise Pope who has worked the missing person cases for a while, is personally invested and takes Angela under her wing.

Then, there are also chapters from the POV of the kidnapper… He likens his personal quest to climbing a mountain, a metaphor that works so well and really helps you delve into his thinking. Including his POV really adds a juicy layer of tension.

When he shows up, everything turns more primal. It’s the part of me – the core of me, I’d say – that holds much more ancient desires.

The book follows Lucy’s quest for her sister and also makes some good points – calling out the injustice of some missing women (read: young, white and attractive) getting far more coverage in the media and resources from the police, and this is something that needs to change.

But who is really laying the trap?

From the politics of police procedure to the anguish of not knowing where a loved one is, The Trap is so eloquent about them both and really pulls on both sides – practical and emotional – to deliver such a rounded, cohesive story.

By the end, everyone is laying traps for everyone else – some in subtle ways, some not so – you think you know who a character is or where the story’s going and the rug is just pulled from under you – in the very best way! The story is clever and cunning and had me gasping out loud at several moments.

The Trap is my second read from Irish author, Catherine Ryan Howard. Earlier this year I devoured The Nothing Man and imagine my delight when the characters from that book are directly referenced here. Love a good literary world cross over. I also love a good Jurassic Park reference, which is – amazingly – in this book too.

This is a 10/10 high-drama thriller that delivers twists in the very best way and crafts characters that you invest in. Highly recommend!

• Get your copy of The Trap here;
• Published by Bantam 2023;
• 303 pages;
• My rating: