Catherine Ryan Howard - Rewind

In Catherine Ryan Howard's psychological thriller Rewind, a brutal murder is captured on a hidden camera, setting off a chilling and original narrative. Andrew, the voyeuristic manager of an isolated holiday cottage in Ireland, secretly films his only guest, the Instagram influencer Natalie. He watches in horror as an intruder appears and kills her, before deliberately destroying the camera. The novel unfolds in a non-linear format, with chapters labeled "PLAY," "PAUSE," and "REWIND" to piece together the sequence of events. As the story rewinds, we learn about Natalie's troubled life and her reason for seeking refuge at the remote cottages. A journalist, Audrey, also becomes obsessed with the case, using Natalie's social media trail to investigate her disappearance and uncovering a web of secrets and betrayal. The book explores themes of privacy invasion, voyeurism, and the curated fictions of social media. It builds tension by delving into the characters' twisted motives and unreliable perspectives, leaving the reader constantly guessing who to trust. As the timelines converge, the true horror of what happened and the identity of the killer are revealed in a shocking and unsettling conclusion.