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Catherine Ryan Howard
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Distress Signals: An Incredibly Gripping Psychological Thriller with a Twist You Won't See Coming Kindle Edition

by Catherine Ryan Howard (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.0 out of 5 stars 3,644 ratings

AN IRISH TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER

ONE OF AMAZON UK'S 'RISING STAR' BEST DEBUTS OF 2016
WINNER: BEST MYSTERY, INDEPENDENT PRESS AWARDS 2017 USA

SHORTLISTED FOR BOOKS ARE MY BAG IBA CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2016
SHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA JOHN CREASEY NEW BLOOD DAGGER 2017

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2016 BORD GAIS ENERGY IRISH BOOK AWARDS (CRIME)

Did she leave, or was she taken?


The day Adam Dunne's girlfriend, Sarah, fails to return from a Barcelona business trip, his perfect life begins to fall apart. Days later, the arrival of her passport and a note that reads 'I'm sorry - S' sets off real alarm bells. He vows to do whatever it takes to find her.


Adam is puzzled when he connects Sarah to a cruise ship called the Celebrate - and to a woman, Estelle, who disappeared from the same ship in eerily similar circumstances almost exactly a year before. To get the answers, Adam must confront some difficult truths about his relationship with Sarah. He must do things of which he never thought himself capable. And he must try to outwit a predator who seems to have found the perfect hunting ground...

Distress Signals is a highly confident and accomplished debut novel, impeccably sustained, with not a false note. The exploration of the often murky backstage workings of the luxury liner world is fascinating, and there is a psychologically acute portrait of a killer that is genuinely moving. We will hear a great deal more of this author. - Irish Times

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  1. Print length
    352 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Corvus
  4. Publication date
    May 5, 2016
  5. File size
    3.4 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
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About the Author

CATHERINE RYAN HOWARD is an internationally bestselling crime writer from Cork, Ireland. Her novel 56 Days was named a best thriller of 2021 by the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Irish Times; was her second Irish number one bestseller; and won Crime Novel of the Year at the Irish Book Awards. Her previous work has been shortlisted for the Edgar Award for Best Novel and the CWA's John Creasey New Blood and Ian Fleming Steel Daggers, and she's been shortlisted for the Irish Crime Novel of the Year multiple times. Her work has been published in seventeen languages, and a number of her novels have been optioned for screen. She lives in Dublin.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01BKQZYSK
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Corvus
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 5, 2016
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ Main
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3.4 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1782398394
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 out of 5 stars 3,644 ratings

About the author

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Catherine Ryan Howard

Catherine Ryan Howard

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CATHERINE RYAN HOWARD is the author of 56 DAYS, which was a no. 1 bestseller in her native Ireland and named a Thriller of the Year by the New York Times, the Washington Post and the Irish Times. It won Crime Fiction Book of the Year at the An Post Irish Book Awards 2021, was shortlisted for the Dublin Literary Award 2023 and is currently being developed for screen by Amazon Studios and Atomic Monster. Her other work has been shortlisted for the CWA's Ian Fleming Steel and John Creasey/New Blood Daggers and the Edgar Award for Best Novel. Her seventh thriller, THE TRAP, inspired by a series of real-life disappearances in Ireland in the 1990s, will publish in August 2023. She is based in Dublin. Find out more on www.catherineryanhoward.com

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
3,644 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book suspenseful with surprising twists and excellent pacing. They appreciate the well-developed characters and consider it a good summer holiday read. The writing quality receives mixed feedback, with some finding it very readable while others say it's hard to follow. Customers value the information about crimes on cruise ships.

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69 customers mention "Plot"51 positive18 negative

Customers enjoy the plot of the book, finding it suspenseful with surprising twists, and one customer describes it as a wonderful debut thriller.

"...Just when I thought I had it solved, blam, I'm blindsided. Great story, and entirely plausible...." Read more

"...when Adam investigates, he learns that cruise ships are the perfect setting for a murder: so much water to hide a body in; so easy to erase the..." Read more

"This has an intriguing premise - what happens on a cruise when someone disappears & international waters are essentially lawless territory?..." Read more

"This was a very suspensful novel. It a story of a young woman who disappears after a cruise. That's the. Base of the...." Read more

50 customers mention "Value for money"45 positive5 negative

Customers find the book worth their time and money, describing it as a good summer holiday read that kept their attention.

"...This would be a good summer holiday read, but maybe don’t read it if you are on a cruise or thinking of going on one!" Read more

"...It was a fabulous read up until the last few chapters. At one point I closed the book and said, 'no, no...don't tell me she went this direction."" Read more

"...The ending wss very surprising and I loved it Really worth your time!" Read more

"This was a very absorbing book that kept my attention, and made me eager to return when I had to set it aside...." Read more

16 customers mention "Character development"12 positive4 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book.

"...The opening drew me in & I thought Adam was a great character in his search for what happened to Sarah...." Read more

"...The characters were interesting, and it was different (in a good way) that the main protagonist was a man, since many stories of this nature..." Read more

"...The main character is a rather annoying, self absorbed man who seems to be entitled to be supported by his girl friend while he pursues his writing..." Read more

"...Sidelined with a twist! Her character development was pristine. I felt Adam's and Peter's heartbreak...." Read more

7 customers mention "Information quality"7 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the information quality of the book, with one customer highlighting its detailed coverage of crimes on cruise ships, while another notes its well-explained narrative structure and use of search engines and apps.

"...I also really enjoyed the setting, with all the fascinating, behind-the-scene details of how a huge cruise ship operates that the author provided...." Read more

"I enjoyed this book. I loved all the information about crimes on cruise ships, who knew. Makes me think k twice about wanting to go on one...." Read more

"...As well as thinking about crime in international waters. There were some good twists in the story." Read more

"...She is very good at putting a puzzle together and it's fun getting to the end." Read more

6 customers mention "Pacing"6 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's pacing, noting that it moves quickly.

"...If you like a fast, thrilling, roller-coaster ride, I highly recommend this book. (FWIW, I bought her second novel right after I finished this.)" Read more

"Good pacing and dialogue. Very modern and great descriptions about using search engines and apps...." Read more

"A good story that kept my attention, moved quickly and kept me wondering who the real culprits were till the end...." Read more

"Fast paced and well written. You won't see the end coming, and you'll never want to take a cruise again!" Read more

24 customers mention "Writing quality"15 positive9 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the writing quality of the book, with some finding it very good and readable, while others mention it is hard to follow.

"I gave it four stars because the writing is compelling and the storyline engaging, but....ah yes, there's a but...." Read more

"...It's really contrived and very frustrating. It's also upsetting because these are the only characters that are developed and interesting...." Read more

"...Overall, the writing is still engaging. I hope that Catherine Ryan Howard's future work is even more so." Read more

"...WOW. Great writing. I have to say, I could totally see this story as a movie. It reads like a movie...." Read more

Cleverly plotted debut thriller! Recommended!
5 out of 5 stars
Cleverly plotted debut thriller! Recommended!
A STRONG debut novel by a talented author! Written with three parallel narratives, the author causes the reader to wonder how on earth they could be connected in any way. Then, she cleverly ties them together in a way that you didn't see coming. What more could you ask of a debut thriller? Recommended for sure! 4.5 stars rounded up
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Allen S
    5.0 out of 5 stars Best value book from Kindle in ages.
    Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Happy couple, she goes away for a business conference and never returns.
    He discovers she told her boss she was sick and staying home. Now, she's vanished. Is she with her secret lover? Or a victim? She's 28, the police are not interested if she ran away, and it sure looks that way.

    Okay, it was slow in places, too much hand wringing. I get it, he loves her, she's gone, can we move on?
    But I guess all that loss was needed to force him into action to find her when no one else cared.
    The last half kept me up until 4 am. Darn you. It was the best "who done it" I've read all year.
    I wasn't sure how Rodin fit into the story since the two stories ran parallel. In the end it ties up loose ends.

    Just when I thought I had it solved, blam, I'm blindsided.
    Great story, and entirely plausible.

    I usually don't enjoy stories from Europe as much, because of culture differences, but this felt right out of America. (If that's okay)
    34 people found this helpful
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  • Jeannette Hartman
    4.0 out of 5 stars After reading this you'll never take another cruise
    Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    After years of being supported by his girlfriend Sarah, Adam has finally sold a script. When Sarah heads off to Barcelona for what she says is a business trip, Adam plans to use her time away to focus on revisions the studio wants on his script.

    But a week later, Sarah doesn't get off the plane. She doesn't answer her phone and her anxious parents haven't heard from her. Adam gets an envelope with her passport in the mail. There's a note that says only, "Sorry, S."

    The police advise Adam and Sarah's parents to "wait and see." Her office says that she called in sick; no business trip was scheduled. Their friends tell Adam he'd been blind to the state of their relationship. One of Sarah's friends tells him that she was having an affair.

    But when Adam investigates, he learns that cruise ships are the perfect setting for a murder: so much water to hide a body in; so easy to erase the evidence; such strange maritime laws and jurisdiction issues to block an investigation.

    This is an imaginative mystery with multiple suspects and a surprising ending.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • Nicola Stevenson
    3.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining
    Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    This has an intriguing premise - what happens on a cruise when someone disappears & international waters are essentially lawless territory? I felt like this was a book of two halves. I really enjoyed the first half. The opening drew me in & I thought Adam was a great character in his search for what happened to Sarah. However, it felt like the second half of the story was rushed. Adam just makes one dumb decision after another, and there’s a sub-plot that I felt added nothing to the story. I found the villain of the story (and their reasons why) were surprising but not surprising - it seemed to be added complexity for complexities sake. I saying this, I had to know what happened to Sarah. This would be a good summer holiday read, but maybe don’t read it if you are on a cruise or thinking of going on one!
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  • Catherine
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
    Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    This was a very suspensful novel. It a story of a young woman who disappears after a cruise. That's the. Base of the. Story and it only builds from there. I found the story of crimes h happening on a cruise ship a little disturbing. And of course a sociopath is part of the story too. You have to read it yourself to find out
    One person found this helpful
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  • avidreader
    4.0 out of 5 stars I gave it four stars because the writing is compelling ...
    Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    I gave it four stars because the writing is compelling and the storyline engaging, but....ah yes, there's a but. I absolutely, positively, without a question did not buy the ending. To put it bluntly, and without giving much away...if the drive was to get certain agencies involved, then why not drop the body somewhere other than the sea? It was a fabulous read up until the last few chapters. At one point I closed the book and said, 'no, no...don't tell me she went this direction."
    One person found this helpful
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  • Frannie J
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read!
    Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    It started out a little slow but once it started moving I couldn't put it down! The ending wss very surprising and I loved it Really worth your time!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Catte
    4.0 out of 5 stars and it was different (in a good way) that the main protagonist was a man
    Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    This was a very absorbing book that kept my attention, and made me eager to return when I had to set it aside. The characters were interesting, and it was different (in a good way) that the main protagonist was a man, since many stories of this nature (search for the secrets of the mysteriously missing partner) have a woman in that role. Several characters were introduced in their own chapters, interrupting the main story line, and seemed disconnected from the main story, but eventually merged into the narrative. All together this meant an interesting menu of potential "bad guys", some of which developed more or less prominence as the plot came to a climax. The end tied together a lot of the complexity of the various key characters, and even the "bad" guys were not totally bad, nor were the "good" guys all that good in many respects. If one wants clearly defined white hatted heroes and black hatted villains, you won't find them here. Everybody's hats are varying distinct shades of gray.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • Imogen Summers
    3.0 out of 5 stars Good writing. Meh storytelling.
    Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I purchased this copy so I wouldn't have to wait months for the American release. The author's story is fascinating, but two major problems kept kicking me out of the book:

    The book is told from multiple points-of-view on a chapter-by-chapter basis. Only one character's chapters are written in first person perspective (Adam's POV chapters). All other chapters written from other characters' perspectives are written in third person limited.

    There is a major subplot (I won't mention details; no spoilers here) that is only barely tied to the main plot, and it's pointless. It detracts from the pace of Adam's narrative and its reveal as a red herring of sorts towards the end of the book is beyond disappointing. That said, it's an interesting plot on its own--it would make an amazing novella or short story--but it shouldn't have been included with the rest of the main story about Sarah's disappearance and Adam's search for her.

    Overall, the writing is still engaging. I hope that Catherine Ryan Howard's future work is even more so.
    15 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Gerry Malloy
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good read
    Reviewed in Canada on March 28, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    A good read with some unexpected plot twists.
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  • Christiane
    5.0 out of 5 stars Non-stop suspense
    Reviewed in Germany on September 9, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    In the thriller category this was a 5-star-read for me, the most gripping since “Girl on a Train”. No blood and gore, an interesting premise, decent characters and dialogue and about a million twists and turns, although the last one was kind of gilding the lily. Nothing was outrageously far-fetched, there were no totally improbable coincidences and as far as I can tell, the author left no loose ends so I got a few hours of pleasurable suspense out of this book.
    P.S. Think twice before taking a cruise !!
    Report
  • MeandtheMutts
    4.0 out of 5 stars Full of twists!
    Reviewed in Spain on October 11, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    This was a gripping tale, filled with twists galore. It had me questioning myself all the time - where was Sarah? Had she simply left him? Was she still alive? and on and on. The parallel story with Romain was also interwoven with great expertise. A very enjoyable read and one I'd highly recommend.
    Report
  • Sharon
    5.0 out of 5 stars Looking forward to reading more by this author
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 17, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    I'd been looking forward to reading Distress Signals ever since I first heard about it, the book sounded right up my street and I certainly wasn't disappointed once I finally found the time to read it.

    Adam and Sarah are your typical young couple who have stuck together through thick and thin whilst he was a struggling screenwriter and she was the one paying the bills, but things are about to change as Adam has finally hit the big time and has been offered a big Hollywood deal. Whilst Adam is busy at home finishing writing drafts, Sarah has to go away to Barcelona on a work trip for a few days but they can celebrate his big success on her return. But Adam and Sarah's parents soon start to worry when they don't hear from her and she doesn't return home when expected as it's totally out of character for her, what has happened to her?

    The premise of this book really intrigued me as it's true what they say that sometimes people are not who they seem and that certainly appeared to be true about Sarah once Adam and the police start to investigate why she has not returned home. She certainly hadn't been telling the whole truth about her trip abroad but even so it certainly looked like there was something more sinister at play here about her whole disappearance. Will they ever discover the truth?

    Well Adam is certainly determined to do so, especially when the police decide that they don't think she's a missing person, so he takes matters into his own hands and decides to retrace her steps even if it could uncover secrets about Sarah that he'd rather not know. Although the main focus of Distress Signals is about Adam's search for the truth, there are also a couple of other narratives alongside his story which added to the drama and intrigue as we got to know these characters a little more and their thoughts and worked out how they fit into Sarah's story.

    Once I started reading Distress Signals I literally could not stop reading, it was definitely one of those 'just one more chapter' type of reads and before you know it you're halfway through the book and are hooked. It's hard to believe that this is the author's debut thriller as her skilled writing certainly pulls you in wanting to know what's going to happen next so I'm definitely looking forward to reading more books by her in the future and hopefully won't have too long to wait for news of her next novel which should be out later this year.
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  • Tania
    5.0 out of 5 stars "All Aboard"
    Reviewed in Australia on November 18, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    It’s official, I no longer have any desire to go on a cruise! This disturbingly believable story is (mostly) told by Adam – a rather self centred character who has to man up and grow up quick smart when his girlfriend Sarah fails to return from a business trip.

    His unease starts with a phone call to her work where he discovers Sarah “called in sick” for the duration of business trip. After some further digging, he learns she boarded a cruise ship. Adam then turns to the internet (as you do) where he discovers a myriad of cases involving persons missing from cruise ships. The alarm bells ring loud and clear when he realises the legalities of crimes committed aboard said ships are very murky indeed… I found this aspect particularly fascinating.
    Report

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