The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard (Audiobook)

 

Twenty years ago The Nothing Man murdered Eve Black's family. By writing a book about the killer she hopes to flush him out.

Catherine Ryan Howard has written some of the twistiest thrillers I've read and The Nothing Man is no different. The story is a book within a book and this works exceptionally well as an audiobook. Having two narrators also means it is easy to distinguish between the two protagonists.

At the age of twelve, Eve Black's father, mother and sister were murdered by a serial killer that was terrorising Ireland. It was only by a twist of fate that Eve survived. The Nothing Man was meticulous in his planning, leaving no forensic evidence. Eve decides to write her book in the hope that she can uncover new evidence about the identity of The Nothing Man.

When supermarket security guard Jim Doyle, a retired police officer, discovers the newly published book he becomes obsessed with it since he is The Nothing Man. The more Jim reads, the more frustrated he becomes, eventually deciding that he needs to kill Eve before she uncovers the truth.

Alana Kerr Collins does a fantastic job narrating Eve's sections of the book. The narration is done with a calm and even tone, there's no hysteria or drama. These sections cover the background of The Nothing Man's killing spree, showing how he escalated. The descriptions aren't particularly graphic but do have a shocking effect. The episode where Eve's family is murdered is exceptionally chilling. We also find out about the research carried out, including people connected to the other attacks by The Nothing Man and possible witnesses.

Jim Doyle is narrated by John Keating. Keating does an amazing job voicing the character. We learn early on how controlling and manipulative Jim is, he clearly has no empathy for anyone but has high self-esteem. The more of the book he reads, the more frustrated he becomes and we can sense him slowly unraveling.

By the conclusion Eve has taunted Jim enough to act and there are a few extremely tense moments leading up to the final face-off. The "postscript" in the updated version of Eve's book at the end also sheds new light on some of the events that have happened. 

I've no idea how well The Nothing Man works as a novel but it is an excellent audiobook which will keep you gripped throughout.