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Distress Signals
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 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 ...
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 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 ...
368 pages, Hardcover
First published May 5, 2016
About the author
Catherine Ryan Howard
19 books3,652 followersCatherine Ryan Howard is an internationally bestselling crime writer from Cork, Ireland. Her debut novel, DISTRESS SIGNALS, was shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey/New Blood Dagger. THE LIAR'S GIRL (2018) was shortlisted for the Edgar Award for Best Novel. REWIND (2019) was shortlisted for Irish Crime Novel of the Year and is currently being developed for screen by Clerkenwell Films (Misfits, Lovesick, The End of the F***ing World.) THE NOTHING MAN was a no. 1 Irish Times bestseller and a no. 1 Kindle bestseller (UK) and was shortlisted for Irish Crime Novel of the Year. Her latest novel, 56 DAYS, was published in August 2021. It is a thriller set in lockdown that Catherine wrote while she was in lockdown.
Prior to writing full-time, Catherine worked as a campsite courier in France and a front desk agent in Walt Disney World, Florida. She still wants to be an astronaut when she grows up.
Prior to writing full-time, Catherine worked as a campsite courier in France and a front desk agent in Walt Disney World, Florida. She still wants to be an astronaut when she grows up.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,048 reviews
February 28, 2017
So this first blipped on my radar back when non-US folks had access for this book, and I remember feeling so jealous and thinking “Ba-humbug! I needed this book yesterday you turds!” Thankfully the author is about as awesome as they come and heard my pleas, having a very early copy shipped my way. How did I repay her? By reading it way later than was acceptable, and for that I send my sincerest apologies. While I may be late to the party, I’m definitely on the bandwagon of feeling this book was the best cruise ship thriller I have ever read. There were many unique parts to this story, and while it had a slow burn in the beginning, it began to take off at a soaring speed once the initial details were set up.
“Evil was a Hollywood creation. Violence was what happened in foreign places fifteen minutes into “Six One News”-so called because, here in Ireland, the evening news started a minute late so the bells of Angelus could be played on national TV. Bad stuff happened to other people, in other places, all of them far, far away from here.”
Right off the bat the author addresses issues of privilege and how different it is for those of us who obtain that privilege, as we never have to feel the realness of everyday violence and terror like a majority of the world. I was initially wary of the characters; neither Sarah nor Adam are particularly likable in the beginning, but as the story takes shape and progresses, the character of Adam grows and progresses too. If I’m honest, the character of Sarah changes and grows as well. What began for me as not wanting to connect with two whiny, grown children formed into a real interest and anxious following of people subject to multiple tragedies. I know this isn’t the entire focus of the story; in fact, most would say “this is a thriller, not literary fiction!”, but I found it endearing and encouraging that a book could contain such relatable characters while keeping up the compulsive readability and excitement to earn the term “psychological thriller”.
I found once the pacing picked up, it didn’t let go until the final pages were turned. Lately I’ve found myself reading a slew of really great mysteries and thrillers that were exciting but also predictable. This was a book I thought I had figured out from early on, before I read the first page to be exact; however, I’m pleased to say that I had none of the plot figured out. There were so many various threads that all came together in the end which made this a twisty read, and while the twists and turns were very exciting and fresh, the entire worth of the book wasn’t weighted on that one aspect. I also greatly appreciated the time and research Ryan-Howard put into this story; while it is fiction, it is very realistic and abides by the current maritime laws we have in the real world. I loved reading her note in the end regarding the research she put in and would be very excited to read an interview with more information on how she incorporated not only these facts, but organizations we all can invest in to help make cruise ships a safer place with a heavier hand of justice for every passenger. Highly recommended to thriller fans, especially those who, like me, are always looking for a good cruise ship themed read. I am beyond excited to see what Catherine decides to write next, as it likely will also be filled with in-depth research translated into an exciting, fictional read.
*Many thanks to the author and publisher for my copy; it was a pleasure to provide an honest, unbiased review.
** I couldn’t find a good place to insert this, but there is a narrative from the past that contains some graphic content that may be disturbing for some readers involving violence toward a child. These scenes were necessary and not added for shock value.
“Evil was a Hollywood creation. Violence was what happened in foreign places fifteen minutes into “Six One News”-so called because, here in Ireland, the evening news started a minute late so the bells of Angelus could be played on national TV. Bad stuff happened to other people, in other places, all of them far, far away from here.”
Right off the bat the author addresses issues of privilege and how different it is for those of us who obtain that privilege, as we never have to feel the realness of everyday violence and terror like a majority of the world. I was initially wary of the characters; neither Sarah nor Adam are particularly likable in the beginning, but as the story takes shape and progresses, the character of Adam grows and progresses too. If I’m honest, the character of Sarah changes and grows as well. What began for me as not wanting to connect with two whiny, grown children formed into a real interest and anxious following of people subject to multiple tragedies. I know this isn’t the entire focus of the story; in fact, most would say “this is a thriller, not literary fiction!”, but I found it endearing and encouraging that a book could contain such relatable characters while keeping up the compulsive readability and excitement to earn the term “psychological thriller”.
I found once the pacing picked up, it didn’t let go until the final pages were turned. Lately I’ve found myself reading a slew of really great mysteries and thrillers that were exciting but also predictable. This was a book I thought I had figured out from early on, before I read the first page to be exact; however, I’m pleased to say that I had none of the plot figured out. There were so many various threads that all came together in the end which made this a twisty read, and while the twists and turns were very exciting and fresh, the entire worth of the book wasn’t weighted on that one aspect. I also greatly appreciated the time and research Ryan-Howard put into this story; while it is fiction, it is very realistic and abides by the current maritime laws we have in the real world. I loved reading her note in the end regarding the research she put in and would be very excited to read an interview with more information on how she incorporated not only these facts, but organizations we all can invest in to help make cruise ships a safer place with a heavier hand of justice for every passenger. Highly recommended to thriller fans, especially those who, like me, are always looking for a good cruise ship themed read. I am beyond excited to see what Catherine decides to write next, as it likely will also be filled with in-depth research translated into an exciting, fictional read.
*Many thanks to the author and publisher for my copy; it was a pleasure to provide an honest, unbiased review.
** I couldn’t find a good place to insert this, but there is a narrative from the past that contains some graphic content that may be disturbing for some readers involving violence toward a child. These scenes were necessary and not added for shock value.
February 5, 2017
2.5* The first half of Distress Signals had all the elements of suspense, mystery, and was on its way to a four star review. However, with two sub plots the novel eventually became overly top-heavy, the ending anti-climatic and rushed. Many other readers have rated Distress Signals much higher and enjoyed it.
** Thank you to Blackstone Publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review. **
** Thank you to Blackstone Publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review. **
September 8, 2020
Days after Sarah fails to return home from a business trip, her boyfriend Adam receives her passport in the mail, along with the following note:
“I’m Sorry-S”
Although Sarah’s best friend, Rose, admits to Adam, that Sarah was planning on leaving him, he cannot believe that she would completely disappear and not even return the phone calls and texts from her worried parents and friends.
He tracks her disappearance to a cruise ship called “Celebrate”.
Turns out, a year earlier, another woman disappeared from the same ship, and the same port, Nice France.
“I’m sorry-E”
Has Sarah started a new life, without him?
Or could a serial killer be preying on women who choose to sail on the “Celebrate”?
This was Catherine Ryan Howard’s debut novel, written in 2016 -
It was both a rising star Best Debut Novel (UK edition) that year and
Shortlisted for the IBA Crime Novel of the Year award for 2016 as well.
And, for good reason!
She captured the “cruise experience” perfectly right down to the employee’s badges listing their name and favorite Port to visit.
She teases you with just a few chapters about Corrine, an older cabin attendant on the ship, and a young, French child, named Romain, without letting you know how they will fit into the story.
And, she always manages to portray the way that those whom Sarah has left behind would think and feel, as they search for answers.
I rated “Rewind” (2019) 5 ⭐️
I rated “The Nothing Man” just released on Aug. 20, 2020-5 ⭐️
And, I wavered between 4 and 5 stars for this one as she caught me by surprise with not one, but two twists, at the end!
Now, I need to read her 2018 novel, “The Liar’s Girl” to be all caught up.
I plan to do that very soon!
Another fun buddy read with DeAnn!
Be sure to check out her review as well!!
“I’m Sorry-S”
Although Sarah’s best friend, Rose, admits to Adam, that Sarah was planning on leaving him, he cannot believe that she would completely disappear and not even return the phone calls and texts from her worried parents and friends.
He tracks her disappearance to a cruise ship called “Celebrate”.
Turns out, a year earlier, another woman disappeared from the same ship, and the same port, Nice France.
“I’m sorry-E”
Has Sarah started a new life, without him?
Or could a serial killer be preying on women who choose to sail on the “Celebrate”?
This was Catherine Ryan Howard’s debut novel, written in 2016 -
It was both a rising star Best Debut Novel (UK edition) that year and
Shortlisted for the IBA Crime Novel of the Year award for 2016 as well.
And, for good reason!
She captured the “cruise experience” perfectly right down to the employee’s badges listing their name and favorite Port to visit.
She teases you with just a few chapters about Corrine, an older cabin attendant on the ship, and a young, French child, named Romain, without letting you know how they will fit into the story.
And, she always manages to portray the way that those whom Sarah has left behind would think and feel, as they search for answers.
I rated “Rewind” (2019) 5 ⭐️
I rated “The Nothing Man” just released on Aug. 20, 2020-5 ⭐️
And, I wavered between 4 and 5 stars for this one as she caught me by surprise with not one, but two twists, at the end!
Now, I need to read her 2018 novel, “The Liar’s Girl” to be all caught up.
I plan to do that very soon!
Another fun buddy read with DeAnn!
Be sure to check out her review as well!!
May 10, 2016
Distress Signals is the perfect storm (yes I really did that) when it comes to psychological thrillers, of which I read an awful lot (sometimes a truly AWFUL lot) this genre being the one exploding everywhere for quite some time now – so to bring to that something that is entirely intelligent, brilliantly plotted throughout and engaging to the point of genius is quite a feat. Hmm.
So with Distress Signals (and trust me you couldn’t pay me a million pounds to get on a cruise ship right now) we have Adam whose girlfriend has disappeared into thin air. Unable to convince anyone that something awful has happened and with no hope of official investigation, he takes it upon himself to find out the truth…risking an emerging career and almost everything else to do so.
With a sharp eye towards character and plotting, Catherine Ryan Howard takes you around the houses, overseas and back again, weaving a twisty tale of relationships gone wrong, secrets hidden and opportunities lost. Beautifully constructed, a web of intrigue with an atmospheric and often downright creepy tone, several strands come together to form a really addictive whole. What I particularly liked about it and what made it stand out for me was the completely cohesive plot – the little nuances, the clever distractions, the colliding of several different events, so that you keep turning those pages to find out the outcome, which may end up surprising you utterly. Its just damned clever and if there was one talent I wish I had, its this one. Sadly no, so you writers will have to keep writing them and I’ll just have to keep finding them.
This reminded me in sense and feeling of Day Four from Sarah Lotz – the cruise ship element of course feeding into that rather random comparison seeing as how Day Four is fantasy and Distress Signals is very very firmly set in reality , but its the atmospheric sense I’m talking about. That thing where you know there is something just around the corner but you can’t QUITE see what it is, that right there is what makes a psychological thriller crackle and pop. Distress Signals crackled and popped more than a whole boxful of Rice Crispies and is a lot more delicious to boot.
(Oh and just on a personal note – I see on Amazon that this book apparently has a “Twist you wont see coming” – PLEASE stop it publicity bods really. Let people enjoy the read, not spend the entirety looking for a twist that may or may not ultimately satisfy. Distress Signals really, the whole THING is a twist. In that its blinking good and the author didn’t need to use any ridiculously unlikely plot devices to achieve that. )
Loved it. Highly Recommended.
So with Distress Signals (and trust me you couldn’t pay me a million pounds to get on a cruise ship right now) we have Adam whose girlfriend has disappeared into thin air. Unable to convince anyone that something awful has happened and with no hope of official investigation, he takes it upon himself to find out the truth…risking an emerging career and almost everything else to do so.
With a sharp eye towards character and plotting, Catherine Ryan Howard takes you around the houses, overseas and back again, weaving a twisty tale of relationships gone wrong, secrets hidden and opportunities lost. Beautifully constructed, a web of intrigue with an atmospheric and often downright creepy tone, several strands come together to form a really addictive whole. What I particularly liked about it and what made it stand out for me was the completely cohesive plot – the little nuances, the clever distractions, the colliding of several different events, so that you keep turning those pages to find out the outcome, which may end up surprising you utterly. Its just damned clever and if there was one talent I wish I had, its this one. Sadly no, so you writers will have to keep writing them and I’ll just have to keep finding them.
This reminded me in sense and feeling of Day Four from Sarah Lotz – the cruise ship element of course feeding into that rather random comparison seeing as how Day Four is fantasy and Distress Signals is very very firmly set in reality , but its the atmospheric sense I’m talking about. That thing where you know there is something just around the corner but you can’t QUITE see what it is, that right there is what makes a psychological thriller crackle and pop. Distress Signals crackled and popped more than a whole boxful of Rice Crispies and is a lot more delicious to boot.
(Oh and just on a personal note – I see on Amazon that this book apparently has a “Twist you wont see coming” – PLEASE stop it publicity bods really. Let people enjoy the read, not spend the entirety looking for a twist that may or may not ultimately satisfy. Distress Signals really, the whole THING is a twist. In that its blinking good and the author didn’t need to use any ridiculously unlikely plot devices to achieve that. )
Loved it. Highly Recommended.
July 6, 2017
As I was listening to Catherine Ryan Howard’s nerve-racking debut thriller, I kept wondering if the book was sold in cruise ship gift shops. If so — eek! Nothing like adding some paranoia to your vacation! Seriously though, DISTRESS SIGNALS was an amazing read. There are many layers to this complex mystery, and the characters really stand out.
When Adam Dunne’s girlfriend Sarah doesn’t return from a business trip, he manages to track her last whereabouts to a Mediterranean cruise ship called the Celebrate. Was she the victim of foul play, or did she decide to disappear on her own? The cruise ship company is less than helpful, and Adam soon discovers that these ships are like their own little cutoff worlds. Maritime law can be a tricky and frustrating thing. When Adam learns of another woman’s disappearance on the same ship a year earlier, he ends up on the Celebrate himself to search for answers.
I enjoyed this book very much. It felt realistic as to what someone would go through to find a missing loved one. Nice build up of tension watching Adam goes through the steps, and trying to figure out how the other characters connect with Sarah’s disappearance. I loved as the layers unfolded, leading up to a surprising twist that changed everything. DISTRESS SIGNALS is going on my 2017 favorites list!
Audiobook • 11 hrs, 42 mins • Narrators: Alan Smyth, Bronson Pinchot, Suzanne Toren
Wonderful performances all-around for the audio version of DISTRESS SIGNALS. Alan Smyth was the voice of Adam, and he did a great job conveying Adam’s desperation and confusion during his search for Sarah. To avoid spoilers, I don’t want to go into detail about Bronson Pinchot’s and Suzanne Toren’s characters, but I will say that their performances were spot-on too, capturing their characters’ nuances. I’d highly recommend giving this book a listen!
Disclosure: I received a copy of this audiobook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
When Adam Dunne’s girlfriend Sarah doesn’t return from a business trip, he manages to track her last whereabouts to a Mediterranean cruise ship called the Celebrate. Was she the victim of foul play, or did she decide to disappear on her own? The cruise ship company is less than helpful, and Adam soon discovers that these ships are like their own little cutoff worlds. Maritime law can be a tricky and frustrating thing. When Adam learns of another woman’s disappearance on the same ship a year earlier, he ends up on the Celebrate himself to search for answers.
I enjoyed this book very much. It felt realistic as to what someone would go through to find a missing loved one. Nice build up of tension watching Adam goes through the steps, and trying to figure out how the other characters connect with Sarah’s disappearance. I loved as the layers unfolded, leading up to a surprising twist that changed everything. DISTRESS SIGNALS is going on my 2017 favorites list!
Audiobook • 11 hrs, 42 mins • Narrators: Alan Smyth, Bronson Pinchot, Suzanne Toren
Wonderful performances all-around for the audio version of DISTRESS SIGNALS. Alan Smyth was the voice of Adam, and he did a great job conveying Adam’s desperation and confusion during his search for Sarah. To avoid spoilers, I don’t want to go into detail about Bronson Pinchot’s and Suzanne Toren’s characters, but I will say that their performances were spot-on too, capturing their characters’ nuances. I’d highly recommend giving this book a listen!
Disclosure: I received a copy of this audiobook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
August 8, 2016
What a terrific story! DISTRESS SIGNALS is a compelling murder mystery wrapped up in the cruise industry. After all, if you want to kill someone, what better place? Do the deed and throw the body overboard in the dark of night. By the time the passenger is reported missing, the ship is many miles away.
There are different stories being told that somehow manage to dovetail together seamlessly. One is Adam ... his girlfriend disappeared on a cruise ship. The other is a mother, a crew member of the same cruise ship, looking for her not very loved adult son.
There are many characters, but easy to follow. Full of surprises, there are major twists toward the end that changes everything you thought you knew. Incredible writing ... I am fairly positive that I will never be boarding a cruise ship.
Highly recommended!
There are different stories being told that somehow manage to dovetail together seamlessly. One is Adam ... his girlfriend disappeared on a cruise ship. The other is a mother, a crew member of the same cruise ship, looking for her not very loved adult son.
There are many characters, but easy to follow. Full of surprises, there are major twists toward the end that changes everything you thought you knew. Incredible writing ... I am fairly positive that I will never be boarding a cruise ship.
Highly recommended!
June 13, 2021
Can there be too many deaths and too many twists? The answers lay within. 5 of 10 stars
September 15, 2017
DISTRESS SIGNALS is the brilliant debut thriller from Catherine Ryan Howard, a Cork-born writer. This is a murder/mystery story taking place on a cruise ship. I really enjoyed this novel and was fully immersed in the story. Keep this author on the radar!
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.
Adam, a writer of screenplays for movies and Sarah, his girlfriend, who works in recruitment have lived together for about eight years. Currently Sarah was in Barcelona on work, a conference…but something was wrong…was she so busy that in two days she hadn’t contacted Adam.
Adam is frantic! Why isn’t she returning his calls or emails? Nobody will believe that something bad has happened to her as it was not in her nature to act this way. Lots of questions that need answering.
To get 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 ...
There is more than one story line to the overall plot, with many characters, but no trouble to follow. Everything comes together in the end. And the ending was a definite surprise…and not one I saw coming!
After reading this novel, I am sure that I will never be boarding a cruise ship...or at least with a more informed mindset.
I highly recommend this debut novel. Looking forward to reading more from this author.
Many thanks to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for supplying a copy of Catherine Ryan Howard's "Distress Signals".
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.
Adam, a writer of screenplays for movies and Sarah, his girlfriend, who works in recruitment have lived together for about eight years. Currently Sarah was in Barcelona on work, a conference…but something was wrong…was she so busy that in two days she hadn’t contacted Adam.
Adam is frantic! Why isn’t she returning his calls or emails? Nobody will believe that something bad has happened to her as it was not in her nature to act this way. Lots of questions that need answering.
To get 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 ...
There is more than one story line to the overall plot, with many characters, but no trouble to follow. Everything comes together in the end. And the ending was a definite surprise…and not one I saw coming!
After reading this novel, I am sure that I will never be boarding a cruise ship...or at least with a more informed mindset.
I highly recommend this debut novel. Looking forward to reading more from this author.
Many thanks to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for supplying a copy of Catherine Ryan Howard's "Distress Signals".
February 19, 2017
3.5 stars
Marketed with a tag line claiming to be "An Incredibly Gripping Psychological Thriller with a Twist You Won't See Coming", this debut thriller from Irish author Catherine Ryan Howard certainly lives up to the billing by virtue of it largely hanging on a little known element of maritime law. Opening with an intriguing prologue Distress Signals then segues into a was she taken or did she disappear thriller.. with thirty-year-old Adam Dunne always firmly one step behind the tail of his girlfriend of ten years, Sarah O'Connell. Having lived with his girlfriend for the last eight years and happily secure about their future together in the light of having brokered a deal to sell his first screenplay to a Hollywood studio (subject to re-writes and edits), Adam is feeling positive. Spending most Saturday nights with a takeaway and box set with occasional nights out with the girls, Sarah's supposed work conference in Barcelona leaves Adam, a notorious procrastinator, with the free time on his hands to complete his rewrites. Since dropping out of university Adam has dreamt of making it as a writer whilst Sarah has worked hard and funded their life together. Promising to pick her up from the airport on her return flight, the last Adam sees of his girlfriend is their final wave goodbye in the departure lounge. When he fails to make contact with Sarah despite seeing messages being read and not returned and comes to understand that Sarah has altered her appearance and intentionally deceived him,a showdown with best friends, Rose and Moorsey, break the bombshell news that Sarah has left Adam for another man. But Adam knows 'his' Sarah and is flabbergasted by her selfish behaviour, from failing to contact her elderly parents to pulling a sickie at work. Everything she seems to be wilfully indulging in is everything that Adam, the man she has spent the last ten years with, thought contrary to her very nature. Adam starts to worry that maybe Sarah's disappearing act is not all it appears.. could she be in danger and subject to duress?
Stymied by the Guards and the Blue Wave cruise liner, Celebrate, that was Sarah's last known whereabouts, Adam refuses to give up his pursuit, but his online research and meeting with another husband, Peter Brazier, whose wife disappeared from the Celebrate exactly one year ago brings renewed hope. As Adam soon finds out, the Guards are not permitted to investigate, as any crime committed at sea falls under the jurisdiction of the police that govern the country in which the ship was registered, and in the case of the Celebrate this means Barbados. Whilst an American passenger would be the responsibility of the FBI for all other countries the former law applies and seeing as Peter's wife and Sarah were British and Irish respectively, the two men decide to go it alone.. As Adam and Peter unite to venture aboard the Celebrate are they prepared for a confrontation with a cruise ship serial killer?
I was fascinated by the hoops which Adam was forced to jump through on the way to reporting Sarah's disappearance and with the Garda seeing her behaviour as all wilfully contributing to alter her appearance and employed duplicitous behaviour in order to avoid detection. The bizarre array of tricks we play in an effort to impatiently wait for a communication all come into play, from a phone going straight to voicemail after having rung unanswered for days and the news that a text message has been delivered and read becoming mired with implications. The constant refreshes on all technological applications certainly heightens the tension in Distress Signals and ratchets up the suspense element for a cracking start.
A second thread runs alongside the Adam and Sarah mystery and involves Corinne Dupont, a French native and grey haired member of cabin staff aboard the Celebrate seeking a reunion with the son she lost contact with. Given the corresponding tale of Romain, a young boy with a history marred by misunderstanding whose mother ostracises him from the family, it isn't hard to see where this thread is leading. Readers first hear of Romi (Romain) as a young boy in 1989 and at various junctures his tale and misdemeanours are relayed. Despite being equally moving, working out how it all links back to the main Adam and Sarah theme thread is a near impossibility. Whilst I did not find it hard to move between the two storylines, others may find this a hindrance as it interrupts the fascinating main Adam and Sarah plot.
At 350 pages Distress Signals seemed a little drawn out, overemphasising the idiosyncrasies of maritime law, and is probably best consumed at a relative pace for fear of forgetting the intricacies and hoops which Catherine Ryan Howard jumps through on route to the finale. Overall though, Distress Signals is a wonderfully immersive story with numerous twists and turns which will keep readers hooked. An enjoyable ride but all in all a convoluted affair which requires readers to follow a treacherous journey, riddled with convenient coincidences making the pay-off at conclusion underwhelming. However, it is certainly fun to suspend disbelief and it was the second half of the novel where the story floundered, losing credibility and ending in what felt a slightly rushed conclusion.
Marketed with a tag line claiming to be "An Incredibly Gripping Psychological Thriller with a Twist You Won't See Coming", this debut thriller from Irish author Catherine Ryan Howard certainly lives up to the billing by virtue of it largely hanging on a little known element of maritime law. Opening with an intriguing prologue Distress Signals then segues into a was she taken or did she disappear thriller.. with thirty-year-old Adam Dunne always firmly one step behind the tail of his girlfriend of ten years, Sarah O'Connell. Having lived with his girlfriend for the last eight years and happily secure about their future together in the light of having brokered a deal to sell his first screenplay to a Hollywood studio (subject to re-writes and edits), Adam is feeling positive. Spending most Saturday nights with a takeaway and box set with occasional nights out with the girls, Sarah's supposed work conference in Barcelona leaves Adam, a notorious procrastinator, with the free time on his hands to complete his rewrites. Since dropping out of university Adam has dreamt of making it as a writer whilst Sarah has worked hard and funded their life together. Promising to pick her up from the airport on her return flight, the last Adam sees of his girlfriend is their final wave goodbye in the departure lounge. When he fails to make contact with Sarah despite seeing messages being read and not returned and comes to understand that Sarah has altered her appearance and intentionally deceived him,a showdown with best friends, Rose and Moorsey, break the bombshell news that Sarah has left Adam for another man. But Adam knows 'his' Sarah and is flabbergasted by her selfish behaviour, from failing to contact her elderly parents to pulling a sickie at work. Everything she seems to be wilfully indulging in is everything that Adam, the man she has spent the last ten years with, thought contrary to her very nature. Adam starts to worry that maybe Sarah's disappearing act is not all it appears.. could she be in danger and subject to duress?
Stymied by the Guards and the Blue Wave cruise liner, Celebrate, that was Sarah's last known whereabouts, Adam refuses to give up his pursuit, but his online research and meeting with another husband, Peter Brazier, whose wife disappeared from the Celebrate exactly one year ago brings renewed hope. As Adam soon finds out, the Guards are not permitted to investigate, as any crime committed at sea falls under the jurisdiction of the police that govern the country in which the ship was registered, and in the case of the Celebrate this means Barbados. Whilst an American passenger would be the responsibility of the FBI for all other countries the former law applies and seeing as Peter's wife and Sarah were British and Irish respectively, the two men decide to go it alone.. As Adam and Peter unite to venture aboard the Celebrate are they prepared for a confrontation with a cruise ship serial killer?
I was fascinated by the hoops which Adam was forced to jump through on the way to reporting Sarah's disappearance and with the Garda seeing her behaviour as all wilfully contributing to alter her appearance and employed duplicitous behaviour in order to avoid detection. The bizarre array of tricks we play in an effort to impatiently wait for a communication all come into play, from a phone going straight to voicemail after having rung unanswered for days and the news that a text message has been delivered and read becoming mired with implications. The constant refreshes on all technological applications certainly heightens the tension in Distress Signals and ratchets up the suspense element for a cracking start.
A second thread runs alongside the Adam and Sarah mystery and involves Corinne Dupont, a French native and grey haired member of cabin staff aboard the Celebrate seeking a reunion with the son she lost contact with. Given the corresponding tale of Romain, a young boy with a history marred by misunderstanding whose mother ostracises him from the family, it isn't hard to see where this thread is leading. Readers first hear of Romi (Romain) as a young boy in 1989 and at various junctures his tale and misdemeanours are relayed. Despite being equally moving, working out how it all links back to the main Adam and Sarah theme thread is a near impossibility. Whilst I did not find it hard to move between the two storylines, others may find this a hindrance as it interrupts the fascinating main Adam and Sarah plot.
At 350 pages Distress Signals seemed a little drawn out, overemphasising the idiosyncrasies of maritime law, and is probably best consumed at a relative pace for fear of forgetting the intricacies and hoops which Catherine Ryan Howard jumps through on route to the finale. Overall though, Distress Signals is a wonderfully immersive story with numerous twists and turns which will keep readers hooked. An enjoyable ride but all in all a convoluted affair which requires readers to follow a treacherous journey, riddled with convenient coincidences making the pay-off at conclusion underwhelming. However, it is certainly fun to suspend disbelief and it was the second half of the novel where the story floundered, losing credibility and ending in what felt a slightly rushed conclusion.
February 4, 2017
All of my reviews can be found on www.novelgossip.com
This opened with my favorite type of prologue, just enough to get you curious about what lead to a dramatic event, but leaves enough to the imagination that you’re still utterly clueless.
Adam and Sarah have been together ten years, and things are going well for them. Or are they really? Adam has finally sold his script to a Hollywood production company and they finally have more breathing room financially. Then Sarah heads Barcelona for a work conference and never disembarks from the plane home. Suddenly, Adam realizes that there are things he doesn’t know about his girlfriend. When he seeks help, the local Garda are unconcerned and feel he has nothing to worry about. He has no choice but to take matters into his own hands and unwittingly finds himself in grave danger.
Psychological thrillers are, dare I say it? My favorite genre, I read them every chance I get. This one is a standout and one I can highly recommend for fans of the genre. There are several perspectives; Adam as he searches for Sarah, Corinne, a woman who works on the Celebrate, and Romain, though his are mostly told in flashbacks starting in the nineties. Corinne’s sections made sense as there was an obvious connection to Adam and Sarah, but I drove myself crazy trying to figure out how Romain would tie in. When all these storylines are finally weaved together it’s incredible, Ryan Howard truly knows how to craft a complex plot. I felt a bit like Adam must have as I was trying to fit puzzle pieces together, like I was missing something obvious, but what?!
Apparently a cruise ship is the perfect place to commit a crime as maritime law makes things very muddled and confusing. Jurisdictions are murky and most times, heads are turned as it’s easier to avoid the headache. Being made aware of this by the author added an extra layer of tension as the story unfolded, and it was already on the suspenseful side to begin with. I’m so appreciative of a tragic ending, but also one that is able to shock and awe me, and this one managed to do both. It also broke my heart, if you’ve read this, you’ll know exactly what I mean. What a remarkable debut, I’ll be watching Catherine Ryan Howard’s career closely.
This opened with my favorite type of prologue, just enough to get you curious about what lead to a dramatic event, but leaves enough to the imagination that you’re still utterly clueless.
Adam and Sarah have been together ten years, and things are going well for them. Or are they really? Adam has finally sold his script to a Hollywood production company and they finally have more breathing room financially. Then Sarah heads Barcelona for a work conference and never disembarks from the plane home. Suddenly, Adam realizes that there are things he doesn’t know about his girlfriend. When he seeks help, the local Garda are unconcerned and feel he has nothing to worry about. He has no choice but to take matters into his own hands and unwittingly finds himself in grave danger.
Psychological thrillers are, dare I say it? My favorite genre, I read them every chance I get. This one is a standout and one I can highly recommend for fans of the genre. There are several perspectives; Adam as he searches for Sarah, Corinne, a woman who works on the Celebrate, and Romain, though his are mostly told in flashbacks starting in the nineties. Corinne’s sections made sense as there was an obvious connection to Adam and Sarah, but I drove myself crazy trying to figure out how Romain would tie in. When all these storylines are finally weaved together it’s incredible, Ryan Howard truly knows how to craft a complex plot. I felt a bit like Adam must have as I was trying to fit puzzle pieces together, like I was missing something obvious, but what?!
Apparently a cruise ship is the perfect place to commit a crime as maritime law makes things very muddled and confusing. Jurisdictions are murky and most times, heads are turned as it’s easier to avoid the headache. Being made aware of this by the author added an extra layer of tension as the story unfolded, and it was already on the suspenseful side to begin with. I’m so appreciative of a tragic ending, but also one that is able to shock and awe me, and this one managed to do both. It also broke my heart, if you’ve read this, you’ll know exactly what I mean. What a remarkable debut, I’ll be watching Catherine Ryan Howard’s career closely.
May 5, 2016
I started Distress Signals and within the first 13 pages I was grabbed hook, line and sinker (see what I did there!).This book was just brilliant! Once I started reading, I didn’t want to stop!!! I loved everything about it to be honest. The writing style makes the book easy to read, and the story flows well.Distress Signals is about Adam and Sarah, who are living happily together, with Sarah working while Adam is working on his script for his agent. Sarah is to go to Barcelona for a conference and doesn’t return, and when Adam gets her passport in the post with a note attached he thinks something has happened.What ensues is a chaotic search for Sarah. This in turn raises more questions about what was really going on in their relationship. It leads Adam far from home and into danger.
I’m useless at describing what happens in books, this is why I let the blurb do the talking usually!!!:)
I loved this book as it switched between present and past, but the reader didn’t know where the past was going to figure in the book. I have to be honest, the glimpses into the past made me feel really uncomfortable reading them. The subject matter is rather sensitive at times I think! However, once everything was pieced together, i almost felt like banging my head for not realising!!!!Catherine Ryan Howard has written a great novel in Distress Signals. It is a tense, fast read with a really great story.
I’m useless at describing what happens in books, this is why I let the blurb do the talking usually!!!:)
I loved this book as it switched between present and past, but the reader didn’t know where the past was going to figure in the book. I have to be honest, the glimpses into the past made me feel really uncomfortable reading them. The subject matter is rather sensitive at times I think! However, once everything was pieced together, i almost felt like banging my head for not realising!!!!Catherine Ryan Howard has written a great novel in Distress Signals. It is a tense, fast read with a really great story.
March 22, 2021
I think I am finally all caught up with CRH's most recent books and like her previous ones, Distress Signals did not disappoint. The prologue did its job effectively and lured me in from the start. She is an author who is always consistent in engaging me with her storytelling and holding my interest until the end.
Having spent 4 years working on cruise ships as a nurse, I was particularly drawn to the details about maritime law and some of the shady things that go down on the high seas. I could empathize with Adam and his state of mind as he was trying to figure out what happened to Sarah. His anxiety was tangible as he searched for answers and followed clues. I thought I had it figured out, but nope I was duped at the end much to my surprise. 4 stars.
Having spent 4 years working on cruise ships as a nurse, I was particularly drawn to the details about maritime law and some of the shady things that go down on the high seas. I could empathize with Adam and his state of mind as he was trying to figure out what happened to Sarah. His anxiety was tangible as he searched for answers and followed clues. I thought I had it figured out, but nope I was duped at the end much to my surprise. 4 stars.
January 25, 2022
Right...so between this & (I cannot remember which) Late Night Talk show hit piece on Cruises I'm pretty sure I *NEVER* want to go on one 😱
Similar to The Liar's Girl, this story unfolds through different PoVs but here we don't know how they interconnect - which I LOVE for storytelling as we get extra snippets & puzzle pieces to play with 😎
While I guessed one reveal early on and had an inkling to part of another - I was kept on my toes for more of this read than others as I tried to figure out how the clues fit together...such a fun time and makes this a 4.25* 🤩
Again I listened to the audiobook for this (my fav way to read mystery thrillers) and while on the one hand I really liked the Cork & French accents used by the narrators here I was slightly saddened that when other nationalities were introduced (no spoilers) they weren't incorporated when those characters were talking - although maybe this might have been because those characters don't get PoV chapters 🤔 it was still a bugbear & like one I had for the previous book when "incorrect" accent deployed for Corkonian character so I was very heartened not to listen to Dub'lish again but got to enjoy the "dulcet" tones of my mother's people 🤭
Yes I'm a picky wossface & pain in the proverbial...still I cannot wait to continue listening to more of Catherine Ryan Howard's releases! Next up in chronological publishing order - Rewind which sounds like another addictive & possibly freakier reading experience awaits 😈🙃🤞
Similar to The Liar's Girl, this story unfolds through different PoVs but here we don't know how they interconnect - which I LOVE for storytelling as we get extra snippets & puzzle pieces to play with 😎
While I guessed one reveal early on and had an inkling to part of another - I was kept on my toes for more of this read than others as I tried to figure out how the clues fit together...such a fun time and makes this a 4.25* 🤩
Again I listened to the audiobook for this (my fav way to read mystery thrillers) and while on the one hand I really liked the Cork & French accents used by the narrators here I was slightly saddened that when other nationalities were introduced (no spoilers) they weren't incorporated when those characters were talking - although maybe this might have been because those characters don't get PoV chapters 🤔 it was still a bugbear & like one I had for the previous book when "incorrect" accent deployed for Corkonian character so I was very heartened not to listen to Dub'lish again but got to enjoy the "dulcet" tones of my mother's people 🤭
Yes I'm a picky wossface & pain in the proverbial...still I cannot wait to continue listening to more of Catherine Ryan Howard's releases! Next up in chronological publishing order - Rewind which sounds like another addictive & possibly freakier reading experience awaits 😈🙃🤞
June 15, 2021
A must buy must read! Catherine Ryan Howard is an excellent writer. I was unable to put the paperback Distress Signals down. This is certainly a must read for all thriller fans. Adam who is a script writer takes his girlfriend, Sarah to Cork airport to get a flight to Barcelona for a four day conference. Sarah fails returns home off the flight from Barcelona. There is no evidence, but Adam and Sarah's parents report Sarah as missing. Adam connects Sarah to a cruise ship, where truths about Adam's and Sarah's relationship are revealed. A lot more goes on this page turning suspenseful story. I urge all readers to buy this top class novel.
May 2, 2016
Adam Dunne has turned a corner. After years of being a struggling writer, his script has piqued interest and it looks like his life is about to become everything he has dreamed of. He can't wait for his girlfriend, Sarah, to return from a business trip to Barcelona so the celebrations can begin in earnest. There is just one problem. He can't contact her. When she fails to arrive back on her planned flight, Adam realizes something is terribly wrong. Digging deeper, he discovers that she was not even meant to be on a work trip. It seems she had embarked on a cruise, and not alone either. A handwritten note arrives at Adam's home, attached to Sarah's passport, with the simple words "I'm sorry". Adam refuses to believe that Sarah has simply left him, and as the authorities are subject to 'at sea' restrictions, he begins his own investigation into Sarah's disappearance...
Catherine Ryan Howard's thriller debut is something special. She has taken the crime fiction genre and cleverly added an element of legal and procedural uncertainty. What happens when a crime is committed aboard a cruise ship, miles from land? What country has jurisdiction and is there a definitive person, or even state, to hold responsible for any wrong doing? These questions are addressed and answered as we travel alongside Adam on his quest for the truth. There are parallel stories intertwined throughout the novel, where the reader is treated to snippets of other lives and the atmosphere is taut and thrilling. The cruise ship, the Celebrate, is a character in itself. Its many bars, restaurants, swimming pools and staff quarters make for fine reading. The onboard politics are divulged whilst the secrets are hidden behind many doors and on many different levels. Surrounded by the ocean, the waves of intrigue gain momentum and the chapters lead the reader on a bumpy ride of climatic thrills. This is one of those books that has you thinking 'just one more chapter' at each sitting. A constant, thrilling pace is maintained throughout with no unnecessary padding and each chapter is equally as important as the last. There are red herrings, blind corners and a multitude of possible endings. Don't be overly confident that you have it all figured out, as each page brings more possibilities.
Distress Signals is a brave and assertive fiction debut from this young Irish author. She writes with confidence, without facetiousness and has earned her place alongside some great crime fiction writers from this small island. Don't presume that it is a book just for females either. The cover is misleading. A male protagonist and sharp, snappy dialogue makes this ideal for fans of Harlan Coben, David Baldacci and James Patterson. I cannot think of a better book to grab for the summer holidays than this one. It has it all. From Cork to Barcelona and onto the vast oceans of a cruise company's well-travelled routes, this is a page-turner that should be packed in every suitcase this year. Just don't expect to dip in and out of it. It will grab you from the very start and you will lose all sense of reality while it's in your hands. Maybe buy two copies, as your spouse/partner/friend may feel a little left out? I promise they will be just as hooked as you will be...
Catherine Ryan Howard's thriller debut is something special. She has taken the crime fiction genre and cleverly added an element of legal and procedural uncertainty. What happens when a crime is committed aboard a cruise ship, miles from land? What country has jurisdiction and is there a definitive person, or even state, to hold responsible for any wrong doing? These questions are addressed and answered as we travel alongside Adam on his quest for the truth. There are parallel stories intertwined throughout the novel, where the reader is treated to snippets of other lives and the atmosphere is taut and thrilling. The cruise ship, the Celebrate, is a character in itself. Its many bars, restaurants, swimming pools and staff quarters make for fine reading. The onboard politics are divulged whilst the secrets are hidden behind many doors and on many different levels. Surrounded by the ocean, the waves of intrigue gain momentum and the chapters lead the reader on a bumpy ride of climatic thrills. This is one of those books that has you thinking 'just one more chapter' at each sitting. A constant, thrilling pace is maintained throughout with no unnecessary padding and each chapter is equally as important as the last. There are red herrings, blind corners and a multitude of possible endings. Don't be overly confident that you have it all figured out, as each page brings more possibilities.
Distress Signals is a brave and assertive fiction debut from this young Irish author. She writes with confidence, without facetiousness and has earned her place alongside some great crime fiction writers from this small island. Don't presume that it is a book just for females either. The cover is misleading. A male protagonist and sharp, snappy dialogue makes this ideal for fans of Harlan Coben, David Baldacci and James Patterson. I cannot think of a better book to grab for the summer holidays than this one. It has it all. From Cork to Barcelona and onto the vast oceans of a cruise company's well-travelled routes, this is a page-turner that should be packed in every suitcase this year. Just don't expect to dip in and out of it. It will grab you from the very start and you will lose all sense of reality while it's in your hands. Maybe buy two copies, as your spouse/partner/friend may feel a little left out? I promise they will be just as hooked as you will be...
March 2, 2021
Audio 5 Stars
Story 3.5 Stars
Story 3.5 Stars
October 20, 2017
I was so looking forward to this but, sadly, it did not quite live up to expectations.
Adam's girlfriend, Sarah, doesn't return from a four day conference in Barcelona. He soon reports her missing but the police (Garda, as they live in Ireland) couldn't be less interested. Sarah is an adult blah blah. So Adam looks into things on his own and learns that Sarah spent only one night in the hotel she was supposed to be staying at. Then he learns that she actually joined a cruise ship the next day. She apparently disembarked in Nice and hasn't been heard from since.
Adam is beside himself. Eventually, Sarah's best friend tells him something he didn't want to hear but that still doesn't explain where Sarah is. Adam looks online and finds a frightening number of incidents and disappearances take place on cruise ships. He notices the story of Peter whose wife, Estelle, disappeared from the same ship in almost identical circumstances. Adam and Peter join the ship to take the same cruise in an effort to find out what happened to their women.
So far so good. It went a bit down hill from there. Some of the shipboard antics were just silly. Too many coincidences seemed to stack up and the ending, well it wasn't predictable but it didn't make a lot of sense either. Who would do that? As far as shipboard mysteries go, I think Ruth Ware's The Woman In Cabin 10 was a better book.
Adam's girlfriend, Sarah, doesn't return from a four day conference in Barcelona. He soon reports her missing but the police (Garda, as they live in Ireland) couldn't be less interested. Sarah is an adult blah blah. So Adam looks into things on his own and learns that Sarah spent only one night in the hotel she was supposed to be staying at. Then he learns that she actually joined a cruise ship the next day. She apparently disembarked in Nice and hasn't been heard from since.
Adam is beside himself. Eventually, Sarah's best friend tells him something he didn't want to hear but that still doesn't explain where Sarah is. Adam looks online and finds a frightening number of incidents and disappearances take place on cruise ships. He notices the story of Peter whose wife, Estelle, disappeared from the same ship in almost identical circumstances. Adam and Peter join the ship to take the same cruise in an effort to find out what happened to their women.
So far so good. It went a bit down hill from there. Some of the shipboard antics were just silly. Too many coincidences seemed to stack up and the ending, well it wasn't predictable but it didn't make a lot of sense either. Who would do that? As far as shipboard mysteries go, I think Ruth Ware's The Woman In Cabin 10 was a better book.
August 16, 2016
This review was originally posted on [Between My Lines]
Green Giants is my feature where I share some of my favourite books by Irish Authors. I’m passionate about Irish Authors, as they supply us with an entertaining and exciting mix of books, so hopefully you will find something new to try. Today I’m featuring Distress Signals by Catherine Ryan Howard which intrigued and confounded me .
Distress Signals kicks off with a girl who fails to return from a work trip and then sidelines us with a note saying ‘I’m sorry’. Before we know it we are floundering blindly through an intriguing mystery.
First line of Distress Signals by Catherine Ryan Howard
My thoughts on Distress Signals by Catherine Ryan Howard
This page-turning mystery perplexed and fascinated me. The main character Adam can’t understand what happened to his girlfriend and in his attempts to track her down; he discovers things about Sarah that make no sense to him. I loved his confusion as it mirrored mine.
Location, Location!
The setting jumps from Cork, Ireland to a luxurious cruise ship, Celebrate that set off from Barcelona. Both settings described lively locations and oozed atmosphere. I loved the Cork setting in particular as I know it so well. Adam writes screenplays and has finally landed his first contract. I loved the glimpses into his working life as it felt authentic . I feel certain that the sheer hard slog represents the experiences of many would be authors.
Adams’s logical mind impressed me too. As a writer, he is adept at research. So when Sarah vanishes, he draws on the internet to try to retrace her steps and to figure out the hows and the whys. I never understand why more people don’t do this in crime fiction, as it’s an obvious starting point for me.
I couldn’t connect the dots!
For the majority of the book I was puzzled. I couldn’t make all the characters and the plotlines fit together into a clear picture. I love when the suspense is held as all too often I guess the plot and it’s so much more satisfying to spend the book speculating. Or in the case of this one, I was lost at sea and paddling around in circles but making zero progress!
The author explains Maritime Law which makes the setting at sea so much scarier. In fact I no longer think of cruise ships as relaxing locations. Now they seem far more sinister and not so appealing! But then again if I won a free one, I would take my chances!
Overall this is a well written début novel that establishes Catherine Ryan Howard as a suspense writer worth watching.
Who should read Distress Signals by Catherine Ryan Howard?
I’d highly recommend this to you if you like layered suspense novels and a mystery to keep you reading late into the night. Fans of Ruth Ware, Liz Nugent and Linwood Barclay should also appreciate this one.
Green Giants is my feature where I share some of my favourite books by Irish Authors. I’m passionate about Irish Authors, as they supply us with an entertaining and exciting mix of books, so hopefully you will find something new to try. Today I’m featuring Distress Signals by Catherine Ryan Howard which intrigued and confounded me .
Distress Signals kicks off with a girl who fails to return from a work trip and then sidelines us with a note saying ‘I’m sorry’. Before we know it we are floundering blindly through an intriguing mystery.
First line of Distress Signals by Catherine Ryan Howard
“I jump before I decide I’m going to.”
My thoughts on Distress Signals by Catherine Ryan Howard
This page-turning mystery perplexed and fascinated me. The main character Adam can’t understand what happened to his girlfriend and in his attempts to track her down; he discovers things about Sarah that make no sense to him. I loved his confusion as it mirrored mine.
Location, Location!
The setting jumps from Cork, Ireland to a luxurious cruise ship, Celebrate that set off from Barcelona. Both settings described lively locations and oozed atmosphere. I loved the Cork setting in particular as I know it so well. Adam writes screenplays and has finally landed his first contract. I loved the glimpses into his working life as it felt authentic . I feel certain that the sheer hard slog represents the experiences of many would be authors.
Adams’s logical mind impressed me too. As a writer, he is adept at research. So when Sarah vanishes, he draws on the internet to try to retrace her steps and to figure out the hows and the whys. I never understand why more people don’t do this in crime fiction, as it’s an obvious starting point for me.
I couldn’t connect the dots!
For the majority of the book I was puzzled. I couldn’t make all the characters and the plotlines fit together into a clear picture. I love when the suspense is held as all too often I guess the plot and it’s so much more satisfying to spend the book speculating. Or in the case of this one, I was lost at sea and paddling around in circles but making zero progress!
The author explains Maritime Law which makes the setting at sea so much scarier. In fact I no longer think of cruise ships as relaxing locations. Now they seem far more sinister and not so appealing! But then again if I won a free one, I would take my chances!
Overall this is a well written début novel that establishes Catherine Ryan Howard as a suspense writer worth watching.
Who should read Distress Signals by Catherine Ryan Howard?
I’d highly recommend this to you if you like layered suspense novels and a mystery to keep you reading late into the night. Fans of Ruth Ware, Liz Nugent and Linwood Barclay should also appreciate this one.
May 7, 2016
4.5*
Adam and Sarah have been together for over 10 years. Adam's ambition is to be a writer and whilst he has been pursuing this dream Sarah has been the breadwinner. It’s been a struggle but finally life is looking better. Adam has a film studio interested in his script but it needs some editing. Sarah tells him that she has to go to Barcelona for a work conference for a few days, instead of going with her Adam stays home to work. He sees her off at the airport, goes home and waits for Sarah to contact him, and waits……and waits.
It is actually quite believable that you wouldn’t be too alarmed for a day or so - you'd tell yourself that Sarah might have lost her phone, or it's out of charge. It’s a little surprising that she can’t get in contact at all but maybe she really is genuinely so busy at this conference. Its only as the days pass that Adam becomes increasingly more concerned. He then discovers something that completely rocks his world.
Distress Signals is Catherine Ryan Howard’s debut thriller and it really is very different. For one thing, a cruise ship is a major character in the story. In-between the main chapters of Adam’s efforts to find Sarah, we hear the story of a young French boy, Romain and follow him through the late 1980/early 1990s. There is something quite sad but disturbing about him and I wondered how he connected to the story?
As well as the thriller element, the book gives insight into the life of a crew member on a cruise ship. One such crew member featuring here is Corinne, one of the cabin attendants. She is older than many of her colleagues and you can feel her weariness through the pages. As a cruise passenger, I’ve seen at first-hand how hard the crew work and what long hours they do and so I had a great deal of sympathy for Corrine. However there is a mystery surrounding her which adds another element of suspense to the story and again, her connection will keep you wondering. One very interesting fact included in the story which I wasn’t aware of, was concerning the maritime law and international waters – any investigation into a death or disappearance on a ship is the responsibility of the country where the ship is registered unless an American citizen is involved and then the FBI automatically has jurisdiction. In this story, the cruise company, Blue Wave, take full advantage of this maritime law and do their very best to best to hush up any incidents.
The reader can feel Adam’s frustration with the lack of assistance from the Irish Garda. Because Sarah was an adult she was not considered to be ‘at risk’ and the feeling was that she had chosen to disappear. Even when they were faced with evidence showing that there were suspicious circumstances, not much help was forthcoming and it was down to Adam to make his own investigations. I liked Adam. He was an unremarkable man caught up in a remarkable set of circumstances and his efforts put the Garda to shame.
The author writes confidently, her characters are believable and her writing style generally is very readable. The various threads to the story are suspenseful in their own right and all the way through I was trying to guess how they tied in. I thought I had worked it out but then another twist would appear and throw me off course. Every time I had to put the book down, I was keen to get back to it which for me, always makes for an enjoyable read. For a debut thriller this was very good indeed and I would certainly like to read more by Catherine Ryan Howard.
My thanks to the publisher Corvus for the paperback copy to review.
Adam and Sarah have been together for over 10 years. Adam's ambition is to be a writer and whilst he has been pursuing this dream Sarah has been the breadwinner. It’s been a struggle but finally life is looking better. Adam has a film studio interested in his script but it needs some editing. Sarah tells him that she has to go to Barcelona for a work conference for a few days, instead of going with her Adam stays home to work. He sees her off at the airport, goes home and waits for Sarah to contact him, and waits……and waits.
It is actually quite believable that you wouldn’t be too alarmed for a day or so - you'd tell yourself that Sarah might have lost her phone, or it's out of charge. It’s a little surprising that she can’t get in contact at all but maybe she really is genuinely so busy at this conference. Its only as the days pass that Adam becomes increasingly more concerned. He then discovers something that completely rocks his world.
Distress Signals is Catherine Ryan Howard’s debut thriller and it really is very different. For one thing, a cruise ship is a major character in the story. In-between the main chapters of Adam’s efforts to find Sarah, we hear the story of a young French boy, Romain and follow him through the late 1980/early 1990s. There is something quite sad but disturbing about him and I wondered how he connected to the story?
As well as the thriller element, the book gives insight into the life of a crew member on a cruise ship. One such crew member featuring here is Corinne, one of the cabin attendants. She is older than many of her colleagues and you can feel her weariness through the pages. As a cruise passenger, I’ve seen at first-hand how hard the crew work and what long hours they do and so I had a great deal of sympathy for Corrine. However there is a mystery surrounding her which adds another element of suspense to the story and again, her connection will keep you wondering. One very interesting fact included in the story which I wasn’t aware of, was concerning the maritime law and international waters – any investigation into a death or disappearance on a ship is the responsibility of the country where the ship is registered unless an American citizen is involved and then the FBI automatically has jurisdiction. In this story, the cruise company, Blue Wave, take full advantage of this maritime law and do their very best to best to hush up any incidents.
The reader can feel Adam’s frustration with the lack of assistance from the Irish Garda. Because Sarah was an adult she was not considered to be ‘at risk’ and the feeling was that she had chosen to disappear. Even when they were faced with evidence showing that there were suspicious circumstances, not much help was forthcoming and it was down to Adam to make his own investigations. I liked Adam. He was an unremarkable man caught up in a remarkable set of circumstances and his efforts put the Garda to shame.
The author writes confidently, her characters are believable and her writing style generally is very readable. The various threads to the story are suspenseful in their own right and all the way through I was trying to guess how they tied in. I thought I had worked it out but then another twist would appear and throw me off course. Every time I had to put the book down, I was keen to get back to it which for me, always makes for an enjoyable read. For a debut thriller this was very good indeed and I would certainly like to read more by Catherine Ryan Howard.
My thanks to the publisher Corvus for the paperback copy to review.
August 26, 2016
I was so glad that I didn't go on a cruise for my summer holidays this year after reading Distress Signals! Lounging by a hotel pool seemed a much better idea especially after watching a few programmes recently about cruise liners-i really had absolutely no idea how big they really were! It was also a shock to find out just how much goes on behind the scenes of a big and successful cruise ship. And here Catherine Ryan Howard has created a complex mystery based around what has become a very popular holiday for all ages in recent years.
Adam Dunne has been with his girlfriend for nearly 10 years. He has been trying to make it as a scriptwriter and is actually on the brink of his big breakthrough. All it needs is a rewrite, his agent is on his case, and a large cheque will be deposited in his bank account. His dreams will have come true! But what about his dependable girlfriend Sarah? Her job means that she is off to Barcelona for a few days. Adam isn't worried when she isn't in contact much, it's work and she will be busy. But when he goes to collect her from the airport, she isn't there and seems to have disappeared into thin air. Adam won't leave any stone unturned until he finds out what has happened to her and the trail leads him to a large cruise liner...the Celebrate.
I really loved Adam!!! He was just your typical Mr Dependable, stuck in his social routine, not reading any of the signs that were pretty obvious when he looked back on them. He thinks the money he makes will solve all his problems and he and Sarah will live happily ever after. But a different Adam emerges when Sarah goes missing and he physically can't rest until he finds out what happens to her.
The author has really done a brilliant job of creating a storyline here that is based on factual accounts of things that have happened on cruise liners. I found it absolutely fascinating especially how maritime law works which seems a rather bizarre way of solving crimes that happen at sea. It really was an ingenious way to involve her characters into the plot, which was a twisty journey to find out what had happened not just to Sarah but also others who had disappeared under mysterious circumstances. I was totally behind Adam all the way even though the prologue shows us a side of him that doesn't seem to tie with the person we meet at the beginning. The three viewpoints keep us guessing how all the threads of the story will come together and I have to admit that I thought I knew where this was going BUT I wasn't as clever as I thought I was!
This is a great debut from an author who really seems to have an in-depth understanding of today's traveller and I thought it was thoroughly well researched so that the plot flowed with ease. The pace never flagged and I was totally caught up in the plight of Adam as he searched to find out the truth.
Highly recommended!
Adam Dunne has been with his girlfriend for nearly 10 years. He has been trying to make it as a scriptwriter and is actually on the brink of his big breakthrough. All it needs is a rewrite, his agent is on his case, and a large cheque will be deposited in his bank account. His dreams will have come true! But what about his dependable girlfriend Sarah? Her job means that she is off to Barcelona for a few days. Adam isn't worried when she isn't in contact much, it's work and she will be busy. But when he goes to collect her from the airport, she isn't there and seems to have disappeared into thin air. Adam won't leave any stone unturned until he finds out what has happened to her and the trail leads him to a large cruise liner...the Celebrate.
I really loved Adam!!! He was just your typical Mr Dependable, stuck in his social routine, not reading any of the signs that were pretty obvious when he looked back on them. He thinks the money he makes will solve all his problems and he and Sarah will live happily ever after. But a different Adam emerges when Sarah goes missing and he physically can't rest until he finds out what happens to her.
The author has really done a brilliant job of creating a storyline here that is based on factual accounts of things that have happened on cruise liners. I found it absolutely fascinating especially how maritime law works which seems a rather bizarre way of solving crimes that happen at sea. It really was an ingenious way to involve her characters into the plot, which was a twisty journey to find out what had happened not just to Sarah but also others who had disappeared under mysterious circumstances. I was totally behind Adam all the way even though the prologue shows us a side of him that doesn't seem to tie with the person we meet at the beginning. The three viewpoints keep us guessing how all the threads of the story will come together and I have to admit that I thought I knew where this was going BUT I wasn't as clever as I thought I was!
This is a great debut from an author who really seems to have an in-depth understanding of today's traveller and I thought it was thoroughly well researched so that the plot flowed with ease. The pace never flagged and I was totally caught up in the plight of Adam as he searched to find out the truth.
Highly recommended!
November 12, 2020
4.5 stars rounded up (to read my original review of this novel visit: https://fictionophile.wordpress.com/
Adam Dunne and Sarah O'Connell have been living together for almost a decade now. He is a screenwriter waiting for his 'big break'. She works in PR and supports them both. Adam has just received some good news and finally reaps some success from his writing.
When Sarah tells Adam she is flying to Barcelona for a conference, he doesn't think twice. After an initial message when she first arrives, he doesn't hear from her again. He becomes more and more concerned. Then he receives her passport in the mail. She doesn't arrive home on the scheduled day. Her parents are equally concerned about her well-being. They go to the Garda in Cork, but they are unhelpful saying that Sarah is an adult, and adults purposefully go missing everyday...
Sarah's best friend tells Adam that Sarah has been seeing someone else. Distraught, but still frantic as to Sarah's welfare, Adam does everything in his power to find her. He discovers that she was last seen on a cruise ship called the Celebrate.
Then Adam is contacted by another man whose wife also disappeared while aboard the Celebrate. Peter Brazier received his wife's passport in the mail with a note identical to the one Adam received - Peter's wife Estelle has been missing for a year now.
Adam and Peter join forces to discover what happened to the women they loved. They take a cruise upon the Celebrate...
"Corinne's face wore several more years than she had lived."
Corinne Dupont is in her early sixties. She is working as a room steward aboard the Celebrate, a cruise ship owned by Blue Wave. She has no physical stamina, but is determined to find a man whose photo she memorizes.
Romain is a little boy of eight when we first meet him. He lives with his mother, father, and two younger brothers. For some reason his Mummy doesn't seem to love him the same way she loves his two brothers. Romain cannot understand why...
One day his Mummy tells him to try to make his baby brother stop crying. He jiggles baby Mikki the way he has seen his mother do - only Romain jiggles too hard causing Mikki to have 'shaken baby syndrome'. His mother, unloving before, now becomes more cold and distant. She withdraws from Romain and for years he craves her affection.
"Even when he was trying to be good, bad things still happened."
Romain is bullied at school. When he is twelve years old, his frustrations get the better of him. When his tormentor tries to also bully his younger brother Jean, his 'darkness' takes over and he murders the bully. He is sentenced and sent away to a juvenile detention centre where he lives for five years. When he is released, his family do not want him back. Then, the day he is released, another tragic trauma befalls Romain.
MY THOUGHTS
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!
I received a digital ARC of this novel from Blackstone Publishing via NetGalley. My unbiased review is my way of thanking the publisher and the author.
Adam Dunne and Sarah O'Connell have been living together for almost a decade now. He is a screenwriter waiting for his 'big break'. She works in PR and supports them both. Adam has just received some good news and finally reaps some success from his writing.
When Sarah tells Adam she is flying to Barcelona for a conference, he doesn't think twice. After an initial message when she first arrives, he doesn't hear from her again. He becomes more and more concerned. Then he receives her passport in the mail. She doesn't arrive home on the scheduled day. Her parents are equally concerned about her well-being. They go to the Garda in Cork, but they are unhelpful saying that Sarah is an adult, and adults purposefully go missing everyday...
Sarah's best friend tells Adam that Sarah has been seeing someone else. Distraught, but still frantic as to Sarah's welfare, Adam does everything in his power to find her. He discovers that she was last seen on a cruise ship called the Celebrate.
Then Adam is contacted by another man whose wife also disappeared while aboard the Celebrate. Peter Brazier received his wife's passport in the mail with a note identical to the one Adam received - Peter's wife Estelle has been missing for a year now.
Adam and Peter join forces to discover what happened to the women they loved. They take a cruise upon the Celebrate...
"Corinne's face wore several more years than she had lived."
Corinne Dupont is in her early sixties. She is working as a room steward aboard the Celebrate, a cruise ship owned by Blue Wave. She has no physical stamina, but is determined to find a man whose photo she memorizes.
Romain is a little boy of eight when we first meet him. He lives with his mother, father, and two younger brothers. For some reason his Mummy doesn't seem to love him the same way she loves his two brothers. Romain cannot understand why...
One day his Mummy tells him to try to make his baby brother stop crying. He jiggles baby Mikki the way he has seen his mother do - only Romain jiggles too hard causing Mikki to have 'shaken baby syndrome'. His mother, unloving before, now becomes more cold and distant. She withdraws from Romain and for years he craves her affection.
"Even when he was trying to be good, bad things still happened."
Romain is bullied at school. When he is twelve years old, his frustrations get the better of him. When his tormentor tries to also bully his younger brother Jean, his 'darkness' takes over and he murders the bully. He is sentenced and sent away to a juvenile detention centre where he lives for five years. When he is released, his family do not want him back. Then, the day he is released, another tragic trauma befalls Romain.
MY THOUGHTS
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!
I received a digital ARC of this novel from Blackstone Publishing via NetGalley. My unbiased review is my way of thanking the publisher and the author.
April 19, 2022
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/n...
DISTRESS SIGNALS BY CATHERINE RYAN HOWARD
This Five Star Read was planted by the seed of the link I posted above. From an article of November,11, 2011 printed in The Guardian an article called "Lost at Sea". The article is a true story in the above link. The author has written a fascinating book of fiction which she uses her creative license in Distress Signals. Exceptions are if you are a United States citizen the FBI will investigate if you are pushed overboard or a missing person while in international waters on a cruise ship. As in this novel as of this writing if you live anyplace else in the world and are missing from a cruise Maritime law takes effect. Wherever the cruise ship is registered and licensed for tax purposes is who will investigate whether it is Barbados or the Bahama's.
In this novel Sarah tells her boyfriend that she has to travel Barcelona for a conference. They are from Cork, Ireland. Adam and Sarah have been together for ten years. Just as Adam gets a meeting to sell his script in America, Sarah becomes tired of the relationship and sneaks off on a cruise with another man. She is declared missing by Adam and her parents. They go to the Ireland authorities who tell them that Sarah is an adult and she has the right to willingly disappear. A person isn't technically missing unless there is some indication that harm has been done. Even then if you are British or in the novel from Ireland and you are pushed overboard or disappear you are subject to Maritime Law. The cruise ship that you go missing has to wait for the authorities from the country where the cruise ship is registered. In this novel it happens to be Barbados
By the time that a person is discovered missing, the cruise ship could be hundreds of miles from where you are lost at sea. Then investigators are dispatched in this case it was Barbados. There was a law passed in 1976, there was an environmental agreement called the Barcelona Convention, where no part of the Mediterranean Sea is classed as international waters. In practice the nations bordering it still lose their jurisdictional claims and responsibilities twenty-four miles off their coasts.
It is scary that this really is based on the link that begins my review. I loved this book. I read the article from the above link. My apologies in advance if when you click on the above link and it does not take you to the November 11,2011 article Lost at Sea that was printed in The Guardian, please type in what I have attempted as a link to the Guardian. Type in your search engine the above URL address that appears at the top of my review. For more information go to www.InternationalCruiseVictims.org
Thank you to Net Galley, Catherine Ryan Howard and Blackstone Publishing for providing me with my digital copy for a fair and honest review..
DISTRESS SIGNALS BY CATHERINE RYAN HOWARD
This Five Star Read was planted by the seed of the link I posted above. From an article of November,11, 2011 printed in The Guardian an article called "Lost at Sea". The article is a true story in the above link. The author has written a fascinating book of fiction which she uses her creative license in Distress Signals. Exceptions are if you are a United States citizen the FBI will investigate if you are pushed overboard or a missing person while in international waters on a cruise ship. As in this novel as of this writing if you live anyplace else in the world and are missing from a cruise Maritime law takes effect. Wherever the cruise ship is registered and licensed for tax purposes is who will investigate whether it is Barbados or the Bahama's.
In this novel Sarah tells her boyfriend that she has to travel Barcelona for a conference. They are from Cork, Ireland. Adam and Sarah have been together for ten years. Just as Adam gets a meeting to sell his script in America, Sarah becomes tired of the relationship and sneaks off on a cruise with another man. She is declared missing by Adam and her parents. They go to the Ireland authorities who tell them that Sarah is an adult and she has the right to willingly disappear. A person isn't technically missing unless there is some indication that harm has been done. Even then if you are British or in the novel from Ireland and you are pushed overboard or disappear you are subject to Maritime Law. The cruise ship that you go missing has to wait for the authorities from the country where the cruise ship is registered. In this novel it happens to be Barbados
By the time that a person is discovered missing, the cruise ship could be hundreds of miles from where you are lost at sea. Then investigators are dispatched in this case it was Barbados. There was a law passed in 1976, there was an environmental agreement called the Barcelona Convention, where no part of the Mediterranean Sea is classed as international waters. In practice the nations bordering it still lose their jurisdictional claims and responsibilities twenty-four miles off their coasts.
It is scary that this really is based on the link that begins my review. I loved this book. I read the article from the above link. My apologies in advance if when you click on the above link and it does not take you to the November 11,2011 article Lost at Sea that was printed in The Guardian, please type in what I have attempted as a link to the Guardian. Type in your search engine the above URL address that appears at the top of my review. For more information go to www.InternationalCruiseVictims.org
Thank you to Net Galley, Catherine Ryan Howard and Blackstone Publishing for providing me with my digital copy for a fair and honest review..
September 2, 2019
I actually found this book because the author just released a new 1 (that I'm waiting impatiently for..) But this 1 didn't disappoint- I'm just so happy I've discovered her! Distress Signals is an emotional, quick moving thriller with a very realistic feel. I really felt for Adam as he was going through all he was going through.. His feelings & reactions just felt very authentic to me. I enjoyed the ending too, for much the same reasons. It'd be hard to go into what i specifically appreciated about this book, without getting into spoilers.. So I'll just say that i definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for an edge of your seat thriller, & it's only made my wait for "Rewind" harder!
October 27, 2019
This was a thrilling, unputdownable read and I am so happy I found this author. DISTRESS SIGNALS kept me on edge from the beginning when Adam Dunne's girlfriend disappears during a work trip in Barcelona, only for him to find out she was actually on a cruise. On top of that, about a year earlier, another woman who was on the same ship also went missing, with other similarities.
I couldn't wait to get to the end of this fast-paced, extremely detailed mystery. There were some twists that I didn't expect, and felt 100% satisfied at the conclusion.
I couldn't wait to get to the end of this fast-paced, extremely detailed mystery. There were some twists that I didn't expect, and felt 100% satisfied at the conclusion.
January 2, 2021
Wow. So many twists and turns in this one. I usually am pretty good at predicting the second half of books, but not this one. I’m also not one for cruises. I don’t get the appeal of being trapped on a boat. But I’m even less interested in going on one after this book.
September 12, 2020
4 cruise ship stars
I may never be able to take a big cruise after reading this book! (Even after the world recovers from COVID.)
What would you do if your girlfriend never came back after a business trip? Adam is struggling to figure out what happened to Sarah. Her passport is mysteriously mailed back to him with an apology note. Has she really left him? They’ve been together for years, but how well does he know Sarah after all? Her parents are worried sick too.
Soon Adam is on Sarah’s trail and tracking her movements. The police are no help, as I learned is often the case with adults who go “missing” – the official line is that they are free to go where they want and most turn up after a while.
The signs point to a cruise ship voyage for Sarah and Adam decides to take a cruise on her same boat. He begins to find some strange coincidences to some other missing women from cruise ships.
The author feeds us a few side chapters about a cleaning woman on the ship and a troubled young man growing up in France. How will they fit into the story?
What is really going on and will the same mysterious fate befall Adam? This one has some wonderful twists at the end that I did not see coming.
I really enjoyed this debut novel from Catherine Ryan Howard. I’ve read two others from the Irish author -- most recently “The Nothing Man” and an earlier one “Rewind.”
This was a great buddy read with Jayme and she has written a stellar review as always. Yay for my local library for having an e-copy of this one to read for me.
I may never be able to take a big cruise after reading this book! (Even after the world recovers from COVID.)
What would you do if your girlfriend never came back after a business trip? Adam is struggling to figure out what happened to Sarah. Her passport is mysteriously mailed back to him with an apology note. Has she really left him? They’ve been together for years, but how well does he know Sarah after all? Her parents are worried sick too.
Soon Adam is on Sarah’s trail and tracking her movements. The police are no help, as I learned is often the case with adults who go “missing” – the official line is that they are free to go where they want and most turn up after a while.
The signs point to a cruise ship voyage for Sarah and Adam decides to take a cruise on her same boat. He begins to find some strange coincidences to some other missing women from cruise ships.
The author feeds us a few side chapters about a cleaning woman on the ship and a troubled young man growing up in France. How will they fit into the story?
What is really going on and will the same mysterious fate befall Adam? This one has some wonderful twists at the end that I did not see coming.
I really enjoyed this debut novel from Catherine Ryan Howard. I’ve read two others from the Irish author -- most recently “The Nothing Man” and an earlier one “Rewind.”
This was a great buddy read with Jayme and she has written a stellar review as always. Yay for my local library for having an e-copy of this one to read for me.
August 27, 2016
A fantastic debut psychological thriller from Catherine Ryan Howard. You are thrown straight into the midst of things with this one, after reading the first sentence – “I jump before I decide that I’m going to.” – my brain went into overdrive:
– Why did he jump? – Where did he jump? – Who’s after him? – Did he kill her? – Is he trying to escape? – If so, from who?
I think you get the gist of it.
I was so gripped by the prologue, I tweeted the author: “Only 6% into this book and I love it already, it’s so exciting!” A brave move I know, as I then thought ‘oh gosh I’ve tagged her in this tweet, she knows I’m reading her book, what if I don’t like it, this could be awkward?’ I needn’t have worried as this book was a breath of fresh air, and easily a contender for the best psychological thriller I have read this year!
The thing about books with great plot twists is it’s difficult to accurately portray how good it is without giving anything away. The main storyline in this book, set in the present, Adam (a very likeable guy) is aboard the cruise ship looking for his girlfriend, unsure if she’s missing, hiding or dead. Every so often the chronology switches to the past and we are given a glimpse into the childhood of Romain, a young boy whose mother also happens to be on board the cruise ship. These two storylines come together to create an unforgettable ending.
This is not one of those books where you have to wait until the plot twist is revealed to be wowed. There are so many great twists and turns along the way, Howard really keeps you gripped from the first page to the last! A face-paced read, that’s exciting and easy to follow.
There’s a great part in this book where Adam explains what people really mean when they say “I didn’t know what to think” and what it really means to go “weak at the knees.” After finishing the book, this stuck with me as we all use comments like these without really thinking what they mean and I like how Howard explained these two phrases in the literal sense.
Now should anyone suggest I go on a cruise ship at any time in the future, I will simply reply, “no thank you, I need land and I need witnesses, in fact I don’t even want to take a sailing boat out into shallow waters, no thank you!”
– Why did he jump? – Where did he jump? – Who’s after him? – Did he kill her? – Is he trying to escape? – If so, from who?
I think you get the gist of it.
I was so gripped by the prologue, I tweeted the author: “Only 6% into this book and I love it already, it’s so exciting!” A brave move I know, as I then thought ‘oh gosh I’ve tagged her in this tweet, she knows I’m reading her book, what if I don’t like it, this could be awkward?’ I needn’t have worried as this book was a breath of fresh air, and easily a contender for the best psychological thriller I have read this year!
The thing about books with great plot twists is it’s difficult to accurately portray how good it is without giving anything away. The main storyline in this book, set in the present, Adam (a very likeable guy) is aboard the cruise ship looking for his girlfriend, unsure if she’s missing, hiding or dead. Every so often the chronology switches to the past and we are given a glimpse into the childhood of Romain, a young boy whose mother also happens to be on board the cruise ship. These two storylines come together to create an unforgettable ending.
This is not one of those books where you have to wait until the plot twist is revealed to be wowed. There are so many great twists and turns along the way, Howard really keeps you gripped from the first page to the last! A face-paced read, that’s exciting and easy to follow.
There’s a great part in this book where Adam explains what people really mean when they say “I didn’t know what to think” and what it really means to go “weak at the knees.” After finishing the book, this stuck with me as we all use comments like these without really thinking what they mean and I like how Howard explained these two phrases in the literal sense.
Now should anyone suggest I go on a cruise ship at any time in the future, I will simply reply, “no thank you, I need land and I need witnesses, in fact I don’t even want to take a sailing boat out into shallow waters, no thank you!”
February 7, 2017
For all my reviews, check out Clues and Reviews
www.cluesandreviews.wordpress.com
Adam Dunne is worried sick when his girlfriend, Sarah, fails to return from a business trip in Barcelona. Days later, when her passport arrives at their home with a note stating “I’m Sorry- S”, Adam realizes that something is seriously wrong and vows to do whatever it takes to find her. As Adam investigates, he connects Sarah to a cruise ship and to another woman, Estelle, who went missing a year prior. Adam decides to take matters into his own and takes to the high sea to hunt down her perpetrator: a man who has found the perfect hunting ground….
Distress Signals, the debut thriller by Catherine Ryan Howard, had me on the edge of my seat. I read this book in an afternoon; I could not put this one down. Gone Girl on the high sea, this novel had twists, turns, and red herrings aplenty. By the end of this novel, when all of the truths had been revealed, I was in absolute awe of Howard and her ability to weave a story. What a debut!
Adam narrates the novel, for the most part, as he searches for answers regarding his missing girlfriend. Other chapters give a narrative voice to Romain, a Frenchman with a sordid past. As these stories intricately weave together, I was anxious and on the edge of my seat trying to understand how these paths would collide. I was completely invested in these characters and their plights.
I loved the way Howard was able to roll out the plot; it flowed seamlessly. I had suspicions but had no idea how anything was going to fit or what was truly going on. I knew something bigger was happening but could not understand how any of these pieces would fit together in the end. This is the way a psychological thriller is supposed to feel!
This one gets 5/5 stars from me. Excellent debut and I cannot wait to see what Catherine Ryan Howard will write next!
www.cluesandreviews.wordpress.com
Adam Dunne is worried sick when his girlfriend, Sarah, fails to return from a business trip in Barcelona. Days later, when her passport arrives at their home with a note stating “I’m Sorry- S”, Adam realizes that something is seriously wrong and vows to do whatever it takes to find her. As Adam investigates, he connects Sarah to a cruise ship and to another woman, Estelle, who went missing a year prior. Adam decides to take matters into his own and takes to the high sea to hunt down her perpetrator: a man who has found the perfect hunting ground….
Distress Signals, the debut thriller by Catherine Ryan Howard, had me on the edge of my seat. I read this book in an afternoon; I could not put this one down. Gone Girl on the high sea, this novel had twists, turns, and red herrings aplenty. By the end of this novel, when all of the truths had been revealed, I was in absolute awe of Howard and her ability to weave a story. What a debut!
Adam narrates the novel, for the most part, as he searches for answers regarding his missing girlfriend. Other chapters give a narrative voice to Romain, a Frenchman with a sordid past. As these stories intricately weave together, I was anxious and on the edge of my seat trying to understand how these paths would collide. I was completely invested in these characters and their plights.
I loved the way Howard was able to roll out the plot; it flowed seamlessly. I had suspicions but had no idea how anything was going to fit or what was truly going on. I knew something bigger was happening but could not understand how any of these pieces would fit together in the end. This is the way a psychological thriller is supposed to feel!
This one gets 5/5 stars from me. Excellent debut and I cannot wait to see what Catherine Ryan Howard will write next!
July 27, 2021
I am really enjoying all the Catherine Ryan Howard novels, so good and all of a consistently high standard. The books are well written, full of suspense and interesting characters.
Adam Dunne’s girlfriend, Sarah, fails to return from a Barcelona business trip and his life starts to fall apart. A few days later her passport arrived with a note that read “I’m sorry–S” instantly making Adam extremely worried. Adam finds a link to another woman named Estelle who disappeared from the same ship in similar circumstances almost exactly a year before. Adam wants answers and must confront some difficult truths about his relationship with Sarah.
This was the outstanding debut novel from the author who has managed to continue to produce subsequent novels to such an high standard.
Well worth reading.
Adam Dunne’s girlfriend, Sarah, fails to return from a Barcelona business trip and his life starts to fall apart. A few days later her passport arrived with a note that read “I’m sorry–S” instantly making Adam extremely worried. Adam finds a link to another woman named Estelle who disappeared from the same ship in similar circumstances almost exactly a year before. Adam wants answers and must confront some difficult truths about his relationship with Sarah.
This was the outstanding debut novel from the author who has managed to continue to produce subsequent novels to such an high standard.
Well worth reading.
January 13, 2023
I love cruising, it’s one of my favorite ways to travel. So a mystery-thriller set on a cruise ship? Well, that sounds like something I need.
The story was good. There were two different plotlines to follow. The first was of Sarah, who went on a business trip to Barcelona, at least that’s what she told her boyfriend, and never returned home. The second one is about a boy, Romain, who’s growing up in France.
To be totally honest, I still don’t really know why we got this subplot. It was interesting to read and I think maybe it would have made a great mystery-thriller on its own, but it didn’t really connect with this story at all and we didn’t see enough of Romain for me to really care.
I liked the mystery that surrounded Sarah’s missing and how Adam slowly discovered the truth about his long term relationship. In general I think Adam was a decent character that I enjoyed reading about. I don’t want to go into detail here to not spoil anything, but I didn’t like Sarah, or at least what we saw of her.
The writing was good and engaging and I think I’ll pick up other books by the author, even though there wasn’t enough time spent on board for my liking.
The story was good. There were two different plotlines to follow. The first was of Sarah, who went on a business trip to Barcelona, at least that’s what she told her boyfriend, and never returned home. The second one is about a boy, Romain, who’s growing up in France.
To be totally honest, I still don’t really know why we got this subplot. It was interesting to read and I think maybe it would have made a great mystery-thriller on its own, but it didn’t really connect with this story at all and we didn’t see enough of Romain for me to really care.
I liked the mystery that surrounded Sarah’s missing and how Adam slowly discovered the truth about his long term relationship. In general I think Adam was a decent character that I enjoyed reading about. I don’t want to go into detail here to not spoil anything, but I didn’t like Sarah, or at least what we saw of her.
The writing was good and engaging and I think I’ll pick up other books by the author, even though there wasn’t enough time spent on board for my liking.
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