Catherine Ryan Howard is an internationally bestselling crime writer from Cork, Ireland. She burst onto the scene with her debut thriller, Distress Signals, which was a big hit upon its release. The book charted on both the Irish Times and USA Today bestsellers lists and was shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey/New Blood Dagger and the Books Are My Bag Irish Crime Novel of the Year. It was also the winner of the Best Mystery at the Independent Press Awards. Her other works, such as The Liar's Girl, Rewind, The Nothing Man, and 56 Days, have also been critically acclaimed and have won or been shortlisted for several prestigious awards.
Before becoming a full-time writer, Howard worked in various jobs, including as a front desk agent for Walt Disney, Florida, a travel administrator in Holland, and a campsite courier in France. She had always wanted to pursue a professional writing career ever since she was a child and realized that actual people wrote the books she loved. She would often read aloud to her Barbie dolls and teddy bears, pretending to be a teacher, just like her own teacher who would read to her class. Her first foray into writing proper was when she self-published two light-hearted travel novels, detailing her experiences working in Europe and the United States.
Howard's writing career is marked by her ability to create thrilling and critically acclaimed novels that keep readers on the edge of their seats. Her books have been shortlisted for several prestigious awards, including the CWA's Ian Fleming Steel and John Creasey/New Blood Daggers and the Edgar Award for Best Novel. Her latest novel, 56 Days, was published in August 2021 and was a no. 1 Irish Times bestseller and a no. 1 Kindle bestseller (UK). It was shortlisted for Irish Crime Novel of the The Year and is currently being developed for screen by Clerkenwell Films. Her seventh thriller, THE TRAP, will publish in August 2023, inspired by a series of real-life disappearances in Ireland in the 1990s. She is currently based in Dublin.