but books are better: Book Review: MR NOBODY by Catherine Steadman

Author: Catherine Steadman
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Australia
Read: April 2020

Expected publication: out now

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟1/2

Book Description:

Who is Mr. Nobody?

When a man is found on a British beach, drifting in and out of consciousness, with no identification and unable to speak, interest in him is sparked immediately. From the hospital staff who find themselves inexplicably drawn to him, to international medical experts who are baffled by him, to the national press who call him Mr. Nobody, everyone wants answers. Who is this man? And what happened to him?

Some memories are best forgotten.

Neuropsychiatrist Dr. Emma Lewis is asked to assess the patient in a small town deep in the English countryside. This is her field of expertise, this is the chance she’s been waiting for, and this case could make her name known across the world. But therein lies the danger. Emma left this same town fourteen years ago and has taken great pains to cover all traces of her past since then.

Places aren't haunted . . . people are.

But now something—or someone—is calling her back. And the more time she spends with her patient, the more alarmed she becomes that he knows the one thing about her that nobody is supposed to know.

What attracted me to this book:

I always feel drawn to premises revolving around amnesia. If done right, they have the potential to be intriguing, twisty and tense. Other times they just fall flat, but it’s a chance I am willing to take!

My musings:

So, you ask, which one was it: an epic psychological thriller, or a dud? Let me begin by saying that this my second attempt at reading this book. I picked it up late last year, didn’t click with it and put it aside. Drawn again to the premise, I recently spotted it among my TBR pile and was very happy to find that the second time around I was quickly drawn into the story. I really liked Dr Emma Lewis, the young, driven neuropsychologist with a deep dark secret of her own in her past. Emma struck just the right balance between vulnerability and ambitious, intelligent career woman. Having some skeletons in her family closet added to the mystery, as I was looking forward to finding out what had made her this reclusive character, when she seemed otherwise young, capable and liked by those around her. Getting two mysteries for the price of one, I thought – bonus!

I also really enjoyed the author’s willingness to divulge some of Emma’s knowledge obtained by her profession, especially related to retrograde amnesia and how the brain functions, as observed in Emma’s mysterious patient Mr Nobody. With this background information, the situation the man has found himself in seemed not only more plausible, but also a lot more fascinating.

The picture painted, and all my senses on high alert as I was trying to unravel some of the strands of the story, I eagerly turned the pages and was loathe to put the book down. Tension mounted as Emma found herself in a secluded house in the English countryside, and her patient appeared to be hiding some mysterious abilities, including the knowledge of some of Emma’s most intimate secrets, even though she has never met him before. Or has she? Chris, a character from Emma’s past, and his wife Zara made for an enigmatic support cast and alternative POV, and I was well and truly hooked. At this stage, anything was possible, and it all looked great.

Then comes the pivotal point in a book that either wraps it up in a satisfying finale or brings out some convoluted twists and farfetched plot points that is the make it or break it moment in the story. Sadly it was the latter for me here. I remember almost groaning at one stage in the story when I realised that the author was trying to inject something unexpected into the plot that totally backfired for me. Which is a shame, because up to that point it could have easily gone either way. Let’s just say that I don’t mind a “killer twist”, a total change in direction the story is taking, as long as I can follow its logic and it is somewhat believable. But after turning the last page, I am still not comfortable with some of the pivotal plot points here.

Summary:

All in all, MR NOBODY was an intriguing story of a man who finds himself washed up on a beach with no idea who he is and how he got there. With the framework of real facts about the neuroscience behind retrograde amnesia, and an enigmatic main protagonist who is determined to help Mr Nobody discover his true identity, the book quickly drew me in and hooked me. But even though the ending was certainly original and unusual, it left too many unanswered questions and loose ends to bring it to a satisfying close. So it fell a little bit flat, like a pancake cooked just right at the bottom but flipped too vigorously that splattered and crumbled all over the pan. Still edible but not as tasty as it could have been. That said, I really enjoyed the author’s writing style and will definitely read her previous novel INTO THE WATER.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.

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