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DI Silas Hart #1
Forget My Name
How do you know who to trust...
...when you don't even know who you are?
You are outside your front door.
There are strangers in your house.
Then you realise. You can't remember your name.
She arrived at the train station after a difficult week at work. Her bag had been stolen, and with it, her identity. Her whole life was in there – passport, wallet, house key. When she tried to report the theft, she couldn’t remember her own name. All she knew was her own address.
Now she's outside Tony and Laura's front door. She says she lives in their home. They say they have never met her before.
One of them is lying.
...when you don't even know who you are?
You are outside your front door.
There are strangers in your house.
Then you realise. You can't remember your name.
She arrived at the train station after a difficult week at work. Her bag had been stolen, and with it, her identity. Her whole life was in there – passport, wallet, house key. When she tried to report the theft, she couldn’t remember her own name. All she knew was her own address.
Now she's outside Tony and Laura's front door. She says she lives in their home. They say they have never met her before.
One of them is lying.
419 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2018
527 people are currently reading
2807 people want to read
About the author
J.S. Monroe
11 books253 followersJ.S.Monroe is the pseudonym of British writer Jon Stock, author of The Sleep Room and Dead Spy Running. As J.S.Monroe, he is the author of five psychological thrillers, including the international bestseller, Find Me, which has been translated into 14 languages. Dead Spy Running was optioned by Warner Bros. The Sleep Room, his first non-fiction book, is about the British psychiatrist Dr William Sargant, and will be published in the UK (Little, Brown) on 3 April 2025 and in America (Abrams) on 22 July 2025. It is currently being developed for TV.
No Place to Hide, Jon's latest psychological thriller, was published by Head of Zeus (Bloomsbury) in April 2023 and came out in paperback in March 2024. A standalone, contemporary novel set in London, Wiltshire and Cornwall, it's a loose retelling of Dr Faustus. “Clever, convincing and wickedly twisty - Highly recommended,” according to Mick Herron. "Compelling, relentless and genuinely frightening," says Simon Russell Beale. "A must-read for psychological thriller fans."
Jon's previous book, The Man On Hackpen Hill (Head of Zeus, 2021,) was the third J.S.Monroe thriller to feature DI Silas Hart (head of Swindon CID) and DS Strover. "Original and brilliantly plotted, with not so much a twist as a seismic shifting of the ground under your feet ... Amazing." - Rosamund Lupton; “Impeccably researched… An unusual mystery told with exceptional skill” – Daily Mail; “A kind of Wiltshire Da Vinci Code, with crop circles, mathematical equations and shadowy figures from Porton Down. A real page turner.” – Tom Bradby.
The Other you (Head of Zeus, 2020) was the second in Jon's DI Hart series. "I doubt many other psychological thrillers published this year will be as propulsive and fun" - Daily Telegraph; "A clever mash-up of psychological thriller and police procedural with a dash of sci-fi" - Daily Mail; "You won't be able to turn the pages fast enough" - Heat Magazine; "Brilliantly original and intriguing ... Kept me hooked, enthralled and guessing to the very end" - Peter James.
Forget My Name (Head of Zeus, 2018) was the first thriller to feature DI Hart. It was published in America as The Last Thing She Remembers (HarperCollins, 2018). “An absorbing novel full of unexpected twists, topped by a savage climax” – The Times; “A book that will send thrills down your spine, even on the hottest beach” – Sunday Express.
Find Me (Head of Zeus, 2017), Jon's first J.S.Monroe thriller, was a standalone set in London, Cornwall, Cambridge and Norfolk. It has sold more than 150,000 copies and been translated into 14 languages. “Intricately woven and heart-stoppingly believable, this has bestseller written all over it” – Clare Mackintosh; “The most ingenious thriller you will read his year.” –M.J.Arlidge. "Cunning, captivating and creepy" – JP Delaney.
Dead Spy Running (HarperCollins, 2009) has been published in five languages and was the first in the Daniel Marchant Trilogy. It was followed by Games Traitors Play and Dirty Little Secret (2012). The movie rights to Dead Spy Running were acquired in 2008 by Warner Bros and the film was later in development with the director McG. Oscar-winner Stephen Gaghan wrote the original script.
Jon is the author of two other spy thrillers: The Riot Act (Serpent's Tail, 1997), which was shortlisted for the Crime Writer's Association debut crime novel award, and The Cardamom Club (Blackamber/Arcadia, 2003). Both titles were republished in the UK as ebooks by Head of Zeus (The Cardamom Club as The India Spy). He has also written a spy novella, To Snare A Spy (2018), which was commissioned by the Nare Hotel in Cornwall and features a 15-year-old spy.
No Place to Hide, Jon's latest psychological thriller, was published by Head of Zeus (Bloomsbury) in April 2023 and came out in paperback in March 2024. A standalone, contemporary novel set in London, Wiltshire and Cornwall, it's a loose retelling of Dr Faustus. “Clever, convincing and wickedly twisty - Highly recommended,” according to Mick Herron. "Compelling, relentless and genuinely frightening," says Simon Russell Beale. "A must-read for psychological thriller fans."
Jon's previous book, The Man On Hackpen Hill (Head of Zeus, 2021,) was the third J.S.Monroe thriller to feature DI Silas Hart (head of Swindon CID) and DS Strover. "Original and brilliantly plotted, with not so much a twist as a seismic shifting of the ground under your feet ... Amazing." - Rosamund Lupton; “Impeccably researched… An unusual mystery told with exceptional skill” – Daily Mail; “A kind of Wiltshire Da Vinci Code, with crop circles, mathematical equations and shadowy figures from Porton Down. A real page turner.” – Tom Bradby.
The Other you (Head of Zeus, 2020) was the second in Jon's DI Hart series. "I doubt many other psychological thrillers published this year will be as propulsive and fun" - Daily Telegraph; "A clever mash-up of psychological thriller and police procedural with a dash of sci-fi" - Daily Mail; "You won't be able to turn the pages fast enough" - Heat Magazine; "Brilliantly original and intriguing ... Kept me hooked, enthralled and guessing to the very end" - Peter James.
Forget My Name (Head of Zeus, 2018) was the first thriller to feature DI Hart. It was published in America as The Last Thing She Remembers (HarperCollins, 2018). “An absorbing novel full of unexpected twists, topped by a savage climax” – The Times; “A book that will send thrills down your spine, even on the hottest beach” – Sunday Express.
Find Me (Head of Zeus, 2017), Jon's first J.S.Monroe thriller, was a standalone set in London, Cornwall, Cambridge and Norfolk. It has sold more than 150,000 copies and been translated into 14 languages. “Intricately woven and heart-stoppingly believable, this has bestseller written all over it” – Clare Mackintosh; “The most ingenious thriller you will read his year.” –M.J.Arlidge. "Cunning, captivating and creepy" – JP Delaney.
Dead Spy Running (HarperCollins, 2009) has been published in five languages and was the first in the Daniel Marchant Trilogy. It was followed by Games Traitors Play and Dirty Little Secret (2012). The movie rights to Dead Spy Running were acquired in 2008 by Warner Bros and the film was later in development with the director McG. Oscar-winner Stephen Gaghan wrote the original script.
Jon is the author of two other spy thrillers: The Riot Act (Serpent's Tail, 1997), which was shortlisted for the Crime Writer's Association debut crime novel award, and The Cardamom Club (Blackamber/Arcadia, 2003). Both titles were republished in the UK as ebooks by Head of Zeus (The Cardamom Club as The India Spy). He has also written a spy novella, To Snare A Spy (2018), which was commissioned by the Nare Hotel in Cornwall and features a 15-year-old spy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 790 reviews
June 5, 2019
Reading the premise for this book, I knew I had to read it! I’m fascinated with the concept of characters having no memory of who they are. Anything involving amnesia captures my interest right away. (Is that strange?)
A woman shows up in a small village knocking on a door she’s positive is her home. Just a small issue… there is another couple Tony and Laura living there. Because this unfortunate mystery guest can’t recall her name, Tony takes to calling her Jemma.
But could she be the notorious Jemma Huish that was locked away for years? Of course, the gossip mill is pumping at full capacity and everyone has their own theory on who this woman could be.
As much as I wanted to love this one I just couldn’t get there. The story-line just didn’t flow for me and I felt like I was constantly shaking my head at all the characters....and I mean each and every one of them,
A very fast and light read that just lacked the execution I’ve come to expect in my thrillers.
A buddy read with Susanne 🌸
Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Park Row and J.S. Monroe for an ARC to read and review.
A woman shows up in a small village knocking on a door she’s positive is her home. Just a small issue… there is another couple Tony and Laura living there. Because this unfortunate mystery guest can’t recall her name, Tony takes to calling her Jemma.
But could she be the notorious Jemma Huish that was locked away for years? Of course, the gossip mill is pumping at full capacity and everyone has their own theory on who this woman could be.
As much as I wanted to love this one I just couldn’t get there. The story-line just didn’t flow for me and I felt like I was constantly shaking my head at all the characters....and I mean each and every one of them,
A very fast and light read that just lacked the execution I’ve come to expect in my thrillers.
A buddy read with Susanne 🌸
Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Park Row and J.S. Monroe for an ARC to read and review.
June 9, 2019
4 stars! A spine-tingling suspenseful story!
A woman shows up on the doorstep of a young couples home in a small Wiltshire village. The couple answer their door to find this strange woman who doesn’t know her own name or why she is on their porch, only that she just got off a flight and has lost her luggage, passport and personal belongings. Not knowing her identity or anything about her past, the strange woman is drawn to the town and tries to piece her life together. She must rely on the kindness of the locals to try to find answers to her puzzling situation.
This book had me hooked from the first page. I felt as though I was caught in an eerie fog of mystery along with the main character throughout her journey. The author, J.S. Monroe, does an excellent job building a dark and foreboding atmosphere which gave me a chilling feeling and kept me curious throughout. The chapters switch perspectives between several characters adding deeper layers of intrigue. Each chapter ends with a cliffhanger which left me eager to continue on to find out how things would conclude.
I enjoyed the storyline, however, there were a few situations that seemed far-fetched. I am usually turned off by any sort of unrealistic plot points, however, I was able to overlook them and simply enjoy the journey. The writing was excellent which had me flying through the pages and kept me fully engrossed within the plot.
Thank you to HarperCollins for sending me a physical copy to read and review!
A woman shows up on the doorstep of a young couples home in a small Wiltshire village. The couple answer their door to find this strange woman who doesn’t know her own name or why she is on their porch, only that she just got off a flight and has lost her luggage, passport and personal belongings. Not knowing her identity or anything about her past, the strange woman is drawn to the town and tries to piece her life together. She must rely on the kindness of the locals to try to find answers to her puzzling situation.
This book had me hooked from the first page. I felt as though I was caught in an eerie fog of mystery along with the main character throughout her journey. The author, J.S. Monroe, does an excellent job building a dark and foreboding atmosphere which gave me a chilling feeling and kept me curious throughout. The chapters switch perspectives between several characters adding deeper layers of intrigue. Each chapter ends with a cliffhanger which left me eager to continue on to find out how things would conclude.
I enjoyed the storyline, however, there were a few situations that seemed far-fetched. I am usually turned off by any sort of unrealistic plot points, however, I was able to overlook them and simply enjoy the journey. The writing was excellent which had me flying through the pages and kept me fully engrossed within the plot.
Thank you to HarperCollins for sending me a physical copy to read and review!
May 24, 2019
The main character in The Last Thing She Remembers has no name. Why? She can’t remember it. She arrives at the train station and realizes her bag is gone. In it, her passport, keys, and credit cards are all missing. The only thing she still possesses is her return train ticket.
She arrives in the tiny village of Wiltshire where she thinks she lives; however, the people in town are fearful of her and begin to spread rumors of conspiracy. The police are also interested.
The premise of The Last Thing She Remembers is completely original and captivating from the start. The woman has stress-induced amnesia, and I could not help but think this could happen to me or anyone.
I was on the edge-of-my-seat waiting to find out if the main character was someone sinister. There were so many theories as to what could have happened, who she may be; it all kept me guessing.
Overall, I found this an original take on an amnesia plot, with easy flowing writing and a solid pace. I would say this is more mystery than thriller, but I was intrigued and invested in solving this one from the very start.
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
She arrives in the tiny village of Wiltshire where she thinks she lives; however, the people in town are fearful of her and begin to spread rumors of conspiracy. The police are also interested.
The premise of The Last Thing She Remembers is completely original and captivating from the start. The woman has stress-induced amnesia, and I could not help but think this could happen to me or anyone.
I was on the edge-of-my-seat waiting to find out if the main character was someone sinister. There were so many theories as to what could have happened, who she may be; it all kept me guessing.
Overall, I found this an original take on an amnesia plot, with easy flowing writing and a solid pace. I would say this is more mystery than thriller, but I was intrigued and invested in solving this one from the very start.
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
June 4, 2019
2.5 Stars* (rounded up).
A woman who has no memory of who she is and has no identification, remembers one thing: The house she used to live in, in Wiltshire– and that is where she goes. Upon arrival, Tony and Laura, the couple that live there, let her in, even though they do not recognize her. The woman knows everything about the house, including the layout. After a few hours, Laura becomes suspicious and takes her to the town psychologist who diagnoses her with stress-induced amnesia and thinks she make have lived in the town years prior and is a danger to the community. Could that be possible?
The woman is scared and fearful. Every night before she goes to bed she writes down notes of her day. Every morning she reads them, trying to see if she remembers whether or not they happened. She had no idea what happened to her or who she once was.
“The Last Thing She Remembers” is a amnesia plot that intrigued me. I had never read anything quite like it. Unfortunately what started off as an original storyline, got somewhat muddled and didn’t end up working for me once the mystery unfolded.
This was a buddy read with Ms. Kaceey.
Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin – Trade Publishing and J.S. Monroe for an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 6.4.19.
A woman who has no memory of who she is and has no identification, remembers one thing: The house she used to live in, in Wiltshire– and that is where she goes. Upon arrival, Tony and Laura, the couple that live there, let her in, even though they do not recognize her. The woman knows everything about the house, including the layout. After a few hours, Laura becomes suspicious and takes her to the town psychologist who diagnoses her with stress-induced amnesia and thinks she make have lived in the town years prior and is a danger to the community. Could that be possible?
The woman is scared and fearful. Every night before she goes to bed she writes down notes of her day. Every morning she reads them, trying to see if she remembers whether or not they happened. She had no idea what happened to her or who she once was.
“The Last Thing She Remembers” is a amnesia plot that intrigued me. I had never read anything quite like it. Unfortunately what started off as an original storyline, got somewhat muddled and didn’t end up working for me once the mystery unfolded.
This was a buddy read with Ms. Kaceey.
Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin – Trade Publishing and J.S. Monroe for an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 6.4.19.
August 27, 2019
EXCERPT: 'Are you awake?' I hear him say in the doorway.
I say nothing, feign sleep, try to make my breathing more audible but my lips are trembling too much. A tear rolls down my cheek as I stare at the wall.
'Welcome home,' he whispers.
I want to scream but I can't move. What does he mean? I wish Laura would come upstairs. I'm trying to be brave, but I'm so fucking scared here.
I can't remember my own name.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: Who can you trust if you don’t know who you are?
She arrives at the train station only to realize her bag had been stolen—her passport, credit cards, laptop, house key now all gone. And even more disturbing, when she goes to report the incident, she can’t recall her own name. All she has on her is a train ticket home.
Suffering from stress-induced amnesia, the woman without a name is a source of mystery when she appears at the sleepy Wiltshire village where she thought she lived. She quickly becomes a source of conspiracy and fear among the townspeople. Why does one think he recognizes her from years earlier? And why do the local police take such a strong interest in her arrival?
From the critically acclaimed author of Find Me comes a shocking new tale of dark pasts and deception, leaving us breathlessly analyzing the role memory plays in defining who we are—and who others think we might be.
MY THOUGHTS: Intriguing, tautly written, I read this overnight. It is an interesting concept, vastly different to anything else currently out there. And while it appears to be resolved merely half way through the book, it isn't...the real story is just beginning.
This is a new author for me and one who I will be reading more of.
#TheLastThingSheRemembers #NetGalley
😍😍😍😍.5
THE AUTHOR: J.S.Monroe is the pseudonym of the British author Jon Stock. Jon is the author of five spy novels and a new standalone psychological thriller, Find Me, to be published in 2017 under the name of JS Monroe. He lives in Wiltshire with his wife and three children.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harlequin - Park Row for providing a digital ARC of The Last Thing She Remembers by J.S. Monroe for review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to my profile page on Goodreads.com or the about page on my webpage sandysbookaday/wordpess.com This review and others also appear on my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
I say nothing, feign sleep, try to make my breathing more audible but my lips are trembling too much. A tear rolls down my cheek as I stare at the wall.
'Welcome home,' he whispers.
I want to scream but I can't move. What does he mean? I wish Laura would come upstairs. I'm trying to be brave, but I'm so fucking scared here.
I can't remember my own name.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: Who can you trust if you don’t know who you are?
She arrives at the train station only to realize her bag had been stolen—her passport, credit cards, laptop, house key now all gone. And even more disturbing, when she goes to report the incident, she can’t recall her own name. All she has on her is a train ticket home.
Suffering from stress-induced amnesia, the woman without a name is a source of mystery when she appears at the sleepy Wiltshire village where she thought she lived. She quickly becomes a source of conspiracy and fear among the townspeople. Why does one think he recognizes her from years earlier? And why do the local police take such a strong interest in her arrival?
From the critically acclaimed author of Find Me comes a shocking new tale of dark pasts and deception, leaving us breathlessly analyzing the role memory plays in defining who we are—and who others think we might be.
MY THOUGHTS: Intriguing, tautly written, I read this overnight. It is an interesting concept, vastly different to anything else currently out there. And while it appears to be resolved merely half way through the book, it isn't...the real story is just beginning.
This is a new author for me and one who I will be reading more of.
#TheLastThingSheRemembers #NetGalley
😍😍😍😍.5
THE AUTHOR: J.S.Monroe is the pseudonym of the British author Jon Stock. Jon is the author of five spy novels and a new standalone psychological thriller, Find Me, to be published in 2017 under the name of JS Monroe. He lives in Wiltshire with his wife and three children.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harlequin - Park Row for providing a digital ARC of The Last Thing She Remembers by J.S. Monroe for review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to my profile page on Goodreads.com or the about page on my webpage sandysbookaday/wordpess.com This review and others also appear on my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
October 6, 2018
After reading the blurb on this book I couldn’t wait to start, as it sounded like I could really sink my teeth into it and was I disappointed? Definitely not!!! The first line “I can’t remember my own name” had me intrigued straight away.
A mystery woman arrives at Tony and Laura’s house claiming she lives there,but has Amnesia and no proof of I.D. They let her stay but who have they invited into their home!!
This is a twisty thriller that draws you in. I didn’t guess how this would end and thoroughly enjoyed trying to guess how this book would end.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
A mystery woman arrives at Tony and Laura’s house claiming she lives there,but has Amnesia and no proof of I.D. They let her stay but who have they invited into their home!!
This is a twisty thriller that draws you in. I didn’t guess how this would end and thoroughly enjoyed trying to guess how this book would end.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
February 22, 2019
Wow ok... this one totally missed the mark for me. Yikes.
A woman is fresh off the plane from Berlin and shows up at a married couples home Tom and Laura not knowing who she is or where she came from. This is the typical "amnesia plot". The couple takes her in and tries to help her remember her life etc. They end up taking her to the doctor and they think she is a woman that used to live in the same house three years ago Jemma Huish. But, then the police get involved and rule that out. So, who is this mysterious woman?
Ok... where do I start? You really have to suspend disbelief in this one. There was way too much going on in this book and I was just super confused. I also kept getting annoyed with Jemma's decisions she makes in this book and kept rolling my eyes. The book was way too long! I'm a little tired of the memory loss scheme in all these books!!!
Overall, didn't really enjoy this one and would suggest skipping this one.
2.5 stars
Thank you to Harlequin/Trade Publishing for the arc via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Publication date: 5/28/19
Published to Goodreads: 2/22/19
A woman is fresh off the plane from Berlin and shows up at a married couples home Tom and Laura not knowing who she is or where she came from. This is the typical "amnesia plot". The couple takes her in and tries to help her remember her life etc. They end up taking her to the doctor and they think she is a woman that used to live in the same house three years ago Jemma Huish. But, then the police get involved and rule that out. So, who is this mysterious woman?
Ok... where do I start? You really have to suspend disbelief in this one. There was way too much going on in this book and I was just super confused. I also kept getting annoyed with Jemma's decisions she makes in this book and kept rolling my eyes. The book was way too long! I'm a little tired of the memory loss scheme in all these books!!!
Overall, didn't really enjoy this one and would suggest skipping this one.
2.5 stars
Thank you to Harlequin/Trade Publishing for the arc via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Publication date: 5/28/19
Published to Goodreads: 2/22/19
May 29, 2019
I’ve been in a weird reading mood lately y’all, I’m either absolutely raving about a book and pushing everyone to read it or I hate it and am pissy. Just wanted to put that out there before I get started on my thoughts about this one because unfortunately this one fell on the the I didn’t like it all side of things 🤷♀️
I’m not going to sit here and completely bash this one but I do wanna quickly share why it didn’t work for me. I wasn’t invested in the characters and I think it’s partly because there were way too many of them and none were fully fleshed out. They were very one dimensional to me and I just didn’t really care what happened to them in the end. I also felt like it was longer than it needed to be and I really had to push myself to finish, and I’m talking once I got to like eighty percent. That’s never a good sign for me, usually when I’m reading a thriller the ending is where I’m hooked and don’t want to put it down and I didn’t feel like that here at all. The plot itself was fine, at least most of it but I did find certain aspects to be far fetched and just highly unbelievable. Overall I just didn’t care for this one, the characters, the writing, the story, I was very apathetic about the whole thing and I can’t say I recommend it.
I’m not going to sit here and completely bash this one but I do wanna quickly share why it didn’t work for me. I wasn’t invested in the characters and I think it’s partly because there were way too many of them and none were fully fleshed out. They were very one dimensional to me and I just didn’t really care what happened to them in the end. I also felt like it was longer than it needed to be and I really had to push myself to finish, and I’m talking once I got to like eighty percent. That’s never a good sign for me, usually when I’m reading a thriller the ending is where I’m hooked and don’t want to put it down and I didn’t feel like that here at all. The plot itself was fine, at least most of it but I did find certain aspects to be far fetched and just highly unbelievable. Overall I just didn’t care for this one, the characters, the writing, the story, I was very apathetic about the whole thing and I can’t say I recommend it.
July 18, 2019
3☆ A very Twisty Thriller
FORGET MY NAME is a twisty thriller, with a psychological thriller feel.
When I read the blurb for this book I was really intrigued. I enjoy my thrillers to be a little different and haven't read many books where the main character suffers from amnesia.
A mysterious women arrives on Tony and Laura's doorstep. She believes this was her house. But you see she doesn't really know who she is, or if she even really lives there, as she has amnesia.
Tony and Laura are quick to take the mysterious women in and try to help her reconnect with her memories to work out who she really is!
This screams alarm bells to me! Who would invite a complete stranger into their home who has no memory! Asking for trouble!
For me I did find the plot to be rather disjointed and a little confusing.
There was a fair amount of characters whom I felt were not particularly likeable or relatable.
Which is perfectly ok, as with thrillers you don't always necessarily like the characters but the amount of them meant it got a lil overwhelmed trying to keep up.
The storyline does stretch your imagination which I don't mind as thats the great thing about books you can jump from reality, but not all readers enjoy this so just to make you aware be prepared to expand your imagination to get into the gritty plot.
Overall Forget My Name is a twisty psychological thriller that at times had a sinister/creepy undertone.
But unfortunately had a few too many characters to keep me hooked and drawn in.
This is my first book by Monroe and I will be intrigued to read more.
I do recommend reading Forget My Name if you enjoy your thrillers to be twisty, lots of characters and a creepy plot.
Thank you to Head of Zeus for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
My Review is also on my Blog Website :-
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2019/0...
FORGET MY NAME is a twisty thriller, with a psychological thriller feel.
When I read the blurb for this book I was really intrigued. I enjoy my thrillers to be a little different and haven't read many books where the main character suffers from amnesia.
A mysterious women arrives on Tony and Laura's doorstep. She believes this was her house. But you see she doesn't really know who she is, or if she even really lives there, as she has amnesia.
Tony and Laura are quick to take the mysterious women in and try to help her reconnect with her memories to work out who she really is!
This screams alarm bells to me! Who would invite a complete stranger into their home who has no memory! Asking for trouble!
For me I did find the plot to be rather disjointed and a little confusing.
There was a fair amount of characters whom I felt were not particularly likeable or relatable.
Which is perfectly ok, as with thrillers you don't always necessarily like the characters but the amount of them meant it got a lil overwhelmed trying to keep up.
The storyline does stretch your imagination which I don't mind as thats the great thing about books you can jump from reality, but not all readers enjoy this so just to make you aware be prepared to expand your imagination to get into the gritty plot.
Overall Forget My Name is a twisty psychological thriller that at times had a sinister/creepy undertone.
But unfortunately had a few too many characters to keep me hooked and drawn in.
This is my first book by Monroe and I will be intrigued to read more.
I do recommend reading Forget My Name if you enjoy your thrillers to be twisty, lots of characters and a creepy plot.
Thank you to Head of Zeus for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
My Review is also on my Blog Website :-
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2019/0...
October 1, 2018
Forget My Name started out like it was going to be a great thriller that I could really get lost in. Unfortunately for me it didn't keep going in the same vein and I lost interest. Too many characters and theories being tossed around that were so far fetched. I figured out the who early on but not why. I wanted to like this one more.. just wasn't for me.
A woman turns up at a house that she believes she lives in only to find another couple living there. She has no memory and can't even remember her name. The couple invite her in and let her stay while she tries to figure out who she's is and why she is there. I was confused by some of the actions of these people who had no idea who this woman was.
Thanks to Head of Zeus and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased
A woman turns up at a house that she believes she lives in only to find another couple living there. She has no memory and can't even remember her name. The couple invite her in and let her stay while she tries to figure out who she's is and why she is there. I was confused by some of the actions of these people who had no idea who this woman was.
Thanks to Head of Zeus and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased
October 3, 2018
You are outside your front door. There are strangers in your house. Then you realise. You can't remember your name.
When a woman turns up at Tony and Laura's home, the woman insists that they are living in her house. The couple invite her to come in. The woman tells them she has lost her bag with her purse, passport etc and that she can't remember her name. But she can describe the layout of the couples home. The couple think that she has amnesia and invite her to stay the night. They also book her an appointment with their local GP for the next morning. From here on, the plot just gets thicker and thicker.
The book is written using the viewpoints of several characters. It's also another one of those books where you can't say too much as you would give away too many spoilers. The twists just keep on coming and I gave up on trying to guess where the story was going as I just kept getting it wrong. There are some creepy characters in this creepy thriller. It's difficult who to believe in this fast paced book but you will just want to find out more. Who is telling the truth and who is telling lies? I also liked the information that we got told on our brains, memory and of sea horses. An enjoyable read.
I would like to thank NetGalley, House Of Zeus and the author J. S. Munroe for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
When a woman turns up at Tony and Laura's home, the woman insists that they are living in her house. The couple invite her to come in. The woman tells them she has lost her bag with her purse, passport etc and that she can't remember her name. But she can describe the layout of the couples home. The couple think that she has amnesia and invite her to stay the night. They also book her an appointment with their local GP for the next morning. From here on, the plot just gets thicker and thicker.
The book is written using the viewpoints of several characters. It's also another one of those books where you can't say too much as you would give away too many spoilers. The twists just keep on coming and I gave up on trying to guess where the story was going as I just kept getting it wrong. There are some creepy characters in this creepy thriller. It's difficult who to believe in this fast paced book but you will just want to find out more. Who is telling the truth and who is telling lies? I also liked the information that we got told on our brains, memory and of sea horses. An enjoyable read.
I would like to thank NetGalley, House Of Zeus and the author J. S. Munroe for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 3, 2018
'Forget My Name' is internationally bestselling author J. S. Monroe's second thriller to be written in the English language, and having thoroughly enjoyed 'Find Me', I was happy to discover that this was just as compelling and compulsively readable. The writing flows wonderfully from chapter-to-chapter making it a total pleasure to read, there are a plethora of twists, turns and red herrings to keep the reader guessing for the duration and it starts off at quite a slow burn type of pace, but it doesn't take long until Monroe turns the screw and ratchets up the tension until we reach the unbearably tense finale from which comes a stonker of a climax! And a most satisfying one at that!
There were a few of the suspenseful surprises that were predictable quite early on, and usually this would affect my overall appreciation for the book, but here I was enjoying everything else so much that it didn't have a substantive impact on my rating or review, although I have removed one star due to that. Engaging, completely gripping and a fun-filled, addictive experience, most crime buffs will absolutely love it! A couple of quick sidenotes on why it couldn't be awarded the full five stars - There is quite a large cast of characters which I didn't feel was necessary and could lead to confusion. Also, if you're the type of reader who needs a story grounded/based in reality, then this may not be for you. Many of the events that take place are far-fetched and wouldn't occur in real life. I also felt that it could've been better edited and quite a number of pages deleted without taking anything away from the novel.
Essentially, the fundamental concept this book is based on is the consequences of the main protagonist's amnesia, so this is definitely more of a mystery and intrigue tale than a thrilling one per se. It's creepy, impeccably paced and wastes no time in throwing you in at the deep end. Thoroughly enjoyable, it certainly captivated me!
Many thanks to Head of Zeus for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
There were a few of the suspenseful surprises that were predictable quite early on, and usually this would affect my overall appreciation for the book, but here I was enjoying everything else so much that it didn't have a substantive impact on my rating or review, although I have removed one star due to that. Engaging, completely gripping and a fun-filled, addictive experience, most crime buffs will absolutely love it! A couple of quick sidenotes on why it couldn't be awarded the full five stars - There is quite a large cast of characters which I didn't feel was necessary and could lead to confusion. Also, if you're the type of reader who needs a story grounded/based in reality, then this may not be for you. Many of the events that take place are far-fetched and wouldn't occur in real life. I also felt that it could've been better edited and quite a number of pages deleted without taking anything away from the novel.
Essentially, the fundamental concept this book is based on is the consequences of the main protagonist's amnesia, so this is definitely more of a mystery and intrigue tale than a thrilling one per se. It's creepy, impeccably paced and wastes no time in throwing you in at the deep end. Thoroughly enjoyable, it certainly captivated me!
Many thanks to Head of Zeus for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
May 6, 2019
A creepy psychological thriller involving amnesia. A woman arrives at Tony and Laura's front door and she thinks she is home. She doesn't know her name and has no identification but she knows the layout of Tony and Laura's house. They invite her to stay the night until they can get her some help. Tony decides to call her Jemma - with a J. There are quite a few twists in this story and parts of it are scary and others really creepy. I did enjoy the story but had to dispel credibility quite a few times due to actions I just couldn't believe could ever happen in real life. Like who would let a stranger who arrives at their door spend the night? Yikes!
Thanks to HARLEQUIN - Trade Publishing through Netgalley for an advance copy.
Thanks to HARLEQUIN - Trade Publishing through Netgalley for an advance copy.
August 27, 2019
EXCERPT: 'Are you awake?' I hear him say in the doorway.
I say nothing, feign sleep, try to make my breathing more audible but my lips are trembling too much. A tear rolls down my cheek as I stare at the wall.
'Welcome home,' he whispers.
I want to scream but I can't move. What does he mean? I wish Laura would come upstairs. I'm trying to be brave, but I'm so fucking scared here.
I can't remember my own name.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: Who can you trust if you don’t know who you are?
She arrives at the train station only to realize her bag had been stolen—her passport, credit cards, laptop, house key now all gone. And even more disturbing, when she goes to report the incident, she can’t recall her own name. All she has on her is a train ticket home.
Suffering from stress-induced amnesia, the woman without a name is a source of mystery when she appears at the sleepy Wiltshire village where she thought she lived. She quickly becomes a source of conspiracy and fear among the townspeople. Why does one think he recognizes her from years earlier? And why do the local police take such a strong interest in her arrival?
From the critically acclaimed author of Find Me comes a shocking new tale of dark pasts and deception, leaving us breathlessly analyzing the role memory plays in defining who we are—and who others think we might be.
MY THOUGHTS: Intriguing, tautly written, I read this overnight. It is an interesting concept, vastly different to anything else currently out there. And while it appears to be resolved merely half way through the book, it isn't...the real story is just beginning.
This is a new author for me and one who I will be reading more of.
****.5
THE AUTHOR: J.S.Monroe is the pseudonym of the British author Jon Stock. Jon is the author of five spy novels and a new standalone psychological thriller, Find Me, to be published in 2017 under the name of JS Monroe. He lives in Wiltshire with his wife and three children.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harlequin - Park Row for providing a digital ARC of The Last Thing She Remembers by J.S. Monroe for review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to my profile page on Goodreads.com or the about page on my webpage sandysbookaday/wordpess.com This review and others also appear on Twitter, Amazon, Goodreads.com and my webpage
I say nothing, feign sleep, try to make my breathing more audible but my lips are trembling too much. A tear rolls down my cheek as I stare at the wall.
'Welcome home,' he whispers.
I want to scream but I can't move. What does he mean? I wish Laura would come upstairs. I'm trying to be brave, but I'm so fucking scared here.
I can't remember my own name.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: Who can you trust if you don’t know who you are?
She arrives at the train station only to realize her bag had been stolen—her passport, credit cards, laptop, house key now all gone. And even more disturbing, when she goes to report the incident, she can’t recall her own name. All she has on her is a train ticket home.
Suffering from stress-induced amnesia, the woman without a name is a source of mystery when she appears at the sleepy Wiltshire village where she thought she lived. She quickly becomes a source of conspiracy and fear among the townspeople. Why does one think he recognizes her from years earlier? And why do the local police take such a strong interest in her arrival?
From the critically acclaimed author of Find Me comes a shocking new tale of dark pasts and deception, leaving us breathlessly analyzing the role memory plays in defining who we are—and who others think we might be.
MY THOUGHTS: Intriguing, tautly written, I read this overnight. It is an interesting concept, vastly different to anything else currently out there. And while it appears to be resolved merely half way through the book, it isn't...the real story is just beginning.
This is a new author for me and one who I will be reading more of.
****.5
THE AUTHOR: J.S.Monroe is the pseudonym of the British author Jon Stock. Jon is the author of five spy novels and a new standalone psychological thriller, Find Me, to be published in 2017 under the name of JS Monroe. He lives in Wiltshire with his wife and three children.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harlequin - Park Row for providing a digital ARC of The Last Thing She Remembers by J.S. Monroe for review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to my profile page on Goodreads.com or the about page on my webpage sandysbookaday/wordpess.com This review and others also appear on Twitter, Amazon, Goodreads.com and my webpage
May 23, 2019
My thoughts:
First of all....Thank you to Park Row Books for a copy of this ARC, in exchange for my honest review!
Tony and Laura are in their home when a woman shows up on their doorstep with a suitcase and tells them she lives there. She can’t remember her name, her purse has been lost or stolen (she’s not sure which), so she has no ID or money. She can’t remember anything really, but she does remember their house. Kind of creepy, right?
They invite her in and offer to let her spend the night. They even take her to a doctor the next morning, where she’s diagnosed with some type of stress-induced amnesia. Tony decides to call her Jemma (until she can remember her own name).
Then the story really starts to get crazy!
Someone in the village thinks Jemma might be a relative of an old classmate. Others think she might be a mentally-ill student who slit her best friend’s throat 12 years ago, and lived in Tony and Laura’s house as a child. The police become involved and Jemma is more confused than ever.
There were plenty of twists that kept me flipping pages trying to figure out where the next one was going to take me. Most were so shocking, I quit trying to figure out what was going to happen next and just focused on flipping those pages! One thing I was able to determine rather quickly was the character I absolutely despised!
This book was so addictive and sucked me in immediately (so I planned ahead with dinner in the crock pot 😊). It was fast-paced with short chapters and I had a hard time putting it down! And the ending...I did not see that coming!
My Rating: 4 ⭐️’s
Published: May 28th 2019 by Park Row
Pages: 416
Recommend: Yes!
Excerpts:
First of all....Thank you to Park Row Books for a copy of this ARC, in exchange for my honest review!
Tony and Laura are in their home when a woman shows up on their doorstep with a suitcase and tells them she lives there. She can’t remember her name, her purse has been lost or stolen (she’s not sure which), so she has no ID or money. She can’t remember anything really, but she does remember their house. Kind of creepy, right?
They invite her in and offer to let her spend the night. They even take her to a doctor the next morning, where she’s diagnosed with some type of stress-induced amnesia. Tony decides to call her Jemma (until she can remember her own name).
Then the story really starts to get crazy!
Someone in the village thinks Jemma might be a relative of an old classmate. Others think she might be a mentally-ill student who slit her best friend’s throat 12 years ago, and lived in Tony and Laura’s house as a child. The police become involved and Jemma is more confused than ever.
There were plenty of twists that kept me flipping pages trying to figure out where the next one was going to take me. Most were so shocking, I quit trying to figure out what was going to happen next and just focused on flipping those pages! One thing I was able to determine rather quickly was the character I absolutely despised!
This book was so addictive and sucked me in immediately (so I planned ahead with dinner in the crock pot 😊). It was fast-paced with short chapters and I had a hard time putting it down! And the ending...I did not see that coming!
My Rating: 4 ⭐️’s
Published: May 28th 2019 by Park Row
Pages: 416
Recommend: Yes!
Excerpts:
“You look like a Jemma to me,” Tony continues, leaning back on the sofa. “Definitely a Jemma.”
September 24, 2018
I got a digital copy for review via NetGalley!
Forget My Name had such a creepy premise to it, I love my Thrillers to be on the scary side and I was certainly not disappointed with the writing. It was fast paced, with great dialogue and kept me on the edge of my seat. The main character is a woman who has travelled from Berlin and after her handbag is stolen, she suddenly can't remember who she is or most of her past life. The only thing that comes back to her memory is the address of an old house she use to live in. This house is now occupied by a couple Tony and Laura. Both of them claim never to have seen this woman before. But one of them isn't telling the truth...
I read this in a single sitting and it was enjoyable. One thing to note, don't read this before bedtime!
Forget My Name had such a creepy premise to it, I love my Thrillers to be on the scary side and I was certainly not disappointed with the writing. It was fast paced, with great dialogue and kept me on the edge of my seat. The main character is a woman who has travelled from Berlin and after her handbag is stolen, she suddenly can't remember who she is or most of her past life. The only thing that comes back to her memory is the address of an old house she use to live in. This house is now occupied by a couple Tony and Laura. Both of them claim never to have seen this woman before. But one of them isn't telling the truth...
I read this in a single sitting and it was enjoyable. One thing to note, don't read this before bedtime!
May 28, 2019
The Last Thing She Remembers by J.S. Monroe is a psychological thriller.
First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Harlequin – Park Row, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
My Synopsis: (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
When a woman knocks on the door of Tony and Laura Masters house in a small village outside of London, no one is more surprised than they are when they invite this stranger in and tell her she can stay. They don’t know her, and she doesn’t know them. She also doesn’t know herself. The only thing she can tell them is that she arrived at the airport from a business trip to Berlin, and lost her purse. She doesn’t know her own name, has no ID, but she is sure that their house is actually hers. She can even describe the lay-out before she is shown around. A trip to the doctor’s office seems to confirm that she has amnesia. Her arrival to this small village has brought out all the theorists.
Dr. Patterson is the first to think the woman may be Jemma Huish, a young woman from town who had slashed her room-mate’s throat after warning the police she wanted to murder someone. No one stopped her. Jemma ended up in a mental institution, and was eventually rehabilitated, but is currently missing.
Laura Masters, once willing to welcome the woman in to her home, no longer feels safe. Her husband insists that the woman is not Jemma (although he was the one that suggested they call her that). Tony is, however, very interested in her amnesia.
Sean at the bar is sure she is a Russian spy.
Luke thinks she may be his daughter.
Hopefully the police will be able to solve this mystery. Unfortunately, the woman seems to have her own agenda, and doesn’t want to co-operate.
My Opinions:
This is the first book I have read by this author, and I know he has written a couple of others. I’ll have to check my library, because they’ll be moving up my TBR list.
I loved this book. It isn't just another "woman with amnesia" book. It grabbed my attention from the first few pages, and I struggled to put it down. The writing is clear and concise, the plot interesting, and the twists surprising. I love a book that has me doubting the reliability of a number of characters. What more could I want?
Well....there may have been a little much going on, and about half way through I thought it was a good place to end, until I realized that the author had more surprises in store. So it may have been a little long, and stretched the believability quotient a little, but I didn’t really care too much.
I enjoyed it.
For a more complete review of this book and others, please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
October 19, 2018
This book is like a ravishing snake that's slowly and almost hypnotically twists and untwists herself in a thousand unpredictable ways.
You think you have some idea about the plot. You don't. The snake moves around and you realize there's a whole new side to it.
The locations change. New characters are introduced. A new layer of the given characters is revealed.
Reading this was forever surprising and at times also devastating. It's not a light topic in the end. FORGET MY NAME will not let you forget anyone's story even after putting the book down.
Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this in exchange for my honest review.
You think you have some idea about the plot. You don't. The snake moves around and you realize there's a whole new side to it.
The locations change. New characters are introduced. A new layer of the given characters is revealed.
Reading this was forever surprising and at times also devastating. It's not a light topic in the end. FORGET MY NAME will not let you forget anyone's story even after putting the book down.
Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this in exchange for my honest review.
May 13, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for a Kindle ARC of
The Last Thing She Remembers.
The best word to describe this book is convoluted. Or, messy. Silly is another good one.
I've come to notice, especially in books with suspense-like plots like this, that authors are trying to trick the readers by adding more and more complicated storylines in which one ridiculous twist after another is thrown at you.
It's the literary equivalent of a soap opera, missing the hammy acting and pretty people, small consolations you won't find anywhere in The Last Thing She Remembers.
** Minor spoilers ahead **
The basic premise is simple and, sadly, not original; a woman arrives at the door of a house claiming she has no memory of her previous life. But this house is familiar to her.
This might be the fourth (or fifth) book I've read in the last six months with this simple premise; a woman with no memory who once lived at this location or something like that and she has a dark past and knows something...blah blah blah.
Now, if the hook was original, the story might have been decent.
But it quickly went off the rails.
There is deception and revenge, a serial predator (naturally), a long lost daughter(whaaa?, a mentally ill woman (WTF?) and numerous coincidences that all fall into place for the scheme to work.
You REALLY need to dump your ability to suspend disbelief at the door.
Better yet, abandon it altogether because you won't need it.
You also won't need your common sense and good judgement, either.
There are many characters, most of whom you never really identify with; side plots that interfere with the main plot (whatever it may be I'm still not quite clear on), and filler that try to explain how this person knows what he or she knows but just piles on the details in a way that you can't keep it all straight but it doesn't matter anyway.
You don't (and can't) believe any of what is happening.
By the time I reached the midway point of the book, I was rolling my eyes so much I almost passed out.
This was awful, plain and simple.
The best word to describe this book is convoluted. Or, messy. Silly is another good one.
I've come to notice, especially in books with suspense-like plots like this, that authors are trying to trick the readers by adding more and more complicated storylines in which one ridiculous twist after another is thrown at you.
It's the literary equivalent of a soap opera, missing the hammy acting and pretty people, small consolations you won't find anywhere in The Last Thing She Remembers.
** Minor spoilers ahead **
The basic premise is simple and, sadly, not original; a woman arrives at the door of a house claiming she has no memory of her previous life. But this house is familiar to her.
This might be the fourth (or fifth) book I've read in the last six months with this simple premise; a woman with no memory who once lived at this location or something like that and she has a dark past and knows something...blah blah blah.
Now, if the hook was original, the story might have been decent.
But it quickly went off the rails.
There is deception and revenge, a serial predator (naturally), a long lost daughter(whaaa?, a mentally ill woman (WTF?) and numerous coincidences that all fall into place for the scheme to work.
You REALLY need to dump your ability to suspend disbelief at the door.
Better yet, abandon it altogether because you won't need it.
You also won't need your common sense and good judgement, either.
There are many characters, most of whom you never really identify with; side plots that interfere with the main plot (whatever it may be I'm still not quite clear on), and filler that try to explain how this person knows what he or she knows but just piles on the details in a way that you can't keep it all straight but it doesn't matter anyway.
You don't (and can't) believe any of what is happening.
By the time I reached the midway point of the book, I was rolling my eyes so much I almost passed out.
This was awful, plain and simple.
October 1, 2018
Wow,this author certainly doesn't hang about,no long drawn out background information,it's just Wham,straight into the story with the arrival on Tony and Laura`s doorstep of a mysterious female stranger who insists that they are living in her house. Now most people would just say that is was sad but not their problem and slam the door in her face. But kindly Tony and Laura take the terrified women into their home,cook her a meal and try to find out who their mysterious visitor is but she insists that she has lost her bag and can't remember her identity. Only more than one of these people are lying and the reader swiftly finds themselves plunged into a twisted story of lies,secrets and manipulation that has bony fingers that reach back into the past.
This twisty,gripping thriller is set mainly in and around Swindon,Wiltshire which is about an hour away from where I live and has chapters that alternate between a number of realistic characters,most of whom are unreliable and includes one character who is such a nasty,twisted individual that this person caused me to feel chills and my skin to crawl a number of times throughout the story. My favourite characters were DI Silas Hart and his partner DC Strover and also Luke who used to be a journalist and was investigating his own mystery which may or may not have be connected to the mysterious woman who had suddenly appeared in his small village.It's hard to say much about the mysterious stranger without giving away spoilers so I will just say that she was a brave,gutsy character who I felt very anxious for and was rooting for all the way once her story and the reasons behind her actions were revealed.
I learnt some fascinating information about brains,memory and seahorses whilst reading this well written,enthralling thriller. The story is fast paced,has short,snappy chapters and had me hooked in from the very first page. Very,very good book and highly recommended by little old me
Many thanks to publishers Head Of Zeus for a arc of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
This twisty,gripping thriller is set mainly in and around Swindon,Wiltshire which is about an hour away from where I live and has chapters that alternate between a number of realistic characters,most of whom are unreliable and includes one character who is such a nasty,twisted individual that this person caused me to feel chills and my skin to crawl a number of times throughout the story. My favourite characters were DI Silas Hart and his partner DC Strover and also Luke who used to be a journalist and was investigating his own mystery which may or may not have be connected to the mysterious woman who had suddenly appeared in his small village.It's hard to say much about the mysterious stranger without giving away spoilers so I will just say that she was a brave,gutsy character who I felt very anxious for and was rooting for all the way once her story and the reasons behind her actions were revealed.
I learnt some fascinating information about brains,memory and seahorses whilst reading this well written,enthralling thriller. The story is fast paced,has short,snappy chapters and had me hooked in from the very first page. Very,very good book and highly recommended by little old me
Many thanks to publishers Head Of Zeus for a arc of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
October 4, 2018
The blurb said a woman arrived to a village via the train with her bag stolen and total retrograde amnesia, including not knowing her name. Then she knocked on Laura and Tony's home claiming it to be hers, as the address was all that she remembered. They took her in, and Tony named her Jemma. And the twists started rolling...
J. S. Monroe has written a brilliant book with so many twists that at times I felt almost like a pretzel. Memory and hippocampus were brilliantly used in the entire plot. I loved the way Monroe has plotted the amnesic main character. I had to go back to my knowledge bank to remember if such an amnesia is possible. Well, the brain can be tricky!!
The book had a darker overtone, without it being too macabre, but it went with the entire flow. Tony, as the man obsessed with sea horses and memory, was as unlikable as villain ought to be. There was something off each time he helped Jemma.
The author then went ahead admixed in the plot, the character of a psychotic woman who had murdered her best friend and who looked just like our protagonist. In all this confusion, the cops and an ex-reporter Luke had to search for the lone thread which would unknot the entire plot.
My niggles came and went as I read the book, some parts were too descriptive (I learned to skim read), a few unanswered questions (I let go of them), slightly clearer prose (I had to re-read some bits)
The book held me captive till I reached the last page and then made me write this review. What a book!!
I received an ARC from NetGalley and publisher Head of Zeus, and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
J. S. Monroe has written a brilliant book with so many twists that at times I felt almost like a pretzel. Memory and hippocampus were brilliantly used in the entire plot. I loved the way Monroe has plotted the amnesic main character. I had to go back to my knowledge bank to remember if such an amnesia is possible. Well, the brain can be tricky!!
The book had a darker overtone, without it being too macabre, but it went with the entire flow. Tony, as the man obsessed with sea horses and memory, was as unlikable as villain ought to be. There was something off each time he helped Jemma.
The author then went ahead admixed in the plot, the character of a psychotic woman who had murdered her best friend and who looked just like our protagonist. In all this confusion, the cops and an ex-reporter Luke had to search for the lone thread which would unknot the entire plot.
My niggles came and went as I read the book, some parts were too descriptive (I learned to skim read), a few unanswered questions (I let go of them), slightly clearer prose (I had to re-read some bits)
The book held me captive till I reached the last page and then made me write this review. What a book!!
I received an ARC from NetGalley and publisher Head of Zeus, and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
December 7, 2018
‘I can’t remember my own name.’ This is the opening sentence of a story that is quite intriguing. The person standing at the door of the house cannot remember their own name, but she is convinced this is where she lives. Except another couple are living in the house. Since her bag had been stolen at the airport, the woman at the door has no proof of who she is, no wallet, no passport or anything to identify her. Tony and Laura, the couple in the house, invite her in. The unnamed woman can identify the layout of the house. How can she know all this unless she has lived there? Someone is lying. But who is it and why?
So starts a story that had me quite interested initially. The plot takes several twists and turns along the way, becoming more and more convoluted. This is where it started to lose my interest a bit. Towards the end I became less enamoured, especially once it got to the seahorses and the significance of them. At times I wondered why I kept on reading, as some aspects of the story were farfetched or gross, but I did so that shows the power of the story to draw me in. It got more unbelievable. In the end I was glad to be done with it.
I’ve given it three stars, mostly for the way it starts off and it kept me reading even when I was struggling to believe the plot. I also never warmed to any of the characters so felt I was outside looking in the whole time rather than involved.
So starts a story that had me quite interested initially. The plot takes several twists and turns along the way, becoming more and more convoluted. This is where it started to lose my interest a bit. Towards the end I became less enamoured, especially once it got to the seahorses and the significance of them. At times I wondered why I kept on reading, as some aspects of the story were farfetched or gross, but I did so that shows the power of the story to draw me in. It got more unbelievable. In the end I was glad to be done with it.
I’ve given it three stars, mostly for the way it starts off and it kept me reading even when I was struggling to believe the plot. I also never warmed to any of the characters so felt I was outside looking in the whole time rather than involved.
September 14, 2018
A young woman, fresh off a flight from Berlin, turns up at a house in the English countryside...
She’s lost her memory. She can’t even remember her name, but she knows one thing for sure - she lives in that house. Except she doesn’t... someone else does, and they’ve never seen her before.
It’s an intriguing premise, not least for local people for whom “Jemma”’s mysterious appearance sparks intense speculation. Is she a murderer, a connection to a long-lost love, or a Russian spy? Everyone has their theory...
There’s an awful lot going on in this book and it did get pretty confusing at times, especially with regard to a seemingly ever-increasing number of very similar-looking women. (This, among other things, stretched credibility to breaking point.) None of the characters seemed particularly trustworthy and honestly I didn’t believe a word any of them said anyway, so although there are certainly twists none of them really pulled the rug out from under me. That said, I didn’t guess the truth and it did keep me reading, building to a tense denouement.
It’s tightly plotted and the story does hang together even if it defies credibility at times and the characterisation feels quite thin. An enjoyable enough read but probably not one which will stick in my memory (ironically enough given the overarching theme)... except perhaps for a particularly quirky villain.
She’s lost her memory. She can’t even remember her name, but she knows one thing for sure - she lives in that house. Except she doesn’t... someone else does, and they’ve never seen her before.
It’s an intriguing premise, not least for local people for whom “Jemma”’s mysterious appearance sparks intense speculation. Is she a murderer, a connection to a long-lost love, or a Russian spy? Everyone has their theory...
There’s an awful lot going on in this book and it did get pretty confusing at times, especially with regard to a seemingly ever-increasing number of very similar-looking women. (This, among other things, stretched credibility to breaking point.) None of the characters seemed particularly trustworthy and honestly I didn’t believe a word any of them said anyway, so although there are certainly twists none of them really pulled the rug out from under me. That said, I didn’t guess the truth and it did keep me reading, building to a tense denouement.
It’s tightly plotted and the story does hang together even if it defies credibility at times and the characterisation feels quite thin. An enjoyable enough read but probably not one which will stick in my memory (ironically enough given the overarching theme)... except perhaps for a particularly quirky villain.
September 7, 2019
*thank you to Netgalley, HarperCollins Publishers Australia and J.S. Monroe for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
1 star.
This actually upsets me a bit because it sounded like it was going to be so good, so my hopes were high. I just couldn't get into this. At the beginning it wasn't so bad. The story seemed to be heading somewhere. But the more I read the more questions I had and then it just got confusing. I stop feeling what little connection I did have and became uninterested in it. I think the bit that confused me the most was the ages of the characters. It didn't make sense because we weren't really told. But there were more confusing parts than just that.
I noticed too that the storyline seemed to slow down and I reckon that is what kept making my attention drift and caused me to need to keep re-reading parts.
The idea of this story was what interested me. A lady with amnesia, suddenly turning up on the door step of a home that she thought was hers, only to discover it wasn't and was currently being occupied by a male and female. Unfortunately it just didn't deliver. Thought I will add that I was still a bit curious to see how it ended. I had hoped that it would have improved my thoughts and feelings about this, but it didn't meet my expectations. For these reasons I've stated, I would t recommend it.
1 star.
This actually upsets me a bit because it sounded like it was going to be so good, so my hopes were high. I just couldn't get into this. At the beginning it wasn't so bad. The story seemed to be heading somewhere. But the more I read the more questions I had and then it just got confusing. I stop feeling what little connection I did have and became uninterested in it. I think the bit that confused me the most was the ages of the characters. It didn't make sense because we weren't really told. But there were more confusing parts than just that.
I noticed too that the storyline seemed to slow down and I reckon that is what kept making my attention drift and caused me to need to keep re-reading parts.
The idea of this story was what interested me. A lady with amnesia, suddenly turning up on the door step of a home that she thought was hers, only to discover it wasn't and was currently being occupied by a male and female. Unfortunately it just didn't deliver. Thought I will add that I was still a bit curious to see how it ended. I had hoped that it would have improved my thoughts and feelings about this, but it didn't meet my expectations. For these reasons I've stated, I would t recommend it.
May 29, 2019
*3.5 stars rounded up
The narrator of this thriller is a young woman who appears to be suffering from some form of amnesia. She arrives at the front door of an English cottage, convinced it is her home. The stunned home-owners bring her in and contact their doctor who soon warns them that she could be a woman convicted of manslaughter for killing her best friend, and who did indeed once live in their house.
The plot then does some interesting twists and turns and we realize our narrator is VERY unreliable. Her portions of the story are told in first person point of view, while the rest of the story is done in third-person narrative.
Who is she really and why did she show up in this village? Hang on for a crazy ride!
I received an arc of this thriller from the publisher via NetGalley. I enjoyed the book and am grateful for the opportunity given me.
The narrator of this thriller is a young woman who appears to be suffering from some form of amnesia. She arrives at the front door of an English cottage, convinced it is her home. The stunned home-owners bring her in and contact their doctor who soon warns them that she could be a woman convicted of manslaughter for killing her best friend, and who did indeed once live in their house.
The plot then does some interesting twists and turns and we realize our narrator is VERY unreliable. Her portions of the story are told in first person point of view, while the rest of the story is done in third-person narrative.
Who is she really and why did she show up in this village? Hang on for a crazy ride!
I received an arc of this thriller from the publisher via NetGalley. I enjoyed the book and am grateful for the opportunity given me.
July 2, 2019
A woman suffering from amnesia turns up at the house of Laura and Tony claiming to live there. With no identification or possessions and concerned for her well-being they invite her to stay and take her to the doctor's the next day. Sensing a familiarity the doctor thinks she recognizes the woman, a convicted murderer.
As the story progresses we meet other characters in the village the couple live in, all of whom have their own theories as to this mystery woman's background and identity.
An interesting premise that I would have enjoyed more if the story had a quicker pace. Confusing at times with many twists and different points of view.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin/Park Row for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
As the story progresses we meet other characters in the village the couple live in, all of whom have their own theories as to this mystery woman's background and identity.
An interesting premise that I would have enjoyed more if the story had a quicker pace. Confusing at times with many twists and different points of view.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin/Park Row for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
July 1, 2019
I thought this book was good but sometimes a bit all over the place. The first half was really enjoyable and I was getting into it but then it went on and on about seahorses and I started to get really confused. I think it started to get silly and I didn’t understand what was going on. I think it should have been left a lot shorter. The first half though was very interesting and I liked how it was unfolding. It was just not the best book but I would read future books by this author.
March 26, 2019
The description of the book made me think it would be something I would like. Psychological thrillers either work very well for me or they don't. Seems to be no middle ground. This one failed to grip me with any emotional investment. I found the characters flat and unlikable and thought the plot convoluted and contrived. I thought the premise was unrealistic, including the characters' thoughts and reactions. Its beginning seemed promising, but I found most of the story boring. It was a thriller which failed to thrill me. Amnesia is becoming overused as a plot device.
Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Publishers for the ARC in return for an honest review. I am sorry that I cannot be more positive. I note that many readers seemed to enjoy it, so I hope that prospective readers will not be put off by my misgivings, which are entirely my own. 1.5 stars rounded up to 2.
Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Publishers for the ARC in return for an honest review. I am sorry that I cannot be more positive. I note that many readers seemed to enjoy it, so I hope that prospective readers will not be put off by my misgivings, which are entirely my own. 1.5 stars rounded up to 2.
June 18, 2019
I love an unreliable narrator, especially with coupled with amnesia plotlines, so I was really stoked to get this book. I appreciate what the author was trying to do in this book and was really engaged for the first third of the book or so. Somewhere in the middle, it started dragging. Without giving any spoilers, the plot was even more complicated than initially portrayed so I commend the level of thought and effort the author put in to configure the plot. I would be interested in reading more from this author.
Thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and the author J.S Monroe for a digital review copy. This book was first published May 28, 2019.
Thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and the author J.S Monroe for a digital review copy. This book was first published May 28, 2019.
September 17, 2018
Unfortunately this was a bit too confusing and 'out there' for me. I don't want to give anything away so I'll keep it brief.
There were so many characters to keep track of. Very similar women. Some odd ones to watch out for. I didn't necessarily like any of them. I mean I don't have to like them to read about them, but I did think at times, why am I reading this? There is no one to root for or believe in.
It wasn't all bad. I found the story interesting, just hard to keep track of. I have seen some other reviewers saying how it wasn't very true to life, or realistic. And I have to agree with this. The scariest bit of psychological thrillers, is that it could happen to you, and this just didn't deliver that sense of anxiousness to me. There was no hiding behind your hands, or speed reading through to make sure everything turns out OK.
I feel bad to say that I probably wouldn't recommend this, and I wouldn't read this again. Sorry! :/
There were so many characters to keep track of. Very similar women. Some odd ones to watch out for. I didn't necessarily like any of them. I mean I don't have to like them to read about them, but I did think at times, why am I reading this? There is no one to root for or believe in.
It wasn't all bad. I found the story interesting, just hard to keep track of. I have seen some other reviewers saying how it wasn't very true to life, or realistic. And I have to agree with this. The scariest bit of psychological thrillers, is that it could happen to you, and this just didn't deliver that sense of anxiousness to me. There was no hiding behind your hands, or speed reading through to make sure everything turns out OK.
I feel bad to say that I probably wouldn't recommend this, and I wouldn't read this again. Sorry! :/
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