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Alex Sage #1
Missing Memory
Hard-nosed on the outside, conflicted on the inside, Alex Sage is an independent-spirited investigator devoted to her job. Finding the truth is difficult living in a time when the State is all powerful and memories are prized at a cost.
When Alex discovers a dead brunette in a white lab coat, something doesn't add up. At first, it appeared the memory storage employee had just been in the way. An unexpected casualty. But why had the murderer stolen something useless? There had to be more to the story.
She was already walking a fine line at work. One more impulsive mistake and she was out of a job. She couldn't let her dad have the satisfaction of saying "I told you so." But was finding the murderer and exposing the truth more important than her own safety?
Right when she thinks all is lost, a mysterious stranger appears with a tip. Is it enough to find the murderer and solve the case?
When Alex discovers a dead brunette in a white lab coat, something doesn't add up. At first, it appeared the memory storage employee had just been in the way. An unexpected casualty. But why had the murderer stolen something useless? There had to be more to the story.
She was already walking a fine line at work. One more impulsive mistake and she was out of a job. She couldn't let her dad have the satisfaction of saying "I told you so." But was finding the murderer and exposing the truth more important than her own safety?
Right when she thinks all is lost, a mysterious stranger appears with a tip. Is it enough to find the murderer and solve the case?
106 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 12, 2017
1 person is currently reading
6 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 16, 2017
This novel is a quick-read and the world it’s set in is an intriguing one. Memories are preserved for future generations through a purchasable extraction process. Why would someone want to preserve their memories? It’s a question that the story touches upon multiple times, but never seems to dive completely into, and I’m left wishing that it did.
Fortunately the protagonist, Alex, is in the thick of it, with a job as a detective at an agency that has just been assigned to look into the murder of a woman who works at a Memory Facility and Bank. Alex’s dad, to her chagrin, works for the company that first discovered the memory-extracting technology. The government in this world, referred to as the State, has vested interest in the memory technology, though the reason why is not made fully clear. The choice to make the protagonist a woman is appreciated, as is the modest rumination on credibility of witnesses after an experience with a witness who happens to be a sex worker.
If there were more characters and more backstory to each of the existing characters, the mystery may not feel so tidily resolved. However, there is one unexpected and well executed twist that introduces a fun character. Hopefully the next books in the series will expand the world a bit and dive deeper into the characters we’ve met in Book One.
Fortunately the protagonist, Alex, is in the thick of it, with a job as a detective at an agency that has just been assigned to look into the murder of a woman who works at a Memory Facility and Bank. Alex’s dad, to her chagrin, works for the company that first discovered the memory-extracting technology. The government in this world, referred to as the State, has vested interest in the memory technology, though the reason why is not made fully clear. The choice to make the protagonist a woman is appreciated, as is the modest rumination on credibility of witnesses after an experience with a witness who happens to be a sex worker.
If there were more characters and more backstory to each of the existing characters, the mystery may not feel so tidily resolved. However, there is one unexpected and well executed twist that introduces a fun character. Hopefully the next books in the series will expand the world a bit and dive deeper into the characters we’ve met in Book One.
October 6, 2017
This book has so much potential.
It's an interesting read, and much of it is written in truly skilful prose, emotive and fluent and engaging. There are even a few subtle comments on gender stereotypes - even having a female lead in a novel such as this is refreshing, especially when written by a male author. Schmitz has done well to capture the experience of a female detective without making the book in the least bit about her gender. This is a nice touch. The plot itself is well-thought out, speculative fiction creeping into the idea of 'memory storage' as an accessible, public industry. It's a great idea, but not nearly enough detail is crammed into the brief 90-odd pages to make for a fully immersive reading experience.
The brevity of the novel is my main (and possibly only) complaint about the novel - although it is only the first of the series, I can't help but think it would be more effective to explore the story in better depth here, as it feels as though it is only just getting started as the book comes to an end. The slightly alien elements of the setting are practically asking to be expanded on; characters, to be better developed. The story itself is thoroughly interesting, but it lacks the solid foundation that would come with time and text.
It's an interesting read, and much of it is written in truly skilful prose, emotive and fluent and engaging. There are even a few subtle comments on gender stereotypes - even having a female lead in a novel such as this is refreshing, especially when written by a male author. Schmitz has done well to capture the experience of a female detective without making the book in the least bit about her gender. This is a nice touch. The plot itself is well-thought out, speculative fiction creeping into the idea of 'memory storage' as an accessible, public industry. It's a great idea, but not nearly enough detail is crammed into the brief 90-odd pages to make for a fully immersive reading experience.
The brevity of the novel is my main (and possibly only) complaint about the novel - although it is only the first of the series, I can't help but think it would be more effective to explore the story in better depth here, as it feels as though it is only just getting started as the book comes to an end. The slightly alien elements of the setting are practically asking to be expanded on; characters, to be better developed. The story itself is thoroughly interesting, but it lacks the solid foundation that would come with time and text.
October 31, 2017
In this futuristic, dystopian murder mystery, seasoned SSG Agent Alex Sage needs to use her brains and bravery to solve the case. She wants to find the killer and get revenge for the young victim. During her investigation, Alex uncovers lies, cover-ups and intrigue surrounding the seemingly harmless fad that’s all the rage – having memories stored. To make life harder, it is clear someone is working against her. Plus, she has been assigned a rookie partner, Eli, who is weak-stomached and terribly naive.
What a relief to find a novel with a strong female protagonist who is smart, persistent, courageous and not a push-over. Yet she has a vulnerable side that she tries desperately to protect. Alex works to do the right thing even when it is dangerous, goes after the truth relentlessly to keep people safe, and refuses to turn a blind-eye to corruption.
I enjoyed the plot twists and the overtures of good vs. evil. Due to the subject matter, I’d recommend this book for older teens and adults.
Can’t wait for the next book in the series to come out!
What a relief to find a novel with a strong female protagonist who is smart, persistent, courageous and not a push-over. Yet she has a vulnerable side that she tries desperately to protect. Alex works to do the right thing even when it is dangerous, goes after the truth relentlessly to keep people safe, and refuses to turn a blind-eye to corruption.
I enjoyed the plot twists and the overtures of good vs. evil. Due to the subject matter, I’d recommend this book for older teens and adults.
Can’t wait for the next book in the series to come out!
October 25, 2017
I received a free copy through Story Cartel in exchange for an honest review.
Set in a futuristic world where the State runs everything, Alex finds herself looking into a grisly murder with her partner, Eli. You're thrown right into the action, no holds barred, with enough explanation given to inform but not so much as to bore or overwhelm.
Unlike other works where memories are removed because they're troublesome, memory removal here has been billed as a way to pass your experiences down to your family. (Except for the minor detail about them being uploaded to the cloud, which probably means also viewed by the State).
Alex has some lingering, often referred to, issues with her dad and a former partner, both of which are sure to develop further as the series continues. She's distrustful of everyone, but with the action in the book you can't blame her.
It's a relatively short, fast paced book with an ending clearly working towards a sequel or series of books.
Set in a futuristic world where the State runs everything, Alex finds herself looking into a grisly murder with her partner, Eli. You're thrown right into the action, no holds barred, with enough explanation given to inform but not so much as to bore or overwhelm.
Unlike other works where memories are removed because they're troublesome, memory removal here has been billed as a way to pass your experiences down to your family. (Except for the minor detail about them being uploaded to the cloud, which probably means also viewed by the State).
Alex has some lingering, often referred to, issues with her dad and a former partner, both of which are sure to develop further as the series continues. She's distrustful of everyone, but with the action in the book you can't blame her.
It's a relatively short, fast paced book with an ending clearly working towards a sequel or series of books.
October 6, 2017
Set in an atmosphere almost reminiscent of Blade Runner, this book tries to be slick and intriguing, but falls a little bit flat. The characters are all very basic archetypes and it was hard to get particularly excited about any of them. Having said that, the story itself is fine, if not groundbreaking. It is obvious that this is meant to be the first book in a series. The ending to this first installment was less than satisfying, possibly with the intention of drawing the reader in for the next book in the series. A longer book with more time for both plot and character development could have taken this to the next level.
October 25, 2017
In this abbreviated rip-off of Blade Runner, Schmitz's tale of a detective obsessed with exposing a corrupt society where memories are as valuable as gold lacks the film's dramatic punch. Schmitz does attempt to add depth to the protagonist by giving her daddy issues, but he spends far too much time on this and less on developing a compelling mystery.
March 18, 2022
An "into the future" type book. Alex Sage is an investigator and is looking into the murder of a person at a Memory Bank. The bank farms and stores memories, yikes! Alex gets on the wrong side of everyone and is pulled from the case...
Writing is stilted with futurist words...sort of distracting, not my type of read.
Only 98 pages, more of a short story.
Writing is stilted with futurist words...sort of distracting, not my type of read.
Only 98 pages, more of a short story.
October 7, 2017
This is an entertaining beginning to a series - I hope it continues, as there's a lot left hanging in this one, and a lot of room for the story to go on and expand itself. The worldbuilding is done subtly but effectively, letting the reader get a good idea of the background context, and of what's going on in the story, without drowning in tedious paragraphs of explication. Alex is a lively and interesting character, with a snarky defensiveness that's explained as the story goes on, through her relationships and experiences. Some aspects of her personality - especially her relationship with her father and ex-partner - could use a more subtle hand, though, as they are emphasized almost to the point of repetitiveness. Her partner Eli is less well developed as of yet, but he shows some interesting potential as a person and as a story element, which hopefully will be expanded upon as Alex's story continues. The writing is snappy and brisk, and the action both believable and entertaining. Honestly, my main complaint about this book is that it's too short - which is not the worst thing in the world that can be said about a book - and it reads more as the start of a story than a complete story in itself.
October 9, 2017
Missing Memory by A. J. Schmitz is a fantastic read. It grabs you from the start, and never really lets you go. Set in a time when memories can be bantered about like currency, it has everything a good dystopian novel needs: corporate espionage, counter cultures, secrets, and corporations that have no problem eliminating problems, real or imaginary. The main character, Alex Sage, is a tough, driven investigator whose job is to police society as best she can, even when the government itself is against her. With a father whose opinion of her is so low that it has dogged her since childhood, it is no wonder that they would find themselves at odds over doing the right thing by a murder victim, even if it makes the sainted corporations they both work for look bad. Subtitled as Book 1 in a series, I cannot wait for the next one to appear.
October 8, 2017
Set in a time period well in the future where The State is in control of everything, including people's memories, Missing Memory was a good book and I hope only the first in a long series. The storyline and plot is very interesting and I became invested in it almost immediately. I liked the characters but I felt that, wirh the book only being 90 pages, that the author spent too much time explaining Amy's relationship with her father, when he could have explained some of the other characters more thoroughly. It was a quick read and I enjoyed it even though there are a lot of holes in the story to me. I'm very hopeful that a second part of Missing Memory will come along and fill in some of these gaps. Overall, good book and great plot and setting.
October 24, 2017
This was a breath of fresh air as this book drew me in from the first chapter. You meet Alex Sage who’s an impulsive detective from a futuristic setting where the State controls everything and even takes memories. She has to step lightly when a death occurs, but she’s so passionate about her work, that passion can often get in her own way. There were also a few questions remaining once I finished this book but overall, I’m hoping they’ll be answered throughout the rest of the series. This book remained fast-paced and engaging throughout, making this a quick-read.
October 8, 2017
This was an intriguing futuristic mystery involving the tragic murder of a technician who stores peoples' memories. Although the concept is new to me, I was interested to find out who killed her and why. Alex Sage is a hard-nosed, get her man kind of investigator who will stop at nothing to find the bad guy. Even though Alex figured out who the murderer was, I was surprised at how quickly the story ended but I will definitely look for more books in this series.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews