Thursday, February 20, 2020

Mr. Nobody; Catherine Steadman


TITLE: Mr. Nobody
AUTHOR:  Catherine Steadman
PUBLISHER: Ballantine Books
PUB. YEAR: 2020
SETTING: UK
FORMAT: eGalley
RATING: - 3.5/5


"Mr. Nobody" is a 40-something man who is found on a British beach in Norfolk on a winter's day. With no ID, he is taken to a hospital where his identity remains a mystery. A nurse and the media, fascinated with this individual, begin to refer to him as Matthew.  As time ticks on and still no closer to finding out who the man is, those involved in his case begin to wonder whether he is truly unable to recall details of his past or, is he just unwilling to communicate?  Is there something in his past he is hiding from?

Dr. Emma Lewis is just over 30 years old and an expert in her field of neuropsychiatry. She is asked to step in on "Mr. Nobody, A.K.A. Matthew's case."  Emma, however, is a woman with a past she'd prefer to forget, and, stepping in on this case means returning to the town that she fled from years earlier.  Although Emma does not seem to know the mystery man, he seems to know her. Could there be a connection? Also, why is the government interested in him as well?

I love a good psych thriller and although the author's first book, Something in the Water, was a psychological thriller I enjoyed, this book failed to "wow" me. The first third of the book moved quickly, but then my interest waned a bit. There were some unexpected twists, but, overall, I felt somewhat unsatisfied when I finished this one.

11 comments:

  1. Sorry the book left you unsatisfied! I think I'll pass on it.

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  2. Well that's too bad, it sounds like an interesting storyline.

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  3. I have this on audio and will probably still give it a try.

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  4. Hmmm. I'm curious. It does sound interesting, but it is a problem when the second half of a book proves less interesting than the first.

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  5. Oh I'm sorry to hear this has an unsatisfying ending. It's too bad because the premise for this is so intriguing!

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  6. Hi Diane,
    How interesting that you found this book to be less of a "wow" than Steadman's first. I will get that one for the ultra-sultry hot humidity days this summer! Thank you for your thoughts!

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  7. Yep. I thought Something in the Water was a fun read but could have been a lot better so I declined this one when it was offered.

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  8. Too bad it didn't hold up. I am reminded of a Joyce Carol Oates novel called The Man With No Shadow. It held up fine!

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  9. I still have Something in the Water to read so will look forward to it before I turn to this one.

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  10. Hi Diane,
    I'm back again with my final comment about Mr. Nobody. I found it interesting, and at times somewhat more than interesting, but isn't a psychological thriller supposed to deliver more than "interesting?" I'm not unhappy I read it, though.

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  11. Good thrillers need a fast pace all the way through.

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