2024 Reading Challenge

2024 Reading Challenge
Jill Elizabeth has read 1 book toward her goal of 285 books.
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2023 Reading Challenge

2023 Reading Challenge
Jill Elizabeth has read 5 books toward her goal of 265 books.
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Book Review: The Memory Detective by T.S. Nichols

I know, I know – it’s not EXACTLY a Valentine’s Day book, teehee, but it’s a GREAT read, so forgive me!

Everybody feels fear a little bit differently. Everyone feels love, joy, and sadness differently too, but it’s not quite like fear. Fear is primal. It’s like a fingerprint.

This was an EXCELLENT read. I am captivated by memory and am a long-time fan of sci-fi and thriller/crime/detective stories, and this brought all of those together in a fascinating and unique way that had me on the edge of my seat from the first pages. Cole is a great protagonist. He’s more than a little bit broken – like all good protags are/should be to allow for great story development – and the blend of personalities, memories, and stories that he reveals throughout the course of the book are reflective of that. Yet somehow, he remains just hopeful enough to keep doing what he does – namely, take on the memories of the disenfranchised murder victims who have no other hope of seeing the mystery of their deaths solved. It’s hard to imagine someone – even a dedicated detective with issues of his own – willfully taking on not only the most painful memories of these people’s lives, but also the myriad avalanche of horribles that typically led up to that ultimate moment. Cole’s psyche is fascinating, and so is the method by which the exceptionally talented T.S. Nichols reveals it in fits and starts…

This is a thriller par excellence. The pacing is spot-on; the blend of memories, backstories, and contemporary timeline is managed perfectly. The supporting cast is just colorful enough to provide urban camouflage for Cole’s own overwhelming portion of this tale. This is definitely an author on my radar now… This is his first novel – here’s hoping more are coming forthwith!

My review copy was provided by NetGalley.

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