Mr. Nobody

“He takes another cautions breath and tentatively tries to raise his head, careful not to stir the lurking pain nestling in his skull. Damp sand, like candied sugar crystals, sticks to his stubbled check as he shifts his weight up onto aching forearms, cautiously testing the limit of their strength as he squints out into the morning light. How did I get here?”

Mr. Nobody
By Catherine Steadman
Source: Advance review copy

A man is found on the beach in Norfolk, England, his clothes damp, shivering and with a head wound. He becomes a news sensation when he is taken to the hospital but he can’t speak and he doesn’t remember his name. A dedicated nurse rather than calling him Mr. Nobody names him Matthew until he can recover his memory.

After the hospital is stumped with his case they bring in medical expert, Emma Lewis, who has worked on cases of amnesia and fugue states. How she is assigned the case seems a bit too good to be true but she can’t lose this opportunity even if it does mean she’s going back to a place she’s been gone from for a long time.

Emma has some serious reservations when she meets Matthew because even if the staff thinks he has amnesia he reveals something to her that only she knows. Chris Poole, a police officer and former friend of Emma, is also on the scene to help Emma and find out more about Matthew.

This started of as a great thriller with so many questions about Matthew and Emma. They both had secrets and the author takes her time unraveling the story. I also really enjoyed some of the minor characters in particular the nurse who helps Matthew. The ending was a bit of a letdown as I felt like it was unnecessarily convoluted but overall I really enjoyed this psychological thriller.

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