I could not get into this book, ultimately it was not form me and I could not finish it. It may be one for other readers

What is a heaven architect?
Someone who spends time with the dying and draws out their most precious memories. Happy times, happy occasions so that the can “build” they’re Heaven.

Nice concept.
Great thoughts in this book that made me ask myself several quick like…..what if?

It’s very well written and thought provoking.

Then she meets someone she falls for.
This messes a lot of things up as they embark on their live affair because…..his wife has been found murdered.
And just who are the suspects?

I’ve had this to read for ages and finally came across it on audio.

A very enjoyable read.

This is such a cool concept with the sci-fi twist however this taken away it is just a very predictable thriller that didn't really leave much to the imagination. So while the sci-fi twist added something extra, unfortunately it wasn't enough for me to make this a memorable read.

It's a crying shame to take such a promising idea and turn it into a soppy, illogical story this ends up being. Because the premise sounds like an interesting sci-fi - that there is a possibility of Heaven for everyone. Strictly scientifical, limited one, I mind you; created only from memories you want to stay with you after your death. And Isobel, a Heaven Architect, is the top dog in her work. Until she falls head over heels for her dying client Jarek - a married client. Whose wife is found dead after Jarek's own death. And who is the killer, then?

Sounds intriguing and one could imagine very, very interesting investigation where no one has entered before, given that this is a sci-fi novel and what Isobel's profession is. Yet, it becomes the story of a woman scorned and very implausible anti-male violence manifesto (not because I agree with violence, but because the central motif feels very made-up, there is no credibility in its writing other than that it is a very modern motive).
Combined with a selfish cow of a heroine (who is fine with cheating on her boyfriend and then accepting his helping hand easily), the exciting premise goes South quickly into a very lazy sleuthing, ready-made answers and fake compassion for others.

Sorry, not for me! Too many books , too little time to read them all. Seems well-written so I'm sure it'll gain plenty of fans.

Absolutely glorious setting and premise which had me gripped. Beautifully tender, clever and thought-provoking.

This was a very different read for me but I totally loved it and found it hard to put down. A great read that hooked me from the start.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

Part sci-fi, part mystery, part thriller, a mish mash of a book. Isobel is a Heaven Architect which means she helps creates memories and feelings for people to take with them when they die. Intriguing and delightful concept.

The Memory Chamber is a clever speculative fiction novel imagining a future in which you can create your own Heaven

An afterlife of your own design - what could go wrong?

Isobel designs artificial 'heavens' for her clients, created from the memories they treasure most. She works for Oakley Associates, London's most prestigious firm of its kind. Her heavens are renowned for their beauty and perfection.

But Isobel crosses an ethical line when she falls for Jarek, a new - and married - client. Then, in the wake of his wife's murder, Isobel uncovers a darker and deadlier side of the world she works in. As her life starts falling apart, Isobel realises that nothing is as perfect as it seems, not even heaven itself...

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This is an intriguing - and controversial - concept and I thought this started off really well. For me, the excitement of the first few chapters did not last and, although very original, did not massively excite me in the end.

Death is a thing of the past, now you can chose to relive your happiest memories time and time again, but what memories would you choose?
Would this be something that is preferable to the alternative - death?
Is heaven something of your own choosing or something that is be profitable in the near future.
An interesting premise and an original concept. It is the first time i have ever come across a heaven architect!

This has such a great premise but it just doesn't do it justice for me. It tells the story of Isabel, a heaven architect who falls in love with one of her clients. Firstly, the basic idea at work here is so compelling. I think there is a lot to explore around the creation of personal heavens that could have been really insightful and sometimes challenging. Unfortunately, this book doesn't really go in that too much. What it does is present a love story in the first half and then a thriller in the second. For me, the issues arose with the love story and specifically, the speed with which everything happened. It just did not ring true to me at all and it made it difficult for me to get on board with the characters and the action from there. The prose is clean and efficient and the plot moves at a good pace, but it just really felt trite in places and completely unbelievable in others.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thanks to netgalley for the ARC of this book.
What an entertaining book. Imagine you could create the way your afterlife was. You can create who joins you forever after. This was well written, gripping from the beginning to the end.
Recommended.

As a Heaven Architect, Isobel Argent creates tailor made heavens for the well-heeled after their death. Heavens where they can live and relive their happiest memories and continue to be with those they love. Isobel believes passionately that everybody should have this opportunity - even more so, when she falls in love with Jarek, her terminally ill client. But suddenly, after his death and the discovery of his wife’s body, all her certainties are shaken and she comes to see the terrible pitfalls of her profession. A tightly written mix of sci fi dystopia, love story and murder mystery, this was an engrossing read with huge moral questions at its core. Highly recommended.

The description of this book totally grabbed me and I couldn't wait to read it. It reminded me of a cross between "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and "The Minority Report" and is just the kind of escapism I crave.

The premise of the book is that when you die, you enter a state of heaven that you have constructed yourself. You can choose who is in it, and what things you can see and experience. You are no longer living, but you can live. Isobel, a heaven architect is being paid by Jarek, a wealthy but terminally ill patient, to create his own heaven. Isobel and Jarek fall for each other (strictly against the rules) and when Jarek dies, Isobel finds herself being questioned by police who want access to Jarek's heaven because he is the main suspect in his wife's murder. There is a bit of legal and ethical battle as nobody other than the patient is supposed to be able to allow access to their chosen heaven.

I liked the concept of this book a lot but found myself losing interest quite quickly as I am not really interested in legal and ethical matters. However, it was very original and for that reason alone I would recommend it if you enjoy sci-fi and the idea of technological advances of this kind.

In the not too distant future death is not the end. Memories can be saved and turned into an everlasting personal heaven.....the chance to relive the happiest moments over and over again. Isobel is a Heaven Architect, her job is to help the dying craft their afterlives. When she meets Jarek their connection is immediate, but it's his terminal illness that has brought them together. She can't save him but she's determined to create his perfect heaven. But when Jareks estranged wife is murdered Isobel discovers that the world she works within hides many dark secrets.

I commented half way through this novel that I was almost scared to finish it. Not because it was scary. No because books like this always start great, the concept, the build up.....and then they tail off and go no where, end with a whimper rather than a bang. And I was half right. This starts really well, it really grabbed my imagination. Not only was there the concept of the designer heavens but there's also an interesting back plot regarding a possible war. But there are some issues in that the characters just aren't fleshed out enough - I didn't dislike Isobel, I just wasn't really bothered what happened to her. Plus all the plot lines, including the back story didn't really come together. But weirdly despite these problems I did enjoy this. It's an easy enjoyable read but ultimately a bit forgettable, which is a shame as the concept is so good.

Did not finish. Apologies. It was beautifully written but it just wasn't for me in the end. Thank you for the opportunity to read it. It is a brilliant concept and will do amazingly well.

I do like books with an element of the future world. In this instance the book covers Isobel who is a heaven architect - she creates heavens for dying people so they can relive their best times over and over again after they are dead.

I wasn't sure quite how this concept would be possible, but I was willing to go with it. Unfortunately I was not prepared for Isobel being such a one dimensional character. To begin with I even wondered if she was actually a robot or AI life form - then she ate a banana. Of course in the future maybe AI will be eating food stuffs! She really was a little bit of a prima donna and I had trouble liking the character.

Then she met Jarek and I felt she got worse - all the principles she seemed to need other people to live up to suddenly went out of the window in her own life, and I was fearing that so would the book as I was finding it all a little boring.

Fortunately for me the book took a sudden turn of suspense when Jarek's wife was found dead. We were also thrust into some heavy futuristic happenings, as Isobel undertook something that had never been attempted before. The writing was very convincing even though I had no idea if this would ever actually be possible to attempt. I think this is down to the author having a science background which began to show at this point more. Finally I began to have a little sympathy for Isobel and bond with her character somewhat.

I was then on a race to finish the book because it was one of the best thriller story lines I have read. It was certainly an unusual setting and I was unable to second guess the outcome. Lots more of the science fiction aspect was apparent and I really enjoyed reading the book more from this point onwards. I can see this would make a really good film as it is more of a visual storyline, however the writing was so descriptive, I really felt like I could see exactly what Isobel saw too.

I really wanted to give this book 5 stars but reduced it to 4 as it took so long to get going for me and reel me in. My thanks go to Netgalley and Quercus for a copy of the book for review.

Love this! Such a unique idea... create your own digital heaven containing your own memories so that when you die you live forever.

This quickly turns into a murder mystery and high tech thriller. Fast paced with a few good twists!