What Rose Forgot is an entertaining novel packed with full-on action and suspense, with splashes of humour that make this a wonderful read. What struck me was just how quickly this novel had hold of me and totally consumed the hours until I finished reading. The writing is very perceptive and paints wonderful scenes, a mysterious plot and clever witty dialogue, while the story moves at a great momentum.

Rose Dennis awakens in a wood, confused, disorientated and wearing just a hospital gown. Her first thoughts are, is this a dream? Then very slowly she regains some perspective although her memories are scrambled, fractured and missing. Two young boys find her and assume she has wandered from the nearby Nursing Home. They inform the facility, who have been searching for Rose and manage to have her returned. During this period Rose is gradually regaining memories and trying desperately to piece together, who, when, why and how she has been committed to the Memory Care Unit at Longwood.

I loved the careful development with the situation Rose finds herself in. Does she suffer from dementia, as the facility suggests, and this is just a moment of lucidity or is she actually rational and somehow a mistake has been made? Her questioning of her state of mind and quizzical searching for how and why she has arrived at this place surely isn’t the thinking from someone living with dementia.

Rose makes a decision that she will not ingest the drugs offered to her anymore and covertly hides the tablets and continues to act out her assumed mental state while she gathers information and plans her escape. Regardless of plot plausibility, the believability of Rose’s mental turmoil is very well delivered and the reality as it comes into focus is really heartening.
‘ “Here’s the thing, since I’ve stopped taking the red capsules, my mind has gotten much clearer. I think I’m being intentionally drugged.”
“For how long?”
“Yesterday, of course. Before that . . .” There is no before that. Not yet.’

Rose escapes again but this time with a clearer mindset and a plan which involves her granddaughter Mel and her sister Marion. There are some other strange relationships developed as Rose navigates the sinister machinations that seem intent on causing her death. Who would want her dead and of course following the money leads to the family? Although it’s not just as obvious as that.

The story is gripping and the adventure Rose goes on with Mel, is enthralling and builds with us eagerly straining to find out who is behind the conspiracy. The plot credibility issues and convenience, are masked by the entertaining scenarios and witty moments that are maintained at a relentless pace.

I would recommend reading this book and I'd like to thank St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC version in return for an honest review.

Rose Dennis wakes up in a hospital gown, her brain in a fog, only to discover that she's been committed to an Alzheimer's Unit in a nursing home. With no memory of how she ended up in this position, Rose is sure that something is very wrong. When she overhears one of the administrators saying about her that she's "not making it through the week," Rose is convinced that if she's to survive, she has to get out of the nursing home. She avoids taking her medication, putting on a show for the aides, then stages her escape.



Thank you to net galley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book. This book was a amazing read the woman is stuck and having to find out everything she needs to worry of how she was put in the nursing home, its like a race but a very good read.

Rose Dennis has always been quirky if that is what you call a woman who takes astral journeys and paints wild paintings that sell for big money. She married Harley later in life and when he died she was all of a sudden crazy.

But it takes Rose the entire book to figure out why. She wakes up from a drug-induced fog after suffering a severe case of the flu only to find out she is in some kind of mental institution. It's really a Memory Care Unit for people with early-onset dementia or full Alzheimers. But why is she here? Now that the drugs keeping her compliant are out of her system and she has no intention of taking any more. Especially after hearing voices in the hall outside of her room saying she won't last out the week.

Rose is a very self-sufficient woman. It doesn't take long for her to sneak out and disappear into the woods. Unfortunately, she is found rather quickly and returned.

This only makes her more determined to get out and find out who put her here. So she's faking taking her meds and stockpiling them. After a daring escape, she ends up back at her house. Just as she is doubting her own sanity, a man breaks into her house trying to kill her.  Okay, so not crazy. But how is she going to prove that? And what about all of the other people left behind. Are they just drugged too?

Along with her 13-year-old granddaughter, Mel and her reclusive, cat-obsessed sister, Marion, who by the way is NOT a hacker (right) and Mel's friend Royal they are determined to find out the truth. Is someone killing people for profit? And could Mel and Rose be next? Who is willing to kill to get their hands on Rose's millions?

I thought this was a really good read. The characters were interesting and fun. I've seen some reviews talking about Rose and an elderly woman climbing a roof. First, 68 is not elderly. 88 may be elderly but the lady I box with is 68 and she can get on her roof and install new shingles! 

Well Done!

NetGalley/September 17th, 2019 by Minotaur Books

Can you imagine waking up in a nursing home and knowing you weren't supposed to be there? There are so many questions that arise and twists in this novel and you wont be able to put it down! Is freaking fantastic! This is a great creepy fall read! The cover art is perfect for this book.
Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

This book really did not hold my interest. Rose finds herself in a nursing home, supposedly put there by her family because they seem to think she has dementia. Rose is convinced that she is OK and stops taking her meds. She escapes and meets up with her 14 year old grand daughter who helps her stay hidden.
Rose then sees a man in her house and for an old lady, manages to climb on the roof and get away from him. For me, this is where I lost interest as Rose can manage more than most young men, and her maneuvers just got bizarre.

Having read a number of books by Nevada Barr, I was intrigued to discover <i>What Rose Forgot</i>, a standalone novel, and found it to be quite a departure from her well known Anna Pigeon series. The main character, Rose - a 68yo grandmother, is introduced as she seemingly awakens from what she thinks is deep meditation. Turns out she is wearing a hospital gown and is a patient in the Memory Care Unit of a nearby nursing home. She is found and returned to Longwood where she soon realizes she’s being restrained and over medicated but why? She quickly makes a plan to escape and almost immediately someone attempts to kill her.

Not only was this a clever mystery that kept me guessing, it had some laugh out loud moments and featured a tender relationship with her granddaughter. In many ways, Rose reminded me of the character Jessica Fletcher of <i>Murder She Wrote. </i> As a contemporary of the main character, I was thrilled to see a woman of our age group in the leading role.

Even though some of the actions and characters were a bit sketchy and not completely believable (including the lack of consequences for some of Rose’s tactics), the humor and style offset my concerns. I was both pleased and troubled by the issues that the theme raised related to senior care especially those with forms of dementia.

This was a solid three star mystery and I added a star out of support for a senior protagonist, especially a woman, sorely missing in the genre these days.




FYI - I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have read all of Nevada Barr’s series about Anna Pigeon, a National Park ranger, and enjoyed them even as Anna’s mental state became darker. I was excited to see a new book by Ms. Barr, but this was such a disappointment. The premise of the book is that Rose, a woman in her sixties, escapes from a memory care unit. She teams up with her 14-year old granddaughter to find out why she was placed in the facility and who was responsible for that. So many of the attempts at witty dialogue fell flat for me., and I felt that the writing in general was not up to what I would expect from this author. The scene in which Rose is on the roof of her house with an intruder almost made me stop reading as it was just so implausible. The epilogue tied things up too neatly and some people didn’t suffer the consequences they deserved for their actions.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I, like others, have read every Anna Pigeon book written by Barr but this book is nothing like any of that series. #1 This book attempts to make light of Alzheimer's disease, which is not a subject to make light of.
AND
#2 The book jumped around so much I felt like I should be locked up.
Obviously I did not enjoy this book but I'm sure there are others who would.

This was such a great read! I was expecting a terrifying thriller/mystery but this was a bit different from most I’ve read, in a good way. Although it had its terrifying moments and plenty of action, there were laugh-out-loud moments, funny back and forth, and some good one-liners. I don’t normally see that in mysteries and I loved it! I mean, imagine a 68-year-old woman escaping a nursing home (hilariously might I add), fighting a knife-wielding attacker on a roof, running from the law with the help of her granddaughter, and other craziness. That whole idea is funny enough to me but granny also is very witty and sharp as a tack. The mystery combined so well with the humor.
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The relationship between Rose and her granddaughter is really sweet and I loved that they had their own inside jokes. Even though it was super dangerous, I kinda also saw it as this crazy adventure they had together! Obviously, I never did anything anywhere close to this with my grandmother but I loved her dearly, just like Mel loved Rose. The one-year anniversary of her passing away is in just a few days so this was a timely read that brought to mind all my memories growing up with her around.
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Great book that I’d recommend!

This book is different from most books I read. This is the story of Rose who is in her 60s and wakes up to find she has been in the Alzheimer’s Unit of a nursing home. She has no memory of how she got there and fears someone is trying to kill her. I enjoyed most of it but it got a little slow at parts for me.

I was captivated by What Rose Forgot from the first chapter. Rose is my hero! Nevada Barr presented a mystery that had suspense, humor, and a very likeable character.

When I saw this book was coming, and read the description,
I knew I had to read it.

A meditation ritual at 68 years old...
wait ... hello...
Woman "wakes up" - is she delusional or visionary

On a Alzheimer's ward, if there is a death, a broken hip, an issue - no questions are asked

After waking, an adventure begins

I kept guessing and reading until end, I needed to know conclusion.

Thank you Netgalley, St Martin’s Press and Nevada Barr.
Suspenseful story of a 68 year old spitfire of a woman who tries to find out why she is in the predicament she is in.
She enlists the help of her young granddaughter and sister.
This book is suspenseful, so funny, well written and a quick read.
Recommend 4 stars ⭐️

I really loved Rose the character/person! She had me hooked from the beginning. She knew in her heart she didn't belong in the nursing home, and she made it her mission! What ensues was fast paced tale of Rose and her grand daughter - her partner in crime - as they figure out how Rose ended up in the home to begin with, and who had it in for her. Love the female leads, love the idea of this book and it was definitely quickly read.
There were parts that lagged for me, a little too descriptive and made it seem like I was reading a screenplay for a movie. Which maybe I was! However, it did detract from the storyline for me some.
Overall a good read and I'd read more by Barr.

A stand-alone mystery from Nevada Barr. Rose comes out of a deep trance to find herself outside among trees, and not in her meditation room. Where is she.....and how did she get here?

Rose is the kind of 'bohemian' older woman that I always enjoy. Being inside of Rose's mind, trying to figure out WTF was going on was a fun read. She's got a fun sense of humor that even though this story is mildly terrifying, it was an enjoyable read. I hope that Nevada Barr makes Rose an ongoing series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This could quite possibly be my worst nightmare! At the beginning of the story when Rose Dennis managed to escape from a memory care facility, only to be quickly apprehended by the staff, she begins to suspect that she doesn’t belong there. Through the foggy haze of drugs, Rose tries to clear her mind and try and figure out how she ended up in such a predicament.

It seems that the story may be quite dark, but as I kept reading, Rose’s personality was the bright spot of the story. She teams up with her granddaughter and her computer-savvy sister to try and find out what is going on at the memory care facility and why she was being so heavily drugged while in there.

Rose is put through some intense situations that require quite a bit of physical stamina for an older woman. I had to suspend belief a few times when Rose escaped one of these situations with only a few superficial injuries.

Even though this is categorized as a mystery, at times the story was quite humorous. One of the best parts of the story was the relationship that grew between Rose and her would-be murderer. He didn’t know what he’d gotten himself into when he crossed Rose’s path!

I found it to be a fun read that was nearly impossible to put aside. The plot was clever. I really didn’t know who was guilty of what throughout most of the story and it was quite entertaining to watch Rose uncover all the clues.

I highly recommend this to those who love a good mystery, a likable main character and a bit of humor.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advance review and give my honest review.

I was a little disappointed in What Rose Forgot. This story of crimes committed against aging men and women had the potential to be a spellbinding read, but turned out to be quite unbelievable. The book itself is well written, and the story is somewhat compelling, but I could not really grasp that the situations that the main character, Rose, found herself in, could actually happen. I was glad to finally finish the book, but again, the ending didn't seem realistic.

So bummed! The synopsis was riveting. I hadn't been this excited to discover something new in a while, but I could tell early on it was a swing and a miss. You know those books where the voice is so smooth that you connect literally from the first page? I had that recently, and it makes reading AHmazing! This was not one of those times. It had the opposite effect actually. The writing style was not captivating and therefore I had a difficult time connecting. I gave it 25 percent but could go no further. While I am mildly curious how the idea is a full plot considering what happened in the first quarter of the book, not enough to suffer through it. Hugely disappointing for me. Can't win 'em all.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the sneak peek, and sorry for the crummy review!

3.5 Stars

This book was pretty good. You kind of already know who is behind everything so you are reading to find out the details. There is a lot of enlightenment/Buddhism stuff in the book that I thought was unnecessary. This was my 1st book by this author and it was okay but I'm not sure I will read anymore from her.

Sixty-eight year old Rose Dennis wakes up and can't remember where she is and why she is wearing a hospital gown. She's thirsty, confused and is pretty sure she shouldn't be outside in the cool breeze. How did she get here and why do the boys who find her think that she has escaped from a nearby nursing home? Rose soon realizes that her family has admitted her to the Longwood Memory Care Unit. Rose can't remember how and why she got here, she ony know she wants out. Rose enlists the help of her thirteen-year-old granddaughter to help her prove that she is not suffering from dementia and someone is determined to kill her.

This psychological thriller will keep you guessing as to whether there is a sinister reason to keep Rose incapicitated in a secure environment or has Rose had a mental breakdown since the death of her beloved husband.

Barr has crafted a diabolical story that will keep you guessing until the very end. While stretching my credibility at times, I'd like to think that I would be as resourceful as Rose. While being sympathetic to her plight, I was amused by some of her solutions to her problems. A fan of Barr's Anna Pigeon mysteries, I thoroughly enjoyed this standalone novel.