Man oh man, the human brain! It does some weird, weird stuff. And Catherine Steadman’s Mr. Nobody is here to show us just how incredibly whacked out that thing in our heads can be.

I wasn’t sure what to think about the premise of this book before reading it, primarily because it sounded so different from Something in the Water, Steadman’s debut novel.

And it turns out that other than being compulsively readable, the two books have little in common aside from fitting into the broad Thriller category. This made me nervous at first, but in the end felt like a testament to Steadman’s range. In a genre rife with authors who produce very similar material from book to book, Steadman shows some pretty diverse writing skills and originality.

I really liked Something in the water, but it was more fun than it was smart. This book is both, and made me suspect this is only the beginning for Steadman as a writer.

My only doubts about this one center around the plausibility of the medical phenomenon that is central to the story. Is this really possible? I’m not sure, though I’ve fortunately got a mother who works in the same field as our protagonist, so I’ll be asking her for her thoughts on that once she has read the book. Steadman strikes me as someone who does her research, so I’m guessing this isn’t something that’s going to be exposed as a cheap and fraudulent plot device.

In all, this one was definitely a winner to me. I read it in two days, during which I didn’t really have the time to be reading at all. And then there was the Creepy House Factor (always a delight for Gothic fans like myself). Steadman has now officially sold me on the idea that anything she writes is a Can’t Miss.

Wow Mr. Nobody had me on the edge of my seat and glued to my kindle from the very beginning. And now I like to pride myself on guessing the “who done it” but wow Catherine Steadman kept me guessing! That fact right there made my week!!! I love the roller coast of the unknown and wow were these pages filled with twists and turns! Must read!!!!

This tense, psychological thriller was phenomenal for the first three quarters of the book. A man with no identification and unable to speak is found on a British beach and a London neuropsychiatrist - with an expertise in fugue cases - is asked to try to help him. She was raised in this part of the UK and a tragic event took place there when she was 16 which resulted in her family leaving and being given new names for protection.

The build up of the story was great, the characters were well developed and likable (except Zara), and there seems to be many ways for the story to go. I became sucked into the story and invested. Most of the chapters are first person from Emma’s point of view - and I felt connected with her because of it - but the chapters in third person about other characters (Matthew, Rhoda, Zara and Chris) were not as effective.

And I think the last quarter of the book - how things resolved and the paths the story chose to go - were not as exciting or interesting as what could have been possible. The ending was okay, but fell a little flat to me. Regardless - a quick read with a ton of positives - that I would definitely recommend. If you liked Catherine Steadman’s first book Something in the Water, you’ll like this one too.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC. Mr. Nobody will be available on January 7, 2020.

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I loved Catherine Steadman’s first book, Something in the water, so I was excited to receive her next book. I rated this 3 1/2 star, not really rating a . 4. I found this slow in the beginning and when the imp. nite came up, it went a bit faster but still it lost me in places. Some not making any sense to me . This book was a bit disappointing in the end, as I think maybe a different ending might have made it work better. But that’s just my opinion, I still will read more of this authors books as I so enjoyed her first.

An unknown man appears on a British beach. The man has no memory of who he was before that day. Dubbed Mr. Nobody by the press, he becomes a mystery the whole world wants to solve. When Dr. Emma Lewis gets the call that they want her to assess this man, she jumps at the opportunity. An expert in the field of neuropsychiatrist, Emma believes she can help Mr. Nobody regain his identity. . .or possibly prove that he is lying. The only problem is that she must return to her hometown, a place she left fourteen years prior under traumatic circumstances. Old memories are stirred up and Emma can't shake the feeling that the man is somehow connected to her past.

The final act twist of this novel really won me over. You might have to suspend your belief a bit, but isn't that what reading is all about? The reveal combined with the questions about Emma's past and Mr. Nobody's condition kept me engaged throughout the book. If you were a fan of Catherine Steadman's first novel, you will definitely enjoy her sophomore outing.

What an excellent, addictive novel! Ms. Steadman follows up Something in the Water with an even better story of suspense. Dr. Emma Lewis is a neuropsychiatrist who’s devoted her life to studying memory. Mr. Nobody is a man with no past, found on the beach and who doesn’t even remember his name. She is obviously the best person to treat him. Can she prove that his amnesia is real or is he lying to cover for something? The more we learn about him, the more it’s not clear. But Dr. Lewis is also hiding secrets and, the more the media start digging, the worse it will be for her. Emma is damaged, but likable, and Mr. Nobody is very personable. He seems to know things that nobody should. As the speculation grows, the plot gets more and more twisted and I really didn’t know where it was going. The rhythm was causing me palpitations and I was really invested in both characters. The last part was so suspenseful that it kept me turning the pages until the final, satisfying conclusion. I won’t be forgetting this novel any time soon.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine!

I really enjoyed Catherine Steadman’s novel Something in the Water and was excited/thrilled/happy/anxious to read her second book, Mr. Nobody.

The story captivated me from the beginning and I enjoyed the plot and characters. It was a long book but I was engaged throughout and felt this was a very good suspense novel. I wasn’t sure when was going to happen next or in which direction the book would go.

When a man is found on a British beach, drifting in and out of consciousness, with no identification and unable to speak, interest in him is sparked immediately. From the hospital staff who find themselves inexplicably drawn to him, to international medical experts who are baffled by him, to the national press who call him Mr. Nobody, everyone wants answers. Who is this man? And what happened to him?

Some memories are best forgotten.

Neuropsychiatrist Dr. Emma Lewis is asked to assess the patient in a small town deep in the English countryside. This is her field of expertise, this is the chance she’s been waiting for, and this case could make her name known across the world. But therein lies the danger. Emma left this same town fourteen years ago and has taken great pains to cover all traces of her past since then.

Places aren’t haunted . . . people are.

But now something—or someone—is calling her back. And the more time she spends with her patient, the more alarmed she becomes that he knows the one thing about her that nobody is supposed to know.

This was a great novel and I think those who read Something in the Water and loved it will be pleased with Mr. Nobody. Due out January 7 2020!

Mr. Nobody by Catherine Steadman is a psychological thriller that keeps you guessing as unsuspecting details are revealed and unravel the mystery of the unidentified stranger found on the seashore. Secrets hidden by Matthew and Emma are entwined as other characters aid in the plot. Definitely a read to the finish.

At first I was frustrated by one of the story focuses of “what happened that night” being referred to endlessly without ever really building suspense or that much interest for me. But, Steadman pulls off what I would think of as a psychological thriller very well with a smashing ending.

I wanted to read this book because I loved Catherine Steadman's first book, Something in the Water. I found it very interesting that she bases both books on two words that mean something different, but that most people do not know the difference of. For Something in the Water it was flotsam and jetsam and in Mr. Nobody it was fugue and retrograde amnesia. I found I loved Mr. Somebody just as much as I loved Something in the Water. I could not put this book down and was dying to figure out all the little mysteries and layers to this story. I'd have to say my biggest criticism of the book is I actually found it to be a little slow at the very end. I know Steadman wanted to explain everything, and she did, which was great, but it lost momentum a TAD bit too early for me. The story was so creative though and the characters were very complex and developed. I cannot wait for her next book!

This one fell down at the final hurdle for me, which took it from 5 to 4 stars. So still overall a VERY strong read, but there was something in the final climax that I found less satisfying. But! Generally this is a nicely character driven suspense novel with some pulse pounding turning points. I hesitate to call them twists--this isn't really a thriller that pulls the rug out from under you on anything (part of why I loved it a tick less). But there ares some solid character-based turns that ratchet up the conflict/tension nicely.

I really connected with Emma, the primary character, and found her particular backstory compelling. It's built up very well--you know Emma used to be someone else, and something so bad happened in her hometown at a teen that she and her family had to change their identities. The case of Mr. Nobody, a potentially groundbreaking fugue case, will force Emma to return home and risk being discovered. The tension of exactly what happened built nicely up to about the middle, and then the reveal was super engrossing.

Emma's chapters are first person, and then there are some third person chapters capturing other POVs--Mr. Nobody, nurse Rhoda, police officer Chris, and Chris' wife/journalist Zara. In some of these chapters there's a bit of 3rd person POV head hopping, but it was only noticeable once or twice, not a deal breaker. Generally these other 3rd person POVs are clearly there for narrative function (so we get insight into something important happening), but they're not as good/effective as Emma's sections. Emma I felt like I knew and cared about. Rhoda too, actually. But everyone else is underdeveloped, which only really matters in the case of one of them for me (Chris).

Speaking generally, the series of reveals at the end make sense, but just weren't what I was expecting? So I was still able to enjoy it on the book's terms, just I couldn't let go of my own expectations. Up to the very end I kept expecting a late game reveal that would speak to one of my thoughts/guesses, and it simply didn't happen. Which is fine, but I expect other regular thriller readers will find the ending a tiny bit pat.

Mr. Nobody will appeal to suspense fans who enjoy character driven procedural-type stories. It's very well written-I was impressed with the prose several times; nice level of detail and it was a pleasant read. (If that makes sense? Some books the prose is just a tick more enjoyable on a technical level.) The soap level is turned up to about 7. I would have simply liked that dial turned up to 10.

I have mixed feelings about this book, unfortunately. I really enjoyed Steadman’s Something in the Water and had high hopes for this as well, but it didn’t resonate with me like its predecessor. I really got into the first 3/4 of this. The suspense was built up quite nicely and I was anticipating one or two nice, juicy twists, but I didn’t find this to be the case. Honestly, I found the ending to be rather complicated and confusing and there was no major “aha!” moment for me. Others may certainly disagree, so I encourage readers to form their own opinions.

Many thanks to Edelweiss, Ballantine Books and Catherine Steadman for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Just finished Mr. Nobody by Catherine Steadman in two days. It’s a compelling read about a man found on a beach, uncommunicative and without any identification. He is taken to the hospital while a search is made to find a neuropsychiatrist to diagnose the nameless man. Dr. Emma Lewis is contacted by a colleague in the U.S. to take the case because he is too busy. Emma has a difficult decision to make because the case would require her to go back to the area of her childhood where she experienced a traumatic event that required her family to move and change their names. Would there be anyone in town who would still recognize her with her new name? She decides the case would be good for her career and the first time she meets the nameless patient, he says her old name. There are lots of twists and turns and it was a fast read until the ending which I found difficult to believe, which is why I only gave it 4 out of 5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced egalley.

I wasn't a huge fan of Steadman's last novel, but I think it may have been over hyped by being Reese Witherspoon's monthly pick. Mr. Nobody was a run of the mill thriller, that is definitely enjoyable, but probably not memorable.

I absolutely loved this book! I wanted to stay up late and read... read when I was supposed to be doing other things! I loved how this book continued to keep the reader guessing. I personally would think of a conclusion in my mind only to keep reading and realize that I was wrong. This was for sure a 5 star read. This is very much a fast paced read, and the author hooks you in right away from the very beginning. I have read the author's previous book, and was glad to be selected for this one. A must read in my mind

I was excited to read this book, since Catherine's Steadman debut was a hit (I didn't read that one). However, this just didn't strike a chord for me and I wasn't able to finish (I got about 30% through).

A mysterious man is found on a beach, with no memory of who he is or how he got there, and neurologist Dr. Emma is assigned his case. On its surface, the book sounds intriguing and mysterious, which I like. But it was dense with medical terminology and background, with little dialogue, character interaction, and inner monologue of characters. I prefer plot-driven books and if, at 30% through a book there's limited plot, it's just not for me. I was also quite turned off by the heavy description of the beach -- every time we would flash back to when "Mr. Nobody" was found, there were paragraphs detailing the weather and sand and waves, and it was wholly unappealing. Tried to give this one a chance, but not my cup of tea.

‪Ms. Steadman’s debut, “Something in the Water” was one of my first NetGalley reads. I loved it, so I was excited when I saw her second book on NG!‬

‪The story of Dr. Emma Lewis and Mr. Nobody really peaked my interest at times, but ultimately left me with too many questions. The premise and writing are fantastic and I think the story had the potential to be really great. But it was bogged down with too many details and the ending didn’t do it for me. It didn’t have the “thrill” factor that keeps me engaged and wanting to flip the pages.‬

‪I’ll admit my expectations were high after reading her first book, so I was disappointed in this one. It looks like I might be in the minority on this one.‬

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Book and Catherine Steadman for this digital ARC, in exchange for my honest review!

#NetGalley #MrNobody #Thriller
@CatSteadman

<b>My Rating: </b> 3.5 ⭐️’s (rounding down to 3)
<b>Published:</b> January 7th 2020 by Ballantine Books
<b>Pages:</b> 320

<b>Recommend:</b> Yes, but you might be disappointed if you read her first book.

Steadman’s first book blew me away. Mr. Nobody started with the same sense of anticipation, waiting to find more clues about Emma’s past and how Matthew connects to everything. I was a little disappointed in the ending, it felt like a lot was summarized for the reader. Overall, still a good mystery.

Interesting book but I liked her other one better. Thanks for the review copy. I really appreciate it.

This was a book I kept almost giving up on and I know wish I did. It was waaaayyy too long. The plot was interesting but there were a lot of characters who I couldn’t keep track of. Ugh. Not for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for review.