I wanted to love this book, I really did. I really enjoyed the authors last book, but Mr Nobody just didn’t work for me. I enjoyed the build up of the book, but was very disappointed by the ending. It just didn’t resonate with me and seemed very unbelievable. I do think Steadman is a talented writer and I will definitely give her next book a shot.

This had some interesting twists - the writing was really good and kept me hooked, but ultimately the true identity of Mr. Nobody just felt like it came out of left field. Emma's backstory was a lot of fun to try to figure out and kept me reading - I had to know what was so sinister about it.
Although I'm not sure ultimately how I feel about this one - I still look forward to the next book from the author.
Thanks so much to the publisher and Net Galley for the review copy.

I really enjoyed the author's debut, Something in the Water, so was looking forward to this one. Mr Nobody tells the story of a man found on the beach who appears to have lost his memory, and the doctor (Emma Lewis) who comes to treat. him. It turns out the man, the titular Mr Nobody, knows something about Dr Lewis's past, which she has taken great pains to hide. Equally, nothing is all as it seems with Mr Nobody. This novel is much more of a slow burn than Something in the Water, but it's worth persisting as the twist is quite unexpected. The author also includes a lot of medical detail, which I liked and found interesting. Worth a read if you're looking for an atmospheric thriller.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy!

I was not impressed with this book.
Good story and could have been better but, it was a little all over the place for me. It didn't flow smoothly and was a little disjointed for me.
I love to connect with the characters and I didn't.
I have read a lot of mystery and thrillers and this one missed it on all cylinders.
I do want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book took a bit to get into and it wasn't until the 50% that it really picked up and was enjoyable for me. There were so many twists and turns I didn't see coming which was great, it keep me on my toes. There was just too much detail and the flow was off for the first half. I really enjoyed the last but the epilogue/end need a bit more to end with, it just feel flat as well.
I think I was a little disappointed since her first book was wonderful. I don't read a lot of thrillers, so for me this was enough "thrill" but I'm guessing others will see it as lacking.

Overall, I give it 3.5 stars!

With just a name written on his hand, The Man regains consciousness on a British beach with no memory of who he was or is. In London, neuropsychiatrist Emma Lewis is hoping that his case will make her career. But the patient brings her back to her childhood home, and a horrific past that led to her and her family relocating and changing their names. As she fights to hide her identity and he struggles to regain his, their presents collide.

My thoughts on this book are completely scattered. I'm not sure what, exactly, I think of it. I loved it. I hated it. I was annoyed by it. I was disappointed by it. It got my heart pounding. I never knew I could be so mixed up by a book!

So let's break it down.

I Loved and Hated It (for personal reasons)

This book is right up my professional alley. Mostly. I went to school to be a neuropsychologist, but wasn't able to finish my degree, so this book really spoke to my brain. Fugue, malingering, brain scans, memory exercises, therapy. I loved all of it. Sometimes it did seem to read a bit like a textbook, especially when something more technical was being explained. As a reader, it was a little disjointed, but, as someone who studied a related field, it felt like home. I found myself identifying with Emma because she was doing exactly what I had planned to do. At the same time, I hated it because I was jealous of her for doing what is now out of my reach. I didn't know it was possible to be so jealous of a character.

I Was Annoyed By It

What annoyed me the most was that very little of The Man's side of the story was told. I get that the book was about the neuropsychiatrist trying to diagnose and treat him, and that, by telling more of his story, it might have revealed too much too soon. But, honestly, I wish the reader had been allowed into his mad mind a little more. It would have been fascinating to read more about his experience of the world with absolutely no memory of who he was. It might have also been a nice way of showcasing how memory functions.

The other thing that annoyed me was how slow the story seemed to be moving. I think it was due in part to the repetitive parts of Emma's personal story. We're told over and over about Emma's past, and only a tiny bit more is revealed each time. We get fragments over the course of the novel, alongside a great deal of her fear of people finding out about her family's history in the area. It was slow and repetitive, and sometimes I felt like the overall story became bogged down by it.

Overall, it's a fairly simple story of a neuropsychiatrist attempting to diagnose a patient, help him regain his memories, and find out how the two of them might be connected. But it's slow going.

I Was Disappointed By It

The reveal of how The Man and Emma were connected didn't feel as satisfying as I had hoped, or even as it should have. The entire book built their connection up to be something incredible. While it was quite interesting, and more than a bit unnerving, I felt it was a bit tenuous. The mystery of how they were connected could have been solved rather quickly had Emma done more research. So, it felt weak to me.

I was also a little disappointed by Emma's past. The beginning of the book built it up to be something horrific. It did turn out to be terrible, but not quite as horrific as I thought it might be. It was almost as though the author had gone in with one, dark idea and then took a turn and changed it halfway through. It was still surprising, but wasn't as dark as I had hoped it would be.

It Got My Heart Pounding

Truly, the last quarter was thrilling. As a thriller, this book heavily disappointed me. Until the end. It was a real page turner for me during those last chapters. I can usually see how the character is going to be able to get out of trouble, but I really couldn't until she did manage to get herself out. I couldn't stop reading because I needed to know how the story was going to end. This is where all the action was, all the excitement.

Personally, I found the process of diagnosing and treating to be fascinating as it aligned with my own background, but it was more mentally satisfying. The last quarter of it was definitely for the benefit of my heart. I was glued to the pages.

Overall

I'm mixed up about this book. I did enjoy reading most of it, but some parts were just completely unsatisfactory. Still, the characters were intriguing and the story was interesting. I loved all the neuro, which I think was given in a very understandable way, so I might be a little more biased than I'd like to be. Overall, this is more mystery than thriller, but had an interesting premise.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Ballantine, for a free e-copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
Link to post: https://thelilycafe.com/book-review-mr-nobody-by-catherine-steadman

I'm learning that I am not a Catherine Steadman fan. I did not like Something In The Water and I just didn't enjoy this one. I had a hard time getting invested and had to make myself read it.

I read Something in the Water and loved it! I couldn't wait to read Mr. Nobody. It didn't disappoint! I loved the characters and the story kept me so intrigued.

This was my first book by this author and she had me engaged throughout the entire thing. I wish there was more in the book about the incident that took place when she was younger. I also have so many unanswered questions about things which I was expecting based on reviews from others. I still wish I knew the answers! I will continue to pick up books written by this author. Thank you netgalley for an ARC.

Mr. Nobody by Catherine Steadman was great! A man is found on the beach and doesn’t know who he is or how he got there. He is taken to a hospital for treatment. Dr. Emma Lewis is a neuropsychiatrist and is called in on the case to see if the man is truly lacking his memory or if he is faking. This is a case that could make her career. The only catch is that this case is in Emma’s hometown. Emma has a lot of secrets and does not want people to recognize her. Mr. Nobody has a lot of secrets too. It’s up to Emma to figure them out, all the while keeping her identity secret. The chapters are told from different perspectives. The mystery of Emma’s. past and Mr. Nobody’s past may or may not be connected. You’ll have to read to find out. Just let me say —-this was not at all what I thought and did not end up going where I thought it would. It was a total surprise! Thank you to net galley and the publisher for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I'm a little disappointed by this one... I really really really liked the beginning. The mystery around Matthew's appearance was well-designed. The attention surrounding Emma's mysterious past was taut and intriguing. I couldn't wait to see how the two would intersect - the hints and teasers were promising something dark and mysterious, I wasn't sure if there was going to be a supernatural component, a series of accidents, or a long con - whatever it was though, the build was gradual and anxiety levels were high, and the reading was quick, tight, and enjoyable.

Then things started to be revealed, and frankly that is where the book lost me...

The delicious slow build that I enjoyed so much turnex into a roller coaster ride of coincidences, half-explanations, and what felt like short-handed solutions to long and complex questions. It felt unsatisfying. It was never a question of whether I'd finish - the writing is engaging and I was so invested by this point that I was determined to see it through. It was a much slower read at that point though, and the ending almost felt like it was written by a different author - or at least one given a strict "wrap it up NOW!" order...

I think Steadman is a very talented writer and because I do thoroughly enjoyed the beginning of the book, would pick her up again - I just hope the next book I read maintains the level of detail, description, and complexity from this one's opening half throughout the entire story...

I am on the fence about this book, while I didn't love it, I also didn't hate it. I think the suspense about what happened to Emma's family was a little overplayed and I was disappointed when the facts were finally revealed. It felt like there was just a lot of filler in this story, like Emma's visit from Joe. It wasn't necessary to move the story along. It also never seemed clear why the government was so invested in "Matthew" to the point of requiring non disclosure agreements and bringing in a specialist at any cost. I also had a little trouble following the scientific descriptions of amnesia, fugue etc. But on the positive side, the ending was certainly creative and not what I envisioned. I don't consider this a true "thriller" but it wasn't a bad story.

Bananapants.

I don't typically read thrillers/mysteries, but apparently I make an exception for Catherine Steadman... haha. She does such an amazing job of writing in such a way that she lays this trail of breadcrumbs and you think you know which way the wind is blowing... and then WHAM! Blindsided by the Mayhem guy from those insurance commercials. It's amazing and I love it.

I kept shaking my kindle and shouting things like "Who is he looking for?!" and "What is this bad thing that happened?!" and "Who is it?!" at it. Which, y'know, is kind of a great way to craft a suspense novel. The story dragged a bit at times, but I needed so badly to know the answers to several pieces of the puzzle that I just kept reading. Aaaaand I'm not sure how much more I can say without spoilers!

The ending to this one was different from Steadman's previous book in that it fit a little more in line with your typical thriller/mystery, and didn't have that sort of haunting open-endedness that closed Something in the Water.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was okay for me. I feel like I wasn't the right audience for this book. It was okay. I didn't love it nor hate it.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and netgalley for this review copy.

For readers who enjoyed "Something in the Water" by the author - they will thoroughly enjoy this great read. Twists and turns at every page. Just as soon as I felt that I'd figured out who the mystery man was, something else would be revealed. I enjoyed the suspense, excitement and unique storyline. Finding myself holding my breath at moments and actually feeling the fear of maybe waking up from an accident and not knowing at all who I am. After reading the 2 books published by Catherine Steadman and really liking both - I'm excited to see and read what the author is up to next!

(I was given an advance reader copy of this book by Netgalley in exchange for my fair and unbiased review of the book. These opinions are my own.)

Mr. Nobody # NetGalley
Catherine Steadman. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have read several of Catherine Steadman’s books and I enjoyed this book, but not as much as her others. It was a little far fetched for my way of thinking. The characters were likable but seemed a little disjointed to me. The storyline is pretty easy to predict as to the final outcome so there was not much suspense. I prefer a little more backbone to my stories. Definitely not one of her best. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ and that is being generous.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of this book for an honest review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️

DNF at 35%. Unfortunately this book didn’t work for me. I love amnesia storylines - I’m always drawn in by the idea of not being able to remember anything about your own life and trying to figure things out.

However this one has lost my attention. I don’t like it when information is held from the reader to save for a reveal later - but repeatedly mentioned in front of us. And that’s already happened twice - Mr Nobody saw a word written on his hand but we don’t get to know what it is and then knowing Emma has some kind of history in the town. We know it’s something big and dramatic but again we are kept in the dark.

The combination of that annoyance and just feeling like the story is moving too slowly has me deciding to move on to something else. Thank you very much to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to review an advance copy.

I really enjoyed this fast pace thriller. I love the amnesia story line. I know some think it is overdone, but give it to me EVERY SINGLE TIME!

The author has a talent for weaving a well written mystery with complex, flawed , unreliable characters.

I did not see the twists coming in this one.

I did actually like Something in the Water better, but this was a fantastic read as well.

MR. NOBODY is an intriguing book about a man found on a beach shore with no memory of who he is, but might know things about the doctor who is treating him...things that she has worked hard at to leave in the past.

I debated on my rating for this book. It's definitely more than 3 stars, but not quite 4. The first 25% was brutal to get through, and I debated leaving it unfinished (which I HATE to do). However, after that, I got wrapped up in the story and found myself really caring about the characters and trying to anticipate the ending, which was not expected. The ending chapters felt a little flat as well, but it's a great page turner from 25% to 90%.

Author Catherine Steadman's first novel, SOMETHING IN THE WATER, was a truly great read. This fell just a bit short, but I'm happy I got through it and am anticipating her next read. She is a great writer and I can tell she cares about the characters she writes.

Thank you to the author, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for an ARC.

This book was a good mystery and actually had 2 mysteries interwoven. I enjoyed this more than her first book. Somethings seemed farfetched, but that happens a lot in this genre. The story was very fast paced and had me wanting to keep reading to find out what happened next. Thank you to Netgalley for this review copy.