I just finished this one, and I’m still not sure if I’m more confused now, or at the beginning of the book…
Switch to the beginning scenes of the twilight zone…and the eerie music… dooo dooo dooo dooo, doo doo doo doo… 😮🤪

OKAY… so we’re in Bethlam, Nevada…population of…maybe 100. Perfect town. Perfect weather. Perfect people. No crime… 😮😮😮 (Maybe it should be Stepford wives town??)

AND, we have a postal worker. He’s just doing his everyday routine… delivering the mail. But then he trips. And a letter falls to the floor…and opens. And guess what??? It’s a BLANK piece of paper!!!! 📑 Wait! What? Why???

And so he gets to thinking… 🤔. Why would anyone mail a blank piece of paper???

And then, there’s a stranger at his window. In the middle of the night! What is going on?? That’s what he’d like to know!!

It really only gets STRANGER from here! And just when you think you might be getting an answer… well….. ?????

Very strange indeed! I believe this is the first I’ve read from this author.

But if this is something that sounds intriguing to you, GO FOR IT!!

#TheMemoryWard by #JonBassoff and narrated nicely by #BronsonPinchot, #DawnHarvey and #JaninaEdwards.

3 1/2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 for me. Rounded up to 4!

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #BlackstonePublishing for an ARC of the audiobook, in exchange for an honest review.
*** Release date was earlier in March, so look 👀 for it on shelves now!! ***

You can find my reviews on: Goodreads,
Insta @BookReviews_with_emsr and/or
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine

Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!! 📚⭐️

The way this story started off, I was expecting a Truman show type story with some sort of psychological aspect to it. That wasn’t actually far from off as it started unfolding. But then I get to the end and I still don’t know what’s the truth! This was a really interesting mind bender and the first book I’ve read by this author.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

What a mind fuck. Has the creepy feelings you want in a horror book, left wondering what was true and what was false. Really enjoyed
The audio quality goes back and forth.

holy fuck, why is no one talking about this book?! i saw it on netgalley as an audio ALC and randomly requested it, and i'm so glad i did! not only are the narrators absolutely incredible, but the story had me hooked from the start.

from the first few pages, you know that something's off. i had an idea of what was happening, but the brilliance of this book is that it kept me second guessing myself until the very end. is the mild-mannered mailman main character unreliable, or is there really a huge conspiracy going on? the feeling of being watched is palpable on every page — think the truman show, on steroids. the interwoven frame narrative is full of creeping dread and paranoia. the writing is so immersive and well done that i literally forgot that there was a story inside a story (inside a story)!

thanks to blackstone publishing for the audio copy of this book on netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

This gives "Don't Worry Darling" vibes. It had the same 'perfect neighborhood, perfect life, perfect people' type of thing, but it wasn't as engaging.

There were some parts that had me really hooked on the story, but I found the ending to be kind of a let down. The ending also left me super confused; I don't know if I didn't understand or missed something or what?

I don't know, I guess it was just 'meh'.

3 stars! ⭐ Thanks to Blackstone Publishing - Audiobooks for the ALC through NetGalley! 💌

Okay… WHAT just happened?! 🤯 This book had me intrigued from the start, but the ending left me standing in the middle of Bethlam, Nevada, screaming, "HELLO?! EXPLANATION, PLEASE?" 😵‍💫

Bethlam is the perfect little town—too perfect. 🌞 No crime, no worries, just sunshine and smiles. Our guy Hank, a postal worker, is just vibing through life until one day, he realizes the letters he’s delivering are BLANK. Yep. Empty pages. That’s when he starts questioning everything, and suddenly, Bethlam isn’t looking so idyllic anymore. 😨

The premise? 100% eerie. 👀 I was buckled in for a mind-bending ride, but then... NOTHING REALLY HAPPENED. 😩 The plot twist? The most obvious one imaginable. 🫠 I figured it out within the first 10%, and from there, I was just waiting for the book to catch up. 💤

The writing? Atmospheric. 🌫️ It had that creepy, unsettling vibe, which I loved. The concept was there, but the execution? Meh. 🤷‍♀️ I wanted more. More twists, more suspense, more "WTF?!" moments. Instead, the pacing was a slow burn that fizzled out into a very unsatisfying ending.

And the audio? 🎧 Not my favorite. The narrators did a solid job, but Wally’s voice had me on edge—not in a good way. Also, I just didn’t connect with the characters, so the emotional impact was... nonexistent.

📌 Final verdict: Cool premise, lackluster execution. Not bad, but not great. 3 stars. ⭐⭐⭐

Thank you Blackstone Publishing & Jon Bassoff for this read!

What a trip this book was. From the very beginning I could just feel that there was something off in this town. This book really dives into the towns that seem perfect on the outside but underneath there is so much more going on.

This is old from mixed POVs and through a series of diary like entries / thoughts. The author did a brilliant job at shrouded the town and people in secrets. The suspense builds until we finally find out what is going on. The ending was good but wasn't mind blowing.

This book dives into the horror, sci fi and thriller genres so I feel it'll appeal to diverse range of readers. The whole time you'll be reading desperately to find out what's going on and overall this was definitely a trippy and satisfying read!

Everything is not as it seems in Bethlam. A small town, suburban, quaint and cookie cutter. Hank is a mailman whose mundane existence is turned upside down when he finds the letters he's been delivering for as long as he can remember are blank pieces of paper. Strangers begin to act erratic and give him clues as to what's happening around him.

This could easily have been an extended episode of The Twilight Zone. I loved the vibe of this book. If you're a fan of stories like Memento, The Jacket, Primal Fear and Shudder Island, but with the American dreaminess of a quaint neighborhood. I.e. Stepford Wives, The Lottery.

Absolutely top notch narration as well. The narrators brought these characters to life in a truly impressive way. The range of emotions that I know I would not have gotten from just the page and my own mind was impressive. Even with the excellent writing, I'm not an actor and would not have built the characters up in such a complex way.

Loved it. I want more from everyone involved.

Thank you Blackstone Audio for an advance copy of this book. Let me first say that this book is trippy. Our main character is Wally or is it Hank? It depends. Wally/Hank lives in Bethlam, Nevada. He is a mail carrier. Every day seems the same until one day, he drops his mail bag, an envelope opens and he takes a look inside. There is a piece of paper but no writing on it. He looks at some others and they are the same. Envelopes with blank pieces of paper inside. Hank goes home to his wife Lisa. His mother comes to visit to celebrate his birthday. She gives him presents from his past, childhood toys. In the middle of the night, a woman knocks on his window and tells him to look behind the wallpaper. The next day Wally goes on his mail route but when he gets home he is taking care of his father who has memory issues. The book explores the idea of conspiracies, mental illness, what we want to believe, and what we are programmed to believe. This would be GREAT for book club. It would also make a thoroughly engrossing beach read. I think this should be made into a movie. This is the first book I have read by Bassoff and I’m going to be reading others. Get this book and thank me later!

This was a really odd book, but not in a bad way. At first, I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it. It had almost a Pleasantville vibe to it. A little old-fashioned and a little too perfect. But as it went on. It started to be more like The Truman Show, but if it were written by Bentley Little. Definitely one of the more odd ones I’ve read lately. But I did enjoy it. I. Still not sure how I feel about all of the characters, but the story was engaging enough that it didn’t really matter. It was so odd I had to keep reading just to know what happened. The only thing I wasn’t too fond of was the narrator. I liked the female narrator, but I didn’t feel like the male narrator fit his character. Other than that, it was definitely worth a listen!

Huge thanks to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!

This is one heck of a mind bending book! Maybe it's just because there's more than a passing semblance to one of my own books, but I was sucked in right from the opening chapter. I absolutely love the bookend story within a story within a story concept, and the narrators make it easy to follow which character's perspective is being presented at all times. Wally, Katherine, Veronica all feel very real, while the supporting characters are delightfully stilted and cloyingly saccharine. This is a definite page-turner (or, if on audio, one that keeps you glued to the narration).

One warning, though, if you're a reader who needs everything tied up at the end with a nice bow, this may not be the book for you. But it's definitely one that will keep you thinking.

I anticipated many of the "twists", but that didn't take away from the entertainment, as what I really wanted to know was "what's going to happen next?"

Bronson Pinchot does a delightful job narrating the bulk of the story, while Janina Edwards and Dawn Harvey fill in the female voices to round things out. Thank you to the author, Blackstone Publishing, and Netgalley for the chance to listen to this gripping book and to provide an unbiased review.

A story about a mailman in any idyllic town, where there may be more than meets the eye.

Very cool:
Premise, character development, the dialogue, which was really believable (especially the old-fashioned way some characters spoke), pacing

Ending was not great, but I recognize it’s hard to end a novel- this is not unique to this story.
As the reality of the situation began to unfold, there was one scene where Wally demands answers from his father, and the father just spills, no hesitation, and reveals much of the “aha” within a few pages.

Audiobook was great - multiple narrators, who each captured the ignorance, confusion, betrayal of the characters very well.

Thanks to Blackstone Audio and NetGalley for an ARC, provided to me free of charge in exchange for my honest review.

This reading experience starts with a bit of a funny story and when I was checking out the synopsis to choose my next read, the cutoff point for this one something along these lines 'They say it's always beuatiful in Bethlam, Nevada. No place you'd rather live. The people are really nice if a bit noisy and there's no crime to speak of. Life is pretty perfect. But POȘTAL...' then I opened the ' Full details' and flap and read 'But poștal worker Hank Davies has started to suspect that something is off' Make of this what you will, but that's the exact moment I decided I wanted to read the book and see whether the former interpretation also worked. I'm happy to report that it did.

So, for all of you Twin Peaks or Wayward Pines fans out there, take heart. I'm happy to report that this book fits the bill nicely for 'small town with creeping horror' vibes. The solution is I think rather original (at least different from the other small towns already mentioned) but still extremely believable.

The choice to go with different narrators for different voices made this extremely easy to follow and enjoyable. A big thank you to Bronson Pinchot, Dawn Harvey, Janina Edwards.

Do make sure you check trigger warnings before embarking on this adventure that will send chills down your spine, this is not for the faint of heart.

Thank you Blackstone Lublishing and Netgalley for this ALC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Bethlam, Nevada. Perhaps you’ve heard of it. There’s no place better! Your neighbors are friendly. Crime is non-existent. THIS is where you live a trouble free and simple life. You want for nothing.

But one day, postal worker Hank Davies thinks something is off. He’s never had cause to feel that way before, but on his route delivering mail, an unsealed envelope releases it’s contents and the “letter” is just blank paper.

He tells his wife about the blank paper, and his wife says it’s probably just a one off, and maybe don’t look again, even if the opportunity presents itself. Soon thereafter, a woman knocks on his window in the middle of the night, urging him to investigate his bedroom wall. Hank pulls back the wallpaper to discover paper, with writing, that tells a story that seems too insane to be real. He beings to question this idyllic life, and his almost fake neighbors with their fake smiles and their fake lives. Like why are they always saying hi just to him? What is even real? How does EVERYONE know who he is?

This has elements of The Truman Show, but make it extra creepy and way more mind bending. The Narration was INCREDIBLE. I am still shaking my head trying to figure everything out. But what it is, is NOT what I would have imagined. READ IT.

Hank Davies lives in the peaceful and beautiful town of Bethlam, Nevada. The people are friendly and there is no crime at all. Life is pretty perfect. Hank is the local postal worker and has started to feel there might be something kind of off in town. When he realizes he has been delivering blank pages in envelopes everyday, he knows something is not right.

Hank isn't the only one who has noticed something odd and when a woman knocks on Hank's window in the middle of the night, telling him to investigate his bedroom wall, he is further driven to find answers. He pulls back the wallpaper to find dozens of hand written pages telling an unbelievable story...about him! What is reality and what is just a show?

At the beginning this book was giving me The Truman Show vibes that took a darker Twilight Zone shift as the story went on. It was creepy and had you questioning everything throughout. At the end, you really are left wondering what did I just read?! The audiobook was great and the main narrator was so good at expressing the different sides of Hank. It left me with some very mixed feelings, but in the way a good, creepy horror story does.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the audiobook for review.

This book had me hooked from the start. I thought that I knew what was going on and then it would change on me again. The narrator was very easy to listen to and did great with all of the different characters. The story didn't end at all the way that I thought it would have. I'm still left wondering about that character.

The Memory Ward👁️
By Jon Bassoff🧠

Review📚

I have no idea why, but I struggled with this one. It reminded me of the movie Don’t Worry Darling. I think it had some unique aspects but I I feel like I’ve seen this type of thing before. It wasn’t all bad, as I did enjoy the mystery portion of the novel. Overall I felt it was really drawn out and when it finally got to the conclusion I was totally let down.

Mystery⁉️
Thriller🔪
Suspense🫣
Crime🚔

3 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Audio:
I enjoyed the narration and thought it was well done.
5 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Memory Ward was a dystopian psychological thriller, which proved to be fascinating. I thought I knew what was happening and then new information twists reality. This happened several times throughout the book. Is the narrator reliable? You be the judge. Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

An intriguing short story about the town of Bethlam, Nevada, a small but perfect town. However, one day, Hank Davies, a postal worker, notices that a letter that he needs to deliver was blank, and life isn't what it seems and he starts to uncover the truth behind the town of Bethlam and realizes that his memories of his life, might all be a lie.

I was hooked from the first page of this book as more was revealed. While I do wish that there was a bigger reveal at the end that just shocked me, in addition to the smaller reveals throughout the story, I do think that this book was executed pretty well in terms of adding a "world of madness "and thriller aspect to this book. Even though I knew where the book was going, it still made me question everything and who was a part of it all.

I will say though, the narration was well done, however, at times, they did sound similar so it was hard to determine who was talking at the time.

Thank you to Jon Bassoff, Blackstone Publishing, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ In perfect Bethlam, Nevada, everyone is nice and waves to postal worker Hank Davies. Hank accidentally drops some letters. He notices that they are blank letters. This sparks moments that Hank thinks Bethlam isn't as ideal as he thought. And he's not alone.

Recently released on March 4th, 2025, this novel by Jon Bassoff, will have you questioning Bethlam and reality.