So many memories. So little time. In an astounding thriller ripped from tomorrow’s headlines, cutting-edge technology and a pulse-pounding manhunt lead to a conspiracy of money, power, and sex. Cole remembers what it’s like to be murdered. That’s how he does his job. The operation takes eight hours with a dead body on the table next to his; when it’s over, he’s flooded with images, thoughts, … with images, thoughts, recollections, some hazy, some crystal clear. They all come straight from the victim’s brain—right up until his or her final chilling moments.
Cole’s career in homicide has wreaked havoc on his personal life. As usual, his new case—a young runaway battered to death with a hammer—consumes all his waking moments . . . and then some. Haunted by the Jane Doe’s hopes, desires, and fears, Cole mentally retraces her every move, from Kansas to New York City, to track down a killer.
But Cole has a terrible suspicion that someone is using the same memory-transfer science for a very different purpose. In fact, he’s already being watched. Because Cole’s the only one standing in the way of a ruthless corporation that’s harvesting people for their most intimate memories—and eliminating anyone who stands in the way.
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“Everybody feels fear a little bit differently. Everyone feels love, joy, and sadness differently too, but it’s not quite like fear. Fear is primal. It’s like a fingerprint.”
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This was an EXCELLENT read. I am captivated by memory and am a long-time fan of sci-fi and thriller/crime/detective stories, and this brought all of those together in a fascinating and unique way that had me on the edge of my seat from the first pages. Cole is a great protagonist. He’s more than a little bit broken – like all good protags are/should be to allow for great story development – and the blend of personalities, memories, and stories that he reveals throughout the course of the book are reflective of that. Yet somehow, he remains just hopeful enough to keep doing what he does – namely, take on the memories of the disenfranchised murder victims who have no other hope of seeing the mystery of their deaths solved. It’s hard to imagine someone – even a dedicated detective with issues of his own – willfully taking on not only the most painful memories of these people’s lives, but also the myriad avalanche of horribles that typically led up to that ultimate moment. Cole’s psyche is fascinating, and so is the method by which the exceptionally talented T.S. Nichols reveals it in fits and starts…
This is a thriller par excellence. The pacing is spot-on; the blend of memories, backstories, and contemporary timeline is managed perfectly. The supporting cast is just colorful enough to provide urban camouflage for Cole’s own overwhelming portion of this tale. This is definitely an author on my radar now… This is his first novel – here’s hoping more are coming forthwith!
My review copy was provided by NetGalley.
Admittedly, this isn’t the type of thriller that I would normally pick up, and I was a little worried about the medical side of this tale getting too technical and bogged down in the details. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case at all. The author gives just enough of the medical side for the reader to get what’s going on and follow the story. The idea of going in for a procedure that gives you a dead person’s memories was thoroughly chilling to this reader, especially when The Company’s purpose is revealed. The story does drag at times, particularly when memories are being “remembered.” While the way remembering worked for the recipient is an important part of the story, I felt that a complete play by play of every memory was a bit much. That aside, the story did keep me turning pages to see what would happen next, right up to the jaw-dropping conclusion. About 95% of the way through, I completely expected a cliffy – either that or the ending would have to be a rush job – but that didn’t make it any less shocking when I got there. On the whole, this is a solid debut novel for Nichols and I’ll be anxious to see what’s next for the Memory Detective.