Mr. Nobody (2020)

by Catherine Steadman

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456	40	55,021	(3.51)	22
"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"--… (more)

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Showing 1-5 of 42 (next | show all)

Mr Nobody by Catherine Steadman (4.5 stars)

A psychological page-turner which kept me enthralled to the end. A man is found washed up on a
Norfolk beach, wounded and with no recollection of how he got there and no memory of his life or
his name. One thing sparks a glimmer of a memory; a word written on his hand.

Neuropsychiatrist Emma Lewis is the only expert available who can help this patient but it will
mean returning to her hometown in Norfolk - a place of dark and threatening memories which she
hasn’t been back to since she left as a teenager 14 years ago.

I picked this up on a Sunday afternoon and didn’t put it down until I’d finished it. Catherine really
draws you into her complex characters and doesn’t let you go until long after you’ve turned the
last page. (

)

ArdizzoneFan | Dec 14, 2021 |

Readable. Well researched. (

)

sberson | Jul 22, 2021 |

I hate gossip, tabloid journalism, and innuendo, and those evils play a large role in this book. I think my rating of 3 stars may be a bit harsh but I'm in the midst of reading a lot of REALLY good books so the bar is high and this one had a great approach but fumbled the jump. I was really into the set up of the story and liked the way Ms. Steadman handled the dueling timelines and stories but in a way she did too good a job because it promised a complicated and excited reveal and resolution but instead I felt like the resolution to the deep dark mystery of the past and present were in the end somewhat boring and uninteresting. I did find the information about fugue states and memory loss to be fascinating and I think there could be a better story here. But, as I said, I think I'm being a bit too harsh. I did enjoy this book and certainly read it quickly. I think I may read her first book at some time as it got even better reviews than this one. (

)

MarkMad | Jul 14, 2021 |

A rating of 2.5 stars would have been more appropriate. Although the novel was initially compelling, the plot was inconsistent, the characters too predictable, and the writing less than optimal. (

)

SallyElizabethMurphy | May 20, 2021 |

Honestly I don’t have a lot to say here. I loved the first book by Catherine Steadman, but I barely liked Mr. Nobody. The beginning started off well enough, but it quickly went downhill from there and never picked up for me again.
Expecting much more from this author, I was disappointed, but I will give her next book a shot. There’s only so much suspension of belief one can do and Mr. Nobody didn’t give me any reason whatsoever to do so. I’m definitely not a fan of giving reviews that aren’t great but in this case I think it would be a disservice to both the readers and the author to not be honest here. As always, there are differing opinions and I know this worked for some people, which I’m thrilled about, but it just didn’t work for me. (

)

purple_pisces22 | Mar 14, 2021 |

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Canonical title

Mr. Nobody

Original title

Alternative titles

Original publication date

People/Characters

Officer Beth Graceford

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Epigraph

Dedication

FOR ALL THOSE CHASING GHOSTS

First words

If the car crashed at this speed the impact wouldn't be enough to kill us instantly.

Quotations

That's the thing about habits. They're comforting. They're hard to kick.

People don't want truth from us doctors, not really; they may think they do but they don't. People want doctors to be like priests. They want hope delivered with authority.

Isn't it funny how you can successfully not think about something for months or even years, you can almost forget, almost, and then one simple sentence or word can bring it all back with a sudden sickening immediacy?

The music swelled and then the fireworks display began.
The first crack and flash of pure white light shot straight up into the chilly winter air; an explosion of diamond dust.
And then color after color, faster and brighter and louder until the whole sky was lit with pulsing, flashing, magic. And then, as swiftly as it started, it was gone.
The night sky empty but for the afterimage on our eyes and the ghost of smoke in the wind.

If she could only see herself through my eyes. But that's my job, isn't it, to shine a light back on her.

Last words

(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)

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"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"--

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