Wow …I think I just found my new favorite author! I stayed up till 3:00 in the a.m. to finish reading this novel … I had to know how this played out! This book rates a solid 5 stars …and I will admit, I don’t give those out too readily! I have huge respect for an author who is able to entertain us with his imagination …to put his creativity into such story telling …I am quite envious! There were lots of twists and turns that kept the story entertaining and fresh! There was a great job done in the development of the main character and the seconds! I particularly enjoyed the interaction between Lessard and Taillon. She has this personality that says “I can talk the talk …and, if I have to, will walk the walk” and will take no prisoners along the way! I did look into other stories from this author, only to find that this was the only English speaking book available. I do hope he does continue writing in English. I would definitely recommend this book and look forward to reading more from this author!

On a side bar: I was born and raised in Montreal so the settings of this novel were very familiar to me! Sherbrooke Street, St. Catherines Street, Lachine Canal, Lake Massawappi …wow, memory lane! I also lived in Montreal during the October Crisis and the FLQ so it was interesting to get a different perspective of those troubling events through a different sort of lens!

I would like to thank Mr. Michaud, the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in return for an honest and unbiased opinion of his book

When I begin a well written book, there is a rhythm that the language takes on as it introduces the plot and the characters. This mystery set in Montreal did not offer me that entry. It was disjointed and confusing. Taillon was a particularly annoying caricature. Her constant eating habits that were detailed detracted from the narrative. I could not imagine why the author made her so unappealing. Was it comic relief from the murder and gore? If so, it did not work. Picking Cheetos out of her teeth at the crime scene was off putting. Victor, the main detective, lacked substance, and I could not relate to him. When I lose interest in the outcome of a murder mystery I know the book has failed. Montreal, as a backdrop, was interesting as there are not many detective novels written about this city, but Louise Penny does it with more elan and finesse.

I seem to be in the minority’s on this one, but I was hugely disappointed by Never Forget. As you’ll see by the description, this is the third book in a popular Canadian series, and the first to be translated into English. It stars police detective Victor Lessard as a troubled, struggling alcoholic with a girlfriend and two children. The story starts with a homeless man who commits suicide and is found in possession of two wallets. The two wallets belong to individuals who turn up dead, killed by arrows after being bound in a bizarre antique torture device.

If this had been a more straightforward quest to find a fiendish killer, I think I would have enjoyed the book. I liked the police characters, but I think it would have helped if I had been introduced to them in the first and second novels in the series. The story stands alone, but I felt I was missing some deeper character understanding by starting with book three. So the bones of the story were there, and I liked many of the central characters, why didn’t I enjoy this book? I think with Never Forget we have a talented author with a very weak editor. The book was overly long (560 pages) and the plot so convoluted that reading it felt more like work than pleasure. For example, there was a subplot involving Lessard’s son that was completely unnecessary and, frankly, boring. Also, there were passages about Quebec governance in the ‘70s that were intermittent, short, unedifying, and obscure to any non-Québécois reader. Third, there were too many central characters to grasp, worsened by constant switches between use of first name, last name, and/or nicknames. And finally, the plot was too convoluted with secret medical trials and even conspiracy theories about JFK’s assassination. It was all just too much, and unnecessary as it could have been so good with a stronger editor.

Once translated, I think I would read book one in the series because I’m sure I’ve missed something given its popularity, but I was unimpressed by this outing. Two and a half stars rounded up to three. My thanks to NetGalley and Dundurn for providing me an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Severn House for the eARC.
This is an intense, absorbing novel; intricate and so well translated, it left me breathless. I'm not a fan of car chases, but the one in this book is awsome!
Detectives Lessard and Taillion are looking into the probable suicide of a homeless man, not realizing the intense manhunt they're about to start for a serial killer who is killing notable and respected members of Montreal's upper classes in strange and horrifying ways. But this is so much more than the usual serial killer genre. It involves old cases such as the kidnappings by the Quebec terrorist group FLQ, the deaths of 3 seemingly ordinary people, the CIA and even the Kennedy assassination. Lessard and Taillion are flawed and even though Taillion can be rude and annoying, I liked her and the two detectives have an interesting relationship...I laughed out loud at times.
It was lovely visiting Montreal, although just on the page. I lived there for two years and love the city, so am thrilled that this series will continue to be translated into English. Mr. Michaud has been added to my TBR list as an author I'm going to be following and reading in the future. Highly recommended!

This is the initial appearance of Victor Lessard in English, but the third book in the series originally published in French. Never Forget is a relatively standard police procedural with typical characters--the renegade cop with a failed marriage, the rookie who makes mistakes at crime scenes--set in Quebec. If you like your mysteries with a touch of conspiracy (Lee Harvey Oswald makes an appearance early in the book), then this is for you. Sad to say, that description does not apply to me. Not a bad book, just not my cup of tea.

It seems that we in the English speaking world have been missing out on a great series. Luckily for us, that omission has now been set right with the upcoming publication of Martin Michaud's third book in the Victor Lessard series, Never Forget.
This book as the title suggests, revolves around memories, or as here, the lack of memories. As Andre Lortie says at the beginning of the book, "I woulda liked to have memories'. His memories were stolen from him in an experimental mind control program, run by the CIA in an attempt to erase certain events from his mind, in an age when these methods were thought to be acceptable.
From the very early pages we are drawn into events that took place years earlier. The assassination of John F Kennedy is invoked with the phrase "I didn't kill anybody, no sir, a phrase spoken by Kennedy's alleged killer, Lee Harvey Oswald.
DS Victor Lessard and his partner Jacinthe Taillon, members of the Major Crimes Unit of the Montreal Police, are on a mission to find the killer of Judith Harper, and to discover why the wallets of the murder victims ended up in the possession of Lortie, who commits suicide rather than go on living without being sure of his past actions. This takes them on a never ending search among some of the darker sides of medical research. Lessard who also has a darker side, somehow manages to keep functioning, even when events spin out of control. He is a man driven by his fears and past ghosts, but always searching for the truth. He uses his intuition as much as his detective skills to decode the past and bring an end to the terror that stalks some of the city's most privileged citizens. Men whose dark deeds lay undiscovered for decades.
The author Martin Michaud never rushes through the facts. He takes time to give detailed accounts, some of which seems unlinked to the events. To me this seemed a nice change to the typical book, which rushes to bring the plot to fruition in under 350 pages. I appreciated the chance to become deeply involved in everyday life in the Major Crime Squad, who for once act as a team, rather than being a foil to some brilliant detective. I will certainly be waiting to read the next two books to be released in English, sadly that won't be soon enough for me. I thought this was great book and I gave it a 5 Star rating.

Thank you NetGalley and Dundern Press for a digital advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Once I was immersed in this world, some of the irritations seemed minor; the only remaining issue is the author's insistence on emphasising Vincent's partner's eating habits (incessantly looking for food or eating) along with obligatory comments on how large she is. While the deep background plot of conspiracy is barely credible, their pursuit of the ramifications however, work very well. Lessaud is a
refreshing character in a rather convoluted plot .. which I could not entirely follow despite the wrap up at end .. it's a shocker and only the author's skill saved it all from being completely balmy .. but I really enjoyed.

First, thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for a pre-launch copy to read and review.
Never Forget is a complex, well-written book. I agree with other reviewers who point out the excellent translation of the French into English. Martin Michaud seems a master at keeping multiple threads of a long story moving toward a suspenseful climax. I liked the great attention to detail and the graphic descriptions that move you to feel the atmosphere of wintertime Montreal and the brutality of the torture scenes. Neither of the protagonists is especially attractive,--they both have a lot of difficult "history"-- but Michaud weaves their personalities together as realistic police partners. He also brings real history into new perspectives--from a terrorist group in Quebec to a "conspiracy" behind the assassination of JFK. . I found the book intriguing overall while at the same time had trouble keeping straight the plethora of characters and the sideline forays away from the main story. I believe the book would have more impact if the plot line were more direct. But it is a story well worth telling and worth reading.

This is the first time I've read any of this authors work, rest assured it won't be the last. The book is very well written and had me guessing to the very end. You'll love this book and it will keep your attention all the way to the end.

I'm of two minds with respect to this book. On the one hand, the heart of the mystery is compelling, and the book is very well written--if I didn't know this was a translation, I'd never have guessed, because the writing is precise and controlled, yet beautiful.

On the other hand, I had difficulty connecting with the book. The format, especially in the beginning, was a little bit too fractured for me to be able to keep track of everyone and become invested in the plot--there wasn't quite enough information to pull me in, and I found it hard to keep reading. I also had difficulty connecting with Victor and Jacinthe; I found both a bit irritating and Jacinthe downright annoying, both as her character, and as a stereotype that grates on me.

So, on balance, I think this is a book that will work well for many readers, but just wasn't right for me.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review the book.

I received this ebook through NetGalley. In the beginning I found this book hard to follow but it quickly pulled me in. Victor is a great character with great depth and many foibles. I really liked his character and found myself rooting for him. He is a police officer in Montreal, Canada who has had a troubled past. This doesn’t stop him from Investigating the murder and following his gut instinct. There are numerous unexpected twists and turns in this book and I loved being fooled which doesn’t happen often to me while reading crime books. I highly recommend this book to any one that likes crime books.

The style used by the author made this book difficult for me to maintain concentration. While this style is used by other authors they achieve the success that escapes Martin Michaud. It is disappointing as I am sure the author has a lot to offer. Therefore I will only be giving this book 2 stars. Better luck with your next book.

This was so good and reminds me of the master Louise Penny’s books. This is high praise as she is one of my fav writers.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this advance copy. This is a thriller that will keep you hooked all the way until the very end. Keeps you guessing from the very beginning. I do not usually care for police or detective stories but this one kept my attention. I recommend this book.

A Victor Lessard Thriller book #1

This is cleverly weaved and thought-provoking story will send shivers down your spine within its few first pages. This tale is set in francophone Montreal and because Victor Lessard is the kind of series that makes you addicted, incredibly so. I am warning you will be hooked from the start. I was, I simply devoured this book!

“Never Forget” is a difficult investigation with multiple bifurcations in a snowy Montreal, "sloché" and icy that begins for Detective Sergeant Victor Lessard and his teammate, the voluminous and strong Jacinthe, ten days before Christmas.

The opening scene hits hard….

“He is the murderer. No, it's her. Finally, it must be him. Oh boy!...I don’t know anymore”

The book is written with finesse. As the bodies are falling, my frustration at not finding who the killer is also rising at the same pace as those of the characters who are investigating, so I need to find out and continue reading, and read and read till the conclusion….what a page-turner.

Martin Michaud does not go without a dead hand. In less than 100 chapters, in less than 700 pages he manages to evoke the Middle Ages and his refined tortures with a crime weapon poetically named "the fork of the heretic", makes live and die Lortie , a poor fellow, "perfect scapegoat, a former victim of the MK-ULTRA program, fragile and psychologically unstable, he flies over contemporary history with the assassination of JFK and its hypothetical plots. The author also offers his detective sergeant a suspicious story whose son twists up to catch the CIA and the FLQ. These sidebars will resonate for Quebecois and those who were around in the 60’s and 70’s.

“Never Forget is well written, action packed, fast paced and very suspenseful, the plot leaves no respite until the denouement. We find with pleasure characters that become more complex as we read on…

We are definitely in good hands with this book. I simply loved this murder investigation and the police procedural that went with it.

3 and 1 / 2 stars

On a snowy near-Christmas in Montreal, a man commits suicide. He was obviously mentally ill and occasionally saw a psychiatrist. He was also homeless. He had two wallets in his possession that were not his. One belongs to an elderly psychiatrist who was recently murdered and the other to an attorney who is currently missing. But no one wants to file a missing persons case. How odd...

Sergeant Victor Lessard, trying to recoup his reputation after a disastrous case and his current partner Jacinthe Tallion, who is a loud, boisterous and bordering on irritating woman are on the cases.

At the same time, Victor is suffering a personal crisis regarding his son. And the bodies are piling up.

Sergeant Lessard is a complicated character. While he hasn't touched a drink in years, the case is very frustrating and he fights the urge on a daily basis. His relationship with his girlfriend Nadja is very good but it is not without its problems. Especially when it comes to Lessard's son Martin and Nadja's brother.

I don't really know how I feel about this book. On one hand it is a very good police procedural, but I didn't care all that much for the primary character Lessard. The book delves into some interesting – and surprising – conspiracy theories. (Frankly, I was astounded.) The book is well written, but the whole side trip into Martin's problem and Nadja's brother issue was distracting and I couldn't really see the point of it all.

I want to thank NetGalley and Dundurn Press/Dundurn – Dundurn for forwarding to me a copy of this new author's book for me to read, enjoy and review.