A handsome man washes up on a beach in a charming coastal village in England. Dressed in wet tattered clothing, he has a bump on the back of his head and no identification in his pocket. Discovered by a passerby, the police are notified and he is quickly taken to a nearby hospital. With no memory of how he ended up on the beach and more importantly, no idea of his own name, Dr. Emma Lewis, eminent neuropsychiatrist is called in for the case. The man dubbed “Mr. Nobody” has remained mute until he meets Dr. Lewis and quietly mumbles her name. Eerily, it is her old name, one she hasn’t used in over fourteen years. It is difficult enough for Emma to be back in this town her family abandoned all those years ago, she can no longer ignore the impossible coincidences and slips of information Mr. Nobody whisperers. It is Emma’s job to solve this great mystery and to do so without the past repeating itself.

Creepy, really creepy. So much makes no sense that it makes your skin crawl. You know that something terrible happened fourteen years ago but Dr. Emma Lewis isn’t going to talk about that right now. Instead she is going to focus on her new patient who is found on a beach, soaking wet, with no memory of who he is or how he got there. Except he knows things that bring Dr. Lewis back to that point in time she is trying so hard to not to remember.

It has been said that people go into the field of psychiatry because of their need to work out their own “issues”. This book could be the poster child of that theory but that does nothing to distract from it being a really tense, tight, well crafted psychological thriller. Even with a few too many dangling participles and a bunch of unanswered questions it was a satisfying few hours. I admit to wondering about the naïveté of the protagonist and her ability to absorb platitudes as gospel that all will be well but the story moved forward at a brisk, only get up for a drink pace.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for a copy.

I read the previous book by this author, Something in the Water and enjoyed it. I was curious as to what Steadman would do in her sophomore novel. She is still honing her craft but worth a try. The story is compelling and keeps you interested until about the final 20 - 25% of the book where she makes the classic mistake of a thriller writer. She tries to rush the ending and tie loose ends together in a clumsy way, making this book somewhat disappointing. I would still like to follow this author and see where she goes in the future. Her writing style is terrific, she just needs a bit of patience with her plot.
Thanks for the chance to read and review this early.
#MrNobody #Netgalley #BallantineBooks

This was too slow for my taste. I would definitely check out future books by this author but Mr. Nobody wasn't a great fit for me.

2.5 stars, rounded up
Catherine Steadman scored big with Something in the Water, although it wasn’t a particular favorite of mine. But I was still curious to see what she would do with her sophomore effort. The book opens with a man awakening on the beach, wounded, with only hazy memories. Among the missing memories are how he got there and what his name is. Dr. Emma Lewis is brought in to oversee his case. She wants to see if this is truly a fugue state, a case of Retrograde amnesia, the loss of all personal memories.

I’m not a big fan of books where the main character is privy to information that isn’t shared with the reader. Here, we quickly learn that something happened in Emma’s teen years that caused the family to move away and change their names. But we aren’t told what. It soon becomes apparent that Mr. Nobody knows what has happened as well.

Despite the irritation at the author’s little trick of misinformation, the book moves at a fast clip and kept my interest. The book is written so that Mr. Nobody’s sections are written in the third person and Emma’s in the first person. At times, it feels that she’s almost talking to the reader. It allows the author to slip in little psychological bits of knowledge, like defining blindsight. His sections bring you forward from the time he is discovered, hers don’t start until after he’s been in care for six days and she’s brought in to consult. So, there is initially a back and forth jostling in the time.

There are other characters which also kept my interest. In fact, my favorite part of the book was the drama between Chris and Zara and I wish their story had played a bigger part overall.

So, I was all happy with this book until about 80% in when it completely falls apart. The ending was so nonsensical that all my earlier happiness with this book just disappeared. Seriously, I would have graded the first part of the book 4 stars and the ending at 1.

My thanks t netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this book/. I will admit that I was surprised by the twist at the end and it left me a little puzzled as to why the author chose to conclude her book in this manner. The characters were believable and the plot definitely pulls you in. I highly recommend this book to those who like her writing style.

Well wasn’t this an unexpected bit of fabulousness. I adored this story of missing memories, unexpected connections and compelling characters. Add in that totally delicious ending that just blew me away and you have a book that does not want to be put down.

I highly recommend this one to lovers of suspense, settings that are so creepy and characters that are very well written. I enjoyed this one completely

What a long winded novel. This book was very disappointing. The plot was extremely boring and I lost interest at several different parts in the story. I was not invested in any of the characters, I was especially disinterested in the main character. The story pace was slow and this made it almost unbearable to finish. Once I finally arrived at the end, I was more relieved that it was over, than wowed by the big reveal. I don't think after a few days I will remember any parts of this story, which is disappointing. Looking back on my review of her previous novel, "Something In the Water", I remember that I enjoyed certain plot points, but that it also had a slow pace. Perhaps this author is not for me. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed Catherine Steadman's previous book, "Something in the Water," but I think "Mr. Nobody" is even better! A man is found wandering on the beach, and he has no idea who he is or where he came from. Enter Dr. Emma Lewis, who has quite the history of her own. The way their stories are told, and the way in which this story ends--I never would have guessed! I can't wait for Ms. Steadman to write another book if they're going to keep getting better and better! Thanks to NetGalley for providing an e-copy of this book to read.

This book was a wild ride. As an avid thriller reader, it takes a lot for a book to surprise me, and I definitely didn't see this ending coming. The mystery of Matthew's true identity and Emma's past kept me enthralled throughout the story, and I thought the final tie-in was great. However, I felt some of the story was hard to keep up with, perhaps because of all the psychological jargon and discussion of fugue, memory, brain anatomy, etc. Overall, an entertaining read that will keep you guessing.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced reader copy of this book!

A man (Mr. Nobody) is found on the beach with no memory of who he is. Emma is brought in to see if her medical knowledge can help him. They are both hiding things from their past. How does Mr. Nobody know Emma's real name? And is he faking his amnesia or is there a scientific reason for his memory loss? This is a good mystery.

4-5 stars! This book is one I originally did not think I would enjoy, but after trying another day, was finally grabbed and able to enjoy it greatly. I thought it was well written, intriguing, original, and quite shocking. I look forward to more by this author, as I do think she knows how to tell a story, especially thrillers.
Will make sure I buzz it up!

I wish to thank Net Galley and the publisher Ballantine Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Dr. Emma Lewis is a neuropsychiatrist with a well known history of helping people with memory loss. She is hired to work with a man found wandering on a beach who has no memory of who he is and how he got there. The book pulled me in quickly but my interest came and went the entire time I was reading it. Just about the time I wanted to give it up Ms. Steadman dragged me back in with a new bit of information to help solve the case. There were so many plots to this book that one just could not figure it out. I love a good psychological thriller and was expecting a bit more from this one. When you got toward the end it just seemed like there was a need to dot all the i’s and wrap up the story quickly and I feel it rushed to closure. A few less plots would have helped it a lot..

I feel like it deserves more than three stars but not quite 4. She is a gifted author and I hope to read more of her work in the future.

Mr. Nobody is my first novel by Catherine Steadman and it won’t be my last. The topic of brain injury and fugue fascinated me. I could tell the book was well researched. The beginning of the story is my favorite. I was instantly intrigued and invested on the beach. Where this novel fell short for me was many of the actions (not Mr. Nobody) didn’t make sense to me. They didn’t fit and weren’t explained in such a way that I could buy into the behavior. Impulsive and devious behavior is rampant. At times those behaviors added to the mystery but really in the end it felt unsettling and hard to accept from professionals. Where the story truly came together for me was the marrying of past and present, absolutely brilliant. Mr. Nobody is a fascinating story, the dialogue is engaging and well written.

Although I loved Steadman’s previous novel, “Something in the Water,” this book left me flat. The premise sounded great: Dr. Emma Lewis, a neuropsychiatrist, is called in to consult on a case of a man found on a beach with no i.d. and no memory, and she is supposed to investigate whether he is faking his memory loss — and if so, perhaps why. I found this book very difficult to get into, and then after it picked up somewhat, it slumped again in pace and veered into far-fetched leaps of the imagination. When the identity of Mr. Nobody was finally revealed, it was just way too incredulous. How Mr. Nobody came to be and why he wanted to meet Emma, let alone how Emma came to meet him, was just way too unbelievable.

I did finish this book, but I really had to slog my way through it. However, Steadman’s writing is very good, and I do look forward to try what she writes next.

I tried reading this a few months ago and couldn't get thru it after the first few chapters but I was kicking myself because when I started it again , I was engrossed after a few more pages!
Dr Emma has been called upon to consult on the case that could make her career soar. The only issue is that it is in her home town that she was forced to leave 14 years ago. Mr Nobody, who has been given the name Matthew, woke up on a beach with no memory of why, where he came from or even who he is. Emma is brought in to try and solve this mystery and help Matthew regain his memories and identity. She is instantly drawn to him and it seems he knows
her and her past even though he can’t remember his own life. The more in depth Emma goes with Matthew, the more she can’t let go and is determined to find out more and how Matthew, who she doesn’t know, remembers her..
Though I enjoyed the book, I was not happy with the ending. I think that there is more that could have been done and explained but otherwise it was a good read.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Yes, yes, yes!!! Catherine Steadman is back after Something in the Water (which is freaking amazing) with a brand new book, Mr. Nobody. I don't want to say too much, but we have a doctor who is trying to help a patient and no one knows who he is (including the patient!). Suddenly there are some twists and turns and the book takes off from there. Gosh, I wish I could say more.

Something in the Water was one of my favorites last year, and I was lucky enough to get an ARC for Mr. Nobody. Thank you, Netgalley, because this was one I was so looking forward to.

It kept me guessing, wondering what the hell was going on and I enjoyed every moment.

Mr. Nobody comes out 1.7.2020.

5/5 Stars

I was excited to try this after liking Steadman’s last book... fell a little flat. Semi-predictable and felt a let down by the ending.

Emma Lewis is a leader in her field of memory loss and is chosen to work on a case that will challenge her to determine the diagnosis — is it retrograde amnesia, fugue or lying. It will require her to return to her home town, which she and her family changed their names and left 14 years ago. But Emma knows it’s a big opportunity for her career because these cases are so rare.

“This perfect offer out of the blue, this opportunity, the chance I’ve been waiting for. But I’d have to go there? Why does it have to be there of all the places in the world? I’ve spent fourteen years of my life trying to get away from that place, what happened there, and now … now I find out that the only way forward, the only way out, is back.”

“...if I’m honest, it scares me. My face out there connected and connected and connected until it all leads back to that one night. The night when my whole world was shattered and it was easier to just throw the whole thing in the trash than try to fix it.”

Both main characters have issues with the past — Emma hides her past whereas Mr. Nobody has no past. He was found on a beach and has no memory of who he is or where he came from. It’s up to Emma to determine whether she can help him to remember. But she is having problems of her own.

“His world shrinks to a pinhead and then dilates so wide, suddenly terrifyingly borderless. He has no edges anymore. Who is he? He has no self. He feels the panic roaring inside him, escalating, his heart tripping faster. His mind frantically searches for something—anything—to grab a hold of, his eyes wildly scanning the landscape around him. But there is no escape from it, the void. He is here and there is no before. There are no answers.”

“I’ve been so focused on putting those pieces—and you—back together again that somewhere along the way I came apart at the seams.”

What a fun ride this was! It had all the elements of a great psychological thriller — suspense, mystery, twists and turns, hard to put down, kept you guessing, etc. I was in the minority with my response to Steadman’s previous work (Something in the Water). It just didn’t float my boat! (LOL). I was hesitant to read another book by Steadman but ultimately decided to take the chance and I am so glad I did.

Mr. Nobody grabbed me right from the start and kept me turning the pages as fast as possible. The premise was fascinating and the execution did it justice. This is a compelling story that you won’t be able to put down. I thought I had figured some of it out but I was happy to learn I was wrong. Mr. Nobody is a unique story that you won’t feel you’ve read before. The premise is fascinating and the execution does it justice.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

The plot concerns a psychiatrist's attempts to resolve the mystery of a man with no memory. In the course of doing something, she confronts her secret past.

I found the book riveting. I have read many mysteries but did not see the end of this one coming.

This is my first time reading a book by Ms. Stead man, but it won't be my last.

I was given an advance copy and am Leaving my honest review.