Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC of Mr. Nobody. I read Steadman’s previous thriller, Something in the Water and really enjoyed it. I was really excited to read her latest novel.

The premise is that Dr. Emma Lewis, neuropsychiatrist, is called to consult on a patient who was found without any memory of who he is or what happened to him. Her job is to ascertain whether or not he is faking and his fugue is real, a very rare condition if proven successfully. However, while he can’t remember anything about himself, he seems to know things about Emma that he couldn’t possibly know. How is this possible?

Anyone who likes to read psychological thrillers will love the fast pace of this book. Steadman sets up the action immediately in the Prologue with a fast pace car ride, where the narrator is racing to get to her patient in time. “No one gets to be a psychiatrist by accident,” she says. This leads the reader to wonder what happened in Emma’s past to get her to this moment, setting up the storyline for the chapters to come.

I really enjoyed this book, as many books are labeled “thriller” without actually eliciting any thrills. This one does deliver in that department. On Emma’s journey, there are many twists and turns until the final reveal, close to the end of the story. I imagined several different scenarios as to where the plot was leading along the way. Unfortunately, all of my ideas would have been more unique and exciting than the actual reveal. I was disappointed by the lack of creativity in pulling the story together at the end. Also, the romance is unnecessary and does not further the plot in any way.

Overall, the writing is excellent and grips you from the first page and continues to hold the reader captivated until the very end. It’s only downfall is the lack of a clever way to pull the story together in a meaningful way. I enjoyed the read, but had higher hopes that there would be a unique, shocking ending.

I give this book 3.5 stars.

The premise of a man who has amnesia and can’t talk convinced me to read this. However I thought that there were too many topics in this story - psychopaths, amnesia, family issues, etc that I struggled to finish this. The ending seemed rushed after all that went into the story. Not no I enjoyed but I might recommend it to others to read.

I do not like it when I have a negative review to write. Part of me feels like I'm being insulting to the author. And I truly don't mean to be. I know there will be readers out there who will connect with this book, but I'm not one of them. Right now after reading this book, I feel like that's three days of my life I can never get back. I had extremely high hopes for this book after Ms. Steadman's debut novel Something in the Water, which was great. And on all accounts this book fell flat on its face.

First, it took forever to really get to anything of a proper storyline. I kept thinking, "What in the world is she talking about and where is she going with this?". The story made no sense to me. On one side you could take that as the author has come up with a unique plot line not told before. I wish that were the case. Sadly, this story was a garbled mess. The characters were so bland, boring, unattractive and simply not appealing. I didn't feel there was any development there to grasp onto. The pace of the story moved slower than a snail and didn't hold my interest at all. And all the medical terminology on amnesia (I understand amnesia is the focus of the book) got very distracting, annoying and redundant. I did want to be completely fair in my review so yes, I did finish the book. I could see where the author was hoping for twists but none of them landed. It hurts to say this book is a big disappointment because her first book was good.

While I can't recommend this book, I will recommend her first novel. As they say don't judge a book by its cover, let's not judge this author by this one book.

My thanks to the Catherine Steadman, Ballentine Books and netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lots of my high school students ask for adult recommendations, and I would think anyone would enjoy this. Very good follow up to Something in the Water.

I loved this! Mr. Nobody is so good but due to its unfortunate cover it seems to have gotten fewer readers than it should have. Here's hoping the pb cover is better and comes out later this year so readers will get another chance to discover this great book!

Steadman's latest novel is a wild ride that combines compelling mystery with thrilling suspense. I couldn't put it down!

I was hesitant to read this book because I had read some not-so-great reviews, but I have to say that I was pleasantly entertained! While the story did seem to drag in places and I wondered where it was all going, I appreciated the build-up and how Steadman left no stones unturned.

Suspenseful, detailed, and psychologically twisting - I enjoyed!

I think that Catherine Steadman is a great writer. I loved Something in the Water! This book, Mr. Nobody, was still highly readable and very dramatic. But I felt a little let down by the story of the main character's father and some other elements of the plot. It was a different take on someone being a psychopath/sociopath. So I appreciated that it was not just the same old explanation. However, the "bad guy" explained by psychological/neurological causes always seems a little too easy and is not my favorite.

Unfortunately, this book was very difficult for me to read. There were so many things they could have done to identify him instead of simply waiting for him to speak. He had too many talents that really didn't seem to fit the lifestyle in which he previously existed. I was very disappointed in the ending but I really couldn't tell you why. The story just didn't have a 'flow' for me. I would not tell anyone not to read this book. It was simply not to my taste but someone else might find it fascinating.

Mr. Nobody is a psychological mystery that follows the author and main character's premise that nobody becomes a psychiatrist by accident. Emma devotes her life to the NHS hospital in London as a neuropsychiatrist. When contacted about a case of a lifetime, near her hometown in Norfolk, she ultimately decides to take the chance and return home to consult on a man the press have dubbed "Mr. Nobody."

Found on a beach and unable or unwilling to talk, the police take Mr. Nobody to the local hospital. Charming and attractive, he seems to know things about people he shouldn't, including Emma. Just who is Mr. Nobody? How does he know about Emma's past? These questions and more are answered in Catherine Steadman's latest release!

Overall this is a decent story with some twists and turns that are unexpected. The ending was wrapped up very quickly and was a little disappointing given the drama and tension surrounding the last part of the book. A solid 3.5 stars!

This was a good psychological thriller that kept my interest. I like twists and turns and this novel provided that. It was a good read for the beach.
Many thanks to Ballantine Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I'll let the official description speak for itself and then dive into my review.

"When a man is found on a Norfolk 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?

Neuropsychiatrist Dr Emma Lewis is asked to assess the patient. 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 small town in Norfolk fourteen years ago and has taken great pains to cover all traces of her past since then.

But now something – or someone – is calling her back. And the more time she spends with her patient, the more alarmed she becomes."

I found this book to be a good, solid psychological thriller. The main characters were all likable and you felt a certain amount of empathy at points for all of them. The story unraveled at a good pace with an uneasy tension that I like to experience in a great suspense novel. The plot had me guessing at various theories throughout the story and had some nice meandering twists that made me question my grasp of the ongoing events unfolding in the book. I didn't really find any major abrupt jolts in the plot that really jarred my sensical hold on the story. Basically, if you're looking for a great psychological thriller that has a plot that makes feasible sense, this one could be for you. No aliens from outer space or rip in the space-time continuum here.

Likable characters that you can invest in. Refreshing plot. Great suspense. Happenings that could be disturbingly feasible in real life. Solid wrap-up in the end for the most part. I give it a 4 out of 5 stars which for me means a great book. A solid, above average read. Would recommend.


I would like to thank NetGalley for an e-ARC of this title.

I could not finish this book. It dragged for me. I found myself putting it down for days at a time. When I finally picked it up again I was just staring at the same sentence. The beginning read like a psych textbook. It might have been the book or it could have been me and the book slump I was in at the time. I made the decision to DNF pretty early on. I’d like to say that I will go back and give it a second chance.

This book was so disappointing. It's a mystery about a man who shows up unconscious on a beach and the doctor who is brought in to treat him. It took such a long time for the story to come together and become even remotely interesting. The characters were flat, and many of them had quite a few loathable qualities. The mystery was too vague to warrant the length of time it took to figure out what was actually going on. What really bothered the most with this one was a single line of dialogue, a statement made by the protagonist. "He is the cause of everything bad that ever happened to me in my life." The statement was made about someone who had something to do with a traumatic event from her childhood, and she blames him for everything? Even things that have happened in her adult life? Any character that places blame on someone else for all the bad things in her life and takes no responsibility is not someone I care to know. Even worse than that, it's bad writing. I am sad because I did enjoy another of Steadman's books. This one though. I just can't. *Advance copy provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

I settled in to read Mr. Nobody with great anticipation. I really loved Steadman's last book and this one started off really well. I was intrigued and planned to be up late into the night finishing it. About midway through I got bogged down and found my attention drifting. I laid it aside to finish the next day. I never got back into the book. I reread the beginning and found it dragging in the same place. I did complete it because I received it as an ARC from Netgalley and the publisher and needed to read it to do a review. With that said, this one wasn't for me. It just didn't hold my attention.

As per my usual, let me thank the publishing house, the author, and NetGalley for allowing me an electronic copy in exchange for an honest review!

Shhhwewww!! That book had me pacing the house while I was reading the last quarter of it. I very much enjoyed this authors first book, "Something in the Water" so I had been watching for her next novel.

A man washed up on the shore in a more rural area of England. No memory. Nothing with him. Mr. Nobody. A bright, highly motivated neuropsychiatrist comes to the rescue at the cost of possibly exposing herself and her family's long-ago well-hidden secrets. So how does Mr. Nobody know things about her past? Is it simply a man faking his symptoms for attention? A experimental military program where memories are inserted into others minds? Is he dangerous? He seems to know things no one else does. Even private things. Then add in the press and paparazzi. Oh yeah, there's a love interest involved in all this as well. He happens to be the local policeman. His jealous wife? She happens to be a reporter. Wonderful book! Thank you so much!

I was given a free copy of this book by #netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I was so looking forward to this book because I loved Catherine Steadman's first book "Something In the Water". This book was entertaining and intriguing, but didn't grab me like her first book. A man is found wandering on the beach and doesn't know who he is or how he got there. Dr. Emma Lewis is an expert in amnesia, so she is summoned to work with the patient. Through a whole slew of "convenient" coincidences, Dr. Lewis figures out that she is somehow involved in this unknown plot. Builds to a very twisted ending. I ended the book with a "meh" feeling.

A man is found on a beach. The people in the area have no idea where he is from, or who he is. From the onset, it seems like he just knows things about people and this confounds people. Out of nowhere, Dr. Emma Lewis is brought in to provide medical attention. She is a neuropsychiatrist, yet has never had a case like this. There is definitely more to the story as this Dr used to live in this area and has a past that could make things quite difficult in her current situation. I liked that this book really kept me guessing until close to the very end. The back story for the Dr irritated me a bit because it just seemed like it was kept dangling out there, but it more of an irritating way than an ominous one. I liked the writing style and found the main characters to be unique and well developed. I would be interested in reading more from this author in the future. Thanks for the ARC, Net Galley.

When a man is found on the beach-side claiming no memory of how he got there and unable to give his name, the media goes a flutter! Help is needed to unravel the mystery, enter Dr. Emma Lewis!

But to travel to this small village where “Mr. Nobody” washed up presents some major challenges for the good doctor. Turns out she has a past there. One she desperately hopes to put behind her. The looming question is, will everyone else play along and do the same.

There are two types of thrillers.
One, where all the pieces of the puzzle are cleverly laid out for you. Leaving you to put the pieces together. And if done correctly, you’re sure to reach an explosive ending that will leave you shocked and out of breath. Citing a mantra of, “What the blip did I just read!?”

Type two thriller is one that takes you on a journey until you reach a satisfying conclusion. The author then takes the final few chapters to review. Running back through the story-line, guiding you along the road-map of how you got from point A to point B. Which of course is not as thrilling.
As you may have guessed this one fell into that second category.

I really wanted to love this one. It was just quite vanilla. I felt the characters didn’t have enough depth for me to connect with them. And frankly, the explanation at the end was a bit too convoluted for me to follow along.

A buddy read with Susanne.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group Ballantine and Catherine Steadman for an ARC to read and review.

I was really looking forward to this one, since I loved Steadman's Something in the Water. Unfortunately, this one was only OK. It was slow for me and I found I just didn't care about the story or characters very much. Bummer.