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.

I take no pleasure in writing reviews for books I found less than thrilling, but unfortunately Mr. Nobody by Catherine Steadman ticked only a few of my boxes. Perhaps it is having read too many books in the genre, but I found the pacing to be slow to the point of crippling, and the climax lacked the twists and turns I expected based on the author's previous novel, Something in the Water. If you enjoy psychological thrillers that feature amnesia storylines, this might work well for you, and I encourage you to give it a try for yourself. The cover is stunning, and I will definitely give the author's next book a try.

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.

I recieved an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Emma is a psychiatrist with a painful past. She is summoned to treat a mysterious patient who ends up being connected in multiple ways to her past.

Mr. Nobody started off quite compelling with good prose and characters that piqued my curiosity, but the story failed to take off. The plot was continually bogged down with the character's thoughts, their concerns, and fears, and hopes for discovering who this strange man is who's shown up mute and disoriented on a cold rainy beach. But we never seem to get anywhere. So much happens internally for the characters that at one point in the story I was surprised that only a day or two had passed and not a week. It was just too slow for me. I couldn't finish it. Sorry.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I LOVED Steadman's previous book "Something in the Water" and was super excited to have been gifted an arc of her follow up, Mr. Nobody.

A man is found on a beach and has no memory of how he got there, who is he or where he is. Enter Dr. Lewis (Emma) a neuropsychologist who is called upon to help Mr. Nobody, but Dr. Lewis has a secret and is hestitant to return to Norfolk. This of course adds to the mystery.

I went in having super high expectations and didn't find this one with as much as a "Wow" factor that Something in the Water had. I think if I had read this before SITW, I would have enjoyed it more.

This book left me with many unanswered questions. It started well with an injured man without any memory washing up on a beach. What’s his story? Is he lying or is it really in a fugue state? Dr. Emma Lewis is called upon to do a case study, but has many secrets of her own. When she returns to her home town we start to get hints as to what those secrets are. I was enthralled at times and completely bored at others. A slow burn of a story that didn’t quite hold my interest all the way through.

DNF at 30%

I had high hopes for Mr. Nobody as I loved Steadman's debut novel Something in the Water, but I just could not get into this one. The pace was so slow and I felt bogged down by all the medical jargon. Based on some other reviews I've read, it doesn't seem to get better, so I'm going to be moving on.

Based on her first novel, I'll give Steadman another shot with her next book, but this one was a miss for me.

Hmmm....the premise of this book intrigued me. The mystery of how Matthew knew Marni's name from the past, kept me reading. But when it came down to it, the entire story seemed very far fetched. I am okay with this if it serves the story, but it felt like this author had an idea and wasn't exactly sure how to get from A to B to tell it except in a very convoluted, confusing way. That being said, this story did keep me wanting to know what was going to happen next and what we were going to learn as readers. I will definitely read another book by this author. Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with this ARC.

A nice psychological thriller. A man with no memory found on a beautiful beach and a doctor who has a mysterious past. Is he troubled or dangerous? Ms. Steadman's novel is full of plot twists that keeps the reader engaged.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy!

In all honesty, I found Steadman’s sophomore novel disappointing. It was just okay. Not bad, but not particularly good or memorable. The novel moved slowly for me but was still enjoyable for about the first 75%. The ending, however, fell totally flat. It wasn’t very believable and did not match the build up of the rest of the novel. My biggest issue with the ending was that it seemed too tidy and perfect and I think that’s because the rest of the book was light on details and intricacies. Overall, this is a fine plane read but there are other similar novels that I would reach for first.

I completely enjoyed this book! It had me at the edge of my seat! It has so many unexpected twists and turns that it was impossible for me to figure out!

I loved Steadman’s first book so I was very excited for this one. Overall, a great read. Very captivating. The characters are relatable and likable. I enjoyed the dual mystery theme going on and attempting to figure out the connection. I was annoyed by the ending. I don’t like it when a book keeps me so engaged and then the ending is less than stellar. I have unanswered questions and that bothers me because I followed the story very well and it was very intelligently written and understandable. I faltered between 3-4 stars, really it’s a 3.5, so I rounded up.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Catherine Steadman has become a force to be reckoned with in the suspense genre. I loved "Something in the Water" and "Mr. Nobody" was right up there will pace, character development and mystery. A very hard book to put down as there is no resolution until the very end- and no good stopping points as there are twists around every page. The subject of the power of the mind and the science behind it was facinating! Steadman is a brilliant storyteller and I will anxiously await more from her in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Mr. Nobody
Author does it again! Reese’s book pick, Something in the Water, was great and this measured up to her first book well. I loved clicking the parts into place as I read along.
It’s more of a slow burn than I anticipated, but the suspense was so thick and I felt invested in the story.