This is a solid thriller that kept me engaged. Really interesting characters and a fairly complex plot. Overall a solid mystery.

I really appreciate the advanced copy for review!!

Matthew was found on the beach with injuries to him and yet he has no idea who he is or where is home. It's a case of no identity. Dr. Emma Lewis was brought in as one of the top researcher to correctly diagnose him. Yet, Emma also has a dark background that she does not want any one to know, especially now that she have put it all behind her.

I find that the story base on medical background intriguing. Fugue diagnose is rare and few in between. However, the scientific part of diagnosing Matthew was very bare. One CT scan, one fMRI, and a few conversations just doesn't make me believe that she was really trying to do any type of research. I find Emma's dark background is very insignificant to the story. Emma went back to a town that is next to the town where she grew up and fled from. It seems that her background was added to create more to the mysteriousness of the story, without actually bringing much to the story as a whole. I would have like to see the story of Matthew's background developed more than Emma's background. The story seems to float on top and no one character was ever truly dug deep and explored.
For example, the story never really explain how Matthew came to know the background to Rhonda's story. That was skim over. So why bother with writing Rhonda's backstory? Which definitely was irrelevant and had no connection whatever so to the story line.
In the end, the story doesn't leave me wanting more as it does come to a close; however, it's not a strong story where it leave me satisfy.

The story starts with a woman who reluctantly agrees to take on a patient who was found on a beach with no memories of how he got there. She tries to determine whether or not he is faking his symptoms. What she doesn't anticipate is that he somehow knows about her tragic past, which she has tried desperately to put behind her. The book takes a huge turn near the end, which leads to an exciting climax. Steadman is a talented writer whose writing keeps the reader engaged.

I really liked the first 3/4 of this book - couldn’t put it down actually and stayed up until 3am reading! However from there I got very confused... how could such a smart doctor immediately fall for that Stephen McNabb crap? I lost faith at that point. While the story turned around a bit, it never fully grabbed my attention again and I was left with a number of questions after I finished, the main one being... was he actually Benjamin Taylor?! Also this edition could use a good proofread/editing :)

This second novel from actress-cum-bestselling author of Something in the Water Catherine Steadman shows that she is not a one-hit wonder. Mr. Nobody is a fast-paced, intriguing novel with twists that keep you guessing - and definitely not just another iteration of the same tropes you see in thrillers.

WHO IS MR. NOBODY? And why does he know so much about his new doctor without knowing anything about himself?

Dr. Emma Lewis, a renowned neuropsychiatrist, has been tapped to lead the diagnosis of a new celebrity patient - a man who washed up on a beach in Norfolk and has no memory of who he is. The press are calling him "Mr. Nobody." Lewis thinks that he could be the real deal: a case of a very, very rare condition called dissociative fugue, in which a patient has all of their baseline memories, but none of their personal memories that make them an individual. He would know what a house is, but not know where his own home is.

The only issue is that Mr. Nobody washed up in Dr. Lewis's hometown - a place where something very bad happened to her and her family when she was a child. In fact, the thing that happened was so terrible that she and her family all changed their names and try hard to keep their distance now. She accepts the case regardless, excited by the prospect of diagnosing and treating this rare patient. However, when Dr. Lewis finally meets Mr. Nobody...he knows a lot about her past life. Too much.

Although this book may seem to rehash concepts from previous novels in the genre - the one that first comes to mind is The Silent Patient - it ends up being something totally new and inventive. The rotating perspectives keep you guessing constantly, but Steadman doesn't draw out the suspense in too much of a painstaking way. When you finally find out what happened to Dr. Lewis's family, it is absolutely satisfying and creative. I dinged this a star for the ending, which I found to be a departure from the rest of the novel. The pacing was a bit too fast, the twists rushed and uncertain. I was left with quite a few questions that I think could have been answered or treated better. However, the top 80% of the novel was highly enjoyable, a read that you can tear through in a few hours. I would definitely recommend this for fans of Reese Witherspoon's Book Club or other picks in the genre.

A tense chilling read characters come alive another terrific read by this very talented author. The best kind of thriller kept me reading late into the night.#netgalley#randomhousebooks.

I typically enjoy this authors work and this book was no exception. The way the twists unfolded had me flipping the pages trying to get to the bottom of it. It lost me in some of the medical jargon but still was enjoyable.

This is the thriller you’ve been waiting for. I wouldn’t call this a traditional thriller but it was suspenseful and nerve wracking at the same time. Highly enjoyable and will keep you reading late into the night.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable mystery/thriller about a small town and a mystery man with no memory. Exciting and interesting characters and an intriguing plot kept me reading.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40205780

Dr. Emma Lewis is a neuropsychiatrist -- one of the best in her field, so when she gets asked to assess a patient in a small town on the England coast, Emma should be thrilled at the opportunity. But its the same town that Emma left fourteen years ago and has taken great pains to cover up her past. Under a new identity, Emma returns to her hometown to treat "Mr. Nobody," a man found on the beach with no identification and no recollection of his past. Even though he doesn't remember his own name, he remembers Emma's old name and other details about her past. Who is Mr. Nobody?

Mr. Nobody is a clever thriller, with a very interesting story-line. Told from Emma's perspective over the course of her life, Catherine Steadman drops puzzle pieces throughout the novel, and it is not until the very end that the puzzle fully comes together. This is a must read!

This is one of the upcoming books you do not want to miss!

A man lies on the beach, alone. No ID, no money, no anything but the clothes on his back. Although, he does find one word written on his hand. He memorizes it and wipes it off. He struggles to regain his memory but only is able to weakly get a few passing thoughts. Eventually, the police and emergency services find him and he is hospitalized. (And named "Mr. Nobody". He does not speak. He likes certain people, is afraid of some, and neutral to others.This, the hospital workers identify by "Mr. Nobody's" facial expressions.

We also have the story of Dr. Emma Lewis - someone who has been keeping her past a solemn secret - and had also changed her name 14 years ago. She is a neuropsychiatrist in London with great credentials. The fugue state in regards to psychology is something she is well versed in - and highly interested in. She even agrees to return to Norfolk to meet "Mr. Nobody" (now called Matthew). This, to determine if he is, indeed in a fugue state or something/maybe nothing else.

The reader is in for a surprise when Emma returns to Norfolk!!!!!

A wonderfully scripted storyline with great characterization. I read straight through the book thoroughly enjoying it. A different take on the suspense/thriller genre. 5 stars!

ManyThanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for a great read.

“Places aren’t haunted, Emma, people are.”

A man wakes up on a beach with a head wound, with no memory of who he is or how he happened to get there. He has something written on his hand, a clue. He remembers something, his subconscious tells him “You need to find her.”

Dr. Emma Lewis is a lead consultant neuropsychiatrist, specializing in memory, working in a busy London hospital. Dr. Richard Groves, a notable doctor in the neuroscience field calls upon her to take on a patient named Mr. Nobody, a man found on the beach with no memories. Early diagnosis suggests the man is suffering from retrograde amnesia or dissociative fugue caused by either psychological or physical trauma. This is a chance for Emma to prove herself in the field and uncover whether Mr. Nobody is her first-ever fugue case. The biggest catch is that she has to go back to her home town of Norfolk. A place she hasn’t been to for fourteen years, a place she and her family fled to get away from an event that ruined all of their lives.

She takes on the case despite her fears of going back, being recognized and reliving her nightmare. Emma doesn’t know this man but he knows her somehow. Meeting Mr. Nobody triggers what happened years ago and what caused their family to flee Norfolk. He knows things about her and her past that unsettles her.
 
I loved Catherine Steadman's previous debut novel, "Something in the Water" and was hoping to find this book equally as wonderful. The characters she has created have depth to them and I hoped to learn more about them. Emma, the protagonist was likable and intriguing. The mystery behind Mr. Nobody kept me reading. The book started off slow, the protagonist kept hinting at her big secret but it wasn’t revealed until the last half of the book. All of the action took place towards the end of the book and seemed rushed. The action was engaging but I wished this had happened sooner. The twist at the end felt unfulfilling like there was a huge build-up and it just did not land successfully.

“Mr. Nobody” opens up with a man who has been reported on a beach acting erratically. He doesn’t have any ID, shoes, his clothing is wet and is in the beginning stages of hypothermia. He doesn’t remember who he is or how he got there, the only thing he sees is a name written on his arm.
Dr. Emma Lewis is a neuroscientist and when she gets the opportunity to examine the man the press has dubbed “ Mr. Nobody” she cannot turn down the opportunity even though it means returning to the place her family fled from years prior. They were placed in a witness program and their names were changed so she hopes she can avoid the media spotlight on her past.
When the patient first sees her though he calls her Marn- her old name. Who is this man and where did he come from? How does he seem to know things about not only Marn but one of the nurses?

The author obviously did a lot of research into fugue and memory loss but in the end this fell flat. I felt like the romance between Emma and Chris was forced and didn’t really add to the story.

Thank you to #netgalley and #ballantinepublishers for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you Netgalley and Ballantine Books for this ARC.
Catherine Steadman has conjured another stellar novel. I enjoyed this one just as much I did Something In The Water.
When a man wakes up on a remote Norfolk beach with his memory completely erased, Neuropsychiatrist De Emma Lewis is assigned to his case. Her job is to decipher his identity and help him remember his past. Who exactly is Mr Nobody ? the man who is known affectionately by the hospital staff as Matthew. A name he is given after he does a few things that makes them think that he may just be a gift from God.
Dr Lewis is shocked the fist time she meets him because he inexplicably knows something from her past that he shouldn't have; her real name. It's a name she thought she had left behind and a past that she wished she could forget. A past that poses a certainty of danger to the current life she has built.
Steadman has obviously done her research on the medical component of neuropsychology. she explained the testing aspect involved with that field quite well. Although it did bog down the narrative slightly. However by the end, the novel moved quite nicely to a satisfying conclusion as we follow Dr Lewis as she unravels the puzzle that is MR Nobody and fights for her life.

A psychiatrist is called back to the hometown she fled almost 15 years ago to review the case of a man who wakes up on a beach with no memory of who he is or how he got there. As we learn more about Dr. Lewis and her past and as the mystery of "Mr. Nobody" unfolds, it starts to look like the two characters may be connected beyond the hospital.

I found Steadman's debut, Something in the Water, a fun (if often unbelievable) read and was looking forward to Mr. Nobody. The book successfully keeps a lot of threads running at the same time, but I found it slow moving until the end, when it felt overstuffed. I found myself not caring much about who Mr. Nobody/Matthew was. It got exciting toward the end, with vivid descriptions that really moved it along. Steadman is a creative writer, and I think many people would enjoy this book, even though I didn't find it particularly engaging.

I received a digital ARC of this book (with thanks!) from NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine Books in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book and found myself constantly not wanting to put it down. I think its a very clever story that Catherine Steadman created - very original. My only complaint is that I think she spent too much time with the setup, and then had to fit A LOT of backgrounds and explanation in a very short time at the end, so the conclusion felt rushed and maybe a little contrived. I think had she peppered in a couple more clues earlier on in the story, the ending would have felt just as gratifying but the pieces would have been easier to put together.

Overall I enjoyed it. Stead man just a great job at a slow build up to something big. Thank you for reading my rating.

I just finished Mr Nobody by Catherine Steadman, published by Simon & Schuster. I can't believe what a treat this book was to read.

A man is found on a beach in a small English countryside town. He has no knowledge of who he is or how he got there and is unable to speak.

Dr. Emma Lewis, one of the leading consulting neuropsychiatrists in the world, is called in to try to determine if Mr. Nobody truly has no memory of himself, or, is faking. This could be a once in a lifetime chance. Everyone in the hospital seems to be drawn to him & the national press wants to know who he is.

I am so glad i was given the chance to read this story. It is fresh, new and extremely well written. I felt like someone was reading the story to me. I could smell the salt air, hear the birds and feel the water spray from the ocean. The hospital was vivid and clear, from the ward where Mr. Nobody's bed was, to the tube he had his fMRI in.

Every step, i would guess we were going to go down the normal paths and I was always surprised. From the night Dr. Lewis was alone at night deep in the woods, to the action scene at Emma's childhood home, i thought this would be the textbook suspense story but it was not!

Characters were clear, well defined and I felt I was right there with them.

I received this book free through NetGalley and Simon and Schuster, but my review is totally accurate. I appreciate the opportunity to read this great book. I would recommend Mr. Nobody to anyone that enjoys a suspenseful tale or a great puzzle to solve.

Me. Nobody is author Catherine Steadmans second novel, and like her first.. Something in the Water, it did not disappoint! It is fast paced and written wonderfully!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley for a Kindle ARC of Mr. Nobody.

I was excited when my request was approved because the premise sounded exciting.

Dr. Emma Lewis is called in to consult a case of a man with no memory. Her task is to ascertain he is not faking; that his fugue state is genuine and provide a full psychiatric workup of his issues.

But, he seems to know more about Emma than she is comfortable with, and she fears her past has come back to haunt her.

On the surface, this had all the hallmarks of a great psychological thriller.

Who is Mr. Nobody? How does he know Emma? Does he know something about what happened to her father and the terrible event that nearly destroyed her family?

The descriptions of the mental and psychiatric disorders were interesting, but no amount of filler or recaps of medical tests could detract from the fact that when the mystery was revealed, I could not suspend disbelief for it.

How this person came to be, why he wanted to meet Emma, it all sounded unbelievable.

I also didn't like Emma; I can't quite put my finger on why exactly.

It might have been how the author weaves the story around her intelligence and ability to diagnose certain psychiatric disorders to make her sound like a bigger deal than she is, but I never believed Emma was such a star in her particular field.

I also didn't care for the unnecessary romance between Emma and a former classmate turned cop. Not all books need a love interest.

The writing was good, but the story didn't meet my expectations.