Cover Image: Don't Forget Me

Don't Forget Me

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was such a page turner til the very end trying to figure out what exactly happened so if your in to mysteries i would highly recommend this book to you 5/5

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This one was just not for me. Told from varying perspectives, the story unfolds more like a show or play than an novel. I felt disconnected from the story as each character's words and emotions were over the top and hard to understand. You could almost hear the bad guys cackle and twist their mustaches. There was little backstory so the manipulation of medical care, paid for vacation and other various things that were both threatened or given was often confusing. I wish I'd like this more.

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Big thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for this Advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
After reading the synopsis, I was very excited to start reading the book. But, after reading a few chapters I got bored. The book follows Dr. Olivia Hoffman, a psychiatrist who witnessed her patient died after he asked her to meet with him. The death of her patient was declared a suicide but Olivia does not believe that. She teamed up with Levi, a detective who handled the case of Liza Mantz who was brutally killed 5 years ago. Both deaths are seemed to be connected.
What bothers me is that at the beginning of the story, Olivia was already giving away about who was the person behind the cover-up. so, no mystery there. Then until the end, I still have questions about what really happened to her family. Well, I guess maybe it is because there is a sequel to this book. I am not sure though if I will be interested to read it.

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Wow what a read, This was a beautifully written book which I couldn't put down. Although I enjoyed it enormously I did find the ending a bit of an anti climax. I will be looking out for more from Schiller.

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German author B.C. Schiller is the combination of husband and wife writing team Barbara and Christian Schiller. Together they belong to the most successful crime authors in the German speaking world, and it isn't hard to see why. They have written dozens of crime novels but DON'T FORGET ME is the first I have come across by the authors that has been translated into English.

At just over 200 pages long, DON'T FORGET ME is a fast-paced, action-packed thriller that I found to be an incredibly enjoyable and easy read. I was intrigued by the premise which outlined two separate storylines - the first of which is the death of a teenager while the other was the disappearance of a husband and daughter 5 years ago...incidentally around the same time as the teen's death. Coincidence?

The story begins with psychiatrist Dr Olivia Hofmann, whose husband and daughter mysteriously vanished five years prior without a trace. She is fraught with grief and plagued by her own guilt and the mystery of what could possibly have happened to them. She lives alone, takes in private patients as well as working at the clinic her father, also a psychiatrist, once used to head...before Alzheimer's took away his memories.

Every year on the anniversary of her family's disappearance, Olivia receives an anonymous postcard with just two words "I'm sorry". Today is that day. And without fail, the postcard arrives. There is nothing to identify who is sending them which frustrates Olivia even further. Does someone know something? Could it be her husband? Or is this a killer's sadistic way of taking pleasure in her grief?

Unaware of the floodgates she is about to open, Olivia's patient that day confides to her during their session that he has seen a young teenager he knew during his time at the clinic. Only problem is, this girl was murdered five years ago...around the time Olivia's family had disappeared. But Jonathan is adamant. The girl was Lisa and he can prove it - he took her photo with his mobile phone. The photo, however, is blurry and could be anyone...although it does bear some resemblance to Lisa Manz. Jonathan also claims to have Lisa's rucksack that she left behind which was easily identifiable as belonging to her. He begs Olivia to come to his flat so that he can give it to her and she agrees to visit the following morning. Then before Jonathan leaves, he thrusts something into Olivia's hands with obvious fear in his eyes, claiming it was also Lisa's but that it frightened him. It was a pendant with two snakes interwoven together with distinctive ruby red eyes. It was a little disconcerting to look at but a stunning piece.

When Olivia arrives at Jonathan's flat the next morning, she finds him hanging out the window screaming words that don't make a lot of sense. She sees a shadow behind him the instant before Jonathan falls to his death. The police arrive and question her but after searching his flat and finding Lisa's rucksack believe they have found Lisa's murderer who, in a wave of guilt, jumped to his death and now they can finally close the five year old case. But Olivia is sure Jonathan didn't jump. He was pushed. But the police are just as adamant. The evidence speaks for itself.

Enter Levi Kant. Levi was in charge of the investigation into Lisa's murder before a bullet ended his career, leaving him now teaching at the police academy. When a former colleague calls Levi to inform him of this development in the Lisa's case, Levi drops everything and rushes to the scene. There he meets Olivia and together they join forces to find out the truth of what really happened to Lisa Manz. Who murdered her? Or is she still alive and someone else had been burnt beyond recognition in her place five years before? And is there a connection between Lisa's case and Olivia's missing family?

By re-opening the case, Olivia and Levi are then put in mortal danger as the killer is onto them and will stop at nothing to remain hidden. Olivia finds herself in hospital after being rammed by a 4WD on her bicycle, her flat is broken into and Lisa's files are stolen and her father is also put in danger when his place is also ransacked. What went on at the clinic five years ago that someone wants to keep secret?

The unfolding of the case at hand threw up lots of questions, doubt and had me second guessing just about everyone. For everyone, it seemed, had secrets but uncovering them proved to be a difficult, if not dangerous, task. Even the murderer escaped my detection!!

I did find the scene where Olivia's father's flat was being searched and ransacked somewhat distressing. Having a father with dementia myself, it was confronting to witness Leopold's confusion at the events taking place before him with no idea what was happening although he still had the nous to call his daughter and alert her. For a psychiatrist to be so insensitive to someone with dementia and their failing memory by taking advantage of it was both abhorrent and distressing.

The action was non-stop in this fast paced thriller which was totally binge-worthy. I could not turn the pages quick enough and thoroughly enjoyed the storylines that were interwoven together. Despite it not being the smoothest of translations, making some of the dialogue a little stilted and awkward, it didn't detract from the book as a whole because it was so well-written in its simplicity despite the story was a complex one. It didn't need the WOW factor to impress or intrigue - the way the author engages the reader through their skilled writing was enough. It was quick, enthralling and entirely compelling that I cannot wait for the translation of the second book!!

DON'T FORGET ME is essentially a German-written book and while sometimes things can be lost in translation I don't think that should be the focus. The story is both complex and simplistic making it an intriguing and thrilling read.

The one thing that I felt let it down was the premise promised more in the way of Olivia's missing family that I thought it may have featured just a little bit more in the story. Having said that, the cliffhanger left us with the promise of more to come on that front and I hope Book 2 features the mystery surrounding their disappearance a little more.

Overall, if you are looking for a quick, easy read that is both intriguing and binge-worthy then look no further than DON'T FORGET ME!! I certainly recommend it.

Bring on Book 2!!

I would like to thank #BCSchiller, #NetGalley and #AmazonPublishingUK for an ARC of #DontForgetMe in exchange for an honest review.

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A well written novel with a huge shout out to the translated whom did an incredible job. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the arc.

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Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book. I found this to be quick, but didn't completely love the writing.

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Thank you to #NetGalley and B.C. Schiller for providing #DontForgetMe for an honest review.

I really liked the two main characters of the story - Olivia and Levi. They were both honest characters who try to make the world a better place.

The main storyline, trying to find out if Lisa is really dead and If so, who murdered her, made this a great mystery! However, when I read the book's summary I thought the murder of Lisa and the disappearance of Olivia's husband and child may be connected as they had the same timeline. By the end of the story, there appears to be no connection so that left me a bit confused.

Also, as this book is translated to English, there are certain sentences or statements made by characters that seemed aloof or old-fashioned, out-dated. Knowing that going in can help the reader be prepared for those off moments. There weren't many but the few that I found made me tilt my head in thought, interrupting my reading.

The book is actually short and so being a quick read, I would recommend the story for mystery lovers. I would love to check out Book 2 in the series to see what happens with Olivia's family.

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Well written, competent and page-turning thriller set in Vienna. Retired cop Levi Kant and psychiatrist Olivia join forces to resolve a years old unsolved murder.

Good plotlines, a very good rendition of time and place make for an enjoyable read. Whilst nothing of earth shattering originality there is certainly enough to justify this being the first of a series.

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Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC copy.

A Fast-Paced book about Olivia (a psychiatrist) who constantly got letters from her daughter and husband who have gone missing since five years. Which makes her wonder : who's sending the message and why's he/she sorry?

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While this book was translated from German into English, it wasn't any the poorer for not being a first-language read. The translation was superb. The book is an easy read but a captivating one. It kept me engaged and interested from start to finish. Recommended.

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This book was not very well written, though the story and (most of) the characters are nice. I would recommend if you don't have any experience reading thrillers.

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good read a bit predictable in places but it does not give take from the end result .would recommend .

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Enjoyed this book was very gripping & could not put it down did not take me long to read once I got into it I would recommend it to a friend!

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The cover of this book drew me in. I love forests, I love houses in the middle of nowhere and I love thrillers that leave you feeling cut off. I was expecting that from this book.
This book was alright but I feel like there could have been more to it. there could have been a little more development, there could have been more thrills. I feel like I could have been shocked more. It was alright. But just alright.

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Thank you Netgalley for this advanced reader's copy. I read the book in full today. My house is a mess but I've a new author on my watch list.

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This book is the first in a series and introduces us to Olivia Hofman. 5 years ago her husband and daughter disappeared without a trace. Each year on the anniversary of their disappearance she receives a postcard. Outside of that mystery, Olivia's life has somewhat continued. She's a psychiatrist and the story begins with one of her patients swearing he'd seen someone he'd known in the past, Lisa Manz. But, it couldn't possibly be true, as Lisa has been dead for 5 years.
Caught up in a case of danger and intrigue, Olivia seeks out Levi Kant, who was previously the investigator of Lisa's murder. He was gravely injured during the case and is now an instructor, but the case has always haunted him. Together, can they find out what really happened to Lisa? Does any of this have connection to Olivia's family?
Usually I find that translated books have a stilted flow, but this one was translated very well. I liked the flow of the book, and the mystery was less predictable than many are these days. I was left wanting more, so I will for sure be on the lookout for the next book, which I hope will answer some of my remaining questions.

*I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for my review.

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Olivia had a patient who died falling down a building. Police said suicide, she claimed it to be a murder so she started investigating. Levi was in charge of investigation into Lisa's murder 5 years ago. Olivia’s patient had a rucksack belonging to Lisa. The two joined forces to get to the murderer.

My first book by the authors duo B. C. Schiller, there were parts I loved which showed the evil human psyche. Sympathy for Lisa and all that she had undergone pulled me into the book to get to the killer. The main characters were interesting, I wished they had worked in better tandem.

The writing showed both the characters to be complexed beings, besieged by various life circumstances. They did seem to work well in the last few chapters. The murderer was most unexpected, and the crime did get solved. But the mystery of Olivia’s husband and daughter's disappearance was never looked into.

The blurb was actually more interesting than the actual translated work. The emotions and flow of the prose felt lost in translation. But it was still a murder mystery at its core.

A good breakfast read.

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The story surrounds a psychiatrist Dr. Olivia Hofmann and a retired detective Levi Kant brought together by the death of one of the doctor's patients who was involved with a girl Lisa Mans who had been murdered in a brutal and merciless way five years before and the case was never solved and it has haunted Levi to this very day, almost ruining his life and his marriage. They will find that someone does not want this case reopened or the duo might discover more murders in their hands.

This was a different read for me while the storyline was very good, the characters were too stilted and emotionless for my liking. Their reactions and personalities seemed very flat and underdeveloped, it could be e been due to the translation from German to English. The book did have some interesting twists and a lot of secrets but unfortunately the characters left too much to be desired and were just not realistic or likable.

I want to thank the publisher Amazon Publishing UK and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this Advanced Reading Copy!

Sadly, I have given a rating of 2 Flat 🌟🌟 Stars!!

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I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley..

This was my first book by this author.
the author caught my attention, as did the style.
unfortunately, the book was just.. missing something for me.
I wanted to like it, but i was bored about a quarter of the way through.

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