Praise
Detective Story of the Mind: The plot kicks off on page one, when James Lee receives a telephone call from a woman wanting to hire him to investigate her husband. But it is a few pages later, while driving to meet his client, that the deeper layer of the story begins, with a panel of experts on his car radio discussing the the Ship of Theseus and whether the vessel is more than the sum of its parts. Lee’s investigation leads him into a search for his past, for his lost memories, and for his self. In this beautifully written detective story of the mind, Lee has to grapple with the big questions of the twenty-first century. Is a man more than the sum of his memories? And in the age of AI and the Cloud, what exactly does it mean to be human?
Wonderful: If you like the works of Haruki Murakami and Jonathan Carroll, then this book is for you. With excellent writing that transports you into the novel, this story is original and makes you want to keep reading. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be recommending it to others.
Brilliant Read!: This book is a blend of Raymond Chandler’s highly dark introspective detective novels and Haruki Murakami’s magical realism, surrealism and the mundane. I particularly enjoyed the beautiful flowing prose and the melancholic failing lawyer, James Lee, who has lost his memories and seems to live a very alienated existence after his wife has disappeared.
Every chapter is a delight and I was totally immersed. It makes me question what really makes us who we are as human being.
For the fans of Haruki Murakami and Raymond Chandler, I urge you to read this book. You will not be disappointed.
Highly recommended.
A cerebral mashup of Raymond Chandler and Haruki Murakami, surreal and noir, with flowing prose. The plot and interest grow with every pagehttps.
A suspense-filled and surreal journey from England to Thailand and back - a few times. The musical references put some long-forgotten numbers back in your head. A great read!
Wow, what a ride! I’m still trying to work out all the different scenarios and possibilities in my head. The man who remembered is everything I love in a book. A real page turner. Made me stop and think. Filled with twists and turns. Weird and unpredictable. Loved the references to music too. Some interesting characters that I could just picture what they looked like and felt I knew them personally. John’s descriptions were so good I felt like I was watching from a balcony in Thailand myself. I would highly recommend. It’s a ten out of ten from me.
Once in a while, a book comes along that breaks the mould. Think of Shadow of the Wind or Kafka on the shore. This book is one such example. To say that it's rounded and complete does it a disservice. Like Lighthousekeeping, I will read it again and again.
Why? Because I get it, not because I want to find some hidden meaning. Bravo John. Thank you.