Murder, Forgotten - Deb Richardson-Moore

Catalogue Copy: Julianna Burke, bestselling mystery novelist, has a secret that those closest to her are hiding from the world. Julianna is losing her memory, and with it her powerful gift for storytelling that propelled her to fame. 

A further devastating blow comes when Connor, Julianna’s beloved husband, is murdered. Even this is not something Julianna’s mind can hold on to, and every day her assistant has to break the heart-wrenching news all over again. 

Julianna is desperate to know what happened to her husband. As she battles her failing mind to investigate, a detail of the murder surfaces that makes Julianna question everything she’s ever known. Somehow she must fight to find the truth, even though her grip on reality is fading…

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I was completely hooked by the premise of this book before I’d even opened it.  Julianne Burke is an internationally successful mystery novelist in the twilight of her career.  Struggling with her failing memory, her life is further devastated by the murder of her husband Connor.  The ebbs and flows of her memory mean that she often wakes up not realising he’s dead, and has to be told again, with all the accompanying distress the news brings.  Juliana is desperate to find out what has happened, and so is her daughter Logan.  But finding out the truth when you can’t trust what you remember is going to be tough.

 

When I started reading, I wasn’t disappointed.  Once started, you won’t want to be interrupted!  There are lots of twists and turns, right from the beginning when Julianna has travelled to Scotland.  There were some elements which I guessed long before the end, but the clever storytelling means that most readers will find plenty of ‘gasp’ moments to enjoy.  The mystery isn’t only confined to Julianna and Connor, either.  There are multiple uncertainties and secrets.  And under it all runs the theme of loss and grieving but without it becoming a depressing read.  Highly recommended.

9781782643111, Lion Fiction, Published September 2020 (UK).

For transparency, I was sent an advance copy of this book, but I was not required to write any specific or favourable review. All views herein are my own.