Mortal Memory

I was completely enthralled by this book. A near-perfect melding of character and plot.

Thomas H Cook weaves together the threads of memory to make a fabric, real and tangible, of events, place, people, and evidence.A Master.

The novel is about Stephen, a man whose father killed his entire family when he was only a boy. Stephen was spared only because he was not in the house at the moment.This is a compelling, written story which draws the reader into Stephen's psyche on his quest to find out why his father committed the murders. Along the way, family secrets are uncovered, repressed memories come back to haunt, and exciting plot twists keep us turning the pages, as Stephen finally learns the truth.Definitely one of the best books I have read this year, and Im looking forward to reading more by the author.

An amazing psychological story. Cook always keeps me guessing but I really didn't get this until the end. Great writing, great insight into good and evil and how difficult it can be to see the real evil that's right in front of you. Things are not always what they seem to be, don't assume anything. I think that's the real message of this great story.

This is quite a book, with one of the most original premises anyone is ever likely to adopt.Without betraying any of the details of the story, the real action consists of the narrator slipping helplessly into a midlife crisis of his own as the result of his initially voluntary, then complusive, exploration of his father's crime. The character study is intense and unforgettable; it is not possible to leave the book unfinished. I give the book a 9 because some of the plot twists seem slightly artifical. (I can't say more without betraying the plot). The gradual darkening of the central character's life is expertly done, and moves the book close to mainstram stuff. The quality of prose is infinitely superior to most mystery fiction. (While there is little if any direct humor in the text, I was amused to note that the author has set the action at an address on MacDonald Drive. The allusion to the well-known Green Beret family murderer in a book with this theme can hardly be coincidental.)