Mysteries often have complex, layered plots with intriguing ideas and themes. One such motif is memory loss, and not a few mystery authors have tried to capitalize on it. Today, we’ve compiled a list of the best mystery books that revolves around memory loss.
List of Mystery Books That Revolves Around Memory Loss:
What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty
When Alice wakes up in the gym one day, she discovers that she wears expensive clothes, has three kids, is getting a divorce and is estranged from her sister. Meanwhile, she believes that she was in a loving relationship with her husband, pregnant with their first child, poor but happy. Now she must reconstruct the events of the past decade, and attempt to redefine her life, and maybe even change it forever.
The Bourne Identity by Robert Leedum
This book follows Jason Bourne, who has amnesia and remembers nothing of his past life. He has no idea why a murderer is hunting him down, why he has millions of dollars in his bank account, and whether or not he himself as an assassin. The mystery that ensues follows his attempts to rediscover his identity, while dealing with really, really dangerous people.
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
This psychological thriller mystery is the story of Rachel, who catches the same train every morning and feels like she knows everyone she sees everyday. She feels like she knows them personally and even builds a story around them . However, one day, she sees something that changes her life, but no one listens to her. Plus, her struggles with alcohol make her forget details of events.
Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
Based on true events, this revolves around the murder of Thomas Kinnear and his housekeeper cum mistress Nancy Montgomery. But the woman who is convicted for the murder, Grace, has no memory of the event and suffers from repression due to trauma. The whole book revolves around the efforts of a psychologist to get Grace to remember the events, so that the mystery of who committed the murder can come to light.
We Were Liars by E Lockhart
This book follows Cadence Sinclair, a rich, privileged girl who is a part of a group called the Liars. The problem is that Sinclair has a memory problem and a whole bunch of mysterious secrets, which just elevates the book to a whole new level. The writing style is gorgeous and unique, with choppy sentences and beautiful phrases. This is a book that should definitely be on your TBR, especially if you like memory disorder related mysteries.
Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante
This is a murder mystery, featuring as the lead an aged woman with dementia who is implicated in the gruesome murder of her best friend. Involved in the mystery are also her sons, her caretaker and other characters who complicate the suspense and make the book highly charged and an exhilarating experience. This is a fascinating study of mental deterioration, with added layers of murder, suspense and mystery.
In The Woods by Tana French
This is a spine chilling story of three children who go missing in 1984 Dublin. Of these, only one is found with bloody boots and no memory of the incident. Twenty years later, the same man becomes a member of the Dublin Murder squad, hiding his trauma and past from the world. But when a similar incident recurs, he must go in search of answers.
Before I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson
This book revolves around a woman called Christine, who suffers from a lack of ability to form new memoirs post an accident. So she wakes up every day beside an unfamiliar man, who calls himself her husband and repeats this story to her every single day. And every single day, Christine attempts to piece together her past, getting closer to it everyday but not quite grasping the truth. This thriller will blow your mind and make you sensitive to memory loss.
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