by Blake Crouch
First published 2019
Detective Barry Sutton walks into another False Memory Syndrome case. The victim sits in a hospital bed, screaming about a life she swears she lived but never did. These impossible memories are driving people to madness across New York City. Meanwhile, neuroscientist Helena Smith works in her lab on technology designed to capture and preserve human memories. She wants to help people hold onto what matters most. But Helena's breakthrough threatens to release something far more dangerous than she imagined. As Barry investigates more cases, he discovers the syndrome isn't random. Someone is weaponizing memory itself. The past starts changing around him. Events he remembers differently now have new outcomes. Barry and Helena must join forces against an enemy that can rewrite history. Their fight isn't just for sanity or survival. They're battling for the very structure of reality itself.
Genres: science-fiction, mystery, thriller, psychological-thriller
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, mind-bending, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: high-stakes-conspiracy, partners-in-crime, unreliable-reality
Setting: New York City
432 pages · Paperback · Pan
Content warnings: mental-illness