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The Memory Game
You remember an idyllic childhood. But your memory is deceitful. And possibly deadly...
When a skeleton is unearthed in the Martellos' garden, Jane Martello is shocked to learn it's that of her childhood friend, Natalie, who went missing twenty-five years ago. Encouraged by a therapist to recover lost memories, Jane hopes to find out what really took place when she was a child - and what happened to Natalie.
But in learning the truth about hers and Natalie's past, is Jane putting her own future at terrible risk?
When a skeleton is unearthed in the Martellos' garden, Jane Martello is shocked to learn it's that of her childhood friend, Natalie, who went missing twenty-five years ago. Encouraged by a therapist to recover lost memories, Jane hopes to find out what really took place when she was a child - and what happened to Natalie.
But in learning the truth about hers and Natalie's past, is Jane putting her own future at terrible risk?
383 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
278 people are currently reading
2478 people want to read
About the author
Nicci French
74 books3,605 followersNote: (Nicci Gerrard and Sean French also write separately.)
Nicci Gerrard was born in June 1958 in Worcestershire. After graduating with a first class honours degree in English Literature from Oxford University, she began her first job, working with emotionally disturbed children in Sheffield. In that same year she married journalist Colin Hughes.
In the early eighties she taught English Literature in Sheffield, London and Los Angeles, but moved into publishing in 1985 with the launch of Women's Review, a magazine for women on art, literature and female issues.
In 1987 Nicci had a son, Edgar, followed by a daughter, Anna, in 1988, but a year later her marriage to Colin Hughes broke down.
In 1989 she became acting literary editor at the New Statesman, before moving to the Observer, where she was deputy literary editor for five years, and then a feature writer and executive editor.
It was while she was at the New Statesman that she met Sean French.
Sean French was born in May 1959 in Bristol, to a British father and Swedish mother. He too studied English Literature at Oxford University at the same time as Nicci, also graduating with a first class degree, but their paths didn't cross until 1990. In 1981 he won Vogue magazine's Writing Talent Contest, and from 1981 to 1986 he was their theatre critic. During that time he also worked at the Sunday Times as deputy literary editor and television critic, and was the film critic for Marie Claire and deputy editor of New Society.
Sean and Nicci were married in Hackney in October 1990. Their daughters, Hadley and Molly, were born in 1991 and 1993.
By the mid-nineties Sean had had two novels published, The Imaginary Monkey and The Dreamer of Dreams, as well as numerous non-fiction books, including biographies of Jane Fonda and Brigitte Bardot.
In 1995 Nicci and Sean began work on their first joint novel and adopted the pseudonym of Nicci French. The Memory Game was published to great acclaim in 1997 followed by The Safe House (1998), Killing Me Softly (1999), Beneath the Skin (2000), The Red Room (2001), Land of the Living (2002), Secret Smile (2003), Catch Me When I Fall (2005), Losing You (2006) and Until It's Over (2008). Their latest novel together is What To Do When Someone Dies (2009).
Nicci and Sean also continue to write separately. Nicci still works as a journalist for the Observer, covering high-profile trials including those of Fred and Rose West, and Ian Huntley and Maxine Carr. Novels include Things We Knew Were True (2003), Solace (2005) and The Moment You Were Gone (2007). Sean's last novel is Start From Here (2004).
Nicci Gerrard was born in June 1958 in Worcestershire. After graduating with a first class honours degree in English Literature from Oxford University, she began her first job, working with emotionally disturbed children in Sheffield. In that same year she married journalist Colin Hughes.
In the early eighties she taught English Literature in Sheffield, London and Los Angeles, but moved into publishing in 1985 with the launch of Women's Review, a magazine for women on art, literature and female issues.
In 1987 Nicci had a son, Edgar, followed by a daughter, Anna, in 1988, but a year later her marriage to Colin Hughes broke down.
In 1989 she became acting literary editor at the New Statesman, before moving to the Observer, where she was deputy literary editor for five years, and then a feature writer and executive editor.
It was while she was at the New Statesman that she met Sean French.
Sean French was born in May 1959 in Bristol, to a British father and Swedish mother. He too studied English Literature at Oxford University at the same time as Nicci, also graduating with a first class degree, but their paths didn't cross until 1990. In 1981 he won Vogue magazine's Writing Talent Contest, and from 1981 to 1986 he was their theatre critic. During that time he also worked at the Sunday Times as deputy literary editor and television critic, and was the film critic for Marie Claire and deputy editor of New Society.
Sean and Nicci were married in Hackney in October 1990. Their daughters, Hadley and Molly, were born in 1991 and 1993.
By the mid-nineties Sean had had two novels published, The Imaginary Monkey and The Dreamer of Dreams, as well as numerous non-fiction books, including biographies of Jane Fonda and Brigitte Bardot.
In 1995 Nicci and Sean began work on their first joint novel and adopted the pseudonym of Nicci French. The Memory Game was published to great acclaim in 1997 followed by The Safe House (1998), Killing Me Softly (1999), Beneath the Skin (2000), The Red Room (2001), Land of the Living (2002), Secret Smile (2003), Catch Me When I Fall (2005), Losing You (2006) and Until It's Over (2008). Their latest novel together is What To Do When Someone Dies (2009).
Nicci and Sean also continue to write separately. Nicci still works as a journalist for the Observer, covering high-profile trials including those of Fred and Rose West, and Ian Huntley and Maxine Carr. Novels include Things We Knew Were True (2003), Solace (2005) and The Moment You Were Gone (2007). Sean's last novel is Start From Here (2004).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 409 reviews
April 13, 2014
I was not very enamoured with this book, it took way too long to get going and the whole twist felt pretty adequate and absurd when we got there, plus I had already figured it out.
I just couldn't take to the main character (a sign of how unispired I was that I finished this book 10 minutes ago and have already forgotten her name...) and was quickly fed up of her 'I need a cigarette', 'I'm having a cigarette', 'I am smoking my last cigarette' and so on, ALL the way through. I also found the other characters pretty annoying from bossy Kim to ridiculous Alan (?), personality-less Martha and the wet lettuce that was Claude. Not counting all the other hundreds of people that kept popping up but who were so unimportant to the story that I could not keep track of who was a Martello, who was a spouse of, who was no relation at all, who happened to just be passing by... there are way too many extras that added nothing to the story. Additionally, I am not sure how this can be billed as a 'thriller' as the lack of pace and intrigue made it more like reading a memoir for 90% of the book.
Haivng read reviews of other books by the author, it seems that my first foray into their work is the weakest one so I may try others at a later date but this has not inspired me to continue for now. High hopes have been signifcantly dashed for now.
I just couldn't take to the main character (a sign of how unispired I was that I finished this book 10 minutes ago and have already forgotten her name...) and was quickly fed up of her 'I need a cigarette', 'I'm having a cigarette', 'I am smoking my last cigarette' and so on, ALL the way through. I also found the other characters pretty annoying from bossy Kim to ridiculous Alan (?), personality-less Martha and the wet lettuce that was Claude. Not counting all the other hundreds of people that kept popping up but who were so unimportant to the story that I could not keep track of who was a Martello, who was a spouse of, who was no relation at all, who happened to just be passing by... there are way too many extras that added nothing to the story. Additionally, I am not sure how this can be billed as a 'thriller' as the lack of pace and intrigue made it more like reading a memoir for 90% of the book.
Haivng read reviews of other books by the author, it seems that my first foray into their work is the weakest one so I may try others at a later date but this has not inspired me to continue for now. High hopes have been signifcantly dashed for now.
July 22, 2020
The danger of going back through a dependable authors bibliography is that the earlier works might not be as strong.
That's certainly the case for writing duo Nicci Gerrard and Sean French's debut.
Jane Martello is going through divorce proceedings with her husband Claude that she has known since childhood.
There's always been a strong bond as she was best friends with sister Natalie before her disappearance 25 years ago.
Now that her remains have just been discovered in the garden, Jane questions if the murderer could be close.
This was such a odd book.
The mystery itself was quite interesting especially how the family reacted after the discovery, with much of the story focuses on how people blank out trauma and have no recollection of a horric event was also interesting.
The main problem was both the prose written in a slow old fashioned manner and the characters being so deplorable.
Especially some of the familys outdated attitudes.
Or maybe that was what the authors were aiming for as the reveal didnt come too much as a shock...
That's certainly the case for writing duo Nicci Gerrard and Sean French's debut.
Jane Martello is going through divorce proceedings with her husband Claude that she has known since childhood.
There's always been a strong bond as she was best friends with sister Natalie before her disappearance 25 years ago.
Now that her remains have just been discovered in the garden, Jane questions if the murderer could be close.
This was such a odd book.
The mystery itself was quite interesting especially how the family reacted after the discovery, with much of the story focuses on how people blank out trauma and have no recollection of a horric event was also interesting.
The main problem was both the prose written in a slow old fashioned manner and the characters being so deplorable.
Especially some of the familys outdated attitudes.
Or maybe that was what the authors were aiming for as the reveal didnt come too much as a shock...
May 25, 2020
I have read and enjoyed many of the Nicci French books so decided to read their first joint novel 'The Memory Game'.
Jane Martello is shocked by the news that the skeleton of her childhood friend Natalie was unearthed in the Martellos' family garden. Her friend Natalie went missing twenty-five years ago and her whereabouts have remained a mystery until now. Jane is married to Claude Martello the brother of Natalie and they are currently going through a divorce but Jane is keen to remain a member of the family. When it is discovered that Natalie was actually murdered, Jane attempts to uncover what really happened twenty five years ago.
I enjoyed the book the more it went on but I didn't feel it held the same level as other books by this celebrated couple. Maybe a good start to their joint writing career but I consider there have written much better books since.
Jane Martello is shocked by the news that the skeleton of her childhood friend Natalie was unearthed in the Martellos' family garden. Her friend Natalie went missing twenty-five years ago and her whereabouts have remained a mystery until now. Jane is married to Claude Martello the brother of Natalie and they are currently going through a divorce but Jane is keen to remain a member of the family. When it is discovered that Natalie was actually murdered, Jane attempts to uncover what really happened twenty five years ago.
I enjoyed the book the more it went on but I didn't feel it held the same level as other books by this celebrated couple. Maybe a good start to their joint writing career but I consider there have written much better books since.
March 17, 2012
Really a disappointment. I have been enjoying Nicci French thrillers (read one and was excited at the discovery of a new author and have been working my way through the rest) but this one just dragged mercilessly. Too many characters were introduced too fast. It took 100 pages for me to figure out who was a family member, an in-law, a former-in-law, etc. and it turned out that most of these characters just weren't relevant anyway. Not to mention that the story was dragging so much, I just didn't care who they were by the time I figured out the relationships.
I won't give up on Nicci French but this was a real clunker from them.
I won't give up on Nicci French but this was a real clunker from them.
August 2, 2011
This was an enjoyable book, although it got off to rather a slow start. I guessed the twist long before it actually happened.
Overall the characters were not very likeable and I got rather irritated with Jane and her “I had a cigarette…, I needed a cigarette…” - she was a heavy smoker, we get the picture! I didn’t think this was as good as the write-up suggested, but I did enjoy it, although from reading on Amazon afterwards, I gather that this is one of the weaker ones and that they do improve as the writing matures. I read ‘The Safe House’ several years ago and remember that being much better, so this hasn’t put me off trying more.
Overall the characters were not very likeable and I got rather irritated with Jane and her “I had a cigarette…, I needed a cigarette…” - she was a heavy smoker, we get the picture! I didn’t think this was as good as the write-up suggested, but I did enjoy it, although from reading on Amazon afterwards, I gather that this is one of the weaker ones and that they do improve as the writing matures. I read ‘The Safe House’ several years ago and remember that being much better, so this hasn’t put me off trying more.
June 25, 2019
-info-dump of characters at the beginning, confusing and unnecessary as many of the characters don't feature prominently
-cliche-ridden writing
-unnatural dialogue and actions from characters
-outdated and harmful attitudes on various issues
-boring, unsympathetic characters
-boring, stretched out plot and rushed ending
-cliche-ridden writing
-unnatural dialogue and actions from characters
-outdated and harmful attitudes on various issues
-boring, unsympathetic characters
-boring, stretched out plot and rushed ending
November 26, 2007
Well, this was strange. It takes a recently divorced woman through "therapy" as she tries to recall some forgotten/supressed memory about the death of her best friend after the body is found on the property the friend grew up on. Then it raises lots of questions about the notion of "recovered memory." It's a strange read. At times I simply couldn't put it down. And it was thought provoking in terms of what memory really is. But there were other times when I found it so confusing that I was annoyed. In particular, French wants to establish that there is a large extended family and refers to everyone by their simple, often monosyllabic names. And she names everyone - ex-wives, children of ex-wives, children's girlfiends, etc, when these people don't even have speaking parts. I found myself often lost. Still, the interesting parts were spell-binding - a good read if the topic sounds intriguing to you.
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March 13, 2017This was so boring I couldn't force myself to pay the right amount of attention to the audiobook and despite rewind several times I finished it without fully understanding what happened. I am curious but not enough to put myself through it again...
December 24, 2021
3 stars.
I think my main issue with Nicci French books is that I do generally like the premises, therefore reading the blurb always makes me think that this is a book I will enjoy – but the flipside being that I don’t tend to get along very well with the flavour of their characters and then get fed-up midway through. I thought this one started out solidly enough with the discovery of the body in the house of the Martellos, followed by .
Following that, things started to get a bit absurd on all accounts, I get that the authors are trying to show that even a seemingly perfect family (or, well, two family) setup has its flaws – but and you stop and ask – honestly?
I was also intrigued by the whole concept of the memory thing, it was meant to be the entire premise of the book but after being stuck in I was willing the book to just get back to the premise, tell me the twist and move on.
Then, maaaaaany cigarettes later (good grief), we finally reach . I think this rescued the book just a little for me, bumping up possibly from 2.5 to 3, but by this stage I was really starting to wonder if there was a single normal character in the entirety of this book!
I think my main issue with Nicci French books is that I do generally like the premises, therefore reading the blurb always makes me think that this is a book I will enjoy – but the flipside being that I don’t tend to get along very well with the flavour of their characters and then get fed-up midway through. I thought this one started out solidly enough with the discovery of the body in the house of the Martellos, followed by .
Following that, things started to get a bit absurd on all accounts, I get that the authors are trying to show that even a seemingly perfect family (or, well, two family) setup has its flaws – but and you stop and ask – honestly?
I was also intrigued by the whole concept of the memory thing, it was meant to be the entire premise of the book but after being stuck in I was willing the book to just get back to the premise, tell me the twist and move on.
Then, maaaaaany cigarettes later (good grief), we finally reach . I think this rescued the book just a little for me, bumping up possibly from 2.5 to 3, but by this stage I was really starting to wonder if there was a single normal character in the entirety of this book!
March 16, 2013
This book cost me a national title once. Well, at least a shot at one. I settled down with it in bed the night before a Nationals started and at 5am I was still wide awake glued to it. I finished the book...and my chances of playing okay the next day. From a professional faller-asleeper - it is by far the thing at which I shine - this is really saying something.
How odd. I've read plenty of this sort of book, it isn't the best written (or the worst by any means). It even has the kiss of death of being written by a couple - who could ever make that work and even if it did, we wouldn't think it did. Yet there is something about the formula - and having read a few more, it is hard to call it anything else - that succeeds in spades.
How odd. I've read plenty of this sort of book, it isn't the best written (or the worst by any means). It even has the kiss of death of being written by a couple - who could ever make that work and even if it did, we wouldn't think it did. Yet there is something about the formula - and having read a few more, it is hard to call it anything else - that succeeds in spades.
January 14, 2010
I actually came quite far, read more than 100 pages, but kept thinking that the story is boring (the sittings with her therapeut), and that I'm not in the least interested who murdered Natalie. Very probably someone from the family, but I really don't care and that's why I decided to stop reading in favour of other books.
June 22, 2020
I usually love Nicci French books, and I had high hopes for The Memory Game. Although this one had the potential to be an interesting read, I found it extremely difficult to get into.
At first, I thought this would be really interesting. We’re thrown right into the story, and I was ready to be gripped throughout. Sure, the first chapter threw us into things, but then nothing happened for a long time. There were lots of things I did not care about – with many of these details resulting in me quickly working out how things were going to play out – and it wasn’t until close to the end that things started to happen again. Add in the fact I was right, and this one lacked in the things I usually enjoy in a Nicci French book.
All in all, this one had potential, but it failed to deliver. If you’re looking to start reading Nicci French, I would suggest starting somewhere else.
At first, I thought this would be really interesting. We’re thrown right into the story, and I was ready to be gripped throughout. Sure, the first chapter threw us into things, but then nothing happened for a long time. There were lots of things I did not care about – with many of these details resulting in me quickly working out how things were going to play out – and it wasn’t until close to the end that things started to happen again. Add in the fact I was right, and this one lacked in the things I usually enjoy in a Nicci French book.
All in all, this one had potential, but it failed to deliver. If you’re looking to start reading Nicci French, I would suggest starting somewhere else.
October 30, 2021
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book #98/100
This is my first Nicci French book and it is also their first book and I have to say that although it is a good story, I found myself skimming after the 50% mark. I feel the story could have been told in 2/3 of the actual book. I really enjoyed reading about Recover Memories and how accurate or inaccurate they may be. One thing that I did not enjoy is the sheer amount of characters this novel has! Omg.. for the first few chapters I didn't know who was related to whom... very very confusing, they should have provided a family tree at the beginning of the book.. hahaha.
Overall is an ok read. Would I recommend it? Nah.. unless you have nothing else to read.
Book #98/100
This is my first Nicci French book and it is also their first book and I have to say that although it is a good story, I found myself skimming after the 50% mark. I feel the story could have been told in 2/3 of the actual book. I really enjoyed reading about Recover Memories and how accurate or inaccurate they may be. One thing that I did not enjoy is the sheer amount of characters this novel has! Omg.. for the first few chapters I didn't know who was related to whom... very very confusing, they should have provided a family tree at the beginning of the book.. hahaha.
Overall is an ok read. Would I recommend it? Nah.. unless you have nothing else to read.
June 15, 2009
I found this book both slow and perdictable. The last 100 pages are the best, but like the rest of the book it was a fight to stay involved. This could have been a great story and the writing style is interesting any many parts, but nothing seemed to happen after the bones are found. Overall I was not happy with this book.
February 25, 2022
Ik zie hier de voorloper van de Frieda Klein reeks in.
June 29, 2015
The following review focuses on the book from a writing perspective, with less focus on the sequence of events/plot. Please note, there will be spoilers.
Before I begin the review, I'd like to mention that one of the first books that really moved me as a reader (and actually made me want to write my own novel) was the psychological-thriller called Beneath the Skin, by Nicci French. I had immediately been drawn to the dark and frightening 'stalker' plot, the closeness of the first-person point of view, and the 'zoomed-in' attention to detail in description - it had me gripped! This book had inspired me to read more Nicci French books, such as Safe House and The Red Room. However, although I enjoyed reading these books, they never did have that packing punch that Beneath the Skin had delivered to me. This led my mind to think about something completely different - why does a book become a bestselling book or even a classic? May be there is some kind of universal magic that bonds us all. For me, Beneath the Skin would have to be a Nicci French classic - but then is it a universal book, would it speak out to us all? This is something we can all consider in our own writing if we are aiming for the bestseller lists. We have to dream big!
The Memory Game is Nicci French's first novel, which was released in 1998 - and this is clearly evident from the writing. It is full of old-fashioned dialogue and slow-paced writing which I found rather author-lazy and off-putting to read. When we think of thrillers we think of fast-paced, edge-of-our-seat, twisting plot-lines - but this book was very much the opposite. The beginning was long-drawn out, and introduced too many characters at once, leaving me confused, annoyed and foot-tappingly anxious. I understand that the practice of introducing characters can be a useful tool when we want to create a murder-mystery set-up (such as in Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie) but it does not work in this book. The big cast of characters caused me to focus on the 'family tree', which is one of my big pet hates in fiction. The character's should be weaved in effortlessly, and introduced to us in a way in which we will remember them and how they are related. In this book it was a case of 'who is this character again?' It was made even more irritating due to the fact that some of the characters did not play any real part in the plot - they could have been axed without any real effect - this is a big flaw in novel writing. Writing books constantly tell us to axe characters that are merely just extras or side props with no purpose. Even a minor character needs to push the plot forward in some way - whether it's by them prompting a plot action, or through dialogue with the main character (to show another side to the main character) etc. There is also a big risk of losing a reader for good when the author does not set up an emotional lead character bond early on. I find that readers do not want numerous characters that we only get to know on a superficial level. You will find that the only time this method works best is in the plot-driven 'who-dunnit' mystery or suspense novel - where the big question is raised, and our intrigue is held. I have come to learn that we must fall in love with our characters early on - we must have an emotional attachment, or a similarity with which we can relate in order for us to care and read on. Unfortunately, this book and it's characters left me bored. So why did I finish it? Well I have gathered that you can learn a lot from books you dislike and learn all of the sins and bad habits that you would never want to include in your own writing.
Nicci French has a terrible habit of giving her characters food and drink addictions - and she throws these over us like confetti when it is really of no importance. In this book it tends to happen in those moments when we are plot focused, wanting answers and actions - and all we are given is a character's burning desire for a skinny mocha or latte, whilst they suck on a yellowing Marlboro. The character habits are repeated too much in this book, and the habits only really needed to be hinted at once or twice to give us an idea of the lead character's personality. Readers are intelligent and will remember the habit the first time around. Repetition such as this can also show us that a book may have surpassed several, crucial, editing stages. If any one happened to re-read this book, then these flaws would have been clearly evident and likely been removed.
Personally, I love psychological fiction and traumatised characters, because it is in these types of characters that we learn about the darker sides of humanity; we learn how the weakest of characters can pull through a nightmare situation. The most interesting part of the book happened to hit on the area of psychology - with the psychotherapist and the lead character undertaking sessions, in an attempt to get the character to face her problems (the trauma of her missing school friend - who is later found dead - and the murderer having been a family member - ending spoiler!). The psychotherapist prompts the main character to talk out her feelings while all along we are wondering if she is hiding something that is the bigger answer to the bigger question in the book - what happened to Natalie?
I was very disappointed with this book and found it boring to read. I don't like to put works of fiction down, because I do admire any one who manages to write even one novel in their lifetime, however this book just wasn't cutting it for me. However, there are some good reviews of this book on Goodreads, and one person's hate is another person's love! So please don't let my judgement put you off reading the book. Nicci French (wife/husband pseudonym) is an excellent writer, and we must consider the fact that this is their first novel. Ironically, even though this is one of the worst books I have read, one of my favourite books (as mentioned above) happens to be 'Beneath the Skin', and I highly recommend this book to readers who love a psychological-thriller. It takes pride of place on my bookshelf.
Before I begin the review, I'd like to mention that one of the first books that really moved me as a reader (and actually made me want to write my own novel) was the psychological-thriller called Beneath the Skin, by Nicci French. I had immediately been drawn to the dark and frightening 'stalker' plot, the closeness of the first-person point of view, and the 'zoomed-in' attention to detail in description - it had me gripped! This book had inspired me to read more Nicci French books, such as Safe House and The Red Room. However, although I enjoyed reading these books, they never did have that packing punch that Beneath the Skin had delivered to me. This led my mind to think about something completely different - why does a book become a bestselling book or even a classic? May be there is some kind of universal magic that bonds us all. For me, Beneath the Skin would have to be a Nicci French classic - but then is it a universal book, would it speak out to us all? This is something we can all consider in our own writing if we are aiming for the bestseller lists. We have to dream big!
The Memory Game is Nicci French's first novel, which was released in 1998 - and this is clearly evident from the writing. It is full of old-fashioned dialogue and slow-paced writing which I found rather author-lazy and off-putting to read. When we think of thrillers we think of fast-paced, edge-of-our-seat, twisting plot-lines - but this book was very much the opposite. The beginning was long-drawn out, and introduced too many characters at once, leaving me confused, annoyed and foot-tappingly anxious. I understand that the practice of introducing characters can be a useful tool when we want to create a murder-mystery set-up (such as in Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie) but it does not work in this book. The big cast of characters caused me to focus on the 'family tree', which is one of my big pet hates in fiction. The character's should be weaved in effortlessly, and introduced to us in a way in which we will remember them and how they are related. In this book it was a case of 'who is this character again?' It was made even more irritating due to the fact that some of the characters did not play any real part in the plot - they could have been axed without any real effect - this is a big flaw in novel writing. Writing books constantly tell us to axe characters that are merely just extras or side props with no purpose. Even a minor character needs to push the plot forward in some way - whether it's by them prompting a plot action, or through dialogue with the main character (to show another side to the main character) etc. There is also a big risk of losing a reader for good when the author does not set up an emotional lead character bond early on. I find that readers do not want numerous characters that we only get to know on a superficial level. You will find that the only time this method works best is in the plot-driven 'who-dunnit' mystery or suspense novel - where the big question is raised, and our intrigue is held. I have come to learn that we must fall in love with our characters early on - we must have an emotional attachment, or a similarity with which we can relate in order for us to care and read on. Unfortunately, this book and it's characters left me bored. So why did I finish it? Well I have gathered that you can learn a lot from books you dislike and learn all of the sins and bad habits that you would never want to include in your own writing.
Nicci French has a terrible habit of giving her characters food and drink addictions - and she throws these over us like confetti when it is really of no importance. In this book it tends to happen in those moments when we are plot focused, wanting answers and actions - and all we are given is a character's burning desire for a skinny mocha or latte, whilst they suck on a yellowing Marlboro. The character habits are repeated too much in this book, and the habits only really needed to be hinted at once or twice to give us an idea of the lead character's personality. Readers are intelligent and will remember the habit the first time around. Repetition such as this can also show us that a book may have surpassed several, crucial, editing stages. If any one happened to re-read this book, then these flaws would have been clearly evident and likely been removed.
Personally, I love psychological fiction and traumatised characters, because it is in these types of characters that we learn about the darker sides of humanity; we learn how the weakest of characters can pull through a nightmare situation. The most interesting part of the book happened to hit on the area of psychology - with the psychotherapist and the lead character undertaking sessions, in an attempt to get the character to face her problems (the trauma of her missing school friend - who is later found dead - and the murderer having been a family member - ending spoiler!). The psychotherapist prompts the main character to talk out her feelings while all along we are wondering if she is hiding something that is the bigger answer to the bigger question in the book - what happened to Natalie?
I was very disappointed with this book and found it boring to read. I don't like to put works of fiction down, because I do admire any one who manages to write even one novel in their lifetime, however this book just wasn't cutting it for me. However, there are some good reviews of this book on Goodreads, and one person's hate is another person's love! So please don't let my judgement put you off reading the book. Nicci French (wife/husband pseudonym) is an excellent writer, and we must consider the fact that this is their first novel. Ironically, even though this is one of the worst books I have read, one of my favourite books (as mentioned above) happens to be 'Beneath the Skin', and I highly recommend this book to readers who love a psychological-thriller. It takes pride of place on my bookshelf.
March 3, 2021
This was my 1st Nicci French book, and won't be the last. It was interesting how memories are uncovered and how they are interpreted. Things are not always what they seem.
April 18, 2023
DNF 59/342. De personages overtuigen en boeien me niet. Zolang er boeken zijn die me wel in een paar pagina’s naar binnen zuigen, laat ik deze maar even links liggen.
October 20, 2024
Ik heb deze ooit gelezen voor Nederlands en dat was eigenlijk zo een insane boek - ik denk hier echt nog vaak aan terug
August 16, 2023
Dit is de eerste Nicci French en ik heb die jaren geleden dus al een keer gelezen. Nu opnieuw en ik heb er opnieuw fijne uren mee doorgebracht. De twist op het einde wist ik niet precies meer, dus dat was wel fijn. Veel beschrijvingen van wat er gegeten wordt en wat de hoofdpersoon aan kleding aantrekt, maar op de een of andere manier houd ik daar in dit geval wel van, al denk ik dat voor sommige mensen dit teveel kabbelt en niet snel genoeg echt op gang komt. Maar voor mij was dit goed.
December 4, 2016
Listened to in audio format.
This year I have listened to Nicci French's Frieda Klein series which I have loved. I have finished the series up to Saturday and I was eager to try their standalone thrillers. Apparently The Memory Game was the first collaboration for Nicci Gerrard and Sean French.
This book was set in 1995 and it was like a different world. It made me laugh, Jane smoking in pubs, listening to cassettes and the police using carbon paper oh how times have changed.
The Memory Game was about recovered memory. I did not have any sympathy for the star of the book Jane Martello, who was in the grip of a midlife crisis and was either crying or smoking.
Jane recently separated from her husband Claude. However Jane's father and patriarch Alan Martello were friends at university. When they left university they stayed friends and Jane and brother Paul grew up with the Martello children.
Jane finds herself in the uncomfortable position of still wanting to be part of the Martello family even though she has separated from Claude. Jane has agreed to design a summer house for the Martello's on their country pile in Shropshire. When the builders start digging however they discover the body of Jane's best friend Natalie Martello who disappeared 25 years earlier. Jane is distraught over seperating from Claude and finding her best friends body and is advised to see a specialist.
She goes to see a therapist called Alex who has a special interest in suppressed memories. He thinks Jane knows what happened to Natalie and encourages her remember. After a number of sessions she 'sees' who murdered Natalie and goes to the police, by is that memory correct?
This was another winner from Nicci French, I have most of their books that I am looking forward to listening to.
This year I have listened to Nicci French's Frieda Klein series which I have loved. I have finished the series up to Saturday and I was eager to try their standalone thrillers. Apparently The Memory Game was the first collaboration for Nicci Gerrard and Sean French.
This book was set in 1995 and it was like a different world. It made me laugh, Jane smoking in pubs, listening to cassettes and the police using carbon paper oh how times have changed.
The Memory Game was about recovered memory. I did not have any sympathy for the star of the book Jane Martello, who was in the grip of a midlife crisis and was either crying or smoking.
Jane recently separated from her husband Claude. However Jane's father and patriarch Alan Martello were friends at university. When they left university they stayed friends and Jane and brother Paul grew up with the Martello children.
Jane finds herself in the uncomfortable position of still wanting to be part of the Martello family even though she has separated from Claude. Jane has agreed to design a summer house for the Martello's on their country pile in Shropshire. When the builders start digging however they discover the body of Jane's best friend Natalie Martello who disappeared 25 years earlier. Jane is distraught over seperating from Claude and finding her best friends body and is advised to see a specialist.
She goes to see a therapist called Alex who has a special interest in suppressed memories. He thinks Jane knows what happened to Natalie and encourages her remember. After a number of sessions she 'sees' who murdered Natalie and goes to the police, by is that memory correct?
This was another winner from Nicci French, I have most of their books that I am looking forward to listening to.
January 14, 2022
The book is about a woman digging around the murder of her childhood friend, exposing a lot of things in her life to risk. I am really disappointed with this novel, and the mystery i expected after reading the book cover was quite below my expectations. I will begin with the plot... The writer takes so much time narrating details and observations about thr characters before most of the thrilling events happen. I was actually bored and it was not until after 200 pages, that I started getting some suspense. So i had the impression that the writer was sometimes just filling the novel with boring events. However, the real reason why i am giving the novel a low evaluation is that the ending was so impredictable because he didn't give any hints throughout the book about who eventually turned out to be the real murderer. I mean the point of reading a mystery novel is that you are analyzing details throughout narration and you start building your own map to solve the mystery. So, I found the conclusion not in line with the murderer's character portayed before. In fact, i really admired his character just until i was shocked by the last chapter. Furthermore, he literally spent 2 or 3 pages explaining the motives of the murder and spent a lot of pages explaining other ridiculous stuff. But to be fair enough, i didn't give 1 star because there are still some nice stuff like the figures of speech used, the language, the way he portrays human feelings, and the info about recovered memory. That earns another star!
May 4, 2017
The central character of this book, Jane has recently split up with her husband. Despite this she still wants to be part of the family as there is a lot of shared history as her father and ex father-in-law are old friends. There is also their daughter Natalie who went missing 25 years ago who was best friends with Jane. Whilst at a family gathering Natalie's body is discovered. Jane then takes it upon herself to try and solve the mystery of who murdered her friend.
This isn't the best Nicci French book that I have ever read but I did enjoy the story and thought that it was still worthy of four stars. I found Jane to be a very interesting but a very self centred character. I did not guess the ending but I was very aware all through the book that the road she was going down was going to turn out to be the wrong one. Maybe I have just read too many psychological thrillers. The ending made no sense to me whatsoever and seemed to come out of nowhere.
This isn't the best Nicci French book that I have ever read but I did enjoy the story and thought that it was still worthy of four stars. I found Jane to be a very interesting but a very self centred character. I did not guess the ending but I was very aware all through the book that the road she was going down was going to turn out to be the wrong one. Maybe I have just read too many psychological thrillers. The ending made no sense to me whatsoever and seemed to come out of nowhere.
September 12, 2020
Κουραστικό, χωρίς Ρυθμό, χωρίς δράση μετά τη μέση απέκτησε κάποιο ενδιαφέρον, όχι αρκετό όσο να περάσει τα δύο αστέρια όμως. Μέσα στις πρώτες 100 σελίδες εμφανίζονται συνεχώς άτομα τα οποία δεν ξέρεις ποια είναι και τι σχέση έχουν μεταξύ τους και μέχρι να τους ξεμπερδέψεις περνάνε οι σελίδες άσκοπα. Αν και έχω αδυναμία σε αυτό το συγγραφικό δίδυμο, αυτό το βιβλίο δεν στέκεται επάξια δίπλα στη σειρά της εβδομάδας.
January 15, 2019
The story is very slow and the main character gets a bit boring with her never dieing need to smoke a cigarette. The plot was kinda strange... Unsatisfying. Would not recommend this book. Also don't feel tempted to read any more of Nicci French.
Read
December 7, 2010It made me believe in things I don'tbelieve in and then tore the beliefs to pieces in front of my eyes, Ifound that very powerful.
March 12, 2017
leuk en goed boek dat blijft boeien maar ik vond de vorige die ik heb gelezen van hun beter.
May 9, 2023
Op het landgoed van de familie Martello worden de eerste graafwerken verricht voor het bouwen van een cottage. Voor deze gelegenheid zijn alle vier de zonen aanwezig in het riante landhuis. Ook Jane Cranes is van de partij, het is trouwens haar project, en ondertussen de ex-vrouw van Claud Martello. De enorme graafmachines zijn nog maar net bezig wanneer er een lichaam komt bloot te liggen. Gaat het hier om de resten van Natalie Martello, die in 1969 spoorloos verdween?
Ik veronderstel dat het auteurs koppel Nicci French door de meesten onder ons gekend zijn. Achter deze naam gaat een Brits echtpaar schuil, namelijk Nicci Gerrard en Sean French en zijn wereldberoemd. De eerste druk van “Het geheugenspel” dateert eigenlijk uit 1997, en zelf heb ik nu de reeds 75e druk gelezen, uit 2023. Dit naar aanleiding van de verfilming met een Vlaamse cast die binnenkort uit komt.
Het verhaal komt vrij langzaam op gang, zo krijg je een grote inkijk in het hoofdpersonage Jane. Haar leven, haar denkwereld, haar vriendenkring en haar familie en ex-familie. Je vraagt je af of dit allemaal relevant is voor het verhaal. Toch is het zo alledaags geschreven, dat het niet verveelt, en prettig leest. Je herkent veel menselijke gedachten gangen, en je ondervindt dat dit je aanzet om verder te lezen. Nadien ben je je ook heel erg bewust van haar gevoelens waarmee ze zo worstelt. Geladenheid komt pas aan bod naar het einde van dit verhaal, met wendingen die voor mij verrassend waren.
De release van de film is voorzien op 17 mei. Met een cast van onder andere : Anna Drijver, Gert Winckelmans Louis Talpe …
De film ga ik zeker kijken, benieuwd of de fijne draadjes die in mijn hoofd gesponnen zijn door dit boek, een beetje overeenstemmen met de film.
Ik veronderstel dat het auteurs koppel Nicci French door de meesten onder ons gekend zijn. Achter deze naam gaat een Brits echtpaar schuil, namelijk Nicci Gerrard en Sean French en zijn wereldberoemd. De eerste druk van “Het geheugenspel” dateert eigenlijk uit 1997, en zelf heb ik nu de reeds 75e druk gelezen, uit 2023. Dit naar aanleiding van de verfilming met een Vlaamse cast die binnenkort uit komt.
Het verhaal komt vrij langzaam op gang, zo krijg je een grote inkijk in het hoofdpersonage Jane. Haar leven, haar denkwereld, haar vriendenkring en haar familie en ex-familie. Je vraagt je af of dit allemaal relevant is voor het verhaal. Toch is het zo alledaags geschreven, dat het niet verveelt, en prettig leest. Je herkent veel menselijke gedachten gangen, en je ondervindt dat dit je aanzet om verder te lezen. Nadien ben je je ook heel erg bewust van haar gevoelens waarmee ze zo worstelt. Geladenheid komt pas aan bod naar het einde van dit verhaal, met wendingen die voor mij verrassend waren.
De release van de film is voorzien op 17 mei. Met een cast van onder andere : Anna Drijver, Gert Winckelmans Louis Talpe …
De film ga ik zeker kijken, benieuwd of de fijne draadjes die in mijn hoofd gesponnen zijn door dit boek, een beetje overeenstemmen met de film.
January 13, 2018
Nicci French patiesībā nav autors, arī autore ne. Ar šādu pseidonīmu grāmatas publicē divi cilvēki kopā - Nicci Gerrard un Sean French. Šajā lieliskajā kriminālromānā (neko nesaprotu no žanru klasifikācijām, bet šis ir pirmais vārds, kas man ienāk prātā, domājot par šo stāstu, tāpēc varbūt pat, ka atbilst) nereti aizdomājos par to, kuras daļas varētu būt rakstījusi autore un kuras - autors. Viņi droši vien viens otra uzrakstīto papildinājuši, līdz galu galā iznācis noslīpēts variants, kuram nav, kur piesieties.
Lasīju oriģināldarbu angļu valodā, taču ne pirmo izdevumu, kas izdots 1997. gadā, bet gan gadu vēlāku. Galvenā darbība stāstā risinās 1995. gadā, bet, kā jau var spriest pēc nosaukuma - Atmiņas spēle - galvenā varone daudz atceras arī savu bērnību ap 1970. gadu. Kāpēc viņa daudz ko nespēj atcerēties? Vai tas, ko viņa atceras, ir patiešām noticis? Vai eksistē arī viltus atmiņas? Lai vai kā -skaidrs, ka atrisinājumu nebija iespējams iepriekš paredzēt.
Gandrīz viss beigās salikās pa plauktiņiem, izņemot vienu lietu, par kuru šeit nespriedelēšu, jo to nav iespējams izdarīt, neieviešot `spoiler alert`. Ja nu kāds vēl izlasa, man būtu interesanti uzzināt viņa(-s) domas šajā neskaidrajā jautājumā.
Lasīju oriģināldarbu angļu valodā, taču ne pirmo izdevumu, kas izdots 1997. gadā, bet gan gadu vēlāku. Galvenā darbība stāstā risinās 1995. gadā, bet, kā jau var spriest pēc nosaukuma - Atmiņas spēle - galvenā varone daudz atceras arī savu bērnību ap 1970. gadu. Kāpēc viņa daudz ko nespēj atcerēties? Vai tas, ko viņa atceras, ir patiešām noticis? Vai eksistē arī viltus atmiņas? Lai vai kā -skaidrs, ka atrisinājumu nebija iespējams iepriekš paredzēt.
Gandrīz viss beigās salikās pa plauktiņiem, izņemot vienu lietu, par kuru šeit nespriedelēšu, jo to nav iespējams izdarīt, neieviešot `spoiler alert`. Ja nu kāds vēl izlasa, man būtu interesanti uzzināt viņa(-s) domas šajā neskaidrajā jautājumā.
July 22, 2020
Po Nicci French som siahla vďaka odporúčaniu od obľúbenej booktuberky - avšak vybrala som si knihu, ktorá bola vo výpredaji na audible (to mi mohlo napovedať, že asi to nebude vončo :D). Zápletka bola pomerne absurdná a mala som problém uveriť udalostiam, ktoré sa odohrávali (hra na detektívku hlavnej hrdniky, veľmi zvláštne sedenia u terapeuta a pod.) a navyše som sa často strácala v množstve postáv a nikam nevediacich dejových odbočkách... asi až v polovici knihy sa mi podarilo usporiadať do ktorej rodiny patrí väčšina postáv. Veľmi mätúce.
Keďže som počúvala audioknihu, často sa mi stalo, že som sa počas niektorých pasáží prestala sústrediť, ale vôbec nemám pocit, že by to bolo na škodu - čo sa asi celkom vypovedá o tom, koľko filleru táto kniha obsahovala.
Keďže som počúvala audioknihu, často sa mi stalo, že som sa počas niektorých pasáží prestala sústrediť, ale vôbec nemám pocit, že by to bolo na škodu - čo sa asi celkom vypovedá o tom, koľko filleru táto kniha obsahovala.
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