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NOTHING IS WHAT IT SEEMS
When a man wakes in a rundown apartment, hooked up to a strange machine, a dead body in the next room, he has no memory of who he is, or what he is doing there. Over the next forty-eight hours, however, as he works to unravel the mystery of his identity, he'll come to realize that he might be one of the most influential people of the twenty-first century--and that some things are better left unknown.
Librarian's note: See alternate cover edition of ASIN B00Z9WN27W here.
When a man wakes in a rundown apartment, hooked up to a strange machine, a dead body in the next room, he has no memory of who he is, or what he is doing there. Over the next forty-eight hours, however, as he works to unravel the mystery of his identity, he'll come to realize that he might be one of the most influential people of the twenty-first century--and that some things are better left unknown.
Librarian's note: See alternate cover edition of ASIN B00Z9WN27W here.
81 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 8, 2015
119 people are currently reading
359 people want to read
About the author
Jeremy Bates
46 books1,839 followersUSA TODAY and #1 Amazon bestselling author Jeremy Bates has written over twenty novels and novellas, selling more than one million copies worldwide. His work has been translated into multiple languages and optioned for film and television by major studios. Midwest Book Review has likened his storytelling to that of Stephen King and Joe Lansdale, calling him a "master of the art." Bates is a KDP Select All-Star and the recipient of the Australian Shadows Award and the Canadian Arthur Ellis Award. He was also a finalist in the Goodreads Choice Awards, the only major book honors chosen by readers.
His latest novel, *The No-End House*, is a standalone horror story set in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter, where a pair of volunteers must navigate nine mysterious rooms in a sinister house. Scheduled for release by Kensington Publishing in July 2025, it’s a chilling tale of survival and escape.
Visit Amazon to get DENISOVANS for a special release-date price now.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0F...
Also, MOUNTAIN OF THE DEAD is currently only $0.99 in a limited-time deal.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079KW3N72
Finally, visit Jeremy’s website to receive a free copy of *Black Canyon*, winner of the Lou Allin Memorial Award.
https://www.jeremybatesbooks.com
His latest novel, *The No-End House*, is a standalone horror story set in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter, where a pair of volunteers must navigate nine mysterious rooms in a sinister house. Scheduled for release by Kensington Publishing in July 2025, it’s a chilling tale of survival and escape.
Visit Amazon to get DENISOVANS for a special release-date price now.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0F...
Also, MOUNTAIN OF THE DEAD is currently only $0.99 in a limited-time deal.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079KW3N72
Finally, visit Jeremy’s website to receive a free copy of *Black Canyon*, winner of the Lou Allin Memorial Award.
https://www.jeremybatesbooks.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
November 14, 2021
This is a 4.5 star read.
June 16, 2015
I wanted to check out Bates without the commitment a novel requires and this seemed like a good way to do it. Rewind is about as much fun as a story with a completely morally reprehensible narrator can be, meaning it is a good interesting story and you want to see what happens, but you just don't care that much about the characters. Suspense part was nicely done, the writing was too testosterony and generic for my taste, but perfectly serviceable. Decent way to pass an hour or so.
June 9, 2017
Whoa...now, this was one trippy read. I will never forget it. It will forever be a part of my memories.
4.5 WTF stars!
4.5 WTF stars!
May 19, 2025
I really liked this one! I would like a full length book on this 😂
March 15, 2016
A quick story loaded with twists. The story begins in a shroud of mystery as the protagonist struggles to discover who he is, what is real and not real. Great job of describing the fear and trauma he goes through as he reasons things out with the barest of clues. The ending is a twisted surprise, something this author does well. This is an excellent quick read, very suspenseful and a nice mix of sci-fi bent with Hitchcock neo-noir.
July 1, 2017
A must read.
If you like suspense and a book that you can not put down than you must read Rewind. A great book can not wait to read the rest of the series.
If you like suspense and a book that you can not put down than you must read Rewind. A great book can not wait to read the rest of the series.
July 20, 2025
2.5
guess im in a reading slump. did not like this read. found it confusing at first then the twist hits(which was boring) then that ending was terrible.
guess im in a reading slump. did not like this read. found it confusing at first then the twist hits(which was boring) then that ending was terrible.
August 11, 2017
I was really intrigued with the start of the novella but wasn't crazy over the reveal or ending. Still a good novella and I've enjoyed what I've read from Jeremy Bates so far.
June 6, 2017
Rewind by Jeremy Bates is a horrifying mystery book. An unnamed protagonist woke in a dilapidated slum apartment with a dead body in the next room. His own identity is a mystery. He has to unravel who is is and how he got there. His Driver's License revealed his name as Harry Parker. He doesn't recognize his own voice or handwriting. I gave it four stars because it was a fast, intriguing book to read.
"Why had I been in that chair, in that apartment, hooked up to that machine? Had I been a guinea pig in some madcap experiment, and something went terribly wrong, something along the lines of accidentally pressing the delete key in a word-processing document, or formatting a computer hard drive? Then again, maybe I had known something important, perhaps some government or industrial secret, and someone had wanted it badly enough to take it from my head with all the finesse and compassion that one uses when removing a hook from a fish that had swallowed the hook to the gills?"
He remembered his PIN number right before he went to an ATM machine where he claimed $50.00. Then he was shocked at a massive balance. He started to get $500.00, then changed the number to $5,000.00. "It spat out the money just as dutifully as before." This information didn't seem accurate. In my personal experience, the standard daily cash withdrawal limit for ATM and Debit Cards is $400 per day.
I received a complimentary copy from the author. That did not change my opinion for this review.
Link to purchase: https://www.amazon.com/Rewind-Jeremy-...
"Why had I been in that chair, in that apartment, hooked up to that machine? Had I been a guinea pig in some madcap experiment, and something went terribly wrong, something along the lines of accidentally pressing the delete key in a word-processing document, or formatting a computer hard drive? Then again, maybe I had known something important, perhaps some government or industrial secret, and someone had wanted it badly enough to take it from my head with all the finesse and compassion that one uses when removing a hook from a fish that had swallowed the hook to the gills?"
He remembered his PIN number right before he went to an ATM machine where he claimed $50.00. Then he was shocked at a massive balance. He started to get $500.00, then changed the number to $5,000.00. "It spat out the money just as dutifully as before." This information didn't seem accurate. In my personal experience, the standard daily cash withdrawal limit for ATM and Debit Cards is $400 per day.
I received a complimentary copy from the author. That did not change my opinion for this review.
Link to purchase: https://www.amazon.com/Rewind-Jeremy-...
January 2, 2020
'Rewind' kicks off with a man regaining consciousness in a decrepit apartment. His confusion is exacerbated when he realizes he doesn't know who he is, where he is or how he ended up there. To make matters worse, he only has the company of a dead body. He hightails out of there with one purpose in mind: to figure out the truth behind it all..
This short story was packed with suspense, further maximised by the main character jumping at the opportunity to get some much-needed answers and occasionally knowing his preferences. It was refreshing to see such a smart and cautious character who didn't make bad decisions and instead kept a low profile in case he was a fugitive or in any danger.
The truth behind his identity and memory loss was well-explained and believable, albeit a little rushed. I found the way his remembrance was triggered to be unsatisfying as it relied on implausible coincidences rather than something organic. The ending was alright but could've been enhanced with an injection of emotions.
Overall, 'Rewind' was a quick and mildly enjoyable read.
This short story was packed with suspense, further maximised by the main character jumping at the opportunity to get some much-needed answers and occasionally knowing his preferences. It was refreshing to see such a smart and cautious character who didn't make bad decisions and instead kept a low profile in case he was a fugitive or in any danger.
The truth behind his identity and memory loss was well-explained and believable, albeit a little rushed. I found the way his remembrance was triggered to be unsatisfying as it relied on implausible coincidences rather than something organic. The ending was alright but could've been enhanced with an injection of emotions.
Overall, 'Rewind' was a quick and mildly enjoyable read.
November 28, 2022
Short and perfect length for a quick read. Non-stop action, bringing murder, mayhem, mystery, and technology into play. A man wakes up in a room with a dead man in it and cannot remember anything about himself, the short novella takes you on his journey as he tries to figure out who he is and how he ended up in a surgical styled room that is off the beaten path and unmarked.
It reminded me a lot of Blake Crouch's books which I love, so this one is a winner for me.
It reminded me a lot of Blake Crouch's books which I love, so this one is a winner for me.
January 20, 2020
A Bookshots Story
A man awakes in a strange room, with no memory of who he is. he has a device hooked up to his head. Also there is a dead man in the room, apparently a heart attack victim. As he works to discover who he is, he finds out very bad things about his former life.
A man awakes in a strange room, with no memory of who he is. he has a device hooked up to his head. Also there is a dead man in the room, apparently a heart attack victim. As he works to discover who he is, he finds out very bad things about his former life.
August 2, 2020
Second novella about a man who wakes up in a place he doesn‘t know. He has no memory of who he is or what he is doing there. Only there is a dead body & he may not remember anything else but he knows the cops finding him there is not a good idea. It was okay & the twist was quite good, but the again the ending left me feeling as if things weren't finished.
May 26, 2021
I enjoyed the story but why is there a female doctor named "Singh", wearing a hijab? At first I thought this was intentional as part of some alternate reality in the plot, but I suspect it was really just Cultural tone-deafness.
February 25, 2022
2.5 stars rounded up to 3. Seemed a bit slow at first. A man wakes up in a grungy apartment to find a dead man on the floor and no idea who he, himself, is. The story started to come together when it was nearly finished.
August 6, 2022
Great story
This book blew my mind. What an imagination. I read through this book like a house on fire. Really well written and holds your attention. The ending was fantastic. I recommend reading this book to all fiction lovers.
This book blew my mind. What an imagination. I read through this book like a house on fire. Really well written and holds your attention. The ending was fantastic. I recommend reading this book to all fiction lovers.
July 2, 2017
I have a weak spot for stories involving amnesia, so I picked this one up when it was offered free. It didn't disappoint. I enjoyed the journey of discovery the book took me on.
March 7, 2019
Good
The story ended too soon. I wanted more. Maybe we will get it later. Decent story but not great keep trying
The story ended too soon. I wanted more. Maybe we will get it later. Decent story but not great keep trying
March 8, 2019
This was a quick read and it held my interest, nice escape from “real life”.
April 29, 2019
Another great, twisted read. I think I have a new author to add to my favorites!
March 1, 2020
Jeremy Bates did it again
I enjoyed this book more than Suicide Forest and I can't wait to start the next one. But which one?
I enjoyed this book more than Suicide Forest and I can't wait to start the next one. But which one?
November 15, 2021
Entertaining, surprising and messed up. Really good for a short novella.
November 16, 2021
A man wakes up with total amnesia in a grungy apartment with a dead man on the floor in the next room. The narrative follows what he does next. A brutal ending.
September 1, 2024
Held my attention
I enjoyed this short story. It was set up well and kept me interested. The author tells a good tale.
I enjoyed this short story. It was set up well and kept me interested. The author tells a good tale.
March 29, 2025
Rewind is a sweet, suspenseful, mysterious surprise. This is why I love this horror writer.
January 14, 2022
While a slow burn, this one is just a great piece of modern fiction which, like Bradbury, Matheson, and many other greats, it points out issues with our progressing culture and sociological problems and the ethics that come with new scientific breakthroughs. This will make you think and maybe spark some good discussions between yourself and others. Another great novella.
June 29, 2016
Review coming soon.I was in the mood for another short story by Jeremy Bates. Not really surprising because most of his stories and books I find interesting. I’ve put this story on my TBR list about a year ago so I couldn’t really remember why I chose it but I started reading it anyway. I’m glad I did, it was a new kind of story for me, though really not the best of Jeremy Bates.
As I started reading I “woke up” together with the protagonist. And of course he didn’t know where is which almost made him panic. Do you know those occasions when you sleep in some other place other than your home and your bed and you wake up in the middle of the night scared and disorientated? That what I first thought when I followed the character through his wake up phase. When Harry (our main character) explored the place he woke up in I was reminded of the scene from “Saw” movies. Did Jeremy went for this illusion or it was just a coincidence? I can’t tell, but anyway I was in the mood after “figuring it out”.
Harry pretty quickly gets out of the place only to return later. The only thing that matters that he has no memory of himself. He doesn’t recognize the face on what suppose to be his driving license nor he even feels his voice as his own. Some scary shit. As Harry gets out and recognizes the city he starts walking around, some things bring memories, more like feelings, to him. At first he tries to figure out what happened, later he gives up, and yet again he tries to understand what happened to him.
I won’t go into more detail because the story is short and giving out more than I already did would spoil a lot, but I have to mention that the ending didn’t surprise me. Somehow I knew who Beth was when Harry met her, etc. The story, even if it was quite original for me, didn’t really felt that interesting. Reading how Harry is practically drinking himself to death didn’t make an impression on me nor it was something I haven’t read of.
The ending was intriguing and fast paced but that’s all I can say. Well, maybe that the ending was my kind of ending. That’s why I love horror. Not everything ends happily.
I give this story 3 out 5 because even if it was almost interesting it didn’t leave impression on me like most Jeremy Bates books does.
As I started reading I “woke up” together with the protagonist. And of course he didn’t know where is which almost made him panic. Do you know those occasions when you sleep in some other place other than your home and your bed and you wake up in the middle of the night scared and disorientated? That what I first thought when I followed the character through his wake up phase. When Harry (our main character) explored the place he woke up in I was reminded of the scene from “Saw” movies. Did Jeremy went for this illusion or it was just a coincidence? I can’t tell, but anyway I was in the mood after “figuring it out”.
Harry pretty quickly gets out of the place only to return later. The only thing that matters that he has no memory of himself. He doesn’t recognize the face on what suppose to be his driving license nor he even feels his voice as his own. Some scary shit. As Harry gets out and recognizes the city he starts walking around, some things bring memories, more like feelings, to him. At first he tries to figure out what happened, later he gives up, and yet again he tries to understand what happened to him.
I won’t go into more detail because the story is short and giving out more than I already did would spoil a lot, but I have to mention that the ending didn’t surprise me. Somehow I knew who Beth was when Harry met her, etc. The story, even if it was quite original for me, didn’t really felt that interesting. Reading how Harry is practically drinking himself to death didn’t make an impression on me nor it was something I haven’t read of.
The ending was intriguing and fast paced but that’s all I can say. Well, maybe that the ending was my kind of ending. That’s why I love horror. Not everything ends happily.
I give this story 3 out 5 because even if it was almost interesting it didn’t leave impression on me like most Jeremy Bates books does.
July 18, 2015
Just OK, average, not great
While I enjoyed this short story, it had some far fetched items. These things made it a little harder to accept the story line. I don't really need a story to be believable, that is sometimes the point of a story. A way to escape reality and imagine. However, being able to withdraw 500K dollars from an ATM and simply putting all that money in a wallet?? I know that is a minor detail, but it bothered me. Something so simple instilled doubt in the story. Thus not rendering it a 4 or 5 star read. Definitely worth the read though! I consider 3 stars to be average, good, just not great.
While I enjoyed this short story, it had some far fetched items. These things made it a little harder to accept the story line. I don't really need a story to be believable, that is sometimes the point of a story. A way to escape reality and imagine. However, being able to withdraw 500K dollars from an ATM and simply putting all that money in a wallet?? I know that is a minor detail, but it bothered me. Something so simple instilled doubt in the story. Thus not rendering it a 4 or 5 star read. Definitely worth the read though! I consider 3 stars to be average, good, just not great.
April 1, 2016
"Humans were masters of deceit and disguise. It’s what allowed them to live together in relative harmony in such large numbers.
Fairly entertaining read with a clever twist. Didn't really see that one coming till it's too late. Bates, as usual, isn't afraid to get his character's hands bloody. Just as what I expected. Love the pacing and the characterization. Another mention of the PH, hm :)
3.50
Fairly entertaining read with a clever twist. Didn't really see that one coming till it's too late. Bates, as usual, isn't afraid to get his character's hands bloody. Just as what I expected. Love the pacing and the characterization. Another mention of the PH, hm :)
3.50
April 5, 2016
I received this book free for an honest review. The book was a quick read and although some portions of the story line where far-fetched, I enjoyed the twists and turns and the suspense. Jeremy has a nice writing style and the author is able to make you feel the fear and trauma that his character undergoes in the story. Waking up with no memory and finding a dead body in the next room would make you unravel. The question is, does he want his memory back?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews