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Abigail Boone #1
Past Life
THEY TOOK EVERYTHING FROM DETECTIVE ABIGAIL BOONE. EVEN HER MEMORY.
From a blistering new voice in crime fiction, PAST LIFE is a razor-sharp thriller perfect for fans of Ian Rankin, Tana French, Joseph Knox, Jane Harper, Don Winslow and Belinda Bauer. 'A beautifully written debut' Daily Mail
'One hell of a debut. ' Heat
'A great story told with real poise ' Simon Kernick, Sunday Times bestseller
' This is crime as it should be written... gripping, addictive, a thrill of a ride.' Jo Spain, international bestseller ***
Waking up beside the dead girl, she couldn't remember anything.
Who she was. Who had taken her. How to escape.
Detective Abigail Boone has been missing for four days when she is finally found, confused and broken. Suffering retrograde amnesia, she is a stranger to her despairing husband and bewildered son. Hopelessly lost in her own life, with no leads on her abduction, Boone's only instinct is to revisit the case she was investigating when she the baffling disappearance of a young woman, Sarah Still. Defying her family and the police, Boone obsessively follows a deadly trail to the darkest edges of human cruelty. But even if she finds Sarah, will Boone ever be the same again? 'An astonishing debut' Woman's Own
'A smart, distinctive debut' Sunday Mirror
'I loved it...It's taut, beautifully written and at some points the tension is almost too much to bear. ' Harriet Tyce
'I really loved this...a twisting, heart-wrenching story with wonderfully vivid characters' Claire McGowan
'Memory is at the centre of Nolan's bold and sharply written book...In a genre oversaturated by samey stories, Past Life is a dark crime fiction debut that feels fresh, smart and thrilling .' Culturefly WHY BLOGGERS AND READERS ARE GRIPPED BY PAST 'Gripped me from page one all the way to the end...an assured and adept novel from another fresh writer entering the crime fiction arena. A superb debut you won't forget! ' ***** Crimesquad
'An amazing debut novel ' Anne Bonny Book Reviews
'I highly recommend to anyone but especially to those who like their crime fiction to have genuine depth... loved it.' LizLovesBooks 'Past Life is gripping and completely intens e ; once it grabs a hold of you, it refuses to let go.' The Book Magnet
' Beautifully written, thrilling and heartbreaking ...I can really see this in my top ten reads of 2019 and it's only February.' Lost In The Land of Books 'An AMAZING debut novel' ***** Goodreads reviewer 'A fast-paced electric thriller of book ...a 5-star read for me.' ***** Goodreads reviewer 'That's a damn good read .' ***** Goodreads reviewer
From a blistering new voice in crime fiction, PAST LIFE is a razor-sharp thriller perfect for fans of Ian Rankin, Tana French, Joseph Knox, Jane Harper, Don Winslow and Belinda Bauer. 'A beautifully written debut' Daily Mail
'One hell of a debut. ' Heat
'A great story told with real poise ' Simon Kernick, Sunday Times bestseller
' This is crime as it should be written... gripping, addictive, a thrill of a ride.' Jo Spain, international bestseller ***
Waking up beside the dead girl, she couldn't remember anything.
Who she was. Who had taken her. How to escape.
Detective Abigail Boone has been missing for four days when she is finally found, confused and broken. Suffering retrograde amnesia, she is a stranger to her despairing husband and bewildered son. Hopelessly lost in her own life, with no leads on her abduction, Boone's only instinct is to revisit the case she was investigating when she the baffling disappearance of a young woman, Sarah Still. Defying her family and the police, Boone obsessively follows a deadly trail to the darkest edges of human cruelty. But even if she finds Sarah, will Boone ever be the same again? 'An astonishing debut' Woman's Own
'A smart, distinctive debut' Sunday Mirror
'I loved it...It's taut, beautifully written and at some points the tension is almost too much to bear. ' Harriet Tyce
'I really loved this...a twisting, heart-wrenching story with wonderfully vivid characters' Claire McGowan
'Memory is at the centre of Nolan's bold and sharply written book...In a genre oversaturated by samey stories, Past Life is a dark crime fiction debut that feels fresh, smart and thrilling .' Culturefly WHY BLOGGERS AND READERS ARE GRIPPED BY PAST 'Gripped me from page one all the way to the end...an assured and adept novel from another fresh writer entering the crime fiction arena. A superb debut you won't forget! ' ***** Crimesquad
'An amazing debut novel ' Anne Bonny Book Reviews
'I highly recommend to anyone but especially to those who like their crime fiction to have genuine depth... loved it.' LizLovesBooks 'Past Life is gripping and completely intens e ; once it grabs a hold of you, it refuses to let go.' The Book Magnet
' Beautifully written, thrilling and heartbreaking ...I can really see this in my top ten reads of 2019 and it's only February.' Lost In The Land of Books 'An AMAZING debut novel' ***** Goodreads reviewer 'A fast-paced electric thriller of book ...a 5-star read for me.' ***** Goodreads reviewer 'That's a damn good read .' ***** Goodreads reviewer
432 pages, Hardcover
First published March 7, 2019
48 people are currently reading
427 people want to read
About the author
Dominic Nolan
12 books39 followersDominic Nolan is a British author, known for the Abigail Boone series of crime novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
February 19, 2019
Briefly - That's a damn good read. 4.5/5 but rounded happily enough
In full
The basic outline of this story intrigues me enough to read it. Detective Abigail Boone escapes from a violent crime almost loosing her life. She finds that she has lost all memory of events before that day. That and her extensive injuries impact on both her work life and her family. She has no memories of her son or her husband. Is it possible that attempting to solve the missing person investigation she was on at the time will allow her any recovery?
The book follows Boone - she prefers that now - as she tries to find her way through the changes in her life. She finds she has friends in strange places and people she no longer understands. There is violence and tension aplenty in this fast moving and dark story.
I found myself quickly caught up in this story. It was one of those where you think "I'll just read one more chapter" and end up reading three! There is some very good characters in this story. Unlike quite a few I read this includes the majority of minor characters as well as the major ones. Boone is for me a very well crafted and interesting character and she will stay with me for sometime to come. Roo made an excellent foil for her and she was another character I really liked. There are very good characters on the shady side of the story too.
For me this is one of the few overhyped books (the best xxx you will read this year ones) that maybe lives up to its hype. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and would like to read another book by this author. If it includes Boone that would be a bonus. I see the blurb suggests that fans of Tim Weaver would enjoy this and I'd agree with that - there are some broad similarities. I'd suggest that fans of modern works by the likes of AA Dhand or maybe Joseph Knox would enjoy this too. 4.5/5 and happily rounded.
I'm grateful to Amazon Vine and the publisher - Headline - for the review copy. The opinions are mine alone
In full
The basic outline of this story intrigues me enough to read it. Detective Abigail Boone escapes from a violent crime almost loosing her life. She finds that she has lost all memory of events before that day. That and her extensive injuries impact on both her work life and her family. She has no memories of her son or her husband. Is it possible that attempting to solve the missing person investigation she was on at the time will allow her any recovery?
The book follows Boone - she prefers that now - as she tries to find her way through the changes in her life. She finds she has friends in strange places and people she no longer understands. There is violence and tension aplenty in this fast moving and dark story.
I found myself quickly caught up in this story. It was one of those where you think "I'll just read one more chapter" and end up reading three! There is some very good characters in this story. Unlike quite a few I read this includes the majority of minor characters as well as the major ones. Boone is for me a very well crafted and interesting character and she will stay with me for sometime to come. Roo made an excellent foil for her and she was another character I really liked. There are very good characters on the shady side of the story too.
For me this is one of the few overhyped books (the best xxx you will read this year ones) that maybe lives up to its hype. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and would like to read another book by this author. If it includes Boone that would be a bonus. I see the blurb suggests that fans of Tim Weaver would enjoy this and I'd agree with that - there are some broad similarities. I'd suggest that fans of modern works by the likes of AA Dhand or maybe Joseph Knox would enjoy this too. 4.5/5 and happily rounded.
I'm grateful to Amazon Vine and the publisher - Headline - for the review copy. The opinions are mine alone
June 25, 2019
Review to follow
November 4, 2018
I’ve read a few “memory issues” books this year, here is one for 2019 that is positively brilliant- mainly because the characters all shine, mostly the highly engaging Boone, who was once one person but is now quite another. Question is, can she re-capture her old self and more to the point, does she want to?
Past Life is a pacy, highly addictive read with some of the best characterisation and group dynamics I’ve read for ages. We focus on Abigail Boone, who after trauma has lost the memory of anything that came before it. Living with her family but quite apart from them, she returns as a lone civilian to the case she was investigating in her past life, hoping to shake something loose. But these are dangerous people she is hunting…
Past Life may be a crime thriller but it is also a nuanced, emotionally resonant character driven drama. The affect on a family of having a stranger returned to them, the different and eclectic group of friends Boone falls into, the new social structure she surrounds herself with is wonderfully fascinating and beautifully written. Her lack of care for herself and occasionally others causing some edge of the seat moments all highly charged by the fact that Dominic Nolan has invested the reader with a real care for these characters and a need for them to have a happy ending.
I have to give a shout out to Roo, a wonderful character who I defy you not to fall in love with – but the rest I’ll leave you to discover for yourselves.
Past Life is authentic in its life realities, almost brutal in it’s plotting and genuinely unpredictable in it’s mystery element. By the end I was wrung out, having lived on the edge of it for the entire read. Dark but often funny, with an ending that is both melancholy but truthful, Past Life is a novel I highly recommend to anyone but especially to those who like their crime fiction to have genuine depth and the ability to run you through the emotional wringer.
Loved it.
Past Life is a pacy, highly addictive read with some of the best characterisation and group dynamics I’ve read for ages. We focus on Abigail Boone, who after trauma has lost the memory of anything that came before it. Living with her family but quite apart from them, she returns as a lone civilian to the case she was investigating in her past life, hoping to shake something loose. But these are dangerous people she is hunting…
Past Life may be a crime thriller but it is also a nuanced, emotionally resonant character driven drama. The affect on a family of having a stranger returned to them, the different and eclectic group of friends Boone falls into, the new social structure she surrounds herself with is wonderfully fascinating and beautifully written. Her lack of care for herself and occasionally others causing some edge of the seat moments all highly charged by the fact that Dominic Nolan has invested the reader with a real care for these characters and a need for them to have a happy ending.
I have to give a shout out to Roo, a wonderful character who I defy you not to fall in love with – but the rest I’ll leave you to discover for yourselves.
Past Life is authentic in its life realities, almost brutal in it’s plotting and genuinely unpredictable in it’s mystery element. By the end I was wrung out, having lived on the edge of it for the entire read. Dark but often funny, with an ending that is both melancholy but truthful, Past Life is a novel I highly recommend to anyone but especially to those who like their crime fiction to have genuine depth and the ability to run you through the emotional wringer.
Loved it.
January 22, 2020
Dieses Buch war einfach genial!
Ich kann klassischen Krimis eigentlich nichts abgewinnen, aber dieser hier hörte sich unwahrscheinlich gut an - und war es auch. Die Spannung wurde die gesamte Zeit über aufrecht erhalten, es kamen immer mehr details zum Vorschein und die Twists waren wirklich unvorhersehbar.
Die charakterlichen Entwicklungen waren sehr realistisch und ich mochte tatsächlich jeden von ihnen. Selbst der Humor kam im Buch nicht zu kurz (ich liebe schwarzen und sarkastischen Humor).
Alles in allem perfekt und trotz des Endes, welches wirklich unvorhersehbar war und leider nicht das, was ich mir persönlich gewünscht hätte, wirklich super und empfehlenswert!
Ich kann klassischen Krimis eigentlich nichts abgewinnen, aber dieser hier hörte sich unwahrscheinlich gut an - und war es auch. Die Spannung wurde die gesamte Zeit über aufrecht erhalten, es kamen immer mehr details zum Vorschein und die Twists waren wirklich unvorhersehbar.
Die charakterlichen Entwicklungen waren sehr realistisch und ich mochte tatsächlich jeden von ihnen. Selbst der Humor kam im Buch nicht zu kurz (ich liebe schwarzen und sarkastischen Humor).
Alles in allem perfekt und trotz des Endes, welches wirklich unvorhersehbar war und leider nicht das, was ich mir persönlich gewünscht hätte, wirklich super und empfehlenswert!
Read
March 21, 2019This is the story of a woman who has lost her memory and therefore also her life. She can’t remember the simplest things of her past life, the years before what she refers to as her “accident”. She feels and acts like a totally different person and it wreaks havoc on her life and her relationships, especially the one with her family. At the beginning of the novel, she’s virtually a recluse, doesn’t leave the house, avoids all contact, including with her husband and son. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. This former detective who must have been decisive and efficient and kick-ass, now reduced to a shadow of herself, some watered-down version. Yet she still wants, even needs, to fix everything, to help the victims, to put away the bad guys. So she picks herself up, becomes invested in her investigation, becomes extremely driven by it, no matter the cost, no matter the consequences, and with very little thought of her family, which I couldn’t exactly admire, but did understand in a way. Together with her memories, she has lost whatever it was that made her feel like a mother, a wife. She’s become a lone wolf, and a rather blood-thirsty one at that. In this way, Past Life becomes more of a police procedural, despite the fact that Boone is no longer working for the police and her investigation is not an official one. It becomes the story of a victim refusing to remain victimised, of a woman out for revenge. That’s all I’ll tell you about that, read it and find out for yourself!
The memory loss premise is certainly an interesting one, and especially the way Boon evolves as a character is well-described and simply fascinating. Often characters suffering from memory loss know nothing about themselves, they’re often alone or don’t know who to trust and their story is about that struggle. Boone, on the other hand, learns many things about herself, she has a loving family, she KNOWS who to trust, she KNOWS who she used to be, she just doesn’t feel it. She no longer feels like an Abby, she feels like a Boone. It makes you wonder as a reader about memories, about how much of a person’s character is habit and memories. With regard to this, Dominic Nolan slips a few one-liners in there that are just spot-on.
However much I felt for Boone, my favourite character in this book is Roo. Circumstances have brought Boone and Roo together and they’re a match made in heaven (in a very unromantic way). Roo is an absolute delight, a model example of the adage “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade”, lemonade spiked with sarcasm that is, a truly wicked sense of humour, but exactly what Boone needs, and exactly what the story needs to prevent it from becoming too grim.
A debut you’d never guess is a debut, quite impressive.
Recommended if you like your stories raw and gritty and with a few broken teeth (don’t ask, just read 😉)
Massive thanks to Becky Hunter from Headline Books for gifting me this beautiful proof! All opinions are my own and I was not paid to give them.
The memory loss premise is certainly an interesting one, and especially the way Boon evolves as a character is well-described and simply fascinating. Often characters suffering from memory loss know nothing about themselves, they’re often alone or don’t know who to trust and their story is about that struggle. Boone, on the other hand, learns many things about herself, she has a loving family, she KNOWS who to trust, she KNOWS who she used to be, she just doesn’t feel it. She no longer feels like an Abby, she feels like a Boone. It makes you wonder as a reader about memories, about how much of a person’s character is habit and memories. With regard to this, Dominic Nolan slips a few one-liners in there that are just spot-on.
However much I felt for Boone, my favourite character in this book is Roo. Circumstances have brought Boone and Roo together and they’re a match made in heaven (in a very unromantic way). Roo is an absolute delight, a model example of the adage “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade”, lemonade spiked with sarcasm that is, a truly wicked sense of humour, but exactly what Boone needs, and exactly what the story needs to prevent it from becoming too grim.
A debut you’d never guess is a debut, quite impressive.
Recommended if you like your stories raw and gritty and with a few broken teeth (don’t ask, just read 😉)
Massive thanks to Becky Hunter from Headline Books for gifting me this beautiful proof! All opinions are my own and I was not paid to give them.
March 3, 2019
I would like to thank Netgalley and Headline for an advance copy of Past Life a debut novel featuring former DS Abigail Boone.
Boone was looking for missing person Sarah Still when she disappeared. Four days later she is found but she has no memory of who she is, what happened to her or her former life. A year later she is struggling to find her way in this new reality and decides that finding Sarah Still is the key to finding herself.
I thoroughly enjoyed Past Life which is a gripping debut filled with action, strong characterisation and some very good twists. How realistic her search is is open to question but it certainly makes for an exciting read. It should be noted that there is a fair amount of graphic violence in the novel although none of it seems gratuitous given the circles she is moving in.
The novel revolves around Boone, always Boone, never Abigail who is someone she doesn’t know. The novel is told from her perspective and it’s difficult because she’s in such a strange position. I found her extremely unlikeable but compelling. She is angry and destructive with a propensity for violence and extremely selfish but she is also lost. She comes across like a psychopath having lost her ability to empathise and love, preferring the company of new friends to her husband and son. It is interesting that I didn’t initially like her husband, Jack, as I was seeing him through her eyes, when in fact he is a nice, caring man who wants Abigail back and whom she treats like dirt. I think the author does a tremendous job with her situation and her reactions to it.
It is hard to believe that this is a debut novel as both the plotting and writing are so assured. Once the reader gets used to Boone and her prickly character the plot flows logically according to her way of thinking (to anyone else it seems like a suicide mission) with a series of action scenes and revelations. There is never a dull moment.
Past Life is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
Boone was looking for missing person Sarah Still when she disappeared. Four days later she is found but she has no memory of who she is, what happened to her or her former life. A year later she is struggling to find her way in this new reality and decides that finding Sarah Still is the key to finding herself.
I thoroughly enjoyed Past Life which is a gripping debut filled with action, strong characterisation and some very good twists. How realistic her search is is open to question but it certainly makes for an exciting read. It should be noted that there is a fair amount of graphic violence in the novel although none of it seems gratuitous given the circles she is moving in.
The novel revolves around Boone, always Boone, never Abigail who is someone she doesn’t know. The novel is told from her perspective and it’s difficult because she’s in such a strange position. I found her extremely unlikeable but compelling. She is angry and destructive with a propensity for violence and extremely selfish but she is also lost. She comes across like a psychopath having lost her ability to empathise and love, preferring the company of new friends to her husband and son. It is interesting that I didn’t initially like her husband, Jack, as I was seeing him through her eyes, when in fact he is a nice, caring man who wants Abigail back and whom she treats like dirt. I think the author does a tremendous job with her situation and her reactions to it.
It is hard to believe that this is a debut novel as both the plotting and writing are so assured. Once the reader gets used to Boone and her prickly character the plot flows logically according to her way of thinking (to anyone else it seems like a suicide mission) with a series of action scenes and revelations. There is never a dull moment.
Past Life is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
October 23, 2019
Past Life by Dominic Nolan had all of the ingredients for a stunning police procedural and then some! In this first book of the Detective Sergeant Abigail Boone series, Boone as she likes to be known as, escapes from a violent crime almost losing her life. She finds that she has lost all memory of events before that awful day. Boone must revisit the case she was investigating when she was abducted: the baffling disappearance of a young woman, Sarah Still, if she wants to come to terms with what happened.
This marvellously taut and first-rate début included an angry, selfish, flawed but determined and driven former Detective Sergeant, realistic and believable characters and several tense action scenes and revelations in the engrossing, poignant and soul-stirring case. The close was both melancholic and fulfilling and fitted the story. I am already looking forward to the next instalment in what, I think, promises to be a exceptional and remarkable series!
I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Headline via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
This marvellously taut and first-rate début included an angry, selfish, flawed but determined and driven former Detective Sergeant, realistic and believable characters and several tense action scenes and revelations in the engrossing, poignant and soul-stirring case. The close was both melancholic and fulfilling and fitted the story. I am already looking forward to the next instalment in what, I think, promises to be a exceptional and remarkable series!
I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Headline via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
May 4, 2022
Ah . .. the perennial question as to whether 380 pages of excellence can be so undermined by 15 pages of arrant nonsense that it warrants the removal of that otherwise richly deserved 5th star.
The answer is yes, but with a heavy heart. Those 380 pages were fantastic but you have to be able to believe the mind-blowing climax is at least dipping a toe in reality. When people are pinned to the floor by someone with 'hands like shovels' and punched repeatedly, causing significant damage grievous enough to require extended hospitalisation afterwards, the least they can expect is to lose consciousness or drift into a coma. They don't tend as a rule to come up with a bit of quick thinking that turns the tables on the attacker, as if they've just stepped out of an invigorating shower. And trust me . . . that's the toe. You should see the unlikely paths trodden by the rest of the foot. If I can't believe it for one moment, how am I supposed to engage with it?
I loved and raved about 'Vine Street', Dominic Nolan's third and latest book. I haven't yet read 'After Dark' (which I understand features the same central character as here) but I will definitely do so and hope the OTT fantasy of a climax here was because he felt under pressure to come up with something dramatic to round off his debut novel. He is an extremely talented writer who tells an intriguing story which doesn't need to shock and horrify to impress.
Having said that, there will be a large audience for this, I'm sure.
The answer is yes, but with a heavy heart. Those 380 pages were fantastic but you have to be able to believe the mind-blowing climax is at least dipping a toe in reality. When people are pinned to the floor by someone with 'hands like shovels' and punched repeatedly, causing significant damage grievous enough to require extended hospitalisation afterwards, the least they can expect is to lose consciousness or drift into a coma. They don't tend as a rule to come up with a bit of quick thinking that turns the tables on the attacker, as if they've just stepped out of an invigorating shower. And trust me . . . that's the toe. You should see the unlikely paths trodden by the rest of the foot. If I can't believe it for one moment, how am I supposed to engage with it?
I loved and raved about 'Vine Street', Dominic Nolan's third and latest book. I haven't yet read 'After Dark' (which I understand features the same central character as here) but I will definitely do so and hope the OTT fantasy of a climax here was because he felt under pressure to come up with something dramatic to round off his debut novel. He is an extremely talented writer who tells an intriguing story which doesn't need to shock and horrify to impress.
Having said that, there will be a large audience for this, I'm sure.
August 10, 2020
Impressive and impactful, this had a really involving set-up, in the prologue our police detective heroine Abigail Boone being flung from a first floor balcony, resulting in amnesia and being very much invalided out of the police and separated from her former life about which she is struggling to recall anything. The writing is excellent, and how the author explores how Boone struggles to adjust (especially to a husband and teenage son for whom she feels disconnected) works very well indeed. Naturally, she wants to find out what happened to her, and is driven to piece together this, and the unsolved case which she was investigating prior to her accident.
At times in the second half, however, when the book moved away from this and towards a conventional crime/action thriller.. I felt less connected to the characters. Call me cynical, I wasn't completely convinced anyone would be that determined, survive all the extremes of violence and deeply unpleasant twists, and the main character felt slightly unreal at times. Nevertheless, this is an impressive debut by Nolan which shows his talent as a writer.
At times in the second half, however, when the book moved away from this and towards a conventional crime/action thriller.. I felt less connected to the characters. Call me cynical, I wasn't completely convinced anyone would be that determined, survive all the extremes of violence and deeply unpleasant twists, and the main character felt slightly unreal at times. Nevertheless, this is an impressive debut by Nolan which shows his talent as a writer.
May 4, 2019
In this debut thriller, Abigail Boone wakes up bruised and battered, locked in a room with dead body and no memory of who she is or how she got there. After managing to escape with another imprisoned woman, and nearly killing herself in the process, she discovers that she’s a police officer with a psychologist husband and a son, but she can’t remember either of them. There’s no lead on who the men who imprisoned her are, or how they came to abduct her – only that she was working on a case to find a missing woman, Sarah Still. Over the next few months, she starts to rebuild her life, but, finding herself out of place at home, she forges a friendship with an ex-con, Mickey Box, and his daughter Tess. She also becomes firm friends Roo, the woman from Romania who she helped to escape from the clutches of the people traffickers. Despite no longer working for the police, Boone (as she insists on being called, dropping her previous moniker Abby) makes it her mission to track down these men who have been exploiting vulnerable women, in a case which leads to people in high places. The premise of this book was original – although amnesia is a staple of crime fiction, it was done in an unusual and different way, with Boone pretty much rejecting her old life and going off in a new direction. I do wish the story had focused more on Boone and her predicament than on the crime story, as I quite liked her, despite her unsympathetic character. Boone’s actions, constantly and rather recklessly chasing up dangerous people on her own, were a little hard to believe, but I daresay this could be explained by her brain injury. Hopefully they’ll be more Boone in the future, as some of the storylines were unresolved!
April 16, 2020
Abgebrochen.
Der Schreibstil ist nicht schlecht, allerdings finde ich Boone nicht sehr sympathisch und die Story leider bis jetzt (Seize 220) nicht wirklich spannend, so dass es sich für mich nicht lohnt, noch weitere 200 Seiten des Buches zu lesen.
Schade, hatte sich so gut angehört.
Der Schreibstil ist nicht schlecht, allerdings finde ich Boone nicht sehr sympathisch und die Story leider bis jetzt (Seize 220) nicht wirklich spannend, so dass es sich für mich nicht lohnt, noch weitere 200 Seiten des Buches zu lesen.
Schade, hatte sich so gut angehört.
December 13, 2025
Let’s just rip the band-aid off right away… this novel didn’t really deliver for me. It started off quite promising with a detective (Boone) who suffers from amnesia after she manages make an escape. Boone had the guise of a sympathetic person but she wasn’t my favorite person, especially because of her attitude towards her husband and son. She doesn’t really give them anything and rather spends her day and nighttime with an ex-con Mickey who she sent to jail and his daughter Tess. I genuinely felt sorry for her family.
Boone isn’t a detective anymore and is now clearly on the other side of the law. It’s awful to think you can just switch like that after you lose your memory. She likes violence just a tad too much now and there were a couple of scenes in this novel that were really violent (one where she just stands by and watches Mickey and his pal take their revenge on someone). The violence even made me flinch and I’m quite used to reading a thing or two already.
The plot itself was okay-ish. Boone dives into the missing person’s case she was investigating and thinks it will bring her to the men who kept her prisoner as well. The clues were lined up in a timely manner and all was fine with a build up to the big finale (where she went into as a headless chicken instead of a seasoned detective) but then there was an anti-climax that immediately made it clear to me that the story wasn’t wrapped up at all. It felt rather disappointing because the one time I wanted to see justice being served was right there. Big spoiler alert here so better stop reading now, I mean it stop reading if you don’t want to find out, it’s your last warning because here comes: did they catch the bad men, the answer is no.
I only discovered after reading that this is the first book of the series. It’s probably clear that I won’t stick around for it but if you’re interested then you better get the second novel immediately because there is still so much to discover and a lot of questions to be answered about the girl whose disappearance Boone investigated.
Boone isn’t a detective anymore and is now clearly on the other side of the law. It’s awful to think you can just switch like that after you lose your memory. She likes violence just a tad too much now and there were a couple of scenes in this novel that were really violent (one where she just stands by and watches Mickey and his pal take their revenge on someone). The violence even made me flinch and I’m quite used to reading a thing or two already.
The plot itself was okay-ish. Boone dives into the missing person’s case she was investigating and thinks it will bring her to the men who kept her prisoner as well. The clues were lined up in a timely manner and all was fine with a build up to the big finale (where she went into as a headless chicken instead of a seasoned detective) but then there was an anti-climax that immediately made it clear to me that the story wasn’t wrapped up at all. It felt rather disappointing because the one time I wanted to see justice being served was right there. Big spoiler alert here so better stop reading now, I mean it stop reading if you don’t want to find out, it’s your last warning because here comes: did they catch the bad men, the answer is no.
I only discovered after reading that this is the first book of the series. It’s probably clear that I won’t stick around for it but if you’re interested then you better get the second novel immediately because there is still so much to discover and a lot of questions to be answered about the girl whose disappearance Boone investigated.
July 8, 2022
Nolan wrote Vine Street,which is superb;this one is just mediocre,being charitable.
May 26, 2019
Past Life is about Abigail Boone who is suffering from amnesia following a traumatic incident where she was abducted and held for days before being found. Doctors haven’t been able to treat her memory loss so now she’s just trying to pick up the pieces of her life and to move on as best she can. She’s lost her career in the police, and her relationship with her husband and son is floundering as she has no memories of either of them. Boone decides that the best thing she can do to find herself is to get back to trying to find the young woman she was searching for at the time she herself went missing.
Abigail Boone is such a brilliant character. She has her flaws – she’s stubborn, she doesn’t listen to advice and she throws herself into situations without really considering the consequences but I loved her fierce determination! She tries so hard but can’t seem to find a way through to her past and so focuses on the here and now and what she can do. I really admired this trait.
‘Identity can be proved with papers, but how do you prove self? How do you measure a person, seek evidence of what they might be? Only in the past, Boone concluded, and in that thing constructed by the past that we call a mind.’
Boone is trying to find Sarah Still, who has been missing for a long time now but Boone feels sure that she was on the right track to finding Sarah before she was attacked. This leads Boone to meet Roo, the woman she was held with, and I adored the relationship that grew between these two women. They are so different to each other and there is something of a language barrier at times but the way they overcame this and developed a respect for each other was so great to read about. The friendship they have, along with Boone’s friendship with Tess (a woman Boone helped while still in the police force and has kept in touch with), were the anchors that Boone needed in a time where she no longer connected with the people she was close to before.
I felt that Boone’s stubborn need to find Sarah, rather than being home and trying to connect with her family, perhaps came from the fact she now knows what it is to be missing. Boone is there but she’s not there; she doesn’t know who she was before and the only reference points she has are what other people have told her. Sarah is physically missing from her life but the person she left behind wants her back as much as Boone’s husband Jack and son Quin want Boone back.
This is a gritty novel, and it’s very dark in places but it’s so believable and it’s very well written. There is an air of melancholy that runs through the novel but it never feels depressing. The brilliant Boone, along with Tess and Roo, keep you hooked and I felt like I was right along with them throughout this story. I so badly wanted all of them to come out of it and be okay.
Past Life is such a brilliant and gripping crime thriller but it’s also an excellent exploration into what makes a person who they are. What is left to cling to when you’ve lost who you are, or when you’ve lost the person you love. There is so much depth in this book, and there were moments that felt so profound to me that I had to put it down for a few moments just to process what I was reading. My disability took my physical abilities from me so while I still know who I am, I can’t be who I was before so I felt something of an affinity with Boone. This book came to mean such a lot to me and I know it’s one that will stay with me. It’s very rare for me to connect so much to a crime thriller but Past Life is something special.
This is one of those really compelling books that you just can’t put down – I simply had to know how it was all going to turn out for Boone! She’s such a real, authentic character that I felt bereft when I turned the last page of this book. I still keep thinking about her and wondering how she’s getting on. This is a book that I won’t forget and I think Past Life may well make my best books of the year come the end of December! It’s gritty and gripping, thrilling and very difficult to put down… plus Boone will steal your heart! I highly recommend this book!
This review was originally posted on my blog https://rathertoofondofbooks.com
Abigail Boone is such a brilliant character. She has her flaws – she’s stubborn, she doesn’t listen to advice and she throws herself into situations without really considering the consequences but I loved her fierce determination! She tries so hard but can’t seem to find a way through to her past and so focuses on the here and now and what she can do. I really admired this trait.
‘Identity can be proved with papers, but how do you prove self? How do you measure a person, seek evidence of what they might be? Only in the past, Boone concluded, and in that thing constructed by the past that we call a mind.’
Boone is trying to find Sarah Still, who has been missing for a long time now but Boone feels sure that she was on the right track to finding Sarah before she was attacked. This leads Boone to meet Roo, the woman she was held with, and I adored the relationship that grew between these two women. They are so different to each other and there is something of a language barrier at times but the way they overcame this and developed a respect for each other was so great to read about. The friendship they have, along with Boone’s friendship with Tess (a woman Boone helped while still in the police force and has kept in touch with), were the anchors that Boone needed in a time where she no longer connected with the people she was close to before.
I felt that Boone’s stubborn need to find Sarah, rather than being home and trying to connect with her family, perhaps came from the fact she now knows what it is to be missing. Boone is there but she’s not there; she doesn’t know who she was before and the only reference points she has are what other people have told her. Sarah is physically missing from her life but the person she left behind wants her back as much as Boone’s husband Jack and son Quin want Boone back.
This is a gritty novel, and it’s very dark in places but it’s so believable and it’s very well written. There is an air of melancholy that runs through the novel but it never feels depressing. The brilliant Boone, along with Tess and Roo, keep you hooked and I felt like I was right along with them throughout this story. I so badly wanted all of them to come out of it and be okay.
Past Life is such a brilliant and gripping crime thriller but it’s also an excellent exploration into what makes a person who they are. What is left to cling to when you’ve lost who you are, or when you’ve lost the person you love. There is so much depth in this book, and there were moments that felt so profound to me that I had to put it down for a few moments just to process what I was reading. My disability took my physical abilities from me so while I still know who I am, I can’t be who I was before so I felt something of an affinity with Boone. This book came to mean such a lot to me and I know it’s one that will stay with me. It’s very rare for me to connect so much to a crime thriller but Past Life is something special.
This is one of those really compelling books that you just can’t put down – I simply had to know how it was all going to turn out for Boone! She’s such a real, authentic character that I felt bereft when I turned the last page of this book. I still keep thinking about her and wondering how she’s getting on. This is a book that I won’t forget and I think Past Life may well make my best books of the year come the end of December! It’s gritty and gripping, thrilling and very difficult to put down… plus Boone will steal your heart! I highly recommend this book!
This review was originally posted on my blog https://rathertoofondofbooks.com
November 4, 2021
Oh! How wonderful to find a book which delivered the unexpected kick of delight right from the very first sentence! And then, like Manda Scott's 'No Good Deed', and several by Saul Black/Glen Duncan, went on delivering at a pace, and with a density of excellent writing that meant each sentence need be read with care, so as not to miss the many, many observant gems. Re-read, and being blessed with a poor memory for plots, the tension of the plot just as nerve-wracking and unputdownable absorbing as the first time
(Thank you, Nick, for the loan.)
(Thank you, Nick, for the loan.)
June 25, 2022
It started off so well... My biggest issue here was actually the style of writing. The random jumps in time were pretty annoying by the end, and I found myself having to reread multiple paragraphs, because they weren't clear the first time. But the liberal application of cliches and the fact that the story ultimately has no point was the real clincher for only two stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2021
Ex detective Abigail Boone has not regained her memory, lost in the wake of terrible injuries sustained during her last investigation. As she tries to take up the threads of where the unsolved case left off, she hopes it will serve the dual purpose of bringing the perpetrators to justice and help her regain her memory.
I found Past Life a difficult read, the style is individualistic and the plot twists and turns every which way. Boone is a hard ass. You can see why, but it’s difficult to sympathise with her rash and reckless activities at times. That said, it is a gripping if violent read for much of the time. I will definitely read the next one.
I found Past Life a difficult read, the style is individualistic and the plot twists and turns every which way. Boone is a hard ass. You can see why, but it’s difficult to sympathise with her rash and reckless activities at times. That said, it is a gripping if violent read for much of the time. I will definitely read the next one.
February 9, 2020
Uff... Ze začátku jsem byla strašně zmatená. Vůbec jsem nechápala souvislosti mezi jednotlivými postavami a vlastně jsem ani nevěděla, o co jde. Hlavní protagonistka Abigail, bývalý detektiv, ztratila paměť a snažila se najít dívku, kterou hledala. Nechápala jsem, jestli tím chce oživit své ztracené myšlenky, nebo jestli se tomu brání. Začetla jsem se asi na posledních 50 stranách, které byly hodně akční. Asi bych si knihu musela přečíst ještě jednou, abych ji pořádně pochopila, ale to se mi vážně nechce.
March 12, 2019
Detective Abigail Boone is abducted and seriously injured whilst following up a lead on a missing persons case off the books. Whilst physically recovering to a great extent, her memory of her life before is totally gone, including memories of her husband and son. After leaving her job, Boone (as she now likes to be called) decides to finish what she started with her investigation into the disappearance of Sarah Still.
I'll admit that when I first started reading this one, I disliked the main character, Boone. Yes, she had a traumatic experience, but I felt that she made absolutely no effort with her husband and son. As the book went on, however, the character began to grow on me and I was glad I persevered. The end result is a taut thriller with graphic violence at times but this fits with the story line.
TW: graphic violence in parts
Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Headline, for the opportunity to review an ARC.
I'll admit that when I first started reading this one, I disliked the main character, Boone. Yes, she had a traumatic experience, but I felt that she made absolutely no effort with her husband and son. As the book went on, however, the character began to grow on me and I was glad I persevered. The end result is a taut thriller with graphic violence at times but this fits with the story line.
TW: graphic violence in parts
Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Headline, for the opportunity to review an ARC.
April 11, 2019
Impressive debut.
Detective Abigail Boone was investigating a missing girl case when she is beaten within inches of her life. She is left with amnesia and no memory of her past life. Due to her injuries, she is pensioned off by the police department.
In an attempt to find out what happened to her, and potentially an attempt to reconnect with that past life, Boone re-commences the investigation that lead to her amnesia.
Engaging read, with a cast of vivid and varied characters.
Detective Abigail Boone was investigating a missing girl case when she is beaten within inches of her life. She is left with amnesia and no memory of her past life. Due to her injuries, she is pensioned off by the police department.
In an attempt to find out what happened to her, and potentially an attempt to reconnect with that past life, Boone re-commences the investigation that lead to her amnesia.
Engaging read, with a cast of vivid and varied characters.
November 22, 2018
Expertly written, totally gripping, fresh and sharp. Wonderful.
November 5, 2021
Remarkably good.
March 6, 2019
A pretty dark thriller this, not for the faint hearted!
Female British detective is kidnapped, during her escape she is badly injured and suffers significant memory loss. While she can remember most things relating to modern day life, she can remember nothing of her personal life, her husband and son or how she found herself in the dangerous situation that caused her injuries.
Abigail Boone is now invalided out of the Police and has been planted into a life she doesn’t remember and with people she has no connection to. To occupy herself she tracks back on the case she was working on and this could mean danger for herself and her friends.....
Boone is a character that is hard to overly like, but to a degree this works as she is a blank sheet trying to find purpose and to rediscover herself. She sometimes acts too thoughtlessly, but again it is about her situation and drive.
The supporting characters are a delight, clever and witty dialogue brings them very much to life and their “reality” is a good counterbalance to the main character.
Some dark subject matter here and the author does not necessarily believe in happy endings!
But this was a bit different and I did enjoy it.
Female British detective is kidnapped, during her escape she is badly injured and suffers significant memory loss. While she can remember most things relating to modern day life, she can remember nothing of her personal life, her husband and son or how she found herself in the dangerous situation that caused her injuries.
Abigail Boone is now invalided out of the Police and has been planted into a life she doesn’t remember and with people she has no connection to. To occupy herself she tracks back on the case she was working on and this could mean danger for herself and her friends.....
Boone is a character that is hard to overly like, but to a degree this works as she is a blank sheet trying to find purpose and to rediscover herself. She sometimes acts too thoughtlessly, but again it is about her situation and drive.
The supporting characters are a delight, clever and witty dialogue brings them very much to life and their “reality” is a good counterbalance to the main character.
Some dark subject matter here and the author does not necessarily believe in happy endings!
But this was a bit different and I did enjoy it.
January 1, 2026
I read this debut in the run up to Christmas and found it ultimately frustrating. Descriptive ability flawed, especially on buildings, locations etc. Very dark writing with gratuitous violence that was very offputting. Frustrating conclusion also.
September 9, 2020
6/10 15%. Don’t you just hate it when a book with opening promise turns into a damp squib, or as my daughter thinks, squid. Dominic Nolan has obvious writing talent and has penned some characters here with real depth and feeling, I particularly liked Bulgarian Hooker Roo who would merit a ongoing role in a series, but sadly the story was a bit lack lustre and the ending no great surprise. Will look out for more from him but won’t read Past Life again.....on the subject of past lives - I DO strongly recommend watching the seemingly bleak but hugely enjoyable film Still Life. Bears no relation to the plot of this book, but it’s my review so why not!
February 20, 2022
Too much
Blood, torture, sadistic voyeurism reaching into the dark underbellies of children and women trafficking for the wealthy and politically protected. Too much. Amnesiatic protagonist on a superfluous quest. Too much.
Blood, torture, sadistic voyeurism reaching into the dark underbellies of children and women trafficking for the wealthy and politically protected. Too much. Amnesiatic protagonist on a superfluous quest. Too much.
December 3, 2022
Bought this because I’d read Vine Street, which I thought brilliant. Sadly it fell totally short of Vine’s quality. Main characters lacked authenticity, story line weak and the ‘escape from danger’ episodes were way beyond credulity.
April 24, 2020
Readers digest vibes. Or ITV crime thriller.
March 6, 2019
In Past Life, Dominic Nolan has created an intense, character driven novel that asks some probing questions about the nature of identity.
Abigail Boone was a Detective with Kent Police, investigating the disappearance of a young local woman when she was found badly beaten and with no memory at all. She has literally no recollection of any of her past life. There are some things she instinctively remembers, like how to drive, but the fact that she has a loving husband and a teenage son, there is ….zilch.
She simply does not know who she is and nothing that her family do is making any difference. They try hard, playing her music she has loved, she tries reading novels in her house that she must have enjoyed at some point, but nothing makes a dent in her psyche. She is a stranger to her family and worse, a stranger to herself.
Invalided out of the police with what she regards as undue haste, and isolated inside herself, her only instinct is to go back and look at the case she was investigating when she was abducted. Going now simply by Boone, she begins, with the help of an old colleague, Barb, to go back over the case files that she was investigating.
Devoid of connections, she is a rogue operator. She takes lessons in Krav Magna to help her feel more secure, but apart from that, she investigates this case with all the finesse of a bull in a china shop, not caring who she upsets or what unwanted attention she attracts.
Where she does make genuine, human connections, though is with women who are living on the edge. There are some remarkable characterisations here and friendships are forged which feel true and important, much more so than any connection she fails to make at home.
Dominic Nolan has written a gripping, pacy novel about the very real and horrible subject of people trafficking and it is dark and violent and at moments, almost unbearable to the characters you have come to care about.
There is no glibness here; no easy answers. Life is hard and those who survive have to be harder still. It is searing, intense and some of its characters are strangely endearing, so that you end up caring about a woman who seems to have no care for herself.
Well written, with darkly funny and believable dialogue, it is the depth of the characters that resonates and the sense of melancholy that prevails.
For a debut novel, it is fantastically accomplished.
Abigail Boone was a Detective with Kent Police, investigating the disappearance of a young local woman when she was found badly beaten and with no memory at all. She has literally no recollection of any of her past life. There are some things she instinctively remembers, like how to drive, but the fact that she has a loving husband and a teenage son, there is ….zilch.
She simply does not know who she is and nothing that her family do is making any difference. They try hard, playing her music she has loved, she tries reading novels in her house that she must have enjoyed at some point, but nothing makes a dent in her psyche. She is a stranger to her family and worse, a stranger to herself.
Invalided out of the police with what she regards as undue haste, and isolated inside herself, her only instinct is to go back and look at the case she was investigating when she was abducted. Going now simply by Boone, she begins, with the help of an old colleague, Barb, to go back over the case files that she was investigating.
Devoid of connections, she is a rogue operator. She takes lessons in Krav Magna to help her feel more secure, but apart from that, she investigates this case with all the finesse of a bull in a china shop, not caring who she upsets or what unwanted attention she attracts.
Where she does make genuine, human connections, though is with women who are living on the edge. There are some remarkable characterisations here and friendships are forged which feel true and important, much more so than any connection she fails to make at home.
Dominic Nolan has written a gripping, pacy novel about the very real and horrible subject of people trafficking and it is dark and violent and at moments, almost unbearable to the characters you have come to care about.
There is no glibness here; no easy answers. Life is hard and those who survive have to be harder still. It is searing, intense and some of its characters are strangely endearing, so that you end up caring about a woman who seems to have no care for herself.
Well written, with darkly funny and believable dialogue, it is the depth of the characters that resonates and the sense of melancholy that prevails.
For a debut novel, it is fantastically accomplished.
March 30, 2019
This read was provided to me for free in exchange for an honest review.
Abigail Boone has no memories before waking up in a dirty flat in England, beaten and bruised. After a harrowing escape which left her maimed and broken, Abigail is trying to put her life back together. It’s been a year, and she still has no memory of her life before that day waking up in that flat. Her husband and son are patient, if weary, of the process and her former life as a detective is over. Boone (as she prefers to be called now), once she is strong enough, begins to investigate what happened to her. She pours her days into rereading the old case file of a missing girl which lead her into being kidnapped that fateful day over a year ago. Following leads and reconnecting with another woman who escaped from that flat with her that night, Boone embarks on a dangerous journey, one in which powerful people will stop at nothing to silence her for good.
This debut novel was a slam dunk! From the intense and gripping first chapter it was a roller coaster of excitement and tension. Having the main character suffer from amnesia was a really interesting take on a thriller that really worked well for the plot line. We were piecing together the story in real time with Boone and it was heart pumping to say the least. Within the story of figuring out what happened to Boone and finding some sort of closure with the missing persons case she was investigating prior to her kidnap and injury, we have the story of Boone herself, struggling to make sense of her new life and the people in it. There were layers of drama that were interesting to unpack. Boone is one bad ass chick; despite all her past trauma she was tough as nails, and almost stubborn to a fault. Her gang of supporting characters were just as unique and eclectic which made for good reading. There was no slow build to action with this book. Boone finds herself in plenty of hairy situations which left me furiously flipping pages to see how in the world she was going to extricate herself in one piece. There were some adult themes in this one so be cautioned if you are triggered by violence and brutality as the fight scenes are pretty intense.
Overall a great read! Make sure to crack into it with plenty of time to devote to reading because you absolutely will not be able to put it down when you start!
Abigail Boone has no memories before waking up in a dirty flat in England, beaten and bruised. After a harrowing escape which left her maimed and broken, Abigail is trying to put her life back together. It’s been a year, and she still has no memory of her life before that day waking up in that flat. Her husband and son are patient, if weary, of the process and her former life as a detective is over. Boone (as she prefers to be called now), once she is strong enough, begins to investigate what happened to her. She pours her days into rereading the old case file of a missing girl which lead her into being kidnapped that fateful day over a year ago. Following leads and reconnecting with another woman who escaped from that flat with her that night, Boone embarks on a dangerous journey, one in which powerful people will stop at nothing to silence her for good.
This debut novel was a slam dunk! From the intense and gripping first chapter it was a roller coaster of excitement and tension. Having the main character suffer from amnesia was a really interesting take on a thriller that really worked well for the plot line. We were piecing together the story in real time with Boone and it was heart pumping to say the least. Within the story of figuring out what happened to Boone and finding some sort of closure with the missing persons case she was investigating prior to her kidnap and injury, we have the story of Boone herself, struggling to make sense of her new life and the people in it. There were layers of drama that were interesting to unpack. Boone is one bad ass chick; despite all her past trauma she was tough as nails, and almost stubborn to a fault. Her gang of supporting characters were just as unique and eclectic which made for good reading. There was no slow build to action with this book. Boone finds herself in plenty of hairy situations which left me furiously flipping pages to see how in the world she was going to extricate herself in one piece. There were some adult themes in this one so be cautioned if you are triggered by violence and brutality as the fight scenes are pretty intense.
Overall a great read! Make sure to crack into it with plenty of time to devote to reading because you absolutely will not be able to put it down when you start!
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