Mortal Memory

by Thomas H. Cook

Steve Farris believes he has recovered from discovering the bodies of his murdered family as a boy, but the author of a book on family killings proves that the case is still open. By the author of Evidence of Blood.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Suspense, Audiobook, Crime

285 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

There is more than one author with this name on Goodreads.

Thomas H. Cook has been praised by critics for his attention to psychology and the lyrical nature of his prose. He is the author of more than 30 critically-acclaimed fiction books, including works of true crime. Cook published his first novel, Blood Innocents, in 1980. Cook published steadily through the 1980s, penning such works as the Frank Clemons trilogy, a series of mysteries starring a jaded cop.

He found breakout success with The Chatham School Affair (1996), which won an Edgar Award for best novel. Besides mysteries, Cook has written two true-crime books including the Edgar-nominated Blood Echoes (1993). He lives and works in New York City.

Awards
Edgar Allan Poe – Best Novel – The Chatham School Affair
Barry Award – Best Novel – Red Leaves
Martin Beck Award of the Swedish Academy of Detection – The Chatham School Affair
Martin Beck Award of the Swedish Academy of Detection – Red Leaves
Herodotus Prize – Fatherhood

Reviews

[MadameD · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story 4/5
Narration 5/5

Wow! What a story!

[Jeffrey Chase · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 times over, and we're still not done yet. Yes, people, I've read Mortal Memory 4 times. This is my favorite book, written in excellent style, moving, edgy, a novel that you can't put down!
Steve Farris, is an architect/family man, who one day at the office, is approached by, Rebecca Soltaro, an author, who is interested in meeting with Farris for one reason... to discuss the life of Steven ' father, who years ago murdered his family in cold blood. "I am writing a book about men who kill their families," she explains. Now, Steve is face to face with what happened that day. Who was his father? Why did he kill his own family? Why did Steven survive? What had become of his father? As Rebecca takes him into his past, he finds answers, some he needs to hear, some that bring him to question even himself and his own life.
Mortal Memory is an awesome read, highly recommended. It will leave you wowed!

[Gatorman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This earlier book was somewhat disappointing for a big Cook fan like myself. The story and writing were good but the execution just missed the mark. It needed to be longer with more time spent on both the protaganist Steve's prior family and current one for the plot to be truly fleshed out. The surprise ending, while good in theory, was way too rushed and lacked the emotional impact it should have due to a failure to really develop the other characters in Steve's prior and current life. The ending felt as if Cook had a page limit from his editor that he forgot about and when he realized it said, "Oh crap, better end this story quickly!" A very good concept that needed more time to be developed to be really be a great book.

[Prashanth Bhat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mortal memory - Thomas h cook

ಈ ಥಾಮಸ್ ಎಚ್ ಕುಕ್, ಹರ್ಲಾನ್ ಕೊಬೇನ್ ತರಹದವರೆಲ್ಲ ಹಳೆಯ ಘಟನೆಯೊಂದನ್ನು ಹಿಡಿದು ಅದರ ಸುತ್ತ ಕಥೆಯ ರಹಸ್ಯದ ಬಲೆ ನೇಯುವುದರಲ್ಲಿ ಸಿದ್ಧ ಹಸ್ತರು.

ಅವನದೀಗ ಸುಖಿ ಎನ್ನಬಹುದಾದ ಸಂಸಾರ. ಹೆಂಡತಿ, ಮಗ. ಕೆಲಸ,ಮನೆ.
ಆದರೆ ಅವನಿಗೊಂದು ದುರಂತ ಗತವಿದೆ. ಅವನ ಅಪ್ಪ ಅವನು ಒಂಬತ್ತು ವರ್ಷದವನಿದ್ದಾಗ ಒಂದು ಎಂದಿನಂತಹುದೇ ದಿನದಲ್ಲಿ ಇವನು ಪಕ್ಕದ ಮನೆಗೆ ಆಡಲು ಹೋಗಿದ್ದ ಸಂದರ್ಭದಲ್ಲಿ ಅವನ ಅಮ್ಮ ,ಅಕ್ಕ, ಅಣ್ಣನನ್ನು ಕೊಂದು ಪರಾರಿಯಾಗಿರುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಅವನು ತನ್ನನ್ನೂ ಕೊಲ್ಲಲು ಕಾದಿದ್ದನೇ? ಅನ್ನುವುದು ಇವನಿಗೆ ಬಗೆಹರಿಯದ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆ.
ಆದರೀಗ ಕಾಲ ಸುಮಾರು ಕಳೆದಿದೆ. ಅಪ್ಪನ ಕುರುಹಿಲ್ಲ. ಆ ಕೊಲೆಗಳೆಲ್ಲ ಹಳೇ ಸಮಾಚಾರ. ಅವನಿಗೆ ಅದು ಆಗಾಗಿನ ನೆನಪಷ್ಟೇ.
ಇಂತಿರುವಾಗ ತಮ್ಮ ಕುಟುಂಬಗಳ ಕೊಂದ ಕೊಲೆಗಾರರ ಕುರಿತು ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಬರೆಯಲು ಮಾಹಿತಿ ಸಂಗ್ರಹಿಸಲು ಬರುವ ಒಬ್ಬಳಿಂದ ಹಳೆಯ ಗಾಯ ಮತ್ತೆ ತೆರೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತದೆ.
ಅವನಪ್ಪನ ಆ ಮನಸ್ಥಿತಿಗೆ ಕಾರಣವೇನು?
ಅವನಿಗೆ ಬೇರೆ ಸಂಬಂಧವಿತ್ತೇ?
ಅವನು ಸುಖಿಯಾಗಿದ್ದನೇ? ಇವನ ಅಮ್ಮ ಹೇಗಿದ್ದಳು? ಅಕ್ಕ? ಅಣ್ಣ? ಒಂಬತ್ತು ವರ್ಷದ ಹುಡುಗನ ಅರೆಬರೆಗಳ ನೆನಪುಗಳ ಮೂಲಕ ರಹಸ್ಯವೊಂದು ಬಿಡಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಾ ಹೋಗುತ್ತದೆ.
ಆದರೆ ಒಳಗಿನ ರಹಸ್ಯಗಳ ತೆರೆಯುತ್ತಾ ಕೂತರೆ ಈಗಿನ ಬದುಕಿನ ಮೇಲೆ ಪರಿಣಾಮ ಬೀರುತ್ತದೆ ಎಂಬುದನ್ನು ಅವ ಮರೆಯುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಅವನ ಬದುಕು ಅದರ ಪರಿಣಾಮ ಅನುಭವಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ಮುಂದೇನಾಗುತ್ತದೆ? ಅಪ್ಪ ಸಿಕ್ಕನೇ? ಆ ಕೊಲೆಗಳಿಗೆ ಕಾರಣವೇನು? ಇದು ಕಥೆ.
ಥಾಮಸ್ ಎಚ್ ಕುಕ್ ಬರೆವಾಗ ತುಂಬಾ ತಟ್ಟುವ ಹಾಗೆ ಬರೆಯುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಹಾಗಾಗಿ ಅವನ ಬರವಣಿಗೆ ಬರಿಯ ಕಥೆಯಾಗದೆ ಕಾಡುತ್ತದೆ. ನಮ್ಮ ನಮ್ಮ ಮನೆಯವರ ನಾವು ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿ ನೋಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇವಾ ಎಂಬ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆ ಕಿಂಚಿತ್ತಾದರೂ ಹುಟ್ಟುತ್ತದೆ.
ಒಂದು ಕ್ರೈಮ್ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಯ ಯಶಸ್ಸು ಅದು.

[Joe Nicholl · Rating 4 out of 5]

By Thomas H. Cook's eight novel Mortal Memory he had reached his personal writing style...that of family break down leading to violence, the past intersecting with the present, the best prose going (think modern Poe, Updike and Faulkner (Light in August) blended), and tight, taut, mysteries. Mortal Memory is about a father who kills his family except though fate not the youngest son. Years later we look at that son grown up with his own family & career and the daily mental tortures he lives with. I must say the setup of the plot is excellent but the use of over-the-top melodramatic plot-points in the second half of the book weakens the story a bit...But, that doesn't take away from an entertaining page-turning experience. You can definitely see how Mortal Memory led to the better Red Leaves and The Chatham School Affair....Thomas H. Cook is the best writer of the last 30 years hands down and I highly recommend you read some of his novels if you haven't already...3.5 outta 5.0...

[AC · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 — Excellent — an early work, and with a slight hesitation in technique, but still a powerful story; a typical Cook type of tale.

[Konstantina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had a hard time getting into this at first, but I kept reading it and it was worth it!

[Bandit · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 5th read by Cook. This one was very good and exceptionally dark. Now, having read 5 book by him, the patterns or trademarks start to emerge. There is a sense of alienation to Cook's characters and Steve Farris is no exception. It's as if they are not completely present in their lives, more like passionless observers. There is also a sense of the past rising up and threatening to drown the present, which is very much the theme here. I do think the main character could have been more relatable or sympathetic, but it didn't stop the book from being a fascinating journey into the deepest darkest corners of human psyche. The plot goes like this...Rebecca is writing a book about men who kill their families. For her last case she contact Steve Farris, who survived such an ordeal at the age of 9, and thus starts his trip into his traumatic past, which completely rips through the fabric of his seemingly perfect comfortable life and takes him of a quest he couldn't have imagined searching for answers he's finally ready to hear. The mystery of the lot was layered and complex and revealed gradually and slowly, but the ending and its twist were very impressive. The writing is excellent as always. The character studies are sublime, the way Cook gets under the skin of a perfectly average family, peeling back the layers, exposing dark secrets and simmering frustrations...is absolutely superb. Cook writes what could be described as psychological thrillers, with the heavy stress of psychological. Read this in one afternoon. Excellent book. Highly recommended.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 stars

Good story and well-written, but dark and depressing the entire way through. The beginning was a bit slow-going (a lot of narration in some spots, without enough dialog to move the story along), but things picked up during the second half of the book.

When Steve Farris was just 9 years old, he lost his brother, his sister, and his mother in a single afternoon. A neighbor heard three shots and then witnessed Steve's father exit the house, get in his car, and drive away, never to be seen again. Steve believes his life was spared that day only because he had gone with a friend after school instead of going straight home.

Now many years later, Steve is working as an architect and married with a son of his own. Despite his dark history, he leads a "normal" life... until the day a woman shows up at his office to speak with him about a book she's writing about men who kill their families. He subsequently begins to meet with her on a regular basis, making the unfortunate decision to keep it all a secret from his wife. As he and the woman explore his past, Steve begins to finally search for answers about what exactly happened to his family, and why.

[Sunny Shore · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Thomas H. Cooke as a light mystery read, but this one was not as good as the previous ones I read. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it. I think it was too detailed for the story that it was. He did not have to say so much and could've been briefer in his descriptions. Sometimes, a long book with good writing is great and WORKS, but not this time. Very repetitive.

[Elena · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m putting this one up. This is the umpteenth time I’ve tried to read this and this is the farthest I’ve gotten and it’s still just not interesting. I can’t stand leaving a book unfinished but this one is just not holding my attention.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet another great book from THC. I finished this one in two days. There is something about Cook's writing that makes it hard to put his books down. Read on my Kindle.

[Christie (The Ludic Reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of American mystery/crime writer Thomas H. Cook. I found his book Breakheart Hill by chance well over a decade ago and I look for his books whenever I am in a book store. The problem is, he’s very rarely to be found on the shelves even though he is an Edgar Award winner (The Chatham School Affair) and a much-lauded writer. The Los Angeles Times Book Review said that “Cook is an important talent, not simply a plotter but a prose stylist with a sensitivity to character and relationships…A storytelling writer of poetic narrative power. His crime fiction extends the boundaries of the form.” (This is why I hoard the books I find and don’t read them all at once; I have to pace myself so I don’t run out.) Besides the two books I’ve already named, I also really loved Master of the Delta and Instruments of the Night which might be my favourite of Cook’s books. But really, you can’t go wrong reading anything this guy writes.

This much I remembered from the beginning: the floral curtains in their second- floor bedroom pulled tightly together; Jamie’s new basketball at the edge of the yard, glistening in the rain; Laura’s plain white bra lying haphazardly in the grass behind the house, the rest of our clothes, drenched and motionless as they hung from the line above it.

Thus begins Mortal Memory, a story that begins when narrator Stevie Farris discovers, at age 9, that his father has shot and killed his mother, Marie, older brother, Jamie and sister, Laura. The knowledge of this horrific act tortures Stevie, mostly because he doesn’t understand why his father committed such a horrible crime. Wasn’t his family happy?

Flash forward 30 plus years and Steve is married with a son of his own. That’s when he meets Rebecca Soltero. She’s a writer who’s “writing a book about men who have killed their families.” Rebecca’s arrival and her penetrating questions bring all sorts of memories back for Steven. The story seamlessly weaves between past and present as Steve recalls the cracks in the family veneer, which ultimately causes him to examine the fault lines in his own family.

That’s one of the things I most admire about Cook. His books always operate on more than one level. Yes, there’s a mystery – that’s what will keep you feverishly turning the pages, but there is always some sort of family drama, often between fathers and sons, which is carefully and thoughtfully crafted. Another thing Cook does extremely well, is to turn your expectations upside down. Trying to figure out what’s happened is half of the fun of reading Cook, but I’ve never been right once. And I wasn’t this time, either.

So where does Mortal Memory fit in the Cook continuum? Probably somewhere in the middle. Not my favourite – mostly because I didn’t love the resolution – but any time spent with this author is time well spent.

[Géraldine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seul survivant de sa famille, Steven avait neuf ans, lorsque son père a assassiné son frère, sa sœur et sa mère avant de disparaître à jamais. Sans jamais oublier, à l'aide de l'amour et du positivisme de l'oncle qui l'a élevé, Steven s'en est sorti plutôt bien : des études, puis bon job, une femme avec laquelle il reste en connivence, un fils pré-adolescent, une vie familiale sympathique dans une petite ville.

Dans cette vie tranquille, survient une visiteuse, Rebecca, qui écrit un livre sur des pères ayant tué leur famille, et souhaite interroger Steven. L'équilibre de Steven est mis en péril par les questions, les réminiscences nouvelles, les images et informations apportées par l'enquêtrice.

Petit à petit, le lecteur est embarqué. D'une vie saine, l'ambiance s'alourdit peu à peu. Des questions se posent, le mystère s'épaissit. Steven doute, a toujours douté : son père l'a t-il épargné parce qu'il l'aimait ou bien, parce qu'il ne l'aimait pas ? Quelle était sa relation avec sa fille Laura, troublante adolescente ? Leur mère était-elle aussi effacée et éteinte qu'il le croyait ? Ressemble-t-il à son père, lui qui, comme lui, se lasse de sa vie tranquille ? Enfin, pour qu'elle raison un père d'apparence normale décime-t-il sa famille ?

Un livre qui tient en haleine, avec un rebondissement final surprenant - (bien qu'il m'ait déçu.) .

[Em · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a difficult book to read but also a difficult book to put down. The twist at the end was not totally unexpected but not exactly predictable either. There were, however, certain aspects of the plot that brought my review from a 4 to a 3.

It was never clear to me why Steve was reluctant to tell his wife about his meetings with Rebecca even when it later became clear that this was causing problems in his marriage. This reluctance did not seem to have a logical basis, and it ultimately brought about the death of his wife and young son, a tragedy that was too abrupt and, I think, unnecessary. He then blamed his father for their deaths rather than his own reluctance to share with his wife.

The conversations with Rebecca revealed memories that had remained quiescent for most of his life, but the manner in which these memories were brought to the surface was not totally believable. As to the twist, I suspected early on that the father did not kill the entire family, but I thought it was Jamie who began the massacre. Cook’s ending was better.

The book was sad and often difficult to read, but aside from the concerns enumerated in my spoiler entry, it was quite well done.

[Phoenix · Rating 4 out of 5]

The opening chapter is a master class in suspenseful storytelling. Going in I didn’t know what the book was about (I got it from my grandma’s when she downsized and had to get rid of a lot of stuff) and I was totally captivated by this hazy childhood memory that keeps hinting at some horrible event, but takes its time in finally telling us what happened. The rest of the book is a captivating recollection of the narrator’s memories, unexpectedly triggered by just the right questions. Even when the protagonist thinks he has it all figured out, there’s just enough room for doubt to keep you coming back until the end.
I do have one small gripe from later in the book, the deaths of Marie and Peter feel a little abrupt and kind of unnecessary, and the fact that it only takes a few hours for the police to find the wreckage, collect the bodies, and then find Steve - despite this all happening in the middle of the night, seems a bit unrealistic. I feel like the two of them leaving would have been enough but ah well.
Overall this was a thoroughly enjoyable read with a twist that left me holding my breath. Give it a shot if you’re curious!

[Jendi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The sole survivor of his father's supposed murders of their family, narrator Steve romanticizes the crime in order to justify his feelings of alienation from his wife, child, and career as a moderately successful architect in a well-off Connecticut suburb. This being a Thomas Cook novel, of course, you can expect that he turns out to be tragically wrong about the narrative he's built his life around.

I didn't like this book nearly as much as other Cook novels because Steve is such a privileged whiner. Yes, the white hetero American dream is small and pointless sometimes. You could, IDK, develop a spiritual practice? Run for office? Do activism for the less fortunate? Nah, the only way to give your life meaning is to kill your family and escape in a blaze of glory! Great idea, bro.

Obviously Steve is intended to be an unreliable narrator, but the book spends so much time going round and round his self-justifying thoughts (in beautiful prose, I admit) that I was annoyed and bored waiting for the improbable twist that humbled him at the end.

[Peter Toeg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this over twenty years ago and reread it as I am all of Cook's books. An extraordinary author and book.

This is an intense, somewhat dark, psychological mystery centering on a father killing his wife and two children before disappearing.

His grown surviving son, who was not at home for the crime, has married and carried the pain of unknowing and loss for nearly thirty years. This is his psychological journey to seek answers with the help of a journalist/author. The story is intense and painstakingly detailed as the two examine what has been left behind. Cook takes us through the son's experiences mostly through interviews, and we witness the darkness vividly returned.

Cook through his protagonist will get into your head like few authors I've read. He also offers a glimpse into the minds of fathers who kill their families that is startling--and believable.

The ending is shocking and unexpected, a Cook trademark.

A remarkable achievement by an author.

[Andy Plonka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steve Farris finds himself in the midst of a mystery when an author asks to interview him concerning the death of his mother and two siblings who were presumably murdered by his father when Steve was only 7 years old. Steve now married with a son is reluctant to delve into painful memories. Rebecca convinces him to do so provoking a series of events that turns Steve's life upside down. Cook's writing gets your attention from page one and never lets you go. A heart wrenching tale of what could happen to anyone.

[Chak · Rating 3 out of 5]

(No Spoilers.) I am disappointed with 'Mortal Memory'. The premise is interesting but the story is slow and draggy, lengthened by Mr. Cook's great ability to paint details and atmosphere. The ending was conversely tensed but a little abrupt. The conclusion also lacked the impact that floored me like that of 'Instruments of Night'. Overall, an average read.

[Pamela · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF’d at 33%. Cook is a very good writer—extremely good. But this book is just too depressing. Way too depressing. Perhaps if he weren’t such a good writer I would have been able to finish it, but the MC is too real, too….too depressing to go on reading.

May seek out a less weighty example of Cook’s writing.

[Vyas Kumar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book for all those of you who want something psychological and something out of the ordinary but the problem with this book was characters. You'll know when you read it but this definitely is worth the read. No doubt about that.

[Phyllis · Rating 5 out of 5]

father murdered his wife, daughter and one son. one son escaped by not coming home. father disappears leaving all mystified as to motive.
Steve, the surviving son is left wondering why his father did what he did.

[Joana Mae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written just that I wasn’t prepared for this tragedy. Given the title? Yeah. I was hypnotized by this book. Argh! A weekend read i did not plan. I just saw it from recommends , clicked it, got it, read it! The truth do not set you free.

[Chris Toney · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s very dark and a bit disturbing with some real surprises waiting for you.

[Deb W · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very disturbing read, well-written, and well-read.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sad. Good story about obsession.

[Bryce McEnrue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started off with not much dialogue, but quickly grew into a great and thrilling story!

[Ladonna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Totally agree with Gatormans review!

[Didi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ok