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Unforgettable

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________________________ She remembers everything. She understands nothing. Only a handful of people in the world have a truly perfect memory. Nicola is one of them. It's more of a curse than a blessing - every moment of sadness, embarrassment and unhappiness is burned into her mind forever - so she plays it down, and tries to live a quiet life. But a body has been found, a discovery that threatens to tear her community apart - and reopen old wounds from decades ago. Nicola was a child, but she remembers the night with perfect clarity. Despite that, she never discovered the truth of what happened. Now she must use her unique memory to solve the murder, or watch the man she loved be wrongly convicted of the crime... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What readers are saying about I Know What I Saw "The story is unlike any other I've read...fast paced, thrilling and full of suspense" - 5* NetGalley reader review "I Know What I Saw is one of the best thrillers I have read in possibly years...I would definitely recommend this novel to anyone who loves thrillers. I felt as though I was right there in this book trying to figure out what was going on with the protagonist." - 5* NetGalley reader review "I was drawn into this book from the very start. The pages turned increasingly quickly as my desperation to find out what really did happen in the past just grew and grew. At one point the pages were turning so quickly that it was almost as if they were turning themselves and the page numbers became a blur!" - 5* NetGalley reader review

Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2020

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About the author

Stephen Deas

29 books185 followers
Stephen Deas is an engineer in the aerospace industry, working on communications and imaging technology in the defence sector. He is married with two children and lives near Writtle in Essex.

Also writes as Nathan Hawke and S.J. Deas.

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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
Profile Image for Louise Wilson.
3,794 reviews1,699 followers
September 29, 2020
Only a handful of people have a truly perfect memory and Nicola is one of them. Its called Hyperthymesia which means she can remember everything. But it can be more of a curse than a blessing.

A odd has been found. Nicola remembers the night with perfect clarity. She must now use her ability to,solve the murder from decades ago to save the man she loves from being wrongly convicted of the crime.

The body of a victim who had been reported missing thirty seven years ago has been discovered. Nicola has to sift through her memory to ascertain the facts from those of her family, friends and neighbours thoughts, to try and figure out what really happened. The story is told from Nicolas perspective. The story starts off slowly but it's worth sticking with it, especially for the ending. This is quite and intriguing read. Learning what it's like to have hyperthymesia, it's good and bad points. The story did drag out a bit but it starts to get better around the 80% mark where everything starts falling into place.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #RandomHouseUK #Cornerstone and the authdr #SKSharp for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for 8stitches 9lives.
2,853 reviews1,724 followers
October 1, 2020
Memory is well known to play tricks on us as it certainly isn't infallible, but Nicola, a divorced fifty-something, lives with a life-altering condition called hyperthymesia, which allows her to remember an abnormally large number of her life experiences in vivid detail many years after the fact. It may sound a positive thing but it's a double-edged sword as even if she wants to she simply cannot forget which makes healing from hurt really tough. When her ex-husband is arrested for murder, after a body is discovered, both the police and her husband look to her to recollect events that happened nearly four decades ago; these events will be the crucial piece of the puzzle and will be key to uncovering the truth of the matter. What will her memories of that night over 35 years ago reveal?

Jumping back and forth in time from present-day Nicola to her formative years allows the story to unfold in an immersive fashion and it's impossible not to get caught up in the drama of it all. She finally feels, after many decades of causing her problems, that through her condition she may be able to provide assistance to the police by helping out the case whichever way her memory leans. Was she with her ex that night or were they apart? This is a compelling, exciting and interesting concept for a thriller and it turned out to be easy, fun and light entertainment from the beginning with some twists thrown in for good measure. All in all, it's a quick-paced, mysterious and engrossing story. Many thanks to Cornerstone Digital for an ARC.
Profile Image for Priya Shrinath.
387 reviews17 followers
September 30, 2020
Nicky aka Nicola is now divorced, loving on her own, happy and content with her life. Until one day she receives a call from police saying her ex husband Declan is accused of a murder and he wants her to help him. She's hesitant to meet him because it's been a decade since they last spoke and there's really nothing she could do. Or so she thinks. Dec wants her memory to help save him from wrongful imprisonment. He wants to go back to THAT day when things went south and so she does.

As Nicky begins to remember the events from she and Dec were teenagers, living in a closed community with families and neighbors entwined with secrets, could she be able to spot the murder when it took place?

This is a very intriguing thriller with time lines taking us back to the past and then to the present giving a clear picture of what is going on. As a reader, I felt like an insider capable of reading Nicky's mind and the ongoing investigation.

As for the characters, well Nicky comes out as prickly and short tempered with her rare memory syndrome and Dec is your regular 'man' man. These characters evolve from their teenage self to the present so it helps the reader to study and judge each of them. Since the narrative is mainly from Nicky, it's hard to think of anything other than what she believes.

I Know What I Saw is a compulsive, plot driven thriller with number of twists and turns being thrown at unexpected moments. Many thanks to the publisher for the digital proof. All opinions mine.
Profile Image for Vanessa Menezes.
562 reviews169 followers
September 5, 2020
Nicola is one of the handful of people in the world have a truly perfect memory. With her condition proving to be more of a curse than a blessing, she has spent years trying to live a quiet life.

But a body has been found, a discovery that threatens to tear the community apart. Nicola remembers the night with perfect clarity, but she never discovered the truth of what happened.

When her ex-husband Declan is held as the prime suspect, she must use her ability to solve the murder from decades ago.

Personally for me I felt that the premise of the book was more exciting than the book itself. While there were a few twists and dark elements in the plot, I could not connect with the main character Nicola as much as I would have liked to.

Overall, a decent read but an excellent concept.
Profile Image for Stephanie Kay Pastore.
309 reviews50 followers
January 12, 2021
Oh my gosh this book is so twisty and unputdownable! Nicola/Nix/Nicky has this condition where she remembers every feeling/thought/memory since she can remember. As I started the book, I thought it would be a blessing but as I continued to read (often in horror) I thought it’s more of a curse! I had so many theories and suspicions but they were all obliterated! I cannot recommend this book highly enough!
Thank you so much to Random House UK/Arrow and NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for my honest review!
Profile Image for marjorie hall-venmore.
408 reviews8 followers
September 11, 2020
# I Know What I Saw # Netgalley
The synopsis looked good. Yet at the very beginning I wasn’t sure. However after the first chapter I had to find out what had happened next. It continued like this all way through the book. I would not say it was a book you would struggle to put down but I became reluctant to put it down. A big difference. When Nicola got a telephone call from the police to say they had her ex husband Dec in custody as a suspect for his farther murder Archi Decs farther vanished on his 50th birthday party and was never seen again. Archi Had money and liked everyone to know it. When the police contacted Nicola they let Declan speak to her. He was begging her to tell the police where I was the night of the party. With your memory I know your the only person I could turn too. I just didn’t know what else to do. . She said yes of course even though they had been divorced for 25 years and not spoken for ten. NI cola as a extraordinary memory. Some would say a gift other would say a curse. She’s one of a very few after having spoken to expert after expert. I will say no more because I will not put spoilers in it you just have to read it. Although I say it’s wasn’t a gripping book we’re you just can’t put down. As I have already stated I was very reluctant to put it down. It a little bit like a addiction. I just had to see it through to the end. Although I had guessed the ending half way through the book. So that did not come as a surprise to me at all I actually would recommend it, it actually was a good read
Profile Image for Hope.
19 reviews
October 1, 2020
Nicola has a memory condition that means she has perfect recall of every moment in her life. When the body of a man is discovered, 37 years after he went missing, Nicola must use her perfect memory to save the love of her life from being convicted of his murder. As she casts her mind back to the events of years ago, Nicola realises that she remembers everything but understands nothing, and she begins to wonder whether some secrets are best left untold?

I loved the concept of this book, it was different from other thrillers/ crime mysteries I have read before. The narrative and writing style was gripping and I felt compelled to keep reading. There were plenty of red herrings planted along the way and I suspected pretty much every character at some point during the book. The book was well paced, and I enjoyed seeing the plot come together and recognising how Nicola's memories of the past fitted in with what had really happened. Personally, the main drawback for me was that I found the main character, Nicola, quite annoying. Her thought process was repetitive at times, she was very hasty and she jumped to conclusions too quickly which I found irritating.

Overall, this was a really well plotted book and I look forward to reading more of S.K. Sharp's work in the future.

[Thank you to Netgalley and Cornerstone Digital for granting me access to this ARC.]
Profile Image for Laura Hundley.
839 reviews48 followers
September 28, 2020
I know what I Saw is one of the best thrillers I have read in possibly years. After reading the publishers blurb, I was intrigued. How could someone remember so much but not enough. Well, Nicola is just that person. A body is found 37 years after the person was reported missing. The biggest problem for Nicola is that it is her ex boyfriend who they have arrested. Can she prove he was innocent? Who was the missing person and was there something to hide? While this book does have some adult language and situations, I felt as though the author did an amazing job with time sequences as well as bringing us back and forth between the past and the present. I would definitely recommend this novel to anyone who loves thrillers. I felt as though I was right there in this book trying to figure out what was going on with the protagonist.
Great book from Sharp and I cannot wait to read more.

Thank you to netgalley as well as the author/publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for Megan.
31 reviews
April 17, 2022
“Only a handful of people in the world have a truly perfect memory. Nicola is one of them….A body has been found, a discovery that threatens to tear her community apart - and reopen old wounds from decades ago. Nicola was a child, but she remembers the night with perfect clarity…Now she must use her unique memory to solve the murder, or watch the man she loved be wrongly convicted of the crime.”
What a page turner this was. It’s a well written plot and storyline, and each character introduced in depth. Once I got into it, it was finished in a matter of days. The ending is tied up well, and not what I was expecting. Plot twists all the way to the end! There was the odd confusion when flipping between present day and the past, but probably down to my lack of full concentration. This is not your average crime drama novel, as a lot of them can have similar story lines, and it was great.
4.5/5 ⭐️
1,330 reviews13 followers
November 23, 2020
A novel premise in this story - Nicola/Nix remembers everything that ever happened to her - is this a blessing or a curse? To be able to recall every conversation or situation sounds wonderful but do you always want to remember and relive everything that has happened to you, be it wonderful or distressing?
When her ex-husband contacts Nicola for help when he is accused of murder she is able to give him an alibi for the time she was with him and what she thought was happening in her life, but she can only remember what she thinks was happening at that time, her impressions of what was happening - and this leads to confusion and concern.
An interesting read over two time periods.
Many thanks to Netgalley/S.K. Sharp for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.
Profile Image for Lorraine Woodall.
580 reviews7 followers
September 24, 2020
This was an easy read as the book just flowed.
A unique scenario as Nicola has perfect recall and could remember events in her past as if they were just happening. it was interesting to read about the events from when she was 16 as if they were occurring now and seeing them through her eyes. She was a typical teenager in that she only thought of how things affected her whereas the reader was able to get a glimpse of the bigger picture. When she did look a little beyond face value she had a tendency to jump in with both feet and make assumptions that were not always correct which was slightly annoying but made for a more eventful read.
An entertaining read.
Profile Image for Anne.
528 reviews14 followers
October 10, 2020
I Know What I Saw is an unusual approach to crime solving with the minimum of police involvement. It started off very slowly but improves as you read on. Nicola has an extremely rare condition which means she can recall everything that has happened in her life. However, we eventually begin to see that no-one's memory can provide the absolute truth as we all are governed by our prejudices even subconsciously and so can only 'see' half a story in truth.

I guessed the outcome before it was revealed and overall felt that the plot would serve a TV series better than a book.
Profile Image for Sharon.
956 reviews14 followers
October 12, 2020
I so appreciate the opportunity to preview this book, but, I, afraid it was such a disappointment.

What a fabulous premise though - a protagonist who cannot forget and who remembers everything about every experience throughout her life, including the disappearance of her boyfriend’s dad many years before. Then, a phone call from the police pull her back ..... I was so looking forward to reading this. However, what followed was a very wooden story with one dimensional characters and a boring storyline.

Not for me I’m afraid.
Profile Image for Mana.
919 reviews32 followers
August 24, 2020
Nicola has a perfect memory, so when her ex-husband is arrested for murder, she wants to help, because she can remember every detail about events that happened decades ago.

The story is intriguing enough but Nicola is not very likable, her life is dull - she has good career and a cat but somehow she lives in her youth, long gone past.

Plot has some twists and turns and is good read for this genre.
Profile Image for Bookstagramshaz  Sharon Logue     .
335 reviews6 followers
September 17, 2020
I am one of these people who watch a TV show/ read a book & normally guess Who is the killer before the end........ BUT not this book!! Kept me guessing to the very end and I must have had about 5 endings in my head but none of them correct. I loved that it kept me guessing and wanting to read more. My first time reading this author and won’t be my last. Loved it!!

Thank you for letting me read this and have a chance to review.

#sksharp #iknowwhatisaw #netgalley
Profile Image for Mellissa Bushby.
Author 4 books49 followers
October 10, 2020
I really enjoyed this. Characters are likeable, story engaging and the unexpected twist in the tail makes everything real, bringing the past and present events together nicely. I enjoyed the frequent interplay between then and now, it was done well and made you feel almost as if you were there. Definitely worth reading.

Thanks to S.K. Sharp, Net Galley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for my ARC.
Profile Image for Julia.
217 reviews6 followers
October 12, 2020
Really exciting well written mystery, following the life of a woman who can remember everything that has happened in her life, with clarity as if it's just happened.

Following the Discovery of her ex husbands fathers body, who went missing years earlier. She's dragged into the painful past.

This book kept me guessing right up to the very ending

Highly recommended read

Thank you Netgalley and Publishers for the Arc
Profile Image for sarah lerigo.
346 reviews4 followers
October 29, 2020
Enjoyed this book, thought the plot was different.
The main character remembers everything
So when her ex husband gets in contact to tell her he's been arrested for murder
She starts to unravel, what happened really happened in 1985

Believable characters
Plenty of red herrings
Overall a good read

Thank you netgalley, S K Sharp and publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.
57 reviews1 follower
October 31, 2020
While I really enjoyed reading about Nicola's memory condition and I found the detailed descriptions of past events to be interesting, I just couldn't get into this book. I found Nicola quite difficult to like and this made the novel feel a bit slow. The ending was good - but not the shock/plot-twist I was hoping for!

Thank you to Arrow and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy!
Profile Image for Billie.
5,790 reviews71 followers
February 9, 2021
This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.
Profile Image for Sue Wallace .
7,493 reviews144 followers
May 8, 2022
I know the truth by S K Sharp.
She remembers everything. She understands nothing.Only a handful of people in the world have a truly perfect memory. Nicola is one of them.
A really good read. Great story. 4*.
Profile Image for TBHONEST.
885 reviews11 followers
August 13, 2020
I Know What I Saw is an intriguing read. Original plot and an absolutely fascinating protagonist in Nicola who readers will either connect with easily or not at all.
Profile Image for Michelle Fairchild.
495 reviews4 followers
October 5, 2020
Intriguing but it fizzles out pretty quick. Nicola's condition is fascinating. However, the murder story did not live up to expectations. Even Nicola's character seems to change from a confidant person who knew exactly what type of gift or curse she holds, became very demure and insecure with herself as the story continues. The ending left me feeling robbed of what was supposed to be a good story. As the thriller genre is overly crowded, this story did not stand out.

Thank you to the Random House UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
19 reviews
May 23, 2021
The plot is quite original, but I'd not call it page turning. Everything is mostly clear at the beginning of the second half of the story. Nice but nothing else!
Profile Image for Fiona Campbell.
195 reviews3 followers
March 12, 2021
I really liked the premise of this book. Nicky has a condition called hyperthymesia meaning she has an amazing memory. So, when police ask her to give a statement based on a night many years earlier, she has no problem recounting every detail. Her ex husband, Declan, has been accused of the murder of his father, Arty Robbins.

The narrative alternates between 1985 and 2020, as Nicky works through her memories and tries to find out who was responsible for the murder.

I particularly liked the portrayal of Nicky and Declan's relationship. It is obvious that she still loves him, but harbours resentment for an event which may not have been what she thinks she saw. The relationship between Nicky and her friend, Kat was also well written.

Overall, I felt the pace was too slow at the beginning at the novel, but the final section was engaging as the story starts to resolve and we find out who is responsible for the crime. It was a good read, but I felt it had the potential to be more gripping and full of suspense.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Profile Image for Victoria Wilks.
298 reviews6 followers
February 23, 2021
Nicola has a somewhat rare condition, one that allows her to remember her entire life in perfect clarity.
When the body of a man who was reported missing 35 years ago is discovered, the deceased's son - Nicola's ex-husband, who was her boyfriend at the time of the event is arrested and charged with the murder. When Declan call's Nicola in with the hope that her recollection of that time will provide him with an alibi, will it all go the way in which he hopes?

This was certainly more of a mystery than a thriller in my opinion, but I thoroughly enjoyed it none the less!. The characters are fascinating and wonderfully developed. With a strong, well paced storyline, this is most certainly an enjoyable book.
917 reviews7 followers
January 24, 2021
I have to admit one of the first things I did when I started reading this book was to check if hyperthymesia actually is a medical condition... and it is. So that made me very interested in the outcome but unfortunately the story became too bogged down in Nicola’s memories and ended up hating the condition almost as much as she did. It wasn’t that the plot wasn’t interesting and intriguing but it could have been a lot more concise than it was
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews