. Ding Mo is one of my favourite authors and Memory Lost is a hidden gem if you want a mix of psychology, criminal investigation, suspense, friendship and romance.
I regret watching the drama before taking this up because 99% of the plot is similar to what was portrayed in the drama. I kinda set myself up for all the spoilers while reading this lol.
I was ready to reward this with five stars but the reason I gave it a four was because I felt like there were some loose ends that were left untied and the ending seemed to be rushed. I honestly don't know if it was just me but a lot seemed to happen in the last few chapters.
The book progressed at a really comfortable pace from the beginning but it was only at the end that it felt like the plot began sprinting for a marathon.
I wanted to know what actually happened when she went undercover but that part was just brushed over. Why did 'A' call Su Mian "Big Sister"? Why did Han Chen's mother not favour Su Mian and hid her identity? Did his mother finally accept her? What actually happened to the original BJX?
It might be tiny, miniscule questions which most readers won't even notice, but unfortunately I'm too curious *face-palm.
But do not miss out on this book, it's definitely a ride! You won't be able to leave this halfway and it's a page turner.
Han Chen and Su Mian are 'the' couple. They throw 'dog food' at others 😂 [Meaning; their affection towards each other makes others realise that they're single and lonely].
The FL is not weak in any sense, but that doesn't mean that she's perfect. Su Mian is probably one of the most realistic character since she too strives to work hard and get to the top but is often met by setbacks. She feels sad, discouraged even, but she gets back up and continues until she accomplishes her goals.
She's a Criminal Psychologist and she definitely knows that she's one of the best out there.
Plus, Ji Bai and Bo Jin Yan from When A Snail Falls In Love and When He Comes, Close Your Eyes [Love Me If You Dare] are mentioned a couple of times too! *fan-girling moment
✓ HEA ✓ Suspense ✓ Strong FL ✓ Detectives ✓ Not an overly possessive alpha male.
It has it´s ups, it´s downs, lot´s of detective work (super interesting and detailed by the way) and great romance that absolutely twists, plays, breaks and puts back together your heart leaving a weirdly bittersweet feeling in it.
The main characters are lovable and charming (even that damn villain), while de secondary do their job pretty well (I got disguted and attached accordingly).
Of course it is kinda dark (since it´s about murderers, crime and lots of drama) but it has it´s bright, fun and comedic moments.
I do have an issue with how the "attractiveness" or physical appearance of the characters is always emphasis to describe the emotions. It feels overused and really not a good way of describing an emotional response. It distracted me a lot while reading. But it's a minor inconvenience.
So yeah, maybe the ending isn´t that satisfactory to all parties (super breaking my heart ) and doesn´t feel like an end per se but I DO recommend it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Fascinating exploration of mental illness and psychopathy without making the antagonists redeemable or forgivable. The female lead starts as a strong character but eventually her personality gets lost in the romance...which was rather disappointing. The plot progression was quite enthralling and built up naturally over the course of the novel with meaningful themes surfacing. I will say that there is a certain level of desensitization of the main characters to the crimes committed that can be a bit jarring, but it doesn't hinder the flow of the novel.
I really enjoyed this novel. It's my favorite by 丁墨 so far. It's fun, fast, has some great twists and the relationship between the characters's truly captivating. Also, the antagonists are awesome, which is so unusual nowadays. And though the story seems pretty obvious from the start, besides the main facts, most of the time one feels totally lost and confused, love that feeling! It's about two police officers, one focused on criminal psychology and one on traditional criminal research, that have lost their memories due to an unknown accident that happened 5 years ago. He's obsessed about a missing fiancé that he can't really remember and that everybody claims never existed and she's haunted by dark and bloody dreams that seem meaningful and foreign at once . They start working together on a special forces team as they struggle to find the truth about their past while trying to stop an organization of serial killers that might be involved in the incident 5 years ago.
This is now a TV drama on Dramafever where it has English subs. Synopsis: A brilliant police officer has a gap in his memory, and searches tirelessly for his lost fiancée that his family says doesn't exist. At the same time, the lost fiancee also has a big memory gap and can't remember her fiance.
This story is full of action, suspense, mystery and romance.
lol my side-hustle as a professional translator brings me to... interesting corners of the literary world.... THIS IS NOT A BAD STORY THOUGH; honestly it's one of the better ones.