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Carol Golden #1
Forget to Remember
Carol Golden isn't her real name. She doesn't remember her real name or anything that happened before she was found in a Dumpster, naked and unconscious, on the beautiful Palos Verdes Peninsula in Southern California.After helping her get some initial medical treatment, government at all levels officially declares her a non-person and doesn't want anything more to do with her. She can't work because she doesn't have a Social Security number, which she can't get because she doesn't have a birth certificate. She can't get a driver's license, and, having no I.D. she can't fly.Fortunately, she receives help from Rigo Ramirez, the young man who found her, and his family. Frances Moran, a genetic genealogist who is an expert at identifying and finding people using DNA and the Internet, offers her services, but nobody appears to be looking for Carol. Nobody, that is, except whoever left her for dead. Is this person going to return to finish the job?Carol must overcome the obstacles placed in her path by an unfeeling bureaucracy while she searches for clues to her identity. If the law doesn’t protect her, why should she stay within the law? In addition, as her situation gets publicized, the risk of her attacker finding out that she’s still alive increases.Carol discovers that she’s an “action kind of girl” who doesn’t take kindly to being told what she can’t do, which is just about everything. She realizes that if she’s going to find out who she is, she has to travel to the East Coast and England and do whatever else needs to be done, regardless of the risks.
251 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 21, 2010
19 people are currently reading
204 people want to read
About the author
Alan Cook
48 books70 followersAlan Cook is an author of mystery/suspense novels and young adult/Children's books. However, his latest novel is a comedy, ROCKY ROAD TO DENVER, set in 1968. His novella, DEATH AT MONKSREST, takes place in England in the 1960s and is the third book of the Charlie and Liz series. EAST OF THE WALL takes places in East Germany in 1963 when the Berlin Wall was up. It is the second book in the Charlie and Liz series. TRUST ME IF YOU DARE, the first Charlie and Liz novel, takes place in 1962 in the U.S. and Cuba. YOUR MOVE is the seventh Carol Golden book. A serial killer is on the loose. FOOL ME TWICE is the sixth Carol Golden book. It deals with scams, and we've all been fooled. GOOD TO THE LAST DEATH is the fifth Carol Golden novel. It deals with junk science. HIT THAT BLOT, with a backgammon theme, is the fourth Carol Golden novel. DANGEROUS WIND is the third Carol Golden novel. It takes place on all seven continents. RELATIVELY DEAD and FORGET TO REMEMBER, the first two, are about a young woman who loses her memory and calls herself Carol Golden. His short story, "Checkpoint Charlie," is in the anthology, MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA PRESENTS ICE COLD: TALES OF INTRIGUE FROM THE COLD WAR, edited by Jeffery Deaver and Raymond Benson. PICTURELAND, is a Young Adult novel that takes place in a dystopian world. DANCING WITH BULLS, his first children's book, takes place at Knossos Palace on the island of Crete 4,000 years ago. YOUR MOVE is he seventh Carol Golden book, in which Carol is asked to help track down a serial killer. RUN INTO TROUBLE has won a Silver Quill award from the American Author's Association and was named best Pacific West book by Reader Views. It is about an ultra-marathon along the California coast in 1969, during the Cold War. But is the Cold War about to heat up? HONEYMOON FOR THREE, has received a Silver Quill award from the American Author's Association and was named best Mountain West book by Reader Views. WALKING THE WORLD: MEMORIES AND ADVENTURES has been named one of the "Top 10 Walking Memoirs and Tales of Long Walks" by walking.about.com
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
February 16, 2011
A very intriguing and entertaining mystery, the first I've read by this author, though he has written several books. Alan Cook knows how to engage his readers and keep them guessing.
The plot opens with the discovery by a restaurant kitchen worker of a naked bloody body of a female in a dumpster behind the restaurant. There is a slight pulse and she is transported to the hospital. Once she comes back to consciousness, she has amnesia, no memory of either her past or what happened to her. And so the mystery begins.
Rigo, who found the girl, feels a need to become her protector and feels responsible for taking care of her once she is released from the hospital. Because he lives with his parents, they invite her to stay with them, she has nowhere else to go and no identity. In fact, because she has amnesia and no one has reported a girl missing, no ID was found at the scene, she has become a non-person. This is significant because as a non-person she can not become a "person", not a citizen of anywhere, no fingerprints on file, she can not get proof of birth, driver's license, can not travel anywhere, and literally has no record of ever existing. This particular subject of the plot made me wonder how many people in the world are "non-persons" for whatever reason.
She decides to go by the name of Carol Golden for the time being. Little by little she comes up with a thought that makes her wonder if it's a memory. Playing a game with Rigo she finds herself thinking in binary and realizes she must have been proficient at math. California doesn't feel right as where she lived, she feels more drawn to the east. I was fascinated with this process in the book. I think Alan Cook was very diligent in dealing with this process. I don't think I found any anachronisms overlooked as hidden memories, that is to say I don't think anything was said or thought of out of context.
A few searches for missing people do not turn up any leads, but a friend of Rigo's family has more connections and ideas and locates a possibility in North Carolina. The lawyer for that case sends Carol papers so she can fly out east. However, the missing girl's grandmother says no, this is not Cynthia. A dead end. But she now has a feeling she was recently in England. Especially when she rents a car and finds herself looking for a standard gear shift on her left, and feels she should be driving on the right. Carol is determined to follow her feelings, and follow them she does. With the papers and money the lawyer has supplied her with, she heads to England.
Memories begin to become more cohesive though the mystery deepens as she struggles with the fact that her attack was not a one-time thing and she is still very much in danger. Will she find out the truth of her identity? Will she find her attacker or worse, will he find her? Or is he stalking her even now.
This book has a lot of interesting detail, the unraveling of the mystery of Carol's identity and the final outcome bring the book to a fast-paced, exciting and surprising conclusion. A well plotted story I really enjoyed.
The plot opens with the discovery by a restaurant kitchen worker of a naked bloody body of a female in a dumpster behind the restaurant. There is a slight pulse and she is transported to the hospital. Once she comes back to consciousness, she has amnesia, no memory of either her past or what happened to her. And so the mystery begins.
Rigo, who found the girl, feels a need to become her protector and feels responsible for taking care of her once she is released from the hospital. Because he lives with his parents, they invite her to stay with them, she has nowhere else to go and no identity. In fact, because she has amnesia and no one has reported a girl missing, no ID was found at the scene, she has become a non-person. This is significant because as a non-person she can not become a "person", not a citizen of anywhere, no fingerprints on file, she can not get proof of birth, driver's license, can not travel anywhere, and literally has no record of ever existing. This particular subject of the plot made me wonder how many people in the world are "non-persons" for whatever reason.
She decides to go by the name of Carol Golden for the time being. Little by little she comes up with a thought that makes her wonder if it's a memory. Playing a game with Rigo she finds herself thinking in binary and realizes she must have been proficient at math. California doesn't feel right as where she lived, she feels more drawn to the east. I was fascinated with this process in the book. I think Alan Cook was very diligent in dealing with this process. I don't think I found any anachronisms overlooked as hidden memories, that is to say I don't think anything was said or thought of out of context.
A few searches for missing people do not turn up any leads, but a friend of Rigo's family has more connections and ideas and locates a possibility in North Carolina. The lawyer for that case sends Carol papers so she can fly out east. However, the missing girl's grandmother says no, this is not Cynthia. A dead end. But she now has a feeling she was recently in England. Especially when she rents a car and finds herself looking for a standard gear shift on her left, and feels she should be driving on the right. Carol is determined to follow her feelings, and follow them she does. With the papers and money the lawyer has supplied her with, she heads to England.
Memories begin to become more cohesive though the mystery deepens as she struggles with the fact that her attack was not a one-time thing and she is still very much in danger. Will she find out the truth of her identity? Will she find her attacker or worse, will he find her? Or is he stalking her even now.
This book has a lot of interesting detail, the unraveling of the mystery of Carol's identity and the final outcome bring the book to a fast-paced, exciting and surprising conclusion. A well plotted story I really enjoyed.
January 11, 2011
What would life be like if you had no identity? Imagine not having a social security number or a driver’s license or even knowing your own name. That situation is exactly what Carol Golden is facing once she has recovered from a violent attack.
Rigo Rameriz is a young man who works as a dishwasher in a restaurant in the Palos Verdes Peninsula in Southern California. When Rigo takes out the garbage to put in the dumpster behind the restaurant he discovers Carol unconscious in the dumpster and calls 911 for help. Carol is taken to the hospital where she recovers her health but not her memory.
Rigo’s family opens their home to Carol who has taken the name Carol Golden. Rigo does his best to help Carol find her way back and discover her identity. With the help of Frances Moran, a genetic genealogist and an expert in DNA, Carol conducts a search but no one seems to be looking for her. The only clue Carol has is that she feels she has spent some time in England.
Finally Frances receives an email from a probate attorney, Paul Vigiano, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The attorney stated that he had been checking Frances’ website on a regular basis and that he felt that Carol could possibly be the granddaughter of his client. The granddaughter, named Cynthia Sakai, had been missing for two years. The attorney must find Cynthia before time runs out. If Cynthia isn’t found her parents estate will be turned over to charity. After discussions between Frances and Vigiano, Frances contacts Cynthia’s grandmother who agrees to a DNA testing.
Eventually Carol travels to North Carolina and meets the grandmother but things don’t go smoothly in North Carolina and Carol obtains the funds to travel and follow in Cynthia’s footsteps to see if she can discover what has happened to the girl. Carol proves to be very resourceful and has a lot of talent in many areas.
To say more than this would give away the story but it is an exciting one and an excellent read. Will the person who has tried to kill Carol attempt it again? Who is this unknown person? Will Carol find out her true identity? Pick up a copy of Forget to Remember and find the answers to these questions.
Rigo Rameriz is a young man who works as a dishwasher in a restaurant in the Palos Verdes Peninsula in Southern California. When Rigo takes out the garbage to put in the dumpster behind the restaurant he discovers Carol unconscious in the dumpster and calls 911 for help. Carol is taken to the hospital where she recovers her health but not her memory.
Rigo’s family opens their home to Carol who has taken the name Carol Golden. Rigo does his best to help Carol find her way back and discover her identity. With the help of Frances Moran, a genetic genealogist and an expert in DNA, Carol conducts a search but no one seems to be looking for her. The only clue Carol has is that she feels she has spent some time in England.
Finally Frances receives an email from a probate attorney, Paul Vigiano, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The attorney stated that he had been checking Frances’ website on a regular basis and that he felt that Carol could possibly be the granddaughter of his client. The granddaughter, named Cynthia Sakai, had been missing for two years. The attorney must find Cynthia before time runs out. If Cynthia isn’t found her parents estate will be turned over to charity. After discussions between Frances and Vigiano, Frances contacts Cynthia’s grandmother who agrees to a DNA testing.
Eventually Carol travels to North Carolina and meets the grandmother but things don’t go smoothly in North Carolina and Carol obtains the funds to travel and follow in Cynthia’s footsteps to see if she can discover what has happened to the girl. Carol proves to be very resourceful and has a lot of talent in many areas.
To say more than this would give away the story but it is an exciting one and an excellent read. Will the person who has tried to kill Carol attempt it again? Who is this unknown person? Will Carol find out her true identity? Pick up a copy of Forget to Remember and find the answers to these questions.
September 29, 2011
This grabs your attention right away. A restaurant worker finds an naked woman in a dumpster, behind the restaurant, unconscious and barely breathing. The restaurant employee, Rigo, is an educated computer whiz, from a well-to-do hispanic family who owns property in an affluent area of the L.A. basin. He becomes attached/attracted to her as she heals in the hospital. She can't remember who she is, or where she's from. He becomes involved in her welfare, and in helping her solve the puzzle of who she is and why someone tried to kill her.
The story line is pretty good, the paths they take to uncover some of the puzzle keep your interest. I liked Rigo, the rescuer, and his family. I actually liked them better than the main character, the amnesiac, who is called Carol. I had a problem at one point early in the novel with credibility in one scene. Carol goes off on her own to check out a lead and ends up in a one-night-stand with an under-handed attorney. It was hard to believe that after her trauma and after an attempt to dupe her, this sleaze-ball attorney would get to 1st base with her. This woman is supposed to have some smarts, so this part of the story was a stretch. If a sex scene had to be included, a more believable scenario would be the victim and her rescuer. Otherwise, it was pretty interesting.
This is an e-book, (99-cents from Amazon) It kept me entertained, so I can't complain .... much.
The story line is pretty good, the paths they take to uncover some of the puzzle keep your interest. I liked Rigo, the rescuer, and his family. I actually liked them better than the main character, the amnesiac, who is called Carol. I had a problem at one point early in the novel with credibility in one scene. Carol goes off on her own to check out a lead and ends up in a one-night-stand with an under-handed attorney. It was hard to believe that after her trauma and after an attempt to dupe her, this sleaze-ball attorney would get to 1st base with her. This woman is supposed to have some smarts, so this part of the story was a stretch. If a sex scene had to be included, a more believable scenario would be the victim and her rescuer. Otherwise, it was pretty interesting.
This is an e-book, (99-cents from Amazon) It kept me entertained, so I can't complain .... much.
January 4, 2022
Carol Golden isn't her real name. She doesn't remember her real name or anything that happened before she was found in a Dumpster, naked and unconscious.
A thought-provoking plot, and is interesting.
A thought-provoking plot, and is interesting.
August 29, 2023
I loved this series. Fun, exciting, suspenseful, violent, perfect.
March 14, 2015
This book started off so well and good have turned into a really interesting crime thriller, but it quickly went downhill. It focused too much on aspects that I thought were irrelevant such as the need to be pretty and the constant references to previously modelling experience, and the need to please and attract men the whole while. I felt that these added little to the story and it would not have made much difference to progress if they were not there. Everything seemed to fall into place very quickly and easily and the main character didn’t have to do too much to find her true identity. The whole brother story was silly and took the whole plot from the believable to the unbelievable. It was ok to read in short bursts but I’m not sure I could have read it without reading other books at the same time as it simply did not hold my interest enough.
January 5, 2012
I think the concept was better than the execution. This would have been a wonderful story if the characters had been better developed. I absolutely loved the chemistry between Carol and Rigo, but Rigo was relegated to the background as Carol went on her quest to find out who she was. Once the pieces of her identity started falling into place, I also would have liked a more detailed family history. Paul and Adam both felt like caricatures of creepy guys who hit on pretty girls. And the ending left me cold.
October 9, 2012
"Carol Golden" is left in a trash dumpster to die, Luckily for her Rigo Ramierez discovers her and calls 911. When she regains consciousness she has no memory of who she is. She is a non person. Rigo saves her from a homeless shelter and they meet a forensic genealogist, who tries to help "Carol" find out who she is. Add in trips to the East coast and a trip London, an airplane crash, a not so dead sibling, and a lot of money. It was a fun read.
August 22, 2011
While I liked the quick fun ride of this book, at times I was bored and found the plot a little far fetched side. There were a number of redundancies and the plot was hard to believe. The basic story was good, and the tec of the writer was fine, but with so many twists and turns it was just unbelievable.
This was a free win on another site.
This was a free win on another site.
January 30, 2012
I enjoyed this book very much, was entertaining, interesting and kept me wondering as to what was going on ---and, the ending surpised me! Liked it enough that I bought 5 more of Alan Cooks books and have them piled up to read!
December 19, 2010
Interesting premise, characters and situations Carol encountered.
May 1, 2011
$2.99 for Kindle - I enjoyed the author's 99 cent books so well i 'splurged' :)
what a find - a quick paced novel that had me guessing.
what a find - a quick paced novel that had me guessing.
June 13, 2011
A page-turner for sure. Entertaining read and well worth the .99 cost on Amazon Sunshine deals.
Want to read
June 15, 2011Intriguing!
September 21, 2011
This was a good mystery. It had a lot of action and some surprises along the way. Likeable charactors (at least the good guys).
October 29, 2011
I got this book from Goodreads First Reads and I didn't want to put the book down. I enjoyed reading about Carol and her adventures to regain her memory. Worth reading!
August 8, 2011
dumb. predictable, flimsy plot. barely worth the .99 i paid for it
September 20, 2011
The plot was ridiculous and far fetched. Don't know why I kept reading it. Guess I just wanted to see what would happen.
March 9, 2014
This was a very interesting book. Very descriptive. Intriguing. Good plot. Great characters. Great ending. Suspenseful. Really liked it!
May 22, 2012
The plot is interesting but the writing is just terrible. I just skimmed through to find out the ending. This author needs a new editor.
March 15, 2013
about a woman found left for dead with amnesia in a dumpster. Very interesting...
September 13, 2013
This started with a good premise: a young girl is left for dead, recovers but has total amnesia. But the story then moved into some preposterous plot lines.
February 7, 2016
For the first few pages I wasn't sure I was going to like -- or finish -- this book. But I am really glad I did. It was a really good mystery/thriller with a lot of twists and turns.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews