Synopsis
Nostalgia Man,
in Henley-on-Thames.
Without memory, we are nothing.
Paul S. Bradley
This fictional novel is the first of a trilogy exploring memory. The series follows Oliver Matthews' emotional and self-reflective journey as he grapples with his past and attempts to unravel the mysteries of his youth.
In the late 1960s, Oliver, now a retired detective Chief Superintendent, fell in love with three beautiful women. Two left their mark on the man he became, but the third ended acrimoniously. He vaguely recalled leaving town the next day with a heavy sense of shame, never to return. His self-inflicted penance was to quit drinking, remain celibate, and dedicate himself to a police career, only to be plagued by a disturbing vision.
After fifty-six years of failing to interpret its meaning, he returns to Henley-on-Thames, where it all began to investigate the probable cause.
Assessment:
Plot/Idea: Retired Detective Chief Superintendent Oliver Matthews can’t remember what he did one night in the 1960s, but it must be bad because a recurring vision of arms reaching for a young woman fills him with confusion and dread. When he returns to his hometown for answers in a race against his fading memory, he faces the possibility that he might not like what he learns about himself. Experiencing his first few memory journeys in detail would hook readers.
Prose: Bradley weaves together an intricate and psychologically complex page turner.
Originality: This unique mystery is a meditation on the nature of memory itself. As Oliver retraces a lost night from the past, it unfurls more questions, as well as hidden treasures.
Character/Execution: Oliver is a fractured, multilayered protagonist who balances on a knife’s edge between hero and villain, keeping readers guessing up until the conclusion.
Date Submitted: August 30, 2024
