At 22:08, Detective Ian Gisbon is murdered.

At the same instant as he dies, on the other side of the country, Suzan Halford is born.

Locked in her head is the key to unmasking Ian’s killer.

All she has to do is grow up and remember.

And be believed.

What’s happening is impossible; it’s destroying her family.

And driving her crazy.

I received a free copy of this book courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review.

Just as he feels the last of his life ebbing away Detective Ian Gisbon locks away the name of his murderer. At the very same moment, a little girl is born, Suzan Halford. Ian is aware of his continued existence, and the knowledge of who his killer is. But trapped in the mind of a baby girl, his ability to follow leads and hunt down the killer is severely hampered. What follows is a trail of devastation and broken families through a second life and pursuit of justice.

Over the years, having started with reading his Andorra Pett series, I’ve now read a range of Richard Dee’s books. These include cosy crime, hard sci-fi and fantasy. I Remember Everything is something different yet again. At its heart, it’s a crime thriller. We know from the word go the identity of the killer. Which is odd for a mystery thriller. We often don’t find out the identity of the killer until the very end of the book. The thing that sets this apart is the inability to actively act on this information. And the fact that he had to find a way to communicate with the person whose body he inhabits without triggering concerns for her or those around her makes for an interesting concept.

Throughout the book the character development is fantastic. We have Suzan maturing from a baby, through childhood, teens and young adulthood. At the same time, we have Ian, so used to being able to say and do as he pleases now constrained – the mind of a middle-aged man, husband and father whose speech and physical abilities are tied to those of the body he inhabits. The story is fast-paced, at no point feeling like it languishes in the growth of Suzan. It’s filled with drama, heartbreak, regret and redemption. A fantastic read with a wonderful story running all the way through it.

My rating: