Amnesia

De: Michael Ridpath

Narrado por: Seán Barrett

Alastair Cunningham wakes up in hospital with almost total amnesia. But he knows that something terrible happened in his past, something that haunts him still. A young family friend, Clemence, is called in to help rekindle his memory. Retreating with Alastair to his remote cottage, Clemence finds a peculiar manuscript hidden away from prying eyes. Reading the prologue, she discovers a murder by someone very much like a young Alastair. The victim? Clemence's grandmother, Sophie. Could this kindly old man truly be a killer? Clemence becomes determined to find out what happened all those years ago, even if she must risk everything to do so....

©2017 Michael Ridpath (P)2017 Isis Publishing Ltd

So far, not so good

What would have made Amnesia better?

Some indication from the start that it was more than just an old man's frankly boring reminiscences about being a teenager in France. I am thinking of giving up on this book. My thoughts as the story unfolded were, Oh no, not another 'old man' book!
I've just given up completely on The Restoration of Otto Laird.

What do you think your next listen will be?

I'll probably re-listen to all of Mick Herron's Jackson Lamb series which are masterful, exciting, beautifully written from the very first word.

Which character – as performed by Seán Barrett – was your favorite?

I don't have a favourite and can't even remeber any names, apart from Clémence.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Amnesia?

As I've said above, all the stuff about Paris and Normandie which is so clichéd.

Any additional comments?

Sean Barrett is the jewel in Audible's crown so no blame goes to him.

Not even Sean Barrett can save this.

I have read Michael Ridpath's other books and enjoyed them, so, while searching for Sean Barrett's work I spotted this stand alone novel .......Michael Ridpath/Sean Barrett what could possibly go wrong ? Pretty much everything.
I have honestly tried with this, I have made several attempts to listen through it to no avail..its boring, going nowhere, and Clemence is such an inconsistent, artificial character its really irritating when she is in the scene (so to speak). I get that she thinks she is all alone with a murderer in this house but I don't need to be reminded about it on every page. Any real person who was so obsessed with that idea would have upped stakes and done a runner. Its unrealistic and not even the master of narration Sean Barrett can keep me listening. I am sure others will love it but its going back unfinished.