Yesterday

By: Felicia Yap

Narrated by: Rory Kinnear

In this heart-pounding mystery, a woman is found dead—but in a society where only the privileged have memories longer than a day, the chances of solving the crime seem futile.

Imagine a world in which classes are divided not by wealth or religion but by how much each group can remember. Monos, the majority, have only one day's worth of memory; elite Duos have two. In this stratified society, where Monos are excluded from holding high office and demanding jobs, Claire and Mark are a rare mixed marriage. Clare is a conscientious Mono housewife, Mark a novelist-turned-politician Duo on the rise. They are a shining example of a new vision of tolerance and equality-until...

A beautiful woman is found dead, her body dumped in England's River Cam. The woman is Mark's mistress, and he is the prime suspect in her murder. The detective investigating the case has secrets of his own. So did the victim. And when both the investigator's and the suspect's memories are constantly erased -- how can anyone learn the truth?

Told from four different perspectives, that of Mark, Claire, the detective on the case, and the victim -- Felicia Yap's staggeringly inventive debut leads us on a race against an ever-resetting clock to find the killer. With the science-fiction world-building of Philip K. Dick and the twisted ingenuity of Memento, Yesterday is a thriller you'll never forget.

Critic reviews

"To tantalizing degrees, Yap reinvents the unreliable narrator by ingeniously weaving together true, imagined and fabricated back stories."—Lloyd Sachs, Chicago Tribune

"If you're into salacious plots, clever twists, and a mysterious murder, search no more."—Marie Claire

"Suspenseful, thought-provoking and uniquely relevant as it explores the pliability of memory, fidelity and factuality"—Family Circle

"Yap is a smart, swift plotter. . . . Remember her name."—Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times

"In Yesterday, Felicia Yap's intricate and mind-bending debut, there's murder with malice aforethought afoot and an ambitious, chess-obsessed detective on the case. But in Yap's imagined world, unusual challenges abound... In a novel with not one but four unreliable narrators at its core, you pretty much just have to strap in and go along for the bumpalicious ride."—Daneet Steffans, Seattle Review of Books

"The thriller of the summer"—The Guardian [UK]

"[An] ingenious debut...Yap fully exploits her provocative premise."—Publishers Weekly [starred review]

"First novelist Yap has built an immersive, compelling, and terrifying world where the only truth people know is what they choose to tell themselves. For readers seeking a new spin on the unreliable narrator or fans of stories of self-deception such as Dan Chaon's Ill Will or E. Lockhart's We Were Liars."—Library Journal (starred review)

"Yap is venturing into new genre territory--dare I call it a neuro-sci-fi thriller? An ambitious and fascinating twist on the throwback detective story, where we can't guess who is the killer and who is the victim...and memory itself is on trial."—Sandra Block, author of Little Black Lies

"A compelling debut... The piecing together of disparate memories and the surprise ending to this speculative fiction world will thrill mystery fans."—Booklist

"Makes us think differently, and more deeply, about ourselves from the world we live in... it's a twisty, well-plotted thriller and an exploration of memory itself."—Omnivoracious

"At once a high-concept thriller with a sci-fi premise and an old-school noir, Felicia Yap's Yesterday is a tasty, satisfyingly grounded blend. A rich, rewarding debut that shows the ways that memory can betray us as painfully--and perhaps as inevitably--as those we love."—Andrew Pyper, bestselling author of The Demonologist

"An intriguing, fast-paced thriller that captivated me right from the start."—Kate Rhodes, author of Crossbones Yard

"Hypnotic and haunting, Yesterday confidently blends suspense, noir, and science fiction to construct a truly original, breathtaking story. Felicia Yap's debut is a work of genius."—Hilary Davidson, author of Blood Always Tells

Clever premise

This was an interesting plot. Unique and clever twist. Very creative and makes you think about the importance of relationships and living in the moment.

a great thriller

I enjoyed it. I typically don't enjoy thrillers about mystery murders. This book has the ingredients to keep you interested and also surprised. you won't believe the last bit of chapters. Stick with it!

Good, under-developed story

What an awesome idea: a world full of Monos and Duos! In this alternate universe, the world would be a far different place than what was portrayed in this book. it was a copout to have the only difference be the existence of iDiaries. With my disbelief unsatisfyingly suspended, the story was just interesting. I liked the twisty ending. The author could have had a lot of fun developing the sociological and technological differences of such a world. How about an explanation of how Duos and Monos came to be? I kept waiting for more. It never happened.

Tedious and boring

What would have made Yesterday better?

Indistinct plot complicated by needless detail, drawn out far too long, for far too meaningless of a payoff. With such a great base premise, why not include some of the intricacies of short memory? Sad to see a good idea flushed so thoroughly.

What was most disappointing about Felicia Yap’s story?

Painfully boring plot that drags, and drags, and drags, ignoring the most interesting facet aside from diving headfirst in the tedium of diary maintenance. Listening to a blow-by-blow of an HR meeting would be more entertaining.

Would you be willing to try another one of Rory Kinnear and Indira Varma ’s performances?

Can't blame the performers -- they had terrible material to work from.

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

That whole section between chapter 1 and 31. The story gimmick is a great one. Perhaps the writer should work to to make it a central part of the plot instead of some side distraction.

Any additional comments?

Great idea, poorly executed.