A couple of times along the way I thought this might end up being a disappointment, but the multiple twists at the end were great!

I debated giving this 5 stars. I really liked the book, once I finally had time to sit and immerse myself in it, but for me...a month to read a book? It simply did not grab and maintain my attention for the first quarter of the novel. It took that long to emerge as something a bit different, worth more than casual attention.

Not your typical psychological thriller, not a typical mystery. The character of Emma was well done, but I wished for more from Chris and Rhoda. Great concept for the story line. Kept me guessing who Matthew could be.

Edit-September 2021
I still think this was a thrilling thriller with a fresh premise and a mind-fuckedness of the unforgettable variety.
***
This novel made me feel A LOT.

Spoiler

The ending gutted me because I was hoping he would get some help somehow. DPD/the recurrent fugue really elicits my empathy and the fact that he lost his roots in his phases and had no identity his entire life is painful to imagine. I can't imagine how hard it must have been to last that long even though he did adapt some crazy ways to survive. He managed some level of kindness/feeling even when you separate the manipulation (It was probably all manipulation) ;(

Phew. This book really had me in its palms and I'll be thinking about its psyche aspects for some time.

3.5 stars. An enjoyable, but not amazing, thriller. I was disappointed by several of the plot twists.

It kept making me think Jason Bourne! Thoroughly enjoyed the English accents. Occasionally the story line was hard to follow jumping between the two main characters. Would recommend!

I really enjoyed this thriller - it kept me guessing the whole time. The characters are well developed and interesting and the story moves at a great pace. I won a copy of this book from Librarything.

As expected, Steadman’s prose is smart and dedicated, but as not expected, the mystery is dull, devoid of suspense, and very difficult to plod through. Information dumps and unlikable characters pile on throughout the second half, leaving the reader with a remarkably unsatisfying climax. Overall I’m in a bit of a shock; the author’s last certainly didn’t take me nine days to finish, and that’s stuck indoors with Covid!

This was tough - I liked the confidential nature of the story telling, like the reader is being told things they shouldn't know...but the pacing was slow and the big mystery was a fizzle. Not one part of any of it seemed believable.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.