Regular readers of our site will know this about me: I love a good edge-of-your-seat, keep-you-up-at-night, can’t-put-down thriller. I like suspense; I like mystery. When I read the premise of Vicki Hinze’s novel Forget Me Not I knew it sounded right up my alley…
Crossroads Crisis Center owner Benjamin Brandt was a content man—in his faith, his work, and his family. Then in a flash, everything he loved was snatched away. His wife and son were murdered, and grief-stricken Ben lost faith. Determination to find their killers keeps him going, but after three years of dead ends and torment, his hope is dying too. Why had he survived? He’d failed to protect his family.
Now, a mysterious woman appears at Crossroads seeking answers and help—a victim who eerily resembles Ben’s deceased wife, Susan. A woman robbed of her identity, her life, of everything except her faith—and Susan’s necklace.
The connections between the two women mount, exceeding coincidence, and to keep the truth hidden, someone is willing to kill. Finding out who and why turns Ben and the mystery woman’s situation from dangerous to deadly. Their only hope for survival is to work together, trust each other, and face whatever they discover head on, no matter how painful. But will that be enough to save their lives and heal their tattered hearts?
I wanted to like this book and I did. There are twists and turns aplenty and the mystery surrounding the mysterious woman who mysteriously shows up Crossroads Crisis Center is mysterious enough to keep you turning the pages. In other words, Hinze has crafted a complicated storyline that keeps the tension high. Who is this woman? Why does she resemble Susan? How did she acquire Susan’s necklace? Why can’t she remember? Is there redemption for Ben? Can he forgive himself? Overarching all these questions is the secondary mystery surrounding bioterrorism and international intrigue. Told you it was complicated!
I did like Forget Me Not but I have to be honest: I remained very confused throughout much of the story. I couldn’t figure out which bad guys were which nor could I understand their motives nor their methods. Complicated is good for a thriller; confusion not so much; and sometimes it’s a fine line that divides the two. That being said, Hinze’s portrayal of the resiliency of faith when all else is lost, including memory, is a theme that was interesting to explore through the lives of her characters.
Wife and mother, Bible teacher and blogger, Lisa loves Jesus, coffee, dark chocolate and, of course, books. Read more of her reflections at Lisa writes…. Lisa would like to thank Waterbrook Multnomah publishers for providing a review copy of this book!