Backstory : a psychological thriller / William L. Myers, Jr.

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Title:

Backstory : a psychological thriller / William L. Myers, Jr.

Author:

Myers, William L., Jr.

ISBN:

9781608094905

Physical Description:

324 pages ; 24 cm

Abstract:

In the aftermath of his wife's apparent suicide, Jackson Robert Hunter wakes up outside a bar with a badly battered head and no memory. Revelations convince Jackson that his wife's death wasn't a suicide, but a murder, and he sets out to find the killer. While hunting the villain and struggling with his amnesia, Jackson discovers that his own backstory is a dark one, littered with broken hearts and dead bodies: a wife he betrayed; a lover he abandoned; a squad of crooked cops he double-crossed; and a city that lives in fear of his name. Jackson's odyssey takes him from a small town in Kansas to Philadelphia, then back cross-country to Las Vegas. Along the way he encounters a sister he didn't know he had, a niece he failed to save, and a mentor ready to lead Jackson down the darkest of paths. Finally, at the end of his journey, Jackson discovers that it's not another man he's been running to, or from, but his own damning deeds, and the paradoxical redemption they might bring.

Subject Term:

Murder -- Investigation -- Fiction.

Suicide -- Fiction.

Amnesia -- Fiction.

Redemption -- Fiction.

Meurtre -- Enquêtes -- Romans, nouvelles, etc.

Suicide -- Romans, nouvelles, etc.

Amnésie -- Romans, nouvelles, etc.

Rédemption -- Romans, nouvelles, etc.

Amnesia. (OCoLC)fst00807812

Murder -- Investigation. (OCoLC)fst01029788

Redemption. (OCoLC)fst01092243

Suicide. (OCoLC)fst01137578

Genre:

Detective and mystery fiction. (OCoLC)fst01726581

Fiction. (OCoLC)fst01423787

Psychological fiction. (OCoLC)fst01726481

Thrillers (Fiction) (OCoLC)fst01726755

Mystery fiction.

Suspense fiction.

Detective and mystery fiction.

Thrillers (Fiction)

Psychological fiction.

Available:*

Library	Material Type	Item Barcode	Shelf Number	Status
Searching... Avon-Washington Township Public Library	Adult Fiction Book Hardback	120791002980054	F MYE	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

Hunting one killer--he finds another--in the mirror

In the aftermath of his wife's apparent suicide, Jackson Robert Hunter wakes up outside a bar with a badly battered head and no memory. Revelations convince Jackson that his wife's death wasn't a suicide, but a murder, and he sets out to find the killer.

While hunting the villain and struggling with his amnesia, Jackson discovers that his own backstory is a dark one, littered with broken hearts and dead bodies: a wife he betrayed; a lover he abandoned; a squad of crooked cops he double-crossed; and a city that lives in fear of his name.

Jackson's odyssey takes him from a small town in Kansas to Philadelphia, then back cross-country to Las Vegas. Along the way he encounters a sister he didn't know he had, a niece he failed to save, and a mentor ready to lead Jackson down the darkest of paths.

Finally, at the end of his journey, Jackson discovers that it's not another man he's been running to, or from, but his own damning deeds, and the paradoxical redemption they might bring.

A Unique Blend: Perfect for fans of The Bourne Identity as well as fans of Gone Girl

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

At the start of this impressive standalone from Myers (the Philadelphia Legal series), a man regains consciousness after someone repeatedly smashes his head against a wall. He's in a bar where people know him as Bob, a name unfamiliar to him. Gradually, Bob learns that he's in Kansas, and that his wife, Helen, a popular schoolteacher, has recently died by suicide from a pill overdose. As he tries to function in a world he doesn't remember, faking knowledge of his coworkers at a Goodyear tire plant and the nature of his job, Bob becomes convinced that Helen was murdered and that the killer is the same person who recently broke into his apartment. Bob's search for answers takes him to Philadelphia, where his own secret past, involving crooked cops and possibly his own infidelities and life outside the law, may explain what happened to Helen. Myers immediately creates sympathy for his amnesiac lead's situation, and the plot races at a breakneck pace toward the surprising conclusion. Cornell Woolrich fans will want to check out this contemporary noir. Agent: Cynthia Manson, Cynthia Manson Literary. (June)

Booklist Review

An attractive theme: a man awakens from a bout of unconsciousness and can't remember anything, including who he is. Noir master Cornell Woolrich did a haunting turn on the same idea in his 1941 classic The Black Curtain, having his victim walk the streets by day, hoping to meet someone who will tell him his name. This one's a little different. Myers' hero, Jackson Hunter, comes out of his fog with a vision. He's at his wife's funeral. He's sure she's been murdered, and he begins regrouping with a vow to find and destroy her killer. There are heartbreaking scenes, as when Hunter lays her clothes out on a bed and sleeps next to them. And a tantalizing mystery, too: Who entered Hunter's house and left a key on his desk, and what does it mean? This delightfully shuddery mix of detection and woo-woo gives way suddenly to more-hard-boiled turf with Hunter exploring a world of crime and corruption. Readers who like the idea of mixing Woolrich with Chandler will be right at home.