Erasing Memory: A MacNeice Mystery by Scott Thornley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

*I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Erasing Memory is precisely the sort of mystery/thriller I enjoy. It isn’t excessively gory but neither is it saccharine or cozy. It is clearly the first in a series because the author follows not just the murder but the police involved in the solving the murder—something else I enjoy. What I really enjoyed is that the book is set in Canada, my favorite crime series are usually set in California but I’m always excited when authors begin series set in unfamiliar areas (to me) because the best ones explore the murders as a peak into the heart of a region and the dysfunctions that lead to crime that allows the reader to gaze into a world they are told not to look at.

The story itself, without spoilers if I can help it, revolves around a particularly bizarre murder of a young woman in a secluded location. As the detectives look deeper into her life the story takes on a broader perspective and it is easy to lose yourself in the broader story. Which is to say, the murder itself is simple but it doesn’t get the Poirot treatment wherein the story meanders and concludes in an absurd way. Erasing Memory reminds me of the Easy Rawlins series in that the murder isn’t a grand mystery to be solved by little grey cells but rather starts us on a journey and meanders on the way but concludes in a way that feels natural.
Being the first in a series it suffers from the usual hiccups related to needing to introduce the reader to an entirely new world but I thought the author did an excellent job of weaving in enough details of the world into the fabric of the murder such that it feels natural and not overworked. I’m excited to read more in this series and recommend this highly to fans of mystery series who like an immersive world rather than being stumped by a whodunit.

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It looks like this book was released in 2011 so it may be possible to get a copy of the book used but it will be rereleased in June 2018.