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The Memory Game
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Plot Summary of The Memory Game
"The Memory Game is a flash back & forward look at the life of Jane Martello. Her childhood friend, Natalie, was murdered over 20 years ago & her body is discovered at a family reunion. Jane is divorcing Natalie's brother & the novel unfolds as Jane starts to retrace her life & her interaction with the family. This invariably leads to discussions about Natalie. The family had always believed she had run away but now have to face up to her murder & who did it. As Jane remembers things about her past, she realises she holds the secret to what happened to Natalie. Her revelations are startingly. "
Donna Maroz, Resident Scholar

"A skeleton is found in an unusal place in the garden at the Martellos' house. It is presumed to be Natalie, the missing daughter, who disappeared 25 years ago during a summer party.

Jane, who was Natalie's best friend at the time of the disappearance, is in the middle of divorcing a member of the Martello family, while still trying to remain a solid member of this entertaining busybody family. She finds herself seeking out the help of Alex-Dermott Brown, a psychoanalyst, to see why she is having feelings of emptiness. Alex engages Jane in weekly meetings to see if the repressed memories he believe to exist will surface."

Jenn Moss, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of The Memory Game
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 10%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%




Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain? - Challenging
Time/era of story: - 1980's-1999
What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 50%
Special suspect? - relative
Murder of certain profession? - "All in the family" murder
Misc. Murder Plotlets - "All in the family" murder - solving long-past murder
Kind of investigator - amateur citizen investigator
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot? - feelings of fear/loss/inadequacy
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - artist - engineer
Age: - 40's-50's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
How much violence does he/she use? - none
Ethnicity/Race - British
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - none - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - doctor
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - an above average amount
Motive of antagonist - jealousy
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Setting
Europe Yes
European country: - England/UK
City? Yes
City: - London
Misc setting - fancy mansion

Style
Person - mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - no torture/death - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths? - 1
Sex Yes
What kind of sex: - vague references
Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
Most similar books to The Memory Game
A Fistful of Rain by Greg Rucka
Reasonable Doubt by Philip Friedman
N is for Noose by Sue Grafton
Murder Stalks a Mansion by Anne-Marie Sutton
The Burning of Rachel Hayes by Doug Allyn


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Nicci French Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Sherrie L. Jones  

SCHOLARS:
Jenn Moss  


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