The Forgetting Place: A Novel

by John Burley Narrated by Hillary Huber, James Fouhey

Overview

A female psychiatrist at a state mental hospital finds herself at the center of a shadowy conspiracy in this dark and twisting tale of psychological suspense from the author of The Absence of Mercy.

Menaker State Hospital is a curse, a refuge, a prison, a necessity, a nightmare, a salvation.

When Dr. Lise Shields arrived at the correctional psychiatric facility five years ago, she was warned that many of its patients-committed by Maryland's judicial system for perpetrating heinous crimes-would never leave.

But what happens when a place like Menaker is corrupted, when it becomes a tool to silence the innocent, conceal an injustice, contain a secret? Why is it that the newest patient does not seem to belong there, that the hospital administrator has fallen silent, and that Lise is being watched by two men with seemingly lethal intent? The answers are closer than she realizes and could cost her everything she holds dear.

In this chilling follow-up to The Absence of Mercy, author John Burley-a master at medical and psychological detail-showcases the many ways in which the dangers of the outside world pale in comparison to the horrors of the human mind.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

★ 12/15/2014
Burley follows his fine debut, 2013’s The Absence of Mercy, with an even more impressive psychological thriller. Menaker State Hospital in Maryland houses those who are not fit for society, especially those whom society wishes to forget. Dr. Lise Shields, a member of Menaker’s psychologist team since receiving her medical license, works with patients who will likely never recover, or even improve discernibly. Nevertheless, she’s content with her routine—until she gets a new patient, Jason Edwards, who arrives unannounced and without documentation. Though she’s immediately suspicious, she can’t help bonding with her amiable, good-looking, but reticent patient. As her doubts about Jason’s institutionalization increase, so do the efforts of Menaker’s chief medical officer, Dr. Charles Wagner, to tamp down her investigations. Burley, himself a physician, renders the manifestations of psychological illness in such a way that both Lise and the reader must confront the terrifying nature of reality itself. Agent: Paul Lucas, Janklow & Nesbit Associates. (Feb.)

From the Publisher

The Forgetting Place is a deep dive into the darkest recesses of the human psyche. Surprises wait at every turn.” — Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of Crazy Love You

“Layered and evocative - an intelligent, powerful read.” — Sophie Littlefield, bestselling author of The Missing Place

“Will send chills down your spine. A taut psychological thriller.” — Alice LaPlante, New York Times bestselling author of A Circle of Wives

“[An] impressive psychological thriller . . . Burley, himself a physician, renders the manifestations of psychological illness in such a way that both Lise and the reader must confront the terrifying nature of reality itself.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Sophie Littlefield

Layered and evocative - an intelligent, powerful read.

Alice LaPlante

Will send chills down your spine. A taut psychological thriller.

Lisa Unger

The Forgetting Place is a deep dive into the darkest recesses of the human psyche. Surprises wait at every turn.

Kirkus Reviews

2014-11-29
Sometimes forgetting is the only defense a troubled mind can mount against the body's sins.Menaker State Hospital is an eerie place. Originally an asylum for the mentally ill, its Gothic buildings now house a psychiatric correctional facility that secures patients too troubled to roam the prison population. Young Dr. Lise Shields finds refuge within its walls—that is, until Jason Edwards arrives. Without papers, without any medical history, Jason fascinates and frustrates Lise: How can she help him if she doesn't know why he's here? Her superintendent, Dr. Wagner, refuses to say much more than that Jason's presence at Menaker is related to the murder of his domestic partner, Amir Massoud. Careful and self-disciplined to a fault (she even surreptitiously trashes the small treats her local barista gives her each morning), Lise questions Jason, who tells her about the lost sister who protected him from homophobic bullies but doesn't tell her why he's at Menaker. Lise suspects larger forces are at work when she notices a man in a fedora following her home. Soon enough, two FBI agents contact her, warning that she's endangered herself by helping Jason and that Jason's sister—a CIA agent—murdered Amir, letting Jason take the fall. Can anyone at Menaker be trusted? Determined to rescue Jason and discover the truth about his sister, Lise must also journey into her own past and into memories of her difficult father, passive mother and unstable uncle Jim, a schizophrenic who inspired her to become a psychiatrist. Burley (Absence of Mercy, 2013) deftly twists this psychological thriller, threading his tale with clues that add up to a stunning revelation. Dark, intricate and compelling.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170122578
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	03/22/2016
Edition description:	Unabridged

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