Memory Book

by Howard Engel

Book Overview

Left for dead in a dumpster, private investigator Benny Cooperman becomes his own client in his most puzzling mystery yet. Benny is recovering in a Toronto hospital from a serious blow to the head. He... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786716444
• ISBN13: 9780786716449
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: Carroll & Graf Publishers
• Length: 248 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.9" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

"Memory Books" is especially recommended to mystery buffs

Co-narrated by Ron Halder and Donna White, "Memory Books" by Canadian mystery writer Howard Engel is the story of small-town private investigatory Benny Cooperman who, after being left for dead from a blow to the head by an unknown assailant, wakes up in a hospital and in the middle of a mystery. All Benny can remember is that he was close to figuring out a mystery but can't remember anything else - including the name of his girlfriend, Anna Abraham. To complicate things further, Benny is suffering from a brain injury that allows him to still write, but not be able to read! But with the help of Anna and the use of a small notepad dubbed the 'memory book', Benny engages in some dedicated bedside sleuthing. Author Howard Engel (who in real life suffers a similar brain injury to that of his lead character) has created a terrific 'who dunnit' style mystery with a medical theme that will engage the reader's total and rapt attention from beginning to end. Expertly abridged and originally broadcast on CBC Radio, "Memory Books" is especially recommended to mystery buffs and, with a total running time of 3 hours and 30 minutes, is a welcome addition to any community library audiobook CD collection..

Interesting premise

Oliver Sachs was right. This mystery was approached from a whole new point of view. A detective with a memory problem from a head injury tries to solve the mystery of who and why he was nearly killed. The hospital is the main setting and we see the patient struggle to put things together with an impaired memory. I truly admired the fact that the author wrote this book with an impairment of his own.

Praise Be!! More Cooperman!!

When I heard about Howard Engel's stroke, I assumed that I would never see Benny Cooperman again. However, this author has done the seemingly impossible and given us another great story.Memory Book is different from the other Cooperman novels because Benny has been afflicted with alexia, like Engel. Thus, quite a bit of time is spent with Benny in the hospital, learning how to cope with his altered abilities. However, Benny is just as nosy, persistent and peculiarly charming as ever. He enlists his visitors onto his sleuthing team. The mystery unravels alongside Benny's therapy.We get to see some old, favourite characters and - of course - some new ones. Engel is a master at painting characters with details that leave you feeling you've met them somewhere before. Former Cooperman fan or not, I recommend you spend some time with Benny and his friends as they help to unravel the mystery and have some laughs along the way.

A MUST READ FOR COOPERMAN FANS

if you like Howard Engel and Benny, this is a must read! I had no idea what had happened medically to Howard - so don't read the afterword by Oliver Sacks til AFTER. Let's just say that the fact that Howard even managed to write this book is truly remarkable and shows that he is indeed a master of the genre. The fact that it is a great book where I was totally hooked after 10 pages and the manner in which the plot unfolds - just read it - it's a remarkable achievement and I thank Howard for his courage. Just watch out for those nap times... jb