Title: A Stolen Memory
Author: David Beckler
Series: Antonia Conti #2
Release Date: January 17, 2023
Length: 447 pages
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
****My Review****
Should the management of private prisons be left to a morally debatable company, in which keeping sensitive information is not a priority?
Probably not, but unfortunately, GRM is the company that manages to get that task. In addition, they are planning to introduce an experimental program that will change the memories of convicts, with the ultimate goal of removing all those memories and instigators of criminal behavior.
Sounds utopian, right? But to achieve the desired results, training, knowledge, and equipment are needed, which unfortunately this company does not have. Instead, a confluence of circumstances, corporate betrayals, and information leaks will lead to collateral damage and ulterior motives with deadly consequences.
And maybe sometimes it’s easy to cover up certain acts, but as rumors start to spread, so do dead bodies.
This will attract the attention of the journalist Antonia who will try to investigate what is hidden behind all these murders. How technology is connected to all these deaths. But will she succeed in her intention? What will happen when she gets in the way of the powerful people behind all this?
First of all, it should be noted that A Stolen Memory by David Beckler is the second book in the series. I will admit that some parts confused me. Perhaps it is assumed that the reader is familiar with the first book, so no special emphasis is placed on certain characters and parts. But the backstory was honestly lacking from my knowledge and I had to struggle to understand who is who and what is what. Once, you get a hold of that, the story could work well as a standalone.
The plot itself is quite well thought out and really interesting to read with enough twists and turns. Fairly easy to read, and with well-crafted dialogues that flow somewhat naturally.
Maybe adding more descriptions and details about the characters would have been more effective, because at times I had to stop and think about who is who in this story.
Certain parts of A Stolen Memory by David Beckler did tend to drag on a bit more. But not too much to prevent the readers from finishing. And the unexpected twist at the end is a surprise that will leave you speechless.
In the second half, most of these doubts are clarified and the action somehow speeds up, making the story more interesting to read and the search for the truth makes you turn the pages faster.
As I mentioned above, I was missing a bit more detail about the characters themselves at least at the beginning when I honestly had trouble visualizing them. But as I turned the pages, I got to know the characters and their traits that matched what they said and did.
There were many characters, so I am going to mention only one of them. Antonia is far from a perfect character, but a normal person with many flaws. A person with her own set of skeletons in her closets, but who is trying to face her demons and win this game called life.
I liked the way the intricacies of how processed memory manipulation works were described. Simply and skillfully portrayed and referenced without making the reader feel lost or confused.
Pick A Stolen Memory by David Beckler up if you’re interested in a mystery that can keep you guessing until the end with twists at every turn. An interesting thriller with some science fiction elements that will make you think a little about the world around you.