The Forgotten Girl

Starred review from April 10, 2017
Canadian author Youers (Westlake Soul) makes his U.S. debut with a paranormal thriller distinguished by subtle characterizations and emotionally evocative prose. Some vicious thugs abduct street musician Harvey Anderson from his apartment building in Green Ridge, N.J., and give him a savage beating. They want to know the location of Sally Starling, a name he doesn’t recognize, even after they show him a copy of the rental agreement that he and Sally signed in 2010 for the Green Ridge apartment. Later, a man, whom Harvey dubs “the spider,” shows up and explains this memory lapse. The spider reveals that Sally used her power to erase Harvey’s memories of her and that he has a similar ability to probe people’s minds. But despite the spider’s best, excruciatingly painful efforts, all Harvey can summon up is a vague recollection of a dancing woman and the boardwalk at Asbury Park. Harvey’s compelling, moving search for Sally and the truth offers everything that fans of intelligent suspense could wish for. Agent: Howard Morhaim, Howard Morhaim Literary Agency.

Starred review from June 1, 2017
Harvey Anderson is a crunchy, granola-type dude: he's a street musician who eats quinoa flakes for breakfast, does yoga, and, most importantly, believes in peaceful resolutions for conflicts. Harvey, still mourning the loss of his mother to cancer 10 years ago, is slowly getting closer to his father, a war veteran suffering from mental-health issues. Harvey's life is pretty routine until the day some goons show up at his apartment door and kidnap him. They want to know where Harvey's girlfriend, Sally, is. The only problem is Harvey doesn't have a girlfriendat least, not that he's aware of. Thus begins a twisty suspense tale that finds Harvey turning from a pacifist musician to an avenging action hero. Even when dealing with some of the plot's more outlandish aspects (psychic powers and mind control), the author keeps the book grounded in his sensational characters. How Youers manages to skillfully weave character development into a book filled with edge-of-your-seat action is a testament to his writing skills. This is a smart thriller that also explores the power of love and memory. Highly recommended.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)