Memory Book

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 has a condition called alexia sine agraphia; in layman's terms, it means he can still write but cannot read. And his memory has been affected too: although he can quote lines from his high school production of Twelfth Night, he finds himself brushing his teeth with his shaving cream. Even his girlfriend's name--Anna Abraham--continues to elude him.

When Benny learns that he was found unconscious beside a dead woman, he figures he must have been close to solving a case. With Anna working as field agent and two Toronto cops reluctantly sharing their discoveries, Benny pieces together the events that led to a murder-and his own injuries.


Genre: Mystery

"Mr. Engel is a born writer, a natural stylist... this is a writer who can bring a character to life in a few lines." - Ruth Rendell