Author: Sandra Block 
Release Date: September 8, 2015
Series: None specified
Genre: Mystery|Psychological Thriller|Suspence
Edition: E-Book (mobi) 
Pages: 368
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Source: NetGalley invitation by Tiffany Sanchez
Buy it here: Amazon

Blurb

Another gripping pageturner featuring psychiatrist Zoe Goldman, the protagonist from Little Black Lies.

In what passes for an ordinary day in a psych ward, Dr. Zoe Goldman is stumped when a highly unusual case arrives. A young African American girl, found wandering the streets of Buffalo in a catatonic state, is brought in by police. No one has come forward to claim her, and all leads have been exhausted, so Zoe’s treatment is the last hope to discover the girl’s identity.

When drugs prove ineffective and medical science seems to be failing, Zoe takes matters into her own hands to track down Jane Doe’s family and piece together their checkered history. As she unearths their secrets, she finds that monsters hide where they are least expected. And now she must solve the mystery before it is too late. Because someone wants to make sure this young girl never remembers.

The Girl Without a Name is a powerful novel of memory and forgetting, of unexpected friendship and understanding…and of the secrets we protect no matter the consequences.

Rating

Review

Plot/Story:

In one sentence- I enjoyed reading Girl Without A Name. Though it wasn’t a complete thriller, still it had its moments where it really stood out. It’s a slow paced story taking the reader through the ups and downs in the life and times of Dr. Zoe Goldman, which I must agree, was quite interesting.

What I really enjoyed about this book is the mystery and how all the small-small elements that snaked around the main plot, came together at the end beautifully making complete sense. Even though I’m a little bit disappointed with the fact that it was a subtle read and not a mind-boggling thriller, I still enjoyed this book, mainly because the ending took me by surprise. And that’s really rare! So, I really like this book.

Characters:

Dr. Zoe Goldman is a memorable character. I really enjoyed her witty nature and stark comments. She felt like a real character and the idea of showing her so vulnerable really managed to make a place in my heart for her (as a character.)

I’ll be reading the prequel to this one soon as I’d like to know what really happened with Dr. Zoe in the previous part.

Romance:

There was no romance worth mentioning but there was quite a lot of emotional stuff involving Zoe, her brother, and her deceased mother. The emotional angle added up to the advantage of the book in terms of character development, as it really added a new layer to Zoe’s character.

Writing:

The writing is simple and subtle and it made reading this book a pleasant experience. It’s good enough that I won’t mind trying out other books by Sandra Block.

Begining:

I was drawn into this book right from the very start. I really enjoyed the quirky banterings of Dr. Zoe. Her wit kept me entertained for the better part of the book. The starting of this book gave me an impression that there is going to be one hell-raiser of a mystery in the later part of the book but, to my annoyance, there wasn’t.

Ending:

The book ended with a real bang but, as I just said, I was expecting a lot more. I initially thought of this book as a thriller mystery but as it turned out it was just a mystery (with nothing really thrilling about it.) And that too a cozy mystery at that. Still the book managed to surprise me at the end, so there’s that to look forward to.

Blurb:

The blurb is good enough, though, I feel that it does give a slight impression that this book is a fast-paced thriller (or maybe it’s just me.)

Cover Art:

The cover art could have been a lot better but considering it’s a mystery read, the fog on the cover really does give an apt impression of the genre (at least.)

Other Stuff

Opening Line: We call her Jane, because she can’t tell us her name.

Highlights: The ending.

Lowlights: Slow pace of the story.

Final Thoughts: A slow paced, enjoyable mystery read.