The Forgetting Place - by John Burley (Paperback)

About the Book

A female psychiatrist at a state mental hospital finds herself at the center of a shadowy conspiracy in this dark and twisting tale of psychological suspense from the author of The Absence of Mercy.

Menaker State Hospital is a curse, a refuge, a prison, a necessity, a nightmare, a salvation.

When Dr. Lise Shields arrived at the correctional psychiatric facility five years ago, she was warned that many of its patients-committed by Maryland s judicial system for perpetrating heinous crimes-would never leave.

But what happens when a place like Menaker is corrupted, when it becomes a tool to silence the innocent, conceal an injustice, contain a secret? Why is it that the newest patient does not seem to belong there, that the hospital administrator has fallen silent, and that Lise is being watched by two men with seemingly lethal intent? The answers are closer than she realizes and could cost her everything she holds dear.

In this chilling follow-up to The Absence of Mercy, author John Burley a master at medical and psychological detail showcases the many ways in which the dangers of the outside world pale in comparison to the horrors of the human mind."

Book Synopsis

A female psychiatrist at a state mental hospital finds herself at the center of a shadowy conspiracy in this dark and twisting tale of psychological suspense from the author of The Absence of Mercy.

Menaker State Hospital is a curse, a refuge, a prison, a necessity, a nightmare, a salvation.

When Dr. Lise Shields arrived at the correctional psychiatric facility five years ago, she was warned that many of its patients-committed by Maryland's judicial system for perpetrating heinous crimes-would never leave.

But what happens when a place like Menaker is corrupted, when it becomes a tool to silence the innocent, conceal an injustice, contain a secret? Why is it that the newest patient does not seem to belong there, that the hospital administrator has fallen silent, and that Lise is being watched by two men with seemingly lethal intent? The answers are closer than she realizes and could cost her everything she holds dear.

In this chilling follow-up to The Absence of Mercy, author John Burley--a master at medical and psychological detail--showcases the many ways in which the dangers of the outside world pale in comparison to the horrors of the human mind.

From the Back Cover

Menaker State Hospital is a curse, a refuge, a prison, a necessity, a nightmare, a salvation

When Dr. Lise Shields arrived at the correctional psychiatric facility five years ago, she was warned that many of its patients--committed by Maryland's judicial system for perpetrating heinous crimes--would never leave.

But what happens when a place like Menaker is corrupted, when it becomes a tool to silence the innocent, conceal injustice, contain secrets? Why is it that the newest patient does not seem to belong there, that the hospital administrator has fallen silent, and that Lise is being watched by two men with seemingly lethal intent? The answers are closer than she realizes and could cost her everything she holds dear.

In this chilling follow-up to The Absence of Mercy, author John Burley--a master of medical and psychological detail--showcases the many ways in which the dangers of the outside world pale in comparison to the horrors of the human mind.

Review Quotes

"The Forgetting Place weaves a tangled web of deception around its protagonists . . . Burley, a trauma center physician, ramps up the suspense till the last page, taking unexpected turns and convincingly probing the depths of the human mind." - Cleveland Plain Dealer
"Will send chills down your spine. A taut psychological thriller." - Alice LaPlante, New York Times bestselling author of A Circle of Wives
"[An] impressive psychological thriller . . . Burley, himself a physician, renders the manifestations of psychological illness in such a way that both Lise and the reader must confront the terrifying nature of reality itself." - Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Forgetting Place
"[An] impressive psychological thriller . . . Burley, himself a physician, renders the manifestations of psychological illness in such a way that both Lise and the reader must confront the terrifying nature of reality itself." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Burley deftly twists this psychological thriller, threading his tale with clues that add up to a stunning revelation. Dark, intricate and compelling." - Kirkus Reviews on The Forgetting Place
"There is no other word than enthralled to describe exactly how the reader will feel the moment they begin this amazing book. . . . A fantastic psychological ride . . . this is one author that can scare you to death." - Suspense Magazine on The Forgetting Place
"In the tradition of Robin Cook and Kathy Reichs, John Burley brings murder to small town America. And like those bestselling novels, The Absence of Mercy is written by an expert who can also tell a really good tale. This one oozes authenticity." - Ace Atkins, New York Times bestselling author on The Absence of Mercy
"Riveting, disturbing and complex, John Burley's The Absence of Mercy is impossible to put down. The suspense starts early and is unrelenting until the very end." - Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author on The Absence of Mercy
"Layered and evocative - an intelligent, powerful read." - Sophie Littlefield, bestselling author of The Missing Place
"The Forgetting Place is a deep dive into the darkest recesses of the human psyche. John Burley's deftly written and briskly plotted story unsettles as he guides us through the twisting and labyrinthine corridors of mental illness, where the ground rumbles beneath our feet and surprises wait at every turn." - Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of Crazy Love You
"The Forgetting Place is a deep dive into the darkest recesses of the human psyche. Surprises wait at every turn." - Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of Crazy Love You
"Layered and evocative - an intelligent, powerful read." - Sophie Littlefield, bestselling author of The Missing Place
"A true psychological thriller down to its very core . . . will both thrill you and cause you to turn away at the same time, this is one debut novel that will definitely make you lock your windows and doors in suburbia before heading off to bed." - Suspense Magazine on The Absence of Mercy
"From the ominous first line to the haunting epilogue, John Burley catapults the reader into a chiller of a debut thriller. Harlan Coben meets Patricia Cornwell in an idyllic suburbia stalked by a predator that will leave an indelible mark long after the final page is turned." - Wendy Corsi Staub, New York Times bestselling author on The Absence of Mercy
"It's become a cliché to say you read a book in one sitting, and it's not true here. I had to get up in the middle of The Absence of Mercy for a drink to calm my nerves." - Linwood Barclay, New York Times bestselling author on The Absence of Mercy
"Will send chills down your spine. A taut psychological thriller, The Absence of Mercy delves into the hearts and minds of a variety of characters in a small Ohio town, and pushes the boundaries of our understanding of the lengths a parent will go to protect their child." - Alice LaPlante, New York Times bestselling author on The Absence of Mercy