Identity questions and layers of lies propel Hannah Mary McKinnon's third psychological thriller, which may begin slowly but soon heats up as it leads to a satisfyingly surprise finale. The quietly measured pace at the start of You Will Remember Me unfolds into complex character studies.
Jack Smith is "The Man from the Beach" because he wakes up on the beach in Brookmount, Md., with no memory, his identification and cell phone missing. With a dim memory of Maine, Jack travels to the small town of Newdale, where he learns his stepsister, Maya, has been frantically searching for him for two years. His real name is Asher Bennett, and he was involved in the deaths of two women. His worried girlfriend Lily also heads for Maine after discovering just how little she knew about "Jack" following her search of his home. Despite feeling betrayed, Lily acknowledges that she also has been lying about her past.
Each character navigates a sea of obsession and deception, with past crimes threatening to overwhelm the present. Asher's relationships with Maya and Lily appear to be strong but begin to fray as gossip and backbiting take their toll. A seemingly normal domestic situation disintegrates as each learns the other's secrets and Asher regains his memory. McKinnon (Dear Sister) slyly injects a strong sense of suspense as You Will Remember Me leads to an unexpected ending. --Oline H. Cogdill, freelance reviewer