The Clarity
A Novel
-
- $15.99
Publisher Description
For fans of Black Mirror and True Detective, a visceral, high-concept thriller about a psychologist who must protect the life of an eleven-year-old girl whose ability to remember past lives makes them both targets of a ruthless assassin.
Dr. Matilda Deacon is a psychologist researching how memories are made and stored when she meets a strange eleven-year-old girl named Ashanique. The girl claims to harbor the memories of the last soldier killed in World War I and Matilda is skeptical. But when Ashanique starts talking about being chased by the Night Doctors—a term also used by an unstable patient who was later found dead—Matilda can’t deny that the girl might be telling the truth.
Matilda soon learns that Ashanique and her mother have been on the run their whole lives from a monstrous assassin named Rade. Rade is seeking a certain component ingrained solely in memories, and has left a bloody trail throughout the world. Matilda realizes that Ashanique is in unimaginable danger and that her unique ability comes with a deadly price.
“A taut, riveting thriller, a perfect balance of scientific speculation and storytelling” (James Rollins, New York Times bestselling author), The Clarity is a compelling take on the possibilities of reincarnation and life after death.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Thomas's strong debut, a paranormal thriller, stars Ashanique Walters, an 11-year-old girl with an unusual ability. Ashanique, who lives in a Chicago housing development with her mother, Janice, can recall the memories of other people, including those of the last soldier killed during WWI. These memories have put Ashanique and Janice in danger, forcing them to be prepared to run at a minute's notice. The danger is heightened following a visit from Matilda Deacon, a psychologist and social worker specializing in researching how memories are stored. Though skeptical at first, Matilda believes that Ashanique may indeed harbor others' memories, especially when the child references memories of the Night Doctors, a murderous group mentioned by another patient of hers before he committed suicide. The stakes rise when Rade, a merciless assassin who knows that the recovered memories may contain secrets that could recast history, starts to pursue mother and daughter. Thomas maintains the believability of his tightly coiled plot throughout.
