The Memory Ward

Bassoff (Beneath Cruel Waters) delivers an unsettling if familiar thriller set in the too-idyllic town of Bethlam, Nev. After mail carrier Hank Davies accidentally discovers that three of the envelopes he’d been carrying that day contain blank pieces of paper, he shares the news with his wife, Iris, who panics and tells him to “mind his own business.” Then a strange woman appears at Hank’s window in the middle of the night and warns him to trust no one, including Iris. From there, the story’s aperture widens to include Walter Daley, another Bethlam mail carrier who discovers blank letters in his mailbag, and Catherine Gordon, a local woman who despairs that she can no longer distinguish between what’s real and what’s a figment of her imagination. Gradually, the three story lines converge, with each protagonist’s quest for the truth bringing them closer to the frightening reality of life in Bethlam. Bassoff whips up sufficient unease with his Twilight Zone setup, but not all the answers satisfy. Still, Blake Crouch fans will enjoy this mind-bender. Agent: Bekcy LeJeune, Bond Literary. (Mar.)