When she first meets Elihu Hoopes in 1965, Margot Sharpe is a young neuropsychologist set on “unlocking the mystery of memory”. Hoopes is suffering from amnesia after a devastating illness: “trapped in a perpetual present”, he’s unable to form new memories but is haunted by an image from childhood of a girl’s body floating in a lake. Margot – one of the top researchers in her field and seemingly married to her job – works with Hoopes for over three decades. As her dedication blurs the boundaries between professional and personal, the reader is forced to ask uncomfortable questions about exploitation, ethics and morals. A novel that demands the most literal interpretation of the definition “psychological thriller”, The Man Without a Shadow showcases Oates’s grasp of the complexities of the human psyche via an enticing combination of the ambiguity of Memento and the poignant realism of Awakenings.

The Man Without a Shadow is published by 4th Estate (£12.99). Click here to order it for £10.39