The Caseworker's Memoirs — Dan Thompson

"I feel old. Terribly old. I no longer recognise the man, whose face is filled with such sadness and unfulfilled ambitions, glaring back at me. It's the shadow of me; a darker, duller shade that shells inside a lonely old man." ... And so begins The Caseworker's Memoirs. Malcolm was losing touch with the world; a retired counsellor and recently widowed, he lived each day sat at his desk, watching the world pass him by. That's until his daughter gave him a leather-bound notebook. She encouraged him to write about times long past that he shared with his loving wife, but as dreams of his previous patients take hold of him, he has no choice but to share his experiences and thoughts. This is Malcolm's attempt to rid himself of his pent-up guilt, his emotional involvement with the people he feels he has failed, but perhaps most of all, his attempt to have a purpose in life. From the rational fear of heights to the peculiar fear of time, from the obsessive fear of terrorism to the psychological ignorance of homophobia, The Caseworker's Memoirs is not only a tale of one man's grief, but also the tale of seven other people that are affected by real phobias. This is a modern contemporary drama that will pull on the heartstrings as well as capture your imagination. REVIEWS: "THE CASEWORKER'S MEMOIRS demanded my undivided attention ... It is one of the most gripping books I've read in a long time. The author has a huge talent for suspense; he knows just how long to linger on the intrigue and keep his reader fascinated." - Alison Jack, Author of Dory's Avengers "I found The Caseworker's Memoirs a wonderful read. The characterisation used is perfectly balanced with the detail needed to care about those concerned. When I finished reading this book late last night, it left me smiling; quite an achievement from a book with such serious content." - Words of Wisdom Blog "The Caseworker's Memoirs is quite a sombre, pensive read as it deals with issues of mental health and grief, but it is also quite hopeful as well as Malcolm shares his reflections. Having studied a psychology based degree I found this study of phobias and human emotion extremely fascinating. Phobias aren't an issue widely covered in literature so I thought that this was overall a refreshing and thought provoking read." - Bookshelf Butterfly Blog