Sleep

2.5 Stars Oh dear, this turned in to a jumbled mess quite early on in proceedings. It starts off quite well with introducing us to Anna and you get a good sense of the character in both her professional and personal life. When the accident happens that steals the lives of Freddy and Peter and leaves Mohammed severely injured the description of Anna's reaction is well handled and believable. I could even get behind her mental collapse and seeming paranoia after her release from hospital, attending the funerals and then the Court Case. When her relationship with Alex collapses and she moves back home to her parents I am still "with it" but finding myself having to suspend belief in parts. This is then compounded when she moves to the remote Scottish Island of Rum to get away from everything and start a new job as a Hotel Receptionist cum general factotum. It is once we get to Rum that the book really started to fall apart for me. Not one of the characters have any real depth to them and they all have just a sheen of personality to them. Each and every one of them fits in to a particular niche which gives them a plausible reason for being Anna's tormentor. Unfortunately because of their very generic attributes this means that as soon as they have all settled in to the hotel and the storm hits you know that the least likely candidate is going to be the one responsible. Sadly, it wasn't even really fun getting to the denouement that proved the reader right. It would seem that the author realised this as there is a side story of Freddy's father thrown in that it seems is behind her torment. Throw in a handful of peculiar obituaries and comments from their writer directed towards both the deceased and Anna. All add up to a nice little distraction, but not a truly effective one as although at first they do serve to cast suspicion in other directions they, ultimately, just serve as break points in the action on Rum. I was very disappointed with the book as the pace varied between a slow plod and then frantic, fevered activity. Not always a bad thing but in this case the frantic bits didn't create tension but instead came across as overwrought and, to be honest, rather laughable. With the exception of Anna none of the characters are particularly believable and even Anna eventually becomes a caricature of herself. So, between plot, pacing and characters there isn't a lot to recommend the book and once you are around 100 pages or so in it just became an exercise in getting to the end of it all. Normally when there is so much going on, and there is a LOT going on, I find that it sucks you in and really involves you in the story being told. In this case it just seems like everything, including the kitchen sink, has been thrown at the book and it just left it muddy and rather boring. There is so much hyperbole on the cover that it made me wonder if I was reading the right pages or if another book had been substituted between the covers. THIS AN HONEST REVIEW OF A FREE COPY OF THE BOOK RECEIVED VIA READERS FIRST.

400 pages read.....just like that! Yep 400 pages whizzed past me without me even recognising how many pages were in this latest book of CL Taylor’s. I opened the book after studying the cover (like you do) and wondered what relevance and connection, if any, would be within these pages. Well, you soon find out. The beginning of the story makes me feel for Anna. She was the driver of the car that killed two people, one injured. I couldn’t help but think and feel for her. To blame yourself is the first human instinct, she was at the wheel. She had her passengers lives and other road users in the palm of her hands. We all do. As soon as we take that wheel and start to drive...... But someone feels that justice has not been mete out. Anna is plagued by terrible insomnia, she doesn’t sleep well and if she does she wakes up terrified. Anna needs to get a grip so she finds a job on a remote island in Scotland. There are all types of characters that come to stay and we learn that each one is not who they seem to be. It’s edgy, it’s thrilling and it’s full of suspense. The reader really gets pulled into the story at an alarming rate, and with such penship as this author writes you can help but feel everything, be right where the characters are staying, imagine yourself as part of this plot. She really has such a way of twirling and entwining the reader, luring you into each sentence, each narration. It’s hard to explain, but her descriptive writing just plonks you into the middle of it all. If the person is terrified, then I am. If the person is hiding and it’s creepy, then so am I, holding my breath so I can’t be heard. That’s the only way I can discribe this authors writing. Many times I was holding my breath. One time was when Anna was searching rooms I was right there as a watch out for her. If she heard a creep on the stairs I’m biting my nails saying “quick....hurry....hide....don’t get caught” I kid you not. I was so invested in this plot I forgot all time and heard my sons alarm clock ring to get him out of bed and go to work. The only book I’ve not read yet is Treatment. I plan to read this over Christmas. Thank you publishers for sending me an early copy. This does not influence my review or thought. I anticipate every book this author writes.

Wow! I have just finished this book and thought it was fantastic, it is definitely a page turner! The book kept my interest from the first page through to the last. The story centres around Anna who is struggling to come to terms with the devastating results of a car accident, Anna was at the wheel at the time and the guilt she bears over the accident is too much. Anna eventually thinks that going to a remote Scottish Island is the answer to her prayers, hopefully once she gets there she will be able to once again sleep and won't have to endure the terribly cruel messages someone is leaving for her over the accident. Anna goes to work at the only hotel on the Island but after tragedy strikes at the hotel Anna has the sinking feeling that someone is trying to kill her. Another fantastic read from C.L.Taylor.