More twists and turns than a full blown roller coaster. You will not be disappointed with this read. A thriller that is full of betrayal, murder, and mistaken identities.
Twin sisters are at the center of this story. One chose to stay in her hometown, the other to totally change her name and move far away from family and friends. No one knows who she really is, not even her boyfriend. And especially no one knows of her father's murder and the tons of questions that are not fully answered. The main question being, who should really be in prison for this horrendous murder, or is he already there?
5 Stars!!

Are You Sleeping
Kathleen Barber
Genre: Fiction, Suspense Thriller
⭐️⭐️

I read Ruth Ware and was excited to receive Are You Sleeping, it was compared to Ruth Ware, but there is truly only one Ruth Ware. This is a book more about relationships, sisters, boyfriends, parents etc... The biggest mystery was how Caleb would react once he learned she had pointlessly lied. I am a binge reader and once I start a book I will finish it pretty quickly, but not this one I was able to put it down and walk away. I pushed myself to finish. I had this book figured out very quickly, the plot, the killer, etc... I am always appreciative of anyone who can set down and write a book, create a world and for that reason I always give two stars. I feel like this book needs an accurate description...not a suspense psychological thriller.

The only I could not do was finish this book fast enough. I am interested in how the title is relevant to the book?

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read for a fair review.

Compulsively readable and with timely themes, this brand of escapist fiction is well-poised for success during beach/vacation read seasons.

The problematic nature of true crime-as-entertainment phenomenon, especially via widely accessible podcasting, was handled fairly well and may even hold potential for discussion with the right mix of participants.

One disappointment was the overall thin characterization, even among the the primary players, which for me kept the story from being more successful. It's difficult to truly engage with identifiable types that lack any life-like complexity, and that takes away from the narrative, even one that is intended to be plot-driven.

My initial enthusiasm may have cooled, but there is definitely an audience for this flavor of psychological suspense. Especially for those looking for a bit of creepy suburban noir and questioning-of-memory stories, I won't hesitate to recommend.

I would like to thank the author, publisher, and netgalley for the advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
If you enjoy suspense novels, this is one you shouldn't miss! A great psychological thriller that kept me turning the pages well after bedtime. A well written story that kept me on the edge of my seat.
Josie attempts to leave her past behind after her Father's murder and her Mother joins a cult. But as we all know, the past always finds a way to catch up to you.
When a journalist starts a podcast to investigate the murder and it goes viral, it becomes impossible for Josie to keep her secret past buried.
*Reviews posted on Goodreads 4/08/17, Google 4/08/17, and will post on Amazon 8/04/17.

There are a lot of domestic thrillers these days. In this one, twin Josie, estranged from her family for a number of years returns to her hometown following the death of her mother who had abandoned her daughters and joined a cult following the murder of her husband.
A new true crime podcast is investigating the murder and raising suspicion that the young man convicted of the crime is innocent.

It's not a bad book. There were a few aspects I had issues with: a lot of time is spent on Josie's change of identity but it doesn't amount to anything in the plot. Josie's boyfriend Caleb doesn't add much to the book and some of the other characters are a bit shallow.

I did like the "Greek chorus" provided by the commenters on Reddit and Twitter at the end of each section.

Not a bad book and I would recommend it to people who enjoy domestic noir but I felt it lacked depth.

This was just ok. It was obvious from the beginning who was at fault...and it seemed a long time getting to the acknowledgement of the truth.

Well, hit me with a stick and call me a piñata! Any book that advertises itself as anything like Serial is bound to be good, so I had my hopes high for this one and I was not let down in the slightest.

Are You Sleeping is a roller-coaster ride of emotions, all centered around the tragic life of Josie Burhman. From murder to betrayal to heartbreak, AYS covered it all. And while the novel is presented as a mystery, I found it more of a story of reconciliation and forgiveness. I throughly enjoyed watching Lanie and Josie grow as characters and become more mature adults. Their story--though dramatic--is a testimony to others on how to move on and forgive.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys suspense and mystery, as well as some good coming-of-age bits here and there.

*My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.*

The author, Kathleen Barber, did a phenomenal job of keeping me on the edge of my seat. I thought I knew what was coming but I was wrong every time. A quick paced story that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

No matter how far you run you can never escape the past. This book follows a family as the events of a murder 13 years ago are reexamined in the form of podcast episodes. Everyone has a point of view. Who is telling the truth and who has something to hide

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The premise was intriguing, the real life behind a tragedy that becomes a podcast. The mystery is not the focus. It is at the center of the plot, but it is dealt with in terms of relationships. Josie is reconnecting with her past and correcting along the way.
I liked the podcast transcripts and Twitter/ sub Reddit conversations in between chapters. It gave you an exterior view of what was going on that was a strong contrast to what was going on within the family. We also get to see the difference between the way people portray themselves publicly and who they really are.
The ending makes sense without being heavily foreshadowed.
I enjoyed the plot although I wished a bit more ill on a couple characters than they got. But that could have made the book become unrealistic, so it is a good thing that author held back. It was a great read.

Are You Sleeping - Family Drama with a Twist of Murder
Are You Sleeping: A Novel
by Kathleen Barber
Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books
01 Aug 2017

The summary blurbs about this novel don't do it justice. The story is more than one woman's challenge to return to her family despite lying to her boyfriend. Turns out there is a significant mystery yet to be solved, and deception from many family members about what happened complicates the story line.

What's different about this book
The author develops (albeit slowly) a genuine mystery about just what happened ten years ago. Rather than primarily a family drama, this book was enjoyable for the suspense and well-complicated plot line that kept the reader guessing.

What I'll do now that I've read it
This is a great read for a wide range of readers. I'll be able to share and book talk it with my young adult library patrons as well as my adult mystery aficionados. Clean yet compelling - this book is worth sticking with to learn all the hidden truths.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Are You Sleeping is a topical mystery about a podcast which reopens a decade-old case about the murder of a college professor. Podcast host and investigative journalist Poppy Parnell is unconvinced that the person convicted for the murder, Warren Cave, is actually guilty, and sets out to uncover the truth. Meanwhile, as the podcast gains momentum and becomes a nation-wide phenomenon, the victim's daughter, Josie Buhrman, is forced to return home and confront her twin sister Lanie whom she hasn't spoken to in ten years, in order to make sense of what happened that night. The entire conviction of Warren Cave hinges on a piece of evidence given by Lanie, who claims she saw Warren do it - but did she really?

I wanted to love this, and I was pretty sure I was going to, at first. It's snappy, fast paced, and the use of the podcast makes for a really unique and intriguing premise. I loved the inclusion of comments on various social media outlets; I really felt like I was involved in the case in some voyeuristic way. That was very well done. Unfortunately, there was also a lot that I didn't like.

First, the prose. It's very simple and readable, which can be good for this genre where you don't necessarily want your mystery to get bogged down in excessively flowery writing. So I didn't mind that at first, but it eventually started to feel a bit too amateur. The dialogue could have been straight out of a Lifetime movie, and there was this thing the author did incessantly that really started to bug me: someone makes some big declaration to Josie, like, "you abandoned me ten years ago!" (this is never actually said - I'm just making up an example.) And then instead of replying immediately, Josie pontificates for an entire paragraph: "I realized he was right. I did abandon him. Ten years ago this happened, and I reacted this certain way. I realize now I maybe shouldn't have reacted like that." And it goes on and on and on, like that particular thought hadn't occurred to Josie until right this second, and she has to take time immediately to reflect on it.... which would be okay once or twice, but I literally lost track of how many times a conversation was derailed by Josie randomly going into some deep introspection partway through it. It just felt unrealistic and melodramatic.

That isn't to say that I didn't like Josie. I did like her. I thought she was a well-developed character, along with nearly all of the rest of them. The huge exception for me was Poppy Parnell. If her name makes her sound like a villain from Harry Potter, that's probably appropriate, since she reminded me so much of Rita Skeeter. She embodies just about every negative stereotype you can think of about investigative journalists - insensitive bordering on cruel, intrusive, heartless. At first I liked Poppy's character for this reason, she did seem like the sort of person who would reopen a closed case without a second thought for the repercussions on the victim's family. By the end of the book, however, she started to feel like such a stereotypical villain that I was half expecting her to start twirling a mustache.

To switch gears a little bit, my other huge problem with this book was that there never felt like there was much at stake. The characters are investigating a ten-year old case, and none of the suspects are really in a position to cause further harm at this point. There's just a sense of urgency that's missing from this narrative; there's no 'this needs to be solved NOW because someone's in danger,' just... a reopened case that can be solved at the characters' leisure. I don't mean to imply that this was dull or tedious read. It wasn't; it was extremely fast and well paced. I just felt like there was some kind of tension missing throughout the whole thing.

And finally, the ending. No spoilers, but I can't remember the last time I read a thriller where I was this disappointed with how obvious I thought the ending was. Also, a huge reveal basically hinges on a character randomly remembering a repressed memory, which of course happens in real life, of course people are triggered by certain sounds and smells etc. to remember something they'd been repressing. However, in storytelling, it just comes across as a bit too convenient.

If this book interests you for its cool premise, I hope you give it a try when it's published. It's short and fast-paced, which makes for a really quick read. And I did enjoy reading it... at least for the first 80%. That's about when the rating really started plummeting for me. But based on other reviews so far, it looks like I'm going to be in the minority with this opinion!

And one final note: don't read this and Dead Letters around the same time. There are so many similarities that I actually started mixing up the characters in my head, which is something I never do. Seriously: protagonist is an identical twin sister, the 'good twin', her sister is the wild twin; protagonist is estranged from her family because she chose to leave them behind and go abroad following a betrayal by her twin sister; the mothers in both case have mental health issues; protagonist returns home following a long absence and is confronted with her high school love interest who's now involved with her sister... I mean, given their publication dates this has to be 100% coincidental, I don't mean to imply otherwise - but still!! It was hard to keep remembered details from Dead Letters from creeping into this story.

Decent enough murder mystery but fairly formulaic.

Josie Buhrman’s secret past is exposed when an investigative reporter initiates a podcast examining the facts surrounding Josie’s father’s murder. Josie is forced to travel home and become reacquainted with her estranged twin sister, and the only witness to the murder. Together, they endeavor to find their mother, who left them for a cult after their father’s death. As the podcast stirs up the past, new facts come to light and causes further tragedy. The sisters are forced to painfully reexamine their relationship and their family dynamic, and determine whether the wrong person was sent to prison for the murder. Barber gives an exciting, well-crafted, twisty tale with a satisfying ending. Fans of women’s fiction or thrillers will enjoy this book.

This was fine. This was solid. This was unexceptional, but enjoyable.

If there had been more backstory to this, it might have been more captivating. I felt like the characters were pretty bland and needed some salt. Josie especially. She's gone and changed her name, completely reinvented herself. I want to know how this went about. I want to see her changing and know if that was hard for her. But we're kind of just thrown in the middle of things. I never quite understood why she couldn't forgive or at least talk to her sister.

I also felt like the women were angsty all the time and completely fell into a trope of being unstable. Her boyfriend, Caleb, could have made them angsty and could have caused a lot of conflict, but he and Josie just travel places and sometimes raise their voices a little but for the most part, skate by without the realistic drama I wanted to read about.

However, despite my issues with characterization, this was a pretty easy read and I enjoyed it all the way through. The podcasts were a lot of fun--I understand why so many people across the nation were captivated by them and drawn in.

There was a lot of telling to this story and I never quite felt very actively involved, which is a shame, because the plot was interesting enough and there was a pretty big mystery that should have had me flipping pages furiously.

If you're looking for a solid okay, this has a cool premise. If you want extraordinary characters, go somewhere else.

What a fantastic read!!!! Are You Sleeping needs to be on everyone's reading list!! This fast paced mystery/thriller will have you gripping your kindle until the very last page!! I was immediately hooked by Kathleen Barber's brilliant storyline and fascinating characters!! When I was just a quarter into this book, I just knew I had to read all of Ms. Barber's prior novels and I was shocked to learn this 5+++ star book is her debut novel!! Talk about knocking it out of the park on your first try!!!! Needless to say, I am going to be 1-clicking anything and everything Kathleen Barber writes in the future!

As described, which is high praise considering the description that's noted here - definitely something that I'm glad to have read before anyone could spoil me, and something I look forward to hearing about all summer.

Addictive and compelling reading. Highly recommend to all

Wow, one of THE best books of this year so far! Gripping, edge of the seat kind of read. A well deserved five stars.

This book pissed me off!! It seriously did. I finished it two days ago but can't stop thinking about it.

Josie is happily living in New York with her boyfriend, Caleb who is an international aide worker. While Caleb is out of town, Josie's carefully constructed life begins to fall apart. A journalist by the name of Poppy Parnell has been discussing the murder of Josie's father on her podcasts. A young man by the name of Warren Cave was convicted of her father's murder, but Journalist Parnell believes Cave's assertion that he is innocent. To make matters even more upsetting, Josie receives a phone call from her cousin, Ellen telling her that her Mother is dead and that she will have to return home for the funeral.

The problem? Well, there are several. Josie has lied to her boyfriend about her past. A past that Josie wanted to keep hidden, she even went so far as to have her last name legally changed. Caleb has no idea that her father was murdered or that after his murder, her Mother abandoned her and her twin sister, to join a cult. He believes that both of her parents are dead and that she was raised by her Aunt Amelia. When Caleb returns home, Josie again lies to him and tells him her Aunt Amelia died and she needs to return home for the funeral.

Another problem? Josie's twin sister, Laine. Josie has not seen her twin sister after she betrayed Josie years earlier. Josie knows nothing of her sister's life and wants to keep it that way but unfortunately, the past rears it's ugly head when Josie returns home and learns not only is Lanie married (to Josie's high school boyfriend) but they have a child together. Can you guess what the betrayal was?

Confronting the past and dealing with the present are difficult enough by Poppy Parnell is still investigating the murder and trying to find out what really happened the night in question. The continued podcasts and attempts at gaining an interview are stressful and only serve to create more drama. Then Caleb, trying to be a loving and supportive boyfriend, shows up to be a support for Josie only to learn that she has lied to him about her past and who she is.

Lanie, Josie's twin sister, was not a very likable character for me. After betraying her sister when they were younger, I thought it was disgusting that she tried to confuse Caleb by pretending to be Josie. Plus, she has mood swings and has a penchant for throwing things at people's heads (lasagna, pitcher) Also, she is a terrible mother. In a way, she is very similar to her own Mother. She forgets to pack her daughter lunch, forgets to pick her up from school and even sends her on an "adventure" where the child talks the mail main into driving her somewhere. Boy, the mandated reported in me wanted to report her for neglect.

This story is told narrative, twitter messages, reddit threads, the podcast and comments from listeners to the podcast. If Warren Cave did not murder Josie and Lanie's father then who did? Plus, Lanie testified that she saw Warren being shot..was she telling the truth? If Warren is as innocent as he and his Mother claim...then who is the killer? Why would Lanie say she saw him shoot her father if he didn't do it?

This book was addictive and I could not read it fast enough. In the end we learn the truth and it was not so much of a stretch and explained a lot of strange behaviors. I really liked the characters in this book. I enjoyed Josie. I felt for her for most of the book. Although I did find it a little extreme that she changed her name and did not tell the truth about her life, I can appreciate her reasons for doing so. She never thought she would see Caleb again when she first told him both of her parents were dead. Once you start down a path of lies is it easier to keep walking along that path or do you come clean with the truth?

Speaking of the truth..if you question what you saw or what you believe you saw, shouldn't you tell the truth about that? How do you live with yourself and your actions when you know you are wrong? This book is about many things: dysfunctional families, sibling relationships, betrayal, lies, grief, moving on and finding the truth. This book had some twists and turns which kept the pace moving and things interesting. What pissed me off - the betrayal, the "sudden" remembering of events from the past. I kept thinking seriously?????? Is she just remembering now or does she HAVE to remember because there is a journalist investigating the murder so either "remember" or have the journalist bring things out in the open? The sudden remembering was a little too quick for me but overall a very enjoyable read that left me thinking about it for days.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from the Publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.