“If you’re reading this then I’m dead” What an epic start to a book! Brilliant tense read that keeps you turning the pages. Again this author delivers a belter of a read

This was a really fun thriller.

The atmosphere the author built up in the story was great. The reader very much feels the oppressive nature of the setting, with these characters being stuck on this island and being essentially completely cut off from the outside world.

I do wish the stakes had been a little bit higher with perhaps more people being killed off rather than it just being a stalker angle.

If you're looking for a fun, very easy to read thriller with a great atmosphere then this is definitely worth checking out.

A tragic accident changed Anna’s life forever. Now she can’t sleep and someone is watching her and leaving her anonymous notes. So, she escapes her life in London and she finds refuge in a small and remote island in Scotland. She finds a job at the reception of the only hotel on the island. There are seven guests: a family of three, a retired woman, and three single people in their thirties. Except for one, they all seem nice and easy-going, but when they find themselves trapped in the hotel by bad weather, it is clear that one of the guests is dangerous and has their eyes on Anna.

Sleep captivated me from the beginning: ““If you’re reading this then I am no longer alive”. Wow, what a start!!! And what a story… Full of twists, secrets, and surprises, the tension always high, and a dark and claustrophobic atmosphere that make Sleep a gripping read.

Sleep deprivation and guilt make Anna suspicious and paranoid so that sometimes she seems an unreliable narrator and I do love unreliable narrators. Was someone really into her room in the middle of the night? And why all the guests in her hotel seem suspicious? Seeing the guests through Anna’s eyes, everyone is a suspect, a possible killer, even a fourteen-year-old girl, and this, together with the murderer’s narrative that never reveals too much, kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time.

I am ashamed to admit that this is my first novel by C. L. Taylor (I don’t know why I waited so long), but Sleep is a fantastic introduction to this author and I am eager to read more, so whether, like me, you never read any of her novels or you are already a fan, Sleep should be definitely on your TBR list!

EXCERPT: If you're reading this then I am no longer alive. Someone has been stalking me for the last three months and, if I am dead, it wasn't an accident. Tell the police to speak to my ex-boyfriend Alex Carter about what happened in London. That's where all this started.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: All Anna wants is to be able to sleep. But crushing insomnia, terrifying night terrors and memories of that terrible night are making it impossible. If only she didn’t feel so guilty…

To escape her past, Anna takes a job at a hotel on the remote Scottish island of Rum, but when seven guests join her, what started as a retreat from the world turns into a deadly nightmare.

Each of the guests have a secret but one of them is lying – about who they are and why they’re on the island. There’s a murderer staying in the Bay View hotel. And they’ve set their sights on Anna.

Seven strangers. Seven secrets. One deadly lie.

Someone’s going to sleep and never wake up…

MY THOUGHTS: I read this overnight. It is definitely not a book that encourages a good night's sleep, despite the title.

I can't imagine how I would feel if I was driving the car that killed someone. Or worse, 2 someones and injured a third. The guilt would be paralyzing. It would prey on my mind, I would want to hide from the world. Just as Anna did....

And that is the wonderful thing about Taylor's writing, she draws the reader right into the story so that we experience what the characters are experiencing. Good. And Bad.

The pace is relentless, the tension sharp. I held my breath, I muttered advice (Anna took no notice), I almost hyperventilated at one point....and I loved it! Loved every word, every nuance, every twist.

I can't wait to see what this author comes up with next!

****.5

THE AUTHOR: C.L. Taylor lives in Bristol with her partner and young son. She is a five times Sunday Times bestseller and her books have hit the number one spots on Amazon, Kobo, Audible, iBooks and Google Play. Cally has a degree in Psychology, with particular interest in abnormal and criminal Psychology.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Avon Books via NetGalley for a digital ARC of Sleep by C.L. Taylor for review. All opinions expressed in this review are totally my own opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to my Goodreads profile page, or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage

Sleep is one of those books where you are instantly drawn in. As with a many book by C.L.Taylor her writing draws you in and you struggle to find a way out until you reach the end. Trust me this is a good thing.

With an opening line of;

‘If you’re reading this then I am no longer alive.’

You know your in for a treat. As a reader the opening chapter has you wanting more, guessing what could have happened and what lead to this statement being made.

After this gripping we start, we go back three months. Where we learn that Anna was in a horrific car accident with her work colleagues, one which left two dead and one critically injured. She carries the guilt of loosing some of her colleagues and injuring the other with her and decides she needs to escape her daily routine.

It is here where she decides to take up a new job in a hotel on a remote Scottish Island and tries to move on. Only, her guilt remains with her and it is in the hotel that things start to change when 7 guests arrive and people start to die. As a reader we begin to see why Anna wrote what she did initially as everything unfolds.

I found myself constantly guessing who was who and how everyone related to each other in the hotel to try and work out what was happening.

The chapters throughout the book take on different points of view of a mixture of characters, including Anna herself. These chapters help us gain a bigger picture of what is going on, who is who and how people are related to Anna.

I enjoyed that the more you read the more fast paced the chapters became. You became hooked and want to know what was going to happen next, as a series of unfortunate events start to happen in the hotel, you begin to second guess everything. I have to say I was left guessing until the very end and I love that about a book! Also, I struggled to Sleep!

Overall a really enjoyable read, if you are a fan of Cally’s work then your in for a treat and if not, then your also in for a treat. Its dark with lots of twists and whats not to love about that! This is Cally’s first hardback and boy oh boy it does look pretty good in a hardback! (I loved it so I had to buy myself a copy and I’m not overly a fan of hardbacks!)

I urge you to pick it up and give it a read and see for yourself what all the fuss is about.

A thrilling read which kept me turning the pages, characters you care for and just brilliantly written. Great novel!!

Absolutely had me on tenterhooks.
This book like all of c.l Taylor’s books are superbly written this one has to be my favourite of 2019.

Seven guests, seven secrets and a remote island setting

Anna needs to get away from a tragedy in her past, and the job on the remote island of Rum in Scotland seems to be the escape she needs to put the shattered pieces of her life together again. But the old adage of 'be careful what you wish for’ rings true when Anna finds herself trapped with seven strangers and a murder.

Anna finds her past coming back to haunt her in the worst possible way, and she has nowhere to escape to. Each of the seven guests seems to be hiding dark secrets, and she has no way of telling which of them is the killer.

The story starts with a letter Anna has left for the police to find in the event of her death, and this sets the pace for the novel. Although the premise for the book is along the lines of many of today's modern-day thrillers, it did set itself apart in that it explored the deeper issues of guilt and PTSD and how a life-changing event can have longterm effects.

As the story unfolds, Anna unravels, and the title of the story begins to make sense. She suffers from severe insomnia as a result of her PTSD and also the blame she has put on herself after the terrible accident involving her work colleagues. She has also lost her longterm boyfriend and feels alone and cast adrift.

The perfect scenario for a murder mystery and yet the pace of the novel did not live up to the hype. Perhaps this genre is now a little overdone, I feel that many of the novels follow the same tried and tested route, with little originality.

That being said, I still enjoyed the book, and it was a perfect summer beach read.

Gillian

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review

Anna Willis goes on a business trip and has a car accident with three of her colleagues.

She’s started receiving strange threats. She splits up with her boyfriend Alex.

She goes to Scotland to work at a hotel on a remote island. Death follows her. The hotel has the feel of a murder mystery weekend. Guests start arguing between each other. One guest has a big secret.

Everyone tries to be normal and fit it in but everyone’s secrets have to come out in time.

A younger friend of mine has a word she uses when she finds something she loves. It's not really my style but really it's the only word that fits how I feel about this book. That (made up) word is "squuuuuueeeeee!". Honestly, that is how all C.L.Taylor books make me feel but this was just the best one of hers (for me at least) yet. It kept me gripped through a long and sleep-deprived night shift, so much so that when I finished and looked at my clock I realised I had read it in 4 hours (I do some work I promise). There are some great twists and it genuinely surprised me with its conclusion. An easy five stars (I'd give it more if I could).

Sleep is the story of Anna who following a fatal accident she was involved in has decided for a clean break away from everything and everything on a remote Scottish Island working in a hotel. What a perfect setting for this story, atmospheric, remote and creepy.

The guests all seem to have secrets, but it seems one is hiding more than the others. Anna struggling with sleep since the accident seems to be the target for someone who wants her to sleep forever.

Cally Taylor is a true master of suspense and this book doesn’t disappointment. Once again I was drawn in from the very first page and captivated by the twists and turns – you’ll lose sleep racing to the end of this gripping who done it!

I always enjoy reading books by CL Taylor and this one was no exception. Full of twists and turns, this thriller will keep you hooked from the start. Good read.

A gripping read which I really enjoyed and one that I found hard to put down once started.
I found I was holding my breath at times with the exciting plot.
A must read for book lovers.

Set on a remote Scottish island, Sleep is a gripping page-turner which kept me guessing to the end. With a well-drawn cast of characters, a twisty plot and a fantastic setting, Sleep walks the line expertly between cosy whodunit and chilling psychological thriller.

Sleep by C L Taylor

In Sleep we meet Anna, a woman who has suffered a hugely traumatic accident and is left racked with guilt. Fearing she is being stalked and with a need to escape her life, she takes a job in a small hotel on a remote Scottish Island. There she throws herself into her work helping to look after the hotel and the walking holiday groups that often stay there. But it seems that Anna’s fears haven’t stayed where she had hoped to leave them. Will she ever escape her torment and just be able to sleep?

Brilliantly written (as always with Taylor) and with tension simmering beneath the surface throughout this is a great read. With an almost Hitchcock-style suspense at times this is perfect for lovers of a psychological thriller.

My thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of #Sleep in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, what an amazing book. I just love Callie's books, and this one also did not disappoint. The book starts off with a bang (okay, a car crash, but you get the idea....), and sets the premise of the rest of the book. Anna is responsible, or so she feels, for the accident, and since then she hasn't been able to sleep. At all. The book is full of twists and turns, and throughout you don't really know whether she is imagining stuff, or is she sleeping.... The book was very well written, and highly recommended!

One of the best words to describe this book is, atmospheric. C. L. Taylor has made the setting of this book remote – and for good reason – and with this setting comes a very atmospheric novel that will grip you from the very first sentence until the very last. Which, to be honest, is what I would expect from this very talented author. With the knowledge from the start that something off is going on, as a reader you are continuously second guessing every single character in the novel. What are their motives? Are they the stalker? How will this all end?

With these questions and thoughts spiraling throughout the book, it is easy to see why this book is a natural page-turner. I simply had to know what was going on. Halfway through the book, the person you think it might be is taken out of the scene completely, leaving you at square one on the suspect list. I actually loved how this came about. It made the book more exciting, more tense and all the more enjoyable. I am not going to say too much more as I do not want to spoil, yet another masterpiece from C. L. Taylor, but I will say that it is definitely worth giving this book a read. You will not be disappointed.

Well, this wasn’t the read I was expecting at all. It was even better!

After reading the blurb, I thought the story’s title related to Anna, the protagonist, being too scared to go to sleep. To an extent it is, but the plot is much more complex than that and it wasn’t until the story reached its climax that the title of Sleep really hit me as being quite clever. I won’t say why as this would be a spoiler; but when you read it, it will make sense!

The author’s skilful use of language and sentence structure makes this an enjoyable read that sucks you right into the narrative, which combined with its fast paced plot made it difficult to find a natural break where I could put the book down without itching to pick it back up again for another sneaky read. There are a lot of flawed and damaged characters who feature prominently in the story, and with the four women guests having names that weren’t tied down to a particular age group, at times it was difficult to keep track of who was who. However, this kind of added to the story’s overall sense of confusion and unease. Anna knows one of the guests is out to get her but she doesn’t know which one.

Anna narrates through first-person, and the other characters are brought to life through limited third-person perspectives. This is the case not only for guests at the Bay View Hotel but also for characters from Anna’s past. This multiple narrative works particularly well for this ‘whodunnit’ type thriller. The first-person narration puts the reader in Anna’s shoes, feeling her guilt, whilst the third-person narration allows access to information that Anna isn’t privy to. To a degree, the guilt Anna feels isn’t justified, and the way she has been treated by both her colleagues and her boyfriend, adds to the sense of injustice. Following the climax, the story temporarily switches to first-person narration from the antagonist’s point of view. In complete contrast to Anna’s overwhelming yet unjustifiable guilt, the antagonist (sorry not going to name them here!) feels their psychotic perspective is rational. The author’s decision to portray this directly through the antagonist’s twisted sense of right and wrong really is quite chilling to the core.

The sense of claustrophobia and panic is intensified by the novel’s setting. Whilst the island of Rum is surrounded by wide open spaces, this is juxtaposed with it being cut off from the mainland. Modern technology is unreliable at the best of times on the island, but with the storm raging, communication with the outside world is impossible. With no immediate neighbours and no way of calling for help, this makes this ordinarily fresh rural setting a place of intense fear that is impossible to escape.

Whilst C L Taylor is in a league of her own, Sleep is an addictive and twisty read recommended for anybody who likes traditional Agatha Christy type thrillers as well as more contemporary thrillers such as An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena.

Wow!!! LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!

The story had me gripped right from the start. I didn’t want it to end but at the same time I wanted to get to the end to find out what happens.It’s a very atmospheric psychological thriller.

The plot had many twists and turns that kept me guessing till the very end.

This was my first C. L. Taylor book and I thought the writing was really good. It felt simple and easy to follow yet at the same time it had a lot of tension in the way it was written, and I flew through the pages. I also thought that the pacing was great it didn’t slow and this kept me turning pages.  

I also liked how the character Anna developed as the book progresses. It was really interesting to see the development of Anna’s characters and the others through the back stories, especially when it comes to learning and reading about the other characters.

This was a fab read. If you’re looking for a fast paced, unputdownable psychological thriller this is definitely a book that I recommend. I can’t wait to read more books by C.L. Taylor. 

I would like to thank the publishers Avon Books UK and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in return for an honest and unbiased review.

I am a great fan of Agatha Christie and this book I felt was written along similar lines but didn't quite manage to hold my attention. A good read nevertheless.