I'm so torn!! I love Clair McGowan's writing style, and I love a quick thriller. Unfortunately, this was anything but. This book had a very slow start, and a very slow middle. The story didn't really pick up until the end, and I can't really say if it was worth sticking it out.
I think this book was well written and atmospheric, but painfully, painfully slow.

Delicious Hitchcockian Premise…
A girl missing, two sleep deprived insomniac strangers, a heatwave and an incident which may, or may not, have devastating consequences. Tim and Mary, both unable to sleep, meet in a local park during a particularly humid night. It seems as if the whole of the world is asleep - excepting them. They are soon to witness what they interpret as a violent attack through a window of a nearby house. The police take their account with a large pinch of salt and an unlikely friendship ensues as the pair hunt for clues and investigate themselves. What did they really see and how credible are they themselves? Wholly immersive and compelling with a delicious Hitchcockian premise which, although an initial slow burn, really does deliver in terms of atmosphere, character and the solid mystery at its heart.

Overall I enjoyed this book. The characters were well written and I feel like we got to know our two leads very well, especially Tim. I liked the writing style and found the story interesting.

I wasn't fully convinced by Mary or Tim's motives in becoming so involved with the investigation, but I appreciate there wouldn't have been a story if they hadn't! The only other drawback for me is that whilst the plot held my interest, it wasn't twisty. There were no surprises or 'wow' moments which would have elevated this to a five star read.

For me Claire is author that is pure hit or miss. I first came across her work via a BBC radio play which I loved and it made me seek out her books, I started with the Paula McGuire series and was hooked, I very much enjoyed them all and highly recommended them. After finishing this series I started reading her stand alone novels and I have to say I have been disappointed by each and everyone, they lacked any grit, proper story, strong well written characters they were outrageous boarding the fantastical in term of storylines but I held out hope and continued to read them, perhaps this was due to lockdown , flying though and running our books but I kept the faith. I am glad to report I did as I really enjoyed this book.

Full disclose if this book had not been a read now on NetGalley I wouldn’t have requested it or indeed bought it on publication, I would have waited until it was a free read in include in Prime Reading for my kindle if even then. So a massive thank you to NetGalley for having the ARC as a read now as it is a good book I’d other wised have missed on. My review is honest, unbiased and fair I hope it makes you want to give this book a try.

The story is an interesting one- A young woman is missing in London. Two insomniacs swear they witnessed a crime. Mary is an exhausted and sleep deprived mother of two little ones. Tim is an insomniac suffering from trauma that causes him to be scared to sleep. Both of them believe they witnessed a attack on the missing woman . They meet at a park one night and form a friendship. Now they are on the path to figuring out what really happened. The police think they are crazy. But are they really just crazy and imagining things in their sleep deprived state or did they really see something- it keeps your interest and make you want to read to the end tho I did guess fairy early on what had happened but there was enough twists in the story to question yourself and there was slight twist in conclusion I misread.

The plot is slightly OTT, in what in fact was actually quite a slow paced book . The writing felt stilted at times like the author wasn’t sure where the story was going and was trying to drag it out to create the tension it was sometimes lacking. Around the 60% mark, the mystery aspect of the story did become more interesting but it was dragged out with pointless parts and it got annoying how the main characters were reacting. I skimmed though parts to get the end looking for the big ending but while it drew conclusion to the main story as well as the sub stories it felt a little bit flat, I did like how it ended but it felt rushed and anticlimactic

The characters were very blah and extremely stereotypical, dare I say lazy in how they were written I didn’t really care what happened to any of them ,however they did not distract from what ,while was very OTT plot, a fairy interesting mystery . The lack of strong characters just shows the writer needs to take her time and instead of churning out novel after novel working on one,taking what is a clear talent for writing and writing one amazing book rather than lots of alright ones, her early work in the Paula McGuire books shows the roots of a great writer are there.

What I will say I liked how she portrayed Mary, and the feelings she has about being a new mum struggling with her new role in life, I feel she captured that perfectly and did not go down the easy route of PND instead showing how you can have these feelings without it being something deeper, she actually showed a bit humour in this which made Mary less 2D than the other blah characters. Also liked the slight cosy crime feel I got from both Mary and Tim with their amateur detection though am not sure if the author meant them to read like that I suspect not.

Furthermore I found the message, awareness around violence against women and the highlighting of the woman’s movement well done it was subtle and cleverly intertwined into the story.

This book was not brilliant but it is a good read that will keep your interest, just don’t expect to too much and it will make a ideal beach read, go with the flow at times, accept the slightly annoying bits and you will be left with a story that leaves no plot holes , will give a bit of thrill and even a laugh in the process.

Claire McGowan is an accomplished writer of thrillers and the premise of ‘Are You Awake’ sounds promising. Two people, unable to sleep for very different reasons, believe that they see a missing girl being assaulted in the middle of the night. The police do not appear very interested.
McGowan writes about insomnia very well and her portrayal of Tim, a war journalist, suffering from PTSD is convincing and sympathetic whilst also allowing the reader to appreciate how difficult he would be to live with. In contrast, her depiction of Mary, mother of two children under three, is not so convincing. I completely understand the bone-tired state that she operates in, having experienced it myself way back. However, I am just not convinced that a woman up to her eyes in nappies, breast feeding, toddler tantrums and professional self-doubt would have the energy or the inclination to put a great deal of time and effort into sleuthing, given all that she is juggling!
Unfortunately, the story only works if the reader can buy into her all-consuming need to solve the mystery of the disappearing Samantha. And I couldn’t. There is no doubt that McGowan can tell a beguiling tale. Sadly, ‘Are You Awake’ is an exception. Well written but increasingly unbelievable as the narrative unfolds.
My thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.

I really enjoyed this and think it would make a fantastic TV drama. The story took a little while to get going but once it did, I couldn't put it down. I didn't really see what the little 'adverts' brought to the book, but otherwise well thought out clever thriller. Many thanks.

It’s my first time reading one of this author’s books and according to the reviews, I’ve been missing out. This one was fast paced and while not exactly an original plot, it’s very well written and brings the reader in a lot of directions with red herrings here and there before settling on the suspect being not exactly a surprise as the blurb give a huge hint. I also wonder from the end if we’re going to meet Mary in another story.

Claire McGowan doing what she does best!
Mary who with two young children struggles to get any sleep meets up with Tim the insomniac. A local girl has gone missing and they are convinced they have seen her being held against her will. The police don't take much interest when they report what they have seen so the pair do there own investigation.
What i like about this story is that even though Mary is married i had a feeling that the pair of them would end up in some sort of affair but no, how refreshing is that?
Great characters, loads of red herrings, highly recommend this book.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy in return for leaving my honest review.

Mary and Tim meet one night in a park and witness a terrifying scene through a window. Mary is escaping from the never ending demands of motherhood and Tim is walking to keep his nightmares at bay. Mary and Tim decide to investigate the disappearance of a woman last seen where they were walking, but the police don’t believe that Mary and Tim saw anything sinister. Still, another murder compels the unlikely duo to continue their investigation, regardless of what happens to them…or to the families

Imagine if you thought you witnessed a brutal crime? A young girl is missing in London. Two insomniacs swear they witnessed the crime. Mary is an exhausted and sleep deprived mother of two little ones. Tim is an insomniac suffering from trauma that causes him to be scared to sleep. Both of them believe they witnessed the attack on the missing girl. They meet at a park one night and form a friendship. Now they are on the path to figuring out what really happened. The police think they are crazy. But are they really just crazy and imagining things in their sleep deprived brains? This book will take us on their paths in figuring out what really happened. Can their sleep deprived minds figure out all the clues?

What I loved:
- first off the author is one of my favorite thriller writers. I am so excited to read another one of their books! This one did not disappoint.
- Dual POVs between Tim and Mary. And ocassionally we get a POV from the missing girl, Samantha. I also loved the dynamic between Tim and Mary. I enjoyed their journey of sleuthing.
- Trying to figure out who to trust. Or what was even real. This kept me on my toes the whole time!
- the twists!! I didn't see any of them coming

This was a well paced, interesting, and fun book. The last half of the book flew for me.and I couldn't put it down. This author continues to keep me on my toes with their writing. 4 stars out of 5! Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Having enjoyed the authors previous works I was looking forward to reading this book but I struggled to engage with the plot or characters

I loved this thriller and the pairing of the unlikely duo Mary and Tim. In London, Mary a mother of two is balancing life with two small children, lack of sleep and thoughts of returning to her job as a solicitor. Her neighbour Tim, a journalist is experiencing insomnia, anxiety and PTSD. They meet one sleepless night and witness what appears to be a violent attack on a young woman in a neighbouring house. They soon link this to the disappearance of a young woman but despite calls to the police there is little interest or follow up on what they've witnessed.
This is a really gripping thrilling, full of twists and turns and a believable partnership of Mary and Tim that I'd love to see more of in future novels. Recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

I was intrigued by the cover, title, and description of Are You Awake by Claire McGowan and loved the friendship/connection portrayed between the two main characters, a harried mom and a former detective. There were many twists and turns, which I loved, but the pace felt a bit off -- some parts moved slowly and some sped up so fast I almost missed them. I had to skim at points throughout the narrative to get to more action. Still, a good mystery and I liked the characters. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Can't sleep? Do not read this one at bedtime as it is mysterious and thought provoking...will keep the reader up at night. This author has woven a story that is difficult to put down. Despite the fact that the story moves slowly at times, it is intriguing. The characters are a man...just a man...and a woman with a husband and two children...one wonders why she had the children as she complains so much about them...and the husband. don't try to determine the end of this book too close to the beginning...surprises abound. The book was sent to me by Netgalley for review.

This is quite a quick thrilling read which has masses of twists and turns in it! For some reason I found the pace a bit slow but in saying that, once it gets going then there were certainly a whole host of red herrings, twists and turns that you just don't see coming. I did skim a few bits but I also couldn't stop reading because I needed to know just what on earth was actually going on. The characters were well written, even if some of their choices and behaviours were a bit unrealistic. Some people do just make stupid decisions in life. It's definitely one of those books that gets under your skin and it was also a really unique concept with a number of different sub plots running through it. It doesn't end abruptly or rushed and there are no massive plot holes left either which was super satisfying. A very clever thriller and a perfect beach read.

3.5 stars


As someone who's struggled with sleep, I felt the first few chapters of this book did a great job of summing up how it sometimes feels... and it connected me to the characters in sympathy.

Beyond that I just went with the flow, and was entertained by it all.
The plot is slightly ott, but it's all the more fun for that.
Plenty of twists along the way.
I enjoyed it.

Good book!! Oooh I really enjoyed reading this one! This book had suspense, intrigue, action, and a great who done it! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my kindle! There were so many shady characters that it kept you guessing till the end! Great who done it! I will definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

I was excited to see Claire McGowan's upcoming novel, Are You Awake, available as a "read now" on NetGalley, so of course I had to read it right away! Sadly, I have to say that I was very disappointed with this one. It was painfully slow going and extremely boring at first. The writing felt stilted and lacking in connection. The characters were very blah and I didn't care about any of them. I thought about giving up a few times, but I stuck it out hoping that it would be worth it. Around the 60% mark, the mystery aspect of the story did become more interesting and I raced through to the end hoping for some redemption. Nope! The end was just there...and then poof, it was gone. Over and out. No bells, no whistles. No WTF moments nor shocking revelations. It was extremely anticlimactic and a huge let down for me.

I really wanted to love this book. It was a decent mystery, but everything else just fell flat for me. I am a huge fan of McGowan and will continue to read her books even though this one wasn't my favorite. I am hoping that others will enjoy it more than I did.

Thank you to the author, Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for allowing me to preview this eARC in exchange for my honest review.