Book Review: Sleep by C. L. Taylor

I'd had my eye on Cally Taylor's books for a while. But with my leaning tower of TBR peering accusingly at me, threatening to topple over every time my finger hovered over the 'buy now' button, I abstained. But then along came the 99p deal. I told Cally on Twitter I felt a little dirty about buying a 99p book, but promised if I liked it, I would buy another full-priced book of hers. Good news Cally, I bloody loved it. No wonder it's a Richard and Judy Book Club read and Sunday Times best seller!

So if you've read much of my blog, you'll know I am partial to a good psychological thriller. In short, Sleep did not disappoint. Nor did I get any sleep during the week I was reading this book. But I have zero regrets. None. Nada.

So onto a whistle stop tour of the story. Anna is plagued by gut-wrenching guilt following a serious car crash where she was the only person to escape unscathed. This all-consuming guilt, coupled with a series of threatening notes and unbearable insomnia causes her relationship to break down. Anna decides to escape to the remote Scottish island of Rum, about as far away from home as she can get, where she takes a job in a small hotel. But things soon take a turn for the worse, and Anna realises she isn't any safer in Rum than she was at home when someone is murdered. A raging storm batters the island, ensuring all the hotel guests (A. K. A. murder suspects) are contained within one place until the killer is satisfyingly revealed. The ending left a little prickle on my skin that I don't think will go away any time soon.

I won't tell you any more, but what I can say is the story is chilling, and made me feel delightfully uncomfortable. It's one of those books that make you double triple check your locks each night. It makes you jumpy in broad daylight, fearing the poor postman* who just wanted to drop a letter through your door and didn't expect to be greeted with a blood-curdling scream.

It is expertly written, with each character feeling like a very real person. Considering there are a lot of characters and I read this book a few weeks ago, I still remember them all as clear as day (and I can't even remember what I did yesterday). The sense of setting is incredible, and really comes to life when you're reading it. And the atmosphere! That's the best part. I find it so very fascinating how certain authors can create such intense atmosphere and creepiness using pure sentences... expertly crafted words, dialogue and punctuation that make you feel it like it's really happening, and you want to stop reading because you're terrified but at the same time you just... can't... put... it... down. Cally is one of those people.

If you want to read something that sends a shiver down your spine this Halloween, open a copy of Sleep (just don't expect to get any actual sleep). Who needs sleep anyway? We can sleep when we're dead.

Click here for the paperback and here for the hardback.

Until next time.

Roxie

@RoxieAdelleKey

*no postmen were harmed in the reading of this book. There were no postmen in the story, but I genuinely was terrified when mine knocked on my door. He's okay now.