What a wild ride! 
We have followed the Buhrman twins on their journey to discover the truth regarding the death/murder of their father and the later suicide of their mother. One twin swore it was the neighbor boy who shot and killed their dad but no one really believed her due to her reputation, including her twin. Once a journalist picks up this case to talk about on her podcast, all sorts of secrets are revealed including what really happened the night their father died.

Picked this book up (after letting it languish on my shelf for years unfortunately) due to the new Apple TV+ show Truth Be Told, which is based on it.
This is a very fast read, although not terribly action-packed and exciting, and not overly surprising either. There's no compelling mystery to be solved because the person jailed for the crime the Podcast is exploring is not a character that we "meet" in the story and so the reader doesn't get invested in trying to prove his innocence.
I loved the addition of the Podcast/Twitter/Reddit portions. Their tones were absolutely spot on and the invasion of Poppy (and her followers) into the lives of the characters involved with the murder was very realistic. I actually read Barber's second book, Follow Me before this one, and in it she delves deeper into the dark side of social media.
I didn't find any of the other characters to be particularly realistic, especially the twins. The good twin/bad twin trope has been done so many times, it just felt very tired as a plot device.
Overall I'm glad I read it, it's an interesting book and Barber is a great writer.

I am a big fan of true crime podcasts so this book struck a familiar note with me! I really enjoyed this, even though it felt like it took me forever to finish. It's a slower read - no real big reveals and not fast-paced suspense by any means. There's a lot of character development, and it was good for the story. Overall a very good psychological thriller with superb writing by a new-to-me author.

Based on the synopsis and my love for true crime podcasts, I assumed this book would be a fantastic fit. Unfortunately, I struggled to connect with the author's style and it turns out, reading a podcast is not as interesting as actually listening. Maybe I would fair better with an audio version of the book. Based on my failure to connect, I made the decision to set the book down and move in a different direction. Thanks for allowing me access to an early copy.

I FREAKING LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH! The story was addicting. I read this in one sitting. The story keeps you guessing until the very end. Kathleen did an amazing job incorporating threads and podcast transcripts, especially those twitter tweets. This book was unique. I'd love to see this turn into a tv series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for this free readers edition. In exchange I am providing an honest review.

The title of this book made me think it was going to be a lot creepier than it actually was. Actually, I didn't find the story creepy at all. I'm not sure if Barber meant it to come off creepy but the title and the cover art would certainly lean that way. 

Jo, Josie, has spent the last ten years of her life being a different person. In her mid-teens her life fell apart when her father was murdered in their kitchen, her twin sister went off the deep end, and her mother left the family for a cult. You can't make this stuff up. Finally, one incident pushed Josie to break away. She legally changed her name so she couldn't be found and set off overseas to disappear for awhile...or forever. During her travels she meets Caleb and settles into a life with him. Fast forward to 2015. Caleb is on a business trip and Josie overhears her father's name mentioned on the train. Uh, how? Turns out there is a new podcast called Reconsidered and the murder of Chuck Buhrman, Josie's father, is the topic. Did Warren Cave, serving a life sentence for the murder actually do it and if not who did? This news sends Josie into a panic - sure she changed her name but she knows she will be found. And what do they mean "did Warren Cave do it?" Of course he did, her twin - Lanie - saw him do it. 

As Josie grapples with what this podcast means and could potentially end up doing to her reconstructed life, she gets news that her mother has killed herself on the cult compound she's been living at the past decade. Caleb, who knows nothing and believes Josie was an only child and has two dead parents, can't find out. She needs him. She has to go back to her hometown and take care of this as quickly and quietly and she can and hope that Caleb doesn't hear of or listen in on this podcast. But as the old adage goes, weave a web of lies and you'll be caught - Josie is discovered. Returning to her hometown to face her past, her twin sister, and the unease the podcast has stirred up is almost too much for Josie but when Caleb shows up on her Aunt's doorstep with no warning or hint he was following her she almost loses it completely. Now what? She really can't lose him too. 

On top of everything, this podcast is making her actually rethink the night and the days leading up to her father's murder. Her twin, Lanie, is acting really strange again and Josie wonders - did Lanie really see Warren Cave that night or is he serving a life sentence for a crime he didn't commit, as the podcast is postulating? 

What's that other adage? The truth will set you free. Josie needs to be set free. 


This title was enjoyable. It read really quickly and kept me interested. It wasn't, however, gripping. I figured things out pretty quickly from the get go. What always gets me is the lie these characters weave. Why cover up or lie about your story, your history? It's going to get uncovered at some point. You cannot hide from your story, it will always find a way to be revealed. And to share your story doesn't mean you have to share all the nitty gritty details. It's just weird to me. And it may be weird because at this point in my life I know the wasted effort those lies or cover ups are. Just be truthful from the get go, it's better for everyone - especially the person who is living the story. Anyway...that's just my life experience two cents. Ha. 

I liked the format of this story, how current social media played such a big role through podcasting, Reddit, and Twitter. And fortunately in the galley copy I read, it came through in that format. Sometimes in the galley it comes across all funky but this was formatted as it should be for readability and I liked that. One thing this story did was make me think, again, about the families who get their stories all stirred up again by renewed public interest. I guess I just hope that they are treated in real life with more sensitivity than the podcaster in this story did with Josie and her family.

Great story by Kathleen Barber!!  Really thrilling read, great characters and an enjoyable story.  Highly recommend to others!!

This is a mystery/thriller book built on family drama, suspense, suspicion and a murder. Josie is forced to revisit her childhood home after the death of her estranged mother and and thereby forced to see the sister she cut from her life to prevent her from breaking the illusion of the new life she built after that night it fell apart; the night her father was murdered in their house. To make matters worse a reporter has reopened their fathers murder case for  a scrupulous analysis on her hit podcast. Now Josie must relive the most terrible time of her life in the age of social media where everyone has an opinion and is anything but courteous.

This was a good book. I put it more in the range of 3.5. The pacing and certain predictable parts of the story was what the rating is based on. I found this to be a slow-burn mystery and wished it could've been a bit quicker in some parts. That said, there were some areas were the pacing worked to the stories advantage. My favorite thing about the book is the way this story is told. The podcast format that this is told in is reminiscent of the true crime podcast, Serial. It pulls you into the story and makes it seem like what's being discussed is a true crime story. I would love to revisit this as an audiobook.

All in all, this was a good debut novel creatively written. I would recommend this book to people trying to get started in the mystery thriller genre.

This book was very... Making a Murderer. It looks at the subjective nature of people's experiences and wraps it all up with the influence of social media.
Poppy's podcast re-examines solved cases with fresh perspectives and Josie's father's murder is her next topic. It was an interesting premise, but one that I found myself trudging through. For some reason, this book never sparked that part of me that must turn the page to keep reading. I wouldn't necessarily call it a thriller, it was too light for that. Maybe someone who enjoys the spirit if a thriller without the intense suspense would enjoy this book, but it just wasn't for me.

This reminds me of "A Head Full of Ghosts" by Paul Tremblay and "Night Film" by Marisha Pessl with the popculture/social media inclusion of the podcast. I think this psychological thriller would be naturally suited to a TV mini-series.

​In Are You Sleeping, a podcast reopens a murder case and destroys the lives of everyone involved. I kept waiting for a big twist, and there wasn't one. The book was ok, but I think that it will make an AMAZING tv series in the spirit of Sharp Objects (another book that I wasn't super wild about, but had an amazing HBO mini-series.) It's great for fans of the podcasts Serial, My Favorite Murder, and Up and Vanished​.

Such an interesting concept using a podcast, I think this works really well with the rise of the podcast recently and is nothing like anything I’ve read so far. The pacing was spot on and had me hooked from start to finish

I have loved the opportunity to spend time researching novels to re-stockl our senior bookshelves in the school library that plays a central role in the life of the school. When I first took over the library was filled with dusty tomes that were never borrowed and languished there totally unloved.
Books like this, play a central role in ensuring that the library is stocked with fresh relevant fiction that appeals to the readers. It has a strong voice and a compelling plot that ensures that you speed through its pages, enjoying both its characterisation and dialogue whilst wanting to find out how all of its strands will be resolved by the end.
I have no hesitation in adding this to the 'must buy' list so that the senior students and staff of the school can enjoy it as much as I did. This is a gripping read that will be sure to grip its readers whether they are fans of this genre or coming to it for the first time through our now-thriving school library recommendation system. Thanks so much for allowing me to review it!

I highly recommend this book, especially with the rise of mystery podcasts. I like books that look beyond the victim, and show just how real crime is and can affect people. With the news constantly blaring, it can be easy to get desensitized. Sometimes I wanted to shake the twins and yell at them to grow up, but I tried to remind myself how challenging their situation was. I liked the pacing, and this book definitely made me think.

The podcast element of this novel was a really fun aspect. I enjoyed the tweets and reddit posts and everything else included in the story. I felt like the ending was somewhat of a let down, but overall it wasn't a bad read.

I liked the title and cover, but this felt a little cynical – the inclusion of podcasts and cults felt like ticking off trendy, buzzy things rather than them actually making sense for the narrative. Still, perhaps it just wasn't for me.

An easy psychological thriller to read. I enjoyed the used of social media as a one of the main story lines as it’s so prevalent in today’s society. As someone who loved the podcast ‘Serial’, it really made me think about the effects on the families. Thanks Net Galley and Gallery Books for the ARC.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview this ARC of Are you Sleeping by Kathleen Barber.

Josie is doing everything she can to live a normal life.  She has a charming Australian boyfriend, and a nice life and job in New York.  But her life comes crashing around her after the release of a wildly popular podcast discussing the murder of her father, and how the murderer may be serving time for a crime he didn't commit.  Forced to face estranged members of her family, including her twin sister Lanie, who was once her closest friend, Josie works to uncover the truth, while salvaging relationships along the way.

Honestly, I'm surprised that the Goodreads reviews weren't higher.  I thoroughly enjoyed this story.  I thought it was well thought out and executed.  I loved the podcast angle, and I always love a good whodunit.  I definitely recommend this one.

Review by 2shay..........

Page turner! What happens when a blogger focuses on your past? Ms. Barber does a fine job of showing us how a life can be completely unraveled when a relentless investigative reporter decides to open up an old case.

This book barely missed being 5 Stars. There are a few too many dubious clues to the identity of a convicted killer, and my personal skepticism of twisted memories. Plus, there is a huge clue in one of Josie’s memories that told me the truth. It wasn’t hard to figure out.

Still, I enjoyed every page. If you enjoy a well-written, twisty read, this one will satisfy. Grab a copy and...

Enjoy!  ARC graciously provided by Gallery and NetGalley for an honest and voluntary review.

Are You Sleeping?

by Kathleen Barber

Like most people who have weighed in on this book, I did find it fairly predictable, but still a decent read. I thought the comparison to Serial was misleading, because it was more of a knockoff, like a bad Rom-Com version of Serial, despite the heavy-sounding premise. While she tested my patience with characters whose dialogue (and actions) often defied believability, Barber's skill in pacing and an interesting narrative form kept me turning the pages. I did enjoy the family drama — the romantic tangles not so much. Despite the sometimes-clunky characters, I did finish, so I will be interested to see what Barber thinks of next. 

For Goodreads:

Why I picked it — Because it was described as Serial meets Ruth Ware's In a Dark, Dark Wood (which I haven't read, but sounded scary)
Reminded me of… The Leftovers (for the cult theme), and every book where the main characters dread a return home after many years and are proven right in their worry.
For my full review — click here