Brilliant book. I was completely hooked from the beginning so many twists and turns and kept me guessing right to the end. Easy 5 stars from me. Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the chance to read this book

Excellent book! Loved the characters and it was a great storyline. I would highly recommend this book.

I loved this book!

The story begins on the night that changed Anna’s life. Something terrible happened and now Anna has to live with the guilt. Worse still, someone is determined to ensure that Anna never forgets her nightmares.

Rum is the Scottish island where the story is set. It is a small island with only 32 residents. The island is known for its seclusion, storms and dangerous cliffs. True to its reputation, the hotel where Anna is working ends up being completely cut off by the storm. This meant that Anna was stuck at the hotel with seven strangers and one of them was a murderer.

Apart from the setting, I also loved the narrative style. The main narrator was Anna. However, through the chapters, we also got to hear from other characters. This helped in adding different dimensions to the story and certainly heightened the tension. It also added more suspense to the story. A couple of times, I thought I had guessed the identity of the murderer. At some point, I suspected everyone at the hotel including the cat that just turned up on one stormy day.

The book is titled Sleep but most of the characters are struggling with insomnia. In addition, sleeping isn’t really an option as danger looms. Interestingly, once I started reading this book. I couldn’t sleep until I turned the last page. If you enjoy dark, twisty page-turners with claustrophobic settings, get this book.

What an excellent psychological thriller!

Firstly, I have to say how ironic the title is, due to the amount of sleep missed because I found myself engrossed in this cleverly crafted tale.

The protagonist, Anna, is driving back from a team building malarkey with three of her colleagues when they are involved in a dreadful accident which leaves two people dead and another with life changing injuries. She herself is injured but although the accident wasn’t her fault she can’t help blame herself for the crash.

When her relationship breaks down Anna decides a change of scenery is needed and applies for a job in a hotel on a remote isle of Scotland. This becomes even more important after getting the feeling someone is stalking her and leaving strange messages.

There are plenty of characters with their own histories and secrets, certainly enough to get you guessing and questioning yourself.

All said and done, this will keep you entertained right to the surprising end

Events unfold very cleverly and with enough intrigue to keep you interested and keen

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Sleep by CL Taylor

When picking up this book I did something I never did which was read a review prior to finishing this book. As most who know me also understands I refuse to do this but i just wasn’t sure about the first few pages so wanted to get an idea if this was going to be for me.

I was so happy to continue on with this book as to be honest it had me creeped out and I just loved how that feeling pushes me to read more.

Anna was an interesting character who just seems like a normal person who is going through a very rough patch. You really feel for her because she had so much but gave everything up because of her grief and guilt.

This was such a wonderful story but Sleep seems like such a casual name when instead I keep thinking of something a bit more sinister. Sleep is just so innocent and this book is anything but dealing with innocence.

I am a huge fan of this book as it deals so much with the psychology of grief and death. What a great read and one I soon won’t be forgetting.

The setting of the Scottish Isles was interesting and I am so tempted myself to go to this place as I want to really see the majestic beauty that was part of this story.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc on this book.

Wow! Another excellent psychological thriller from this prolific author.

Anna is the lead character who can't sleep following an accident that has left her guilt ridden and paranoid. There are many more fascinating characters in this really good read and red herrings aplenty. As others have said, don't plan anything once you start this, as, it's a page turner.

I thoroughly enjoyed the unusual setting, the edge of the seat stalker / killer thread and the 'In Memoriam' detail peppered throughout the book.

Thanks so much to net galley and Avon publishers for the ARC in exchange for this honest review.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the book in exchange for an honest review.
Sleep by CL Taylor is a totalling engrossing, fascinating , psychological thriller that just keeps the reader enthralled from the beginning of the book until right up to the very last page.
Highly recommended.

Anna Willis is drowning in guilt during the aftermath of a tragic road accident involving her work colleagues. The fatal incident leaves her plagued with insomnia, flashbacks keeping her up at night. If she does fall asleep, she soon wakes up screaming. What’s more, she has an unnerving feeling that she is being stalked and targeted. As a means of escape, she leaves her already broken relationship with Alex and starts fresh in the remote Scottish Island of Rum working in its only hotel. However, she may not be as safe as she thinks.

Seven guests book into the hotel, each with their own secrets. One guest, however, is hiding behind a mask of lies with their sights set on Anna. This retreat quickly snowballs into a real-life nightmare.

This psychological thriller is what you call a page-turner. Taylor’s writing was so engrossing that I felt as if I was in the thick of it all. I, too, was trapped on this remote island, feeling claustrophobic as the raging storm cuts us from all civilisation. I was completely invested as the plot thickened. There was an abundance of revelations and little threads which gradually wove together as the tension continued to rise.

The characters all had their own quirks which meant for a diverse group dynamic. Any of them might have had their sights set on Anna. Like our protagonist, I didn’t know who to trust and what their true motivations were. I spent the entirety of the novel playing detective as I puzzled possible clues together. However, I didn’t once guess ‘whodunnit’.

Sleep was full of suspense and the ending did not disappoint. While I was surprised by who Anna’s stalker was, what shocked me most were their twisted motivations. Finally, the darkness of the last chapter left me with chills.

Overall, this is a story about guilt and its immense power to consume us. This was thrilling, gripping, a book worth losing sleep over.

4.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely loved this book and read it in 2 days. It’s a taut, well written thriller with twists and turns; the last section was breathtaking

It starts with a letter, if you reading this I am no longer alive. Anna was involved in a car accident leaving two people people dead and one seriously injured. Although the accident was not her fault she struggles to cope. Feeling someone is stalking her she flees to a remote Scottish island to work in a hotel. The guests arrive and far from being safe she is in mortal danger. Brilliant story from start to finish. The twist at the end is genius. Would really recommend this book one of the best reads this year.

A psychological thriller at its best. I read this under my duvet! Set on a remote Scottish Island it was atmospheric and conjured up images of dark and wild weather with the threat of evil lurking around every corner.
A group of holiday makers stranded by the weather - which one amongst them is there to commit murder!? All have stories to tell and most have secrets to keep. This book will grip you from the first page to the last

I love CL Taylor and this was a fabulous book, I particularly liked that the story led you to think "is it, no it can't be them because, what about..."

A book full of great twists and turns throughout, I found this book gathered in pace throughout and the last 30% I read in one sitting as I just had to keep turning the pages. This book kept me guessing until the very end and had a great ending. I would definitely recommend this book as it was a brilliant read.

Cally Taylor’s writing is consistently intoxicating and before you know it you’ve been up reading half the night. “Sleep” is a cracking thriller which ratchets up the tension from the word go. A fantastically compulsive read!

Once again C L Taylor produces a brilliant read. The first pages will have you gripped and the pace does not slow down. It has everything in this book and it reminds me very much of classic Agatha Christie. To say too much would totally give the game away but who did it will leave you guessing until close to the end.
Another must read from one of the countries great crime writers a real treat to start 2019.

I was fortunate enough to be given an ARC copy of Sleep from Netgalley. I've read a couple of books by C L Taylor and I must admit, while I am always hooked by the premise - there always seems to be something missing for me.

Ironically, all I wanted to do whilst reading this was - go to sleep. There seemed to be a total lack of substance. I didn't find a reason to like/care about ANY of the characters. There was no empathy. No excitement. No suspense. Yet I found myself thinking about it in between breaks (You know, when I actually had to work and stuff) so this is why I rated it a 3 star read.

The book opens with a letter, from Anna - explaining that someone in the hotel she works in is planning on murdering her. It gives you the list of suspects, but then quickly changes into the main plot. (Not a flashback - more like the start of the story)

Anna is the survivor of a car crash along with one other passenger, unfortunately two passengers do not survive and Anna is left feeling responsible for their deaths. The father of the deceased blames Anna for his son's death and wants justice, something he feels isn't served when the driver of the other vehicle is sentenced to two years in prison.

Soon after her discharge from hospital Anna believes someone is tormenting her - she is left cryptic messages advising her to sleep - using Shakespeare quotes, so is convinced someone is out to get her/murder her. Following the rapid break up of her relationship she decides to move to Scotland. This is when the cat and mouse thriller kicks in. Anna realises that she has been followed to Rum and someone wants her dead!

There were plenty of red herrings in this book - you're constantly trying to guess who the killer is aswell as trying to figure out why the story flashes back to Anna's Ex and the other surviving passenger of the accident. However, I didn't find myself shocked or surprised at any of it. I find C L Taylor always has a really good plot - yet I always hate every single character I find myself eye rolling quite a lot of events. Also, as I didn't find any reason to like any character I didn't feel any suspense throughout the book, I wasn't at all bothered if the killer succeeded or not.

Overall: 3 *** - A slow-paced cat and mouse thriller, it gives nothing away until the very end!

I’d like to thank Avon Books UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Sleep’ by C L Taylor in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Anna Willis is driving her colleagues home from a team-building exercise in the Brecon Beacons when a lorry veers across the motorway crashing into her vehicle. Two of her colleagues, Peter and Freddy, die and Mo has two broken legs and is unable to walk again. When someone leaves Anna messages with the word ‘sleep’ she’s terrified that she’s being watched and applies to becomes assistant manager at the Bay View Hotel on the remote Scottish island of Rum. But the messages continue and Anna fears her stalker has followed her there. When a ferocious storm hits the island everybody’s trapped in the hotel and Anna needs to discover which of the guests want her dead!

‘Sleep’ is a tense and gripping psychological thriller with a spine-chilling plot, twists and turns and several suspects who are hiding their own secrets. Throughout the novel there are chapters written by the other characters which give added depth to the story and italicised inserts from Anna’s stalker, although it’s impossible to guess the person’s identity until the final scary twist. This is an intriguing thriller which I’ve enjoyed reading.

When Anna is involved in a car accident two of her passengers - colleagues from work - die and one suffers traumatic injuries. Anna suffers terribly with guilt and opts to get away from London and its pace of life as she feels her life is falling apart. Rum, a remote Scottish island should be the perfect location as not only does no-one know her history but the work, as an receptionist in the island's only hotel should give her a chance to get her life back. But remoteness can be both an escape and a prison. When a dreadful storm totally isolates both the hotel and the guests trauma piles on trauma and Anna realises one of the guests is out to kill her. But who?Taylor keeps us guessing as the storm rages outside and Anna's paranoia is fully justified. As it should be, you are unlikely to predict the outcome until the very last pages but, gosh, it's an exciting tale!

The reviews for this book are fantastic. The summary was like a teaser ... I was so happy to receive the ARC, and am truly thankful that I had the opportunity to read this. But ... the whole story felt completely disconnected to me. I would read a few chapters, get bored, put it down, pick it up and have to restart because I had forgotten what was going on, who was who, etc. To me it was like the authors has several great ideas, could not complete them so put them together. Good thing I never rule out an author based on one book, for all her other books also look really good and I look forward to reading them.

Great novel. Very suspenseful throughout. Character development kept me guessing as to the guilty party throughout.

I read this in one day. Loved the atmospheric setting and lived the storyline along with the characters.. WOW