This was my second CL Taylor book and it definitely did not disappoint. 
I have to admit that the synopsis didn't immediately intrigue me but once I started reading I couldn't put it down.
I read a lot of thrillers so I have a tendency to figure out the ending before they happen, this book however was not the case and I had no idea how it was going to end which made it a great page-turner. 
I will absolutely be reading whatever this author writes next.

Sleep by C.L. Taylor is a psychological thriller.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Avon Books, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.



My Synopsis: 
Anna and her colleagues were returning home from a weekend retreat. Anna was driving. The driver of a truck fell asleep at the wheel and veered into Anna's lane. She lost control, and that was it. She was the only one to walk away with no physical injuries. Emotional injuries, well that’s another story. The courts charged the other driver. Everyone agreed, it wasn’t Anna’s fault. Everyone, that is except Anna…and one other person.

When Anna starts getting messages which she deems as threatening, and her boyfriend finds innocent, they break up. Anna hopes that the insomnia and notes will stop if she can just get away for a while. She takes a job at the only hotel on the remote island of Rum. Unfortunately, she soon discovers that her past may have followed her.

When a storm closes the island off, there is no escape. As Anna’s insomnia continues, and her fears become reality, she is unsure who to trust. Other than her boss, David, the seven guests who check in for the weekend include Malcolm and Melanie Ward with their teenage niece Katie, Christine Cuttle, Trevor Morgan, Joe Armstrong, and Fiona Gardiner. One of them wants Anna dead.



My Opinions: 
Guilt and mental illness seem to be the central themes in this novel. Almost all of the characters are damaged individuals suffering from real or imagined guilt.

The author created characters who were all hiding something, so they all looked suspicious. The suspense and twists really build in this one, and I was unsure who the perpetrator was until the author wanted us to know. I love that!

The story was told mainly from Anna’s viewpoint, although when needed, others told their side. There was also an unknown narrator. The different perspectives added to the suspense and depth of the novel.

The book grabbed me from the beginning, and didn’t let me go.

Although the ending was somewhat predictable, I don’t think it was needed.

Highly recommend this book!

It is my first book from the author and certainly won't be the last. I am highly entertained by this novel and the mystery surrounding Anna's stalker had me gripped. The theme was focused on guilt and I find it very interesting. There were some good twists and turns that made it hard to guess as to who is after Anna. Everyone seems to be a suspect. Great set of characters and the remote island setting adds a dark vibe. An enjoyable read overall.

Sleep is the first book that I have read by CL Taylor and it is one that I thoroughly enjoyed 

It is well written and sets a cracking pace throughout with plenty of twists and turns to keep you hooked.

Highly recommended

I really enjoyed this book, had me hooked from the start, read it in one sitting as I had to know what was going to happen next. So unputdownable for me and I wasn't disappointed! The writing just flowed and was so easy to read, I just knuckled down until the finish. I liked most of the characters, was trying to work out who it was, it was full of twists and turns, there were clues to follow but well disguised as well, could lead you up a blind alley!

Anna was a team lead and was driving back from a weekend course away when there was a car crash causing death to two of her colleagues, life changing injuries to a third and she walked away virtually unharmed apart from blaming herself. After a while she decided to move away totally distancing herself from what she knew and starting afresh where she knew nobody or so she thought. If only it had been that easy. Somebody was out to get but would they succeed?

This is a thrilling book to read and keeps you on the edge of your sit. I have read one or two of this authors before but so far this is the most outstanding book by her that I have read. So much so that I will aim to read more of her work, even the past books as I am getting to a be fan

I didn't get into this at all, I'm afraid - too protracted, drawn out to the point of torture with characters I could not relate to at all - sorry, but I have enjoyed other books by the same writer.

Wow!  What a superb and gripping book this is!  Part psychological thriller and part whodunnit, it is well-written and enthralling, with excellent depiction of people and places.  When Anna is involved in a car crash which causes the deaths of two colleagues and the paralysis of a third, her life is thrown into turmoil.  She decides to move to a remote Scottish island to seek peace and tranquillity, but is somebody out to kill her?  A great read!

All Anna wants to do is sleep. But crushing insomnia, terrifying nightmares and memories of that terrible night are making it impossible. To escape her past, Anna takes a job in 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..

Anna has survived a car crash but two of her colleagues were killed and one was left with life changing injuries. Anna blamed herself as she had been driving. She moves to the Isle of Rum, working in a hotel. When a group of guests arrive a storm shortly followed them. Soon secrets are revealed and not everyone is who they say they are. There is a big twist about halfway through this story. I did guess right though. This is a well written book that has been perfectly thought out and researched.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Avon Books UK and the author C. L. Taylor for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A fantastic synopsis draws in the readers immediately. Within the first few pages we are led to wonder what has happened to Anna, and who is responsible? After this gripping prologue we learn that a tragic car crash left two dead and another critically injured, for which Anna carries round the guilt. Her solution? To escape to a Scottish island and start over. This is understandable, but the reader is led to wonder just how far can she run?

When working in a new hotel, and catering for seven new guests, suddenly things don't quite feel right. Anna notices things, begins to feel targeted, until then people start to die. Similarly to Anna, the reader is just beginning to get to know the seven guests, so it really is a 'guess who' trail as we are led to suspect the backgrounds and motives of every character. 

The books chapters take different points of views between Anna, Mohammed (who was left injured in the crash), and Steve (father of one of the crash victims), so I was constantly left wondering how could any of these seven strangers link back to the initial car crash!? I couldn't figure it out. I was left stumped with no other leads for my brain to follow.

Also throughout the book are small excerpts of memorials left for otherwise unknown individuals. The identity of the person writing these was not known to the reader, but constantly directed dialogue to Anna. The word 'SLEEP' is consistently referred to as some kind of metaphor for death, but also ties in with the cause of the car accident, so there is certainly a very sinister feel to the book from the onset.

The final chapters were extremely fast paced and I found myself glued to every sentence. I gasped on just one line alone! The events really came together in my mind as if it were the final exciting scenes of a TV drama series that I had been hooked on for weeks. The book throughout is written in a way which doesn't let your attention lapse, and makes every paragraph contribute to the wider developments.

The book does touch on some dark themes, and after having read the Acknowledgements, I was in tears. It really made me reconsider how clever and compassionate the author has been to include these themes in the book, and touched me on a very personal level.

You probably could have guessed what my final rating was going to be before you even read the review, but I honestly just find Cally's work absolutely incredible. For this reason, it's a great five star review from me on Goodreads & as always, I will be keeping my eye on her future releases.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for an advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

The description of this book gave me somewhat low expectations, a group of strangers go off somewhere secluded which results in death. We've all read numerous of these similar books and plots. However, I really found Sleep compelling and gripping from the start. The story really makes you question the main characters sense of reality and you wonder how much is actually happening or is it just in her mind. This book has you guessing immediately who the culprits may be and you definitely do not see the end coming. A well paced intriguing thriller.
Definitely makes me want to read more belonging to CL Taylor

Another brilliant read from this amazing author. Once I started this book I was hooked and could not put it down. A real page turner par excellence. So atmospheric and mainly set on the Scottish Ilse of Rum.
After being involved in a car accident that left two of her colleagues dead and another severely disabled Anna the main character is finding it very hard to deal with the guilt and trauma she has experienced. Anna says goodbye , packs up and moves to the Ilse of Rum, she has a live in job at the Bay View Hotel doing a little of everything. Before Annna left London she was sure she had a stalker but since she moved all has been quiet.
The hotel is full only six guests, Anna is beginning to relax but still cannot get a good night's sleep. Then a storm hits the island which only gets worse eventually isolating them from the rest of the island. Anna is already jumpyand starts seeing signs that her stalker is back. This book had me tapping my kindle faster and faster. So many suspects, plots within plots and secrets . This is chilling addictive reading at its best. Who is after Anna and why???? This book blew me away and as the ENDING WHAM WHAT THE BLOODY HELL!!!!!! A psychological thriller that kept me reading late into the night. I loved it, so highly recommended and an easy five stars. Another nail biting, heart racing read from this author. 
I would like to thank the author, Avon Books UK and Netgalley for the advanced copy in return for giving an honest review.

I love C L Taylor’s work and this is up there with the best. You can feel the windswept beauty of the Scottish island and the breathless mystery of the story. Brilliant read. #NetGalley #Daretosleep

CL Taylor.. you smashed this one out of the park and then some! What a fantastic book! Seriously people if you have not read anything by this writer you are missing out big time. I am a big fan and have loved Lo of her books but this one is absolutely her best so far. I had a rare day off without any kids round me I devoured this in an afternoon. I could not put it down and had no idea how it was going to end... so so good. Get your hands on this book people!!

It opens with Anna being involved in an accident in which she is driving.  It changes her life forever and she feels the guilt deeply. She can't sleep and blames herself for it all. Her relationship with her boyfriend suffers and she packs up and moves to Rum on a remote Scottish Island for a new start. She gets a job in the Bay View Hotel doing bits of everything. Just before a massive storm 7 new guests arrive for a walking holiday. But all of these guests have secrets and not all of them are who they say they are. One of them s out to get Anna, and her lack of sleep makes this seem like paranoia. 

This book will have you hooked straight away and ignoring the chores that you really should be doing. Make sure when you pick this one up that you have plenty of time to read because you will not want to do anything else.

Thanks to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased

This is the first novel i have read by C. L. Taylor, and it only took me two evenings to finish reading it, as i was hooked from the start and totally immersed in the story.
After being involved in a car accident that leaves two of her work colleagues dead, and a third badly injured, Anna is suffering from severe stress and sleepless nights. She decides to relocate to a small Scottish island, to start a new life, but someone is out there who is determined to not let her forget.
This is a pacy novel, with with good solid characters and a twisty plot and i have already been out to buy another title by this author as i am so impressed with her writing.

Loved loved this book! It kept me on my toes and I just had to keep reading until  it was finished. C. L. Taylor definitely deserves five stars for “Sleep”.  You will think you know who the killer is, but as always there is an amazing twist to the tale.

I've already read The Accident, so I knew I wanted to get my hands on Sleep as soon as possible. I was fortunate to have my request approved and here we are today. A big-big thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books UK and C. L. Taylor for letting me read and review the ARC.

Sleep touches the delicate subjects of mental health, grief and loss. The main character, Anna, is coming to terms with the loss of her two colleagues after the car she was driving was involved in an accident. She decides to leave everything behind and escapes to the remote Scottish isle of Rum to start fresh. Then the storm comes, and with it 7 days of absolute hell on earth. 

Again, the chapters are kept short, the writing flows and the storyline is twisty enough to keep you going back for more. There's just enough of mystery and paranoia which keeps the narrative so engaging. 

All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable book.

Another great thriller from C L Taylor !! A book you definitely need to add to your reading pile, preferably right at the top.

Anna is driving back from a team building weekend with 3 of her colleagues, when all of a sudden everything changes.  They are involved in an accident on the M25 which claims the lives of 2 and leaves a 3rd with life changing injuries.  How can Anna cope with her guilt ? Is she the only one that blames herself ?

In order for Anna to try and recover she leaves London and travels to the remote Isle of Rum to work in the only hotel on the Island.  Just after her own arrival 7 guests arrive and they all find themselves cut off in a storm that hits the Island.  Anna starts to feel that someone is watching her but is it all in her head ? All the guests seem to have their own secrets, but could any of them be out for revenge ?

This book had be hooked right from the very first chapter and I speedily turned the pages to try and find out the truth.  It really is a book that you want to get to the end but then when you don’t you wish it hadn’t finished as it was that good !!  The author really has a way with words and you feel yourself getting more and more engrossed in the story and it’s not long before you are going through everything with the characters.  This really is a great book that you really NEED to read !!

Thank you to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

I loved this book. First one I have read by this author but now bought another one as so impressed. Anna is the driver in a car accident when two of her colleagues died and another is seriously injured. She breaks up with her boyfriend and goes to a Scottish island to be a receptionist at a small hotel.seven strangers arrive for a walking holiday.
Then the storm begins.

With.thanks Netgalley and Avon for this ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.

I was glued to this book from the first sentence,' if you are reading this I am no longer alive'.  Anna was  driving home when she was involved in a car crash, which left two of her colleagues dead and the other paralysed.  The crash was caused by a lorry driver falling asleep at the wheel, although the lorry driver was prosecuted Anna felt guilty.  Anna started to receive anonymous notes and felt she was being watched.
.       

When Anna split up with her partner Alex, she decided to start again and got a job at the Bay View Hotel on the Isle of Rum.  Two weeks later seven guests arrived for a walking holiday.  The next day a storm hit the Isle of Rum cutting the guests off from the mainland.  When Anna`s boss David died of a sudden heart attack she was unable to summon help, then the anonymous notes started again.  Anna discovers her guests have secrets hidden, but who wants to hurt Anna.  

If you enjoyed An unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena you will enjoy Sleep.  I felt so sorry for Anna, I understood why she blamed herself but it wasn't her fault.  

The seven guests were interesting characters.  There was an ex military man, a retired professor and his wife and niece.  A single man and woman and a retired nurse.  

The book was very atmospheric, and I could sense the tension as Anna and the guests were cut off in a rural hotel with no phone or wifi.

There were twists and turns aplenty in this book.  I thought knew the culprit early on in the book and gasped with shock when i realised it was a red herring.

When the killer was revealed I could of kicked myself.  However their motivation for killing was absolutely chilling.

I think this is Callie Taylor`s best book so far and would award more than 5 stars if I could.

Sleep is the best book from C.L. Taylor so far. 

It is a taut, tense and atmospheric psychological thriller, with hints of an Agatha Christie type whodunit. A true thriller in its literal sense.

The pace is fast, easy to follow with enough red herrings to keep the reader hooked. Set mostly in a remote, tiny Scottish island in the Inner Hebrides, (the Isle of Rum) the stormy weather, isolation and general bleakness  all add to the dark and creepy tone of the tale. Having said that, the incredibly gloomy and dark landscape of the location could have been exploited a little more.  

All of the characters carry guilt  and deal with it in various ways, some more credible than others, but mostly the characters are good if not terribly likeable. This guilt leads to insomnia for the protagonist - who was the driver of a car involved in an incident where colleagues died - hence the desire for sleep and the connotations with the eternal sleep of death.

I particularly liked the opening to the book, this was very well done and a good hook. Some phrases are repeated too often but this is a minor issue. It is obviously a well planned novel and everything ties up in the end. A wonderful read for a dark and stormy night. Highly recommended.

#Sleep #NetGalley