Emma a is turning 40 soon, and the thought terrifies her to the point that it is causing Insomna. Emma’s mother went “insane” at 40, and she always told Emma she would bear the same fate once she turned 40. Emma’s older sister Phoebe shows up in town out of the blue. Emma and Phoebe have a strained relationship, and Emma is suspicious of Phoebe’s return. As Emma’s insomnia becomes increasingly worse, her whole family starts to believe she is losing her mind. Emma’s daughter is acting out and rebelling, her husband is becoming distant and her son is acting scared of her. As everything spirals out of control Emma, has to prove to herself and everyone else around her that she is not crazy. Emma is determined to prove that all the weird things that are happening are not her doing, but whose doing is it?

Thank you @wmmorrowbooks @NetGalley and @Scene of the Crime for this ARC

Will review in the future, was offered as a free book with no review needed. However, as soon as I read this I will review. Thanks for offering free reads for Scene of the Crime.

Emma is about to turn 40 and she can't seem to get enough sleep for a number of reasons. She is worried about going crazy like her mother did. She is stressed by the fact that her estranged mother has suffered a brain injury and may not survive. Her husband is in the midst of a mid life crisis and wants to quit being a stay at home dad. Her sister is back in town. Her job is in jeopardy after she begins slipping at work and receiving poor reviews.
When odd things keep happening around Emma, she really starts to wonder if she's losing it or if she is just being paranoid. .

This one was heavy on the unreliable narrator/gaslighting of women and it felt a bit too repetitive for my liking. Overall, I'd give it 3 stars - I flew through it and liked it to an extent, but it's not one that will stick with me

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this novel.

Emma is a successful divorce lawyer - a picture-perfect life with her traumatic childhood hidden from everyone. As her 40th birthday approaches, her long-buried childhood memories start to haunt her. She stresses she’ll become “insane” just like her mother did on her 40th birthday. The stress leads to insomnia, leads to paranoia, leads to murder.

I became a huge Sarah Pinborough fan after Behind Her Eyes. I loved this unique psychological thriller. The supernatural elements completely worked for me, especially during my reread, where I saw more of the clues.

Sadly, I didn't love Insomnia as much as I thought. The story felt slow and repetitive. Maybe that’s a symptom of insomnia itself. But I honestly felt like I was rereading parts of the book. Plus, I’m not a super fan of the gaslighting trope. I do appreciate that Pinborough used the epilogue to tie the story back to BHE, but as with most epilogues, I don’t think it was necessary.

Read if you like:
✨Slow burn psychological thrillers
✨Gaslighting trope
✨Unreliable narrator

Emma is a top notch lawyer who, as she approaches 40, starts having insomnia and she is extremely worried that she will have the same mental break that her mother did at 40. Her mother warned her when she was a child that Emma was just like her, so Emma has spend her whole life dreading turning 40, and worrying that she will have the same issues as her mother. She is estranged from her mother and sister, and trying to live her best life. As she is weeks and days from her 40th birthday, she begins to have crippling insomnia, that makes her question her own sanity. As she reluctantly reunites with her sister, and then her mother, she begins to ask the questions that she has never asked before. She begins to suspect that someone is trying to make her feel crazy, and that someone is purposely trying to push her over the edge into insanity, all while trying to hold it together on no sleep.

This book really was fast paced and incredible to read. I really enjoyed the unreliable character of Emma. As the reader, you didn't really always know if what Emma was seeing or doing was a product of her insomnia, or something that was true to life. She became paranoid and did a lot of irrational things, that the other characters in the story just chalked up to her insomnia. As the reader, you didn't quite know if the other characters were right about Emma, or if you could trust what she said, as the narrator and protagonist. It certainly made for a great story that truly kept you on your toes. The ending was twisty and interesting, and I would recommend this book to anyone. This is my first book by this author, but I look forward to reading more!!

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! This is my first time reading Pinborough and i wasn't sure what to expect but I ended up not being able to put this book down. In general, I had suspicions that I knew what was going on but I couldn't figure it out until the very end - this is my very favorite kind of thriller - to be close but not quite there in knowing the ending. This is a perfect book for a plane ride or a beach - fast paced and snappy chapters. Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eArc!

Slow start but it really picked up. Completely sucked me in and it was hard to put down in the middle of the night or after lunch. I’m not sure how I feel about the ending; I’ll have to sit with it a while.

Just before Emma’s mother turned forty, she stopped sleeping. Her behavior became erratic and set in motion an irrevocable chain of events that still affect Emma and her elder sister, Phoebe decades later…

A successful divorce lawyer, with a loving husband and two children, Emma has always been the responsible, reliable sister. But now, Emma is days away from her fortieth birthday, and now, she, too, is unable to sleep. She begins to act obsessively, forget blocks of time, and alienate her family. And things only get worse… but is her insomnia the root of the danger afflicting her family or is something else poised to strike when she is most vulnerable?

Like Sarah Pinborough’s other novels, INSOMNIA has myriad unexpected layers with surprising reveals. While I the first half was a slower-burn and more repetitive than I prefer, I enjoyed the plot as the action accelerated! I think Pinborough’s fans will enjoy this psychological thriller.

I am really a fan of this author and the cover of this book is amazing - sadly I was a bit disappointed with the content of this book however. There are plenty of amazing reviews out there so it could just be me but here are my thoughts. Emma's 40th birthday is coming and we follow her in the days coming up to it as she experiences insomnia, paranoia and is she going mad like her mother did when she turned 40? Who knows? I found it tedious and repetitive and the story moved really slow.. Thank you for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. I'd give this book 2 1/2 stars rounded up.

Have you ever been unable to stay asleep? Emma has this problem. She wakes late in the night (or early in the morning) and finds herself doing bizarre things, like recording a series of numbers instead of dictating a letter and standing at a window, staring out. I felt Emma's instability, and I found her to be an unreliable narrator. I was never sure if anything she was remembering or doing was true.

***Minor Spoilers Ahead***

The supernatural aspect introduced 90% in was somewhat expected. I was hoping that it wasn't going to come to that, but it did. I really enjoy the supernatural, but not when it is randomly dropped in at the end of a book. I read another recent release that did the same thing and it also disappointed me.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a free and honest review.

Emma struggles with insomnia as she nears her 40th birthday, the same age that her mother "went crazy." Is she destined to follow the same path? Solid thriller that kept me reading and had a surprise ending. The ending is definitely unlike any other you've probably read before.

My mind is blown 🤯 I enjoy unreliable narrators and not being able to guess an ending so that was really fun. It seems a little slow at first, but hang in there! I was uncomfy the whole time reading this and I loved it.

Sarah Pinborough's most famous novel, Behind Her Eyes, had a notoriously *crazy* ending, and I loved it because it is one I will never forget. I was expecting something equally shocking from Insomnia. Overall I was very wrapped up in this book but there were a few disappointments. While the "twist" was definitely in the same vein as Behind Her Eyes, it left something to be desired. The insomnia and paranoia got very repetitive. I also found the prologue to be confusing, even after I finished - are we supposed to know who drove away from the car accident? Luckily, I had someone explain to me the significance of the epilogue, and I loved it!

From my blog: Always With a Book

I definitely consider myself a super fan of Sarah Pinborough’s books because I will read everything and anything she writes and I always end up loving them! I’m not sure how she does it, but she writes the most twistiest, craziest thrillers out there. And I am all for it. Each book is so damn unique and fun that you just have to read them, and this latest one is no exception!

It’s so hard to write reviews of her books, though, because I don’t want to give anything away – my best advice is to go into her books as blind as you can. But what I do feel comfortable sharing is that this one really kept me on edge the entire way through. First, there’s the title – I myself suffer from insomnia from time to time, so I was already intrigued and then when Emma starts having bouts of it, the writing is such that you feel as if you are experiencing it right along with Emma. That sense of paranoia is so palpable that you cannot help but feel for Emma as she goes through all that she does within the book. It’s chilling and nerve-wracking and hooks you further into the story all at once.

I loved all the characters we meet and how you aren’t quite sure if any of them are trustworthy or not. And quite a few of them were not especially likeable. I love when we get a mix of characters like this because it really keeps you on your toes as you try to figure out who the good guys are and who the bad guys are.

This story builds at just the right pace – it might feel a bit slow at the beginning, but it really is just setting the groundwork for all that is to come and I could not have loved it more. I was captivated by this story right from the start and once I finally had time to devout to it – thanks really life for getting in the way! – I could not put it down. This to me is a true psychological thriller and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I finished reading it.

I have enjoyed all of this author’s books but this might be my new favorite and I definitely recommend it to all thriller fans.

I have heard so much hype about Sarah Pinborough's newest book, "Insomnia", and overall, this book did not diappoint! Emma Averall is a successful divorce attorney, happily married with a teenage daughter and young son. She appears to have it all. But as she is nearing her 40th birthday, she begins to have trouble sleeping, and strange things start to occur- she is losing track of time in the middle of the night, and apparently doing things that she can't remember. What makes this all the worse for Emma is that just before her own mother turned 40, she also developed insomnia and started engaging some of the strange behaviors that Emma now finds herself engaging in. Emma's own mother lived out the rest of her own life in an institution after being found insane after trying to smother Emma's older sister Phoebe with a pillow when the girls were both young, and Emma is beginning to fear that she could be capable of the same things as more and more incidents occur that she can't explain.

"Insomnia" is a fast-paced read that does not disappoint, and is a great psychological thriller with a touch of the supernatural involved. As the story unfolds, along with Emma, the reader never really knows what's real and what isn't as we watch Emma's struggle with her own fear that she is going insane, or whether something more sinister is going on. I definitely look forward to reading more from this author!

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow and Custom House for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It’s no secret that your 40th birthday tends to be synonymous with the point you are officially OLD! Emma, has feared her fortieth birthday because her mother went mad that day and attempted to kill her sister. The insomnia kicks in a couple weeks before her birthday and nothing she takes helps her sleep. She is following in her moms footsteps. She is losing time and the police are now questioning her about murder and other malicious behaviors toward her children. She needs to figure out if she is the danger but she also feels there is an outside threat involved.

A lethal combination turning 40 and not being able to sleep.

This was a slow to mid paced thriller for me. I enjoyed the plot of the story. However, I don’t think it was the most original shocking twisted ending like her other book, Behind Her Eyes.

Thank you NetGalley and WilliamMorrow for my gifted copy

Reading this book is like having insomnia. I didn't know what was going on and you almost feel like you are going a bit crazy. But not in a bad way. I enjoy reading books that keep me guessing and this one, I was suspicious of everyone like Emma was. Was Emma going crazy, was it her husband, was it her sister Phoebe? So many questions. If you like twisty thrillers, you'll enjoy this!

This one was ok. I loved Behind Her Eyes and I don’t think any of her books will compare to it. I had no idea where this story was going. Found it slow moving. I need fast paced

As her 40th birthday looms around the corner, Emma’s fears start to bleed into reality. Emma and her sister grew up separately in foster care after their mom has a seemingly mental break. Despite her rough beginnings in life, Emma has carved a life for herself as a successful family practice lawyer with the perfect family of four. Everything is going great, until Emma’s sister shows up out of nowhere alerting Emma to her mothers declining health. Facing her mother again only brings the past and old fears more to the forefront of Emma’s mind. Suddenly Emma stops sleeping, and starts developing familiar tics. What does insomnia do to the mind? Is Emma going crazy or is there something more at play?

Pinborough is a master a weaving a thriller together that makes you question the reliability of the main character. I thought for sure I knew what was going on but I was so wrong. Left field wrap up brought this one to a startling conclusion. What if Emma’s mom didn’t actually go mad? Definitely a must read for thriller lovers.

Emma has a pretty good life – she is a successful divorce attorney, she has a loving husband, and she has two wonderful children. Unfortunately, Emma’s sanity clock is running down. Her mother went completely bonkers when she turned forty – she couldn’t sleep, she had delusions, and she had wild mood swings sometimes accompanied by violent tendencies. Emma’s fortieth birthday is in a week and she has begun experiencing insomnia. It seems like forever since she slept. She feels and looks like a zombie. She is short tempered and everything her workmates, her husband, and her children do is driving her over the edge.
Then in walks her sister, Phoebe, to add to her already burgeoning stress load. Phoebe wants her to visit their mother in the home she has been living in since she was committed so long ago. There has been an accident and Phoebe is not sure how long their mother has to live. Well that is going to be a problem because Emma told her family her mother was dead. Besides she knows how much seeing the crazy old lady will bring back memories she’d rather leave in the past.
Finally, not able to take the stress anymore, Emma goes to see her mother. Phoebe has told her that mom is in a coma and not likely to wake. Believing this will be a quick in and out visit, Emma is startled and horrified when her mother’s boney fingers quickly grasp her wrist. Shaking her off, Emma runs down the hall practically shrieking with her terror. Poor Emma her life goes from bad to worse … is she losing her mind or are forces closer to home trying to make her think she is crazy. Read on … you’ll be sucked into to Emma’s delusions and you will go willingly. The ending is so wonderful!

I read Sarah Pinborough’s first book BEHIND HER EYES quite a while ago and remembered how much I liked it. I raced through this book quite quickly. Sarah did a superb job ratcheting up the tension and keeping the reader guessing. This book is for readers who find Sally Hepworth’s books thrilling.

Robyn Heil, Buyer for Brodart Co.