Cover Image: Sleep Tight

Sleep Tight

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Member Reviews

Thank you Netgalley and Harper 360 for a copy of Sleep Tight by C S Green, in exchange for an honest review.

"The nightmare is only just beginning…
When DC Rose Gifford is called to investigate the death of a young woman suffocated in her bed, she can’t shake the feeling that there’s more to the crime than meets the eye.
It looks like a straightforward crime scene – but the police can’t find the killer. Enter DS Moony – an eccentric older detective who runs UCIT, a secret department of the Met set up to solve supernatural crimes. Moony wants Rose to help her out – but Rose doesn’t believe in any of that.
Does she?"

Crime stories are my jam as of late and it's even better when it has a supernatural twist. Sleep Tight is the first in a new series and introduces us to DC Rose Gifford. This book scratched my X-Files itch and really reminded me of Agent Scully in her early days of not believing in the paranormal. I'm really looking forward for this series to progress.

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This was the first book in a detective series featuring DC Rose Gifford. She is called to investigate the death of a woman who was suffocated in her bed. It appears to be your average crime but they cannot find the killer. Rose feels there is more to it than they know, which leads to her being approached by DS Moody. He runs a secret department of the Met that focuses on supernatural crimes.
I like that it's not your typical detective series, the supernatural aspect of it makes the book that much more interesting to me. I definitely want to keep reading the series. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy.

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Three and a half stars rounded up.

My two favorite genres are police procedural mysteries and horror so I was super excited to find out that Sleep Tight was a combination of both -- a police unit dealing in crimes with a supernatural twist.

I enjoyed this just as much as I expected I might. There were some sections that felt like they dragged a bit which is understandable as this was the first in a series -- introductions need to be made and the scene needs to be set -- but all in all this was a refreshing twist on the standard serial killer mystery. I am wholeheartedly looking forward to the second book in the series which is due out this month.

I am so grateful to NetGalley and Harper360/Harper Collins for the opportunity to read and review Sleep Tight.


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Sleep Tight
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Genre: Detective Fiction / Thriller / Supernatural
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 3/4/21
Author: C.S. Green
Publisher: HarperCollins UK
Pages: 320
Goodreads Rating: 3.93

Synopsis: Detective Rose Gifford is called to investigate the death of a young woman suffocated in her bed, she cannot shake the feeling that there is more to the crime than meets the eye. It appears straightforward but the killer cannot be found. Detective Moody is an older detective, that solves supernatural crimes. Moody wants Rose to help her, but she doesn’t believe in supernatural. Or does she?

My Thoughts: The chapters are medium to long in length. I tend to shy away from paranormal, as in, this is not my normal go-to genre. However, I was quite surprised. Rose see’s or believes in the ghost of her dead mothers, so the crossover into supernatural isn’t a far stretch for her, or shouldn’t be. Rose is insecure in her life, maybe a tad bit immature. The supernatural element was stretched a bit. This really reminded me of the X-Files, which I did watch when I was younger. I did enjoy this but was disappointed at the end, but there has to be something to lead up to the next in the series. I did love the police procedure aspect. The characters were well-developed. Overall, a really good read and I would recommend.

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This book surprised me with a major creepy factor and it addicting, readable quality. It is a great mix of supernatural and true crime. It follows DC Rose Gifford as she works a case involving a woman strangled in her home after a series of nightmares involving sleep paralysis with a balaclava bearing intruder. When the case reveals other similar parasomniacs, it appears there is something more sinister or supernatural in the works. The story was really well done and I loved the elements of true crime. The ending was a little… strange, so I docked a star for that. I’m not super familiar with “lucid dreams” so I still don’t know how much I believe how it works. However, I enjoyed this all the same! Don’t read if home alone at night!!

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DC (Detective Constable) Rose Gifford is a young woman in her thirties still trying to find her place in life. Rose basically raised herself growing up in a very unconventional and unloving household. Rose lives alone but unfortunately her mother visits quite often although she is unwanted by Rose but her mother always has done whatever she wanted with no regard to Rose's feelings. Rose and her partner are called on the scene of a victim a woman apparently suffocated to death while being completely locked inside her room without any sign of forced entry. The police department wants to wrap the case up quickly until another body is found in the same manner.

DS Mooney from another police department wants to recruit Rose to her team for awhile since she sees some special talents that Rose herself is unaware of but Rose is very uncomfortable with their way of doing things and she doesn't want any part of this strange team but at the moment she doesn't have a choice in the matter since she is always putting her foot in her mouth and currently she is in the doghouse with her own captain plus she could be out of a job at any moment for causing unnecessary problems.

This was a very enjoyable and entertaining story revolving around a lonely and insecure young detective still in training. There is something very charming and sweet about Rose although she seems quite immature for her age but that is probably a result of her unhappy childhood. The book revolves about police procedural but it is very disarming in the way the story plays out. There are dark moments as well as many light and timely humorous moments as well. I loved the small department run by DS Mooney who is quite the character and I'm sure must have a very intriguing history behind her. I loved having a some paranormal aspects being brought into a police procedural process and I can't wait to read the next book in this new and extremely clever series. The book reminds me of a new and evolved UK "X-Files" story brought back to life except with a completely different cast of characters. This is what I'm hoping and have been waiting for!

I want to thank the publisher "Harper 360 - Harper Collins" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given this story a rating of 4 UNIQUELY DIFFERENT 🌟🌟🌟🌟 STARS!!

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Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read and give an honest review of this book.

DC Rose Gifford is not your typical cop. She sees things that others don’t and is troubled by the ghosts from her past, literally.

While investigating peculiar murders that happened in rooms that were locked from the inside, Rose is sought out by a special division of the police department that understandably keeps a low profile. This department investigates cases that appear to have a supernatural or occult aspect to them.
Rose’s first interaction with this department not only frightens her but makes her want to run as far away as possible from them. She later changes her mind and gets involved with them in order to solve her current case.

This new series is interesting and well written. The characters are likable and well developed. Solving cases with a supernatural twist looks like an interesting direction to take. I think this ‘Rose Gifford’ series will be a keeper.
I look forward to #2 in this series.

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I was pleasantly surprised by this one! I loved the paranormal/supernatural aspect to this mystery. I got very “behind her eyes” vibes from this story. The blend between reality and paranormal was done really well. Going in blind, I really enjoyed the exploration of the main characters beliefs. It was a little slower in some parts, but overall I enjoyed this one!

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I am rounding up on this book. I enjoyed the characters. I enjoyed the story and the plot. I enjoyed the mystery and suspense. But something about the book made everything feel a bit disjointed or off.
DC Rose Gifford is part of the investigation team working to solve the crime of a woman found strangled to death in a room locked from the inside. No one is sure what happened, other than that the victim claimed to be suffering from debilitating nightmares and insomnia. Is there something supernatural going on? As a firm sceptic, Rose desperately wants to believe that this crime has a simple, perfectly natural explanation, even when everything in her life points to the fact that there quite possibly are other forces at work.
Rose was a great character. I liked her journey throughout the book, even though sometimes I wanted to yell at her. I was always rooting for her and really came to care about her. I also liked the secondary characters, and they added to the story. The crime element of the story was intriguing. The reader knows something perhaps bizarre and strange is going on, and is drawn into the mystery. I had a pretty good suspicion early on who the killer was, and I was right, but it did not at all take away from my ability to enjoy what I was reading.
Yet despite the fact that I liked everything about the story and did not want to put the book down, the book itself just didn't quite work... And I am not sure why. It's almost like all of the perfect ingredients were there, but they just didn't gel. The book felt like it was made up of a bunch of different components--great components--that didn't really come together to create a cohesive whole. Maybe because this is the first in a series, so things are being set up and introduced for subsequent books? I don't know.
So while I am not sure that this was actually a good book, I really liked it and would absolutely read the next one in the series. Strange to say, I know. If you are looking for a new, fresh procedural series with an element of the supernatural, I would recommend this book. I am hoping this series goes on to become really great, because it has the potential to do so.

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This is a creepy supernatural who-dun-it police procedural book! While there were slower parts, there were also parts that were real page turners. As supernatural elements typically is not my cup of tea, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. You should add this to your TBR list if you like supernatural thrillers, police procedures, or book series!

***** Many thanks to Harper360, CS Green, and NetGalley for the gifted copy as it was provided to me in turn for my honest opinion.

Will be posted prior to 3/8/22 on bookstagram at Thriller_book_sisters.

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Sleep Tight introduces Rose Gifford, a DC who still has a learning curve. The only mother she ever knew was Adele, her grandmother. Adele was a medium and seems to be haunting Rose, although Rose does not believe that kind of malarky and seems to consider her "mother" a charlatan who ought to leave her alone to function as a more or less normal person. I would have liked Rose to be written with more depth and complexity, but this is the first entry in a series and I anticipate the character will be developed further. The plot of this story is quite original. Women who experience parasomnia, a sleep disorder that can include hallucinations and a sense of paralysis are experiencing a sense that a man who they dream of and who causes night terrors is in fact real. As Rose and her senior partner Mack investigate, she inexplicably draws the attention of DI Money from a unit everyone things has to do with compliance. But does it? This is a highly original police procedural, using a terrible sleep disorder as a jumping off point for some paranormal happenings. Rose, desperate not to be different, is drawn into a new understanding of her gifts as the navigates her work in the MET, where she gets into trouble as a newbie, partly because she inadvertently learned something about her boss, while being drawn to Mooney's unit. I thoroughly enjoyed the solution and the paranormal aspects.

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A fun, entertaining and highly addictive thriller, Sleep Tight marks the start of a new series. DC Rose Gifford is, let’s face it, a mediocre cop. She has good instincts but keeps messing up. When she’s called to a crime scene where a woman was murdered in her sleep and with no possible way for the killer to have done it, she knows there’s something strange happening. That’s when her unusual and untapped talents come into play. Much as she fights it, Rose may have inherited her grandma’s genes. Rose thinks that grandma was a con artist who only pretended to commune with the dead, but she sees and knows things that can’t be easily explained. So once the setup is out of the way, this first volume shifts between Rose’s official police duties, and her introduction into UCIT, a different branch of law enforcement that is at some point described as the Met’s version of the X Files. The procedures and viewpoints that she follows from one department or the other, radically change her perception of the same crime. I liked her coworkers in both offices. The UCIT personnel are a little more colorful than their “muggle” counterparts, but Rose’s usual partner Mack stole my heart. As I mentioned before, I wasn’t a fan of Rose, but I liked the setup and the plot so much, that I’m hopeful she’ll grow on me. I can’t wait for the next volume.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/#Harper 360, HarperCollins!

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I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I thought the plot was interesting with several different twists. I loved the descriptions of all the characters and felt particularly endeared to Rose. because of her vulnerability and determination.. I loved the descriptions of the hidden police department especially, complete with that tea lady and her trolley… Will be keenly following the adventures of DC Gifford in book 2 of the series. I look forward to reading other books in the series.

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An interesting and twisty paranormal thriller! This book is the first in a series with DC Rose Gifford who eventually ends up working with a secret police unit that investigates paranormal crimes. At the beginning of the book, Rose and her colleagues are called to the scene of a crime where a woman was killed in her sleep in a locked room. There are things that are not adding up in the case which lead to Rose coming to terms with and learning to use her ability to communicate with ghosts. This book was an interesting police procedural with the added element of the supernatural, reminding me a bit of the X Files. I would read another book in this series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper360 for providing me with an ARC in exchange for this review.

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Sleep Tight is the first book in a new supernatural crime thriller series by C.S. Green. DC Rose Gifford and colleagues are called to a crime scene where a young woman was killed in her sleep, but the victim's bedroom door is locked from the inside, and there are no signs of forced entry. However, the victim struggled with insomnia, sleep paralysis, and nightmares that made her scream like clockwork at 3:00 am so her roommate thought nothing of her sounds of distress. There are seemingly impossible aspects of the crime, and things only get stranger and more unnerving from there. Eventually, Rose finds herself working with UCIT, a secret police unit that investigates supernatural crimes, and DS Moody, the eccentric but no-nonsense head of that department who has seen some weird stuff. Rose must confront her own issues and beliefs to thoroughly work this case, figure out how the killer did it, which may defy conventional logic, and stop him before he strikes again. As this is the first book in the series, it's more of an introduction to Rose and how she becomes acquainted with UCIT and supernatural crimes. But, it had creepy and suspenseful moments and some colorful characters, especially Moody. It is a well-written, fast-paced, and quick read. The series has a bit of an X-Files vibe and a lot of room to grow and expand on the paranormal in future books, and I hope we get a lot more Moody in future installments. I will be interested to see where the series goes next, as book two will definitely be on my radar. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper360 for the opportunity to read this ARC.

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When I requested a copy of this book, I had no idea it was a detective novel. Ugh . . . police procedurals are not my cup of tea. Especially when they're part of a series. This one, however, had some aspects that I really liked. Supernatural, paranormal, ominous, creepy aspects. This could be a very exciting new series for readers of detective stories. It was certainly unique and refreshing.

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Interesting but not really my cup of tea. Well written I just personally couldn’t get into the story. Something is tormenting girls in their dreams and the team is dedicated to find an answer to why. Honestly super predictable. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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A solid police procedural with a touch of the supernatural. I wasn't as creeped out as I hoped to be so go in with the knowledge that you'll get a solid mystery with a dash of the unknown

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4.5 stars rounded to 5!

This is a new series by CS Green and I cannot wait to see what else she has in store for us! The creepiness in this book is on another level, especially if you read it before bed (highly recommend not doing this as it will keep you up at night 🤣). The one thing that was frustrating at times is that the MC is supposed to be a woman in her 30s. However, there were times in the book where I just felt she was immature and not a young professional. I’m hoping that her character will evolve as the series goes! The book is so fast paced and it will keep you guessing until the end! Overall, I highly recommend this book if you like the supernatural aspects and a good thriller with unsuspecting twists!!

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Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read and review this debut novel by C. S. Green. Detective Constable Rose Gifford is good at her job but she has two separate lives. She loves her job and her coworkers but is in conflict with her boss. She is hiding her personal life from the people who really are closest to her. And she is lying to herself about her history and how it manifests in her present. Now all parts of her life, all her conflicts are converging because of a inexplicable series of deaths she and her partner Mack are investigating. A women has died and the circumstances are beyond mysterious. There doesn’t seem to be a plausible way for someone to have committed the crime. How did the killer enter and exit? Why is the body staged the way they encounter her? This must be someone in the victim’s life and there are some shady, secret keeping characters in her inner circle. The puzzle pieces don’t fit. Now Rose must confront her past and accept how her past is influencing her policing skills.

Loved this book and hope this will be the first in a series. The characters are flawed, quirky and very likable.

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