A taut, tight thriller.

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to get into this book, because it is all about terrorism and radicalisation.

The terrorist cell carried out a horrendous and upsetting attack in Brighton which, although topical, was very harrowing.

However, as I read further into the book, I was intrigued by the police procedure and the minds of these zealous criminals. The anti-terrorism squad of Detective Superintendent Sophie Gabriel led the investigation. She had her reasons for wanting to catch the terrorist leader as, in the past, he had always managed to keep one step ahead of her.

I found it particularly interesting because one of the authors had first-hand experience working in counter-terrorism and radicalisation.

Galadriel.

Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of this book to review.

THE SLEEP OF REASON by Sir Mark Rowley and David Derbyshire is a fast paced political thriller. Setting the scene with a mass killing massacre on a theme park ride, the clock starts ticking as Detective Superintendent SOPHIE GABRIEL aims to capture the culprits and prevent further destruction.
With two sides raising terror on the streets the police have their work cut out stopping the islamist extemists and the neo-Nazis who seem to have the support of half a coalition government.
This gripping read focuses on DSI Sophie Gabriel as the fountain of knowledge on terror attacks in London. I like her, she's a straight talking hard worker who has sacrificed other things in her life for her job. She still has unresolved issues in her past but these help her work hard to save lives.
The characters are very well written, which enhanced my emotional attachment to them, the group of young Muslim men who have been chosen for the fight, wholly belive their plight is for good, the reality of the situation never really becoming apparent until too late, is sad.
The plot is fast paced, layered and interesting, mixing government with police work allows the politics of their work to be forefront.

A throughly thrilling read, with well written characters you can feel empathetic towards.5*

Thanks to Netgalley and Legend Press for the ARC.

You won’t be deep in character development in this story. There is some of course, enough to give you an idea of the personalities involved. But this is a tense, plot driven book that is a great read. And quite frankly, would be a good movie or television series.

Full Murder in Common review here:

https://murderincommon.com/2022/04/03/mark-rowley-david-derbyshire-the-sleep-of-reason/

Good friends David Derbyshire and Mark Rowley have co-authored The Sleep of Reason, a debut political thriller. Detective Superintendent Sophie Gabriel is on the hunt for a violent extremist at work in London in an all too real imagined scenario. A terrorist hunt begins after eight people were massacred on a theme park ride by a young white male previously unknown to authorities. As the hunt for clues ensue, active cells and potential targets unfold, politicians use the publicity for their own nefarious agendas. An intriguing debut novel with tension and realistic account of policing that makes for a four-and-a-half-star rating. As the narrative discloses concurrent events, it lacked segue transitions but this did not undermine the overall saga. Interestingly, a loose end left hanging may indicate a sequel, which would be pleasing. With thanks to Legend Press and the authors, for an uncorrected advanced copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and freely given.

The sleep of reason by David Derbyshire and Mark Rowley.
A brutal massacre at a theme park leaves eight dead and triggers a wave of extremist violence across Britain.On the trail of the killer is Detective Superintendent SOPHIE GABRIEL, who must confront her past as she races to stop rival Islamist and neo-Nazi terror groups bringing a deadly campaign of violence to Britain’s streets.As community tensions rise, the coalition government appears to be exploiting the crisis for its own ends. In the midst of a political and media whirlwind, Gabriel and her team must stop a ruthless terrorist attack that could leave hundreds dead.
I really enjoyed this book. Loved the story and characters. I hope there is more to come. 4*.

Starting with a massacre at a theme park and other seemingly unconnected attacks the dark intentions of politicians are all intertwined as the investigation by a senior policewoman with a history are thrillingly described here. A plot that feels all too plausible as the race to discover the perpetrators and prevent another devastating attack keep the tension high. A brilliant climax with a finish that hints at episode two to come soon hopefully!

A mixture of thoughts on this one. It took a while for me to get into it, however I'm glad I did as I really enjoyed the story. I have however deducted a point as I didn't feel anything for any of the characters.

An interesting conclusion with the main story wrapped up but leaving a very important thread open for a follow up. (which I want to read).

Thank you NetGalley and Legend Press for the copy of this book. Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I never connected with the story, even though it felt realistic. The writing was okay, and I would start loving it, then would lose interest again, I'm not sure why. There were too many characters, so I couldn't keep them straight, even though I tried. This was probably my biggest issue - so many characters I couldn't connect to any of them. 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3.

Really enjoyed this story. Easily got into the book and would love to read more from the author. The pace of the story was sustained and I wanted to read more as the plot developed.. Thank you for the opportunity to see an advance copy.

I found this a scarily realistic read. A well written, complex plot with engaging characters and a feeling of authenticity