I have read a number of books by Chris Bohjalian. His novels normally focus on a specific and compelling issue. In The Sleepwalker, Chris delves into the world of the sleep disorder parasomnia, particularly sexsomnia. This was a good character-driven story with the bonus of a unique learning experience.

Annalee, wife and mother of Lianna and Paige is a sleepwalker who also has sexsomnia, searching for sex in her sleep even wandering from her own bed when her husband Gavin is traveling. When she goes missing, Annalee’s family is in turmoil. A search ensues, the body is not found and the questions begin. Elder daughter Lianna makes it her mission to investigate the mystery of her mother’s disappearance which will change the lives of her family forever. As events unfold, there are some great twists and turns. Chris Bohjalian can sure craft a story and although this mystery had a few slow bits, it was compelling and had a great plot; one that kept me guessing to the end. Note: will also be posting on twitter and powells books.

Not one of my favorites from Bohjalian, but ends with a great, unexpected twist.

The Sleepwalker by Chris Bohjalian
Publisher: Doubleday
Release Date: January 10, 2017
Length: 304 pages
Buy on Amazon

Single Sentence Summary: When Annalee Ahlberg vanishes in the middle of the night, her daughter, Lianna, is left trying to find answers.

Primary Characters: Annalee Ahlberg – from the very beginning Annalee is presumed dead. Never-the-less, this wife and mother is at the heart of the story. Lianna Ahlberg – Annalee’s 21-year old daughter on a quest to find how and why her mother has vanished. Gavin Rikert – the police detective investigating Annalee’s disappearance.

Synopsis: Annalee Ahlberg has been a sleepwalker for most of her adult life. Annalee’s sleepwalking isn’t what most of us think of as sleepwalking. Her parasomnia has put her in both bizarre and dangerous situations. Annalee’s family has long feared for her safety and as the story opens their fears have been realized. She’s vanished in the middle of the night. The only clue: a scrap of cloth from her night shirt, found snagged by a tree near the river.

Annalee’s husband and daughters, Lianna and Paige, are stunned and riddled with guilt at having been unable to protect her. Lianna cannot stop questioning herself and everyone around her. When investigating detective Gavin Rikert proves to have an unexpected connection to Annalee, Lianna grasps onto him. She needs his knowledge, is personally drawn to him, yet, doesn’t trust him. The further Lianna delves into her mother’s history, the more she doubts the people around her and the stories they tell.

Review: I’m a huge Chris Bohjalian fan. I’ve read almost all of his books and truly loved so many. Skeletons at the Feast is one of my very favorite WWII novels and Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands is an absolutely amazing coming-of-age story. So, it saddens me to say that while I enjoyed The Sleepwalker, it wasn’t one of my favorite Bohjalian books.

I was most excited to read this book because of its unusual premise, and on that front it delivered. Bohjalian did a masterful job weaving facts about parasomnia into the plotline. Every chapter began with a bit of information about sleepwalking at its riskiest. The great part was you were never quite sure whom the information was about. Annalee? Gavin? Someone else? Unfortunately, as the book progressed, I grew a little weary of the all the connections having to do with parasomnia. I think it went too far in that direction and became a little heavy-handed.

The other themes in The Sleepwalker, the mystery of Annalee’s disappearance and the unearthing of secrets, were what really drove the story. These were played out from Lianna’s perspective as she questioned the people around her. She found that everyone held secrets that potentially had to do with her missing mother. Bohjalian beautifully portrayed Lianna’s grief and longing. I particularly liked the relationship between Lianna and her much younger sister, Paige.

“We no longer looked at each other, both lost in our private yearnings for our mother – a need for her that was almost like food after days and days without eating.”

Theirs was an extremely genuine bond. I liked less the connection between Lianna and Gavin. To me it seemed a little forced. The book was always engaging, at times surprising, and never lacking in suspense. But, for me, The Sleepwalker was a book that tried a little too hard to tie all the threads together. None-the-less, I’m already looking forward to reading Chris Bohjalian’s next book! Grade: B-

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Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.

I was so excited when my request for this book got approved. I had read "The Guest Room" and loved it! This one, not so much. It was, frankly, rather slow at times. Lianna asked a lot of questions, but I guess I would do the same if my mother were to go missing. Plus, she certainly had a lot of time on her hands. While reading it, I just felt like the dad was just there, almost nonexistent. And the cop for some reason just gave me the chills.

I do have to say that the ending was certainly jaw dropping and I did not see that coming. I also know a lot about sleepwalking that I didn't know before. Who knew there was such a thing as "sleep sex".

I see a lot of 4 and 5 stars for this book, so apparently they saw something I didn't. I did read this off and on over the course of five days, something I do not like to do. So there is a chance I did miss something.

Thanks to Doubleday Books and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a unique, thrilling mystery. I was left guessing as to what the outcome would be until the very end. There are a couple of very well-played red herrings that pop up in the story. I greatly enjoyed this book.

Annalee Ahlberg goes missing, but while this doesn't surprise her family, it does alarm them. Annalee is a sleepwalker. When the only trace is a square of fabric near the river, they begin to fear the worst. The Ahlberg children, Lianna and Paige, are doing a bit of detecting independently of one another and the police. Plot twists and red herrings abound.

Chris Bohjalian is one of those authors that I can rely on to give me a story that will draw me in and at some point leave me shocked and surprised. This book was no exception. The disappearance of Annalee Ahlberg had me guessing and wondering throughout the book.

Readers follow Annalee's daughter, Lianna, as she and her family struggle with Annalee's disappearance. Annalee had previously been prone to sleepwalking when her husband was away and they fear that her sleepwalking has lead her to danger.

At first I did like Lianna but as she continued to make questionable decisions throughout the less I started to like her. I was very suspicious of her relationship with Gavin and never really approved of it.

The plot seemed to drag a bit in the middle but the surprise at the end made up for that. I spent most of the book trying to figure out what happened and I am happy to say that I didn't figure it out.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the galley.

If one were to just look at the title, it is easy to dismiss The Sleepwalker as a frivolous story. After all, a sleepwalker immediately conjures images of kids wandering the hallways in their pajamas or doing something equally silly in their sleep. However, Mr. Bohjalian shows just how dangerous and disruptive sleep disorders, like sleepwalking or its darker cousin parasomnia, are to patients and family alike, no matter what age. What he shows is a much darker world in which nighttime is synonymous with anxiety and sleep becomes fraught with danger. Just how much danger becomes apparent as Lianna searches for and obtains answers to her mother's final hours.

Mr. Bohjalian captures human emotions so well, which is one of the reasons why his stories are so powerful. Lianna's grief and confusion are palpable, making it easy to lose yourself in her pain and fears. Better yet, her feelings and reactions are great reminders of just how young she is. Mr. Bohjalian does not try to make her older or wiser than her years but maintains her character as an inexperienced twenty-one year old still trying to figure out who she is and what she wants to do with her life. Her struggles to fill the hole left by her mother make her even more realistic. She triggers your sympathies and makes you ache at all she has to suffer.

Chris Bohjalian has done it again. With The Sleepwalker, he sheds light on the odd but terrifying disorder of parasomnia incorporated into the bones of a taut and intense murder mystery and poignant burgeoning romance. Informative as well as entertaining, his latest novel has a little something for all readers and is a novel that all will love.

Chris Bohjalian is one of my favorite writers, not just because he happens to be from my home state of Vermont, but because despite the fact that he has well over twenty books published, each one is different. We all know that even if you love an author's writing/books, they usually have a set formula/plot to them. Sometimes this doesn't matter, but sometimes it can get boring and mundane to pick up a new book by that author. Bohjalian always makes each of his books fresh and different, which I admire in a writer. The Sleepwalker did remind me somewhat of The Guest House in that there was a mystery involved, but the circumstances surrounding that mystery were completely different. The other great quality about Bohjalian's books is that you always learn a lot about a subject that you probably never thought much about in your daily life. Such is the case with all the information contained here about sleepwalking. The different types, the genetic aspect, the treatment protocols, the emotional and psychological effect it can have not only on the patient, but on their family. As always, the characters in this book are superbly written, and the story flows well, even when it does step back in time with background information. There is some gritty content within these pages, but other than not liking part of the ending (which I can't go into detail about here), this is another solid hit for Mr. Bohjalian.

A mystery surrounding a sleepwalking woman, this is another solidly written novel by one of my favorite authors. A gritty character study into the life of a family who is way more complex than the outside world views them.

I love Chris Bohjalian's Books - they're always well-researched, well-written and well thought out. I always want to know more about the subjects on which he bases his books, and this one is no different. I didn't see the ending coming on this one - I had to read it twice to make sure I got it right.

By VICKI ROCK
“The Sleepwalker” by Chris Bohjalian, Doubleday, 304 pages, $26.95.
Annalee Ahlberg, who lives in Vermont, sleepwalks out of her home. She only sleepwalks when her husband, Warren, isn’t home. She hasn’t had an episode in years, so he thinks it is safe to go to a convention.
They have two daughters, Lianna, 21, who is the narrator, and Paige, 12.
When part of Annalee’s nightgown is found near the Gale River, the concern is that she down. Paige starts swimming the river, looking for clues. Lianna takes time off from college to take care of her father and sister.
Detective Gavin Rickert is in charge of the police investigation. He has met Annalee because he is also being treated at a sleep disorder clinic.
Bohjalian writes female characters well, which is often a problem for male authors. This is a beautiful novel of family secrets with a powerhouse ending.
***

I've been a fan of Chris Bohjalian's novels ever since I read Transistor Radio. He has chosen to tackle some very difficult real-life issues in his various works, and I'm usually pleased with his approach. So, when I saw The Sleepwalker up for review, I was eager to dive in.

Annalee Ahlberg is the sleepwalker of the title. Whenever her husband, Warren, is away from home, she slips from her bed and roams the woods near her Vermont home. Once, her oldest daughter had to coax her off the Gale river bridge, a terrifying experience for both of them. For the past several years, Warren hasn't traveled for work, and Annalee's sleepwalking seems to be under control, thanks to treatment she has received at a local sleep center. So, when Warren is asked to attend a poetry conference, he decides to go for it, leaving his daughters Lianna and Paige alone with their mother.

Twenty-one-year-old Lianna is unnerved when her father leaves. Sure, it's been several years since her mother went out walking in her sleep, but she can't shake her uneasiness. She even considers sleeping on her father's side of the bed, since Annalee only sleepwalks when she's in bed alone, but discards the idea for fear of making her mother feel like an invalid. She spends the night in her own room, with the door open so she'll hear Annalee if she gets up during the night. Unfortunately, Lianna falls into a deep sleep, and is unaware of her mother's late night wanderings.

She's awakened early the next morning by her younger sister. Paige has discovered their mother is missing. Both girls are sure she sleepwalked, but where has she gone? Soon, search parties are scouring the woods in hopes of finding Annalee before it's too late.

Just as Warren returns early from his conference, Lianna is questioned by Detective Gavin Rikert, an attractive young man who seems to know more than he should about the Ahlberg family. It turns out Gavin is on the case because he has personal experience with sleepwalking. He even knew Annalee personally, since they underwent treatment at the same sleep center. The two struck up a friendship, but Gavin assures Lianna they were never anything more than friends. Lianna is drawn to Gavin, but suspicious of him at the same time. Why is she the only one he's told about his friendship with Annalee, and were they really just friends?

Annalee's disappearance changes each of the Ahlbergs. Lianna decides not to go back to college for her senior year and instead, spends the next several months doing her best to keep her family going. She cooks, cleans, shops, and meets Gavin in secret, hoping to learn more about her mother's disappearance. And Paige begins swimming the Gale river in search of clues, sure she'll find something the police have missed. Warren seems to be in a sort of fog, going through the motions of work and home life. He starts drinking more than ever before, and Lianna is sure he blames himself for what happened to Annalee.

The story is told in a first-person narrative from Lianna's point of view. In previous books, Mr. Bohjalian chose to write from the points of view of various characters, and I must admit to missing the different perspectives here. Lianna's feelings are very obvious, but other characters aren't as well-developed as they might have been. Mr. Bohjalian touches on Warren's guilt and Paige's fear, but I felt a little removed from them, since everything is filtered through Lianna's lens. Gavin is a very complex character, and I really wanted to get into his head in order to understand him first-hand. True, the suspense is heightened because the reader has to learn things along with Lianna, but I could have done with a little less suspense for the sake of more well-developed characters. It's obvious Gavin cared deeply for Annalee, but what are his feelings for her daughter?

At the end of every chapter, there are excerpts from a sort of journal. I suspect they're meant to offer some insight into sleepwalking, but they were actually quite distracting. I had no idea whose journal they were from, and there was no way of knowing when each entry was written.

I was pretty sure I knew how the story would end, but I'm pleased to say I was completely wrong about almost everything. There's a great twist that I totally didn't see coming, and it boosted my enjoyment of the story quite a bit.

The Sleepwalker isn’t my favorite Chris Bohjalian book, but I did enjoy it. It's obvious he did a lot of research into sleepwalking, and I love the way he describes life in New England. Established fans of the author will most likely be glad they picked this up.

review by AAR's Shannon