I’ve read a few novels by CL Taylor so was very pleased to be invited onto the blog tour for her latest book, Sleep.
Sleep tells the tale of Anna who was involved in a crash that she struggles to come to terms with. She blames herself for the tragic outcome of it and is suffering from severe insomnia and paranoia. Believing that she is being targeted by a stalker, she moves to a remote island in Scotland to work at a guest house. With only 36 residents on the island she believes that it is a safe place. However when the first guests arrive, a storm follows quickly after them. It is so severe that it traps Anna and the guests on the Island with no internet or phone signal. As things go from bad to worse Anna’s paranoia escalates and it soon becomes clear that all the guests are hiding secrets, and she believes someone is out to get her.
Sleep was an interesting novel. It reminded me a bit of a ‘locked room’ Agatha Christie style crime, but with an entire island and peripheral characters involved. The main character of Anna was a sad and slightly annoying person in my opinion. Clearly the guilt she felt was overwhelming her, but it did feel a little as though her self pity was the only element of her character involved. However this flaw in her added to the tension in the novel which was palpable. The fact that you didn’t know if it was just her paranoia or if there was really someone out to get her made this a real page turner.
The story itself was good and it has some really creepy elements to it. I like a claustrophobic feel to a crime story and this has that in waves. The plot zips along with speed, and each time you felt like you were closing in on the truth more red herrings were thrown in. CL Taylor’s novels are always entertaining and will keep you gripped throughout and Sleep is no exception. Thanks to Avon books for my copy.
Don’t forget to visit the other stops of the blog tour:
A crime readers blog 