A Sleep and A Forgetting

by Gregory Hall

A suicide letter from a young woman with everything to live for plunges her sister into a sinister investigation – uncovering the shared past they tried so hard to conceal. In this complex mystery which will delight all fans of Robert Goddard, the horrors of the past disrupt the lives of two sisters – and of everyone who is close to them. Catriona is a well-respected academic, specialising in the Romantic Poets at a prestigious London college. Everything revolves around her work, leaving no space for personal relationships. She’s the exact opposite of her sister Flora, who enjoys a rural existence in the Cotswolds with her scientist husband and teenage daughter. Then Catriona receives Flora’s suicide letter. Catriona races to the picturesque village, but there is no body to be found. Has Flora really killed herself, or is this an excuse to vanish -and if so, why? The sisters have spent their adult lives trying to bury what happened in their childhood, but Catriona must now face a very different kind of oblivion before the truth comes out.

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Gregory Hall lives in the famous city of Bath, founded almost 2000 years ago by the Romans, who chose the site for its hot springs. It is now the favourite destination of many contemporary visitors, for its Georgian architecture and its literary associations with Jane Austen.
The highly praised author of four previous psychological thrillers, Gregory's latest novel, Hot Water, is published exclusively on Kindle. It will be of particular interest to former and intending tourists to his home city. A blackly comic murder mystery, in which a few myths about olde England are gleefully demolished, Hot Water's combination of stylish writing and dazzlingly intricate plotting will delight the discerning reader.
Gregory loves his family, cats, sunshine, France, red wine and black coffee.

Reviews

[Mitch McCrimmon]

I loved the characters and the suspense in this book, plus very strong emotions. Great underlying theme about the long term impact of childhood trauma. However, I felt it could have been better. First, too much description for several pages at the start plus overly flowery language put me off and I set it aside for over 6 months, may never have come back to it but finally gave it a second chance. Second, there is a way over long part late in the book discussing the effects of an experimental drug - I had to skim through most of it, way too much detail. Third, I thought the ending was quite rushed. I would have liked more on how and why things ended the way they did. Still I would recommend this book. Lots in common with Robert Goddard's excellent novels, especially the number of unexpected twists and turns in the plot.

[Debbie Robson]

I thought what an interesting storyline but I'm afraid (at least for this reader) it was all downhill from there. I had real trouble with his transistions. Maybe it's because I don't read much in the way of mysteries but every scene change left me wondering: When is this - ten minutes later, a day later or a week later? It just didn't flow.
As well, the author also had a very annoying habit of cutting off the exciting bits, constantly putting a stop to the rising tension. I mean, gosh, exciting bits are like diamonds - you want to polish them and show them off not throw them in the trash. But hey another reader may feel differently.

[Sandra]

Disappointing.