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Sleep
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All Anna wants is to be able to sleep. But crushing insomnia, terrifying night terrors and memories of that terrible night are making it impossible. If only she didn't feel so guilty ...
To escape her past, Anna takes a job at a hotel on the remote Scottish island of Rum, but when seven guests join her, what started as a retreat from the world turns into a deadly nightmare. ...more
To escape her past, Anna takes a job at a hotel on the remote Scottish island of Rum, but when seven guests join her, what started as a retreat from the world turns into a deadly nightmare. ...more
Kindle Edition, 368 pages
Published
April 4th 2019
by Avon
(first published March 18th 2019)
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Start your review of Sleep

400 pages read.....just like that! Yep 400 pages whizzed past me without me even recognising how many pages were in this latest book of CL Taylor’s.
I opened the book after studying the cover (like you do) and wondered what relevance and connection, if any, would be within these pages.
Well, you soon find out.
The beginning of the story makes me feel for Anna. She was the driver of the car that killed two people, one injured. I couldn’t help but think and feel for her. To blame yourself is the firs ...more
I opened the book after studying the cover (like you do) and wondered what relevance and connection, if any, would be within these pages.
Well, you soon find out.
The beginning of the story makes me feel for Anna. She was the driver of the car that killed two people, one injured. I couldn’t help but think and feel for her. To blame yourself is the firs ...more

An interesting psychological thriller, solid, yet not quite reaching the chilling heights it could have. Anna has taken up a position in a small hotel on the Scottish island of Rum, trying to deal with the aftermath of a fatal accident that she was involved in. She has seven guests in the hotel when the weather turns bad, and they are cut off from the rest of the world with no phone signal or WiFi, and the only way out, over a local river, is flooded.
Soon things start happening that shouldn't, ...more
Soon things start happening that shouldn't, ...more

Jul 29, 2019
Lisa
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
psychological-thrillers
All the 5 shiny stars for Sleep by CL Taylor, TO SLEEP TO DIE!! that's what you would hate seeing in your face if someone was looking for revenge. Well that's exactly what Anna Willis has to cope with after a car accident that killed two work colleagues & left another unable to walk again.
This is one book I could not stop reading, the characters were unlikable & flawed, although at first I did feel Anna's pain after the accident she felt responsible & couldn't live with what she had done. After ...more
This is one book I could not stop reading, the characters were unlikable & flawed, although at first I did feel Anna's pain after the accident she felt responsible & couldn't live with what she had done. After ...more

I know from previous experience that before you start a C.L Taylor book to clear you’re diary and get comfortable, as you won’t want to be parted from you’re book!!
What a beginning
“If you’re reading this then I am no longer alive” You had me totally enthralled from this point to the end. I devoured every word afraid to look away incase I missed a single thing!!
Anna is driving back from a company team building event, when she is involved in a car crash which kills 2 colleagues and cripples anot ...more
What a beginning
“If you’re reading this then I am no longer alive” You had me totally enthralled from this point to the end. I devoured every word afraid to look away incase I missed a single thing!!
Anna is driving back from a company team building event, when she is involved in a car crash which kills 2 colleagues and cripples anot ...more

I've read two of C.L. Taylor's previous books; The Lie and The Escape. Sleep is the sixth book written by her and is just as (if not more so) absorbing as the two I've previously read.
It's an utterly gripping psychological thriller mystery and "who done it" similar to Murder on the Orient Express, where the cast of characters are all trapped together in one place, with a possible murderer among them. The tension builds along with the pace of the book, and it will make any reader lose "Sleep" du ...more
It's an utterly gripping psychological thriller mystery and "who done it" similar to Murder on the Orient Express, where the cast of characters are all trapped together in one place, with a possible murderer among them. The tension builds along with the pace of the book, and it will make any reader lose "Sleep" du ...more

If you're reading this I am no longer alive. Someone has been stalking me for the last three months and, if I am dead, it wasn't an accident.
So starts a note written by Anna Willis for the police should she be found dead on the remote Scottish Island of Rum.
Anna was struggling to get back to a normal life after a serious car accident where some of her work colleagues were killed or seriously injured. Although it was not her fault that a truck ploughed into her car coming back from a work team ...more
So starts a note written by Anna Willis for the police should she be found dead on the remote Scottish Island of Rum.
Anna was struggling to get back to a normal life after a serious car accident where some of her work colleagues were killed or seriously injured. Although it was not her fault that a truck ploughed into her car coming back from a work team ...more

I have to give this top marks because reading Sleep genuinely meant that I had none over the night I read it. Well perhaps a little bit after I finished it bleary eyed at around 3am.
I'm still very fond of the psychological thriller, despite having read so many, both excellent ones and also some truly terrible ones - but this author never fails to entertain me, whether it's by writing those characters I love to hate, or as in this case with a twisty page turner that doesnt loosen it's grip once y ...more
I'm still very fond of the psychological thriller, despite having read so many, both excellent ones and also some truly terrible ones - but this author never fails to entertain me, whether it's by writing those characters I love to hate, or as in this case with a twisty page turner that doesnt loosen it's grip once y ...more

Mar 19, 2019
Brenda
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
arc,
own-read,
read-on-kindle,
mystery,
net-galley,
thriller,
psychological-thriller,
2019-release
After the horrific accident which claimed two of her colleagues’ lives and severely injured another, Anna could find no peace. Blaming herself was easy, although everyone told her it wasn’t her fault. But when the break up with her boyfriend Alex occurred, Anna wasn’t surprised. In fact, she was relieved. She needed to get away; start again. Maybe she could find some peace of mind if she did.
The Scottish island of Rum seemed to be her answer – only 36 residents on the whole island and the local ...more
The Scottish island of Rum seemed to be her answer – only 36 residents on the whole island and the local ...more

I wanted to read this the minute I read the description! Right up my alley! Intrigue, suspense and a big "WHO DID IT?!". Great book - really good read!
Anna is stuck in a hotel in a storm with a bunch of guests. One of them is a killer and she is next. Who is it? And why?
I really enjoyed this one! There was a lot of suspense, action, intrigue and mystery. They could absolutely make a movie out of this one!
It didn't totally blow me away, but it was a solidly good read!
I really enjoyed the characte ...more
Anna is stuck in a hotel in a storm with a bunch of guests. One of them is a killer and she is next. Who is it? And why?
I really enjoyed this one! There was a lot of suspense, action, intrigue and mystery. They could absolutely make a movie out of this one!
It didn't totally blow me away, but it was a solidly good read!
I really enjoyed the characte ...more

C L Taylor is one of my favourite authors and I was delighted to receive a copy of her latest book Sleep. I cold not put it down and read it over the weekend.
Anna is in a serious road accident with three of her work colleagues. There are fatalities and Anna feels responsible because she was driving. After she is released from hospital she decides that she can't go back to her job and takes a position in a hotel on the small Scottish island of Rum.
Anna was sure that she was being stalked and targ ...more
Anna is in a serious road accident with three of her work colleagues. There are fatalities and Anna feels responsible because she was driving. After she is released from hospital she decides that she can't go back to her job and takes a position in a hotel on the small Scottish island of Rum.
Anna was sure that she was being stalked and targ ...more

Oct 07, 2019
Sandy *The world could end while I was reading and I would never notice*
rated it
really liked it
EXCERPT: If you're reading this then I am no longer alive. Someone has been stalking me for the last three months and, if I am dead, it wasn't an accident. Tell the police to speak to my ex-boyfriend Alex Carter about what happened in London. That's where all this started.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: All Anna wants is to be able to sleep. But crushing insomnia, terrifying night terrors and memories of that terrible night are making it impossible. If only she didn’t feel so guilty…
To escape her past, Anna ta ...more
ABOUT THIS BOOK: All Anna wants is to be able to sleep. But crushing insomnia, terrifying night terrors and memories of that terrible night are making it impossible. If only she didn’t feel so guilty…
To escape her past, Anna ta ...more


My thoughts in a nutshell
Okay. I'm an honest person. I've read this more than two months then I didn't have time to write a complete review, so I pushed it aside. Now, I can't remember the ending of this book and I feel ashamed about it.
I can remember that I was bored while I was reading it. I picked it up because of the good reviews, but I felt it was a really average book.
I don't like the main character. I liked one thing about this story and that was the atmosphere. When I finished it, I ga ...more

All Anna wants to do is sleep. But crushing insomnia, terrifying nightmares and memories of that terrible night are making it impossible. To escape her past, Anna takes a job in a hotel on the remote Scottish island of Rim, but when seven guests join her, what started as are treat from the world turns into a deadly nightmare.
Anna has survived a car crash but two of her colleagues were killed and one was left with life changing injuries. Anna blamed herself as she had been driving. She moves to t ...more
Anna has survived a car crash but two of her colleagues were killed and one was left with life changing injuries. Anna blamed herself as she had been driving. She moves to t ...more

Jul 14, 2019
bookswithpaulette
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-in-2019
I was hooked from page 1…
If you’re reading this, I’m no longer alive. Someone has been stalking me for the last 3 months, if I’m dead, it wasn’t an accident.
The story centres around Anna, she joins her work mates on a team building weekend away to Breacon Beacons. At the end of the weekend, Anna drives back to the city with 3 of her colleagues in the car, they are hit out of the blue by another car which results in 2 of the passengers dying and the other left with serious injuries.
When Anna com ...more
If you’re reading this, I’m no longer alive. Someone has been stalking me for the last 3 months, if I’m dead, it wasn’t an accident.
The story centres around Anna, she joins her work mates on a team building weekend away to Breacon Beacons. At the end of the weekend, Anna drives back to the city with 3 of her colleagues in the car, they are hit out of the blue by another car which results in 2 of the passengers dying and the other left with serious injuries.
When Anna com ...more

Mar 18, 2019
Mandy White (mandylovestoread)
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
net-galley,
z-read-in-2019
CL Taylor.. you smashed this one out of the park and then some! What a fantastic book! Seriously people if you have not read anything by this writer you are missing out big time. I am a big fan and have loved Lo of her books but this one is absolutely her best so far. I had a rare day off without any kids round me I devoured this in an afternoon. I could not put it down and had no idea how it was going to end... so so good. Get your hands on this book people!!
It opens with Anna being involved in ...more
It opens with Anna being involved in ...more

Sleep, an intriguing book by C.L Taylor, I'd ordered this and delved right in, interested by the remote setting of a small Scottish Island, which is always a great setting for a mystery, a whodunnit.
We follow Anna, the main protagonist of the story, as she has a tragic car accident, which due to her irritation she may be partially responsible for the accident, or at least could have done more to avoid the collision.
Sadly two of Anna's colleagues in the Car are now dead, and the other seemingly c ...more
We follow Anna, the main protagonist of the story, as she has a tragic car accident, which due to her irritation she may be partially responsible for the accident, or at least could have done more to avoid the collision.
Sadly two of Anna's colleagues in the Car are now dead, and the other seemingly c ...more

3.5 ⭐
This one is pretty similar to An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena, that I read last fall: some strangers, a hotel, a storm... and, probably, a killer!
The first half was great! Unfortunaly, the plot dragged during the second half and there wasn't enough suspense.
All in all, it was a nice read with an interesting setting and a few twists! ...more
This one is pretty similar to An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena, that I read last fall: some strangers, a hotel, a storm... and, probably, a killer!
The first half was great! Unfortunaly, the plot dragged during the second half and there wasn't enough suspense.
All in all, it was a nice read with an interesting setting and a few twists! ...more

Apr 08, 2019
Magdalena aka A Bookaholic Swede
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-2019
The Escape was the very first book I read by C.L. Taylor and I found it OK. This one, however, is really, really good! I'm a big fan of audiobooks, especially thrillers and I decided to listen to this one instead of reading it and oh boy that was a good move! Sleep is the kind of book that draws in the reader's right from the start and then you just can't stop reading (or listening).
Sleep is the kind of thriller with lots of suspects, plenty of red herrings and a great pace! Is someone after Ann ...more
Sleep is the kind of thriller with lots of suspects, plenty of red herrings and a great pace! Is someone after Ann ...more

I have loved all of C.L. Taylors previous books, ‘Sleep’ I liked!
The story revolves around Anna who is involved in a car crash where 2 of her colleagues die and one has life changing injuries, she walks away....was it her fault?
Anna cant settle back to ‘normal’ life and so moves to Rum (!) a near deserted isolated Scottish island to start work in the islands only hotel and welcomes her first set of guests....there is a storm...the hotel is cut off....someone is seeking revenge for what she ‘did ...more

Wow what an utterly compulsive read. Yet again the amazing C. L. Taylor has written something both unputdownable and simply brilliant.
I always tend to find I read this author's books in one sitting so had been bidding my time to start it when i could give it my full attention. What better than on a 12 hours flight to Thailand.
I think it took perhaps 2 and a half hours tops to devour Sleep. No whether I'll get any sleep myself after reading this is to be seen as it was slightly unsettling.
Most ...more
I always tend to find I read this author's books in one sitting so had been bidding my time to start it when i could give it my full attention. What better than on a 12 hours flight to Thailand.
I think it took perhaps 2 and a half hours tops to devour Sleep. No whether I'll get any sleep myself after reading this is to be seen as it was slightly unsettling.
Most ...more

Feb 02, 2019
Paula Sealey
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
netgalley-books,
crime-and-thrillers
A wonderfully plotted thriller that kept my mind working overtime trying to figure out who the culprit was; this is definitely one to read! With its remote island setting and cast of disparate and damaged characters all adding to the tense plot, I raced through the pages as the suspense increased and the well of suspects decreased, until just that final one remained! I think you'd be hard pressed to guess the ending before it arrives, well, I certainly couldn't, and this all added to my enjoymen
...more

Sleep is the 6th psychological thriller CL Taylor has written. It is a stand alone. And it is awesome.
Cally put on Instagram that this was on NetGalley and I got super excited and high tailed it on over there. Only to find it had already gone to wish. Gutted! So I wished. And I was extra happy that I got approved for it the next day! 😊 Wahoo!
Sleep is about Anna, a young woman who is involved in a fatal car accident involving her and three colleagues. Two of her colleagues died in the crash and ...more
Cally put on Instagram that this was on NetGalley and I got super excited and high tailed it on over there. Only to find it had already gone to wish. Gutted! So I wished. And I was extra happy that I got approved for it the next day! 😊 Wahoo!
Sleep is about Anna, a young woman who is involved in a fatal car accident involving her and three colleagues. Two of her colleagues died in the crash and ...more

3 - 4 stars.
The book started well and I thought the premise of the book was good. It’s about guilt and all those 7 guests in a hotel on Rum (teeny tiny Scottish island below the Isle of Skye) with the main character Anna, have guilt or secrets of some kind and most of them were dysfunctional. The story is told principally from Anna’s perspective but with chapters from other characters at various points in the book. Towards the end I felt that broke the continuity and flow of the story and I jus ...more
The book started well and I thought the premise of the book was good. It’s about guilt and all those 7 guests in a hotel on Rum (teeny tiny Scottish island below the Isle of Skye) with the main character Anna, have guilt or secrets of some kind and most of them were dysfunctional. The story is told principally from Anna’s perspective but with chapters from other characters at various points in the book. Towards the end I felt that broke the continuity and flow of the story and I jus ...more

This is a book I would definitely not recommend starting on an evening. Not only won’t you want to go to sleep, you won’t be able to pull yourself away from the book either!
There is no better setting than a secluded island for this genre of story. As lovely as it sounds, the fact that a doctor only visits once every two weeks and if there were ever any emergencies, you are totally cut off. You can’t even drive to the island! Alarm bells were starting to ring before the guests turn up! You really ...more
There is no better setting than a secluded island for this genre of story. As lovely as it sounds, the fact that a doctor only visits once every two weeks and if there were ever any emergencies, you are totally cut off. You can’t even drive to the island! Alarm bells were starting to ring before the guests turn up! You really ...more

Another high quality psychological thriller by one of my favourite authors C.L. Taylor. I find her writing instantly entertaining and so difficult to put down once you start reading the opening page. This one was no different and shortly after starting reading it I was already re-planning my day in order to finish it, so you are warned.
The lead character, Anna is involved in a road accident and three of her work colleagues are left dead or seriously injured. Anna was driving and feels responsib ...more
The lead character, Anna is involved in a road accident and three of her work colleagues are left dead or seriously injured. Anna was driving and feels responsib ...more

What drew me to Sleep was not only my love of Ms Taylor's previous novels but also the remote setting of the Scottish island of Rum. There really is nothing better than a gripping thriller set in a claustrophobic landscape that leads to a dark, unpredictable and deeply atmospheric story. There are twists, turns and red herrings galore and the author does a superb job of throwing you off the scent. This is a writer at the top of her game and who just gets better and better with each book. A thoro
...more

I was expecting this to be slightly more creepier just as the cover suggested, but this psychological closed circle mystery kept me hooked as I tried to figure out the culprit.
Anna is still haunted from the car crash that had left two of her colleges dead, wishing to start afresh she takes the role of a receptionist in a remote Scottish Island.
It's clear that one of the guests knows about the accident and is keen for Anna to pay.
The author really establishes Anna's guilt as she struggles with in ...more
Anna is still haunted from the car crash that had left two of her colleges dead, wishing to start afresh she takes the role of a receptionist in a remote Scottish Island.
It's clear that one of the guests knows about the accident and is keen for Anna to pay.
The author really establishes Anna's guilt as she struggles with in ...more

"If you're reading this then I am no longer alive."
Sleep is my second CL Taylor book, and in all honesty, I was hesitant to try another after the first one I read. I'm so glad I did, though. I really enjoyed Sleep, and this one was such an entertaining read.
I loved the setup of this story - it's a group of people stuck on an island during a storm with no way off and no outside contact. It's a story we've heard before, but Sleep is still different enough to stand on its own.
If you enjoyed books ...more
Sleep is my second CL Taylor book, and in all honesty, I was hesitant to try another after the first one I read. I'm so glad I did, though. I really enjoyed Sleep, and this one was such an entertaining read.
I loved the setup of this story - it's a group of people stuck on an island during a storm with no way off and no outside contact. It's a story we've heard before, but Sleep is still different enough to stand on its own.
If you enjoyed books ...more

I was delighted when Elke Desanghere from Avon Books UK pre-approved me to read this book. I have loved C. L. Taylor's books, and her stories generally twist my head in.
Sleep by C. L. Taylor started when the main character Anna loses sleep due to her guilt after a road traffic accident which kills two of her colleagues and paralyses the third. The same guilt forces her to take a job in a hotel in the isolated island of Rum, Scotland. 7 guests arrive, and one of them wants to kill her.
As promise ...more
Sleep by C. L. Taylor started when the main character Anna loses sleep due to her guilt after a road traffic accident which kills two of her colleagues and paralyses the third. The same guilt forces her to take a job in a hotel in the isolated island of Rum, Scotland. 7 guests arrive, and one of them wants to kill her.
As promise ...more

Hmm. I enjoyed some of this and some of it was a little tedious and bordering on silly. A mixed bag.
Anna is involved in a serious car accident. She survives but there are fatalities, and as the driver she is overcome with guilt.
When she is released from hospital and back home recouperating she has an unnervering feeling that she is being watched.
She can’t adjust back to normal life and wants to get away from it all. She takes a job in a small hotel on the island it Rum in Scotland to try and ...more
Anna is involved in a serious car accident. She survives but there are fatalities, and as the driver she is overcome with guilt.
When she is released from hospital and back home recouperating she has an unnervering feeling that she is being watched.
She can’t adjust back to normal life and wants to get away from it all. She takes a job in a small hotel on the island it Rum in Scotland to try and ...more
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C.L. Taylor is an award winning Sunday Times bestselling author of nine gripping psychological thrillers including SLEEP, a Richard and Judy Book Club pick for autumn 2019. Her books are not a series and can be read in any order:
2014 - THE ACCIDENT / Before I Wake (U.S.)
2015 - THE LIE
2016 - THE MISSING
2017 - THE ESCAPE
2018 - THE FEAR
2019 - SLEEP
2020 - STRANGERS
2021 - HER LAST HOLIDAY
2022 - THE GU ...more
2014 - THE ACCIDENT / Before I Wake (U.S.)
2015 - THE LIE
2016 - THE MISSING
2017 - THE ESCAPE
2018 - THE FEAR
2019 - SLEEP
2020 - STRANGERS
2021 - HER LAST HOLIDAY
2022 - THE GU ...more
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