Sleepless

Louise Mumford

Dec 2020 · Sold by HarperCollins UK

About this ebook

‘The Circle meets Black Mirror in a thrilling, plausible and gripping debut. Frighteningly inventive.’ John Marrs, bestselling author of The One

‘Wow wow wow! What a story that was!... An unputdownable thriller... Absolutely brilliant read that had me on the edge of my seat!’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars

Don’t close your eyes. Don’t fall asleep. Don’t let them in.

Thea is an insomniac; she hasn’t slept more than three hours a night for years.

So when an ad for a sleep trial that promises to change her life pops up on her phone, Thea knows this is her last chance at finding any kind of normal life.

Soon Thea’s sleeping for longer than she has in a decade, and awakes feeling transformed. So much so that at first she’s willing to overlook the oddities of the trial – the lack of any phone signal; the way she can’t leave her bedroom without permission; the fact that all her personal possessions are locked away, even her shoes.

But it soon becomes clear that the trial doesn’t just want to help Thea sleep. It wants to control her sleep...

An unputdownable, gripping psychological thriller for fans of The One, Behind Her Eyes and Girl A!

Readers LOVE Sleepless!

‘A twisty, action-packed plot make this intriguing thriller unputdownable.’ Roz Watkins, author of the DI Meg Dalton series

'A brilliantly original premise which is horrifyingly believable – one for insomniacs everywhere.’ Catherine Cooper, author of The Chalet

‘This book is INSANE... Just could not put the book down.’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars

‘Twisty and tantalizing. It made me sleepless all night until I finished it.’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars

‘Hooks you in from the opening chapter... A novel of breathtaking pace that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars

‘This book was so good. From the beginning I was engrossed... I wanted more. A fantastic read.’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars

‘Kept me up half the night while I raced through the pages... If you like John Marrs, you'll love this.’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars

‘Inventive, thrilling, believable, exceptional and well written... I couldn't put this book down with the result that I probably slept less than ever but it was worth it. Highly recommended.’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars

‘Start this one early... it is very difficult to put down... Fantastic storyline, loads of tension and brilliant characters.’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars

Ratings and reviews

An unusual read for me, but no less interesting. Thea doesn't sleep; it's not that she doesn't need her sleep - it's just that she can't sleep for her full eight hours, or anything like it. So when she reads an ad on her phone promising to sort it all out, she realises that she has to pursue what may be her last chance as a decent night's sleep. What Thea doesn't realise is how high a price she'll have to pay in return for the elusive zzzz's. Separated from family and friends, kept isolated and having to seek permission even to leave her room . . . Now, I normally pass on anything with the word 'dystopian' anywhere near it, but this one appealed to me and certainly didn't disappoint. A gripping and enthralling read, I soon found myself totally immersed in the story and needing to find out where it was going. There is plenty happening and the creep factor figures large in this one - I shuddered, often! A good read which demonstrates how each of us can dig deep and find something in ourselves that we didn't know was there, and the type of book where once started, it has to be finished! If you enjoy a bit of a spine-chilling read, then this is one for you. Four stars from me.

Thea, who suffers from insomnia, signs up to participate in a sleep trial after she is involved in a car accident. But this isn’t just any sleep trial and it soon becomes clear to Thea, that this is not a trial to help her sleep, but is one that wants to control her sleep… When I was offered the chance to read Sleepless, I was immediately drawn to the title as I can relate to this, so I was very interested to see Louise Mumford’s take on sleeplessness. What I got though, was a story so much more than what I and Thea and bargained for! The plot is original, fresh, well written and researched and really gets under your skin. I was still thinking about this book weeks after I had finished reading it. It just consumes you and you will have a sleepless night racing through the pages to see how it will all unfold! Thea is an interesting character who I could definitely relate to, although now that I have read this, I will not be participating in any sleep trials in the present or in the future thank you very much! I also absolutely loved Vivian, Thea’s mother, who is a standout and is a big part of what makes this book great. Sleepless is clever, complex, twisty, unique and a very compelling story. As a debut novel, Louise Mumford has nailed it and I will be interested in reading more of her work going forward. It was a pleasure to read and review Sleepless, which I recommend.

About the author

Louise was born and lives in South Wales. From a young age she loved books and dancing, but hated having to go to sleep, convinced that she might miss out on something interesting happening in the world whilst she dozed – much to her mother’s frustration! Insomnia has been a part of her life ever since.

She studied English Literature at university and graduated with first class honours. As a teacher she tried to pass on her love of reading to her students (and discovered that the secret to successful teaching is... stickers! She is aware that that is, essentially, bribery.)

In the summer of 2019 Louise experienced a once-in-a-lifetime moment: she was discovered as a new writer by her publisher at the Primadonna Festival. Everything has been a bit of a whirlwind since then.

Louise lives in Cardiff with her husband and spends her time trying to get down on paper all the marvellous and frightening things that happen in her head.