would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this amazingly scary book

honest to god this book is scary...and hard to put down...
it has all the elements for a very scary movie, scotland in the hebrides, a small island with only a ferry running between it...small village life and an old house renovated with a history bordering on the supernatural

along comes zoe an american who needs time and escape from her troubled life and rents the house.... what follows will give you nightmares whilst reading this book

this author has a way of writing that grips you into reading page after page...so atmospheric, you could actually be there,struggling with zoe as she tries to cope with what life is throwing at her,when she realises how dangerous her predicament is...

so many twists and turns, a definite page turner
so well written...will be keeping an eye out for more books from this author

I was drawn to this book as it was set on a remote Scottish Island and I have a close relative who lives in the Western Isles. The main character Zoe flies from the USA to said island leaving behind her husband and young son. She stays in a renovated old house which is said to be haunted and from which a young boy disappeared not long before Zoe arrived. Zoe arrived to find out the true history of the house and is also subjected to strange happenings. Plenty of twists and turns along the way and an unexpected ending. Having visited the Western Isles I can't imagine going for a swim in the sea in the summer let alone in October as Zoe did! I did enjoy the book though I felt it was a bit long winded at times.

Unusual and disturbing story,what's real and what's imagined? Good characters with real depth and accurate description of small communities ,a real twist at the end.

This has all the elements of a traditional ghost story, but with a twist.
We have the newcomer to the village, the tight lipped locals, the ghostly noises. Why anyone would stay I don't know. Hasn't she ever seen a ghost story?!
Anyway, stay she does and it develops into a good story with an unexpected ending.

I do not read ghost/supernatural books; but I am so glad I read this one (in the daylight).
When I started the book and Zoe came to the Scottish island to recover, it felt like a mystery book - why was she there, where was her family, how could she leave them behind? As the story progressed and new elements were introduced it became more sinister and compelling. Was Zoe imagining her nightly lover? What were the villagers concealing?How did the mysterious bookseller know so much about the house where Zoe was staying? In the end what was real?
This is a great story and I recommend it to other ghost story wimps like me.

This is a great mystery/ghost story which even ghost wimps like me will enjoy!

This is a seriously creepy story - ideal to be told by those camping bonfires at night and in haunted house tours by the side of a blazing fire!

Those dreams - and what of the boy? And the bookseller? and...

Whilst the haunted house on a remote Scottish island could be considered a somewhat cliched start to a story with the single and fearless women determined to live in it, the story digresses quickly from the cliche and twists and turns into a guessing game. whilst it still continued to have odd cliched moments, I found the ending great as it just leaves you wondering. A true ghost story where you believe or you don't but you can't make a rational explanation for everything - or can you?

Really enjoyed this story and delighted to find a new author.

What’s it about?

Zoe Adams is newly arrived on a remote Scottish island from America, running away from her failing marriage. She seeks solitude and peace in the newly refurbished McBride house, but her retreat is troubled by nighttime disturbances; strange singing, unwanted intrusions, and dreams so vivid they leave her with bruises. Zoe is convinced the danger is more than supernatural, but can she uncover the truth before it’s too late?

My thoughts

I need to start this with a confession: I’m a total wimp. I get scared at Doctor Who, I’m fully convinced my mum’s house is haunted despite not really believing in ghosts, and I sleep with the lights on if I’m home alone. So naturally when NetGalley offered me the chance to read While You Sleep, I jumped at it.

It is a very eerie book. Merritt’s location building skills are second to none; the rain lashes down and the lights flicker out with exemplary vividity. The isolated house location is well-described, and Merritt is clearly familiar with the Scottish islands in some form. She can certainly put a story together and keep you reading, which is to be expected; Merritt’s pseudonym is S.J. Parris, author of the successful historical fiction Giordano Bruno series.

However, I had significant problems with both the characters and the plot. Looking first at the characters, they were so stereotypical that it took me nearly to the end of the book to come to terms with the fact that they were actually all exactly what they seemed and there was nothing hidden here. It felt a little Wickerman at times, and I did wonder if that was Merritt’s chief inspiration for the story.

Then there is the character of Zoe. Without going into spoiler territory, the unreliable female narrator trope is the biggest cliché in thriller writing and I am so so disappointed that she used it, and with such ‘thriller-by-numbers’ predictability. Equally, the isolated coastal house that creaks creepily is a well-worn path; any sane person would not choose to barricade themselves thus, but I suppose that’s the point.

This brings me onto the plot. This is a ghost story-cum-thriller, and it is not particularly well thought out as either. Again avoiding spoilers, it reminded me of a poor episode of Jonathan Creek, albeit without the charisma and plot-line of the tv show. The ending is a total cop-out and felt lazy, for want of a better word. It’s as if Merritt got bored halfway through planning it and went down the Dynasty route*.

So all in all, this book leaves me disappointed. It could have made a half decent ghost story, or a half decent thriller if Merritt had thought a bit more about how it was going to work, but I don’t think she did, so it is neither. I was genuinely scared by the first half or so (not very hard to do, but still) but I was left so cold by the concluding chapters and ending that I read it alone in the house with all the lights off.

Would I recommend it?

Not really. If you’re going on holiday and want something to half-read by the pool, this would work. I didn’t throw it across the room upon finishing (as I did with The Other Mrs Walker) but that’s not saying much.

*It wasn’t all a dream, but it could well have been.

I read much of While You Sleep, at night, in bed, in a dark room - the only illumination provided by my Kindle Paperwhite screen. This practice is not to be recommended if you have an active imagination! There are enough creepy moments in this Gothic chiller to scare the most stout-hearted…

While You Sleep provides the perfect ingredients for a sleepless night. Zoe Adams leaves her family in America to escape what seems to be a failing marriage. She has rented the newly refurbished McBride house on a remote Scottish island. A house with dark secrets, as Zoe is soon to find out. She is vulnerable enough without her first night being disturbed by unknown voices, things that ‘go bump in the night’ and a sense that she is being watched. Could this have anything to do with the deaths here over a century ago of a widow and her young son and, more recently, the disappearance of a local boy who had visited the property for a dare? Why did the landlord, who owns the local pub, not mention any of this? Why did Zoe not skedaddle after that first terrifying night? Hmmm. Her determination to stay, bordered on the foolhardy to say the least! Especially when she started to experience erotic night visions - rather explicit I must say. Is she seeing the same visions that the widow did all those years ago? The local school teacher and the owner of a bookshop, who seems obsessed with the history of the house, befriend Zoe and show concern for her wellbeing. Do they know more about the McBride house history? Is there more to Zoe’s past than she has revealed?

While You Sleep is scary, full of evil events, and a plot that, at times, does stretch credulity. Frankly, I would not have stayed in the McBride house beyond that first night - but then there would not have been a story to tell. So, if you enjoy a Gothic chiller, suspend disbelief and enjoy. Not alone in a dark room though!

Creepy atmospheric and scary as hell.I was almost wishing I'd picked a less scary book it certainly captured the small island, weird locals what the hell is going on feel, it scared the living daylights out of me, all you can ask for in a book like this in fact.If you want to be scared witless you have found the right book.Thanks to the publishers and netgalley for an ARC..

I wouldn't want to read this book if I was home alone, I found it quite disturbing and hauntingly chilling. It is a long time since I have read anything quite so spooky and I loved it. It's hard to distinguish between what is real and what is imagined. The setting is an old house set at the top of cliffs on a remote Scottish island, you can almost hear the wind whistling and howling with the waves crashing against the rocks,not the type of place for a woman to be staying alone. I thought the book was very well written and I shall certainly read more from this author.Thank you for the ARC

I made a mistake with this book. I started reading it in bed. It was scary so once I could no longer keep my eyes open I spent the remainder of the night lying to attention hoping all the doors and windows were locked and that I could switch off my imagination.
Some things I guessed, or hoped I had guessed in order to rack down my heart rate. Having Hamlet's comment "there are more things in heaven and earth" playing through the narrative was not helping on that score.
The disappearance of a youngster did not help either. Had a real person done the child wrong? Had happenings caused someone to break without realising it? Was the house really haunted and malicious?
The answers to all the above come with the loss of a major character (or two) and the introduction of a few more.
It is daylight. It was just a book. The island is fictitious. Isn't it?
Stephanie Merrit should warn readers who come from the West of Scotland (me) not to read this in an empty house.
Thank you (I think...) Netgalley for providing this pre publication proof in return for my honest review.

I was given an advance copy of 'While You Sleep' by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A gripping, exhilarating ghost story that definitely kept me hooked! An easy read, would be perfect as a beach read or for a holiday (although, not if you're going to Scotland!)
Very descriptive and spine tingling, nothing hugely original but I enjoyed it.

I have tried to read this book on 3 occassions and each time I have not been able to get into it and have given up. A no go for me I'm afraid.

I love a haunted house story but the incubus element threw me off. There were significant moments that were very chilling and creepy, but too few, I felt. The skype calls were fantastic though. The ending was a satisfying twist.

While you Sleep by Stephanie Merritt
Zoe travels to a small Scottish Island where she has rented a remote house because she craves peace and quiet as she has recently left her husband. It's clear when she arrives on the Island that the house has a strange and disturbing history. On her first night she has a terrifying dream and can hear strange noises and thinks she is seeing visions. This thriller/ghost story is not my usual genre but I really enjoyed this book and found it addictive. It was very atmospheric and gave me the shivers. I will definitely be looking for more of Stephanie Merritt books. I would like to thank NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

If you enjoy a good mystery then this is definitely one to add to your tbr list
Zoe needs some time to herself, She looks online and finds what she thinks will be the perfect retreat-a remote place called the McBride House up in Scotland.
The owner and local pub landlord Mick Drummond meets her and takes her back to the pub first to meet the locals, but the villagers are not happy. They say he should never have done the place up, it's haunted and should have been left in ruins.
After showing her round the house Mick leaves her to settle in, but she has a feeling she's not alone and is being watched.
After a night of hearing strange noises and very vivid dreams she goes to the local book store in search of answers. Charles the owner has always had a fascination with the McBride house. Between them can they they get to the bottom of what happened all those years ago? Is the place really haunted? Or is it someone local who doesn't want them to get to the truth?
This is a brilliant thriller which had me hooked from beginning to end, keeping me up till all hours wanting for find out more. I have no hesitation in recommending this book and it gets a full five stars from me.
I received this book via NetGalley, this is my honest and unbiased review

Stephanie Merritt writes a disturbing and eerie ghost story and an unsettlingly intense thriller set on an isolated Scottish island. Vulnerable American Zoe Adams escapes a troubling marriage, whilst simultaneously seeking artistic inspiration for her painting. She rents the remote McBride house, a place mired in rumour and superstitious folklore, where long ago a widow and her son died, and more recently where a young boy mysteriously disappeared. Initially Zoe is sceptical about the supernatural tales, but when almost immediately strange events begin to occur, she begins to worry about her mental state. With the help of bookseller, Charles and schoolteacher, Edward, she sets out to find out the secrets of McBride house. This is a compelling gothic story, with a number of twists, including demon lovers, weird singing, an old diary, amidst a background of atmospheric inclement weather. An ideal and entertaining read for those times when what is required are spine chilling thrills! Many thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC.

I loved it! I found it absolutely terrifying, especially when I was reading it in bed before sleep. In fact, I think it's the first book that's ever made me scream out loud (I mean one of those from the top of my lungs screams), when a really spooky bit in the book coincided with my husband suddenly making a loud noise. If you like truly scary psychological thrillers with a hint of ghosts and mythology, I'd definitely recommend this book.

Not long started this book and it is keeping me awake, as I want to know what happens on the next page. Unputdownable.

Eminently readable. This is a chilling ghost story mixed with a thriller and a bit of raunchiness thrown in for good measure.

Zoe has left her home in America to stay to a remote Scottish island to have some time to herself and to consider her future with her husband. She has rented the large and isolated McBride house. She soon learns that the house has a strange history and is feared by many of the locals. From her first night in the house weird things begin to happen.

This is a seriously spooky novel and had me holding my breath on a number of occasions.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley and publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.