CL Taylor is on of my "go-to" authors and I know I am in for a corker of a read. Sleep was no exception and I was gripped from beginning to end and clueless as to who was making Anna's life a misery. A very creepy read and a total sleep stealer!

A fantastic psychological thriller which executes its twists excellently. The book keeps you guessing throughout, building to a thrilling climax.

It may be called Sleep, but this book is certainly NOT a cure for insomnia. This twisty tale kept me reading into the early hours, with its likeable protagonist and bleak, atmospheric setting.

The book is chilling and creepy, cleverly plotted and moves along at a cracking pace, as Anna tries to get her life back on track after a fatal car accident. Some sinister and threatening messages suggest that someone blames her for the accident, but who could this be? Consumed by guilt, and worried that her life could be in danger, Anna escapes from London to a remote Scottish island.

Paranoia and panic seep through the pages of this claustrophobic 'locked-room scenario'. The plot is narrated not just by Anna but also by her ex-boyfriend and several others whose lives have been torn apart by the car accident. Seven possible suspects are in the spotlight, hiding secrets and complicated pasts, all gradually revealed in strategically placed snippets as the book progresses.

C.L. Taylor certainly plays with her readers' minds. Thanks to plenty of red herrings, twists and turns (some of which I guessed were likely to be misdirections), I had no idea where the plot was heading or who was responsible, right until the final pages. As with many psychological thrillers, not everything is believable, but I certainly had great fun reading it!

The opening lines - 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. - will draw you in and keep you there until the end.

It is a well written psychological thriller, with an atmospheric plot and lots of suspicious characters to keep you guessing.

I have bought the paperback so will be reviewing and posting to my blog once I’ve read the book. This a book I’m really looking forward to reading as I’ve read such positive reviews for it .

A physiological thriller with lots of twists and turns along the way plenty of different characters who collectively make this A very intriguing story after Anna is in a car accident in which two of her colleagues die and one is injured she is in terrible danger when she finds strange messages left for her by someone who wants her dead a good story and a great ending a good read

After the horrific car crash that killed two of her work colleagues & left another with life threatening injuries Anna is wracked with guilt. She is unable to sleep, unable to function.When she sees an advert for an assistant hotel manager on the Isle of Rum she decides that getting away from everything she knows might help her to heal ultimately to sleep properly again.

It is early in the season when a group of visitors arrive at the hotel. They are a mixed group that are here to sight see, to bird watch & enjoy the peace. However, when a bad storm blows in cutting them off from the outside world & the other side of the island things soon fall apart. Soon Anna begins to fear for her life.

As well as the events on the island we also have the story of the paralysed Mo & the bereaved father of Freddy who is determined someone must pay for his son's death.

I love CL Taylor Books & this was another terrific read. I was glued to the page trying to work out who was the villain & hoping Anna would survive. The author captures the claustrophobic atmosphere of the hotel. Thanks Netgalley & the publisher for this brilliant five star read!

This was another fantastic psychological thriller by this amazingly talented author . This book was a a tense read right from the first chapter and the pace stayed right the whole way through the book . Highly recommend.

Sleep by CL Taylor

I was instantly grabbed by this story, hooked in and ready to gobble up the details. Taylor’s writing is smooth, but moves along at a clip that a seasoned reader will appreciate. It’s like the perfect consistency of ice cream, satisfying with a daring edge of brain freeze...you want to keep lapping it up but don’t want to see the bottom of the bowl! The pace is intense, and I was trying to figure out who “the bad guy” was in every chapter. Anna’s situation just gets worse every page, and I recognize a common theme of these thrillers: isolation, both literal and figurative. If you let yourself get isolated, either due to work or a relationship that consumes you, you may find yourself in a vulnerable position, with no one to help you when the chips are down. Stories such as Sleep play very well into this fear. And of course every person who congregates at the lonely hotel where Anna has retreated to brings loads of secrets in their luggage. No one is as they appear, and that’s when the tension gets tight. You’ll love the ending....full of hope; or is it?

Wow I could not put this down such a page turner and my favourite CL Taylor book to date. After a tragic car accident Anna decides to make a new start on a remote Scottish island but will the past allow her new beginning? I'm already recommending this to family and friends. Such a talented author who has the knack to keep you hooked page by page.

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. As one of many holiday reads, I enjoyed this, although didn't think it was exceptional. The story was interesting and kept up the pace, and to me it echoed the adaptation of 'And Then There Were None' by Agatha Christie a few years ago. The characters were interesting and I sympathised with the main character, although predicted the culprit very early on. Despite that however, the motives were a surprise and I felt were different a lot of the motives in similar books. An easy, enjoyable read.

Excellent book. It really kept me up reading it and gave nothing away. I will certainly be reading more of C L Taylor. I would highly recommend.

I very addictive read. I was hooked as soon as I started this book and just couldn't put it down. I like reading at night but this actually gave me the creeps. If you like thrillers then you will love this.

I read this in two sittings - only because I had to go to sleep or I wouldn't have got to work. Easy to read, yet scary and disturbing. Anna is the main character, and we first meet her coming home from a work weekend away. She is driving in horrendous weather when they have a terrible accident and two of her colleagues are killed. She walks away, apparently unscathed - at least physically. When she can't settle back to work or her normal life, and is convinced she is being followed, and her relationship ends, she decides to get as far away as she can. She takes a job as medical receptionist on the remote Scottish Island of Rum. The book begins with a note she has written to be read in the event of her death. From the start we don't know whether Anna is dead or not. The suspense builds beautifully, and all the guests stranded in the storm in Rum become suspects. I don't think many will predict the ending, and each character plays their part in making this book come together so beautifully. I'll be reading more from CL Taylor. #netgalley #sleep

Taylor's 'Sleep' begins with a horrific accident and then takes the reader to a tiny Scottish island where the mystery really begins. Confined to the island and confronted with the sudden death of one of the party, the personalities unfold and trauma deepens. The main character, Anna, becomes convinced someone on the island wishes her harm but the complex lives and characters of the others in the group make her investigations increasingly difficult. The reader is led to suspect first one character and then another. until, with the disclosure of the culprit, we are led to wonder whether Anna can outwit her would-be murderer and survive.
If you would love to read books written by Agatha Christie in a modern setting then this is definitely one for you as it contains all the suspense, mystery, guessing and fear - but without the details depicting extreme violence that many modern-day murders employ.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books (Harper Collins) for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have loved C. L. Taylor’s books from the start and have even got a couple of other people hooked as well. This was one of the first thrillers I had ever read and if you’re on the fence about trying this type of book or don’t know which one to start with, if you pick one of C. L. Taylor’s books, you can’t go wrong.
So needless to say I was excited when I got invited to take part in the blog tour, and even more excited when I finally opened the book to read.

Sleep was captivating from the first page, and just when I thought I could put it down, oh no, I was wrong, as I found our after attempting to go to bed at 11:30 one night, before swiftly deciding, just one more chapter, which escalated to the rest of the book which I finally finished at about 2am! Yes, I do realise the irony of this book robbing me of my sleep.

The tone changes from the frantic and tragic start, to the calm once Anna gets to Rum, of course this is short lived, this is a thriller after all, but it’s a nice contrast.

The lead character seemed so easy to read. I instantly liked her, and after what happened, I can only imagine the pain and guilt she feels. There was never a moment when I doubted her account of things, and while she made some mistakes at the hotel, she was under immense pressure, and I can say that, if I were in the same situation, I probably would have as well. It was refreshing to read a thriller where I’m not second guessing the main character.

I loved the mix of characters staying at the hotel, and also the no-nonsense hotelier David – he totally reminds me of someone I know in real life who has a not to dissimilar job. Each character was memorable and unique, all with individual personalities and quirks that made sure you knew who was who. The book had vibes from Agatha Christie’s novel “Murder on the Orient Express”.

I am dying to share this book with friends and talk about it. Sleep is easily C. L. Taylor’s best work yet, and it does have some still competition. It took hold of my attention from the first page and refused to let go until I had finished and got to grips with all of the secrets held within.

I have enjoyed reading across C L Taylor’s books in the past and this one didn’t disappoint. The opening chapter had me hooked and wanting to read more. Anna is suffering from guilt and insomnia due to an accident that occurred when she was driving and two of her work colleagues were killed and another one left paralysed. Anna feels that she is being followed and keeps receiving strange messages so she accepts a post on the Scottish island of Rum as a hotel receptionist. Seven guests arrive a5 the hotel but we slowly learn that they all have secrets. A terrible storm leaves the hotel cut off from the mainland and all communications too and Anna starts feeling threatened, someone who knows her past wants revenge. Is it one of the guests? This is a heart in the mouth read, all the characters have complicated pasts which makes for a gripping read. Highly recommended, loved it!
Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Brilliant idea for a book. Very much reminded me of the Agatha Christie stories but very modern. Thw chaeacters were not all likeable and often some grew on me or I grew to dislike them. A very interesting book with some gorgeous scenery. I really enjoyed this book and it thrills to the end

5 Word Review: Guilt, blame, isolation, recovery, mystery.

Sleep starts with a bang and a crash. It's a fast paced read that I couldn't put down, and I loved how invested in the story I was. I pretty much read it in a single sitting.

I loved the secrets in the story - it meant I was never entirely sure about who to trust and what to believe, and I kept wondering about all of the motives. The pressure of the setting was amazing - everything felt very insulated and heightened. I loved the atmosphere of the island and the hotel.

Anna was a fantastic character, I felt like I admired her quite a bit. I liked her resilience, her drive, the way she was always fighting and doing her best.

I really enjoyed the ending, how everything came to a head. I was correct with my guess, although I didn't quite imagine the why! I liked that I was challenged a bit and that it wasn't super-predictable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Book UK for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
Having read most of C.L. Taylor's books I was keen to read this one too.
After reading the first few chapters I left this book for about a week. I didn't get the "hooked in" feeling that I prefer when I start a book. Perhaps I was a little impatient in seeing how the very beginning of the story related to what I was reading in the first few chapters!
When I came back to the book and continued reading, I got straight back into it and read with enthusiasm. There were countless colourful threads to this matted knot of a plot, and they slowly unpicked to reveal dead ends to the perpetrator until the last remaining thread was set free.
As I read, the writing style came alive as moving images in my mind, and I felt like I was watching rather than reading. When this happens I know I'm reading a fantastic book.
Wow - what a spine tingling, exhilarating psychological thriller this turned out to be.