Nadja Kulka wants a normal life – a job, a flat, friends – but life after living prison isn’t the easiest. She has no desire to head back inside and yet when her boss begs Nadja for help, she feels she has little choice to get involved (she might want to rethink that). Perhaps she is putting too much control and too much trust in someone she doesn’t know that well, and when the two make a decision about what to do with You Know What, Nadja will have to quickly shape up before she’s shipped out. She may feel she’s paid for her past, in many ways, but it quickly comes backs to exact revenge when she least expects. Genuinely unsettling read – in a good way (!).

An ok story which has the potential to be good if it can be tidied up abit. There was too much going backwards and forwards for me to truly enjoy this and and I think alot of the story is lost in it's translation.
The book in it's entirety is made up of alot of selfish characters. I really liked Dear Child so therefore I did finish this, but it left me disappointed.

I loved the author's previous book, dear child, so was excited to read this one. I struggled a bit with the timeline of Sleepless, which leaps around dramatically. It creates a sense of confusion and disjointedness that is clearly deliberate, but it also makes it hard to follow and work out the chronology of what's going on. I also found the main characters quite hard to relate to or believe. But the writing is really strong, so once you get into a scene, it captures you and carries you away with it.

Thank you to the team @quercusbooks for sending us this fab thriller from Romy Hausmann, translated from the German by Jamie Bulloch.

This was such a clever and slow burning story. Sleepless has all the components that I like in a thriller; a split timeline, multiple narratives and the inability to know who the real villain is.

Hausmann has written a cast of intriguing characters with such elaborate backstories that at times, I did wonder what was going on but those last 50 or so pages really work hard. Everything comes together really well!

No spoilers but if you’re wondering whether Dear Child was a one hit wonder, it wasn’t.

This was not an easy read as it jumped around with no direct follow through. Ididnot feel that I was reading the book that the blurb on the back had described. I did not find that there was any flow to the story and the characters were not defined clearly. I found the whole story very superficial although it did develop in a more readable way by the end but by then I was very disappointed.

I have to admit that I was so excited about the publication of this new book by Romy Hausmann I had read and loved her previous book 'Dear Child'. It's one of the reasons I've been so confused by all the poor reviews of this book and I must admit that just wasn't my experience of this book.
To be totally honest it took me a little while to get into the plot and get to grips with all the characters but once I was about halfway through, I was hooked. The plot revolves around a woman named Nadja who was convicted of a crime when she was just 15 and sent to prison for seven years.

Soon after she is released, her friend Laura asks her to help her hide the fact that she, Laura, has just killed her lover. The thing is though all is not as it seems. Nadja begins to realise that she is being cast in the roles of both murderer and victim.

The plot twists and turns throughout and I would recommend that anyone reading it allows themselves to dedicate their time fully to it, but the writing is so atmospheric and chilling, I found it really compulsive. It is definitely a gripping psychological thriller, just be warned it is a commitment, but it's worth it.

As a child Nadja Kulka was convicted of a crime and after being released from prison, has tried to live a normal life. However, one day she get a surprise visit from her friend begging for help after killing her lover and Nadja isn’t able to refuse.

As they head to a remote house in the woods to bury the body, their plan quickly falls apart and Nadja finds herself trapped in a twisted game where she soon realises that she has made herself the prime suspect.

Sleepless has quite a complex storyline, focusing on several different events and characters which are all connected, but we don’t know how to begin with. All of these elements are difficult to understand at first. As you are reading, it’s not clear where things fit in the overall narrative or why they are important but gradually they all slot into place and create the perfect storm for the events leading up to the conclusion.

I haven’t read any other books with this exact same feeling but the closest I can compare to are three other domestic thrillers where the past plays an important part in what happens in the story - The Girl from Widow Hills by Megan Miranda, Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier and The Golden Cage by Camilla Lackberg. If you are a fan of any of these, I would definitely recommend adding Sleepless to your TBR!

My second novel by Romy Hausmann was, once I got into it, a pretty impressive story of retribution and guilt.

Nadja Kulka has served her time for an unspeakably cruel crime committed. All she wants now is a quiet life and a steady job. She gets a job in a law firm in Berlin but suffers from panic attacks. At Abramczyk & van Hoven, she is very insecure but her co-worker, Laura Brehme helps her gain confidence. Laura goes on to marry Nadja’s boss, Herr Gero van Hoven. Year's later, Laura turns up begging for Nadja’s help stating that she has committed a terrible crime. Because of their former friendship, Nadja feels she should assist her.

Although the plot unfolds quite slowly I found I needed to pay close attention as Romy Hausmann develops several plot threads and characters across different timelines. All are well-drawn and their diverse perspectives gel to create a taut, cleverly woven, multi-layered and suspenseful story. Well translated, the ending was unexpected and I'm pleased to have read this mesmerising, nightmarish and enigmatic story.

Sleepless is very highly recommended and I will be looking out for more by Romy Hausmann in the future.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Quercus via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

I read this book as an arc on NetGalley back in June but things have been so full on, I’m only getting round to reviewing now.

I’ve seen so many conflicting reviews on this one, which intrigued me more than ever to read it 😂

I’m not gonna lie, the first chunk of this book is an utter head scratcher - I had no idea what was going on. What has happened to Nadja? Who is Nelly? And who is writing these letters that seem to be completely randomly dropped into the mix. But, I’m nothing if persistent (stubborn) and I was determined to crack this 🕵️‍♀️ Little by little, the book teased me and handed me tiny slithers of information to savour and not long after the halfway point, it started to all a lot into place.

This was an intense and slower paced thriller with a couple of juicy twists at the end. The characters are incredibly well written and it’s atmospheric in its setting.

I feel the way the story was told was really a reflection of the main characters mindset - she is a confusing (and possibly unreliable) character psychologically. It had that “am I dreaming or am I awake” feel to it. I know this book hasn’t been for everyone, but overall I found it a gripping book which I never thought twice about giving up on, and I’m glad I persevered 😊

Thank you to Netgalley and Quercus Books for the arc of Sleepless by Romy Hausmann.

4 star read- sensational, gripping, enthralling book. This follows Nadja whom many, many years ago was convicted of a terrible crime in her native hometown of Poland. Fast forward to today Nadja finds herself caught up in a situation which she not sure what to do about this.... ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book

I wanted to love this but it was too disjointed for me and keeping track made it feel like hard work. Sorry!

I absolutely loved Dear Child so I was really excited for this book but I just didn't seem to click with it at all.

It's a complex thriller and there are a lot of threads that take a long time to come together. There are a few different points of view telling different stories and it just didn't work for me other than to feel a bit confusing most of the time.

There were parts I liked that I thought were really clever, particularly towards the end. But in general I felt like this book was trying to do too much and was overly complicated

I read and loved Dear Child last year so I was super-excited to read Sleepless.

Unfortunately, I had to give up on it at 35% as I couldn’t work out what was going on and I found that I didn’t really want to keep reading.

I’m sure lots of people will love this one but sadly it just wasn’t for me.

Reading Between the Wines book review #75/115 for 2021:
Rating: 2 🍷 🍷
Book 🎧: Sleepless
Author: Romy Hausmann
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
RELEASED on June 24, 2021!!! (Audio version by Macmillan releases in October 2021)

Sipping thoughts: Let me start by saying that I really loved Hausmann’s Dear Child so I had very high hopes for this book. The ending was very good and easy to follow but it did not start that way. I think that I might have been able to follow and understand the story line better if I had the actual book instead of an audio version. There were pockets of the story that provided clarity and was very good but most of it was so confusing. The reveal and the main plot saved the story and I almost gave it 3 stars but so much if it I kept having to rewind and listen again because I was lost.

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley, @QuercusBooks and @MacmillanAudio for an advanced copy of @Sleepless

#Sleepless #QuercusBooks #MacmillanAudio #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThriller

I loved Romy's first book Dear Child, so was really looking forward to reading this one.

This follows Nadja. She was brought up in Poland and had a really hard childhood. The story goes between two timelines, one from when Nadja was little and one where she is now. At first, I was quite confused about what was going on. And there are some letters that are being written and I was unsure who these were to or who they were from.

Going to the present day, Nadja's boss's wife asks Nadja for her help. She has just killed a man she was having an affair with and ropes Nadja in to help her get rid of the body and conceal the crime.

The book was quite fast passed once I knew what was going on. I really liked how the story was set up and enjoyed the twists and turns.

Even though I did enjoy this book, I felt a little disappointed as it didn't live up to her first book. But saying that, still a good read and a solid 4 stars.

Thanks to netgalley and Quercus for my copy of this to review.

I'm afraid it's a 1* Didn't like from me.

I really struggled from the outset to make any sense of the narrative; it's a complicated read that takes the reader forwards and backwards and is written from different perspectives. This sometimes works in a book, but, only when there's a clear reason for the reader to maintain interest and persevere and for me, that 'hook' was missing.

I appreciate the opportunity to preview as I so enjoyed 'Dear Child' but, unfortunately, this didn't work for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers.

After enjoying Romy Hausmann book 'Dear Child' I was really looking froward to this one. It was a complex thriller that I found hard to follow the different characters and timelines just totally confused me. I was glad persevered but found it slightly hard going.Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

I could review this book in one word: wow!
I was sucked in and intrigued from the start. Although it took me a little while to grasp who was who and how these characters connected, I enjoyed being discombobulated. The story’s beautifully written with vivid, powerful imagery and the translation from German to English is excellent. I shared the sense of bewilderment with the characters and loved the way the layers were gradually peeled back until the truth was revealed. It’s an ingenious plot, full of suspicion, fragmented memories, tricks and traps.
I had so much sympathy for Nadja whose story contains some shocking revelations because she was trying so hard to get her life back on track.
The setting for the remote house was perfect – the Spreewald area of forest and labyrinthine waterways near Berlin that was, according to legend, created by accident by the devil.

Sleepless is a complex but compelling thriller which I highly recommend to anyone who loves dark psychological suspense but don’t blame me if it keeps you awake all night!

Dear Quercus Books.

Unfortunately I'm going to DNF this title. I'm currently at about 20% and I'm really not enjoying it. I was really interested in this book based on the author's previous release, which I absolutely loved, but this book feels so totally different and not in a good way. The plot is all over the place, with seemingly unconnected strands. I'm struggling to differentiate between the characters and I'm not following the plot, and to be honest, it hasn't grabbed me nor do I feel invested in the story.

I'm sorry about this, but hopefully I'll have better luck with the next book that I read and review for you.

Based on the fact that I didn't finish this title, I won't be posting any reviews on Goodreads or any social media platforms. I wish you and the author the best in regard to the release of this title.

Regards
Kim

EXCERPT: He realised he had to notify the police. This was serious, this was real; someone had snatched Vivi away from him and every second counted. With child abductions the first forty-eight hours were crucial. Gero felt his insides wrench. He didn't want to think of his daughter as a victim; she couldn't be one. As he took his hand from his brow, his gaze fell on another door: the metal one that led to the roof terrace. He went over to it as if on automatic pilot, pressed the handle and climbed the first few steps of the metal staircase. And then he suddenly sensed it: Vivi's presence. He sensed it even before he saw her in the arms of the woman who was standing perilously close to the edge of the roof. Only the panel railing - a thin sheet of perforated metal - lay between her and the ground below, between Vivi and a good fifteen metres of free-fall.

'Nadja,' he said, stretching out a hand. 'Please don't do anything silly.'

ABOUT 'SLEEPLESS': It's been years since Nadja Kulka was convicted of a cruel crime. After being released from prison, she's wanted nothing more than to live a normal life: nice flat, steady job, even a few friends. But when one of those friends, Laura von Hoven - free-spirited beauty and wife of Nadja's boss - kills her lover and begs Nadja for her help, Nadja can't seem to be able to refuse.

The two women make for a remote house in the woods, the perfect place to bury a body. But their plan quickly falls apart and Nadja finds herself outplayed, a pawn in a bizarre game in which she is both the perfect victim and the perfect murderer . . .

MY THOUGHTS: I wanted to love Sleepless, but it was just too disjointed. Imagine if you will, ripping all the chapters out of a book except the first and last, shuffling them into random order, and rebinding the book. That was how it felt. There was no rhyme or reason for order of the chapters. The timeline jumped about erratically. It drove me insane!

There are two separate storylines - the common factor being Nadja. Plus there are letters written from one unknown person to another, but which are never sent. The author and intended recipient are revealed at the end.

About halfway through the book, things started to come together and I got excited, but it didn't last. What should have been a suspenseful, thrilling and chilling section of the book disappointed, because the timeline jumps continued, interrupting the flow.

My honest opinion? This could have been an absolute amazing and brilliant read. But the author has tried to be too clever to the detriment of the read.

And the epilogue? NO. IDEA.

There is some beautiful writing in here. It just gets lost in the chaos, as does the rather wonderful plot.

Please note: no books were harmed in the writing of this review.

⭐⭐.8

#Sleepless #NetGalley

I: @romyhausmann @quercusbooks

#contemporaryfiction #crime #familydrama #murdermystery

THE AUTHOR: Romy Hausmann was born in the former GDR in 1981. At the age of twenty-four she became chief editor at a film production company in Munich. Since the birth of her son, Romy has been working as a freelancer in TV. She lives with her family in a remote house in the woods near Stuttgart.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Quercus Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Sleepless by Romy Hausmann for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

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