Emma Averell is happily married with a family and a career. Emma is turning 40 in a few days and is dreading it. When her mother turned 40 she her went mad and Emma doesn't want the same thing to happen. However things are going the same way starting with not being able to sleep.

I loved this book. Sarah Pinborough can certainly write a thriller that keeps me guessing and on my toes. This book is no exception.

The story pulled me in from the start and with every page I needed to know what was going to happen next. The story has plenty of tension and does twist one way and then another. The night time scenes are the most chilling as it is when we should be asleep but are at our most vulnerable.

I did have an inkling with one character but didn't work out the ins and outs which still added a few surprises. I was waiting for a supernatural element too which after Behind Her Eyes I think I was expecting.

This book is an excellent read and I highly recommend it. Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the book.

This book was so atmospheric. It was full of tension, eerie and the author created the atmosphere that was needed through her writing
I really enjoyed the short chapters. It added to the tension and had me thinking one more chapter throughout.
I did find the book a little slow to begin with and almost dnf it
However it did pull me in and the author delivered yet another great novel
Until the end
In my opinion, it was too unbelievable and a bit “mad” for me
The author did this with one of her previous novels and it was a 5 star read for me that quickly went to a two star.
I think I will avoid this author in future

I was really impressed by this thriller as I found the concept very different and interesting. I found the characters likeable and empathised a lot with them. I was shocked by the twists and truly didn’t know what to expect next.

My first Sarah Pinborough but it won’t be my last. Thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Insomnia takes on the “crazy woman” trope and cranks it up! Emma is slowly losing her mind because she can’t sleep. She feels paranoid and mistrusts everyone. It was frustrating to read because she refuses to communicate. I get that she hasn’t dealt with her past but her behaviour made things ten times worse. I did find some of the sleepless scenes spooky and I didn’t see the ending coming! It has tinges of the paranormal. The epilogue is unnecessarily confusing (turns out, it refers to the author's previous book) but overall I kinda enjoyed it.

Sarah Pinborough's novels can be described as Thrillers with a twist - specifically of the supernatural kind!
"Insomnia" is the story of Emma, lawyer and mother of two kids, who is fast approaching her 40th birthday. While this may be a significant event for most anyway, Emma is especially anxious as her own Mother committed something unspeakable on her 40th birthday and has been catatonic in a secure hospital since...
Emma is convinced the same will happen to her, and as the day approaches she develops insomnia, and worrying and increasingly more terrifying events start to happen, most of which Emma can't remember.

The first part of the novel was relatively slow paced, setting up Emma's life for us - her successful law work, her family dynamic, her slightly estranged sister, the general life worries she has - but once the insomnia hits the story really picks up pace. We have slightly unreliable narrator Emma, due to her increasingly fragile mental state and periods of seeming blackout, but also the feeling that others are gaslighting her - there is no one person clearly right or wrong about events for most of the story and that adds to the tension. While I did guess part of what the reveal was, I didn't get all of it, and felt the ending worked in the context of the wider story. A decent, head-messing thriller.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC of this title in return for my honest review.

I usually love Sarah Pinborough books but I struggled a bit with this. It started very well, and I was completely gripped. But the situation for the main character became so extreme so fast, particularly in terms of her family/professional/social relationships. And I found the twist at the end a bit 'huh?' instead of 'omg!'.

Where does Sarah Pinborough get these ideas from?!? I've read previous books by this inventive author and wondered if maybe Insomnia was a book too many as I failed to connect with, and feel for, the exhausted Emma Averell. I suppose no woman presents her best self after so many nights on the trot without a good kip. One night would be enough to send me crackers so I must give Emma some slack.

But, as I said, I wasn't warming to the story and halfway through wasn't even sure I would finish as predictable plot points played out. Intriguingly, something changed along the way. As the tension ratcheted up the story caught fire. Emma wasn't simply annoying but a character I wanted to invest time in and find out what the future would hold for her and her fractured family. I knew there would be a great twist – and there were more than a few – and became overanxious to know if Emma was mad or something more sinister. This was the point when Sarah Pinborough's genius shone brightly. From then on I was hooked and felt the gut punch of the book's closing. Another winner and I gleefully look forward to the next book, too.

Insomnia is, usually, linked to periods of high stress but its effects can be awful. For our main character Emma, a successful lawyer approaching her fortieth birthday, her inability to sleep after she wakes regularly at 1:18am hints at a potential problem. Though she doesn’t remember precise details, her family have been plagued by issues around sleep and she fears history repeating itself as she approaches the age her mother was incarcerated after trying to suffocate one of her children.
The family history is revealed bit by bit as we follow Emma through the days leading up to her fortieth birthday. The tension created by Pinborough is well-depicted and as we learn about the stresses in her life we start to question to what extent Emma might be responsible.
From start to finish I found myself caught up in this. In turns frustrated by Emma but also empathising with her, I couldn’t help but get bogged down in the extraneous details about her present life that seemed to muddy the waters as we try to work out just what is going on.
As with some of Pinborough’s more recent books there is a dependence on something unnatural, which might not adequately explain events for some readers. While I’m not wholly convinced by it, the actual revelation as to what was happening and the motive for it made sense. Extreme, and it definitely made me reassess some of the earlier interactions between the characters concerned, but this book was a tense depiction of someone being pushed to their limits.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this before publication.

4.5 rounded up

Another stunning read from this talented author.

Emma's mother suffered from mental illness resulting in her and her sister entering the care system, brought up by different foster parents and with very different lives. Approaching her 40th birthday, sucessful, married, proud mother Emma begins to exhibit the syptoms she has feared all her life, is she truly losing her marbles?

At times parts of the story feel a bit repetitive, be aware, the repetition and small details throughout are vital, and will make sense so bear with it and prepare for a roller coaster last third of the book which will have you trying to figure out what's going to happen next (I doubt you will!). As always the author does an amazing job at making you think you know what’s happening, only to blindside you and get you to admit that you didn't have a clue. For me this was a perfect psychological thriller, taking you deep inside someone’s head, warts and all, feeling every emotion they feel, and obviously, given the author, the terror too!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this fabulous thriller.

Highly recommended

Insomnia by Sarah Pinborough and Narrated by: Sarah Durham was a very good psychological thriller! But, It did take me a while to get used to the audio voice and then I loved it. I was hooked!!! This book was a great find and had great twists and turns throughout it became a roller coaster ride!

This new book by Sarah did not disappoint.

I highly recommend it I loved it

Big Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK, Harper Fiction and Harper Collins UK Audio for the ARC of Insomnia in exchange for an honest review.

Emma is a second child and fears she may be “going mad” like her mother did. She has been estranged from her older sister as they were brought up separately but they now meet again.
It appears someone is trying to wreck her life OR maybe she really is going mad?
I loved the storyline despite being unsure of where it was going until near the end and characters were really interesting.
A compulsive read

Successful divorce lawyer Emma Averall is fast approaching her big 4-0, but instead of looking forward to a big party and celebration, she is worried. Her views on turning this age are coloured by an incident in her childhood that happened when her Mum turned 40. She is suffering from insomnia and some small similarities are making her think that she may be experiencing the same and she can't get it out of her mind. Add in the fact that her estranged sister chooses this time to show her face again, can it be a coincidence?

This was a slow burn of a story which unravelled well and had some good twists and turns.

After loving Behind Her Eyes by Pinborough, I was looking forward to seeing what mad story she had thought of next.
This definitely wasn't as 'mad' but it was a gripping thriller that kept me entertained by audio for a few days! The story had a strong thread running through, and the madness of Emma's insomnia definitely spoke to me! She had concerns going back from her mother, and this added to her paranoia and the subsequent tension throughout the book.
The ending didn't wow me though. Behind Her Eyes blew my mind, but this had way more of a mundane generic thriller, and was rather predictable in its conclusion.

It took me several months to read this book -- soon after starting it, I had to put it down for a while because it was really freaking me out. The central tension in this story is the main character's raging insomnia and her related psychosis; if you have ever dealt with serious insomnia, especially if you are a parent, this book may make you feel a certain way.

Like SP's other novels, there is a thread of the supernatural running throughout, which is beautifully well-written, but not my favorite in thrillers. My favorite stories are the ones that I feel like could actually happen.

This book made me tense, uncomfortable and worried. The supernatural element lessened that a bit for me, but overall, a highly enjoyable book. Will recommend! 4/5 stars.

My thanks to HarperCollins U.K. for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Insomnia’ by Sarah Pinborough in exchange for an honest review.

I have long appreciated Sarah Pinborough’s writings across various genres including fantasy, mysteries, and horror as well as her screenplays. This was my first experience of one of her psychological thrillers though it won’t be my last.

So a few plot details. Emma Averell has a successful legal career, two beautiful children and a wonderful stay-at home husband. Readers of domestic noir/psychological thrillers know that when a character seems to ‘have it all’ that it is likely to soon come tumbling down.

Ever since her big 4-0 started getting closer Emma can’t sleep and is haunted by the memory that her mother stopped sleeping just before her 40th birthday too. Her behaviour had become more bizarre and resulted in a severe breakdown. Emma and her older sister Phoebe were taken into foster care. Is this what is happening to Emma?

Emma is the novel’s narrator and her increasing concern over her inability to sleep and other factors, which I won’t go into in order to avoid spoilers, is vividly conveyed. Pinborough very effectively describes the distress caused by sleep deprivation. Having had bouts of insomnia, I only read this novel during the day just in case!

Overall, I felt that ‘Insomnia’ was a disturbing psychological thriller that took me on a fascinating, creepy and twisty path to its conclusion.

Just when you thought sleep was a given entity…

I’m not sure what it is with books that have Insomnia in or as the title, but they do strange things to you. Sleep becomes broken, things appear and disappear just as easily.

Take one lawyer, and her family. A mother whose been dead to her since her early childhood and an individual with whom revenge is just not going to be quite enough.

Driven ‘mad’ by a premonition, removing both sleep and sanity. A family torn apart at the seams. A patern followed through the second born.

This is one of those books that you’ll find almost impossible to put down. Fast paced and enough twists to fill a Swiss mountain pass. It will keep you on the edge of your seat. Leaving you needing to know just what is going to happen next and to whom.

This book is one of those that you would recommend to anyone that is listening, and perhaps a few others that were not.

For the full review, please click on the posting.

Status: Completed.

Rating: 4.9/5.0

Reading a novel called insomnia certainly causes it. I could not put it down. I am aware of Sarah’s work but have never read it before. I’ve certainly been missing out.
Insomnia follows the story of Emma who has an estranged relationship with her mother. Emma Is not someone most people would have in their friendship group but would certainly embrace if she was. Emma has had a shitty upbringing in foster care and a poor relationship with her sister and family due to her attachment issues.
There are so many twists and turns I have woken up with whiplash after finishing it at 1am. I would definitely recommend this novel and if I could give more than 5 stars I would.

Just loved this book, there were twists which I loved - I really dont want to say much more as for me like all of this author's books it is better to go in fresh with an open mind and then just explore and embrace it.

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of Insomnia but that has in no way influenced my review.

Sarah Pinborough, over the years, has become a bit of a go-to author for me. Her latest release, Insomnia, is the third of this author's books I have read. Although I must admit (I am ashamed to admit!) that I haven't as yet read Behind Her Eyes which is very well known for its WTF ending and has recently been made into a Netflix series (I haven't watched the series either as I want to read the book first). However, I WILL be able to watch Insomnia when it hits our screens (which I understand it will be doing in the future) because oh boy, I HAVE read this incredibly compelling story.

Emma Averell is a successful divorce lawyer, has a devoted husband, two beautiful children, a luxurious house and a top of the range car. She's also only a few days away from turning 40 which strikes fear into the hearts of many people but for Emma that fear is tenfold. Because Emma's mother, Patricia, had a catastrophic breakdown on her 40th birthday almost killing Emma's older sister. Patricia told Emma she has 'bad blood' too so she's terrified history will repeat itself. When Emma starts suffering from insomnia she knows what's happening. The same happened to her mother before that devastating night. All Emma needs to do is sleep and then everything will be fine. But no matter how hard she tries, no matter what remedies she takes, she just can't sleep...

Insomnia is a tense and gripping tale which I read in two sittings. I found Emma an intriguing lead character. I was keen for everything to work out for her in the long run but the impending sense of doom the author conveys tells you that the Averell's are in for a rough ride. A bone-shatteringly rough, incredibly bumpy ride indeed! I didn't necessarily like Emma but I felt for her. I wanted her to find answers, I wanted her story to be different from her mother's. Emma's descent happens quickly over the course of 11 days, going from a switched on wife, mother and lawyer to someone who doubts themselves constantly, questioning her own actions and thoughts. She zones out for long periods of time making Emma the perfect unreliable narrator. Pinborough is an absolute master at writing an unreliable narrator as she skilfully proves within the pages of this book.

I absolutely fell in love with Emma and Robert's youngest child, Will, who at the tender age of five is morphing from a fun-filled, bouncy kid to a quiet, nervous child. I thought making their older child, Chloe, a teenager on the cusp of being an adult herself was a really interesting move by the author as that meant there were three adults all repeatedly telling Emma she was losing her mind - Robert, Chloe and Emma's older sister, Phoebe. When those that love you the most keep telling you you're unstable, that something is wrong, surely they must be right?

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. Insomnia is a dark tale which I devoured over the course of a day featuring a cast of fascinating characters. If you've read any Sarah Pinborough novels in the past then you'll know to expect the unexpected. My advice, expect the unexpected The ending is both shocking and surprising. Aspects of it, I loved. The torrential rain beating down set the scene perfectly, the tension was so sharp and the fear I felt in my gut was 100% real. But there were things about the ending which I wasn't so keen on. I don't want to say too much for fear of putting my foot in it and saying something I shouldn't but I will say the ending was very different, unique and not at all what I expected. Lots to love, a couple of teeny, tiny things...not so much. But all in all, a gripping tension filled read which I heartily recommend to fans of psychological thrillers, particularly those who are looking for something a little different.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of Insomnia. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

This was a solid thriller. It is a domestic style tale but with the usual Pinborough twists. I liked the sister relationship and the many rumours and twists.