Are You Sleeping

My rating: * * *

Goodreads Description

The only thing more dangerous than a lie...is the truth.

Josie Buhrman has spent the last ten years trying to escape her family’s reputation and with good reason. After her father's murder thirteen years prior, her mother ran away to join a cult and her twin sister Lanie, once Josie’s closest friend and confidant, betrayed her in an unimaginable way. Now, Josie has finally put down roots in New York, settling into domestic life with her partner Caleb, and that’s where she intends to stay. The only problem is that she has lied to Caleb about every detail of her past—starting with her last name.

When investigative reporter Poppy Parnell sets off a media firestorm with a mega-hit podcast that reopens the long-closed case of Josie’s father’s murder, Josie’s world begins to unravel. Meanwhile, the unexpected death of Josie’s long-absent mother forces her to return to her Midwestern hometown where she must confront the demons from her past—and the lies on which she has staked her future. My Review

This is a clever, suspenseful, gripping, but perhaps also a somewhat predictable psychological thriller novel. The story is told in a fairly unique way by using podcast excerpts, and Facebook and Twitter feeds throughout the book. I loved the way that the story was told, and I loved the idea of the podcast episodes intermingled with the normal story and chapters. I found myself turning the pages quickly in the hope that the next podcast chapter would only be a few pages away. This novel is more of a character driven story rather than a twisty psychological thriller. The book is well written, and trying to solve the murder of Josie's father kept me interested all the way to the end. Being a frequent ID and Crime & Investigation channel viewer, I found it interesting to read how the murder captivated the attention of the media, and how one journalist took it upon herself to start questioning the facts around the murder. I could easily see a story like this being a series that I would watch on TV. This book isn't what I would call fast-paced, and I wasn't really ever totally gripped or absorbed by the story, but I did enjoy it. It was a book that I looked forward to reading every evening when I went to bed. I really enjoyed the characters of both sisters, I enjoyed reading about a once perfect family and how they fell apart, and I enjoyed trying to figure out the murder mystery. If truth be told, I did figure out who the murderer was fairly early on in the story and that was a pity, but I suppose not every book can have you totally flummoxed at the end.

I would recommend this read to people who like character driven thrillers, with complex family dramas, and difficult relationships, and stories that are generally lighter with less violence or darkness than some thrillers have. Overall, this is one that I enjoyed and that I do recommend.

My Rating: * * *

Publication Date: September / October 2017 (South Africa)

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Format: Trade Paperback

Source: Review copy received from the publisher. Many thanks to author, Kathleen Barber and Pam Macmillan SA for my copy. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.