Insomnia
A Novel
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4.0 • 162 Ratings
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
Named One of the Best Thrillers by the Washington Post
“Possibly my favorite of Pinborough’s yet, and that’s saying something. It’s an absolute rollercoaster of a ride: twist upon twist, expertly handled. I actually gasped out loud several times. So atmospheric and sexy… A triumph!" — Lucy Foley, New York Times bestselling author, on Dead to Her
In this mind-bending thriller from the bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes, Emma Averell worries that her sudden insomnia is a sign that she’s slowly going insane—like the mother she’s worked so hard to leave in her past, soon to be a series on Paramount+
In the dead of night, madness lies...
Emma Averell loves her life—her high-powered legal career, her two beautiful children, and her wonderful stay-at-home husband—but it wasn’t always so perfect. When she was just five years old, Emma and her older sister went into foster care because of a deeply disturbing incident with their mother. Her sister can remember a time when their mother was loving and “normal,” but Emma can only remember her as one thing—a monster.
And that monster emerged right around their mother’s fortieth birthday, the same milestone Emma is approaching now.
Emma desperately wants to keep her childhood trauma in the past, but as she stops being able to sleep, she also can’t stop thinking about what happened all those years ago. Is the madness in her blood? Could she end up hurting her family in her foggy, half-awake state, just like her mother? Or is there another explanation for the strange things that keep happening around her? Emma must unravel the dark strands of her past to protect the people she loves… or risk losing it all, including her sanity.
Unsettling and utterly addicting, Insomnia is a heart-pounding thriller that will have you up all night.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this gripping if flawed domestic thriller from British author Pinborough (Behind Her Eyes), Leeds solicitor Emma Averell sees her enviable existence start to implode days before she turns 40, the age at which her mother's psychotic breakdown shattered their family. As Emma struggles with insomnia, her mind races with obsessive thoughts—what if she really is going off the rails like her mother? Increasingly exhausted, she bungles client conferences and snaps at her stay-at-home husband, Robert, and their two children. Emma loses it when an emergency call from her estranged older sister, Phoebe, tricks her into a situation that lands her in a murder investigation. She becomes convinced she's being gaslighted by either Phoebe or Robert, who kicks her out of the house because of professed concern about the impact her deteriorating mental state is having on their kids. As she strives to figure out who's trying to destroy her and why, the suspense becomes almost unbearable. Only a paranormal-tinged deus ex machina to tie up the unruly plot twists disappoints. Readers should be prepared for a page-turner that at times is too unsettling to be thoroughly enjoyable.
Customer Reviews
Sleepness nights and mania
A pretty good thriller where a woman is afraid she’s turning into her mother when her 40th bday is near and she develops insomnia. Is what she’s doing/thinking/saying real? Or a product of lack of sleep? A little supernatural spice in there as well. Overall a fun read with a few twists. 4/5⭐️
The more I think about this thriller, the more I love it!
This was the book that won the vote for the pick of the month of May for The Wine & Crime Book Club I host on The Nerdy Narrative on YouTube.
There is nothing better than a thriller that has a main character scared of something you yourself have struggled with.
Emma is within days of turning 40 - the age where her mother finally snapped and went insane. Emma's mother always told her she would be just like her and now that 40 is knocking, Emma is feeling very anxious - enough to find herself unable to sleep. Insomnia becomes the least of her worries as events are set into motion that sends Emma into a spiral.
Some might read this and think that it's just not plausible for one person's life to get so out of control so fast. I'm telling you it is absolutely believable - come let me tell you about MY life sometime. LOL Which is probably why this book had me chewing my nails and turning page after page after page. While I was reading it, I unfortunately got really sick and was placed on steroids, which kept ME from sleeping, so I really related to Emma's suffering from insomnia. The exhaustion, the brain fog, not being able to remember what you did - I was right there with her.
Now, I will say I do wish the author had taken a different route as far as the big mystery of what all was happening (or not happening). The nature of it, now that IS something I love usually, but I feel if it had not been used in this one, it would have been better. That's just my personal opinion - I still really enjoyed the book and will definitely get my hands on more Sarah Pinborough!
Loved it
Could not put it down. Loved the authors style of writing. Easy to read.