Sleepless
A Novel
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
What LAPD cop Parker Hass wants is a world both safe and just for his wife and infant daughter. But then a plague of insomnia strikes. Working undercover as a drug dealer in a Los Angeles ruled in equal parts by martial law and insurgency, Park is tasked with cutting off illegal trade in Dreamer, the only drug that can give the infected their precious sleep. After a year of lost leads, Park stumbles into the perilous shadows cast by the pharmaceutical giant behind Dreamer. Somewhere in those shadows a secret is hiding. Drawn into the inner circle of a tech guru with a warped agenda, Park delves deeper into the restless world. His wife has become sleepless, and their daughter may soon share the same fate. For them, he will risk everything. Whatever the cost to himself.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In Huston's impressive, challenging thriller set in a postapocalyptic Los Angeles, a devastating illness renders the afflicted unable to sleep. In about a year, those with SLP (as the sleepless illness is known) deteriorate and die. Amid the city's rampant violence and lawlessness, LAPD cop Parker "Park" Haas tries to persuade himself that a future exists for his newborn daughter. As the outside world becomes increasingly dangerous, Park pursues an undercover investigation that takes him deep into the milieu of an online game called Chasm Tide, into which many people have retreated. As in the author's Joe Pitt vampire series (My Dead Body, etc.), this book has at its heart a love story: Park's wife is dying from SLP, and Park begins to fear he may be getting it, too. Can the mysterious mercenary known only as Jasper help? Some fans of Huston's crime fiction may not be comfortable with a novel that itself resembles a role-playing game, but it will gain him a whole new readership.
Customer Reviews
Great pulp!
There is a heavy Gibson influence, which meshes pleasingly with Huston's own bang-bang dialog and gritty action. I found this novel a very quick and enjoyable read, and often caught myself surprised at the emotional depth Huston achieves in his storytelling. This novel has it's flaws, however they are easily overshadowed by the positives. Highly recommended! (especially if you are familiar with LA, which is a co-star of this novel)