Sleep No More

It starts in young children and for many continues throughout the early adult years: being afraid of night, the dark, and anything associated with what might happen when we close our eyes. Imagine closing your eyes while safe in your bed and then opening them find to find yourself standing in the middle of the living room. You have no recollection on how you got there or what you may have done in the process of getting there.

In this twisting tale of Sleep No More, Susan Crandall follows the solitary life of Abby Whitman. Abby is the town florist and a lifelong resident of Preston. While most are afraid of the dangers that can happen to us while we sleep, Abby is afraid of the danger she poses to others while she sleeps.

Abby had been sleepwalking her entire childhood until she puberty, but it wasn’t without incident. When she was just eleven years old, a sleepwalking episode destroyed the family home and scarred her sister for life. Or so she thought for the last twenty years. Because of this disturbing event, Abby spends her nights in solitude, unsure of herself and what may happen after she falls asleep.

To confirm those fears Abby wakes up at the scene of an accident where a Senator's son has been killed. Unable to remember the details of the accident, Abby assumes the worst - that her sleepwalking has claimed another victim. As the truth unfolds, evidence at the accident scene reveals that another person is involved just as Abby begins receiving threats.

A divorced father of two, psychiatrist Dr. Jason Coble is smitten with Abby, after seeing her at his ex-wife’s grandmothers’ funeral. He wants to save her from the dangers that are lurking along with her sleepwalking fears, not as a doctor, but as a friend or lover. To make matters worse, Abby is the only florist in the small town of Preston. The phone calls for the Senator’s son’s funeral arrangements come pouring in and she is faced to relive the nightmare again.

The more time she spends with Jason, the more threats Abby receives. The secrets of the past begin to unravel, leaving Abby to realize that her memories are not always what they seem. As Abby’s days collide with her nights, she has to decide which aspect is more terrorizing. Does she fear the lurking dangers in the day enough to let Jason protect her? Or will her fear of her sleepwalking keep her away from his arms?

I would recommend Sleep No More to anyone looking for a book that will keep your brain working from the beginning to the end. The fear that Abby feels because of her past sleepwalking episodes can be unbelievable at times throughout the book. However, it does make you wonder how a traumatic experience would impact your life and to what extremes you would go through to prevent it from happening again.

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