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DCI Tom Douglas #3
Sleep Tight
How far would you go to hold on to the people you love?
When Olivia Brookes calls the police to report that her husband and children are missing, she believes she will never see them again. She has reason to fear the worst; this isn't the first tragedy that Olivia has experienced. Now, two years later, Detective Chief Inspector Tom Douglas is called in to investigate this family again, but this time it's Olivia who has disappeared. All the evidence suggests that she was here, in the family home, that morning.
But her car is in the garage, and her purse is in her handbag - on the kitchen table. The police want to issue an appeal, but for some reason every single picture of this family has been removed from albums, from phones, from computers.
And then they find the blood ...
Has the past caught up with Olivia?
Sleep Tight - if you can. You never know who's watching.
Praise for Rachel Abbott:
"Rachel Abbott will keep you guessing long into the night and just as soon as you've figured it out ... think again!" - Suspense Magazine
"It is one of those books that holds you hostage and is hard to put down until the end" - Confessions of a Reader
"Abbott creates a tangled web of deception, secrets, and red herrings" - Booklist
"Pure Genius: A Masterclass in the Perfect Thriller!!" - Love Books
"One of THE Best Mystery Suspense Novels Read This Year!" - Amazon Vine Voice
When Olivia Brookes calls the police to report that her husband and children are missing, she believes she will never see them again. She has reason to fear the worst; this isn't the first tragedy that Olivia has experienced. Now, two years later, Detective Chief Inspector Tom Douglas is called in to investigate this family again, but this time it's Olivia who has disappeared. All the evidence suggests that she was here, in the family home, that morning.
But her car is in the garage, and her purse is in her handbag - on the kitchen table. The police want to issue an appeal, but for some reason every single picture of this family has been removed from albums, from phones, from computers.
And then they find the blood ...
Has the past caught up with Olivia?
Sleep Tight - if you can. You never know who's watching.
Praise for Rachel Abbott:
"Rachel Abbott will keep you guessing long into the night and just as soon as you've figured it out ... think again!" - Suspense Magazine
"It is one of those books that holds you hostage and is hard to put down until the end" - Confessions of a Reader
"Abbott creates a tangled web of deception, secrets, and red herrings" - Booklist
"Pure Genius: A Masterclass in the Perfect Thriller!!" - Love Books
"One of THE Best Mystery Suspense Novels Read This Year!" - Amazon Vine Voice
284 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 17, 2014
About the author
Rachel Abbott
31 books2,570 followersI was born and brought up in the north of England, and worked for many years as the managing director of an interactive media company. I wrote every day - everything from creative proposals to user manuals - but most exciting of all was writing interactive dramas - including for the Cluedo (Clue in the US) interactive games. I was fortunate enough to sell my company in 2000 and we moved to Italy where we bought and restored an old country house.
I have published six full length novels and one novella, and my seventh Come a Little Closer is due for release in 2018. I now live on the beautiful island of Alderney in the Channel Islands, where I write full time.
Find out more on my website.
I have published six full length novels and one novella, and my seventh Come a Little Closer is due for release in 2018. I now live on the beautiful island of Alderney in the Channel Islands, where I write full time.
Find out more on my website.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,343 reviews
December 16, 2016
Olivia has had a tragic young life. Her boyfriend disappeared when their daughter was born. Shortly after her parents are both dead.
Eventually, she's remarried and has two more children with her new husband Robert. Life should be better, right? She should be happy now, yes? – not quite. The dark clouds keep forming...and
people continually turn up missing.
First its Robert with the children. A Few years later and the police are called again...now Olivia is missing.
I found myself going back and forth like a tennis match on who was responsible for these disappearances. Could Olivia be setting up Robert? Or has Robert made Olivia out to be an unstable wife and mother who is staging these events.
I can't tell you how many times I went back and forth on who was at fault!
Kept me guessing from the beginning right up to the end!
Sign of a perfect psychological thriller!
Eventually, she's remarried and has two more children with her new husband Robert. Life should be better, right? She should be happy now, yes? – not quite. The dark clouds keep forming...and
people continually turn up missing.
First its Robert with the children. A Few years later and the police are called again...now Olivia is missing.
I found myself going back and forth like a tennis match on who was responsible for these disappearances. Could Olivia be setting up Robert? Or has Robert made Olivia out to be an unstable wife and mother who is staging these events.
I can't tell you how many times I went back and forth on who was at fault!
Kept me guessing from the beginning right up to the end!
Sign of a perfect psychological thriller!
July 16, 2018
Say whaaaaat?
I am utterly flabbergasted at the 5-star reviews that this trite offering has received.
This paperback winked at me from a books-left-by-guests shelf at my resort hotel, and (as I had just finished the sumptuously-written Anna Karenina) I felt that a generic page turner might be just the warm-down I needed!
Ugh! I should have ignored its come-hither allure and left it on the shelf. It was only through a perplexed curiosity that I managed to stick with it.
But allow me for one moment to cast aside the author's pedestrian prose, her cliché-ridden narrative, the forced exposition and an implausible plot that boasts more holes than a championship golf course.
Allow me also to forgive the school grade similes and one-dimensional characters, for I have a much bigger axe to grind.
This is what I simply cannot turn my back on (I give you a promotional postscript, which appears after the book is read):
Omigod! Seriously?
I don't particularly approve of this brazen attempt to make me purchase Abbott's next book; it's crudely manipulative and wholly shameless.
Shouldn't writing be about beguiling, or shocking, readers and not squeezing money out of them?
Bad form, Rachel Abbott.
I am utterly flabbergasted at the 5-star reviews that this trite offering has received.
This paperback winked at me from a books-left-by-guests shelf at my resort hotel, and (as I had just finished the sumptuously-written Anna Karenina) I felt that a generic page turner might be just the warm-down I needed!
Ugh! I should have ignored its come-hither allure and left it on the shelf. It was only through a perplexed curiosity that I managed to stick with it.
But allow me for one moment to cast aside the author's pedestrian prose, her cliché-ridden narrative, the forced exposition and an implausible plot that boasts more holes than a championship golf course.
Allow me also to forgive the school grade similes and one-dimensional characters, for I have a much bigger axe to grind.
This is what I simply cannot turn my back on (I give you a promotional postscript, which appears after the book is read):
Omigod! Seriously?
I don't particularly approve of this brazen attempt to make me purchase Abbott's next book; it's crudely manipulative and wholly shameless.
Shouldn't writing be about beguiling, or shocking, readers and not squeezing money out of them?
Bad form, Rachel Abbott.
July 18, 2014
The story itself is very simple, and could have been told in no more than 80 pages, the author stretched it into over 280 boring pages, full of flat characters which she - desperately and pathetically - tried to give dimension. too many ... too many characters ... and they are all - including the main ones - totally flat.
I would say that the idea in this story is fine, but the the writing techniques, the skills of an author are simply not there at all.
I would say that the idea in this story is fine, but the the writing techniques, the skills of an author are simply not there at all.
March 10, 2022
The main question throughout the book is how far will a husband go to keep his wife? Maybe even more importantly, how far has he already gone? Olivia shouldn't have been asking WHO the man is she's married to, but WHAT he is. Is he a loving protective husband or is he a kidnapper or even a murderer and just where ARE his wife and kids? Although there were the unexpected twists and turns, I never felt that I was mired down in the story or that something was deliberately being left out. Some of the twists were easy to see coming, but even with the ones that weren't, you didn't feel like a red herring had been thrown into the mix at the last minute for a convenient out. I've read books by several authors that constantly do that. Thank you, Rachel Abbott, you didn't.
May 28, 2014
This book is a PROPER page turner. I found it extremely difficult to tear myself away from the story as I just HAD to know what was going on!
It is a mystery written from several POV's but mainly from Olivia; whose children are missing and she then goes missing herself and Tom; who is the policeman leading the investigation when Olivia & children go missing.
The ending was a tiny bit flat but the plot was intriguing and fast-paced and more than made up for it.
I was v scared imagining the eyes...just watching...argh!!!
It is a mystery written from several POV's but mainly from Olivia; whose children are missing and she then goes missing herself and Tom; who is the policeman leading the investigation when Olivia & children go missing.
The ending was a tiny bit flat but the plot was intriguing and fast-paced and more than made up for it.
I was v scared imagining the eyes...just watching...argh!!!
May 27, 2014
Utterly forgettable. Her writing seemed very poorly edited. I was also annoyed that this whole background story with the detective was just to get you interested in her next book! Olivia inspires little empathy, and I found it hard to believe she could orchestrate a whole escape but not be logical enough to plan to defend herself against Robert. Of course he was going to find her. The ending also just seemed to be a vomit of facts to explain itself. I read this with a book club, otherwise I would have put it down after 30 pages.
May 24, 2019
I read a lot of this type of book so perhaps I spent too much time comparing it to other books of it's nature, but this one honestly just didn't grab me and here are the reasons why:
1) The editing was terrible. When there are blatant mistakes that pull a reader out of the plot line you are bound to get a lower star rating from me.
2) I never once actually felt anything for any of the characters. I wasn't even scared for Olivia when Robert showed up, I just wanted to figure out what the heck was going on because
3) There were a gazillion plot lines rolling around. Instead of writing a novel where the suspense of the one plot line kept you turning the pages, the author added in about 1600 plot lines that went absolutely no where so the reader was confused and would keep turning the pages. It reflected poorly on the writing in my opinion
4) I am sorry, Olivia didn't even look at the man her best friend said was stalking her? Completely unbelievable.
5) Who didn't see that Robert had killed Dan and Olivia's parents within the first 20 pages of this book? Come on! The story went on and on and on for something that could have been told in 100 pages.
Okay, I am done now. Needless to say, this book wasn't for me. It got two stars though because I finished it.
1) The editing was terrible. When there are blatant mistakes that pull a reader out of the plot line you are bound to get a lower star rating from me.
2) I never once actually felt anything for any of the characters. I wasn't even scared for Olivia when Robert showed up, I just wanted to figure out what the heck was going on because
3) There were a gazillion plot lines rolling around. Instead of writing a novel where the suspense of the one plot line kept you turning the pages, the author added in about 1600 plot lines that went absolutely no where so the reader was confused and would keep turning the pages. It reflected poorly on the writing in my opinion
4) I am sorry, Olivia didn't even look at the man her best friend said was stalking her? Completely unbelievable.
5) Who didn't see that Robert had killed Dan and Olivia's parents within the first 20 pages of this book? Come on! The story went on and on and on for something that could have been told in 100 pages.
Okay, I am done now. Needless to say, this book wasn't for me. It got two stars though because I finished it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 1, 2016
Started off strong, but then fell flat. Lots of parallels to Only the Innocent, the first book in the series. A domestic/emotional abuse plot again. At the end, DCI Tom Douglas knew that the police had not solved the case correctly (again) but he ignored it (again). The plot was predictable. The writing, however, has improved compared to book 1. It could definitely still be condensed, though. I hate the way the entire book gets explained by the characters themselves at the end. Totally unnecessary. An ok read as long as I was listening to this while doing other things, but I couldn't see myself finishing it if I had to sit down and actually read it. Audio narration by Andrew Wincott and Melody Grove was excellent, though.
March 2, 2014
When DCI Tom Douglas is called in to investigate a missing woman and her three children from her home in Manchester he is surprised to find that Olivia’s name has come up in previous investigations. He is left to ponder, how unlucky can one woman be?
Olivia first called the police when her partner, Dan, disappeared leaving her holding the baby, apart from a text apologising that was the last anyone heard of him. A couple of months later she calls the police after finding her parents dead in their house. All goes quiet for Olivia for a few years until she calls the police once again when her husband, Robert, disappears with her three children from their house and now two years later she has disappeared without trace. Tom Douglas is keen to put out an appeal to find them but Robert is unable to find a single photo of any of them.
This book contains everything that a good psychological thriller should; there is a great puzzle to be solved, an uncertainty about which characters can be believed as Olivia and Robert explain some of their actions the result being that some of what I read literally gave me goosebumps as I couldn’t help but imagine myself in Olivia’s shoes.
The series is now well-developed, DCI Tom Douglas and Sergeant Becky Robinson are likeable characters who work well together but this isn’t a police procedural, so although their back stories are evolving, they don’t overpower the focus of the book which centres on Olivia and Robert’s relationship. The power of Rachel Abbott’s writing is the fact that her characters behave like real people in that their reactions to events are realistic. That isn’t to say they react exactly how I would in every instance but the elements that make up the personalities are consistent which keeps the plot grounded without wild flights of fancy.
Sleep Tight is one of those rare books that deserves the moniker ‘page turner!’ one which means I have resented the intrusion of real people while my mind grappled with the events in Sleep Tight.
Olivia first called the police when her partner, Dan, disappeared leaving her holding the baby, apart from a text apologising that was the last anyone heard of him. A couple of months later she calls the police after finding her parents dead in their house. All goes quiet for Olivia for a few years until she calls the police once again when her husband, Robert, disappears with her three children from their house and now two years later she has disappeared without trace. Tom Douglas is keen to put out an appeal to find them but Robert is unable to find a single photo of any of them.
This book contains everything that a good psychological thriller should; there is a great puzzle to be solved, an uncertainty about which characters can be believed as Olivia and Robert explain some of their actions the result being that some of what I read literally gave me goosebumps as I couldn’t help but imagine myself in Olivia’s shoes.
The series is now well-developed, DCI Tom Douglas and Sergeant Becky Robinson are likeable characters who work well together but this isn’t a police procedural, so although their back stories are evolving, they don’t overpower the focus of the book which centres on Olivia and Robert’s relationship. The power of Rachel Abbott’s writing is the fact that her characters behave like real people in that their reactions to events are realistic. That isn’t to say they react exactly how I would in every instance but the elements that make up the personalities are consistent which keeps the plot grounded without wild flights of fancy.
Sleep Tight is one of those rare books that deserves the moniker ‘page turner!’ one which means I have resented the intrusion of real people while my mind grappled with the events in Sleep Tight.
August 29, 2017
By far my favorite book in this series. Clever, fast-paced, with lots of twists and turns I definitely did not expect!
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
December 31, 2014
Sorry but this book was boring. Had to start skimming just to get to the resolution. Predictable.
May 15, 2023
Trečioji dalis apie detektyvą Tomą Daglasą. Kas labai stebina ir tuo pačiu džiugina, kad autorė atskiras dalis sujungia į vieną visumą. Jos turi tęstinumą ir nuoseklumą. Šioje dalyje net byla ir su ja susije įvykiai turi savotišką tęsinį.
Tomas su Olivija Bruks susipažino prieš beveik dešimtmetį skaudžiomis aplinkybėmis. Po keletos metų dingus Olivijos vyrui ir vaikams sukėlė tarnybas ir panikos bangą, nors vyras ir vaikai grįžta sveiki. Kolegė kreipiasi į Tomą dėl moters patikimumo. O štai dar po dviejų metų dingsta pati Olivija su vaikais. Daglasas ir vėl susidurs su šios jaunos moters gyvenimu, ne pačiomis geriausiomis akimirkomis.
Keista byla, keistos dingimo aplinkybės, o vyro elgesys tik dar labiau pakursto detektyvų įtarimus. Procentaliai dažniausiai kaltas sutuoktinis, bet ar šiuo atveju taip pat?
Ši knyga tarsi vadovėlis kaip atpažinti intelektualų psichologinį smurtautoją. Bandymas jį atrasti ir įrodyti jo kaltę buvo lyg katės ir pelės žaidimas. Šioje dalyje Tomas grįžo į savo detektyvinę rolę, kuri tikrai puiki. Taip pat netrūko ir asmeniškumų, bet jie pačios bylos neužgožė. Be to labai daug užuomenų apie Tomo praeitį ir tikiuosi kitose dalyse sulaukti atsakymų į užmintas mįsles.
Tomas su Olivija Bruks susipažino prieš beveik dešimtmetį skaudžiomis aplinkybėmis. Po keletos metų dingus Olivijos vyrui ir vaikams sukėlė tarnybas ir panikos bangą, nors vyras ir vaikai grįžta sveiki. Kolegė kreipiasi į Tomą dėl moters patikimumo. O štai dar po dviejų metų dingsta pati Olivija su vaikais. Daglasas ir vėl susidurs su šios jaunos moters gyvenimu, ne pačiomis geriausiomis akimirkomis.
Keista byla, keistos dingimo aplinkybės, o vyro elgesys tik dar labiau pakursto detektyvų įtarimus. Procentaliai dažniausiai kaltas sutuoktinis, bet ar šiuo atveju taip pat?
Ši knyga tarsi vadovėlis kaip atpažinti intelektualų psichologinį smurtautoją. Bandymas jį atrasti ir įrodyti jo kaltę buvo lyg katės ir pelės žaidimas. Šioje dalyje Tomas grįžo į savo detektyvinę rolę, kuri tikrai puiki. Taip pat netrūko ir asmeniškumų, bet jie pačios bylos neužgožė. Be to labai daug užuomenų apie Tomo praeitį ir tikiuosi kitose dalyse sulaukti atsakymų į užmintas mįsles.
January 9, 2017
I believe this is the first time I have read anything by this author and I am not sure if I will purchase another. I have mixed thoughts about this book which is why I rated it three stars, but it could very well be four stars. There were some predictable parts as well as some that were not predictable. I thought there could have been a better job on the editing even though I didn't see an alarming amount of errors. I'm not sure why the detective's personal life was included, except for maybe a couple parts.
September 30, 2021
Olivia Brookes does not have a lot of good luck and comes to the attention of the police on 4 separate occasions. First Olivia reports that her boyfriend has gone missing. Second Olivia reports that she found both her parents dead in their home. Third Olivia reports that her husband and their three children have gone missing. But the fourth time it is her husband Robert who reports that Olivia and the three children have gone missing. Can DCI Tom Douglas solve if Olivia is unlucky or are darker forces at play?
I really enjoyed reading Sleep Tight and I loved how the story unfolded. Nagging doubts were thrown at the reader all the way through this book. All the characters had scope for dirty dealings and the reader does not know who to trust. There are three central characters with their points of view pointing the reader in different directions. Olivia, her husband Robert and DCI Tom Douglas but who has got it right?
The plot of Sleep Tight is very, very clever. It is centered around the idea of obsession. There are many twists in this story and it has you pulling this way and that. You think that you understand exactly what is going on only to be shocked by yet another revelation. Finally you have a surprise ending and you think WTF?
I found Sleep Tight far better than the first two novels in this series - it gives me all I want from a crime thriller with a psychological twist. I loved all the little details that were thrown into this story, their importance were all revealed towards the end. The clues are all there but quite often ignored as simply setting a scene. I think Sleep Tight is an OUTSTANDING read that gets the top score of 5 stars from me.
I really enjoyed reading Sleep Tight and I loved how the story unfolded. Nagging doubts were thrown at the reader all the way through this book. All the characters had scope for dirty dealings and the reader does not know who to trust. There are three central characters with their points of view pointing the reader in different directions. Olivia, her husband Robert and DCI Tom Douglas but who has got it right?
The plot of Sleep Tight is very, very clever. It is centered around the idea of obsession. There are many twists in this story and it has you pulling this way and that. You think that you understand exactly what is going on only to be shocked by yet another revelation. Finally you have a surprise ending and you think WTF?
I found Sleep Tight far better than the first two novels in this series - it gives me all I want from a crime thriller with a psychological twist. I loved all the little details that were thrown into this story, their importance were all revealed towards the end. The clues are all there but quite often ignored as simply setting a scene. I think Sleep Tight is an OUTSTANDING read that gets the top score of 5 stars from me.
April 13, 2014
Abbott's writing is maturing like a fine wine. The plotting is very meticulous and well thought out. The story takes the reader along the entire perimeter with a twist in the path there and a barrier in the plot there. In the end all the threads link together to create the entire jigsaw puzzle.
The author has a keen understanding of the mind, behaviour patterns, thought processes and personality of a stalker, who evolves into a controlling abusive partner. He seems like the perfect husband and the adoring father to outsiders. Inside the life of his victims it is an entirely different story. Robert is controlling, obsessive and almost compulsive in his need to dictate the behaviour of his loved ones.
Olivia, like many others in those types of domestic abuse situations, doesn’t comprehend at first that Robert is actually being abusive. Her opinion changes when he decides to teach her the one lesson most likely to frighten her into a lifetime of submission.
Kudos to the author for picking a hot topic and crime, that happens all too frequently in our society nowadays, when a parent takes the worst revenge ever. Something so viciously wicked that it is hard to fathom.
The cat and mouse game between the wife and husband is drawn out like a laborious chess game. A game that seems to have nothing more than a lose-lose situation for everyone involved.
Seemingly arbitrary there is a sub-plot with the male lead detective and a burglary. That happens to be the neatly constructed storyline for the next book featuring Tom.
Without revealing the extremely well planned ending, I just want to say that although the reader slowly figures out where it is all going, the trip to get to that place is a very good read.
I received a copy of this book courtesy of the author.
The author has a keen understanding of the mind, behaviour patterns, thought processes and personality of a stalker, who evolves into a controlling abusive partner. He seems like the perfect husband and the adoring father to outsiders. Inside the life of his victims it is an entirely different story. Robert is controlling, obsessive and almost compulsive in his need to dictate the behaviour of his loved ones.
Olivia, like many others in those types of domestic abuse situations, doesn’t comprehend at first that Robert is actually being abusive. Her opinion changes when he decides to teach her the one lesson most likely to frighten her into a lifetime of submission.
Kudos to the author for picking a hot topic and crime, that happens all too frequently in our society nowadays, when a parent takes the worst revenge ever. Something so viciously wicked that it is hard to fathom.
The cat and mouse game between the wife and husband is drawn out like a laborious chess game. A game that seems to have nothing more than a lose-lose situation for everyone involved.
Seemingly arbitrary there is a sub-plot with the male lead detective and a burglary. That happens to be the neatly constructed storyline for the next book featuring Tom.
Without revealing the extremely well planned ending, I just want to say that although the reader slowly figures out where it is all going, the trip to get to that place is a very good read.
I received a copy of this book courtesy of the author.
January 30, 2015
I went into this story ignoring the 1* reviews and excited by the over 2k 5*. I do want to admit that I was hooked from the beginning. The mystery of who did what had me. But at about 30% it was very clear what was happening. No mystery or mind thrilling at all. And that sad attempt at a love story with the cop? Very boring and like the attempted scandal w the cops partner, irrelevant. Seriously, how did that distraction contribute to the overall story? Another dissapointing thing was the back and forth between 3rd and 1st POV. Really? It distracted the crap out of me and disconnected me from the characters 100% I didn't need to read the story told by the narrator and then by the actual character again. I continued to read expecting a better story or a crazy turn of events but nope! Nothing. Sadly it was a very dull story
May 28, 2014
Pretty decent suspense/mystery. The characters are well developed and you genuinely care about them and want to find out what happened. There are lots of twists and turns and they are worth following. Give it a chance!
January 31, 2022
This book grabs you from the first sentence and doesn't let you go. It is a real page turner with a great twists. Can't wait to read the next books that touches on Tom's and Becky's personal lives. Highly recommend for mystery fans.
March 19, 2014
Being a big fan of Only The Innocent and The Back Road, I was incredibly excited to get my hands on a copy of Rachel Abbott’s latest book, Sleep Tight.
It’s Tom Douglas’s third appearance in one of Abbott’s novels and, although his personal story follows on, the book can be read as a standalone. The story gets off to an eerie start and within two or three chapters you’ll be searching for answers to about a hundred questions, as you begin to feel an iron grip of tension that doesn’t ease up until the end. I found myself totally consumed by the many twists and turns, unable to imagine how the police would solve the case in front of them.
I’m going to refrain from talking about the characters, except to say they play their parts perfectly, and I will also not reveal anything about the plot. This is not to be annoyingly vague but because I feel that even the smallest hint could ruin this delightfully complex story.
So, if you like being thrown into the midst of a thrilling mystery then this is definitely the read for you. Rachel Abbott will have you tied up in knots and reading until the close will be the only way of untangling yourself.
Reviewed by Charlotte Foreman on behalf of BestChickLit.com.
It’s Tom Douglas’s third appearance in one of Abbott’s novels and, although his personal story follows on, the book can be read as a standalone. The story gets off to an eerie start and within two or three chapters you’ll be searching for answers to about a hundred questions, as you begin to feel an iron grip of tension that doesn’t ease up until the end. I found myself totally consumed by the many twists and turns, unable to imagine how the police would solve the case in front of them.
I’m going to refrain from talking about the characters, except to say they play their parts perfectly, and I will also not reveal anything about the plot. This is not to be annoyingly vague but because I feel that even the smallest hint could ruin this delightfully complex story.
So, if you like being thrown into the midst of a thrilling mystery then this is definitely the read for you. Rachel Abbott will have you tied up in knots and reading until the close will be the only way of untangling yourself.
Reviewed by Charlotte Foreman on behalf of BestChickLit.com.
June 30, 2014
This was my first Rachel Abbott book, and interesting enough to get me to read more--in fact I seem to be going backwards in the series and am currently reading the first one, The Back Road. So I'm getting the unique perspective of seeing how the writers style evolves, in reverse. Compared to the first and second in the series, Sleep Tight is definitely, well, tighter. There are still some credibility issues to overcome (no spoilers) and I can't help but feel that the personal lives of the investigators are distracting from the plot, because the plot itself is so twisted that it's simply TMI to read about this one's affair or that one's cold-fish girlfriend. Some writers can successfully integrate the police action and the personal information but somehow Ms. Abbott isn't quite up to it and the reader (moi) ends up getting bored. Which am I reading, a romance novel or a good old British who-done-it? The build-up of suspense is lacking because I have to keep getting interrupted by what Tom cooks for dinner for his love interest and how sexually frustrated he is, or whatever.
August 6, 2014
This was another very good story and I flew through the first two-thirds but then got a little bogged down as it got terribly confusing in places, I found. There were a few clever red herrings thrown in which I won't mention here, though, as I don't like spoilers.
However, the editing was a lot better in this third book by this author. There was the odd error, like "not only has Robert has never met"...and a couple of dropped speechmarks here and there but that was it which pleased this reader.
I felt for the kids in the story having to keep secrets they were too young to take on board but their parent certainly had good reason. All the way through I thought this person was the baddie then the other so it keeps you on your toes.
I look forward to the next one by her for sure.
However, the editing was a lot better in this third book by this author. There was the odd error, like "not only has Robert has never met"...and a couple of dropped speechmarks here and there but that was it which pleased this reader.
I felt for the kids in the story having to keep secrets they were too young to take on board but their parent certainly had good reason. All the way through I thought this person was the baddie then the other so it keeps you on your toes.
I look forward to the next one by her for sure.
October 9, 2016
My first book by this author and a great crime story. I read it in one day after it took over a year to get to the top of my tbr list! Good twists, well described characters and I shall certainly be reading more by this author.
November 22, 2017
Listened to in audio format.
I am quite new to the DCI Tom Douglas series. The author has written 6 books in this series so far, so I am lucky I have six books to enjoy without waiting for a new release.
Sleep Tight is the third book in the series.
Olivia Brookes has had a very sad life. Nine years ago her partner Dan disappeared without trace one morning leaving Olivia alone with her baby Jasmin. Months later both her parents died of carbon dioxide poisoning.
In the aftermath Olivia married Robert Brookes and had another two children. Seven years later Robert and the children went missing. The police found them in Wales, Robert claimed he told Olivia they were going on holiday.
In the present day it is Olivia and the children that have gone missing. Tom Douglas investigated when Olivia's parents died and thought at the time it was suspicious. When Tom interviews Robert he discovers he is a bully who kept an eye on the purse strings and controlled every aspect of Olivia's life. Tom is suspicious of Robert and thinks he may of had a hand in the disappearance.
I was glad that Tom's old sergeant Becky from Only The Innocent appeared in this book. Previously feisty, she is now a shadow of her former self. In London Becky had an affair with one of her married superiors. When his wife found out she told Becky she had friends in high places and to leave The Met. Tom is now in a relationship with Leo but he is frustrated because she is scared to commit.
The story moved between the past and present, to give you all the angles of Olivia's life with Robert. I was drawn to this book from the first chapter, the story was fast paced with never a dull moment.
I look forward to book 4.
I am quite new to the DCI Tom Douglas series. The author has written 6 books in this series so far, so I am lucky I have six books to enjoy without waiting for a new release.
Sleep Tight is the third book in the series.
Olivia Brookes has had a very sad life. Nine years ago her partner Dan disappeared without trace one morning leaving Olivia alone with her baby Jasmin. Months later both her parents died of carbon dioxide poisoning.
In the aftermath Olivia married Robert Brookes and had another two children. Seven years later Robert and the children went missing. The police found them in Wales, Robert claimed he told Olivia they were going on holiday.
In the present day it is Olivia and the children that have gone missing. Tom Douglas investigated when Olivia's parents died and thought at the time it was suspicious. When Tom interviews Robert he discovers he is a bully who kept an eye on the purse strings and controlled every aspect of Olivia's life. Tom is suspicious of Robert and thinks he may of had a hand in the disappearance.
I was glad that Tom's old sergeant Becky from Only The Innocent appeared in this book. Previously feisty, she is now a shadow of her former self. In London Becky had an affair with one of her married superiors. When his wife found out she told Becky she had friends in high places and to leave The Met. Tom is now in a relationship with Leo but he is frustrated because she is scared to commit.
The story moved between the past and present, to give you all the angles of Olivia's life with Robert. I was drawn to this book from the first chapter, the story was fast paced with never a dull moment.
I look forward to book 4.
May 31, 2024
Ši serijos dalis manęs neįtikino. Buvo šiek tiek nuobodu. Nejaučiau jaudulio dėl veikėjų ir jų likimų. Buvo daug kas aišku iš pat pradžių, nors ir bandyta mėtyti pėdsakus ir kurti kažkokią intrigą. Nelabai supratau ir pabaigą. Lyg ir viskas aišku kad čia ką.padare, bet tuo pačiu ir išdavinėji sau klausimus, o gal ne taip supratai?
Lentynoje laukia kitos serijos dalys , todėl neabejotinai tęsiu toliau 🙂
Lentynoje laukia kitos serijos dalys , todėl neabejotinai tęsiu toliau 🙂
June 21, 2014
I wanted to love it. This book jumped to the top of my TBR pile when it reduced in price and shot to the top of the Kindle charts. Let's say now, Rachel Abbott has done superbly well topping the Kindle charts with 3 books, Sleep Tight being the third. That, for any independent author, albeit there is a professional team working with her too, is an incredible achievement. Congratulations must be extended. No one gets to #1 by accident. An indescribable amount of work is poured into the writing - which is sometimes the least of it - but also the networking, the publicising, the searching, the experimenting, the interviews, the blog tours, the questions from hundreds of other authors, the fans of the books, the responses. In short, the choice not to sleep tight, but to forfeit sleep and work damned hard.
Credit where it is due.
But........
I didn't love the 'voice', that unique way that any author delivers the story and dishes it up, with as many tasty treats as possible, to us the reader. There can be a water-tight plot, the best baddies and goodies that literature has ever known, the most dramatic of climaxes, the most riveting attraction between two people or the most vivid scenery. But regardless of these elements, the voice makes or breaks a book for me. It either gives me an incredible reading experience whatever the content, or it distracts me in varying degrees. It either captivates me so that I'm drawn back whether I have time or not - the Kindle is blocking the view of the frying pan, or I'm sneaking a few pages while I'm mowing the lawn (slight exaggeration, but you get the picture) - or the voice alienates me so that I can take or leave the story and exclude the characters from my life. This question of voice is subjective. Writing style which captivates one will bore another. Some readers don't even notice. I can't fail to notice or to have an opinion on voice. It is the most important part of any book, and for me, it is a curse.
This book is set in Manchester, which is where I'm from. Olivia Brookes is being silently terrorised by her husband and needs to find a way out. Her husband must not know. We have a huge problem to overcome, plenty meaty enough for any author. Robert Brookes, the husband, is as creepy and repulsive as any man could be. We usually find in life though, that vile people have some redeeming qualities. They're unguarded somewhere, have a weakness, something to dilute the purity of the evil. There was nothing good about Robert Brookes. Not a ray anywhere. I quite like to get inside the head of the psycho and understand why they did what they did. In life, there are always reasons. No one is all good, very few are all bad. I didn't understand Robert Brookes as much as I wanted to. I understood he was an conniving evil git, but that was all - as was Darth Vader, but that story was made more fascinating by understanding why, and eventually disarming him through his weakness.
This point is a minor one. It's Rachel's story to tell as she wishes. The main distraction for me was the well-used phrases. I didn't take notes, mental ones or otherwise, but 'holding on for dear life' and 'having a whale of a time' and those kinds of phrases littered the book and had me thinking back to creative writing instruction where the big no-no was always: don't resort to well-used phrases or cliches, please. Be more imaginative than that. Find a different way of saying those things. Make your writing fresh. Make it yours. So those phrases always leap out at me in books, and never fail to strangle the pleasure.
This is my honest review. If you enjoy crime, well-researched places and characters and a tight plot - no pun intended - then Sleep Tight won't disappoint. It was a good story. Having read it, I intend to visit Alderney at the first opportunity. RA definitely did a fine job of selling that gorgeous-sounding island to me. She should be taking commission from the tourist info centre in Alderney! I want to look at that topaz sea and walk on the white sand and look down on the deadly rocks frothing with restless waves. I want to leave my doors unlocked for a couple of decades and find no use for a key. Oh, and I'm certainly not leaving until the mother of all storms crashes with fury upon the shores.
Credit where it is due.
But........
I didn't love the 'voice', that unique way that any author delivers the story and dishes it up, with as many tasty treats as possible, to us the reader. There can be a water-tight plot, the best baddies and goodies that literature has ever known, the most dramatic of climaxes, the most riveting attraction between two people or the most vivid scenery. But regardless of these elements, the voice makes or breaks a book for me. It either gives me an incredible reading experience whatever the content, or it distracts me in varying degrees. It either captivates me so that I'm drawn back whether I have time or not - the Kindle is blocking the view of the frying pan, or I'm sneaking a few pages while I'm mowing the lawn (slight exaggeration, but you get the picture) - or the voice alienates me so that I can take or leave the story and exclude the characters from my life. This question of voice is subjective. Writing style which captivates one will bore another. Some readers don't even notice. I can't fail to notice or to have an opinion on voice. It is the most important part of any book, and for me, it is a curse.
This book is set in Manchester, which is where I'm from. Olivia Brookes is being silently terrorised by her husband and needs to find a way out. Her husband must not know. We have a huge problem to overcome, plenty meaty enough for any author. Robert Brookes, the husband, is as creepy and repulsive as any man could be. We usually find in life though, that vile people have some redeeming qualities. They're unguarded somewhere, have a weakness, something to dilute the purity of the evil. There was nothing good about Robert Brookes. Not a ray anywhere. I quite like to get inside the head of the psycho and understand why they did what they did. In life, there are always reasons. No one is all good, very few are all bad. I didn't understand Robert Brookes as much as I wanted to. I understood he was an conniving evil git, but that was all - as was Darth Vader, but that story was made more fascinating by understanding why, and eventually disarming him through his weakness.
This point is a minor one. It's Rachel's story to tell as she wishes. The main distraction for me was the well-used phrases. I didn't take notes, mental ones or otherwise, but 'holding on for dear life' and 'having a whale of a time' and those kinds of phrases littered the book and had me thinking back to creative writing instruction where the big no-no was always: don't resort to well-used phrases or cliches, please. Be more imaginative than that. Find a different way of saying those things. Make your writing fresh. Make it yours. So those phrases always leap out at me in books, and never fail to strangle the pleasure.
This is my honest review. If you enjoy crime, well-researched places and characters and a tight plot - no pun intended - then Sleep Tight won't disappoint. It was a good story. Having read it, I intend to visit Alderney at the first opportunity. RA definitely did a fine job of selling that gorgeous-sounding island to me. She should be taking commission from the tourist info centre in Alderney! I want to look at that topaz sea and walk on the white sand and look down on the deadly rocks frothing with restless waves. I want to leave my doors unlocked for a couple of decades and find no use for a key. Oh, and I'm certainly not leaving until the mother of all storms crashes with fury upon the shores.
March 9, 2014
'Sleep Tight' is what you WON'T be able to do if you start reading Rachel Abbott's excellent new thriller. From the frightening menace of the opening to the last touching scene you will be taken on a scintillating journey with more twists and turns than a pit of snakes.
Tom Douglas, the lovable detective from Rachel's two previous books, is on hand to guide you through the intricate maze of the plot (and has a blossoming love interest of his own developing too), but perhaps by the end it will only be you the reader who fully understands all the complexities of the action.
Rachel cleverly develops the theme, first explored in 'Only the Innocent', that sometimes it might be necessary to step outside the law for true justice to be dealt; this gives us much food for thought and takes the story to another level entirely.
Without a doubt, her best novel to date - thoroughly recommended!
Tom Douglas, the lovable detective from Rachel's two previous books, is on hand to guide you through the intricate maze of the plot (and has a blossoming love interest of his own developing too), but perhaps by the end it will only be you the reader who fully understands all the complexities of the action.
Rachel cleverly develops the theme, first explored in 'Only the Innocent', that sometimes it might be necessary to step outside the law for true justice to be dealt; this gives us much food for thought and takes the story to another level entirely.
Without a doubt, her best novel to date - thoroughly recommended!
May 19, 2014
I could easily give this five stars but have to refrain from over-five-starring books lately. So 4.5 stars it is - this was a bit confusing sometimes, especially the end.
Good, quick but exciting read. Though short, the drama and mystery are well described and thought out. For the most part, I think this story could be true! That in itself is a sign of a good book, in my opinion.
From the authors website, it sounds as if this will be made into a series. I love police procedural series so great news for me.
Of note, I was late for brunch in finishing this novel. BRUNCH! That alone tells you it is a great read.
Good, quick but exciting read. Though short, the drama and mystery are well described and thought out. For the most part, I think this story could be true! That in itself is a sign of a good book, in my opinion.
From the authors website, it sounds as if this will be made into a series. I love police procedural series so great news for me.
Of note, I was late for brunch in finishing this novel. BRUNCH! That alone tells you it is a great read.
October 4, 2014
This was a very engrossing book. I was thinking about the story and turning it around in my head throughout the day, which to me is a sign of a truly good read. I enjoyed it so much I just downloaded another with the same officer/main character. I'm American and greatly enjoy learning about UK characters and their lingo so this was icing on the cake! This story had empathetic characters, believable storyline with a plausible and fitting finish. Look no further for an excellent murder mystery.
February 20, 2014
What if the man you married spent years stalking you? What if he threatened your children? What if he controlled your every hour? Discredited you with friends and even the police? How would you escape? A tightly plotted crime novel with a clever twist. A psychological thriller that will keep you reading until the final page.
March 5, 2015
Great who-dunnit murder mystery! At first you think it's a cut and dry story involving an abusive relationship but then it surprises you with some great twists! I even teared up at one point. Good read!
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