While You Sleep

by Stephanie Merritt

Discouraged by the direction her life and her marriage has taken her, Zoe Adams decides to take control and rents a house on an isolated Scottish island to rejuvenate her desire to paint.  Too late, she discovers the house is filled with a history that the local residents are trying to keep secret but could have dangerous repercussions to Zoe and those who choose to befriend her.

The current trend in unreliable narrators is fully realized in Merritt’s current novel.    To add fuel to the fire, she incorporates the gothic ghost story.  From the first chapter you get the unwelcome antagonistic feel of the locals and it sets the dark mood of the story. This is a creepy and highly addictive read. The narrative is filled with stormy dark scenes that suddenly erupt in misleading sunshine only to drop you into the dark again. She has an excellent grasp on ways to describe her characters that keep you cringing and screaming in your head, “don’t let him in!” or “don’t talk to her!”  You want to stop reading but you are unable to because you must continue to make sure everything is going to turn out okay.  The novel has several erotic scenes so I would be sure to only offer it to older, mature teens.

I wish to thank the publisher for providing an Advanced Readers Copy for my honest review.

PUB:  Pegasus Books/W.W. Norton & Co.

PUB DATE:  March 5, 2019

ISBN:  9781643130057

Genre:  Psychological Thriller, Gothic