Alex Taylor is a talented young doctor with a bit of a sordid history. She is heading out of work one day and wakes up to find herself on an operating table. A voice tells her they have done something to her and will continue to hurt her if she continues to lie. The voice gives us the feeling that Alex lied about a sexual harassment claim. Alex gives into what they want to hear and wakes up in the same spot she was taken. It seems she has only been "gone" for a short time, and nothing is wrong with her except a bonk on the head. However, that can be traced to a tree branch that fell and knocked her out. So, was this all a figment of her imagination? Her colleagues seem to think so. She is in a very high-stress, fast-paced job not to mention her outside life. It seems she never dealt the possible harassment as she should have. Not only are her colleagues challenging her, but now her friends and family as well.

So is it all in Alex's head or is it real? With no one to believe her, she is slowly seeming to lose her marbles. Even showing signs of error at work, which could ruin her career. But when another nurse from the hospital says something to Alex in her last breaths, Alex knows what happened was real. All of Alex's walls start crumbling, and time is running out. Alex is determined to prove she isn't crazy, but will she do it in time?

Don't Wake Up was a pretty compelling thriller, keeping me on the edge of my seat. It certainly kept me on my toes, and surprised me in the end. It was fun to read a medical thriller, as I'm not sure I have before.

Many thanks to Bonnie Zaffre and NetGalley for my ARC, it was my pleasure to read in exchange for a honest review.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book held my interest and is very well written. I recommend it highly.

WOW! Just WOW! A superb psychological thriller plus some! If this is Liz Lawyer's first novel, I can not wait for another one! The hook on the first page predicts a thriller, and Ms. Lawyer does not disappoint! This is a fast paced mystery that keeps the reader wondering and guessing until the very end! The characters are interesting and this reader was invested in the protagonist and engaged throughout! Don't Wake Up is unpredictable, which adds to the suspenseful mystery. The plot is unique, the climax harrowing, and the denouement is very satisfying! Kudos, Ms. Lawyer!

I would definitely purchase this book and will be buying a copy for a friend for Mothers Day. Thanks for my copy to review.

Slow read wasn't intense. Compelling but slow to get into,

My review on Goodreads:

Dr. Alex Taylor wakes up one day strapped on an operating table, she realizes that she is naked and that she was anesthetized, she can only see her surgeon's eyes since he has a surgical mask on, after she asks him if she had been in an accident and he declines he asks her "what would a "No" mean?" and lets her struggle to answer then Alex dozes off.
After that she was found unconscious on the street, the doctors examined her and she has no signs of a recent surgery not even any needles marks!

So was she really abducted? did she just made all this up? or is she hallucinating?

I really loved this! couldn't stop reading I started 5 hours ago I just wanted to get an idea about the story but couldn't help but finish it.

It was a good thriller, got me to gasp a few times, and had an unexpected ending.

If you want to read it, it's currently available on Netgalley :)

Don't Wake Up is a dark, intense mystery full of interesting characters and startling situations.

Dr. Alex Taylor wakes up in an operating room tied to a hospital gurney where a masked man threatens to perform a very painful, unethical surgery on her. When she wakes up, no one believes her story. Was she imagining the whole thing?

Don't Wake Up begins with one of the most harrowing scenes that I could imagine. I still shudder to think of it. Luckily, the author handles it with a measure of restraint, avoiding what could have been a very gory situation. The rest of the book is fairly tame with one notable exception: a small animal is needlessly and cruelly tortured. That bothered me quite a bit.

The book begins with a bang, but slows down after that. I wish that things had sped up a little since there was a large focus on Alex's internal turmoil and little on external events that would have kept the story moving. At the end, things picked up speed again, and I was once more glued to the pages.

There are three, major story lines that come together in the end, and I like how the author weaves the stories together. There isn't any confusion on who is who, and I liked that there were several, possible suspects. At times, the credibility was stretched a little too far, yet I couldn't guess the ending which is always nice in a mystery.

Overall, this was an enjoyable book.

What a premise for a thriller! Waking up to discover you're incapacitated, naked and prepped for an unknown surgery, with a doctor/killer about to cut you open--then waking again fully intact with no one believing what had happened. It's still quite the premise, but one that isn't fully explored and exploited in this particular novel.
I believe one of the hooks is that with no evidence to support the kidnapping/surgery, the reader along with supporting characters is also supposed to be wondering at Alex, the protagonist's, mental state and whether it could truly all be in her head. However, even that is never fully played up to its truest potential; there is never a doubt left for the reader that she isn't telling the truth. It's a bit of a disappointment because that could have been an added component to keep a reader guessing and nervously turning the pages.
Right around the half way mark I correct figured out the whodunnit part of the story, which only left the why for me to look forward to. I still found the book to be a page turner even as the action unfolding became more and more outlandish. Had the author played up the unreliable protagonist idea, this could have been so much more nerve wracking! By the time we finally get to the climactic reveal (yep, I was right), the why and how was just friggin ridiculous. It lost a star for me right then and there. It just felt that the author had such a great "what if!" but no real idea how to fully execute it with a strong story. Instead, this ending came across as cobbled together, rushed, and in the end not satisfying. This was a likable (never good or great) book for me throughout, but one that ultimately took a nose dive with its ending.

I would like to thank Bonnier Zaffre and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Don’t Wake Up’ by Liz Lawler in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Doctor Alex Taylor awakes to find herself tied to a trolley in an operating theatre but when she next becomes conscious she’s lying in the hospital car park. Alex tries to explain what had happened but when no signs of injury are found on her body her colleagues and the police find it difficult to believe her.
Detective Inspector Greg Turner is convinced Alex is telling the truth whereas Detective Constable Laura Best does everything in her power to convince everybody that Alex is lying and is a murderer.
I was given ‘Don’t Wake Up’ to read just as I was due to have an operation in hospital and I’m glad I delayed reading it until afterwards as it would have given me nightmares. This novel is a scarily chilling thriller which had me guessing till the end.

Imagine waking and finding yourself on an operating table fastened down so you cant move. This is what happened to Dr Alex Taylor.
But why is she there, she doesn’t recall having an accident, she doesn’t recall very much, then there is someone standing over her. A man.
Then she is found in a car park at the hospital where she works. But when she tries explaining events it seems no one wants to believe her.
Trying to make people aware what has happened to her, and believe her is proving difficult.
And as other things start to happen, it’s soon clear that everyone thinks Alex is losing the plot, or actually lost the plot.
This was a great story, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I was holding my breath towards the end of the book to see what happened.
A very well put together story. That will have people guessing and wondering if Alex is indeed losing the plot. A great page turner that will keep you attention all the way through.

A brilliant suspense filled read which kept you guessing to the end.

I didn't expect to enjoy this book anywhere near as much as I did! From the blurb, the story sounds unlikely. How is a woman in an operating theatre with a man that isn't a Dr? Having worked in hospitals it all seemed as if it was going to be convoluted and improbable. That changed by the end of the second page. Liz Lawler can write. I mean, really write and write well. The story gripped me instantly and despite knowing little about her, I became Alex's cheerleader and supporter, willing her to escape from this situation unharmed.
Lawler's previous medical experience was obvious as it was so realistic and the medical terminology used to correctly that the situation being 'off' didn't matter any more. Alex's primary survey of her own body while being held by a mystery attacker bonded me to her and the story right away.
From there the book is a whodunnit and howdunnit mystery where your suspicion falls on once character after another leaving you scrabbling around looking for clues in the narrative and creating your own version of events and guilty party.
I am rather pleased and maybe a little smug that I figured it out before it was revealed to us who the man was.
When all around are doubting Alex it is little things like the cameo character Seb the helicopter pilot who keep you believing and trusting in Alex.
I loved the character of Greg, his relationship with his son and his open mindedness about Alex. I'm also glad that the author didn't go down a cliched route that so many authors would have!! Not saying any more as it may be considered a spoiler which I always aim not to do.
The book was fast paced and gripping and did keep me up past bedtime. Highly recommended and I will look for more fro this author.

Don't wake up, is just the sort of book I like, Really easy to follow and easily drags you in, yet there are plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing (although I had guessed half way through) but the author does try and steer you away to someone else, The great thing about stories like this is, is how easy someones life could be manipulated to make them look like they are lying or guilty of something until there is no where else to turn. Definitely a good summer read.

Another 2017 novel with a questionably mentally ill protagonist who drinks, but written in the third person, in simple prose. It's almost like a throwback to psychological thrillers gone-by. (Although quite different, it brings to mind Jonathan Kellerman's "Devil's Waltz" (with the most famous Dr. Alex in this genre).)

Casual grip-lit readers (who don't mind psychological thrillers interspersed with sex and F bombs, and characters (pl.) having the same names and traits as those in previous books in this category) might enjoy this story even more than avid ones like I.

It's a fast, one-sitting, satisfactory read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Zaffre for the advanced reader copy.

A really creepy, well written story that I got into right from the start.

When the main character wakes up on the surgeons table, it's quite frightening and you are left wondering exactly what happened to her as the story takes you on a journey of twists and turns, paranoia and suspicion, leaving you guessing whether it's all real or just in Alex's head.
I did figure out the antagonist before the end though but there were some good characters and some horrible ones and overall this novel was creepy,mcaptivating and a good read.

This was a gripping thriller from page one!! I was both stunned and terrified! A fantastic page turner with lots of twists! Thoroughly enjoyed this fast and unpredictable read!

I would give this one 3.5/4 stars. This one took me a bit longer to get through for some reason even though it's a well written thriller. The main character Alex wakes up on an tied to an operating table with a mystery man that isn't a doctor above her. This is one that kept me guessing if the character's story was really happening or if she was losing her mind. I would recommend giving it a read.

Scary how the mind plays games. This book had me wondering all the way through and I didn't guess the ending. Thoroughly enjoyed and will recommend to friends

Regrettably I can find nothing to recommend this book at all – the storytelling was sooooo slooooow – and references were frequently made to some ‘incident’ in the Alex’s (the main protagonists’) past – but the novel was almost 60% complete before this was revealed.

I found it hard to like Alex at all - and given her background and education, had some disbelief that she had not sought police involvement in this ‘previous incident’ … especially given her later propensity for seeking police involvement in her life.

Sadly, I gave up at approx 65% of the book.

There are times when you a description of a book and then as you dive in you are looking for the excitement and suspense and don't find it.
This book is just what it says in the description and so much more.
Alex Taylor wakes up on an operating table and is informed of all sorts of unimaginable things that have happened and are to happen. Finding her unconscious in the car park of the hospital she works in,she hysterically tells her story but who believes her?
This is the story of a journey through a number of violent incidents that both implicate and and make you question who Alex is and what is her role in any of this.
The characters that work with Alex or are in a relationship with her open like you are peeling an onion layer by layer but provide more questions than answers.
I particularly disliked her boyfriend Patrick,he is so well written and Nathan is such an maverick charachter too.
This is well written, a page turner and a must read. It is pacy,intriguing,exciting and well thought out.
Thanks to NetGalley,the publisher and the author for the chance to review. Liz Lawler writes a brilliant book.