i actually read this back in 2023 and completely forgot to review it - however i remember loving the vibes and i rated it 5🌟 on goodreads so it must’ve been fab 🤣🤣

I had enjoyed Sarah's previous thrillers - Behind Her Eyes and Cross Her Heart - so I was very excited to read Insomnia. The book grabbed my attention quickly and I read it within 24 hours. Without giving too much away, it started off well but I found I did have to suspend disbelief from around 80% onwards. A little bit different to what I would normally expect of a thriller, but I'm not sure if it worked really. I'm still excited to read Sarah's next novel, as I can be guaranteed an entertaining and gripping read regardless.

As Emma Averell approaches her fortieth birthday, she's haunted by the unresolved trauma from her mother's similar milestone. With just twelve days left until the big day, Emma’s life spirals into chaos with a series of alarming events that push her to the brink. Struggling with insomnia and a deepening sense of dread, Emma’s grip on reality becomes increasingly tenuous.

Sarah Pinborough's latest novel grips you from the start, twisting through an intricate plot full of unexpected turns. The story is masterfully constructed, drawing you into Emma’s troubled world with chilling precision. Pinborough skillfully explores the complexities of balancing a demanding career with motherhood, adding depth to Emma's character. The suspense builds steadily, creating a tense atmosphere that keeps you on edge.

The ending, while challenging to fully grasp, ties together many threads in a way that makes sense within the novel's context. If you enjoyed "Behind Her Eyes," this book will likely captivate you with its fast-paced narrative and clever twists.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the advance copy.

Thanks netgalley for this really exciting and interesting book about mental illness and how you can imagine the worst things that can happen to mother and daughter.
Emma had a great life, a good job she was the main bread winner, a husband Robert and two children, But as her fortieth birthday loomed she was scared she was loosing her mind.
No sleep and imagining the most terrible things Emma was terrified she would loose everything including her fami,y husband and her job.
Great book will look out for another one by this author.

I read Sarah Pinborough’s ‘Behind Her Eyes’ a few years ago and was really impressed; she’s a great author, who writes excellent twists, and those twists are deeper and more unusual than those in most thrillers.

This is another great thriller, with another great twist. I felt so sorry for Emma, as someone who has suffered from bouts of insomnia, and her frustration and desperation are palpable, written very authentically. It’s so incredibly annoying to be exhausted but unable to sleep, and that lack of sleep infects every single part of your waking day, and poor Emma really suffers. The insomnia makes her doubt herself, and question what she thinks is happening, and that is terrifying for her, and for the reader.

Recommended for fans of psychological thrillers, who also like something a bit different – the twist here is certainly that!

Insomnia wasn’t at all what I expected - and that’s a good thing!
Emma is terrified that she will end up like her mother on her 40th birthday: which is only 12 days away. At the same age, her mother became paranoid and tried to kill Emma’s sister. She ends up in a psychiatric hospital for the rest of her life - but not before predicting that Emma will end up the same way.

Emma isn’t sleeping. Is the insomnia an understandable result of the worry and trauma caused by her mother, or is she really going to end up with the same mental illness?

Ooh, this was a twisty-turny one! When Emma starts ‘losing’ parts of her day, even I thought she was heading down the same path as her mother. Trying to keep her disturbed past and her successful present completely separate seems an impossible task, and really piles the tension on.

This was a very tense read, and I was completely hooked - this is one of those books that you won’t want to put down.

Found it difficult to put this book down.
A right good psychological thriller that grabbed me early and kept my level of interest high right the way to the end. If this is your genre of book, jump in, you won't be disappointed. Extremely solid stars

I have been curious about Sarah Pinborough for a while, as I’m constantly hearing great things about the author’s work. Insomnia gave me the chance to finally dive in, and it left me rather conflicted.

Insomnia was one of those stories that had me hooked, eager to see how everything came together, rapidly turning the pages due to the constant questions about what would come next. This element of it was great, which ensured I finished it in no time. Unfortunately, I worked out the identity of the bad guy far too easily. Then the ending was… strange. It was something different, which ensured I did not work out how everything played together, yet it did not feel like it was fully explained. It felt like a bit of a cop out, because the characters had the same feel about it. Only for it to be quickly glossed over as everyone seemed to find their happily ever after. Thus, I was conflicted. It was an addictive story, yet some elements were too easy while others were never explained in full, which left me rather uncertain about how much I enjoyed it.

While I did not love this, I also did not hate it. If nothing else, it has me curious enough to pick up another of the author’s work.

Emma a successful Law Attorney is happily married to Robert and they have 2 children.

Emma is counting down to her 40th birthday, not in a good way!! Her mother was 40 when she was admitted into a secure unit due to her madness and Emma is worrying she will follow in her footsteps and her insomnia is not helping.

Sarah Pinborough has a way of grabbing your attention and reeling you in so that you cannot help but be engrossed in her books!!!

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

The download date was unfortunately missed, I would be happy to re-review if it became available again. I have awarded stars for the book cover and description as they both appeal to me. I would be more than happy to re-read and review if a download becomes available. If you would like me to re-review please feel free to contact me at thesecretbookreview@gmail.com or via social media The_secret_bookreview (Instagram) or Secret_bookblog (Twitter). Thank you.

Brilliant another fabulous book by this author. I always look forward to her publications and this one is sad as enjoyable as always. Thankyou for sharing

When your mother went mad at 40...and you're approaching that milestone age yourself. Emma is nearly at the dreaded age herself, and things start to happen...Tense, thrilling....unputdownable! Sarah has aced it once more!

WOW!!!! This is my first time reading author Sarah Pinborough and she is now a firm member of the must-read clan!

Insomnia was incredibly well written, it had me creeped out, on the edge of my seat, confused, angry, upset. With a very unreliable main character, Emma was likeable, very likeable but half the time it felt like she was sat reading along with me, wondering what could possible happen to her next.

As Emma suddenly is hit with Insomnia just before her fortieth birthday, she wonders if she is turning into the woman her mother always said she would. After a rough childhood, trauma, and a lot of hard work she was finally living the life she wanted, but would that all soon slip away!

This book was the easiest to give 5 stars too. I was hooked from the beginning and astounded by the plot twist. This is definitely not a book to miss!

Sarah Pinborough is a genius! That is all.

Seriously, I love her books, such a creepy atmosphere. I cannot put them down and insomnia was just as good as her others! I can't wait for more

I’ve read, “Behind her Eyes” which was amazing and couldn’t wait to read this book. Another great read and I wasn’t disappointed. It’ll give you insomnia…

Absolutely brilliant. I couldn't put this book down (feel like I havre a touch of insomnia just from staying up late reading it!) An incredible storyline which just kept growing and twisting and turning. A definite must read.

As a massive insomniac myself the title alone instills feelings of darkness, loneliness, bleakness and terror. I've now lived with insomnia for 17 years and those feelings sont dissipate and for that reason alone this book title spoke to me and I am SO glad it did because this easily slid into my top reads of this year already!.

This is a real multi layered, complex read that had me turning the pages faster than I truly wanted, I just couldn't put it down and that's when I am glad of being an insomniac 🤣 I can read all night long.

The story starts off quite slowly, setting up a domestic scene of Emma, a top divorce lawyer who is the breadwinner of her home, her husband Robert is a stay at home Dad looking after their son Will and more keeping an eye on their teenage daughter Chloe.

All seems like the picture perfect family but Emma is holding a secret. The mother who she has always told her family is dead is actually in a psychiatric hospital and is now dying. Her sister Phoebe arrives on the scene and wants Emma to make peace with their mother before she passes but Emma hasnt seen her since she was a very young child and has no intention of seeing her now.

Emma is dreading turning 40 because she's always believed and been led to believe that she will turn mad at 40... as the date approaches things start to happen that make her think that this may actually be true! *no spoilers*

This is one hell of a twisty tale.. tense, gripping and somewhat uncomfortable at times it had me in its vice until the very unpredictable end.

Huge thank you to netgalley and Harper Collins UK for the ARC.

This book wasn’t a match for me, I wasn’t aware this writer uses supernatural elements and frankly it was ridiculous.

Insomnia. Even the word conjures up images of darkness, paranoia, edginess. A book to read at night.

The story starts quite slowly as the domestic scene it set: a professional woman, her stay at home husband, her teenaged daughter, her estranged sister, her mother in a secure unit, and so on. The build up to her fortieth birthday party, which she is dreading. She can't sleep and then odd things start to happen. Is it because of her tiredness her behaviour becomes erratic, she sees and hears things that aren't there or is there something else going on?

So from the pedestrian beginning the tale increases in pace and tension. Throughout there is the idea that perhaps someone is behind it all, but this can't be a simple whodunnit, the events are too personal and complex. Written in the first person mainly from the sleepless woman, the perspective is entirely hers along with her erratic thoughts. Sometimes a little far-fetched but her mind isn't really focused on logic while she unravels. All the characters are whiny and a little unstable to some degree.

A story about memory, guilt, communication and reality, this is a modern psychological thriller perfect for the genre.

I loved Behind Her Eyes and Insomnia was another hit; a twisty and gripping thriller that I couldn't put down.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review