REVIEW: Sleep No More by Iris Johansen

Easily read as a standalone, this contemporary suspense is a good introduction to the characters Eve Duncan and Kendra Michaels for those who haven’t read either series yet.

Sleep No More by Iris Johansen
Series: An Eve Duncan Novel – Book 15, connected to the Kendra Michaels series.
Category: Contemporary Suspense with romantic elements
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press – Hardcover: October 16, 2012, Mass Market: March 19, 2013
ISBN: 978-0312651244
Rated 3.5 out of 5
Format: Hardcover read, Paperback, Audio and eBook available.

Beth Avery escapes from a luxury mental hospital when a man tries to kill her. After years of being kept drugged and unaware following a skiing accident, Beth is on the run, her only focus is to hide until it’s safe to move on. She doesn’t remember much before or after her accident, so why someone is trying to kill her is a complete mystery.

Eve Duncan, a forensic sculptor, has a dream about a woman on the run and can’t explain it. Until her mother, Sandra, comes to her with a wild story about a teenage pregnancy and being paid off by the wealthy, influential family of the man who got her pregnant. Now Eve realizes she has an older sister she’s never known and her mother expects her to make sure she’s okay. Nothing makes sense about this situation, so naturally Eve and her detective significant other, Joe Quinn, decide to do some unofficial investigating out of their jurisdiction.

Eve and Joe convince Kendra Michaels, a profiler with the ability to find clues often overlooked, to help Eve sneak into the mental institution where Beth has supposedly been found and put in seclusion. None of them believe Beth is really there. It just seems too easy and their suspicions are verified by Kendra. Since Beth’s father is a presidential hopeful and his powerful family has covered up Beth’s existence, Eve wants to find out why. Can she find Beth before the killer, or will the killer find Eve?

With multiple villains in this story, revealed as the bodies pile up, can Eve, Joe and Kendra out-manipulate a years’ long scheme spiraling out of control?

The evil personified villains and an almost-too-real situation in SLEEP NO MORE will keep you up at night. I really enjoyed Beth’s characterization because of what she endured and how she began her recovery. It’s uber creepy and makes the reader appreciate Beth’s strength. It also makes her a bit different and funny in the way she reacts to her new life, including Eve. Although Joe and Eve’s relationship is romantic, this book is more about a dysfunctional family’s relationships, the consequences of their mistakes and how they begin to heal in the midst of trying to stay alive. Easily read as a standalone if, like me, you haven’t read any of the EVE DUNCAN or KENDRA MICHAEL series of novels yet, but beware, it might also urge you to grab more of them. With unusual characterization and a gripping plot with thriller twists and turns, SLEEP NO MORE appeals to suspense lovers.