Published by Allen & Unwin on September 2020
Source: Won
Genres: New Adult, Psychological Thriller
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Interviewing convicted juvenile killers for the FBI leads Emma Lewis and Travis Bell on the hunt for a serial murderer who targets teenagers. A riveting YA thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seat from start to finish.
It's 1982, and the innovative FBI Behavioral Science section is breaking new ground. Emma Lewis and Travis Bell, two teenagers with valuable skills, are recruited to interview convicted juvenile killers for information on cold cases.
When they're drawn into an active case targeting teenagers, everything starts to unravel. Over Travis's objections, Emma becomes the conduit between the FBI and an incarcerated serial killer, nineteen-year-old Simon Gutmunsson, who is a super-intelligent sociopath. And although Simon seems to be giving them the information they need to save lives, he's also an expert manipulator playing a very long game ...
Can Emma and Travis stop a serial killer on the loose - or will they fall victim themselves?
The Good Things
- Guess who has a late addition to their best reads of 2020!
- Brilliant and addictive standalone NA historical thriller by an Aussie author.
- Strong Mindhunter vibes (but with more actual crime solving, less of the character’s outside lives).
- It’s so hard not to just gush about everything.
- I figured out a few details about the killer’s profile and motivations early, but the only reason I managed that was because I have a true crime obsession and knowledge of Elizabeth Bathory (different crime, similar vibes).
- Even though I guessed a bit, aspects still surprised me! I never truly realised just how depraved and creepy the killer was.
- The clues were so subtle and superbly written!
- The writing style was really interesting. It felt almost clinical, like a report, at times. But that actually really suited the story.
The Not-So-Good Things
- Once again, I don’t really have any true complaints. Just things I wish we got more of.
- My morbid curiosity with true crime is strong so I would have liked more details about the crimes of the Butcher, but also more about Simon’s murders and Emma’s experience with Huxton (I knew it was unlikely we’d get that since this is upper YA/ NA and not adult, but I still wanted it).
- We never really got to know the characters outside of the murders. Travis in particular I still feel like I barely know.
- I also feel like the characters didn’t really have much growth overall? The focus and story was very much on the murder plot and catching the killer.
None Shall Sleep is a fantastic crime thriller. I’m in awe of the superb way the clues and story was written and loved every second of the plot. It was incredibly suspenseful. I barely have anything negative to say, just a wish for more character time and more grisly details.
Rating: 4 out of 5
TW: Sociopaths, serial killers, murder, kidnapping
That blurb definitely gave me Mindhunter vibes! Haven’t read a thriller in a while, so I’m definitely adding this to my TBR! It sounds so good!
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I hope you get to read it soon and enjoy it!