‘ It's been years since Nadja Kulka was convicted of a cruel crime. After being released from prison, she's wanted nothing more than to live a normal life: nice flat, steady job, even a few friends. But when one of those friends, Laura von Hoven - free-spirited beauty and wife of Nadja's boss - kills her lover and begs Nadja for her help, Nadja can't seem to be able to refuse.
The two women make for a remote house in the woods, the perfect place to bury a body. But their plan quickly falls apart and Nadja finds herself outplayed, a pawn in a bizarre game in which she is both the perfect victim and the perfect murderer . . .
Dark secrets past and present collide in this haunting novel of guilt and retribution from the internationally bestselling author of Dear Child.’
Romy Hausmann seems to have this incredible knack, within the psychology/thriller genre, of taking tried and tested themes that could so easily present as formulaic but she never lets that happen. She turns those themes on their head and renders them into something completely fresh and new. I felt that with “Dear Child“ and I feel exactly the same with “Sleepless“.
And if that sounds as if the author is becoming formulaic in her style then think again! It’s not the case. In ‘Dear Child’ I engaged with some of the characters and they just captured my heart but in Sleepless I found myself dispassionate towards them. I didn’t feel that any of them were particularly likeable people. And I’ve always believed that an important part of this type of thriller. Because the reader can remain objective. I suppose towards the end of the book I found myself becoming a little more kindly disposed towards Nadja. She’s a damaged soul.
I had the sense of very controlled, slow paced writing. There are many strands within the book that require the reader to pay attention and focus carefully on all the information being given. There are times when you’re questioning how one strand relates to the others and some patient reading persistence is required and the rewards are immense!
The author has an acute sense of the atmospheric and there was often a sense of having to look over one’s shoulder because one felt so unnerved. Even in the warmth of one’s own home the sense of being alone in a forest was palpable. It’s very skilful writing and there’s almost a feeling that the reader is being manipulated, in the nicest possible way of course. But it’s that delicious relationship between author and reader, A kind of literary sandwich where the actual story is the filling in between the slice of writer and reader. You need all the components to end up with the end product. Maybe that’s stating the obvious but I think there are some books where all the reader needs is to sit back and be entertained. Yet there are other books like this where the reader is required to put some effort in for maximum benefit and pleasure.
The twists are delightful. Very much a case of “I never saw that coming“.Structurally we are getting some letter extracts all meticulously numbered, some chapters defined by their dates and others that relate to Nadya and written in the first person. It makes me think that the plotting is detailed and scrupulous But I have to chuckle here. For I was fortunate enough to be able to interview Romy when Dear Child was published and I asked her about plotting. This is what she said.
‘ Don't laugh, but I actually plot too little. I have only one basic idea and a few individual key points that I know I want to talk about – the rest is relatively organic if you let yourself be led by your characters. They show you the way, and if they are well laid out and consistent, everything will come together in the end.’
For me, I think that makes it all the more impressive! If you’re interested in reading the whole of that interview here is the link.
Yet again, Jamie Bulloch has done an impressive job with the translation.
My thanks to Joe Christie at Quercus Books for a gifted copy of Sleepless.
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