Sleep is for people who aren’t trying to piece together a trauma-induced memory gap before the next body drops.
This was one of those cancel-your-plans, stay-up-too-late, “just one more chapter” books. One Dark Night had me completely hooked. I went in thinking I’d read a few chapters before bed and ended up bleary-eyed, muttering, “Just one more” until sunrise.
Ivy Bishop is dealing with trauma-induced memory gaps, never a good sign in a thriller, and she’s determined to fill them in. Naturally, the process involves danger, betrayal, and people who really should’ve minded their own business. (Yeah you, Nat.) Nat’s the kind of character who barrels ahead on half-truths and hunches, breaking laws like they’re speed limits on an empty highway. What she did was so egregious I started out thinking she was the villain. She’s a walking, talking example of what happens when you “assume.”
Jonathan, on the other hand, is the emotional anchor here and somehow manages to do it without turning the story into a Hallmark moment. He’s the quiet, loyal type who doesn’t realize he’s in love with Ivy, but you sure do. He moves mountains for her, saves her life, and keeps believing in her even when things get ugly. Ten out of ten; would trust him in an apocalypse.
When the story twisted back to Ivy’s mom being the origin of the whole nightmare, I had an honest-to-God “oh crap” moment. Pages turned themselves after that. By the end, justice was served, the bad guy was done for, and karma got the final word, which is my favorite kind of ending.
I later found out this is book five in the Ivy Bishop series, but it stands perfectly on its own. Now I’m planning to hunt down the rest because clearly Alex Sigmore knows how to write a thriller that doesn’t let go. If you’re a fan of Lee Child but wish his stories had a bit more psychological grit, this series will scratch that itch.
Five stars, no hesitation. Murder, mayhem, and just a touch of feeling, exactly the balance I like.
