While You Sleep

Stephanie Merritt

A modern-day ghost story set on a remote Scottish island, While You Sleep is a page-turning, chillingly erotic Hitchcockian thriller evoking the dark atmospheric of a house that may be more than it seems . . .

It begins, they say, with a woman screaming . . .

On a remote Scottish island, the McBride house stands guard over its secrets. A century ago, a young widow and her son died mysteriously there; just last year a local boy, visiting for a dare, disappeared without a trace.

For Zoe Adams, newly arrived from America, the house offers a refuge from her failing marriage. But her peaceful retreat is disrupted by strange and disturbing events: nighttime intrusions; unknown voices; a constant sense of being watched.

The locals want her to believe that these incidents are echoes of the McBrides’ dark past. Zoe is convinced the danger is closer at hand, and all too real—but can she uncover the truth before she is silenced?

Stephanie Merritt is a London Sunday Times bestselling author. Writing as S. J. Parris, she is the fastest growing historical crime writer in Britain, with her series of thrillers set in Tudor England selling over half a million copies. She currently writes for the Observer and the Guardian.

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Endorsements & Reviews

"A deliciously gothic, haunting story that balances a page-turning pace with lush descriptions of the wild coastal scenery." Booklist

"Merritt fully immerses readers in her richly imagined setting. The author’s strenuous attempt to counter the unfortunate trope of the hysterical woman is laudable, and Zoe's flirtation with a much younger schoolteacher named Edward is refreshing, realistic, and very sexy. Merritt certainly knows how to build suspense and dread." Kirkus Reviews

"I made the mistake of starting this book late at night and was overcome almost immediately by a creeping sense of dread. The isolated setting, unreliable narrator, and menacing cast of characters all come together for a genuinely terrifying read!" Amy Engel, author of 'The Roanoke Girls'

"While You Sleep makes for utterly riveting bedtime reading. Steph has taken familiar ingredients and made something fresh and frankly terrifying from them. I loved it." Andrew Taylor, author of 'The Ashes of London'

"Atmospheric, spellbinding—as haunting as the best of Du Maurier, as psychologically astute as Kate Atkinson. Read it and shiver." A. J. Finn, New York Times bestselling author of 'The Woman in the Window'

"A sumptuously written contemporary Gothic thriller. At turns chilling, poignant, and sensuous, While You Sleep will ensure that you won’t sleep until you’ve ridden its twists and turns to the shocking end." Gregg Hurwitz, New York Times bestselling author of 'Orphan X'