None Shall Sleep by Ellie Marney

None Shall Sleep by Ellie Marney 

Release Date - September 1, 2020

Publisher Website - Hachette
Publisher Social Media - Twitter

Pages - 400 pages
My Rating - 4/5
**received for an honest review from the publisher**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

The Silence of the Lambs meets Sadie in this riveting psychological thriller about two teenagers teaming up with the FBI to track down juvenile serial killers.

In 1982, two teenagers—serial killer survivor Emma Lewis and US Marshal candidate Travis Bell—are recruited by the FBI to interview convicted juvenile killers and provide insight and advice on cold cases. From the start, Emma and Travis develop a quick friendship, gaining information from juvenile murderers that even the FBI can't crack. But when the team is called in to give advice on an active case—a serial killer who exclusively hunts teenagers—things begin to unravel. Working against the clock, they must turn to one of the country's most notorious incarcerated murderers for help: teenage sociopath Simon Gutmunsson. Despite Travis's objections, Emma becomes the conduit between Simon and the FBI team. But while Simon seems to be giving them the information they need to save lives, he's an expert manipulator playing a very long game...and he has his sights set on Emma.

Captivating, harrowing, and chilling, None Shall Sleep is an all-too-timely exploration of not only the monsters that live among us, but also the monsters that live inside us.

Did you love Silence of the Lambs and waited impatiently for the new season of Mindhunter to drop? If you answered yes to either of those I have the perfect book for you to read. None Shall Sleep combines intense action with character development to create a highly engrossing read. 

Ellie Marney's writing showcases that she put a lot of thought and time into the creation of her characters. She makes sure that all of them are interesting in their own way and also ensures they fit into the story being told. It, for me, was where her writing really shined.

Emma's a victim who would rather be seen as anything else. The survivor of a serial killer her trauma is woven into both the character and story subtly and with care. Ellie Marney could have laid out every horrible thing that Emma suffered via flashback scenes but instead chooses to provide just enough hints to allow the reader's imagination to fill in the rest. A prospect that will conjure up more horrors than the author ever could. I like that she is tough but not closed off. She is strong and resilient in ways that felt true to her character.

Travis is a victim as well but in an entirely different way. Violence has touched him in its own way and it makes these two two halves of a whole. Their connection and chemistry felt natural because they each could instantly understand the other in a lot of ways.

The Mindhunter aspect of the story should be evident from the synopsis. It shares interviewing serial killers and of course its backdrop of the FBI and profiling. This aspect is where a bit of disbelief has to be given to the story. It was hard to believe that they would have been allowed to assist the FBI at all never mind in such a large capacity. I get why the main characters needed to be younger but it does pull you out of the story a bit. It is not enough to distract from your enjoyment but something that the reader is aware of and tracks.

The most compelling part of the story is Simon and his interactions with Emma. A teenaged serial killer who has plenty of charm and intelligence. He is Hannibal Lecter to Emma's Clarice Starling. Their conversations will bring flashbacks to the movie in particular. I found those scenes to be the most eclectic part of the story and the parts that had me most on edge. I could have easily read an entire book of just those conversations. The author captures a sort of breathless dread that is felt in a well done scene like this. 

If you, like me, are missing Mindhunter I highly recommend picking up this book. Ellie Marney has written a book that immediately made me want to reach for the sequel.