Helpful Score: 2
This second book of a trilogy that began with NIGHTWATCHER takes place in 2011, some 10 years after the cataclysmic events of the inaugural work. Much has changed in the life of Allison Taylor, who was almost a victim of the Nightwatcher serial killer and who was instrumental in the capture and incarceration of Jerry Thompson for the series of horrific crimes credited to the notorious murderer. Allison Taylor is now Allison Taylor MacKenna; she is married to Mack MacKenna, who lost his wife in the carnage of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York. They have built a new life together with two young daughters and an infant son in an upscale New York suburb.
The past is always with them, however, hovering like a shadow on the periphery of their lives. For Allison, the news that Thompson has committed suicide in his prison cell serves as a grim reminder of how close she came to being murdered; for Mack, the 9/11 anniversary recalls for him that his last words to his wife, before she left the house on that fateful September morning, was that he wanted a divorce. Consumed by guilt, he is plagued by sleepless nights and mood changes. A prescription medication seems to help, but also creates other problems.
Meanwhile, someone with a close connection to Jerry Thompson seems to be replicating the Nightwatcher killings and is moving closely into Allison's circle. What is especially frightening is that it appears that the individual responsible for this may be Mack. All is revealed in a chilling climax that will have you swallowing your heart and battling the impulse to skip ahead to discover what occurs next.
I have to tell you that the plotting of SLEEPWALKER is brilliant. You will want to read it twice --- once to enjoy and a second time just to pick up on the clues you might have missed or ignored the first time through. Also, there is a revelation at the end that you will never see coming and that goes off like a hand grenade lobbed into a small room on a quiet summer afternoon. It will have you wanting to read the last book in the series, SHADOWKILLER, ASAP.
And in the event that you need further convincing, the opening pages of SHADOWKILLER are included at the end of SLEEPWALKER, as is the introduction to NIGHTWATCHER, in case you missed the opening installment. All of this, and more, makes SLEEPWALKER a book that you do not want to miss.
The past is always with them, however, hovering like a shadow on the periphery of their lives. For Allison, the news that Thompson has committed suicide in his prison cell serves as a grim reminder of how close she came to being murdered; for Mack, the 9/11 anniversary recalls for him that his last words to his wife, before she left the house on that fateful September morning, was that he wanted a divorce. Consumed by guilt, he is plagued by sleepless nights and mood changes. A prescription medication seems to help, but also creates other problems.
Meanwhile, someone with a close connection to Jerry Thompson seems to be replicating the Nightwatcher killings and is moving closely into Allison's circle. What is especially frightening is that it appears that the individual responsible for this may be Mack. All is revealed in a chilling climax that will have you swallowing your heart and battling the impulse to skip ahead to discover what occurs next.
I have to tell you that the plotting of SLEEPWALKER is brilliant. You will want to read it twice --- once to enjoy and a second time just to pick up on the clues you might have missed or ignored the first time through. Also, there is a revelation at the end that you will never see coming and that goes off like a hand grenade lobbed into a small room on a quiet summer afternoon. It will have you wanting to read the last book in the series, SHADOWKILLER, ASAP.
And in the event that you need further convincing, the opening pages of SHADOWKILLER are included at the end of SLEEPWALKER, as is the introduction to NIGHTWATCHER, in case you missed the opening installment. All of this, and more, makes SLEEPWALKER a book that you do not want to miss.
From back of book:
10 years after the catastrophe, a great fallen city has risen again. 10 years after, a horror begins anew....or never truly ended!
The nightmare of 9/11 is a distant but still painful memory for Allison Taylor MacKenna - now married to Mack & living in a quiet Westchester suburb. She has moved on with her life 10 years after barely escaping death at the hands of New York's NIGHTWATCHER serial killer.
The monster is dead, having recently committed suicide in his prison cell, but something is terribly wrong.
Mack has started sleepwalking, with no recollection of where his nighttime excursions are taking him.
And now, north of the city, more women are being savagely murdered, their bodies bearing the NIGHTWATCHER'S unmistakable signature.
Suddenly Allison must confront a devastating truth:
her life is in jeopardy once again....and quite possibly from the man she trusts and loves.
10 years after the catastrophe, a great fallen city has risen again. 10 years after, a horror begins anew....or never truly ended!
The nightmare of 9/11 is a distant but still painful memory for Allison Taylor MacKenna - now married to Mack & living in a quiet Westchester suburb. She has moved on with her life 10 years after barely escaping death at the hands of New York's NIGHTWATCHER serial killer.
The monster is dead, having recently committed suicide in his prison cell, but something is terribly wrong.
Mack has started sleepwalking, with no recollection of where his nighttime excursions are taking him.
And now, north of the city, more women are being savagely murdered, their bodies bearing the NIGHTWATCHER'S unmistakable signature.
Suddenly Allison must confront a devastating truth:
her life is in jeopardy once again....and quite possibly from the man she trusts and loves.
Book 2! Do have to admit I skipped some sections that were boring. Sometimes with details less is better. Overall not a bad read.
I really like this series. Even though if you read the first book you know "who did it" it is still good thriller with twists and turns and a cliffhanger ending, can't wait to read the next one!!
Loved it, loved it, loved it. I can't wait for the next one to be published.
This book kept me interested all the way through. There are a lot of twists and turns that keep you guessing you did it.
I really like Staub's books, but I did not care for this book at all. You know right from the start who the killer is and who he is targeting and why. Then it's just a matter of him killing them off until the final showdown. I whizzed through this book because I skimmed and skipped most pages. What a disappointment.
This is a continuation of Nightwatcher. It is 10 years later after the Nightwatcher murders.
Nightwatcher
1. Nightwatcher (2012)
2. Sleepwalker (2012)
3. Shadowkiller (2013)
Nightwatcher
1. Nightwatcher (2012)
2. Sleepwalker (2012)
3. Shadowkiller (2013)
