Безсънни нощи

The Lost Night Files #1

by Jayne Ann Krentz, Джейн Ан Кренц, Стоянка Сербезова-Леви (Translator)

Преди седем месеца Палас, Талия и Амелия, три напълно непознати жени с паранормални способности, се срещат в хотел „Лусънт Спрингс“. Земетресение и последвал пожар разрушават частично сградата, но и трите нямат никакъв спомен от злополучната нощ. След преживяването, което не могат да си обяснят, способностите им се засилват. Те се сприятеляват и създават подкаст, в който разследват неразкрити случаи и мистериозни изчезвания.

Палас получава имейл за случай, който би представлявал интерес за подкаста, и заминава за калифорнийското градче Карнелиан, за да изследва изоставената психиатрична болница там. Разтърсена от тъмната енергия, която усеща в сградата, тя се опитва да се махне възможно най-бързо, но е спряна от загадъчния Амброуз Дрейк, изпратил имейла. Той е убеден, че е станал свидетел на убийство по време на престоя си в клиника за изследване на съня.

Палас и Амброуз започват разследване, използвайки подкаста като прикритие, но то ще застраши не само паранормалните им способности, а и живота им.

Genres: Romance, Paranormal, Mystery, Romantic Suspense, Audiobook, Suspense, Thriller

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 3, 2023

About the author

The author of over 50 consecutive New York Times bestsellers, JAYNE ANN KRENTZ writes romantic-suspense in three different worlds: Contemporary (as Jayne Ann Krentz), historical (as Amanda Quick) and futuristic (as Jayne Castle). There are over 30 million copies of her books in print.

She earned a B.A. in History from the University of California at Santa Cruz and went on to obtain a Masters degree in Library Science from San Jose State University in California. Before she began writing full time she worked as a librarian in both academic and corporate libraries.

Reviews

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sleep No More
By Jayne Ann Krentz
This was an audio book I rented from the library and I really enjoyed it. It's about a gal named Pallas who had a strange experience (don't want to spoil it) but it caused her psychic abilities to increase. She meets a guy named Ambrose who had a similar experience happen to him. Neither can continue their regular lives until they figure out what really happened to them! Very exciting!

["Avonna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check out all my reviews at: https://www.avonnalovesgenres.com

SLEEP NO MORE (The Lost Night Files Book #1) by Jayne Ann Krentz is the first book in a new paranormal romantic suspense trilogy. I always enjoy books by this author whether under Jayne Ann Krentz or Jayne Castle and this book is a good mash-up of her JAK romantic suspense and JC paranormal romantic suspense. This book did start out a little disjointed to me, but once the characters are sorted and the mystery investigation begins, I was engrossed and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.

This trilogy features three diverse women, Pallas, Talia, and Amelia, who jointly experience an amnesiac day which greatly heightens their slight and varied paranormal abilities. They stick together to discover what happened to them and start a co-hosted podcast titled The Lost Night Files which is for the investigation of cold cases.

Thriller writer Ambrose Drake believes he witnessed a murder during his overnight at the Carnelian Sleep Institute for severe insomnia, but he has been having delusions since his lost night due to amnesia in San Diego. He messages The Lost Night Files for help after his personal investigation gets nowhere.

Pallas Llewellyn believes Ambrose about his lost night and is willing to help him investigate. Using the podcast as a cover, they interview the inhabitants of Carnelian, but not everyone is happy with the publicity. Feeling a sinister sensation of being watched, discovering a drug ring, and more bodies, Ambrose and Pallas work together with their enhanced abilities as the suspense ramps up to discover what is really happening in Carnelian and how it ties to them personally before they end up dead.

I enjoyed this introduction to The Lost Night Files crew and the slow burn romance between Ambrose and Pallas. The characters are all interesting with their differing abilities. This book is a complete romance and mystery which fits perfectly into the overall suspense arc of the trilogy. I am looking forward to reading Talia and Amelia’s stories and discovering answers to the overall story arc.

I recommend this paranormal romantic suspense and I am looking forward to reading the remaining two stories in this trilogy.

[Barb in Maryland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a long-time fan of the author, and I enjoyed this latest release. I have a high tolerance for her para-normal content, as she limits it to the characters having some-sort of psychic abilities.
This book is the start of a new trilogy--so that means there's a Big Baddie lurking in the background who will become more obvious as the series unfolds. Meanwhile, this book has a self-contained mystery, with a definite conclusion, though there's a hint towards the presence of that overall Big Baddie at the end (as bait to read book 2, of course).
Now--a few thoughts about this book:
I loved our hero, Ambrose Drake. He's got problems and he knows it, and he's looking for answers. Yet, he's still got his sense of humor.
I had a harder time warming up to our heroine, Pallas Llewellyn. She's very prickly at the beginning, with good reason; I thought she stayed prickly a tad too long. But that's a minor quibble. I did like that she's an interior designer who uses her set of psychic skills to make rooms more 'comfortable'.
The plot held my interest: Ambrose contacts a popular podcast team for help-he thinks he witnessed a murder while at a sleep clinic. However, everyone at the clinic insists it was a bad dream. Is he going crazy or are they lying to him. Pallas is one of the three women who run the podcast and she agrees to help him. And the investigation is off and running. There's a twist or three--I didn't really try to solve the mystery, I was just along for the ride. The romance between Ambrose and Pallas was believable; I liked them as a couple.
I will definitely be tuning in, this time next year, for book two.

[Anita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a fan. So far, I'm not a fan of how the heroine is treating the hero and also not a fan of the mysterious events at the Lucent Springs Hotel or the Saltwood incident, which are alluded to but not explained, kinda like I came into a play in the second act. I guess that is supposed to make me want to read this book and the other two that will follow, because I'm laying odds that these two plot points are not resolved in this book and I'll tell you why: there are two other women involved, but not directly in this book. It just screams trilogy to me. Alas, I will never know.

When Pallas Llewellyn, Talia March, and Amelia Rivers woke up from a missing night they were strangers who became BFF's due to their strange experience, surviving an earthquake and a fire. They didn't quite know what to do with their enhanced physic powers so they formed a podcast and for seven months as the Lost Night Files have been expounding on cold cases and searching for answers.

Pallas gets a tip which leads her to Carnelian, California and an abandoned asylum. There she meets up with Ambrose Drake, her tipster and soon to be main squeeze. He has lost some time too and they quickly bond over that. He was in Carnelian because his lost time left him with enhanced psychic power too, but also left him with sleepwalking, delusions and extreme sleep deprivation. Bummer. He attended the Carnelian Sleep Institute to see if that would help, but he witnessed a murder, at least he thinks he did. He's pretty sure they carted out a dead body, but he was sleepwalking at the time, so who knows?

Pallas and Ambrose bond and start their own investigation and uncover all kinds of nasty things and make some nasty enemies in the process who decide that they are asking too many questions and that they need to disappear too. 2 1/2-Stars

[Madison Warner Fairbanks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sleep No More by Jayne Ann Krentz
The Lost Night Files series #1 of a trilogy. Paranormal psychic romantic suspense.
Seven months ago, Pallas Llewellyn, Talia March, and Amelia Rovers travel to Lucent Springs Hotel where they thought they were interviewing for different jobs. They walked into the hotel and that’s the last they remember before waking up on gurneys after an earthquake with the hotel on fire. The women are friends now as they each deal with different psychic gifts from the event and investigate what happened to them. Pallas travels back to the small town in California and runs into Ambrose Drake who believes he was a witness to a murder. But because he has had the same experience as the women, entering the hotel and waking up later missing time and memories. They work together trying to pin down events but there are others that don’t want the truth to come out.

A suspenseful story as usual by this author. A little psychic paranormal, a slow burn romance, and an adventure with unexpected turns as they find and expose the villain.
I liked the positive the women took away by starting a pod-cast to take back control. The various psychic gifts are where my first paranormal books fell and it’s still a favorite troupe.

[Kat valentine ( Katsbookcornerreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another amazing paranormal romance by the talented Jayne Ann Krentz! Once again Krentz has written a fast paced mystery with paranormal undertones and awesome characters investigating a murder and case of group memory loss that Pallas and two others experienced after being brought together and when they make a pact to stay together until they have a answer it leads Pallas to Carnelian asylum that's been abandoned for years but has a reputation as being haunted by a vengeful ghost of a woman whos husband put her in their to get her inheritance but instead of a ghost Pallas meets Ambrose Drake and together they team up to get answers not only for Pallas but to find out who the mystery woman that he heard screaming while he was at the sleep clinic. Together both these physic talents start putting the pieces together and at the same time falling in love. But with so many suspects and the murder of the doctor in charge of the sleep clinic it looks like more than one person is behind the dark going on's in the town of Carnelian. Can't wait to see who the shadow figure and master puppeteer is and what his end game is all about. This tale is only the beginning! Until next time Luv's💕💋

[Mallory · Rating 3 out of 5]

This author is an interesting one for me, sometimes I love her books and sometimes I struggle to get myself to finish them. While this one fell in the middle it was closer to the struggle than the love unfortunately. I’m hoping that being that this was book 1 in a trilogy that setting up the world is part of why it dragged and book 2 will be better. I’m intrigued enough that I will of course read book 2. I like the way she writes paranormal in a way where you could imagine her books being set in our world with just a hint of other. A writer and a podcaster are trying to solve the mystery of a woman with minimal proof she ever existed. They make a great team and I did very much like their chemistry. Overall I gave this one 3.5 stars.

[☕️Kimberly (Caffeinated Reviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lost Night Files trilogy focuses on Pallas Llewellyn, Talia March, and Amelia Rivers, complete strangers who were drawn to the Lucent Springs Hotel, only to awaken the next morning with no memories of what occurred. Each woman had physic abilities, but after that evening, their skills were enhanced. The three have set up a podcast investigating similar stories in search of answers. Sleep No More focuses on Pallas Llewellyn who travels to the small college town of Carnelian, California after receiving a tip.

Ambrose Drake believes he witnessed the murder of a woman, but he is suffering from sleep deprivation and sharing that information will only make him look more unhinged. Unable to find proof on his own, he reaches out to The Lost Night Files, and sets up a meeting at an abandon asylum. The tale that unfolds delivers suspense, shocking discoveries and a slow burning romance as Ambrose & Pallas work to uncover what really happened during Ambrose’s sleep study.

I am loving the premise behind the podcast, and the abilities both Pallas and Ambrose possess. She can sense energy and draws in awaken dream state. Ambrose has an uncanny ability to read auras and sense things before they happen.

Krentz does a wonderful job of delivering a suspenseful story while laying the groundwork for the overall trilogy arc. Those familiar with her work will feel right at home with the paranormal elements and abilities. Mentions of familiar places and the mystery regarding the missing memories will trigger memories of previous books, people, and events. Not to worry if you haven’t read her previous works, Krentz just uses Easter eggs.

The romance was a slow burn as Pallas and Ambrose build trust, understanding and help each other. I liked them both and their actions, connections and development felt genuine.

The mystery wrapped up but still left us looking for answers regarding the overall story arc. I closed the book satisfied but eager for the next book in the trilogy.

This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this is a new series start from Krentz, though it's a lot like previous stories of hers. There's parapsych stuff, lots of woowoo. And people finding love amidst their adventures. It's clear that this series will start with the three friends who have founded a podcast based on the night they "lost" that seems to have strengthened their psychic powers.

They're not the only ones who experienced a thing, though. Ambrose Drake (I think she cashed in all her chips using that name) also had a bad night that strengthened his psychic powers, though he's also a little nuts about sleeping for reasons I'm not sure held together at all.

Pallas Llewellyn (okay, she had chips left over) teams up with Ambrose and they kick psychic butt for goodness. And are only mildly pathetic while doing so. I mean, they stumble around a lot for folks who can read psychic clues. And people get the drop on them rather easily. And that's not even counting the big reveal that set up the series bad guy(s) while putting their full incompetence on display.

And okay, I'm being way harsher than the book deserves because it's fun to snark a bit. I was entertained and liked both protagonists, not least for how they worked together. They were an excellent match and I liked seeing them form a team and do the do-gooder thing. I think it's 3½ stars that I'll round, grudgingly, to four.

A note about Steamy: There's one and some explicit sex scenes putting this on the low end of my steam tolerance. I think. I finished this while travelling and honestly, some of the details are gone. It was typical of the author's woowoo sex where the woo adds to (overwhelms, some might say) the hoo.

[Dona's Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pallas is a psychic who's been hired by Ambrose to investigate the remaining structures of now abandoned Carnelian Sleep Institute. But Ambrose doesn't sleep, which translates to having skills of his own, and he knows someone's been murdered on those grounds. Only everyone is too ready to chalk his visions up to hallucinations brought on by extreme insomnia. With Pallas's help, can he prove what he knows and prevent the murders from happening again?

I enjoyed this book quite a bit, but even though I was always happy to get back to my audiobook, I also felt a bit lost each time I came back to the story. Toward the end, I figured out why-- the plot didn't progress much from start to finish. I was completely invested in the characters though, so that was okay! It just always took me time to re-engage with the plot and get over that sense of, "Now, where am I, again?"

I really loved the romantic tension that developes between the two main characters. It brings so much to this story!

This is the second book in a series, but it reads great as a stand-alone!

Rating: 🔮🔮🔮.75 / 5 psychic detectives
Recommend? Yes
Finished: April 19 2023
Read this if you like:
🔍 Mysteries
🪬 Mysticism
🔪 Murder mysteries
📚 Book series

[Dani · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love Jayne Ann Krentz, but this book was truly awful. Read a lot like some of her other books in terms of plot snd characters. No chemistry between the lead characters. And basically a ridiculous and totally unbelievable plot.

[Lynn Cahoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I keep thinking I missed a book, but Krenz just hadn't told us about Saltwater yet. Fun premise. Loved the sleepwalking, even at the end.

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sleep No More by Jayne Ann Krentz is the first book in The Lost Night Files. When I started reading Sleep No More, I found it confusing. It did not feel like the beginning (reminiscent of starting to watch a movie halfway through it). I kept reading in the hopes that I could get into the story, but it did not happen. There is a murder or two, paranormal abilities, and romance. The point-of-view switches around between Ambrose Drake and Pallas Llewellyn (which leads to repetition). Ambrose and Pallas both suffered a loss of memory. They both woke up in a strange place and it was a day later. There miner psychic abilities became heightened. Ambrose contacted Pallas through the podcast (The Lost Night Files) which she hosts with Amelia Rivers and Talia March. Amelia and Talia had the same experience as Pallas. The woke up with Pallas outside an abandoned hotel that was ablaze (try explaining that one to the authorities). Their abilities are strengthened as well. They agree to help Ambrose figure out what happened at the Carnelian Sleep Institute where he believes he witnessed a murder. The town of Carnelian seems to be a hub for shifty endeavors. There is a lot going on in the book. I was not a fan of the characters. Ambrose is a hot mess. Since the lost day, Ambrose has been suffering from severe sleep deprivation. He is unsure of what is real and what is not real. This is why he needs help looking into the activities at the Carnelian Sleep Institute. Pallas is twitchy and mistrustful. I struggled to finish the book. Sleep No More was not for me. I have enjoyed other books by this author, but the way Sleep No More was written kept me from being engaged. I will skip the other books in The Lost Night Files. Sleep No More is a restive tale with missing memories, extrasensory skills, a mysterious murder, cold cases, detailed drawings, a curious college, and a rare romance.

[Linniegayl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a hard book for me to review and grade. It’s the first entry in Jayne Ann Krentz’s (JAK) new trilogy featuring three women who were strangers until they went through an earthquake and fire at a hotel, and then had no memory of their time at the hotel but came away with enhanced psychic abilities. The three women now co-host a podcast in which they investigate cold cases and try to connect with others who have enhanced psychic abilities.

Years ago, JAK was the author who got me into reading romance, and she’s remained a favorite. However, after reading the first few pages of Sleep No More, I considered putting it down; it absolutely didn’t hold my interest. But knowing the author was JAK, I decided to keep reading. For about the first third of the book I considered turning it into a DNF, which has never happened to me with one of the author’s books.

The beginning of the book was dominated by lengthy descriptions of the psychic trances/nightmares of the hero and heroine, which did not work for me. Finally, at about the 60% mark I became interested in the mystery and decided to stick with the book, but I still didn’t have a strong investment in the lead characters, normally my favorite part of one of the author’s books. The “romance” was slow to develop. Normally the attraction between JAK’s hero and heroine is apparent nearly immediately. In this one, at well over the halfway point, they hadn’t even shared a kiss. While I’ve classified this as “romantic suspense,” I would lean towards paranormal suspense with some romantic elements.

Both the hero and heroine are suffering from changes that occurred to their psychic abilities after brief periods of amnesia. Ambrose writes thrillers with a lot of gothic-horror twists but is currently unable to function. He’s not your typical gorgeous hero; he’s a mess, unable to sleep, eat, or do much of anything. Pallas was some type of psychic interior designer before her episode, but now can’t do her regular job. She definitely seems more in control than Ambrose, although she’s startled and frightened by minor noises. I warmed much more to Ambrose than to Pallas. And her two colleagues on the podcast appear only briefly on calls.

I hope the remaining books in the trilogy focus more on the characters, more on the romance, more on the mystery, and far less on psychic abilities, particularly less of lengthy descriptions of the lead characters’ abilities. The balance was completely off for me in this one. I’ve now made a note in my calendar to wait a few months before picking up the second in the series, and to read reviews from others to see how that one plays out. This was just mediocre for me at best, and I would give it a C- so 3 stars here. If I hadn’t eventually become interested in the mystery, the grade would have been much lower.

[Linda (NOT RECEIVING NOTIFICATIONS) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Some decent psychic suspense but the whole, very quick romance was a bit unrealistic.

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sleep No More is the first book in The Lost Night Files series by American author, Jayne Ann Krentz. Author of two successful thrillers, Ambrose Drake’s career has stalled after an incident some months earlier that has turned his life into something worthy of his own plots.

Attending a writers’ publicity event, Ambrose suffered an extended transient episode of amnesia, after which his lifelong perception of people’s auras was greatly enhanced, endowing him with a predictive power. But also exacerbated, his nightmares and sleep-walking, prompting a visit to the Carnelian Sleep Institute. There, he wakes in the early hours convinced the woman in the next room has been murdered, but his concerns are dismissed by the director of the clinic, Dr Conrad Fenner.

Weeks on, he’s equally convinced that the man he was to meet for information at Carnelian’s abandoned asylum has also been murdered. Understanding how bizarre this will sound to his family and the police, he contacts The Lost Night Files podcasters. These three women, Pallas Llewellyn, Talia March and Amelia Rivers, were strangers until their own amnesiac experiences. They now investigate cold case disappearances, and he hopes they can help him to decide what is real.

At the ruin of the Carnelian Psychiatric Hospital for the Insane, Pallas Llewellyn’s trance has her automatically drawing snakes on the staircase: something bad has happened here. But when Ambrose Drake turns up, she’s extremely wary: the women have already once been lured into a dangerous situation by a scamming psychopath. His story, though, has so many parallels to their own (amnesia, enhanced psychic abilities, a feeling of paranoia) that she’s prepared to work with him to investigate his claims.

Under the guise of researching for a new podcast, they broadcast their interest and begin asking questions. Their enhanced abilities allow them, together, to decide the authenticity of what they’re told. As partners, they also speculate on the possibility that they are part of someone’s experiment. They certainly are being observed, if not necessarily by whom they think.

While setting the scene for further books in what promises to be an intriguing series, Krentz gives the reader a tale that features drug dealing, hallucinogens, embezzlement, illegal drug trials, and a good dose of the paranormal. her main protagonists are appealing, gutsy and resourceful, and it will be interesting to see where the author takes this series.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Little, Brown Books UK Piatkus.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sleep No More is the first of The Lost Night Files series and apparently, my second time reading a novel by Jayne Ann Krentz! I only just realized while writing my review that I started another first in a series by her and then didn't follow through with the rest, sigh... Be that as it may, I have a feeling that is not going to happen here because I absolutely loved the concept of this book. I love anything paranormal, and as a character in the book states, people like it even more mixed with true crime! This is not an exact quote but it's close enough to get the idea across. I thought the paranormal suspense aspect of the book was amazing and I would have gladly taken even more of it. I loved Pallas's talents especially and her parts were by far my favorite. There is also a strong opening chapter that had a nice creep factor, although that creepiness doesn't stay that magnified throughout.

There are a few different viewpoints, but the largest two are Ambrose and Pallas, and the entire story is basically them with some others mixed in where they will cause a stir. This kept me reading and I thought it made the story even more interesting. Sleep No More is one of those books where you don't want to stop until the very end and if you're interested, the audiobook is excellent. I found it on Scribd and had to take a listen, and I thought Eva Kaminsky was perfect. You should all know how much I prefer full casts by now, but she was great even for Ambrose! Highly recommend.

I thought the end of the book drug out a bit too much and I would have loved even more of the supernatural, but overall, this was a really exciting start to the series, and I had no idea where it was headed. It was nice and complex as well, and even though there is a bit of an open end it was still a satisfying one. There is a little bit of romance in the story, but the rest of the plot was more of the focal point, and I was fine with it. I can't wait to see where the next one goes!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Aubergine Queen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Super Disappointed

I love Jayne Ann Kenya. I mean really love her ~ like own every book written in all her pen names. I was so excited to get this book and dig in. Unfortunately I found it plodding and rather boring. The characters were hard to connect with and the dialog had me cringing. Jayne Ann does not make characters yelp or use tired phrasing like ending a sentence with you see.
I don't believe this is her work!! I am so disappointed, but still love Jayne!!

[Paulette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in a trilogy so while some questions are answered and mysteries solved, some are not. Sleep No More is a typical Jayne Ann Krentz/Jayne Castle/Amanda Quick book. There's an element of the paranormal, a budding romance and a mysterious death. If you like her books (as I do), you'll like this one.

[♥Rachel♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pallas Llewellyn had a successful career as an interior designer utilizing her paranormal talent to balance spaces until seven months ago when she and two other women, Talia and Amelia, lost a whole night of memories. Since then, Pallas, Talia and Amelia’s psychic talents have grown and morphed into more and the three women have banded together to find out exactly what happened. Now they run a podcast, The Lost Night Files, to investigate cold cases, looking specifically for more affected like them.

Ambrose Drake hasn’t been able to sleep well since his abilities were enhanced and so he checks into a sleep clinic to help. Unfortunately, the experience went horribly wrong, and Ambrose is sure a woman was murdered, but can’t prove it so he calls on The Lost Night Files to investigate.

Pallas goes to investigate and together they try and get to the bottom of what happened while still navigating their new normal. Their investigation puts them in danger as they get closer to the truth and closer to each other.

Sleep No More was an entertaining, page-turning mystery, a blend of romantic suspense with paranormal elements. Jayne Ann Krentz has a certain brand of storytelling that fans will recognize and enjoy in this first installment of her new series. Pallas and Ambrose’s story wraps up nicely, but there are threads of their lost night that are still unsolved, a perfect lead-in for Talia and Amelia in coming books.

A copy was kindly provided by Berkley in exchange for an honest review.

[Marlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our story begins before it begins. Seven months before, specifically. Three women, Pallas Llewellyn, Talia March and Amelia Rivers, complete strangers to each other, were all invited to the Lucent Springs Hotel for a meeting about restoring the old hotel in this quaint California town. They were woken in the morning – not by a wake up call or an alarm – but by an earthquake. There was hospital equipment all around them, the hotel was on fire, and not a single one of them had any memory of the evening before after entering the hotel.

Officials chalked it up to a girls’ night out party ending in a drunken blackout. But those three women knew that wasn’t the case. They had all undergone a traumatic experience, they all had transient global amnesia (yes, it really does exist) about the events, and they all had their various forms of ‘strong intuition’ ramped up to the point of being honest-to-goodness psychic powers.

They banded together to search for the truth about what happened to them, starting their podcast, The Lost Night Files, to investigate their own and other people’s experiences of having lost a night – or more – to an experience they can’t remember and can’t explain.

And all of their collective families are sure they’ve each gone a bit off the deep end – but they have each other.

Ambrose Drake looks into The Lost Night Files because his experience mirrors theirs. He went to a meeting, has no recollection of the entire night it was supposed to happen, woke up in the morning to discover there were no records of the people or organization that invited him. And his own ‘intuition’ suddenly ramped up to eleven. Alone, he was coping so badly that his family staged an intervention and sent him to have his resulting extreme insomnia studied at a sleep disorder clinic – where he believes he witnessed a murder.

Ambrose needs help, and Pallas Llewellyn and her friends are just the right people to help him. At least once Pallas and Ambrose get past their mutual distrust. After all, they’ve each dealt with plenty of crazies on their way to this rather precarious point in their lives. To survive, they’ll have to learn to trust each other.

Or they won’t survive at all.

Escape Rating A-: The fascinating thing about this very fun read is that it is very much a three-pronged story, and all those prongs come together to hold a rather lovely gem of a book.

The author’s trademark blend of paranormal vibes and psychic powers forms what initially seems like a backdrop to the whole thing. Ambrose, as well as Pallas and her friends, all have some sort of strong intuition that they have mostly kept to themselves – because in the 21st century people who claim to read auras or rebalance energies are generally considered crackpots.

And no one wants THAT on their resume.

(Long time readers of the ‘Jayneverse’ may wonder if this book links up to her vast, sprawling Arcane Society series. The answer is probably, yes, eventually, but at the moment that link is tangential. There’s a tiny, explicit reference to Burning Cove (series begins with The Girl Who Knew Too Much) but it’s a blink and you’ll miss it and doesn’t affect anything in the book in hand at this point.)

The second prong holding the gem is, of course, the slow-burning romance between Pallas and Ambrose. And it’s appropriately slow burn because they don’t initially trust each other one little bit. But they’re stuck together in a rather dangerous ‘foxhole’ and they have to develop that trust in order to, for one thing, just get through the night.

(There’s another form of amnesia, Korsakoff’s syndrome, that results from extremes of alcoholism or malnutrition. Ambrose is courting this version with a combination of insomnia and complete loss of appetite. Honestly, he’s a mess.)

But the third prong was the hook for me. As many vibes and auras surround Pallas and Ambrose, it really seems like the motives for everything that happens to them in the story itself are rather mundane criminal activities even if they are conducted at higher stakes than usual. It seems like the events that brought them to Carnelian California all revolve around people behaving badly because of money and then covering it up. Following the money is a tried and true investigative principle for damn good reasons, after all.

And just when you think that’s where the story is going – the bottom drops out and it all gets just so much bigger that I can’t wait to see where The Lost Night Files goes from here. Hopefully this time next year if not a bit sooner? But first we’ll be taking a trip back to Burning Cove this May in The Bride Wore White.

Originally published at Reading Reality

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another series from the talented pen of Jayne Ann Krentz brings a new eerie, sometimes atmospheric tale involving an asylum’s dark history, a weird psychic phenomenon out in the desert, suspicious characters who form a partnership to get at the truth, and a diabolical plot at the heart of it all.

I was hooked from the start when Ambrose Drake’s distorted first scene confused, shocked, and above all, drew me entirely into the story from the first pages as I had to find out what in the world was going on. This need to know didn’t leave when the POV switched to Pallas and she has a psychic episode in a creepy abandoned asylum.

The two main personalities circle each other warily for a bit, but end up tentatively forming an alliance to find out the truth. They’ve both been recently saddled with enhanced psychic gifts that they aren’t able to control and must learn how to get any normalcy back to their lives. Ambrose’s conviction there was a murder and further developments convince Pallas to go all in.

She’s a podcaster who deals with intriguing unsolved crimes and he’s a thriller writer and they come with extras which all help them track down evidence and face the menace that comes at them when they start to get close to the truth. Eventually, they exchange their own stories and form a connection that goes from early attraction to something more. I liked how her believing in him was the best thing she could do for poor Ambrose who’d been alone and thought he was insane and he reciprocated bolstering her when her ex thought she was a freak.

There were some great suspense moments and surprise twists. In the end, a bizarre turn of events hints at what is still to come for this trilogy as the other two women who are partnered with Pallas get their turn at investigation and romance. Sleep No More was a solid start and I think other fans of romantic suspense with a psychic element are a good match for this one.

I rec'd an eARC via NetGalley and a finished copy via Berkley Romance to read in exchange for an honest review.

My full review will post at The Reading Frenzy Jan 5th.

[Keri Stone]

Pallas and friends have experienced a case of group amnesia that led them to joining forces and creating a podcast to investigate mysterious disappearances. Ambrose is an author who also experienced a sleep experience that leads him to contact Pallas. Together they search for information about Ambrose’s list night, missing people, strange drug trials, etc. It’s an enjoyable book with interesting characters, and I’m looking forward to the next in the series.

I listened to the audiobook and identified the narrator as one I’ve enjoyed previously- Eva Kaminsky did a great job. I highly recommend the Gunnie Rose series by same narrator.

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Present day. Carnelian, CA. Jayne Ann Krentz’s Sleep No More (The Lost Night Files #1), a romantic suspense novel, begins at a sleep clinic in Carnelian, California where writer Ambrose Drake is spending one night because of his difficulty while sleeping. He is positive that he is a witness to a murder, but he is so drugged that is paranormal abilities when he attempts to use them makes what he sees harder to understand. “Was that what a ghost looked like?” Enter: Pallas Lewellyn, a co-host of The Lost Night Files podcast. Pallas and two other women ‘lost a night’ while staying at a hotel. They “have no memory” of the same night. As a result of their memory loss, they develope a friendship and a support system for one another. Ambrose also ‘lost a night’. What is happening here? Ambrose and Pallas join forces in an attempt to discover what happened to them and why. The author writes contemporary romantic suspense novels that when a reader starts a novel such as Sleep No More, she/he are hooked. Having read some of Ms. Krentz’s trilogies, I knew what could happen, and it did. I read this book in 24 hours, and I was entertained deviant characters, surprising paranormal ‘gifts’, and intense sexual tension between Ambrose and Pallas. I had fun! 4 stars.

[Christina · Rating 1 out of 5]

I kept waiting for this story to get mysterious or thrilling, but it never happened. None of the characters had any personality. The bad guys were never really there to begin with. It was just a lot of Pallas and Ambrose having anxiety.
I’ll skip the rest of this series.

[Izzah ꒰Duchess of Cabria ಇ ⭑✧ ᴏɴ ᴘᴀᴛʀᴇᴏɴ ✧ ⋆꒱ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good enough I've decided to commit to the series

I know that doesn't sound like such a big deal, but if you follow my reviews, I just finished the second book of an HR trilogy which I started so long ago I wasn't yet writing reviews.

I'm not good at finishing series is what I'm saying 🙈 I'll try to do better (eventually) 🙊

‧₊˚ ┊The mystery part

This book is 100% paranormal. It doesn't lightly dabble in it or has a character 'feel' things. Both MCs have actual powers.

The interesting mystery is that fact that
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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
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[Nursebookie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sleep No More
By Jayne Ann Krentz

SLEEP NO MORE is the first book of The Lost Night Files by Jayne Ann Krentz in a new paranormal romantic suspense trilogy. I found the read exciting and I have been a fan of true crime and incorporating pod casts to the story line. I love the mysterious and paranormal aspect of the story, and found that part engaging and exciting.

[Amina · Rating 3 out of 5]

✰ 3.5 stars ✰

“We’re in this together until we get answers.”



Sleep No More is the first installment of a trilogy that focuses on a trio of complete strangers, who experience a psychic and mysterious phenomenon, that ultimately bonds them together to start a podcast, Lost Night Files - a podcast dedicated to investigate paranormal activities and unexplained crimes.

Pallas Llewellyn is a psychic with the ability to slip into a dreamlike state and draw for hours intimate details of a specific crime scene. The podcast's latest investigation leads her to Ambrose Drake - an insomniac with his own ability of reading people's auras and sensing future actions before they occur - who claims that while he was at a sleep deprivation clinic for treatment, he also witnessed a murder. A murder to a person, everyone claims never to have existed.

For me, this was a very clean thriller with an unusual premise. It definitely serves an introduction to the trilogy, itself, because there were still many questions left unanswered. Jayne Ann Krentz is an author new to me, but I appreciated the very clear and direct style of writing. Albeit, I would have hoped that there would have been a more paranormal reasoning to the mystery, rather than a realistic clinical one. But, there were plenty of eerie and haunting moments that made the slow-burn romance of Ambrose and Pallas pay off quite well. 🥲

“Their relationship was layered and complicated with many different elements, but here and now in the darkness it was the energy of a thrilling sexual attraction and the promise of intense intimacy that dominated.”

Pallas and Ambrose were such a unique pair - I loved the push and pull they had with each other, questioning each other's capabilities and still trusting in the other. I enjoyed the exploration of their dynamic, and how they worked well with each other and their psychic abilities - the balance and assistance they provided each other with their own restraints. 💕

When they finally dismissed the idea of not mixing business with pleasure, everything fell into place believably so. That's why I called it a clean thriller - because, with each other, there were no lies, no secrecy, just complete honesty and trust that they could easily work together and solve this befuddling mystery that they'd stumbled into. And, honestly, that was very refreshing to see. 😊

And, of course, as a mystery-lover, it definitely was an engaging page-turner as the duo cracked down the clues that inevitably led them to a bigger much-larger scale of a conspiracy that they couldn't have possibly fathomed. Again, I would have liked the reasoning to have a bit of a supernatural vibe to it, but sadly, it wasn't. 😓 There's a higher power lurking behind the actions that inevitably brought Ambrose and the podcast trio together, and I'm very much curious to see how their investigation will progress, once Ambrose joins their team. ✨✨

[Maureen Gianinio · Rating 4 out of 5]

A night these three women can't remember has changed them, their psychic gifts. It has brought them together to try and discover what happened, learn how to control and use the gifts that were altered. To stick together until they get the answers and reassure each other something actually happened, because as they’ve discovered, who else will believe them? They began a podcast The Lost Night Files, taking on investigations of true crime cold case with a Paranormal edge, to help them unravel their missing night unnoticed and to seek out others who might help them had similar experiences.

Along comes, Ambrose Drake, who suffers from sleep deprivation, and the reasons why click with Pallas Llewellyn, one of the three podcasters, when he reaches out with his strange story of missing time, missing people and believing he witnessed a murder. She feels connected to him and feels compelled to investigate with him. Will they solve the murder, is it as the sleep clinic researcher and his family insist, just sleep deprivation hallucinations? Will investigating his case help them discover what happened to them on the missing night? Are they connected? Edge of your seat discovery ahead!
I love the way this couple’s relationship grows from mistrust to support and confidence in each other and the gifts they have. A question of motive grows into a partnership to friendship to love. This growth happens as Ambrose finally finds s in her someone who believes him, helps him trust in his sanity. He, in return, believes in her and trusts in her. They can be who they are and not hide from each other. Their gifts give them an advantage over those they are investigating. I love how they come to know each other’s gifts and how to use them to discover the facts to this case. Revelations are jaw-dropping and page turning, and keep you wondering who is it behind it all…
The couples story finishes with their relationship at a hea, Ambrose gets his answers, his murder case resolved in an action packed final confrontation! Some major surprises. And being a Trilogy, more questions raised…the behind the scenes plotline threads shown to the reader. Revelations about the plotline revealed so Trilogy can move forward. I’m wondering how these characters will discover exactly what happened that missing night, and what is the motive behind it!

[Bea]

Another series in Krentz's paranormal world! This one focuses on three women who developed amnesia, and increased psychic abilities, around events that happened one night and they go on to found a podcast related to it. This first book focuses on Pallas Llewellyn who meets up with another amnesiac, Ambrose Drake, who may or may not have witnessed a murder. They work together to uncover what happened go Ambrose. Is he a murder witness? Is he mentally unstable? A murderer? Or some combination thereof?

Ambrose and Pallas poke around, conducting their own investigation, despite pressure to back off. They find some answers, and Krentz gives us a few twists. The story is standard Krentz - her typical family dynamics, the usual motivations for the good guys and the bad guys, and the slow yet combustible attraction between the MCs.

The mysteries kept me guessing and the villain reveal at the end was a nice surprise. I'm eager to find out more about them and to meet Pallas's associates, and their as-yet unrevealed loves. What mysteries and answers will be revealed? "Sleep No More" delivered an engaging story, fascinating characters, and a steamy romance. Bring on book two!