Sleep Well, Christine

by Alice Brennan

When the police found Christine at the side of the highway, she was almost dead. When she finally regained consciousness, she couldn't remember her own name, her husband, or the people who lived with them. But one of these strangers had definitely tired to murder Christine, and as her returning memory began to supply missing pieces of the puzzle, it became more and more important for the killer to strike again.

Genres: Gothic, Horror

Paperback

First published November 1, 1973

Reviews

[Kaitlyn Reichert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found my copy in a box of books my mom had when she was little. I love this book; other than some real editing issues in my print edition (two cases of an entire paragraph being reprinted right below itself), it has a very interesting narrative, and I consider it a good example of what it might be like to be an amnesiac.

The mystery is suspenseful. Who would want Christine dead? She can't remember what her life was like at the mixed-up residence, Hadley's Folly, with her husband, his sister and her husband, the seemingly senile great-aunt, and a little girl, as well as some suspicious groundskeepers and two lovable hired help. It has some good frustration within it, which is very true to the mood of the situation. If you like Agatha Christie novels, this is a lighter treat- not nearly as much "Aha! You did it!", but plenty of suspicion to go around. My only gripe is that it gets kind of easy to really hate the husband at some moments for being insensitive and acting like a jerk. However, given that this book was published in 1973, it's probably just difference in perception of attitude between husbands and wives... The ending is worth it, I think, though there are definitely some moments in the middle where one character simply listening to Christine could have ended the whole mystery. The crazy characters are the source of all the suspense in this novel.

Definitely worth reading, though. One of my favorites.

[Adrian Griffiths · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad Gothic story about a woman who has lost her memory. She returns home and tries to remember: why she was found unconscious after being attacked, and who attacked her? She and her husband share their house with a bunch of sinister relatives who all seem to be hiding secrets from her. There's also an elderly invalid who never leaves the attic - gasp! As well as a troubled, threatening man who lives above the garage and prowls about the grounds - gasp again!

The book is well written, but that does not excuse this amount of over-used cliches. However, the characters are nicely described and the events of the story are fairly interesting, but what it doesn't have is an exciting climax - it only takes about two pages of the entire book to reveal the truth and explain everything, and the heroine's perilous confrontation with the culprit fizzles out almost as soon as it starts. But at least the preceding story is engaging and it didn't just feel like a repetition of gaslighting events that so many of these stories feature.

[Jacquie Paget · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book years ago. It was wonderful.