Deadly Sleep

Hudson and Connolly #1

by Valerie Keogh

Nicola Connolly is a nurse. She is also a serial killer. She kills neatly, three victims every six months, moving around the UK, hiding in plain sight. Everything goes according to plan until she moves to Bath. Because in Bath the police are hunting a serial killer who kills and tortures his victims. A psychic connection develops between the two killers, Nicola sees him and what he does to his victims in her nightmares.She is starting to lose control and she really can't afford to do that. In an attempt to break the link, to have the other killer caught, Nicola goes to the police with what she knows. But can she help them without exposing herself? A serial killer and a burnt out policeman - can they really work together to stop him? And at what cost?

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Fiction

420 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2014

About the author

Valerie started to write several years ago. She self-published eight crime novels and one psychological thriller before signing a two book contract with Bookouture in March 2018. The first of these, Secrets Between Us, is available now and the second is due in Feb 2019. She is a registered nurse with a degree in English and a Masters in American Literature. Recently she has given up nursing to concentrate on her writing career.

Reviews

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story keeps you gripped from the first pages. As soon as you read how 5-year-old Nicola treats the doll her mum gives her, you realise that this is no ordinary child. Nicola grows up and becomes a nurse, working in old people's homes, to feed a certain need inside her. But the story has a twist - girls are being murdered, and Nicola must help the police to find out who the culprit is.
This is a gritty narrative which shows both sides of the story - the psychopath, her dark thoughts, what makes her commit her crimes, and the policeman, his weariness as the months pass and he is no closer to solving the case, having to put up with bickering among his team, the worry that his boss will remove him from the case. There is great interaction between all the characters, and the ending doesn't disappoint. If you like psychological thrillers, you'll love this book!

[Jacqui Houlding · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting

I've rarely read a book which has held me so riveted and without a clue as to the 'bad' guy until the end. The descriptions of the characters really allowed a sense of immersion in the unfolding story. Got this book free from Amazon; will definitely be purchasing the next book in the series.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliantly written book! Frustrating, exciting and creepy! A perfect combination. Looking forward to the second book.

[P. Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I read almost everything that comes under my fingers... Deadly Sleep was a book that hooked me from the start. What bothered me a little was, that the first part of the book is written in first person, but as Nicola grows older, the story is presented in third person, but I got used to that as the story is really good.

Valerie Keohg wrote the main characther - the psychopath Nicola very well and altought you speculate much during the story... basically what you find out is that your speculations were all wrong... or at least most of them...

Defenitely next Nicola Connolly Novel is on my list...

[Rhonda · Rating 3 out of 5]

too weird for my taste

[Denise Zendel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A burned out detective sergeant in Bath, England, crosses paths with a female serial killer plying her trade as a nurse in homes for the aged. He’s working a completely different case when she turns up as a possible witness with a psychic connection to a serial killer who excels at torturing his victims. Her connection to the serial killer causes her to nearly lose control of her neat, tightly constructed life and she can’t have that because it will interfere with her own mission. Can a serial killer really work with the police? If so, what are the costs?

At first, I was intrigued by this plot. It reminded me a bit of Dexter, except the female serial killer isn’t near as likeable or noble in her calling. She just likes to kill. The cop was interesting. Jaded, but still trying to keep it together and do the right thing. I did enjoy watching the team work the case, but the plot was too dark and depressing to me. The ending was a surprise. I don’t think I’ll read more in this series (although I did like the author’s writing style and understand that she has a series featuring Dublin cops and I might give that a go).

[Booklover BEV · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Wow this book left my heart pounding.
So so so creepy.
Book one set in Bathwick, Bath City, Somerset, DI matt Foley and DS Tom Hudson have a serial killer on their patch, four women's bodies and this monster means business.
Nicola Connolly is an ordinary nursing student but never stays in the same nursing home for more than six months moving from town to town its so easy they are always looking for staff, but what is her back ground she does not cause any bother and is a good nurse, she is living two lives an evil psychopath born to kill, and suffers nightmares that makes her walk into the police station and confess to them before they even happen, is this woman normal? the crew soon find out.
this book is so creepy, very dark and so mind-blowing that give me chills about Nicola who is very clever in both work and play, I just had to keep reading till the more incredible ending that I just did not expect at all and made me want to just jump inside the book. once again wow loved it.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gripping suspense thriller

Oops! A fair number of errors that brought the rating down a peg but other than that it should be a 5* rating. A great storyline that picked up pace once I had read the numerous chapters finding out about Nicola. It's certainly creepy with the paranormal element in the book and it kept DI Foley and his team flummoxed! It had the right amount of twists that intrigued me keeping me fully engaged and thoroughly entertained throughout. Couldn't wait to found out how it would conclude....but at the same time not wanting it to end! I look forward to reading book two in the series.

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took an age for me to read but enjoyed it

I would like to give this 3.5 but unfortunately I'm unable to give half stars. The mystery of this whole premise was very intriguing Nicola is a serial killer nursing home nurse and now somehow physic and of course it's set in the UK so I needed to read it. It's another that's been sitting in my kindle tbr for too long. I have had trouble getting through this though every time I pick it up to read I'm fine and need to learn more about where it was leading unfortunately when I put it down for whatever reason I wasn't drawn to pick it back up hence the 3.5 stars and the entire month to read

[K.M. Lowe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm going to start by saying it took me so long to finish this book and I have no idea why. I love this genre, the storyline was okay, the characters were fine, there was just something that kept me from absorbing the story and capturing my attention. The ending was a surprise, Matt Foley was one of the characters that kept me reading. The serial killer was meh, she was quite dull and annoying. I got behind why the police disliked her. All in all, it had a decent storyline. If you like a crime/murder story then it could be a book for you.

[Terrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very choppy

This story had an interesting plot but you don't really get to the plot for quite a while. The editing was not fabulous. The proofreading also a problem. I ended up really enjoying parts of the book but it was a strange one. I almost feel like she started with one book and switched to another. It was not smooth.

[Mrs S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book -again!,,

I was beginning to wonder how the attachment would work out between the serial killer and Nicola! Wow how brilliant was the twist! One of the best books I’ve read lately! The depressed Matt did get a little tedious but this story is so superb it didn’t spoil my enjoyment at all. Can’t wait to read book two. This author is one of the very best!

[Lisa Roberts · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing

The Dublin Murder were great books but I'm not a fan of this new series - a bit too macabre for me and not as well written. They lack the domestic edge that made the Dublin series so engaging. I was disappointed with this book , the central character is just a bit too malignant for me.

[David Gilchrist · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 4.5 * Review of "Deadly Sleep" by Valerie Dickenson AKA Keogh.
I have been finding crime fiction becoming a bit samey, this is a refreshing change, Plenty of drama and ongoing plots to keep everyone involved. I will be trying the next in this |Hudson and Connolly series.

[Dee Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this, the first book, after the rest of the books in Valerie's series because I was intrigued to know the characters back story. I was not disappointed. A book of evil intent, nightmarish nights and a satisfying conclusion. I recommend.

[Angela Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a ride


An unusual storyline wrapped up in a well written crime thriller. Was already intrigued by the blurb, and the book didn't disappoint. Looking forward to reading the next in the series

[lisa hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read

Although I was slightly out off from reading this book by reviews mentioning the bad grammar and errors I was unsure what to expect. I needn't have worried, thoroughly enjoyed this book and will certainly be reading more.

[Kelly Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read

Really enjoy reading Valerie Keogh books and enjoyed this one, but it is my least favourite out of the books I’ve read. Story was quite predictable and there were quite a lot of spelling and punctuation errors, but still interesting story

[gwen graves · Rating 3 out of 5]

Different

It was an interesting idea, writing from a serial killer point of view. The main character was well written and a real creepy sociopath.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well I’m not sure what to make of this, definitely creepy, a true odd combination of characters leading the story but definitely an intriguing read.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great ending

[Sanjeev Chhabra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Top class Psychological multi layered thriller. A great debut.

[Ronald Keeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Serial killers who begin their careers at five years old are rare. It is probably an item best left off a resume. Even though it was only dogs, cats, and fish that Nicola killed, there was bound to be disapproval. Not from mom. Nicola’s single parent was creative in the ways she beat and punished Nicola, so she couldn’t say she hadn’t received any education from mom. At age of ten Nicola graduated to a higher class of subjects by poisoning one of her classmates. At twelve she killed a homeless man for practice. At fourteen she killed a pedophile. It seemed only natural that she become a nurse. What a beginning!

Nicola was not malevolent in her killing; it is just that she felt better after a kill; a certain pressure disappeared, anxiety evaporated. Failing to make regular kills made Nicola feel bad. But Nicola had a plan. Through trial-and-error she had found that if she killed three people every six months her criminal metabolism hummed along at an equilibrium. Miss the goal and she would suffer painful consequences. Nursing was absolutely the best solution for her, especially senior citizen care. Patients were at risk anyway, deaths would be unsuspicious, and the homes offered her a drug supply. Nicola was not an addict but pharmaceutical rpocedures and rules dictated that the medications dispensed to patients had to be discarded after the patient died. Nicola discarded medicine to her home stash, to be shared with other patients Nicola selected for an early exit.

There was a chance that deaths in even a senior citizen home would be investigated. Too many deaths in one geographic area would eventually raise suspicions. No problem, Nicola simply moved every six months; nursing shortages guaranteed employment. Her minimalist lifestyle allowed for a build-up of a financial nest egg that financed her frequent address and job changes. Everything was going fine until she met Gary Marshall. He had come to the home where Nicola worked to see his father, Sam. Nicola felt a bond with Sam when she attended to him, but it was not a good one. When she looked in his eyes or touched him, she felt the presence of Evil. This was a problem; Nicola solved problems, she killed Sam. When Gary came to the home to thank Nicola for the excellent care, the two embraced and both felt the shock and presence of Evil. Gary ran away as if escaping; Nicola went home. Nicola’s nightmares began. She would wake up screaming from a nightmare in which she was watching the killing and sexual torture of a woman. The day following the nightmare, she would see a picture in the newspaper that matched the images she had seen in her dream. She could not identify the killer.

She had a nightmare about a second girl tortured and killed, news later published also matched the identity of the girl in her second dream. Realizing that she was seeing women tortured and killed in her dreams before the event, she decided to go to the police. This is the first weak point in the story. Why would a serial killer who had no intention to stop killing go to the police and try to expose the identity of a rival serial killer? Who in a rational state of mind would believe police would believe her? At this point we have to suspend logic and just go with a well told piece of fiction.

Then we examine the police role in the novel. The rest of the novel deals with police politics. Questions will be discussed that will be familiar to anyone who follows Law and Order, CSI, or Criminal Minds. Who is in charge of the investigation? Who is responsible for failure to come to a quick resolution of the crime through timely identification of the suspect? How far can the law be procedurally bent so police hero Matt can use evidence obtained not in a strictly legal way? How can Nicola convince Matt that her dreams are accurate predictions of future crimes?

There are cops like Matt who drink too much and have to work through the alcoholic blur. That is also true of Nicola, but as a serial killer she is not bound by rules of sobriety. Jane, an ambitious female cop detests Matt, leader of the designated task force (DTF) with a mission to find the male serial killer of the women who appeared in Nicola’s dreams. Because of a lack of leads, Matt spends most of his time cataloguing the weakness of team members; he feels their weaknesses will show him to be weak and lead to his dismissal.

There is a question about the existence of Evil as a vague sentient being that may be independent of Nicola. Evil might be the thing that gives Nicola anxiety and pressure, the things that compel Nicola to kill. The same Evil might compel the killer in Nicola’s dreams to kill. This question will not be answered in this novel. However, this novel is one in a series.

For such a dark topic, there is little violence and almost no sex. The mystery is nicely developed. The reader might guess the identity of the man in Nicola’s dreams before the end, but there are a couple of surprises to follow, so don’t close the book early.

[Natasha Orme · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read! I was interested to see how Keogh would use her skills in a different context. After first enjoying Exit 5 from Charing Cross, I was keen to get my teeth into this one.

She did not disappoint.

I loved the first person point of view at the very beginning of the book and almost regretted when it changed to third person, but I loved how she jumped from person to person to keep the narrative flowing.

For me, I love scenes that make you squirm, that are violent and make you cringe and once again Keogh has a unique insight into describing some of the most horrifying scenes in such graphic detail, yet you are never bogged down by description. The story was really good. There were a few moment so repetitiveness, where I felt like the story was replaying an earlier seen, yet I believe this was in fact deliberate to emphasise the hopelessness of the police force.

I particularly liked the inside scoop of the police team. I felt that the author had really down her research here and was able to keep us in tough with down to earth nitty gritty of everyday police life.

I will admit, I was apprehensive about the storyline simply with my doubts in the paranormal element. What I didn’t want to happen was a disappointing resolution or solution, but the fact that even the characters didn’t know what was going on – even at the end – saved the story completely.

[Dawn Clifford · Rating 5 out of 5]

From a young age Nicola Connolly loves nothing better than to kill. As an adult she becomes a nurse and works in nursing homes looking after the elderly where she stays for no longer than 6 mths at a time so she gets away with killing 3 people every 6 mths. She moves to Bath to take up a new post little knowing that there is already a serial killer in the area. She starts getting nightmares and seeing this other killers crimes, can see the woman being rapped and tortured in these nightmares and decides to go to the police to help them catch him. At first they think she's a nutter until she gives them information that had not been revealed to the press which makes them take a bit more notice of her. Because of her help they manage to protect one woman who was next on the killers list but they know there's more to Nicola than meets the eye.
Do they catch the killer and do they uncover things about Nicola?
This is a great read with some good twists as well

[Leslie Bratspis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This dark tale begins with Nicola Connolly as a little girl on her birthday receiving a beautiful doll from her mother. But instead of loving her new doll, she rips off her head and throws it! Here's the first clue she's a deeply troubled kid. As an adult psychopath she is unable to show or feel empathy. Nicola has a physical need to kill or she becomes agitated. Killing gives her a release. She works as a nurse, but instead of caring for patients as one would expect, she kills them! The plot takes some unusual twists I found thrilling. I was hooked on this story from the start and couldn't stop reading it. Definitely not for the faint of heart, but I can’t wait to read the sequel!

[Gen Boleyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up a couple of days ago and flew through the pages. The first few chapters are hard going for animal lovers, but just get past that. These chapters, while gory set the scene and make the main character who she is. The story is original, something very difficult in this genre as mostly the stories have been done to death, (excuse the pun). I want to see more of this character and will watch this writer. I don't think her books will remain this price for long as I predict a major publishing house is going to pick her up, but hopefully not until I've read the sequel!

[Susan Godenzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not for the faint hearted. As I'm not, I was hooked from the first sentence, and remained so until the very end. Not many characters to like in this story - Nicola is definitely an anti-hero - but you want to know what's going to happen to them next. The pace gradually builds, then you find you can't put the book down. A very satisfying read.

[Valerie Dickenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very gruesome in parts! But was hooked. I hope there is going to be another book with Nicola, what a character she is.

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn't read...

If you don't like reading books where animals are tortured and killed don't download this book. I barely made it through a few pages before I had enough. Disgusted!