The Boy That Never Was

by Karen Perry

'Stunning' Simon Mayo Radio 2 Book Club

'A twist-filled page-turner' Closer

Three-year-old Dillon vanished in the middle of the night. His father Harry can't forgive himself for not protecting his only child. Yet Harry isn't blamed by his wife Robin: she bares her own secret guilt.
Five years later, thousands of miles away, Harry spots an eight-year-old boy in a crowd - a boy he is convinced is Dillon.

Desperate to find his missing son, Harry's obsession tears apart his marriage, exposing shameful secrets and shattering the one thing he and Robin had left - trust.

Why won't Robin believe Harry? What is she hiding? Can the boy really be Dillon? And how far will Harry go to find their lost son?

The Boy That Never Was is a deeply atmospheric and masterfully crafted tale of love and loss that will chill you to the bone.


Praise for The Boy That Never Was:

'The Boy That Never Was is that powerful thing, a beautifully written mystery driven by its exploration of the characters' innermost hearts' Tana French

'A truly remarkable novel . . . Written in a captivating, lyrical style and brilliantly structured, the story grips your heart from the first pages and simply never lets go' Jeffery Deaver

'This is a debut novel that will catch fire' Nelson DeMille

'A beautifully written, tense and twisty tale' Sunday Mirror

'Equal parts thriller, mystery and fascinating psychological study' Irish Times

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Contemporary, Crime, Suspense

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Karen Perry is the pen name of Dublin-based authors Paul Perry and Karen Gillece.

Paul Perry is the author of a number of critically acclaimed books. A winner of The Hennessy New Irish Writer of the Year Award, he is a writer and course director in poetry at the Faber Academy in Dublin.

Karen Gillece is the author of four critically acclaimed novels. In 2009 she won the European Union Prize for Literature (Ireland).

There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name

Reviews

[Dem · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars for The Innocent Sleep by Karen Perry

This is the same novel different name as The Boy That Never Was which is a little strange

The Innocent Sleep in set in Tangier and Ireland and tells the stroy of Harry and his wife Robin. Harry is preparing his wife's birhday dinner while she out working. Dillon their young son is asleep upstairs. Suddenly Harry remembers that he has left his wife's birthday gift at a cafe in town. Its only a 5 minute walk away, what is the harm in running out picking up the gift while the child is sleeping.....................

An interesting and well written novel from writers Paul Perry and Karen Gillece. I really enjoyed the well structured plot, the characters and the sense of time and place. I loved the suspense of the novel as I was never quite sure where the story was going and yet the authors managed to keep me interested. The chapters are narrated alternatively by Karen and Harry and I enjoyed this aspect of the book very much as it make it a quick and gripping read.

A good suspenseful and entertaining read, a short book at 323 pages (hardback version) and certainly one I will recommend to friends in the future. I look forward to other novels by these writers.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a psychological thriller that explores the effect of lies & secrets on a marriage. It's also one hell of a roller coaster ride.

We first meet Harry & Robin in Tangier. It's 2005, the night of Robin's birthday & their lives are about to change forever. I don't want to give too much away but Harry makes some choices prior to an earthquake hitting the area that result in the loss of Dillon, their 3 year old son. No remains were ever found in the pile of rubble that used to be their home.

Fast forward to 2010 Dublin where Harry & Robin have recently moved into her grandparents' old house. Much like their marriage, it's a little worn around the edges, in need of repair.

They met in art college about 15 years ago. After graduating, they travelled, painting the people & places they saw. Seduced by the culture & beautiful light in Tangier, they settled there & soon had a group of friends including the enigmatic Cozimo. After losing Dillon, Robin returned to Ireland but Harry stayed on, searching & filing reports with every agency he could think of. Eventually he went home to Dublin. But his obsession with finding Dillon alive led to a breakdown & landed him in hospital.

Robin nursed him back to mental health & he started to paint again. But Robin put away her brushes & trained as an architect. Money is tight in these times of austerity & in an effort to save some cash, Harry closes his studio to work at home. Walking back that last day, he gets caught up in a crowd of demonstrators. In the midst of the chaos, he spots a young boy....a boy who looks just like Dillon.
This is the start of an extremely complex & twisted plot. Both Harry & Robin have major secrets they've kept from each other & one by one they're exposed as Harry disintegrates, caught up in his obsession again. The author does an admirable job of portraying their grief & guilt and you sympathize with their situation. But there are also times when it's really hard to like either of them.

As the history of the 5 years spent in Tangier is slowly revealed in flashbacks, you learn neither of them is blameless & bad decisions made then are directly responsible for what is unfolding now.
There are many peripheral characters in both periods & more than once I was fooled when I thought I knew the good guys from the bad, who was right & who was wrong. It's an intricate, action packed story impossible to summarize & all I'll say about the ending is 2 things: in the last few pages there is a twist I never saw coming & the finale left me gutted.

If someone had recommended this novel to me, saying it was the story of a couple trying to get over the loss of a child, I would have smiled...thanked them...and put it back on the shelf. Don't be fooled. This is so much more & would make an excellent choice for a book club.

[Elaine · Rating 1 out of 5]

If it wasn’t for the fact that my 15 year old son bought me this book for Christmas and so I didn’t want to hurt his feelings by throwing it across the room, this read would have been a DNF for the simple reason that it is just so deadly dull and boring. Five years ago, three year old Dillon tragically disappeared one night, believed killed during an earthquake in Tangier. Now, back in Ireland, his father Harry is convinced that he has seen his son alive and well walking the streets of Dublin. This kickstarts an obsessive hunt as Harry pulls out all the stops in an attempt to track this little boy down, but can his marriage with Robin withstand the fresh emotional trauma he is heaping upon it?

I didn’t like Harry. Just a couple of pages into the read and we find out he is in the habit of drugging his little son at nights so that he can get a good uninterrupted sleep and that just turned me against him. That, coupled with the drinking and infidelities, meant that I really didn’t take to him at all and was left wondering what was so special about him that attracted Robin to him in the first place. Robin herself is just, well pretty nondescript. There is nothing particularly remarkable about her that makes her stand out. The story is very descriptive and unwinds just a bit too slowly for my liking – the characters are “staring out of windows introspectively” types and just incredibly dull to read about.

About halfway through the book I mostly, but not completely, guessed the hook of the story and I would have liked to have been kept guessing until the end although when I did get to the end, it was a “yeah, right, I really believe that could have happened with those particular people with that particular lifestyle”.

[Patrice Hoffman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Innocent Sleep by Karen Perry is the story of a young family who's trying to repair their lives after a devastating earthquake that costs them the life of their 3 year old son, Dillon. Harry leaves his son alone, sleeping, in an effort to get one last trinket for his wife Robin's birthday. During the time he is away, an earthquake occurs and leaves in its wake a depth far greater than the destruction of a building.

Five years later after the catastrophe, Harry is sure that in the midst of a rally, he has spotted their son. Because there was no body found, he is sure that just maybe his son has been alive the entire time. Along with the hope of his son being alive comes the chance of redemption. Suddenly, the true events of that fateful night surface where this couple are no longer able to lie and must confront the truth of their lives.

Long story short: I really enjoyed this book. Karen Perry gives readers complete characters who have a depth that often lacks in novels suggested as being thrillers or suspense. FYI, I don't think this novel is suspense in the sense that most readers expect, but the whole mystery surrounding the death of Dillon is what offers a sense of tension that is palpable throughout the whole text.

Harry, in my opinion, was given the most depth. Essentially, he has more to work with sense his careless actions are really what jump starts the plot. He is constantly battling the guilt of leaving his son alone and it is only during these times that we are able to actually rally behind him. Generally, it's hard getting past his initial actions but slowly, the layers peel away and he becomes someone to feel sorry for and wish the best for.

The novel is told in alternating narratives featuring Harry and Robin. At times I almost felt that they were too aware of self. They didn't seem to be regular people dealing with life after such a devastating loss. Their speech is often times too poetic to seem authentic but rather a good author speaking through her characters. I'm kinda at odds with this approach since it's obvious Perry has some outstanding writing chops. It may have seemed more fluid and believable if The Innocent Sleep was told from a 3rd person view instead of the 1st person narrative.

Essentially, I can't help but stress how much I enjoyed The Innocent Sleep. Karen Perry writes an engrossing tale of life after. "Life after" essentially is how many of us categorize our lives after dealing with a huge loss that can never be repaired. She explores how sometimes the smallest lie, or the simplest action, can forever change our lives. I am happy to have had the opportunity to take this journey with these characters and look forward to reading more by this author.


Copy provided by Henry Holt and Company via Netgalley

[Travis · Rating 1 out of 5]

Plot synopsis:

In 2005, Harry and Robin are Irish expats living in Tangier with their 3-year-old son, Dillon. One evening, while Robin is at work and Harry is alone with Dillon, Harry decides to run a quick errand just a few blocks away while Dillon is sleeping. In Harry's absence, an earthquake strikes, and Robin and Harry's apartment building is destroyed. Dillon's body is never found, but he is presumed dead. Harry, however, clings to a belief that somehow Dillon survived and was spirited away.

Five years later, Robin and Harry are living back in Ireland when Harry catches a glimpse of a boy whom, he is convinced, is Dillon. A friend who has connections with access to CCTV is able to obtain the CCTV recordings of the area where Harry thought he saw Dillon. After hours of pouring through video, Harry finds not only the boy he thinks to be Dillon but also the license plate of the vehicle that the boy and the woman he is with get into.


Review (spoilers below):

For the first 200 pages, I kept wanting to quit reading this novel as the pacing was slow and one of the two protagonists, Harry, is not even remotely likable. Harry is a selfish, easily angered, drunken, philandering jerk who surrounds himself with unseemly characters (Spencer and Cozimo) and treats Robin contemptuously and callously on numerous occasions. He is also prone to violence and gets himself killed when he steals a gun from Spencer and uses it to confront Dave. He actually takes a gun to the house where he believes Dillon to be living. Who takes a gun to a place where there are children?

Robin is a little better, but her actions at the end of the story show her to be a complete idiot (more on that later). She spends a lot of time over the first 200 pages crying and complaining about Harry and how bad a husband he is. She knows that Harry has cheated on her, and she is even afraid of him. At Christmas, when the pivotal events of the story occur, Robin selfishly wants to exclude her parents from celebrating Christmas with her and Harry. Finally, though, she does decide to invite her parents over, and on Christmas day, when Harry finds news of where Dillon might be, he begins behaving erratically, leading Robin's parents to fear for her safety, so they demand that she come home with them, which she does. Later, when she speaks to Harry on the phone, she implies that she might be leaving him.

Besides the two lead characters being rather unsympathetic, the dialogue is completely artificial. There is an unmistakable sense, in all of the conversations, that what the characters are saying is completely made up; it doesn't sound remotely real. The horrific dialogue, Harry and Robin's sour personalities, and the slow pacing make the first 200 pages an atrocious read.

But then the action picks up and the story gets fairly interesting. Harry was right: he had seen Dillon. Dillon had been taken by his biological father, Dave. Dave and Robin had, unbeknownst to Harry, had an affair in Tangier, shortly after which Dave had left. Robin never told Harry, so Harry thought Dillon was his son. Visiting Tangier about a year after the affair, Dave discovers that he has a son, but he doesn't try to take Dillon from Robin and Harry or even tell Harry that he is the father.

In the meantime, Dave and his wife, Eva, who had been briefly separated, have had their own son, Felix, who is around Dillon's age. Sadly, Felix dies of a childhood illness. One evening, Dave calls Robin in Tangier to check on her and Dillon. Robin tells him that she and Harry have split up: Dillon has been having trouble sleeping, so to solve this problem, Harry started giving Dillon sleeping pills; when Robin found out, she was outraged and kicked Harry out. Dave is equally outraged by Harry's behavior. Later, though, Robin takes Harry back.

Eventually, Dave and Eva go to Tangier. Dave wants to confront Robin and Harry. Dave just happens to show up at Robin and Harry's apartment as Harry is rushing out for his errand on the day of the earthquake after drugging Dillon with a sleeping pill. The earthquake begins. Luckily, Dave is there and gets Dillon out of the building before it collapses. Eva, who knows about Dave's past affair with Robin and has come to terms with it, is happy to raise Dillon as her and Dave's son as it seems to help Eva overcome her grief at losing Felix.

Eventually, back in Ireland, Harry tracks down Dillon, Dave, and Eva. Harry takes a gun to their house, a struggle ensues with Dave, and Harry is shot and killed. As the novel ends, Robin now has custody of Dillon and Dave is awaiting trial for the shooting of Harry, and we don't know what has become of Eva.

Robin as the story end, romanticizes Harry as some sort of heroic figure who never gave up hope that Dillon was alive. She seems to forget that on the last day of his life, she had implied to Harry that she might be leaving him. She seems to forget that Harry had drugged Dillon as a toddler. She seems to forget that Harry was a drunk who treated her terribly. She seems to forget that Harry left Dillon, a toddler, home alone. She seems to forget that, had it not been for Dave rescuing Dillon, Dillon would have died, yet she vilifies Dave. Robin is a complete idiot.

Prior to Harry spotting Dillon and Eva on the streets of Dublin, Robin and Harry had been struggling financially, yet as the story ends, Robin has moved back to Tangier. Where she obtained the funds to do so when she and Harry could previously barely even pay their mortgage is never explained.

Robin's logic in returning to Tangier is that it will give her and Dillon a chance to escape the media spotlight so that they can bond, though Dillon does not seem very interested in bonding with Robin as she still mourns his separation from Eva, who has been his mother for as long as he could remember. But Robin, who is supposed to love her son, doesn't seem to care at all about separating Dillon from the only mother he can remember.

Then, as the story ends, Robin glimpses a man she is sure is Harry, and the story closes with her chasing after him. Now, there is no way Harry is still alive: Dave is on trial for Harry's death back in Ireland. It seems then that Robin is possibly suffering a severe psychotic brake if she truly believes Harry is alive, which she seems to believe. Moreover, her treatment of Dillon--taking him away from Eva and to a country that is completely foreign to him and when she does not have the financial means to do so--indicates that she herself is not a good mother. She is an idiot. She is extraordinarily selfish.

All through the last third of the novel, I was rooting for Eva and Dave--two nice, caring adults who truly love Dillon--to get to keep Dillon. The idea of Dillon going back to live with Harry and Robin seemed just ridiculous, but in the end, he does go back to live with Robin, a woman who is so stupid that she took her husband back after he had drugged her son and even after he left him alone at home and was, to Robin's knowledge, killed. Yet Robin still looks upon this loser of a husband as a hero and is angry with Dave, the man who actually saved Dillon's life and loved him.

That's why this novel gets one star: two stupid, selfish protagonists; the "bad" guy, Dave, is actually a good guy; terrible, artificial dialogue; unbelievable coincidences (Dave just happening to be in the right place at the right time to save Dillon; Harry spotting Dillon on the streets of Dublin 5 years later); and a horrible ending.

[Zoeytron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tangier, Morocco - where 'the days seem longer, languorous, hazy and golden'. Artists Harry and Robin went there for the strange and beautiful light, the fiery dawns that Harry favors for his paintings. They rent an apartment above an old bookstore. A foolhardy decision made by Harry at the beginning of the tale leads to tragic consequences.

Good, tight writing. The character of Cozimo, the owner of the bookstore, is fascinating. You are never completely sure about him. An older gentleman with a theatrical air about him, he speaks with an affected English accent, wears silk pants and slippers, and collects old typewriters. Cozimo holds seances, drinks gin, and is a keeper of secrets extraordinaire. The characters of Harry and Robin are excellent, very believable and with flaws a'plenty.

As one reviewer noted, this is not your standard fare of parents working through the grievous loss of a child. It has a keen psychological edginess to it and the result makes for a riveting read. The story is a composite of secrets, suspicions, resentment, guilt, unspoken blame, and the loss of trust.

This was a first-reads giveaway, thank you. You won't want to stop reading until it is finished. I was taken by surprise twice, and that is always a pleasure. Well done!

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The setting of Tangiers is what first drew me to this book, but many other things kept me avidly reading. I originally thought Harry was a very easy character to dislike, quite frankly I found him to be somewhat of a jerk. Felt so sorry for his wife, but of course things were not quite what they seemed. An earthquake, a destroyed building and a dead child sent this couple reeling, and they returned to Dublin to try to make a fresh start.

Many, many revelations, some stellar writing, twists and turns, and secrets kept me turning the pages. A novel of deceit, of the past coming back to haunt the future all make this one very good debut novel. Definitely a author I will be watching.

ARC from Netgalley.

[Irene · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I've read this year!!!

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started out ok, had one decent twist, then went steadily downhill from there. Badly written and relies heavily on coincidence, and just a flat out dopey ending. This is like reading an Ira Levin novel without any of the camp or charm, and who wants to do that?

[Paige · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. I didn't love the switching narrator, and the ending made me nuts.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harry thought he had time to spare leaving his son Dillon home alone. Preparing for his wife birthday brings him immediate joy but when he forgets her gift a block away from his house, he considers the alternatives: disturb his son sleep by waking him up or leaving the house without his son? Choosing the latter is an unlikely decision but he does it unaware of the impending earthquake that is about to ruin everything. While he is rushing to get to his house, chaos intervenes as people tries to cope with all the damage the storm has caused. Arriving at his house, he finds it collapsed with Dillon nowhere near to be found.

The aftermath of the storm years later has left Robin and Harry in a peculiar situation. Harry is convinced that his son is still alive, considering that there was no body to be found when investigators looked into the case. However his wife Robin thinks that he is trying to bury the guilt of leaving his son and she is accepted the fact that her son is now deceased. Knowing his reality has caused a of tension in their marriage, each justifying their reasons on believing the truth about their son. As they continue to draw distant from each other, Robin is somewhat relieved that she is pregnant. Although she knows that nothing will replace Dillon. Additionally Dillon is convinced that he spotted his son, while looking at a stranger that bears resemblance to Dillon. Tired of his perceptions, Robin has given up and her and Harry relationship falters.

Yet the question still lurks in the air, is Dillon really alive or is it Harry just in denial about his son death?

Very good novel with a great cliffhanger! Usually I don't care much for endings like this, but it fitted the story content. The one thing that really impressed me with this novel was how developed the character of Harry was. I can tell that he really misses his son,and was willing to do anything to get his son back. Also I loved how the story was told in different perspectives.

Looking forward to reading more books by Perry!

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was received from a Goodreads giveaway.

I liked this book but it's not amazing. For me the first 40% was a drag to read. It was only after that that I began to take an interest in the story. None of the characters were likeable and some bits just didn't make sense to me. What kind of person stays with some one who thinks it's acceptable to drug a child?
The ending was good. I'd kind of half figured it out though. Overall a good read but there are much better books of this genre out there.

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coming March 2014 from Penguin

Thank you to the author and publisher for the netgalley review copy.

Five years ago, three-year-old Dillon disappeared. For his father Harry – who left him alone for ten crucial minutes – it was an unforgivable lapse. Yet Dillon’s mother Robyn has never blamed her husband: her own secret guilt is burden enough.

Another amazing read this one – tugging at my heartstrings – I have had a lot of that lately. Crying after finishing a book seems to be my default position at the moment and I’m loving every minute of it despite the trauma.

So here we meet Harry and Robin – married – suffering through the worse thing that can happen to parents – the loss of a child. Harry blames himself and suffers a breakdown, Robin adamantly refuses to blame him but in reality can’t help thinking it. One day Harry spots what he believes to be his lost son in the crowd – and so their lives are turned upside down again – and secrets are about to come to the surface that may destroy both of them.

Very well written, telling us the story from both Harry and Robin’s point of view at various points of the novel, the tale unfolds both in present time and flashback, as Harry is determined to track down the boy he saw and Robin is determined to finally persuade him that their son is dead and gone and has been since that terrible night in Tangiers..

Its compelling stuff as Harry appears to be fast heading into another mental breakdown and Robin tries desperately to save him and allow them to finally move on with their lives. The mystery element is extraordinarily clever – I have to say I was with Harry – NO-ONE believes that the child he saw is Dillon – yet he can’t accept and can’t stop. Was he vindicated? Well you will have to read to find out but there is a lot more to the story than first meets the eye..

I felt for all of the main characters – Robin may have accepted her loss but it haunts her. I found her loyalty and tenacious defence of Harry, despite his faults, despite his actions, to be a true tale of real love. Perhaps she is naive and yet you cannot help but admire her.

Overall an intense, fascinating tale of love, loss and redemption. Brilliantly done.

Happy Reading Folks!

[Mandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The success of Gone Girl might suggest that thoroughly unlikeable characters and a preposterous plot can be a good thing. This book disproves that theory.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this in the goodreads giveaways. Thank you Henry Holt and Company for an ARC of the book.

4.5 stars!!


I really enjoyed this book. I did not know what to expect going in because it is actually written by 2 writers, Karen Gillece and Paul Perry, who use the pen name Karen Perry. I didn't know if the book would flow smoothly, but it really worked out to be quite a good read in my opinion. I am curious to know of their writing process. Is one the writer and the other the creative mind? How did this all come together? Inquiring minds want to know.

The story is told through the eyes of a married couple, Harry and Robin. Each chapter alternated their narratives. This added to the overall suspense factor. Harry is a person driven by emotion, while Robin is much more practical. They both have skeletons in their closets. Many times I would end a "Harry" chapter on the edge of my seat and the story would switch to a "Robin" chapter and her calmer personality. Harry and Robin live in Tangiers, Morocco when an earthquake hits and their 3 year old son, Dillon, is suspected to be dead under the rubble. Not long after the earthquake they move back to their hometown of Dublin. Five years later, Harry thinks he sees Dillon amidst the crowds during a protest against the government. This sighting leaves Harry rattled and sends him on a search for his missing (dead?) son. There were a few unexpected surprises. Plot twists I would've never imagined. The writing was tight and fast paced. I wish the authors would have included more of Cozimo, Harry and Robin's Tangier's friend. He was mysterious and charming and I sometimes wondered if he always had good intentions in mind. He was one of the more interesting characters in the novel. My only complaint about the book is the very last page. I was fine and satisfied with the ending, but that last fleeting idea just didn't work for me.

Once I started, I looked forward to cracking the spine every night. I had to put it on my great-novels shelf… that's how much I enjoyed it and I'm not just saying that because I won it in the GR giveaways. This is my honest opinion. If you like psychological thrillers, then you will probably enjoy this read.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harry and Robin lived in Tangiers with their young son, Dillon, until a terrible mistake and a devastating earthquake took their child from them. Harry left their son alone in the apartment for ten minutes, returning to find the building, and their child, gone. Although he felt Robin’s unspoken blame, the two return home to Dublin and attempt to rebuild their lives. Robin is keen to look forward, but it is soon apparent that Harry is still tormented by the loss of his son. One day, at a demonstration, he believes he sees Dillon in the crowd and events are set in motion which will test their marriage to the limit.

This is a realistic, well written and dramatic novel; with fantastic plot twists and turns. As Harry follows every lead to the boy he glimpsed that day, Robin is aware that Harry is moving away from her. The glimpses into how their friends and family view the couple and the events that follow are realistically and movingly written. I have no intention of giving away the ending, but it is a gripping read and will leave you emotionally wrung. I suspect this will deservedly be one of the big thrillers of next year.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review.

[ReadAlongWithSue recovering from a stroke★⋆. ࿐࿔ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! What more can I say that hasn't already been covered by other reviewers!

This story is told from the angle of Robyn and Harry.

Dillon their only son was taken from them one night when Harry was lapse. Harry is tormented by not only the loss of his son but by his action that night, just one little slip.

Robyn doesn't seem to blame him for the loss. Maybe its the secrets. But there are a couple of secrets within this book.

Harry is tormented by the loss of his only son, he paints, he's an artists and he paints several paintings of his son as he imagines him growing up and what he would look like.

One day Harry thinks he spots Dillon. Harry is on a steady decline to a mental breakdown. I wasn't sure if it was that or.....
but it came to light, Harry's mind was all over the place.

I won't give away anymore as you need to read it.

This is the third book in the past 2 weeks that have brought tears to my eyes and me hugging my Kindle.

My hat goes off to this authors, wonderful job!

**I was granted this to read by Penguin Books (UK) via Net Galley who I thank very much and the author **

[Kristina Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This book was great. It was all twisty and turny, with a teensy bit of a gothic feel about it. I listen to audiobooks when I do chores. Since I couldn't stop listening to this one, the house and yard look good! ;-)

[Olivia Bontoft · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was not expecting to get tearful at the end of this book omg

The fact that the story is told from two different perspectives & written by TWO DIFFERENT CO-AUTHORS is so smart & the way the story unravels gradually by both perspectives… very well done

I really thought I knew where the story was going but the ending had me shocked in such a sad way 🥺

Although I thought the beginning of the book was a bit of a drag, I could not put it down for the last half and the emotional impact deserves 4 stars
Creds to mum for this Xmas pressie hehe

[Albert · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Innocent Sleep by Karen Perry is very close to me declaring that this book is this season's Gone Girl. And that is very high praise indeed. The two person narrative is incredibly well executed, perhaps because Karen Perry is two different writers, and actually works to the flow of the novel.
The Innocent Sleep is the story of a young artistic married couple who lose their child one evening during an earthquake. The husband Harry is planning a special birthday dinner for his wife Robin. To ensure that they won't be disturbed, he does something he has done before. He gives their son Dillon, a drug to put him to sleep. As Dillon sleeps and Robin is not home as of yet, Harry steps out to retrieve a gift he had left at a friend's home. In the small window of time that Harry is gone, an earthquake hits and the home is destroyed. The small child Dillon is gone, his body never recovered.
What follows is the how Harry and Robin attempt to deal with the loss. As they try to go forward with their lives and yet live with the actions and circumstances that led to the loss of their son Dillon.

"...My sketches of Dillon were all dated. And I sat there sifting through the years, sifting through the hundreds of pencil drawings and charcoal impressions I had of the boy as he might have aged. The boy. Do you hear me? Call him what he was; my son..."

Then the unthinkable happens. The impossible. Five years after the earthquake and the loss of Dillon. While watching a march one morning; Harry spots a woman walking. A woman holding the hand of a young boy who looks exactly like what Dillon would have looked liked had he lived. Exactly like the charcoal drawings he had been doing. And just like that, Harry is convinced that Dillon lives.
Harry goes forward in search of his son. As the story unfolds we learn that Harry is the only one who had not accepted the loss of Dillon. But is it hope that Harry holds on to or guilt? It was after all Harry who had drugged the child and it was Harry who had left Dillon alone that night.
Robin struggles with the loss of her child and with the strength to hold her husband together. We learn of her pain and her desire to build a life and move forward.
But it is the secrets that this couple has that hold the truth to the story. Secrets about one another, about themselves and eventually about Dillon that threatened to destroy the thin fabric of their marriage and happiness.
The Innocent Sleep is a powerful tale of one couple's strength and the descent into madness of a father or his powerful reach for hope.

This is an excellent drama as well as a powerful mystery. There are twists and turns in this story that I will not share. I think that to enjoy a good book a reader must come upon these twists as the writer had intended and not in some blogger's review. But trust me they are there and you will not see them coming.
The Innocent Sleep will be one of those books this year that you will measure all others by.
A very good read.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harry and Robin live a bohemian lifestyle in Tangier - drawn there for the light for their painting. The birth of baby Dillon makes their lives complete, until a moment of carelessness when Dillon is alone and an earthquake strikes. The child's body is never found - but neither were many others - and he is believed dead. By everyone but Harry it seems - on their return to Ireland he has a breakdown, driven by his feelings of guilt at leaving the child alone. Until he spots a child on a Dublin street who he is convinced is the lost child, and his obsession about finding him brings to the surface the secrets, lies and insecurities that have run through the marriage. The ending is unexpected, explosive and shocking - and quite unexpected until a fair way into the book.

My enjoyment of this one was slightly diminished by the fact that I really didn't like any of the main characters. Harry comes across as an obsessed neurotic, and some of his actions - in Tangier and Ireland - are hard to forgive. Robin is a bit of a doormat non-entity, loving Harry and turning a blind eye to many of his faults - although she too has secrets that undermine the marriage. The story telling though is excellent - the settings are vivid, and the layering of secrets and lies is very well done, told in alternate chapters by Harry and Robin. The book's climax is dramatic and thrilling, and not at all what I expected from the chapters that preceded it. I'd say it's two thirds taut psychological drama, one third thriller - and both elements are well handled. This won't be one of my reads of the year, but there was a lot here to enjoy.

My thanks to netgalley and Penguin Books UK for my advance reading e-copy.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

***3.5 STARS***

[Jo Ring · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very very good 9/10

[Tink · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this one super quickly, and loved every second. Was in awe of Harry and Robin‘s strength through their grief, how tightly they held on to each other even when they were worlds apart. There was a coldness to the book that did not come solely from the winter setting. I think there was a coldness to both Robin and Harry, something icy spreading in their hearts after Dillon disappeared.
I’d seen the tv show before reading the book so the main plot twist was no surprise but they had changed the plot so much that it still felt like its own story, and very worthwhile to read the book. Im slightly biased towards the happier ending of the show over the books sadder ending, but still loved it. And I guess the tv series was always going to win over the book because it had Colin Morgan in it :)

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

i won this book (YAY!) through Goodreads First Reads for a honest review

Read this review and more over at My Library Card


HOLY SHIT. that's all i can say about how this book ended. i did not see the twist coming. i thought i had figured out how it would end but i was totally taken for a ride those last few chapters. the writing is amazing. i was apprehensive at first to read it because it's not something i would normally read. but the authors were having none of that and pulled me right into the marriage of Harry and Robin.

five years after losing their son in a tragic accident, Harry and Robin are finally moving past their grief and have started living again. that is, until Harry spots his son in a crowd and sets off on a destructive path to find out the truth. the back and forth chapters were great. the story flowed smoothly without getting stuck in one character's POV more than the other. Harry's chapters were more nerve wrecking, almost bordering on manic. Robin was more calm in her story telling but was just as depressing as her husband's.

this story about broke my heart. i was screaming at the book in my head, taking a serious pause towards the end when the mystery is revealed. i'm still surprised that i didn't see it coming. one of the pieces of the puzzle, i had figured out somewhere toward the middle of the novel but that was only a drop in the bucket of crap thrown at me in the last pages. by the end, Robin has taken on Harry's role of despair but for different reasons. the book leaves you with an open-ended scenario that you know won't work out for anyone. but this book is so good that it's worth it.

[Kylie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a hard one for me as it did improve as the story went on, but I still found it hard to like, or care for, any of the main characters.

The story looks at the slow destruction of the lives of Harry and Robin, after the tragic loss of their son, Dillon, in Tangiers. Only, as you soon discover, the tragedy was very much created by Harry, who is a spoilt, pretentious, self-obsessed so-called-artist. Thankfully he does at least feel guilt at what he did, and has spiralled in and out of madness. Robin is frustrating, she is weak when it comes to her husband, and simultaneously stokes the pretension and stifles the spirit. She doesn't have her own identity at the start, and in all honesty doesn't seem to have developed much more by the end.

I don't need to like the characters to enjoy a story (Gillian Flynn is one for creating dark, twisted tales which draw you in as much as you dislike the people she writes about). But in something like this story, which is about the loss of a child and the break down from then on, you do need to like them more than I did to enjoy the story, I feel.

[Cyndy · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's not necessary to like the main characters in a book but it helps. In this novel, both Harry and Robin are totally unlikable, Harry especially. He's arrogant, sulky, selfish, and a bad father to boot. Robin is an enabler, overlooking all Harry's "faults" at the expense of her child. The friends of this couple are confusing with their stilted, disjointed dialogue making them appear even more vague. I finished the book because I wanted to see how these authors were going to bring this to an end. I was disappointed. Robin seems to be the same ditz she was when the book began. Set in Tangier, with an earthquake as a side, a child disappearing, and it's still a boring book.

[Marcia · Rating 2 out of 5]

It has been a long time since I have disliked characters as much as I disliked Robin and Harry. You would think losing a child in such a horrific way as an earthquake would generate some feelings of sympathy for these parents...but nope. I found myself hoping that the boy Harry saw wasn't Dillon not because I am coldhearted and wanting Dillon to be dead. But because I didn't feel like these parents deserved a second chance to be good parents. If the twists that happened at the end of this book had come a bit earlier I may have enjoyed it more.

[Hannie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ik had meer een thriller verwacht. Hoewel het daar wel elementen van heeft, is het toch meer een roman. Hoewel het wel een interessant verhaal is, wordt het pas op het einde spannend. Harry denkt dat hij zijn verdwenen zoon heeft gezien. Zijn vrouw gelooft hem niet. Het verhaal gaat daar grotendeels over. Ook zijn er veel terugblikken naar hun leven voor de verdwijning. Aan het eind kom je er achter wie van de twee gelijk heeft.

[Bel Murphy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This began well but quickly descended into the realms of far-fetched nonsense with irritating, unlikeable characters. Only finished it through sheer determination.