The Insomniacs

by Allison Winn Scotch

This large print edition features an easy-to-read larger type size while preserving the complete text of the original edition.

A propulsive and uncommonly wise novel about one unexpected wedding guest and the surprising people who help her start anew.



It's a beautiful day in Newport, Rhode Island, when Phoebe Stone arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn wearing a green dress and gold heels, not a bag in sight, alone. She's immediately mistaken by everyone in the lobby for one of the wedding people, but she's actually the only guest at the Cornwall who isn't here for the big event. Phoebe is here because she's dreamed of coming for years—she hoped to shuck oysters and take sunset sails with her husband, only now she's here without him, at rock bottom, and determined to have one last decadent splurge on herself. Meanwhile, the bride has accounted for every detail and every possible disaster the weekend might yield except for, well, Phoebe and Phoebe's plan—which makes it that much more surprising when the two women can't stop confiding in each other.



In turns absurdly funny and devastatingly tender, Alison Espach's The Wedding People is ultimately an incredibly nuanced and resonant look at the winding paths we can take to places we never imagined—and the chance encounters it sometimes takes to reroute us.

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

544 pages, Hardcover

First published April 14, 2026

About the author

I'm the bestselling author of eight novels including, CLEO MCDOUGAL REGRETS NOTHING, IN TWENTY YEARS and TIME OF MY LIFE, currently in development at Sony. My latest book, THE REWIND, will be released in Nov 2022 by Berkley Books.

As an author, I know how brutal reviews can be, so I'll only post about books I've enjoyed. (Just in case you're wondering why all of my reviews are positive!)

Reviews

[꧁ ༺Minne༻ ꧂ (Back :)) · Rating 4 out of 5]

★★★1/2

A cult.

A burned-down church.

A missing person.

A group of insomniacs.

And a mystery waiting to be solved.

The Insomniacs is a slow burn, character-driven mystery with an amateur investigation. It’s about a group of sleepless, broken people who find something in each other, and when one of their own goes missing, they decide to investigate. What follows is them piecing things together, throwing around theories, connecting dots, and essentially doing what the police couldn’t. It’s very much a true crime lover’s dream.

When it comes to wild goose chases and murder mysteries, I'm more used to retrograde investigations (where the crime has already happened and the novel opens with an investigation) and crimes happening within the first few chapters. But then there are stories that take their time before introducing the crime. The Insomniacs falls into this category.

Usually I love character-driven stories, but I was kind of detached for a bit… until someone went missing. But once that happened, I could appreciate all the groundwork that had been laid earlier, because it helped make sense of everyone’s motivations.

Despite the cult theme, this reads surprisingly cozy. It explores themes like family, freedom and love in many forms. The story is told through multiple POVs, which works for the kind of mystery it’s trying to build. I think something was missing in the development of the characters and the connection between them, but the most intriguing characters to me were Sybil, Betty and our mystery arsonist (I guessed wrong!). I don't know why I don't care for romantic subplots in thrillers, but at least it didn't bother me here.

If you’re looking for a cozy mystery or are into amateur investigations, this is the one!

[Kelly (and the Book Boar) · Rating 2 out of 5]

As an insomniac myself, I was all over this one simply for the title so I’ll take the blame for my fail as I was expecting more “Only Murders in the Building” from the cover and way less “Dateline.” Also, this is a time where me not liking the characters really took a toll on my enjoyment level of the book as a whole as well. Sorry, Sybil and Zeke, but neither of you were my cup of tea. Zeke for not being more than a potentially former MLB star and Sybil for being a busybody who had been a doormat her entire adult life up until the start of this story.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

[Peg Gustafson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought (and still think) the premise of this book was great. Four very different people bond through a shared inability to ever get a good night’s sleep. Then something happens and a mystery must be solved. Where this book failed me was the characters themselves. I just found them completely unbelievable. ESPECIALLY the uber-famous Mets pitcher spending his evenings playing Sudoku (once he’s taught the game) with two online strangers. Just, no. And he falls in love with the middle aged soon to be divorcee who, we are told dozens of times, graduated first in her class from Harvard medical school but never practiced because apparently if two doctors have babies one must end up being a stay at home parent? Nothing about these characters made me care about them. I rushed through the book because I still wanted to know who did it only to find the answer completely illogical.

[Rochelle Weinstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best stories happen after midnight. I promise you'll be reading late into the night with this one...it's so good!

Four sleepless strangers unite to solve the disappearance of one of their own. A perfectly plotted and paced story with equal parts warmth and wit.

I love everything ASW writes, and with The Insomniacs she knocks it out of the park.

[sabrina (books.with.sabrina) · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

✨ Rating: 4.5⭐️
🫧 Vibes: can’t sleep, mind racing
🎶 Song: last hope - paramore
📖 Favourite Quote: "Maybe this was its own sort of family, the one you choose, the one that finds you."
📚 Would I recommend? yes!!
💬 tldr thoughts: a book that kept me up LATE

In the package:
📦 found family
📦 on the run
📦 complicated people
📦 cults
📦 multiple POVs

Plot: A group of insomniacs meet online form a bond over the fact that they can't sleep. One day, they decide to finally meet in person at an all-night diner. Each group member is dealing with something and harbouring secrets. When one of them goes missing in the dead of night, they're thrust into solving the mystery.

Thoughts: Would you believe me if I told you one of the plots in this book is about cults? Yes you read that right. This is the kind of 'weird' book I love to read and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Was it unrealistic? Yes but I absolutely ate it up. Just when I thought I had the ending figured out.. I absolutely didn't. The book has a little bit of everything, humour, twists and serious and tender moments.

How ironic that I stayed up until midnight finishing this (coming from someone who passes out at 9:30pm🥲). I really recommend this one if you're looking to stay up all night!

Thank you BookSparks and Allison Winn Scotch for this gifted copy!

✩⁺₊✩☽⋆ follow me on tiktok and instagram⋆☾✩⁺₊✩

[Jodi Schulz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. I am a huge Allison Winn Scotch fan and while this book was different than her other books I loved it. About 4 strangers who start hanging out because they are up all night (a fact I can relate to), it then turns into a mystery. While the mystery is one I easily figured out, I enjoyed all of the characters and the banter between them.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t put this book down! Literally stayed up until 4:30am to finish it. I loved the story, and each character was interesting from start to finish as we learned and engaged with their stories. It’s got intrigue, humor, love, anger and more. Definitely take the time to read this book. I think it’s now my favorite of hers.

[Brian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sybils insufferable

[michelle ࣪ ִֶָ☾]

dnf @ 25% / i am bored and not at all invested in these people, the chemistry feels forced between them all. i just don't care.

[R L HERSKOWITZ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars rounded up.

I highly recommend this book!


RTC

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

★★★☆☆ (3/5)

Such a great premise… but the execution never fully clicked for me. The Insomniacs by Alison Wynn Scotch had all the ingredients for a compelling, slightly eerie, character-driven thriller—an online group of strangers bonding over sleepless nights, secrets, and anonymity—but it ended up feeling more convenient than convincing.

What I liked:
The concept is genuinely intriguing. A group of insomniacs forming connections through late-night chats and then taking those relationships into the real world? I was immediately in. There are also some solid thriller elements woven in—Betty’s mysterious, cult-like past adds tension, and once the stakes start to rise (especially around the midpoint), the book definitely becomes more propulsive. It’s an easy, fast read, and I was curious enough to keep going just to see how everything would unravel.

What didn’t work:
The biggest issue for me was believability—across the board. The friendships develop way too quickly, going from online chats to deep, life-altering bonds (and even living together) in a matter of weeks. I just never bought into the emotional connection, which made the higher-stakes moments land a lot softer than they should have.

The characters also felt a bit flat—more like archetypes than fully realized people. Even as we learn more about them, it feels like we’re only getting one defining “slice” of each character rather than real depth. Because of that, dynamics like Sybil and Zeke’s relationship didn’t feel earned.

The insomnia itself also didn’t feel realistic. It’s more of a concept than something grounded in how people actually function, which made the entire setup feel a little shaky. And by the end, the way everything resolves—including the sudden shift around their sleep—felt a bit too neat.

Betty’s backstory, while interesting, also becomes increasingly convoluted, leaning into familiar “cult-like” tropes without adding enough nuance to make it feel fresh.

This is one of those books where I loved the idea of it more than the actual reading experience. If you’re looking for something quick, readable, and lightly suspenseful, this might work for you—but if you need strong character development and believable relationships to stay invested, this one might fall a bit flat.

[anovelaccount (Kayla) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not sure what I was expecting going in, but this book was SO good! It is definitely a character-driven story and is heavy on found family, so if you love those things combined with some mystery and past family trauma, this book will be right up your alley! Also…there’s a bit of reverse age gap romance in here?! Which was a pleasant surprise 🤭

While this was a bit slow to start, once I got into it I didn’t want to put it down! I liked all four Insomniacs, but Sybil reaching the point in her life where she held nothing back and said what she wanted to say was definitely my favorite 😜 But all four main characters were so well fleshed out and felt very real.

I thought the mystery aspect was unique and was woven naturally into the story. I did guess the “whodunnit” but to me this book wasn’t so much about a twist at the end as it was about the journey the characters take to get there. I just wish the ending hadn’t been so rushed! But everything does wrap up in a satisfying way.

That sloooooow burning romance though 😩 It felt like teasing because you as the reader are in both characters’ heads and know they both like each other, but given their life circumstances it was definitely more realistic that they wait to reveal their feelings. I just wanted them to get together already!!

This book is a gem and one I probably wouldn’t have picked up on my own, so thank you, @berkleypub, for the invite!

[quillnqueer]

This has the potential to fill the void left by Graveyard Shift

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything feels a little more chaotic at 3 a.m., and in The Insomniacs, Allison Winn Scotch captures that strange, vulnerable hour when your thoughts spiral and the world feels both quiet and overwhelming all at once. Published by Berkley Publishing Group, thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the gifted ARC.

This is one of those stories that sneaks up on you. At first glance, it’s about insomnia. Four strangers who can’t sleep find each other in an online group for night owls and restless minds. But what unfolds is much deeper than a shared sleep problem. It’s about loneliness, reinvention, secrets, and the unexpected people who show up when life feels stuck.

Sybil is an empty nester staring down a life that suddenly feels too quiet and a marriage that may not survive the silence. Zeke is a professional baseball pitcher whose career hangs in the balance after an injury leaves him questioning who he is without the game. Julian is a retired widower who carries both wisdom and unresolved ghosts from his past. And Betty is the guarded young waitress at the all-night diner where the group eventually begins meeting in person, someone who seems wary of kindness and even more wary of being seen.

What starts as late-night chats and cautious diner meetups slowly turns into something warmer and deeper. These four people, who have absolutely no reason to trust each other, begin forming a fragile little found family built on shared exhaustion and the honesty that tends to show up when people are tired enough to stop pretending.

And honestly? Watching that bond form was the real magic of this book.

The reading experience felt cozy but never boring. It has that comforting “midnight diner conversation” vibe where humor, vulnerability, and awkward honesty all mix together. The characters feel real in that slightly messy, complicated way that makes you root for them even when they’re frustrating. Sybil in particular has a strong personality that sometimes borders on controlling, but it also comes from a place of care that makes her impossible to completely dislike.

Then the story shifts.

Without giving anything away, the quiet rhythm of their late-night gatherings is suddenly interrupted when one member of the group disappears. And that’s when the book gently pivots into mystery territory. Suddenly these sleep-deprived strangers are piecing together clues, replaying conversations, and realizing they may not know each other quite as well as they thought.

What I appreciated most is that the mystery never overwhelms the emotional core of the story. Yes, there are twists, questions, and moments of tension, but the real heart of the book stays rooted in connection. It’s about what happens when people who feel invisible suddenly matter deeply to each other.

One line that stayed with me long after I finished was:

“Sometimes the people you meet in the middle of the night are the ones who see you most clearly.”

That idea runs through the entire novel. There’s something about those late hours when defenses drop and people speak more honestly than they do in daylight.

Reading The Insomniacs felt like settling into a worn diner booth with coffee that never quite runs out while strangers slowly become friends. It’s warm, thoughtful, occasionally funny, and just suspenseful enough to keep the pages turning. The pacing leans more character-driven than plot-heavy, which worked really well for me because I genuinely cared about what happened to each of these people.

If you love stories about found family, unlikely friendships, and the strange magic of human connection, this one will absolutely resonate. It’s especially perfect for readers who enjoy women’s fiction that blends emotional depth with a light mystery element. Think readers who appreciate character-rich stories where the relationships matter just as much as the plot.

By the time I finished the final pages, I felt like I had spent several sleepless nights alongside these characters, sharing their worries, their jokes, and their stubborn determination to show up for one another.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Four stars for a cozy, thoughtful story that reminds us how the most unexpected connections can change everything.

Now I’m curious… if you couldn’t sleep and had to spend the night talking with three strangers in an all-night diner, what would you talk about first?

#TheInsomniacs #AllisonWinnScotch #BookReview #NetGalley #ARCReview #BerkleyPublishing #WomensFiction #MysteryReads #FoundFamily #Bookstagram #ReadersOfInstagram #BookRecommendations #BookCommunity #CozyMysteryReads #CharacterDrivenBooks

[Julian Jones · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF Life’s too short to read bad books. At 100+ pages in, I knew The Insomniacs was a bad book. As other reviewers have complained, the author hammers her characters into a relationship very early on and based on nothing. Three insomniacs meet in an online forum (even there, they play sudoku together rather than get to know each other). Then they decide to take it to the streets, and, within 2 or 3 meet-ups, force a reluctant waitress to complete a rabidly intense mini community loosely based on their shared sleeping disorder which is hardly ever mentioned again. From there – despite whatever crime fiction we’ve been promised – the plot first spins its wheel on a budding romance between two of them – the two most loathsome of the four. Unrelatable characters are one thing; Sybil and Zeke are so void of personality there is nothing to do but hate them outright. They are tedious stereotypes: a bored, pampered housewife and an injured jock hook up – straight from the imagination of a puberty-compromised middle schooler (trust me). Julian and Betty show promise, and I wish them well in whatever plot this book may or may not eventually have, but more than anything I wish them escape from the soulless companionship of a foursome forced on them by the author. Neither of them ever wanted to be there. Me neither.

[Val · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sometimes a one star rating doesn't deserve the time it takes to write a review. Because I am an insomniac, I stayed up during the night to read this on my Kindle. Although the premise was intriguing, a group of insomniacs chatting online and deciding to meet in person, (not plausible) there could have been a better plot.

The characters were not well developed-not one of them. All very shallow and unbelievable. The story goes on and on not really giving the reader anything except what is Betty's full secret?

If you must read this, borrow it from the library. Life is too short and un-slept nights are too long.
I have deleted the book from my Kindle as I use my storage space and archives for better works.

[Jessica Strawser · Rating 5 out of 5]

The premise of this book won me over before I'd even cracked it open. I LOVE a good ensemble cast, and the unlikely combination of characters brought together by their middle-of-the-night restlessness kept me smiling ... and, ultimately, guessing, once they were tackling a true crime investigation of their own. THE INSOMNIACS is wholly original, compellingly written, and well worth staying up late for.

[Kristin Sommer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved everything about this book: the mystery, the found family, the characters finding themselves and standing up for themselves. All of it was just perfect.

[Aggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Insomniacs details a group of people with their wide-awake thoughts that led them to each other.

Main and Secondary Characters

Sybil - A true-crime-obsessed mother navigating an empty nest and the painful fallout of her husband's affair.

Zeke- A talented New York Mets pitcher grappling with anxiety and identity loss due to a career-threatening injury.

Betty- A guarded night-shift diner waitress whose abrupt disappearance and cryptic warning kickstart the book's mystery.

Julian- An elusive, grieving widower and former store owner trying to heal his broken relationship with his family.

Sybil was the lifeline amongst the four. With her curiosity and determination to help Betty, who turned out to be a former member of a cult.

I’ve enjoyed listening to this.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I only picked this up because I am also an insomniac, but I really did enjoy it

[gottalottie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was never invested in any part of this story except Sybil’s personal life

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

In The Insomniacs Allison Winn Scotch introduces four unlikely friends who find each other on an internet forum for insomniacs. For Sybil, a recent empty-nester whose husband is cheating on her, sleep has escaped her for too long. Julian, the elusive elder statesman of the group, had to retire due to stress-induced health complications but he can't let the past go. Pro baseball Zeke is facing an uncertain future with a devastating injury while diner waitress Betty fears if she closes her eyes for too long (figuratively and literally) her past will find her. Is it random that four strangers on the internet found each other in the masses of New York City? Bonding over their insomnia, they quickly become close, sharing more about their pasts and trying to help each other in the present. The story changes shape, however, when one of them goes missing. Just how far will this group of unlikely friends go to save one of The Insomniacs?

This was an unexpected novel in the sense that it doesn't fit into one genre-part general fiction and party mystery/thriller, Allison Winn Scotch has created a cast of memorable characters, Each chapter is told from one of their perspectives and provides unique insight into present circumstances, created by past events. This is a layered novel, with some twists and turns, and ultimately is a story of hope and friendship in unexpected places. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

[Aislinn · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

[3.75⭐️] This book was a good reminder that it’s fun to read outside of your usual types of books now and then! The characters of The Insomniacs instantly drew me in, with their very annoying and realistic flaws and also their relatability and their charms. The pacing slowed a little bit for me around the 3/4 mark but quickly picked back up, and I overall found it hard to put the book down. My interest is now peaked and I’ll be checking out more of Allison Winn Scotch’s work.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this one because I LOVE the author as a person. Unfortunately, it wasn’t for me. I wasn’t attached to any of the characters so it just ended up falling a bit flat. Great writing though!

[cursedb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was definitely one of the slowest slow-burn thrillers I’ve read, but I still really liked it. The book brings together multiple characters and explores their perspectives, backgrounds, and emotions, which is not an easy thing to balance, so I can appreciate the effort. That said, it takes quite a while to get to the main conflict. Nearly the first half of the book builds up to the central situation, which felt a bit frustrating at times and slowed the overall pacing. Even so, I found the characters engaging, and I genuinely enjoyed learning about their backstories and seeing how everything would eventually come together. I just wish the plot had moved a little faster.

[callistoscalling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher for a gifted copy; all thoughts are my own.

📖 Book Review 📖 Even in one of the world’s busiest cities, surrounded by crowds of people, loneliness is more common than people realize. And in New York, four unlikely strangers with a proclivity for sleepless nights, form a strangely endearing bond. Allison Winn Scotch writes a grown-up version of The Breakfast Club (but with a nocturnal twist), building in suspense as the four characters handle chaos in their own lives…and uncover buried secrets about each other. The Insomniacs is a twisty novel that has a little bit of everything, creating an eclectic and fun read.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! Strangers become like family, a thriller type mystery and just a tiny smidge of romance!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is about 4 insomniac New Yorkers who start spending time together. Sybil’s marriage is in trouble, Zeke is an injured pitcher for the Mets who may never play again, and Julian is retired and bored. They meet on an Internet forum about insomnia, and then add a 4th to their group when they meet at an all night diner and befriend their young waitress Betty, who is running from a mysterious past.

I’m an Allison Winn Scotch super fan - I’ve read every single book of hers since her debut almost 20 years ago, and her books have made multiple appearances on my top ten lists over the years. This one is quite different from her others - and I loved it! It’s an interesting blend of genres - found family, a little bit of romance, mystery and suspense, even a cult-like situation. And it was a great read with great characters!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my e-ARC (out 4/14/26); all opinions are my own.

[Alana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Berkeley for the ARC! This was a solid 4.5 stars that might creep up to 5 since it's been replaying in my mind since I finished it!

This book gave me the exact experience I love when reading: perfect pacing, endearing characters, a gripping mystery, and gorgeous descriptive language! Alison Winn Scotch describes mannerisms and emotional experiences in such a niche and universally understood way - it was an absolute joy to read and brought needed levity to the suspense and tension in the main plot.

I absolutely loved the found family element of this book - this group of people is the last bunch you'd expect to become fierce friends, which makes their journey all the more endearing. I also adored the casual New York-ness of this book; it doesn't overly romanticize the city, but perfectly captures how literally anything can happen in New York.

If you're a fan of Only Murders in the Building, I think you'll love this one!

[Amanda Farris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book. I loved the premise and thought it really interesting. But the story didn't deliver. The characters were not realistic. Come on, a famous ball player, a waitress on the run from a cult, a former FBI agent and a top Harvard graduate of medicine and soon to be divorced mom all getting together to solve a mystery? It's too unbelievable.
And I'll just say that Sybil is insufferable!! Her character annoyed me the entire novel. I would have given the book a one star if not for the interestingly wrapped up ending. But over all it was very disappointing.