What do you think?
Rate this book
Light Sleeper
152 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 30, 2026
About the author
Sean O'Leary
18 books21 followersWebsite:www.seanolearyauthor.org
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/oleary4119/
instagram 2:http://www.instagram.com/point_and_sh...
next chapter: https://nextchapter.pub/authors/sean-...
https://www.facebook.com/sean.oleary....
https://spillwords.com/author/seanole...
Sean O’Leary is a writer of crime and literary fiction from Melbourne, Australia. He has published five short story collections, two novellas, and four novels, as well as over forty-five individual short stories in journals. He walks through cities, along coasts, and on bush tracks. He takes photographs like a madman, does some drawing, and thinks test cricket is the greatest game of all.
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/oleary4119/
instagram 2:http://www.instagram.com/point_and_sh...
next chapter: https://nextchapter.pub/authors/sean-...
https://www.facebook.com/sean.oleary....
https://spillwords.com/author/seanole...
Sean O’Leary is a writer of crime and literary fiction from Melbourne, Australia. He has published five short story collections, two novellas, and four novels, as well as over forty-five individual short stories in journals. He walks through cities, along coasts, and on bush tracks. He takes photographs like a madman, does some drawing, and thinks test cricket is the greatest game of all.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 4, 2026
Thank you to Love Book Tours for the gifted copy of Light Sleeper and for my slot on the tour.
Light Sleeper has very strong themes of drugs and corruption throughout. There was also quite a few scenes of a sexual nature.
The story was full of dramatic events and although I found it to be a slow burner, there was quite a lot going on. The story jumps forward a couple of times to several months in the future.
The author was very descriptive and created a strong character in Jay.
Overall I found the story easy to follow and being a novella I read it quickly.
Light Sleeper has very strong themes of drugs and corruption throughout. There was also quite a few scenes of a sexual nature.
The story was full of dramatic events and although I found it to be a slow burner, there was quite a lot going on. The story jumps forward a couple of times to several months in the future.
The author was very descriptive and created a strong character in Jay.
Overall I found the story easy to follow and being a novella I read it quickly.
August 15, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️ A gritty 90s crime story about a man getting way more than he bargained for…
Light Sleeper had all the ingredients for a book I should have been completely hooked by. A 90s Australian setting, the darker side of Kings Cross, dodgy dealings, corrupt cops and 19-year-old Jay finding himself increasingly out of his depth.
I really liked the setting and the grittiness of the story. There’s something compelling about watching Jay make one decision after another that pulls him deeper into a world he clearly isn’t equipped for - you can see things starting to unravel long before he does.
But this was a bit of a mixed read for me. The timeline jumps around quite a lot and I sometimes found myself having to work out where I was in the story, which broke the flow. There were also parts that really pulled me in, followed by others where my attention started to drift.
I liked it, I just never felt completely invested - which makes this a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for me.
Light Sleeper had all the ingredients for a book I should have been completely hooked by. A 90s Australian setting, the darker side of Kings Cross, dodgy dealings, corrupt cops and 19-year-old Jay finding himself increasingly out of his depth.
I really liked the setting and the grittiness of the story. There’s something compelling about watching Jay make one decision after another that pulls him deeper into a world he clearly isn’t equipped for - you can see things starting to unravel long before he does.
But this was a bit of a mixed read for me. The timeline jumps around quite a lot and I sometimes found myself having to work out where I was in the story, which broke the flow. There were also parts that really pulled me in, followed by others where my attention started to drift.
I liked it, I just never felt completely invested - which makes this a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for me.
August 17, 2026
Thank you to LBT for having me on this book review tour and for my gifted copy of this epub
This cover was so well done. I loved it. Was so good and I liked how it drew me to this book.
I really enjoyed this book. Wasn’t that long of a book but dang did it pack a punch for sure !! It’s a book that will kinda stick with you long after it’s over. I mean least that’s my case.
I really liked the setting of this book it was set in Australia I want to go so badly. Jay is a 19 yr old we follow who somehow manages to get deeper and deeper into a world he knows nothing about.
I thought the writing of this book was so well done and descriptive I feel like I was I this book.
The book really stayed pretty intense the entire time which I really loved. Really kept me on my toes.
Overall this was a really good read I can’t wait for more from this author.
This cover was so well done. I loved it. Was so good and I liked how it drew me to this book.
I really enjoyed this book. Wasn’t that long of a book but dang did it pack a punch for sure !! It’s a book that will kinda stick with you long after it’s over. I mean least that’s my case.
I really liked the setting of this book it was set in Australia I want to go so badly. Jay is a 19 yr old we follow who somehow manages to get deeper and deeper into a world he knows nothing about.
I thought the writing of this book was so well done and descriptive I feel like I was I this book.
The book really stayed pretty intense the entire time which I really loved. Really kept me on my toes.
Overall this was a really good read I can’t wait for more from this author.
August 11, 2026
It’s a tight, gritty little crime story. The Kings Cross setting has a strong feel to it, though if you’re not familiar with that time and place it can be a bit hard to fully lock onto. The jumps between dates also throw the timeline around and left me a bit lost in places.
Still, the core idea of a young bloke in way over his head works well. Worth a look if you like straightforward Australian crime.
The plot was dark and gritty; I can only imagine how it is in real life. The book has got me even more curious about the underworld. I wanted to read more of those dark, gritty secrets of the city at night.
Still, the core idea of a young bloke in way over his head works well. Worth a look if you like straightforward Australian crime.
The plot was dark and gritty; I can only imagine how it is in real life. The book has got me even more curious about the underworld. I wanted to read more of those dark, gritty secrets of the city at night.
August 17, 2026
This was such a great book. Let’s get that out of the way right from the get go. It’s very fast paced and really gritty. The dialogue is very sharp and the characters are all fleshed out and believable. There’s a certain amount of jeopardy in the plot and while it’s billed as a crime novel, I think it also fits quite nicely into the thriller category as well. I was certainly on the edge of my seat and found it to be very compelling. I read in a couple of sittings because I didn’t want to put it down. This is my first time reading anything by this author and I am definitely going to explore his other projects. A gripping read, one not to be missed.
August 13, 2026
Light Sleeper is about a young man who gets caught up in the world of selling illegal substances. As the plot thickens he begins to realize that getting involved was much easier than getting out.
The story keeps the intensity of the trade throughout the entire book. Though, it occasionally skips months and leaves you a smidgen confused of what happened until everything begins to start clicking again.
The book wasn't a bad read. It offers a realistic look into the dangers of getting caught with certain groups of people and highlights the consequences that come with it.
The story keeps the intensity of the trade throughout the entire book. Though, it occasionally skips months and leaves you a smidgen confused of what happened until everything begins to start clicking again.
The book wasn't a bad read. It offers a realistic look into the dangers of getting caught with certain groups of people and highlights the consequences that come with it.
August 15, 2026
Light Sleeper is a gritty crime thriller about drug dealers and dirty cops and is set in Australia. Despite there being some content that wasn’t my cup of tea, it is overall a good story, and I enjoyed it! The premise was good. Out of all the characters, I only liked 2 of them, Jay and Ricky, as most everyone else was completely unlikable. I’m hoping there’s going to be a sequel because I have a couple of questions I hope will be answered. I rated Light Sleeper 4 out of 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
August 3, 2026
Only a short novella and yet Light Sleeper left a lasting impression. It's a dark read. The storyline is dramatic and gritty. The writing is incredibly descriptive. I felt like we deeply got to know the main character, Jay, over the course of the story.
The story takes us into the dangerous underground world of drugs during the 1990s. I was gripped and interested throughout, helped by the pace and time jumps.
The story takes us into the dangerous underground world of drugs during the 1990s. I was gripped and interested throughout, helped by the pace and time jumps.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews