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Sleeping Partner
‘In my mother’s house there was a framed photo of me playing about on the beach. The innocent little girl dragging her toy spade through the rippled sand, now the woman who killed her lover . . .’
A gripping courtroom thriller, seen through the eyes of the accused.
Clarissa Morland is twenty-seven, attractive, shy – and standing trial for the murder of her ex-lover John Grant.
John was shot at dawn as he answered the door of his isolated farmhouse. But Clarissa has no memory of this. All she can remember is being cut free from the wreckage of her car that same morning, after what looks like a frantic getaway.
As intimate details of her life and relationship are laid bare for the court, even Clarissa finds it hard to believe she is innocent. But murdering the man she loved in cold blood? She’s just not that evil – is she?
Praise for Sleeping Partner:
'A splendid debut in crime fiction.' - Colin Dexter
James Humphreys grew up in Cambridgeshire, in a village on the edge of the Fens with its own fair share of local passions and simmering feuds. He has travelled as a sales rep in Latin America and negotiated environment legislation in Brussels. Now he works at 10 Downing Street and lives in north London with his wife and baby daughter.
A gripping courtroom thriller, seen through the eyes of the accused.
Clarissa Morland is twenty-seven, attractive, shy – and standing trial for the murder of her ex-lover John Grant.
John was shot at dawn as he answered the door of his isolated farmhouse. But Clarissa has no memory of this. All she can remember is being cut free from the wreckage of her car that same morning, after what looks like a frantic getaway.
As intimate details of her life and relationship are laid bare for the court, even Clarissa finds it hard to believe she is innocent. But murdering the man she loved in cold blood? She’s just not that evil – is she?
Praise for Sleeping Partner:
'A splendid debut in crime fiction.' - Colin Dexter
James Humphreys grew up in Cambridgeshire, in a village on the edge of the Fens with its own fair share of local passions and simmering feuds. He has travelled as a sales rep in Latin America and negotiated environment legislation in Brussels. Now he works at 10 Downing Street and lives in north London with his wife and baby daughter.
307 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2000
About the author
James Humphreys
21 books2 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
James Humphreys (born 1967) is a British political analyst and author. He worked as a civil servant, negotiating environmental legislation with the European Union and later becoming Head of Corporate Communications at the Prime Minister's Office. He was Professor of Government at City University London from 2005 to 2009.[2]
He is a member of the Green Party and became chair of the party in 2008. He is an adviser to the Green Member of Parliament Caroline Lucas.
He further works as a political consultant, for the firm Woodnewton and is a trustee of the Woodland Trust.
(Source: Wikipedia)
James Humphreys (born 1967) is a British political analyst and author. He worked as a civil servant, negotiating environmental legislation with the European Union and later becoming Head of Corporate Communications at the Prime Minister's Office. He was Professor of Government at City University London from 2005 to 2009.[2]
He is a member of the Green Party and became chair of the party in 2008. He is an adviser to the Green Member of Parliament Caroline Lucas.
He further works as a political consultant, for the firm Woodnewton and is a trustee of the Woodland Trust.
(Source: Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 24, 2021
(review in English below)
Fiquei surpreendida por me ter mantido tão interessada no desfecho desta história, ao ponto de ter roubado algum tempo a outras tarefas para acabar o livro (daí as 3 estrelas).
Na verdade, para além da dúvida sobre se a narradora iria recuperar a memória, o resto da história não me despertou grande interesse. Até diria que não é propriamente um policial, mas explicar porquê implicaria alguns spoilers...
Depois de todo o suspense, o final foi muito abrupto e pouco satisfatório e alguns aspectos ficaram por explicar.
Se não tiverem mais nada para ler...
I was surprised that this book kept me so interested in knowing how the story would end, to the point of leaving other things behind so I could finish it (hence the 3 stars).
In fact, other than the doubt on whether or not the narrator would end up remembering what happened, the story didn't make it very far for me. I would even say this is not exactly a crime novel, but to explain why I would have to include spoilers...
After all the suspense, the ending was quite abrupt and unfulfilling, and some things were left unexplained.
If you don't have any other books to read...
Fiquei surpreendida por me ter mantido tão interessada no desfecho desta história, ao ponto de ter roubado algum tempo a outras tarefas para acabar o livro (daí as 3 estrelas).
Na verdade, para além da dúvida sobre se a narradora iria recuperar a memória, o resto da história não me despertou grande interesse. Até diria que não é propriamente um policial, mas explicar porquê implicaria alguns spoilers...
Depois de todo o suspense, o final foi muito abrupto e pouco satisfatório e alguns aspectos ficaram por explicar.
Se não tiverem mais nada para ler...
I was surprised that this book kept me so interested in knowing how the story would end, to the point of leaving other things behind so I could finish it (hence the 3 stars).
In fact, other than the doubt on whether or not the narrator would end up remembering what happened, the story didn't make it very far for me. I would even say this is not exactly a crime novel, but to explain why I would have to include spoilers...
After all the suspense, the ending was quite abrupt and unfulfilling, and some things were left unexplained.
If you don't have any other books to read...
September 26, 2019
It has been nearly nine months since the murder of John Grant and Clarissa Moorland still has no memory of the day. She was found in her wrecked car, badly injured, shortly after John's body was discovered. She spent weeks in hospital and eventually the police charged her with the murder.
This novel gives an account of her trial. She does not know whether she is guilty of John's murder or not as she simply has no memory. The police prosecutor wants to prove the case that they have built up but it becomes very obvious that once they latched onto the possibility of Clarissa's guilt, the police did not follow up other possibilities. It is almost as if they concluded she was guilty and then set about fitting the facts to their conclusion.
The witnesses for the prosecution include those who want to make a name for themselves, and among the witnesses are surprisingly some people who believe Clarissa is innocent. There are of course those who are carrying out their own private vendetta.
The story is rather slow at times as Clarissa considers the idea that she may be guilty and looks at what the future may hold for her. Despite the slow pace, it raises some interesting considerations, and made intriguing reading.
I think I will definitely be looking for another by this author.
This novel gives an account of her trial. She does not know whether she is guilty of John's murder or not as she simply has no memory. The police prosecutor wants to prove the case that they have built up but it becomes very obvious that once they latched onto the possibility of Clarissa's guilt, the police did not follow up other possibilities. It is almost as if they concluded she was guilty and then set about fitting the facts to their conclusion.
The witnesses for the prosecution include those who want to make a name for themselves, and among the witnesses are surprisingly some people who believe Clarissa is innocent. There are of course those who are carrying out their own private vendetta.
The story is rather slow at times as Clarissa considers the idea that she may be guilty and looks at what the future may hold for her. Despite the slow pace, it raises some interesting considerations, and made intriguing reading.
I think I will definitely be looking for another by this author.
March 22, 2019
It was good... but not great. I am still not completely sure how I feel about this book, but these are my initial thoughts.
I liked the style of the novel (a court thriller) but often felt let down by the fact that there was very little action considering the premise and that the main character was often quite emotionless. There were brief moments in which I felt connected to various relationships extending from the main character but these were rare. I understand the fact that the main character’s reaction to the events happening around her could be of disassociation, but, her emotional state remained much the same and barely changed throughout. I didn’t feel as though there was as much ‘growth’ as you would expect to see from someone in that situation. Overall, I felt as though something was missing~ as to what, I am not too sure. There was no real purpose or sense of direction in the narrative and as a reader, I didn’t feel as though I could clearly place myself in the character’s world.
There is room for improvement, considering this is the author’s debut novel. I wouldn’t mind reading another novel from this author at a later stage as a comparison.
I liked the style of the novel (a court thriller) but often felt let down by the fact that there was very little action considering the premise and that the main character was often quite emotionless. There were brief moments in which I felt connected to various relationships extending from the main character but these were rare. I understand the fact that the main character’s reaction to the events happening around her could be of disassociation, but, her emotional state remained much the same and barely changed throughout. I didn’t feel as though there was as much ‘growth’ as you would expect to see from someone in that situation. Overall, I felt as though something was missing~ as to what, I am not too sure. There was no real purpose or sense of direction in the narrative and as a reader, I didn’t feel as though I could clearly place myself in the character’s world.
There is room for improvement, considering this is the author’s debut novel. I wouldn’t mind reading another novel from this author at a later stage as a comparison.
August 17, 2024
It had an intriguing premise, but unfortunately, it failed to live up to expectations. The plot had potential, focusing on complex relationships and the nuances of business and personal alliances. However, the execution left much to be desired.
The pacing was uneven, with some parts dragging on while others felt rushed. The characters lacked depth, making connecting with or caring about their outcomes hard. Additionally, the writing style felt stilted at times, detracting from the overall narrative flow.
While the book had a few moments of genuine tension, they were too few and far between to keep me fully engaged. The story could have benefited from more development and stronger editing to tighten the loose ends.
Overall, "Sleeping Partners" was a disappointing read. Despite the occasional glimmer of potential, it ultimately fell flat and failed to deliver a compelling or memorable experience.
The pacing was uneven, with some parts dragging on while others felt rushed. The characters lacked depth, making connecting with or caring about their outcomes hard. Additionally, the writing style felt stilted at times, detracting from the overall narrative flow.
While the book had a few moments of genuine tension, they were too few and far between to keep me fully engaged. The story could have benefited from more development and stronger editing to tighten the loose ends.
Overall, "Sleeping Partners" was a disappointing read. Despite the occasional glimmer of potential, it ultimately fell flat and failed to deliver a compelling or memorable experience.
February 18, 2019
total dud. This book was such a dud, it didn't even entertain me for a few hours. Everything about it was dull and flat. The plot itself and the characters were incredibly boring. There was no sense of place or purpose; I didn't get immersed in the storyworld as I usually do, regardless of the genre. I didn't care of she did it or not, was not intrigued. It felt like a bunch of cardboard pieces were being moved around on a stage without a director, without a script, without a set. It was very colourless. The ending was a big yawn. Anti-climactic.
March 22, 2021
"A gripping courtroom thriller, seen through the eyes of the accused." Not what I would call a thriller.
However, I found the story had me from the start. There are many stories about someone who has amnesia. Most of them do not work. This one does. You will believe she really doesn't remember anything that happened that morning, and why she can't remember. AND why she shouldn't want to remember.
"The eyes of the accused." Yes, Clarrie had me inside her head as she weighed the consequences of her actions. Her actions?
No, she couldn't have done it; unless she did.
However, I found the story had me from the start. There are many stories about someone who has amnesia. Most of them do not work. This one does. You will believe she really doesn't remember anything that happened that morning, and why she can't remember. AND why she shouldn't want to remember.
"The eyes of the accused." Yes, Clarrie had me inside her head as she weighed the consequences of her actions. Her actions?
No, she couldn't have done it; unless she did.
June 3, 2019
Courtroom Drama
I love a gripping courtroom drama as much as the next person. This book lived up to my expectations and delivered. Intensity runs consistently throughout this novel and keeps you hanging until the final chapter. Definitely didn't end the way I expected . A thorough page turner!!
I love a gripping courtroom drama as much as the next person. This book lived up to my expectations and delivered. Intensity runs consistently throughout this novel and keeps you hanging until the final chapter. Definitely didn't end the way I expected . A thorough page turner!!
March 27, 2019
A história é um pouco monótona e sem grandes desenvolvimentos. Não foi uma leitura que me agradasse.
January 12, 2021
História bem elaborada e cativante. Esperava um final mais "aceso".
May 28, 2021
I don't want to be cruel but I took around 8 months to go through that one week of thoughts and emotions and court trial in the story. Only because I wanted to read something and finish the book. But, it was just impossible. After 'Thursday afternoon', I lost patience and directly browsed through the last chapter. The concept was good but I just didn't see the need for the reader to know ALL the thoughts of the protagonist. I think even the editors got bored of reading, because after a few chapters I found a few grammatical errors, too. Cannot blame them.
October 23, 2012
Original e interessante!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews