The Sleep Of The Dead

by Tom Bradby

The brutal murder of Sarah Ford and the disappearance of her six-year-old daughter, Alice, shattered the rural serenity of Julia Havilland's childhood. But these are not the only scars that have resolutely refused to heal. Shortly afterwards, Colonel Mitchell Havilland sacrificed himself on a Falklands hillside in an act of characteristic - but baffling - heroism. When Julia comes home from China fifteen years later, it is to a place of ghosts.

Whilst she awaits the outcome of the enquiry that seems destined to end her short but spectacular career in military intelligence, Julia is drawn back across the landscape of the past, to find that it is not just the tortured image of her much-loved father that returns to haunt her. Everything she has ever believed in and lived for has suddenly been called into question, and unless she confronts her demons, she will not survive. For there have been other deaths, and the dead will not sleep...

At once a race-against-the-clock thriller and a complex psychological drama where the memories of the past conflict with knowledge of the present, The Sleep of the Dead is a stunning read on any level and more than confirms Tom Bradby as one of this country's foremost thriller writers.

Praise for Shadow Dancer:

'Quite exceptional...Tom Bradby succeeds in creating real characters. Far too many novels take refuge in cliché and caricature - Bradby refuses to. The language, the tension, the fear - all are portrayed vividly and correctly...A taut, compelling story of love and torn loyalties'

Daily Telegraph

'A remarkable first novel...Bradby handles the tension with skill to produce a gripping tale'

The Times

'The best book on the northern conflict since Harry's Game...An excellent read on any level. It scores heavily as a thriller and as an accurate unblinking look at what is happening right now'

Irish Independent

Genres: Fiction, Mystery

421 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 20, 2001

About the author

Tom Bradby is a British journalist and novelist. He has been political editor for ITV News since July 2005.

Reviews

[Bookish Enchantment (Katherine Quirke) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whilst not sit on the edge of your seat stuff this novel will certainly keep you engrossed. The novel provides for great visualisation whilst keeping you guessing to the end.

A well thought out who dun-nit incorporating psychological drama.

You will find this a great novel for a cosy curl up read.

[David Lowther · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read and been impressed by Tom Bradby's novel Shadow Dancer, I was disappointed with The Sleep of the Dead. Shadow Dancer was totally credible and a lot better than the film based on the book. The Sleep of the Dead has a narrative that's a real mess with a number of deaths seemingly linked in a most unlikely fashion.

On the other hand, the characters are quite interesting although I could empathise with only a tiny number of them. Nor could the writing be faulted - few, if any, wasted words.

I won't let my disappointment prevent me from reading more of Tom Bradby's novels in the months to come.

David Lowther. Author of The Blue Pencil, Liberating Belsen, Two Families at War and The Summer of '39, all published by Sacristy Press.

[Anne Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit confused in places, not as good as others.

[Jia Cherng · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal, thrilling and soul-gripping. The characters and scene takes some time to get warm too, but as the story unravels, constant suspicion and fear envelopes Julia and makes it a thrilling psychological ride to discover the truth. Yes, the discovery of the despicable truth may be worse than the suspicion of it, but truth must prevail for trust to persevere.

Self-dependence is another central message throughout the story, it can only take you so far, a person must have a community and trust in others to truly live.

A truly good novel with many underlying message that should resonate with a large number of audience.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this even though it's very slow-moving. A past murder in a small English village is investigated anew when the original conviction is overturned. Was it just a technicality? Has the real killer been living quietly in town for the past fifteen years? Or are a daughter's memories of her war-hero father going to be destroyed?

[Stewart Gedrim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disparate

I couldn't get engaged in this. I found the back stories a bit pointless, there only to prop up the characters and there not really credible. I've read 4 decent books of Tom Bradbury's but this was not for me. I'll be taking a break from his books for a bit. Rather disappointed. A personal view that's all.

[Michael Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast paced, brilliant take that pulls you in from the get go

I wish I’d discovered Bradby 20 years ago. This is a fascinating tale where the lead character Julia is carrying her cloud from Army Intelligence back home, finding a legacy mystery that leads to events during Julia’s childhood. Well twisted, yet quite straightforward. Recommend!

[Ron Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A complicated story kept me guessing till the end. I really enjoy Bradby. Will read all of his books

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was slow to get started, but once the story started to unfold, it became a book I couldn't put down

[Stuart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not his best.....if anything its a bit of a plod along read with a confused storyline (for me at least). Disappointed given his other books I have read

[HUGH B JENYNS · Rating 4 out of 5]

sleep of the dead

A good read which held my attention
However the Rigby character appears to be a loose end unless I have missed something

[Jak60 · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story made me salivate with an opening hinting at some espionage intrigue in China to then depart on a tangent leading to a totally different space, ie a murder case occurred 15years earlier in a small village in Southern England. From the point, the book keeps ruminating the same events for hundreds of pages without advancing this new story by one inch and abandoning completely the China thing.
I lost count of how many times the protagonist is asked "are you alright?" but it must be in the high two digits.
All in all, my worst experience with Bradby's work so far (the Secret Service trilogy and Yesterday's Spy were great reads, The God Of Chaos also pretty good).

After reading all of Mr. Bradby's books, I can say he's an author guaranteeing a pretty stable and high level of quality. Mr Bradby uses a well functioning formula without becoming formulaic (quite the sweet spot): an ordinary crime is committed, a smart and earnest detective scratches beyond the surface and keeps digging; so the ordinary crime unravel a much wider and more complex plot. "Noir" atmosphere (bordering the "hard-boiled"), finely chiseled characters, a dash a romance, all interwoven into a thick historical backdrop; this is the formula of most of Bradby's books. The first 6 are mainly historical fiction while in the last 4 the author has redirected his focus to the world of espionage.

For potential new readers of this author, here's my two cents:

Outstanding
Blood Money

Very Good
The God Of Chaos
Yesterday's Spy

Good
Secret Service trilogy (includes Double Agent and Triple Cross)
The White Russian
The Master Of Rain

So-So
Shadow Dancer

Bad
The Sleep Of The Dead

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent read right down to the last few pages..