The Sleepless: A page-turning thriller with a folk horror atmosphere

About this book

As Independent Scottish booksellers, we write all of our descriptions personally, we hope you enjoy this one.

Grafton is a single father working in local radio, harbouring a quiet hope of becoming a proper journalist. When he hears of a Scottish commune whose members believe sleep is a social construct, curiosity turns into something more urgent. The story carries an uneasy familiarity. His wife Liz once left him and their son Isaac for a similar group in India.

As Grafton begins to investigate, the boundaries between reporting and personal reckoning begin to blur. At the same time, Liz reaches out to Isaac, and they set off together towards the commune, each carrying their own questions and long absences.

What begins as an inquiry becomes a test of loyalty and belief. As the community tightens its hold and its practices grow more severe, Grafton is forced to decide what he is willing to risk. This is speculative literary fiction attentive to faith, obsession and the fragile bonds between parents and children.