Stay Awake

In Stay Awake, a mind-bending murder mystery from Megan Goldin (The Escape Room), an exhausted woman tries to enter her apartment and is baffled to learn not only that it is occupied by other people but also that she hasn't lived there for two years.

It's 2:42 a.m. in New York City. Liv Reese has forgotten her keys and buzzes her roommate, Amy, to let her in. The people who answer the intercom have never heard of Amy or Liv. There is writing on Liv's body: her fingers tell her to "STAY AWAKE"; her forearms declare the words "DON'T TRUST ANYONE"; and above her right wrist is the name of a bar called Nocturnal. A search of her pockets reveals more than $1,000 in cash and a blood-soaked knife wrapped in a T-shirt. Liv quickly dumps the knife and hails a cab for Nocturnal. The bartender greets her warmly, although she has no recollection of ever being there. Liv is not suffering from a head injury, nor is she drunk or dreaming--but she is experiencing a very real nightmare. Before she can unravel what's going on in this taut, seemingly sci-fi mystery, she must evade someone who wants her dead and the police who want her for murder.

Masterfully told in two timelines, Goldin's novel is simultaneously intriguing and horrifying. Readers stay confused, right alongside the heroine, as to what has happened and what is happening. And while there are a few red herrings that don't quite work, the plot is undeniably bizarre and plausible. Stay Awake is a compelling read, all the way to the end. --Paul Dinh-McCrillis, freelance reviewer

Powered by: Xtenit