A juicy, powerful read featuring twin sisters who have drifted apart, and the shocking family secrets that bind them—for readers of The Woman in Cabin 10 and I Let You GoWhen the past knocks, someone must answer. In a bustling suburban neighborhood in Manchester, England, sits an unassuming house. There is no sign of life behind the unwashed windows, but Robin Marshall is inside. Driven by fears … unwashed windows, but Robin Marshall is inside. Driven by fears and obsessions, racked by anxiety, Robin is frantically pushing her body through punishing workouts, eating little, haunted by what happened to her family when she was a girl. Robin’s only connection to the outside world is through her rear windows and the lives she spies upon in the apartment house across the way. Then a stranger starts pounding on her door.
Sarah Marshall is Robin’s twin, estranged from her sister after their parents’ betrayal and a violation at the hands of a man she should have been able to trust. Sarah has recently lost custody of the child she loves more than anything and has set off on her own, hoping that somewhere in England she can find Robin, the braver twin, the rock star, the survivor, the savior.
These two young women, polar opposites, cannot go on unless they reckon with the past. While Sarah, slowly unraveling, searches for her sister’s hiding place, Robin sees another life hanging in the balance in the lighted windows across the street. It is a life only Robin can save—as long as she never looks away.
In a novel that is stunning in its twists, shocks, and gripping psychological suspense, two sisters find themselves on the razor’s edge of sanity. Untold secrets, a ghastly lie, and suffocating guilt hold them back. Only one astounding act can set them free. And one last revelation will leave readers gasping in surprise.
Praise for Don’t Close Your Eyes
“[A] smartly plotted psychological thriller . . . [Holly] Seddon skillfully pieces together the now-estranged twins’ lives. . . . Plenty of last-minute bombshells await.”—Publishers Weekly
Praise for Holly Seddon’s Try Not to Breathe
“A razor-sharp, fast-paced plot and wonderfully complex characters . . . Not since The Girl on the Train have I been so captivated by a work of suspense.”—Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of I Know a Secret
“Delivers the high-quality thrills and intriguing characters that readers demand in the best of psychological thrillers.”—Associated Press
“A fast-paced debut about long-buried secrets and tangled truths.”—Kimberly McCreight, New York Times bestselling author of Where They Found Her
“Try not to breathe, try not to make plans, try not to commit to anything in fact till you have finished [Holly Seddon’s] debut novel, because we must warn you now—you’ll be fully hooked from page one.”—Glamour (U.K.)
“Fascinating . . . Seddon’s storytelling skills are strong and the book is engrossing.”—Kirkus Reviews
“A brilliant, beautifully written thriller.”—Augusten Burroughs, New York Times bestselling author of Running with Scissors
“This gripping thriller about family and redemption will keep readers engaged to the very end.”—Publishers Weekly
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Yes, a page turner. You don’t know what is going to happen next. As it moves back and forth through time you start to put the picture together, and then it leaves you going “What!?” at the end.
The book was a little different from what I normally read
Holly Seddon is great at writing believable, relatable characters. With themes of betrayal, guilt and mental health and totally unexpected twist I didn’t see coming, this was an unputdownable book that builds to an explosive ending. A very enjoyable read by one of my favorite authors.
Unfortunately, I gave up, after 10%. Just couldn’t get into it.
So this is the first book I have read by Holly Seddon and what a ride this was.
Thoroughly enjoyed all that is “Don’t close your eyes”
So, in a nutshell, this is the story of twin sisters Robin and Sarah and how events of the past can echo down into the future, poisoning lives and destroying relationships.
When the seeds are planted young it’s easy to see how they can gather momentum, snowballing out of control as time passes.
Don’t Close your eyes is told in such a way that each chapter gives a sister a voice both in the past and present.
We get to follow along and learn along the way what shapes the girl’s characters and each chapter grabs at you keeping you enthralled, making you want to turn the page for more.
Our Players in this are a diverse bunch, but by reading this we start to comprehend why they behave the way they do, and in some ways even understand, if not condone the choices made
Be prepared to reevaluate what you think you know as things aren’t always what they seem in this family saga.
I’ve been deliberately vague with this review on purpose, it would be so very easy to spoil this for other readers which I so do not want to do, I’ve tried to keep this short and sweet conveying impressions rather than facts.
I will say, Robin and Sarah, as twins may be complete opposites of each other but when the chips are down its family we rely on and turn to, no matter the distance and time transpired it’s our girl’s knee jerk reactions, and this is as it should be.
So this story was a very easy read, it captured me from the start. I found myself reading late into the night desperate to finish and reach its conclusion and when I actually got there, well let’s just say I really didn’t see that coming.
So if you want a book that is well written and full of family angst and drama, with twists and turns that you didn’t expect then give this a go, it’s a fabulous edition to its genre that I would definitely recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader copy Of Don’t Close Your Eyes.
Also not forgetting the author “Holly Seddon” for sharing such an enthralling piece of fiction it’s greatly appreciated so Thanks to.
This is my own personal unbiased opinion of Don’t close your eyes.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
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