ARC Review: Sleep No More by Jayne Ann Krentz

Sleep No More
Author: Jayne Ann Krentz
Series: The Lost Night Files (Book 1)
Publication: Berkley (January 3, 2023)

Description: New York Times bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz returns with the first novel of the Lost Night Files, an exciting new romantic suspense trilogy about a night that changed three women forever—but that none of them can remember.

Seven months ago, Pallas Llewellyn, Talia March, and Amelia Rivers were strangers, until their fateful stay at the Lucent Springs Hotel. An earthquake and a fire partially destroyed the hotel, but the women have no memory of their time there. Now close friends, the three women co-host a podcast called the Lost Night Files, where they investigate cold cases and hope to connect with others who may have had a similar experience to theirs—an experience that has somehow enhanced the psychic abilities already present in each woman.

After receiving a tip for their podcast, Pallas travels to the small college town of Carnelian, California, to explore an abandoned asylum. Shaken by the dark energy she feels in the building, she is rushing out when she’s stopped by a dark figure—who turns out to be the women's mysterious tipster.

Ambrose Drake is certain he’s a witness to a murder, but without a body, everyone thinks he’s having delusions caused by extreme sleep deprivation. But Ambrose is positive something terrible happened at the Carnelian Sleep Institute the night he was there. Unable to find proof on his own, he approaches Pallas for help, only for her to realize that Ambrose, too, has a lost night that he can’t remember—one that may be connected to Pallas. Pallas and Ambrose conduct their investigation using the podcast as a cover, and while the townsfolk are eager to share what they know, it turns out there are others who are not so happy about their questions—and someone is willing to kill to keep the truth from coming out.

My Thoughts: This was the first book in Krentz's The Lost Night Files trilogy. Three women had an unusual experience one night. Strangers until their lost night, Pallas, Talia, and Amelia have banded together to support each other since the night seems to have enhanced their psychic gifts. They have begun a podcast which explores unusual things. 

Ambrose Drake is a writer who also experienced a lost night which also enhanced his psychic gifts. But without support, he has been afraid that he is losing his mind. He knows that he has developed insomnia to keep him from sleepwalking himself into danger. When he spends that night at a clinic that specializes in sleep disorders and thinks that he witnessed a murder, he calls on the ladies of the Lost Night podcast to help him investigate.

Pallas answers his call which takes her to Carnelian, California, where the sleep clinic is and where there is also an old, abandoned asylum. Their first meeting doesn't seem propitious. She is frightened by him and by the atmosphere of the old asylum. 

Where Ambrose has an enhanced ability to see auras and take fast action based on what he sees, Pallas uses a sort of dream state to do automatic drawings which show her the past in a cryptic sort of way. She also can feel emotions in places and has been getting clumsier as she tries to avoid hot spots only she can sense. She can also use her new paranormal senses to calm violent emotions of the person with the emotions is touching her. She is an interior decorator who uses her gift to fine tune spaces. 

Both of them have lost relationships because of their new gifts, though Pallas's ex has followed her to Carnelian to propose a new business venture. Their relationship broke down when she scared him with her gift. 

Pallas and Ambrose find more than they bargained for in Carnelian. A shady sleep clinic, a drug ring, a college teetering on the edge of disaster, and a few assorted murders should make it hard for anyone to find a new relationship, but Pallas and Ambrose to fall in love and find lots of answers. 

Because this is the first book in a trilogy, there are still lots of answers to be found. Why is someone using illegal drugs and experiments to enhance psychic gifts? How were the people who were enhanced found and chosen for these experiments? We will need to wait for Talia and Amelia's stories to find the answers. 

This was an engaging romantic suspense story with interesting characters. I liked the relationship between Ambrose and Pallas who are both determined to find answers. 

Favorite Quote:

Ron squinted at him. "Someone said you were a writer."

"Yep."

"What name do you write under?"

"My own," Ambrose said. 

"Huh. I've never heard of you."

"I get that a lot," Ambrose said. "About our questions."

"What kind of stuff do you write?"

"Thrillers," Ambrose said.

"Cool," Ron said. He paused. "I don't read a lot of fiction,"

"You'd be amazed how many people tell me that," Ambrose said.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.