If you're reading this, I'm dead . . . A heart-stopping thriller from the master of the moral dilemma and Sunday Times bestselling author.
‘Grabs you in the gut and doesn’t let go’ Jo Spain, author of The Confession
‘You won’t sleep a wink’ Lesley Kara, author of The Rumour
‘A heart-breaking, heart-stopping read’ Lauren North, author of The Perfect Betrayal
Rejected by her family and plagued by insomnia, Rose Shaw is unravelling day by day.
Her life is a blur of exhaustion, until one evening a man running through the streets collides with her before quickly vanishing, dropping a journal at her feet.
Inside are Finn Matthews' frantic, desperate words. He was convinced he was being hunted. Now he's missing, and nobody is looking for him.
Rose decides to dedicate her sleepless nights to obsessively search for answers about what happened to Finn. Why did he think someone wanted to kill him? And why, in the midst of a string of murders, won't the police investigate his disappearance?
The deeper Rose digs, the more determined she becomes to uncover the truth. But she has no idea what it will cost her…
I'm delighted to be taking part in the Jack Jordan blogathon. This months, its the turn of Night by Night to take the spotlight. Many thanks to Simon and Schuster for my digital copy of the novel and to Tracy Fenton for inviting me.
I went into Night by Night without reading the blurb and so I had no idea what to expect. The slow-burning early chapters were harrowing but just as I began to question whether my sympathy for Rose was limitless, a chance encounter changed everything and this exciting psychological thriller is undoubtedly my favourite Jack Jordan book to date.
The depiction of Rose Shaw's crippling insomnia is excellent throughout Night by Night and it's impossible not to feel for her as she struggles to be there for her family. The gradual unfolding of events which results in a heartbreaking tragedy is desperately poignant but although Rose is to blame, her actions are understandable given the circumstances. Years later, she is still suffering the cataclysmic fallout from that night and has almost stagnated as guilt and loss has ripped her family apart. I felt deep pity for Rose at this point but struggled to empathise with her husband, Christian in the same way and although there are far more depraved and corrupt figures in the book, I found my detached dislike of him to be fascinating.
When a journal falls into Rose's hands after a chance encounter between her and a stranger in a hurry, her sad life changes irrevocably. Her transformation from somebody cowed and beaten by her loss to a resolute, courageous woman intent on seeking the truth makes for an intense, compulsive read. She is desperate to uncover the truth about Finn Matthews disappearance but despite his heartrending journal and his assertion that if it has fallen into somebody else's possession, it means he is dead, the police don't seem interested.
Rose is convinced there is more to the story, however and as the tension ratchets up, it appears she is right. It becomes terrifyingly obvious that people are determined to prevent the truth coming to light and she is tested to her physical and psychological limits in this gripping thriller. Throughout the book there are also heartbreaking excerpts from Finn's journal as well as chilling scenes featuring other men who are clearly victims of an unknown killer. As Rose's investigation leads her to other tragedies, Night by Night is also a sobering exploration of institutional prejudice and corruption and although it is a work of fiction, the brutality of the police and the judgmental attitudes of society are clearly rooted in reality.
The nail-biting climax to this enthralling, poignant mystery is breathtakingly nightmarish; without giving too much away, anybody who suffers from claustrophobia should take this as a warning,,,! Night by Night is a cleverly plotted thriller packed with twists and turns but it is also a searing social commentary and an empathetic portrayal of loss and redemption. I tore through the pages and highly recommend it!
Night by Night is published by Simon & Schuster, purchasing links can be found here.
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About the Author
Jack Jordan is the global number one bestselling author of Anything for Her (2015), My Girl (2016), A Woman Scorned (2018), Before Her Eyes (2018) and Night by Night (2019). His thriller, Do No Harm, was an instant Times bestseller and shortlisted for the Most Recommended Book in the DeadGood Reader Awards. Coined the thriller of the summer for 2022, it was described as “relentlessly tense” by Sunday Times Bestseller Lesley Kara, and “Chilling and perfectly paced” by New York Times Bestseller Sarah Pearse. The idea for Do No Harm came to Jack after undergoing a minor medical procedure where he had to be sedated and trust strangers with his welfare. After the anaesthesia wore off, Jack began scribbling his notes, wondering to himself just how iron-clad a surgeon’s oath is, and what it would take to break it…
Conviction, was published in June 2023 and featured in Cosmopolitan’s ‘best new books out in June’ round-up, it was also chosen as one of the June featured books by Magic Radio’s Book Club and the audiobook was selected for Fingerprint Award at Capital Crime 2024.
His most recent book, Redemption was published in June 2024.
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