Don't Wake Up: A Novel

by Liz Lawler

Overview

A harrowing psychological thriller debut about a woman who awakens after an assault with no physical proof of the attack and who must try to convince everyone of what really happened.

When Dr. Alex Taylor opens her eyes, she is hooked up to an IV, is bound to an operating table, and her legs are raised in stirrups. Disoriented and alarmed, she assumes she's been anesthetized and brought to surgery after being in an accident. But the man standing over her, with his face hidden behind a surgical mask and wielding instruments, is no doctor she recognizes at the hospital where she works as a successful and respected doctor. He’s a stranger—and he’s calmly and methodically telling her how he's about to attack her. Before Alex can even scream for help, she succumbs to another dose of anesthesia, rendering her unable to defend herself….

When she comes to on a gurney, she finds herself surrounded by her colleagues and immediately reports the attack and rape. The police are skeptical of her bizarre story. And after a physical exam reveals no proof of any attack, even her boyfriend has doubts. Despite Alex's adamant claims, no one believes her, leaving her to wonder if she has, in fact, lost her mind.

Until she meets the next victim…

An edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller, Don't Wake Up is also a provocative, timely exploration of victimhood, abuse, and the discrediting of women in our culture.

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062876140
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	04/16/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	366
Sales rank:	810,217
File size:	942 KB

About the Author

Born in Chatham, England, and partly raised in Dublin, Ireland, Liz Lawler is one of fourteen children and grew up sharing socks, pants, stuffed bras, and a table space to eat at. Liz spent more than twenty years working as a nurse, and has since worked as a flight attendant and as the general manager of a five-star hotel. She now lives in Bath with her husband. Don’t Wake Up is her first novel.

Editorial Reviews

Winter 2018

DEBUT Dr. Alex Taylor awakens in her own hospital's operating theater. To her horror, she realizes she's the victim of an assault in progress. Her masked captor asks, "What does 'no' mean?" The next time Alex comes to, she's in the emergency room. As she explains what happened, her boyfriend Patrick and the hospital staff react with barely contained skepticism. As the police investigation takes off, Alex goes from victim to prime suspect. When more deaths occur, her behavior becomes increasingly erratic. Lawler sets the tone immediately, with a terrifyingly uncomfortable scene that's so intense, even the most jaded crime fiction readers might cringe. Although Patrick stands by Alex, he doesn't believe her story, nor do the police. Even her closest friends question her sanity. Meanwhile, Alex is taunted by her attacker, forcing her to turn to an unlikely ally for support. VERDICT Lawler's disturbing, unconventional, and often distressing debut successfully examines the struggle for credibility even the most successful and respected women face when reporting a crime. Fans of dark psychological thrillers will find this one hard to put down. [See Prepub Alert, 8/10/18.]—Julie Whiteley, Stephenville, TX

Library Journal

12/03/2018
At the start of British author Lawler’s intense first novel, doctor Alex Taylor wakes up on an operating table, disoriented and constrained, and a man dressed as a doctor describes how he’s going to torture her. The last thing Alex remembers is leaving her shift at the hospital in suburban England, where she’s employed, and walking through the car park to meet her boyfriend, Patrick. When she comes to again, Alex is in her own department at the hospital, and, though she keeps explaining what’s happened to her, the story is too outlandish for anyone to believe. Her status as one of the hospital’s top doctors and her relationship with Patrick both begin to crumble, and she has to wonder whether she’s having a breakdown after all. But a breakdown doesn’t explain why people around her keep getting hurt. Lawler creates a diverse cast of characters and toggles between them seamlessly to create an exciting narrative, from the police chief inexplicably drawn to help Alex to the officer determined to lock her up. Readers will look forward to her next psychological thriller. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

A compelling read with believable, memorable characters and an exciting setting that will appeal to fans of Grey’s Anatomy and psychological thrillers like Alice LaPlante’s Turn of Mind.” — Booklist

“an intense first novel . . . Lawler creates a diverse cast of characters and toggles between them seamlessly to create an exciting narrative, from the police chief inexplicably drawn to help Alex to the officer determined to lock her up. Readers will look forward to her next psychological thriller.” — Publishers Weekly

“Lawler’s disturbing, unconventional, and often distressing debut successfully examines the struggle for credibility even the most successful and respected women face when reporting a crime. Fans of dark psychological thrillers will find this one hard to put down.” — Library Journal

“A startling, gripping debut about a woman who wakes up to find she’s being operated on by a stranger who is certainly not a medical professional, then can’t convince anyone that the attack was real. Don’t Wake Up is a penetrating, spine-chilling debut that explores issues of trauma, disbelief, communication, and power, all set within a genuinely page-turning story of suspense.” — Crimereads

From the Publisher

A compelling read with believable, memorable characters and an exciting setting that will appeal to fans of Grey’s Anatomy and psychological thrillers like Alice LaPlante’s Turn of Mind.

Booklist

A startling, gripping debut about a woman who wakes up to find she’s being operated on by a stranger who is certainly not a medical professional, then can’t convince anyone that the attack was real. Don’t Wake Up is a penetrating, spine-chilling debut that explores issues of trauma, disbelief, communication, and power, all set within a genuinely page-turning story of suspense.

Crimereads

A compelling read with believable, memorable characters and an exciting setting that will appeal to fans of Grey’s Anatomy and psychological thrillers like Alice LaPlante’s Turn of Mind.

Booklist