Praying for Sleep (Paperback)

by Jeffrey Deaver (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
This engrossing thriller depicts the hunt for a 300-pound schizophrenic murderer who escaped from a New England asylum.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Deaver has published both general fiction and, under a pseudonym, some Edgar Award-winning mysteries, but the publisher sees this book as his breakout title. The antihero is a 28-year-old man who escapes from a hospital for the criminally insane. The 75,000-copy first printing speaks volumes.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Signet (December 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451181468
• ISBN-13: 978-0451181466
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,004,820 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read this on a dark and stormy night (but not alone)., February 15, 2000

By A Customer

Another fabulous thriller by Jeffery Deaver. All of his novels are based on a single premise - keep the reader entertained and involved and Praying for Sleep does just that.

Mental patient and convicted murderer Michael Hrubek escapes from the looney bin. The people that helped put him there, Lis and her husband have everything to fear when they hear he has escaped.

The head of the hospital covers up the disappearance and to make matters worse his therapist believes he is innocent. This leaves Lis afraid for her life...

Deaver's novels stand out from the pack for many reasons - the well drawn plot lines and characters and the plot twists and turns. This one has an ending that you will never forget. Praying for Sleep will do for dark and stormy nights what Jaws did for the ocean and psycho did for showers. Don't read this one alone....

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Below par for Deaver, November 24, 2000

By	mellion108 (Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews

Lis Atcheson thinks she has her life together after living through a horrifying experience. Then just as a storm is about to hit, she is told that Michael Hrubeck has escaped the mental hospital and is possibly on his way to find her. An all-out manhunt ensues, and Lis tries her best to storm-proof her farmhouse while looking over her shoulder for the man she testified against in a gruesome murder trial.
I liked the majority of this book. Hrubek takes on almost supernatural powers at times so that some of the book's situations are a bit unbelievable. But Deaver's strong abilities to create suspense and to keep the reader guessing are present throughout the book. The book could have benefitted from stronger editing; probably at least 150 pages could be omitted without compromising the story. Overall, this is a decent read. It's quick, it's Deaver, and there are some strong elements here. I give it 3 stars because I don't feel this is one of Deaver's better efforts and because if I'm recommending Deaver to a friend, I'd have to go with one of his more recent books (BONE COLLECTOR will forever be on the top of my recommendation list.)

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Add this to you list of Deaver reads, June 23, 2000

By	John R. Linnell (New Gloucester, ME United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This one is very different in some ways, from the other Deaver books I have read and I believe I have now read all of this last six or seven. I even had a little trouble getting started with this story and had to try it three times before I got to the point where I was easily turning the pages. The author continues to make you think one thing is happening for a certain reason when it is not. I have referred to this in other reviews as "illusional writing". He is a master at that. He deftly reveals pieces of the puzzle as to why Michael Hrubek has managed to escape from the hospital for the criminally insane where he had been sent to for murder. As Hrubek makes his way, confounding his pursuers, ever so surely and ever so cleverly towards the home of the woman who testified against him at his trial, Lis Atcheson, you will think you understand what is happening and why at numerous times. However, when you get to the end - well - that's the whole point of a Deaver book. The ending is always a delicious surprise...and this one - happily - is no exception.