I'll Sleep When You're Dead by E.A. Aymar

I'll Sleep When You're Dead Reviews

• 
  Ryan

  Great Book
  
  This is a great example of a hard boiled crime novel. It tells the story of Tom Starks (a widower, single dad, and college professor), who decides to take revenge on the man who murdered his. It was a very good story, and l inked the main character, althouh he more fit into the anti hero or vigilante category. The book is very good too with a few good twists and a great ending.
• 
  Caroline Bock

  I usually don't read novels like E.A. Aymar's terrifically subversive crime thriller, I'll Sleep When You're Dead. But one thing grabbed me: Tom Starks, the main character, the husband of a murdered wife, Renee, the father of adopted Julie, the tormented lover of Alison, is an adjunct English teacher at a community college in Baltimore seeing revenge on his wife's murder. It's the last part that hooked me—an erudite, frustrated teacher of English composition and lit turned revenge-seeker (as a former adjunct English professor, I could feel his pain:). There's a lot of required twists and turns, some predictable, especially toward the middle of the novel. But, overall, E.A. Aymar's novel is a fun, frothy, literate read— a terrific summer choice for anybody, but it may be particular delight for those teachers of required composition and lit courses out there! This is the first in a trilogy... and I'll be eager to read more!
• 
  Amanda

  I’m glad to say that this thriller does not disappoint, although it goes in a bit of a different direction than I originally anticipated. And that’s a good thing.
  
  The main character is not who you usually see from a thriller with a person seeking violent justice. He’s bookish. Rather weak and simpering. Afraid of his own brother-in-law, who used to be a boxer. But he was madly in love with Renee, and so when her supposed killer is released, he becomes obsessed with making him dead. The catch is, Tom quickly figures out that maybe he’s not cut out to do the killing himself, and that’s where the book gets unique and interesting. I was expecting from the title and description to see a typical bad-ass main character chase down a killer around the country (or the world) and ultimately get his revenge. That is not at all the story we get, and yet, it is still thrilling. There is still violence and chase scenes, it’s just they aren’t the ones you usually see in a book like this. And that helps it. That helps keep the thrill level up, since it’s so much harder to predict what’s going to come next. Tom, with his weakness and inability to parent well, is almost an anti-hero, and yet we keep rooting for him because his grief for his wife is so powerful and relatable. It’s strong characterization and plotting mixed into one.
  
  The scenes where Tom is seen teaching The Count of Monte Cristo at the community college where he works slow the thrill down. They feel a bit too aware of themselves, with comparison between The Count of Monte Cristo and the plot in this book. Plus scenes of classroom literary analysis simply slow the thrilling plot of the book down. The one scene where it really works is one scene in which Tom is freaking out about his own life so much that he fails at teaching well. This establishes that Tom’s life is starting to get out of control. Overall, though, there are just too many scenes of him teaching for a thriller.
  
  The setting of Baltimore is interesting, and I was glad to see that it wasn’t set in the more stereotypical Washington D.C. Aymar writes Baltimore beautifully. I’ve never been there, but I truly felt as if I was there, seeing both the run-down aspects, as well as the beauty. I often end up skimming over setting descriptions, but Aymar’s drew me in.
  
  The plot has just enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing, but not so many that the reader feels jerked around. Also, the plot twists stay rooted in reality. I could truly see this happening in the real world, and that makes a thriller more thrilling.
  
  Overall, this is a unique thriller, with its choice to cast the opposite of a bad-ass in the role of the main character. This grounds the typical revenge plot into reality, lends itself to more interesting, unique plot twists, and has the interesting aspect of a flawed, nearly anti-hero main character that the reader still roots for. Recommended to thriller fans looking for something different and those interested in first dipping their toe into the thriller genre.
  
  Check out my
  full review.
  
  Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review
• 
  Mary Overton

  I once heard “noir” defined as “sleazy people in sleazy situations.”
  E.A. Aymar’s thriller, “I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead” is a fresh twist on noir - a painfully square and squeaky-clean guy sucked into sleaze that he never realized was around him all along.
  “‘I know you’ll do the right thing,’” reassures our hero’s friend, but “He couldn’t have been more wrong …”
  Over and over, our hero tumbles, fumbles, and skids into situations far outside his league, his life collapsing as things go from bad to worse to catastrophic, but always with a surprise for the characters and for the reader. The ending has that satisfying feel of being both unexpected and inevitable.
• 
  Tara

  Really solid thriller. This had all my favorite things: good characters, fast-moving plot, funny and poignant at the same time. I loved the way the violence was treated here: very no-nonsense, very stark and real. But though there is a lot of serious suspense going on, there is also a charming humor here that balances the book out. The main character is really likeable in his ineptness. He botches up everything, but with good intentions. He tries to be funny and fails miserably. But his heart is always in the right place, and you find yourself rooting for him fiercely. I am looking forward to the second book!
• 
  Sarah

  There’s something very special about this book. I don’t know if it’s the addictive voice, the unusual characters, the comically violent situations, or the off-the-wall humor that I like best but it all works beautifully. Tom Starks is a community college professor who teaches English. He’s a widower and has a stepdaughter that he’s adopted. Tom is haunted by the murder of his wife and when he discovers her killer is being released from prison, what does this English professor do? Naturally, he hires a couple hitmen to kill him. Of course, things don’t go well for Tom once he crosses this ethical line, but what could end up being a predictable thriller turns out to be an enjoyably offbeat tale of revenge. Definitely picking up the sequel.
• 
  Dana

  The quirky mystery thriller, "I'll Sleep When You're Dead", reminded me so much of "Three Graves Full" where another unassuming protagonist bumbled his way into danger. There is something about a story where the plot seems to happen innocently that makes reading it infectious. For the last three years, Tom Starks mourned his wife who died after a brutal and random attack. Starks was determined to kill her murderer, who was recently released from prison, until he realized he could hire someone to perform the killing for him. Unfortunately, the clan he hired to kill his wife's murderer soon targeted Tom!
  
  There was a humorous element to the story that made it fantastic! The easy writing made this was a very quick read for me. I loved every aspect of the story: Tom's relationship with his daughter and his boss, Tom's dark and secret rendezvous with a mystery woman, and his interactions with the members of his family. All these relationships made Tom likable because he seemed to be an average guy. The author's inclusion of a discussion of "The Count Of Monte Cristo" that Tom led in his community college class was an easy way for the author to raise metaphors and symbolism present in the main story. Things did sort of happen quickly and without much buildup, but that was part of the book's charm.
  
  I am really excited to read the next two books!
• 
  Melissa B

  I received this book through Goodreads First Reads.
  
  Once I got into this book, I couldn't put it down. There was no sleeping after I finished it, my heart was beating too fast! Fast paced, definitely exciting, a story that draws the reader into the depth of the action!
• 
  Christina Kelly

  quite easy to read - would definitely read other books by this author.
• 
  Evin

  This thriller will have you sitting on the edge of your seat, wondering what exactly the main character will do next! I won't say more because I don't want to spoil it, but a good read!
• 
  Valerie

  Fantastic title. The plot itself was decent and I like the concept of the main character but it was poorly executed. Pun intended.
• 
  Mark Petry

  This is a great book. I love it when there not only is a dramatic climax but then the story keeps going and gives you even more...and more...
  
• 
  Laura

  I loved this book. You've got this really serious subject matter, but a quirky voice I couldn't get enough of. It should appeal to fans of Christopher Moore.
• 
  Robert Luke

  Not for me.... the writing style in staccato phrases irritates and makes it difficult to enjoy.
• 
  Donna

  Liked the plot twists and clever humor (dialogue between characters in final chapters). I enjoyed this quick read but the writing style/sentence structure was a turnoff. Death by ellipses and commas.