In the vein of bestselling women’s suspense fiction, Kathleen Barber’s debut, ARE YOU SLEEPING, reels the reader in and keeps us wondering until the very end.

The story’s premise draws on the idea of blockbuster podcasts like “Serial” and opens with an excerpt from investigative journalist Poppy Parnell’s podcast, “Reconsidered.” Poppy reopens the 13-year-old case of Chuck Buhrman’s murder, digging into the past and forcing his daughter, Josie, to confront the history she’s spent over a decade running from and concealing.

Haunted by the brutal loss of her beloved father, the disappearance of her mother to join a cult and the betrayal of her troubled twin sister, Josie reluctantly returns home after another death and can no longer hide her identity or family history from her kind, forgiving boyfriend. (Seriously, you’re going to love Caleb. A definite steak knife.)

"As a writer, I appreciated the critical decisions Barber made in pacing important reveals and parsing out details that keep the reader questioning and turning pages. She moves the story forward with breadcrumb clues and suppositions until the very end."

Crafted with podcast transcripts and authentically formatted Twitter and Reddit feeds, which were often humorous and provided revealing glimpses into the social media storm between chapters, Barber explores the idea of cultural intrusion into legal, and what could be considered private, matters. Poppy’s spotlight on this closed case, however, does break new facts free and helps unravel the truth that would have remained unknown. This conclusion makes the reader wonder if the book’s statement on this sort of curious and gossip-hungry behavior in our society is that it’s in fact beneficial despite being hurtful, prying and insensitive.

ARE YOU SLEEPING indirectly opens many questions: Does this sort of pop culture investigation have a valuable role? Is it right to expose and publish people’s innermost selves for other’s consumption and comment if there’s a greater good? Where are our boundaries and limits, or do the ends justify the means? Can disagreements or differences of opinion truly be fairly argued on social media in 140 characters or in snarky snip-its? What is responsible, and how much does the consumer care about the subject(s) of media stories? What does it say about our society that people are okay being unkind, rude or even libelous when hiding behind a screen and false username?

As a writer, I appreciated the critical decisions Barber made in pacing important reveals and parsing out details that keep the reader questioning and turning pages. She moves the story forward with breadcrumb clues and suppositions until the very end.

I like to consider the meaning of book titles when I read. Without revealing too much, the title question is asked several times by Josie’s sister, Lanie, drawing the reader’s eye to those scenes and contexts. It also figuratively begs the Buhrman sisters and the other characters to wake up to what is true or false. Additionally, the title plays on the issues of mental illness and insomnia as a symptom of instability as well as what dream-like perceptions the human brain can create as a form of protection. Yes, all that’s in the title from my perspective, whether intended or not.

ARE YOU SLEEPING dives into the complexities of relationships, and the value of love and connection, especially in the face of tragedy and despair. It is the story of family and sisterhood, trust and loyalty, truth, lies and perceptions.