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Book Summary and Reviews of The Insomniacs by Allison Winn Scotch

The Insomniacs by Allison Winn Scotch

The Insomniacs

by Allison Winn Scotch

  • Critics' Consensus (12):
  • Readers' Rating (67):
  • Published:
  • Apr 2026, 400 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

The lives of four sleepless strangers intersect late at night as they attempt to solve not just their own anxieties but also the mysterious disappearance of one of their own, from New York Times bestselling author Allison Winn Scotch.

n the city that never sleeps, it's not always easy to share what's on your mind with the people who know you best. Huddled in an all-night diner over coffee and pancakes, a lonely middle-aged mom, an injured baseball pro, an elusive retiree, and a young waitress examine the thoughts that plague them in the middle of the night.

Empty-nester Sybil does what she does best: rolls up her sleeves and spearheads the efforts to turn this group of strangers into friends. Aimless after an injury threatens to ruin his career, Zeke finds genuine connection among the unlikely group. Tight-lipped Julian, who's seemingly adrift in retirement and attempting to rebuild a relationship with his daughter, expands their circle when he takes their cagey diner waitress, Betty, under his wing. Betty, cautious about strangers and uncertain about strokes of good luck, entertains the trio in an attempt to resolve her own problems, which she keeps close to the vest.

Within a few restless months, the group of strangers have become a fragile family. And when one of them goes missing in the dead of night, they're thrust into a propulsive mystery pulled straight from the true-crime podcasts Sybil obsesses over. Though ill-prepared and unequipped for the job, they begin to piece together the clues left behind. In chasing down answers, they uncover a reason for their friend's disappearance, and are forced to wrestle with the question of how well you can really know anyone—and once you do, how much are you willing to risk to save them? And in doing so, save yourself?

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What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? (5/7/2026)
On Tuesday I finished The Insomniacs by Allison Winn Scotch. It was a fun read with twists of mystery and romance. The plot centered on four sleepless strangers that connected with each other from a blog on th...
-Lynne_G

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Part rom-com, part mystery caper, a story for anyone who appreciates the magic of a sleepless night." —Kirkus Reviews

"Effective cliff-hangers and a cast of memorable characters keep the momentum up, but few readers will be satisfied with the far-fetched conclusion, which leaves too many questions unanswered. Still, there's enough charm on offer here to carry the day." —Publishers Weekly

"Whip smart...a compelling mystery whose ending readers won't easily predict." —Library Journal

"Four strangers' lives become irrevocably intertwined in the compelling latest from Scotch." —Booklist

"This is my favorite kind of novel: a taut, compulsively readable mystery wrapped around a found family of beautifully drawn, utterly relatable characters you'll want to linger with long after the last page. Propulsive and tender in equal measure—I couldn't put it down." —Marissa Stapley, New York Times bestselling author of Lucky and The Lightning Bottles

"The Insomniacs is a masterful blend of character-driven storytelling and riveting mystery. Allison Winn Scotch captures the hush of the midnight hour and fills it with longing, connection, and the kind of quiet heroism that unfolds when ordinary people decide to care—deeply and dangerously—for one another. These characters will linger with you long after the last page, their unlikely bond reminding us that sometimes, the most profound family is the one you find by accident. This novel is tender, smart, and utterly absorbing—don't miss it." —Julie Clark, New York Times bestselling author of The Ghostwriter

"Quirky, clever and tightly plotted, The Insomniacs lives up to its name—I stayed up late into the night turning pages, dying to know what happened next. Allison Winn Scotch is a master at her craft and just keeps getting better." —USA Today bestselling author Colleen Oakley

This information about The Insomniacs was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

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Emily_H

Found family with a bit of Mystery
The Insomniacs was one of those books that completely pulled me in. I loved the unlikely friendship that forms between Sybil, Zeke, Julian, and Betty as they bond over sleepless nights at the 24-hour diner. Each character was dealing with their own struggles—an empty nest, a career-threatening injury, grief, and a painful past—and watching them become a found family was the heart of the story!! When Betty disappears, the mystery adds real suspense, but it was the relationships and character growth that kept me invested. Equal parts mystery, friendship, and hope, this was a warm and compelling read.
4.5 ??

Thank you BookBrowse, NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the advanced ebook copy!
All of these thoughts and opinions are my own.

Becky_S

Kept me up all night!
The Insomniacs had me suffering insomnia right along with them as I got more and more involved in this story of 4 total strangers who meet online on a page for insomniacs. Each character had their own reasons for suffering from insomnia and they meet up to keep each other company as they learn more about each other along the way. Until they lose one of their own to an accident involving a third insomniac...that's when the real story begins. I loved all the twists and turns and even a little romance on the side. Really loved this one!

Mary B. (St Paul, MN)

Insomniacs
After meeting on an online forum for insomniacs, 3 people decide to meet , since they aren't able to sleep, They meet at a 24 hour diner, where they become acquainted with a young waitress. The four become involved in each others lives. As the story enfolds it goes back and forth in time . We are teased with little bits of information about each person.

One of the 4 goes missing as the others try to navigate what they should do. Each person is also dealing with their own set of issues, The four are of different backgrounds and ages which adds to the story. They are very believable characters as they argue, annoy each at times, interfere when not wanted but are very close and protective of each other as they get to know each other.

The story goes back and forth in time with little tidbits of information making it hard to stop reading, wanting to find out more, but focus shifts as mystery develops.
Bits of humor also made for a fun read. I enjoyed the book!

Kristin_C

Loved this fun read!
I really enjoyed reading this book. I'm on vacation this week and it's absolutely a perfect beach book. I loved the found family theme and the pacing was wonderful. It was a crazy and wild ride, but not in a cheesy or campy way. I highly recommend this novel, especially if you've been known to watch murder documentaries.

Kathryn_H

Insomnia has never been so exciting
Everyone has secrets. Allison Winn Scotch has written a captivating story about four insomniac New Yorkers who are holding on to some doozies. Betty, the young waitress at the diner: it's clear she never quite answers personal questions. Julian, the 60-year-old widower, doesn't want the other insomniacs to know exactly what he's up to. Sybil (the cheated-on wife and mother) and Zeke (the wounded professional baseball player) round out the quartet, and it seemed that Scotch lets readers know a bit more about those two.

The longer the insomniacs meet, the fonder they grow of one another. That doesn't necessarily mean they share their secrets.

Then tragedy strikes. Cross-country travel ensues to initiate a rescue effort. Have some of the insomniacs broken the law? Who knows? All bets are off until the very end, which is just the way I'd hoped it would be.

I recommend "The Insomniacs." I would compare it to "The Thursday Murder Club" and other stories where characters develop family ties with former strangers.

Nathan_G

Insomnia in the Big City
The Insomniacs is a combination of mystery, romance, and thriller.

A group of three sleepless New Yorkers find each other on an online message board and agree to meet up in the middle of the night at a 24-hour diner. They soon all become good friends even though they are all strangers to each other. The waitress at the diner is adopted into their group, and now there are four.

All are at quite different stages of their lives and in different living situations. Despite knowing little about each other, soon they are involved in each other's daily lives, with one accepting an offer to stay in a guest room in the other's palatial-sized apartment.

All proceeds amicably until one receives a warning to "RUN", and another turns up dead from a hit-and-run accident on the same night. While all are aghast at this turn of events, the one receiving the warning has apparently vanished, and maybe the accident was not one?

This was a very enjoyable read, allowing one to be drawn into the tired world of the insomniac characters.

...27 more reader reviews

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Author Information

Allison Winn Scotch

Allison Winn Scotch is the New York Times bestselling author of nine novels, including Cleo McDougal Regrets Nothing, In Twenty Years, and Time of My Life. She lives in Los Angeles with her family and their two rescue dogs, Hugo and Mr. Peanut.

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