The Sleepwalker

Annalee Ahlberg is missing, but given her history of sleepwalking, her loved ones hold fast to the possibility of her return. While the investigation remains ongoing, the family adheres to some semblance of normalcy: husband Warren retreats to his work as a professor, 21-year-old daughter Lianna delays her final year at Amherst and assumes a caretaker role at home, and 12-year-old Paige continues to excel in her various school sports. When Det. Gavin Rikert reveals that he not only knew Annalee but that the two had shared something akin to a sleepwalking support group à deux, Lianna's determination to know what happened grows into a relentless quest for answers. With easy assurance, Cady McClain voices this novel, moving convincingly among ages and genders. Her narration is intermittently interrupted by Grace Experience (Bohjalian's daughter), who reads in short bursts. Unfortunately, her youthful, uniquely cadenced recitation feels miscast here as the identities of the interludes' narrators become clear.