Sleeping with a Psychopath: A real-life psychological crime thriller, the unbelievable true story. THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER

Product Information

You’re right. It is totally extraordinary. My life is like a film; you couldn’t make it up ... But there’s something I have to tell you,’ he confided, as he leaned across the table towards me. ‘I’m not normal.’ The first half of the book, I really liked. Carolyn told her story well and, as heartbreaking as it was, I very much enjoyed reading it. She finished each chapter with a 'summing up' of Mark's behaviour based on what she knows now, which I found interesting. A rich Swiss banker (who later confided he was a spy), he offered Carolyn the companionship she’d unwittingly been missing and introduced her to an exciting, glamorous world. In fact, some things were so astonishing she questioned her new lover. Was all as it seemed? Interestingly the book doesn't stop at the fraud played upon this poor woman, it covers the later police investigation which took far longer than seems reasonable.

The 'story' seemed to finish halfway through however, and I wondered how there was still half a book to go. As it turned out, the second half of the book was telling the story of what happened after, with the police investigations and the court case etc. Not only was this very drawn out, it ended up giving me a completely different opinion of Carolyn. She came across as very 'elitist' and regularly implied that she better than things such as the benefits system and anti-depressants. I also found it hypocritical how she mentions MANY times in the book that she resent being called 'a divorcee', however, in the advertising for this book she calls herself I have so much respect for the strength Carolyn has shown in writing and publishing this account. At times I found myself loosing focus whilst I was reading and I found parts a little repetitive. There will be many people who question how she believed such outlandish lies, but her honesty and strength stand out to me. I felt both gripped and haunted by this read, I almost feel like I cannot trust anyone. There are many chilling but important messages within this book. When it all went haywire, she blamed everyone else, falling out with her whole family and best friends. I've just finished this book and I have mixed feelings on it. I felt as though it was really a book of two halves and I find myself with different opinions on the beginning and the end.I'd 100% recommend listening to Sleeping with a Psychopath as I bet that throughout the book most readers will be asking themselves whether they could fall victim to a similar crime.

So many red flags. He told her he’d just been shot in the arm, then in the leg. Did she not notice he had no wounds when they were being intimate? The rudeness he showed towards her family would have made most women run for the hills, but she stayed. I think because she, right from the day she met him, loved the luxury champagne and limo lifestyle. I admit it… I am obsessed by psychopaths. I love reading books with narcissistic, psychopathic characters and the more ruthless the better, however this is in the fictional books I read. Reading about psychopaths in a true crime, non-fiction account is absolutely TERRIFYING. I hope Carolyn Woods will make some money from this book. Being left with nothing - no money, no home, not a lot of self-respect - after going through such a trauma is horrible to even imagine. Most of all though, I hope she'll use the book to draw a line under the experience she had and move forward. A true-crime story that reads like a thriller, Sleeping with a Psychopath is a blow-by-blow account of the power of manipulation and a testament to the human will to survive. Product Details

Reviews:

I started skimming at 75% when we were informed in great detail about how badly the police handled everything. Again, always someone elses fault.

The second part of the book is a monotonous description of the police investigation - really it is just Carolyn complaining about how the police handled the case. In fact, some things were so astonishing she began to question her new lover. Was all as it seemed?The second part of the book focuses on the police investigation of the crime and the court trial. While I was eager to find out whether the police managed to catch the conman and what happenedto him, I found the second half of the book a bit too drawn out with a lot of criticism directed at the police from Carolyn's side, even if justly so. The second part of the book which covered the investigation was easier to get through and a bit more interesting - perhaps because it was less about her. All in all, I won't be recommending this to anyone unfortunately.

One of the main reasons Mark got away with the extent of the fraud he did was due to his charismatic character. From the very first meeting it was clear that he was a bit of a creep and she'd have been best off staying well away from him. I felt those parts were written with the benefit of hindsight and she really failed in her quest to make the reader truly understand what it was that had drawn her to him in the first place - and what made her stay. You're right. It is totally extraordinary. My life is like a film; you couldn't make it up … But there's something I have to tell you,' he confided, as he leaned across the table towards me. 'I'm not normal.' What an incredible story this is! Carolyn Woods was a confident 54-year-old woman, divorced and financially well off until she met the man that nightmares is made from. Mark Conway as he introduced himself to Carolyn, was a confident, charismatic conman that walked into her life one day and ruined her financially and emotionally. I don’t want to go into detail, about the lengths he went, you should read that yourself. I read so much with a dropped jaw. I liked the quotes at the start of each chapter that related to what had happened. I have to agree with Carolyn that there is something much deeper with this man. I don’t think there is a cure. It is who he is. You're right. It is totally extraordinary. My life is like a film; you couldn't make it up ... But there's something I have to tell you,' he confided, as he leaned across the table towards me. 'I'm not normal.'I love true crime stories and I often binge watch crime documentaries on Netflix. So naturally, I was drawn to this audiobook. So when I read this, I did believe that a grown woman with her own home, money in the bank, independent and strong willed woman could be wooed by this psychopath. I felt that Carolyn didn't come across as a particularly likeable character - often stating her (perceived) personality traits for the reader. I.e. "I am a very strong/positive person", which were often at odds with the way she was behaving - she spent most of the book in a state of deep depression and despair, long after Mark was out of her life. If you are sleeping with a psychopath (okay, let’s get real, you’re not just sleeping) there is a good chance that you’ve been (1) groomed and (2) courted by the psycho, and depending on where you are at in this psychopathic relationship, either you are (3) head over heels in love, or you were and now you’re (4) wondering what the hell is going on. Or, if the relationship has run its course, it is clear that (5) you’ve been played, you have suffered the effects of this entanglement, and to your psychopath’s amusement, you are in a great deal of pain, and are devasted from the experience.