The Royal Waterloo Hospital, London in the 1960s. Six young women lie asleep on low beds. Day and night no longer exist, extinguished by a potent cocktail of antipsychotic, sedative and anti-depressant drugs. The women are taken from their beds by the nurses and given electroconvulsive therapy before being put to sleep again. All under the watchful eye of Dr William Sargant.
The Sleep Room is a chilling exposé of Sargant’s bizarre psychiatric treatments that were inflicted on hundreds of women with mental illness – among them the actor Celia Imrie. At the story’s centre is a sinister and charismatic doctor, who was a hugely influential figure in post-war British society – lauded by Robert Graves and Aldous Huxley as well regularly appearing on the BBC. When Sargant died in 1988, the obituaries were glowing.
But since then, women treated without their consent and with often horrific side-effects lasting decades have been campaigning to tell the truth about Sargant. Author Jon Stock tells these women’s stories as well delving into the murky history of Sargant’s links with the CIA and MI5, both of which took a close interest in his efforts to reprogramme the human mind.
As compulsive as a thriller, The Sleep Room finally gets to the truth of a scandal at the heart of the British medical establishment. “Some people think I’m a marvellous doctor,” Sargant once said. “Others think I’m the work of the Devil.”
If you or a family member were treated by Sargant, or you worked with him, please contact Jon, either anonymously or on the record, by emailing him at Jon@williamsargant.com.
‘A clever, convincing and wickedly twisty retelling of Faust that walks a knife-edge between horror and psychological thriller. Highly recommended.’ MICK HERRON
‘The Secret History meets The Capture – No Place To Hide is an intelligent and inventive thriller that grips to the very last page.’ J.P. DELANEY
‘Monroe builds up the tension well, offering a battle between good and evil and bringing in the kinds of questions most people ask themselves.’ LITERARY REVIEW
‘A clever and complex story of unrequited love, ancient misjudgments and a truly devilish villain.’ MAIL ON SUNDAY
‘Disturbing and fun at the same time, this is a techno-thriller with an entirely human core.’ MORNING STAR ‘This retelling of Dr Faustus is compelling, relentless and genuinely frightening – a must-read for psychological thriller fans.’ SIMON RUSSELL BEALE
A spellbinding tale of psychological suspense, weaving together the dark web, murder, and blackmail… You can shut the doors. Adam lives a picture-perfect life: happy marriage, two young children, and a flourishing career as a doctor. But Adam also lives with a secret. Hospital CCTV, strangers’ mobile phones, city traffic cameras – he is convinced that they are watching him, recording his every move. All because of something terrible that happened at a drunken party when he was a student.
You can close the blinds. Only two other people knew what happened that night. Two people he’s long left behind. Until one of them, Clio – Adam’s great unrequited love – turns up on his doorstep, and reignites a sinister pact twenty-four years in the making…
But once it begins, there’ll be no place to hide.
No Place To Hide was published on 13 April 2023 by Aries (Head of Zeus/Bloomsbury)
Praise for J.S. Monroe:
‘Intelligent writing, disturbing and original ideas.’ –Daily Mail ‘Cunning, captivating and creepy.’ – J.P. Delaney ‘Full of unpredictable twists, topped by a savage climax.’ – The Times ‘Intricately woven and heart-stoppingly believable.’ –Clare Mackintosh
A coded message. A Barbaric death. And the search for truth in a world of lies. An intelligent and twisty thriller set in rural Wiltshire.
“Brilliantlyplotted and original with not so much a twist as a seismic shifting of the ground under your feet. Amazing.” – Rosamund Lupton, bestselling author of Three Hours
“A kind of Wiltshire Da Vinci Code, with crop circles, mathematical equations and shadowy figures from Porton Down. A real page-turner written with beguiling wit.” – Tom Bradby, bestselling author of Secret Service
“Impeccably researched… an unusual mystery told with exceptional skill” – Daily Mail
How do you know who to trust… …when you don’t even know who you are? You are outside your front door. There are strangers in your house. Then you realise. You can’t remember your name.
“An absorbing novel full of unpredictable twists, topped by a savage climax” – Marcel Berlins, The Times
Five years ago, Rosa walked to the pier in the dead of night, looked into the swirling water, and jumped. She was a brilliant Cambridge student who had just lost her father. Her death was tragic, but not unexpected. Was that what really happened?
“Cunning, captivating and creepy – a beautifully written thriller” – JP Delaney, The Girl Before
