Travel by Night by Sophie Morton-Thomas – Review

• Title: Travel By Night
• Author: Sophie Morton-Thomas
• Publisher: Darkstroke Books on January 15, 2021
• Genre: Thriller
• Pages: 247
• Formats Available: Paperback & Digital
• Rating: 5/5

Trigger Warnings: Violence, Human Trafficking, Rape

Many thanks to Damppebbles Blog Tours, Sophie Morton-Thomas, and Darkstroke Books for providing me with a digital copy of Travel By Night with a request for an honest review.

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Travel By Night Blurb

A nebulous memory. Caught in a dangerous trap. A life-changing discovery.

When Yalina wakes in hospital following surgery, she doesn’t recognise her own parents.

Following her release, she decides to meet her estranged brother, Ali, in Sheffield. On her arrival, Yalina is taken to a house where girls are held against their will and forced into sex slavery. Too late, she realises she has fallen into a trap.

Over time, Yalina discovers a love of playing the old piano that lives in the house. It keeps her sane. As friendships blossom between the women, Yalina finds herself taking a young girl, Rebecca, under her wing.

When the women are threatened with violence, Yalina reluctantly accepts help from a stranger she met in the house. But he carries a secret that could impact on her whole life.

Will Yalina escape her captors? And how will she cope with the unexpected revelation?

Provided by Damppebbles Blog Tours for Tour Use

My Review

Travel By Night is a heart-wrenching novel that pulls at every feeling you have inside. I read with tissues close at hand. Though at other times, I was so sick I was afraid to go on. Sophie Morton-Thomas writes with authority. I know this is a work of fiction, but I can’t help but picture those who are in this life for real.

I was quite confused at the start, but living with depression does all kinds of weird things to your mind and body. So, when Yalina began searching for someone to cling to, it was just a matter of time before she ended up in trouble.

Yalina frustrated me for a good part of the book because she seemed to be so passive and unwilling to fight to leave. But then I thought back to my abusive past and could empathize with her situation. 

This book was trigger-heavy. Ordinarily, I am not affected by rape and violence, but I felt a kinship with Yalina. That made this book especially hard for me. No matter how I tried, a weight pulled on my soul.

But, the ending made everything okay for me. It isn’t happy, but it is satisfying. I’m able to let Yalina go, and she will be okay.

This novel is a 5 star read for me. The sheer amount of emotional investment makes this one of the best books I’ve read this year. So, I award Travel By Night a full 5 out of 5 stars. I urge you to read it if you have enough spoons. I warn you, however, to be sure to have plenty of tissues.

About the Author – Sophie Morton-Thomas

Sophie Morton-Thomas is a British writer based in West Sussex where she lives with her husband and children. She’s an English teacher by day and a Creative Writing Master’s degree student and writer in her spare time. Travel by night is her first novel, and is based in Sheffield, where she lived for a number of years.

Author’s Social Media Links: Twitter | BookBub | Goodreads | Instagram