By Kimberly Van Ginkel
Historical fantasy / Magical Realism

People call her the Hellfire Witch. They say she kills with the Evil Eye. The truth is even stranger …

Outspoken Eastern socialite Lorena Whittaker has agreed to marry the mysterious Diedrick Adalwolf, a cold, doddering old man who claims to be a theology scholar. Soon after the wedding, her dreams shift to premonitions of ghoulish deaths.

What she cannot tell is whether Adalwolf is a catalyst or merely a witness.

Soon, Lorena stands accused of murder and a jittery posse intends to bring her to justice. As she schemes to evade the hangman’s noose, she must traverse a world of stolen tribal magic and ancient lore to unravel this mystery.

One thing is certain — staying with her husband is not safe. But how can she break free of a man who can enter her mind and read her thoughts?

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Reviews

Instantly hooked! A great read!
From the opening chapter that kept me guessing until the final pages, I found myself rooting for Bo and Lorena throughout. This book drew me in, I frequently found myself wanting to slip away to read another chapter! As a baby boomer- I was also pleasantly entertained with so many references to the time period- many that I had heard about as a young girl! The author does a great job with imagery of the time period and leaves you wanting more! A great read!
— Amazon review

A very well-written, captivating story that kept me guessing throughout
In The Sleep of Death is an excellent book. I enjoyed it from beginning to end and was completely drawn into the story. The author’s incredible attention to detail made the scenes come to life and the exciting plot kept me turning pages. A wonderful mix of fantasy, western, and romance, this book is a tremendous read for anyone looking for a unique and refreshing read.
— Amazon review

Slow burn, but an absolute BANGER!
I was told by a friend that this book was a slow burn but well worth it. I must agree! I’ve never read anything like this. Totally unpredictable and kept me absolutely on my toes the whole time! And a satisfying ending, too!
— Amazon review

A clever, sharply-written, almost Southern horror
Van Ginkel’s book is a true pleasure.
There is something special about this book that I don’t think a review will entirely express. As a lover of fantasy and a history buff, it was easy for this book to draw me in. I’m thankful I happened across it and the author on Twitter.
Van Ginkel’s book follows the story of Lorena, a well-to-do Pennsylvanian driven to a marriage of convenience. But that marriage isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, especially as the elements of magic start coming into play. As a protagonist, Lorena is sharp-witted and clever, and there’s quite a bit of commentary made about the foolishness of the 1800s (and current day) patriarchy.
With its Faustian influences and Van Ginkel’s absolutely spectacular grasp on even the tiniest historical details, IN THE SLEEP OF DEATH is a wonderful, subtle slow-burn of a book with a great conclusion.
— Amazon review

In the Sleep of Death will keep you guessing for the entire book!
This book perfectly weaves together so many genres, historical/fictional elements, and human emotions. The complex characters of past, present, and future make the story incredibly dynamic—how can you so deeply love the past version of someone that you remain devoted to the unlovable version they become? This book will have you questioning your understanding and the validity of time, reality, and religion. Amazing read by an amazing author!
— GoodReads review

This author is on the rise!
Loved it. This author has a knack for detail and is very descriptive. If you want someone who can take you there, as if you are there, this upcoming author is the one. Looking for more great stuff from her.
— Amazon review

This was a great read. I didn’t want to put it down.
A mix of an old western romance/mystery, add in dream walking, Native American legends and Greek mythology. Looking forward to future novels by Kimberly Van Ginkel!
— GoodReads review

This book was a pleasant surprise.
(It) did make me wonder if this book was going to go down one of several predictable paths. And it didn’t. At all. Well done, author, you got me good! Instead, I found an extremely unusual tale that soon had me engrossed, trying to work out what was going on. My attention was honestly held to the very end – and I should add this story’s ending produced a wry chuckle from me.
Two things I particularly appreciated about this book were the detailed dream descriptions, particularly of the mansion Lorena originally visited in her dreams and the characterisation. Although I occasionally found Lorena’s loyalty to her husband hard to credit, I still found her a likable protagonist I wanted to come through all her trials. And while I rapidly wanted Colquoit to take a shotgun to the face, Bo was a sweetheart and I loved his relationship with Lorena.
This is a fairly modest (just over 300 pages) standalone novel. It may not have the engrossing detail of an epic fantasy, but it isn’t trying to. What it is is a dark romance fantasy set in the west that tells an unusual and gripping story. Recommended if you like plots with romance and magic in the old west, or are looking for a palette cleanser between shelfbreaker fantasy tomes.
— NetSuite review

Well worth the read!
I got this book on Amazon a few weeks ago and enjoyed reading it. My experience with first published books from new authors is that they need to improve the cadence of the story telling so I don’t stumble over phrases that seem cluttered. That was definitely not the case with Ms. Van Ginkel. It flowed like a veteran author in both diction and plot.
— Facebook review

A southern belle gets caught up in a witch hunt Western.
Lorena is on the verge of spinsterhood when her lover from her midnight dreams walks into her father’s mansion. The only catch is, he is about 40-50 years older than her, a hunched over and shrivelled old man. She marries him and discovers just how they have been meeting up in her dreams decades apart. But as he hypnotizes her to fall asleep, she fears he has a hidden motive for walking dreams together. Because not only do they walk in her dreams, but they explore the dreams and memories of others. To what end? Lorena secretly copies her husband’s German journal in order to discover why.
— NetSuite review

Nicely Done
This book sucked me in and kept me guessing. The twist and turns were refreshing and I enjoyed this book very much.
— Amazon review

I suggest Wrapped Around Your Finger by Police as you read.
I was busy with other priorities, but still couldn’t put this book down. The narrative truly captures the atmosphere of the times (late 1800s) in vivid detail, and its dream fueled journeys are real page turners. The character of protagonist Lorena is what drives the story. She’s both willful and compliant, a trail blazer and a follower; the perfect bride for one who seeks the unseekable.
— Amazon review