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#BookReview: The Midnight Man by Caroline Mitchell @Caroline_writes

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Hi everyone! Today, I have a book review for an author new to me. I saw this book in quite a few places around the blogosphere and had to check it out. I downloaded this read via my Kindle Unlimited subscription, and I am glad I gave this read a go. I shall be checking out more reads by Caroline Mitchell >>>

About the Book:

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From number one bestselling author Caroline Mitchell, comes the first chilling Slayton thriller for fans of C. J. Tudor and Stephen King.

If you open your door to the Midnight Man, hide with a candle wherever you can. Try not to scream as he draws near, because one of you won’t be leaving here…

On Halloween night in Slayton, five girls go to Blackhall Manor to play the Midnight Game. They write their names on a piece of paper and prick their fingers to soak it in blood. At exactly midnight they knock on the door twenty-two times – they have invited the Midnight Man in.

It was supposed to be a game, but only four girls come home.

Detective Sarah Noble has just returned to the force, and no one knows more about Blackhall Manor than her. It’s a case that will take Sarah back to everything she’s been running from, and shake her to the core.

Will she be ready to meet the Midnight Man?

My Review:

🌟🌟🌟🌟

Suspenseful and Entertaining

Having heard so much about this book on the blogosphere, I had to give it a look. I loved the cover and blurb so much that I picked this up on my Kindle Unlimited subscription. This author is new to me, and I’ll be taking a look at her other works.

“If you open your door to the Midnight Man, Hide with a candle wherever you can. Try not to scream as he draws near, Because one of you won’t be leaving here …” … from this fantastic opening quote, we’re taken into a vivid and terrifying ordeal as a heretofore loving husband and father goes on a rampage with a shotgun and massacres his whole family. We’re led to believe everyone died.

Then the narrative jumps ahead roughly 25 years, and we find that the eldest child, a girl, lived. She moved away to stay with her maternal grandparents and adopted her mother’s maiden name. Her life has been full of trauma and betrayal, and now she is faced with having to return to work in the local CID.

The plot and pacing started brilliantly and gripped me. I mean, what can be better than a thriller which also contains plenty of the apparent supernatural? That kind of stuff is right up my street. By about the three-quarter mark I felt the book had slowed down a lot and got a bit bogged in the mud. However, even by 80%, I couldn’t be sure who the killer was, so the red-herrings and misleading clues were done excellently.

The world-building and characterisation were written well and felt real and believable. The descriptive writing was also great. Here are a few of the lines I most loved …

“Sometimes I’d wake in the middle of the night, my sheets damp from sweat as apprehension swallowed me whole.”

And … “But this wasn’t a nightmare I woke up from. It was a nightmare I woke up to.”

And … “She was more of a lame dog than a lone wolf.”

And … “But the world was so big, and Elliott’s voice was so small.”

While I enjoyed this read, it felt more like a suspense than a thriller. Some aspects bogged it down, but on the whole, I found it entertaining. The Midnight Man gets a solid four stars from me.

***

NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.

5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.
4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.
3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.
2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.
1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book.

 

I’d love to hear what you think of this review. Thanks for stopping by 🙂

 

For anyone interested, here are the Amazon links …

 

UK … https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08R8XRTB2/

US … https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08R8XRTB2/

31 Comments on “#BookReview: The Midnight Man by Caroline Mitchell @Caroline_writes”

  1. Thanks to the introduction to this author, Harmony. I will definitely check it out. I like thrilling, but not scary, lol 🙂 xx

    • Lols. Definitely not too scary but certainly thrilling. Thanks, Debby 💕🙂

  2. Hi Harmony, this is a most intriguing sounding book. I enjoyed your review.

  5. Your fantastic review has me intrigued! Will surely check out. Thanks, Harmony. ❤️😊

  9. Sounds like a chilling read, Harmony. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on it.

  10. Great review, Harmony! It sounds like a book I’d enjoy.

  11. I positively LOVED this book, Harmony. Definitely a five star read for me. When I finished it, I immediately preordered the next book, I was so smitten with the characters and story. I’m glad you enjoyed it, even if it did bog a little for you.

    • I’m so grateful for your recommendation, Mae! It’s great when we can share good reads 💕🙂

  12. Sounds like a book I’d enjoy. Shame about the slog at the 80%-mark, but the uncertainty would make up for that. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Harmony.

  14. The language in some of the excerpts mentioned strike me as a bit worn-out. Gimmicky perhaps, ie “big world; small voice” or “lame dog; lone wolf”, and if there was a lot of this it might grate on me. I’d consider this for holiday reading.

    • I found each usage unique and well placed, so it didn’t feel gimmicky at all. I suppose this sort of thing is down to personal preference as well as the skill of the writer. I think you’d enjoy this as a holiday read.

      Thanks, Misky 💕🙂