Riley Sager has made a name for himself over the past few years. His books have been highly sought after reads and there is a reason for this, Sager knows how to keep you guessing. This goes the same for his latest novel, Middle of the Night, where things may not be as they seem.
One July night, ten-year-old Ethan and his best friend and neighbor, Billy, fell asleep in a tent set up on a manicured lawn in a quiet, quaint New Jersey cul-de-sac. In the morning when Ethan woke up, he was alone. During the night, someone or something had sliced the tent open and Billy was missing. He was never seen again. Ethan reluctantly returns 30 years later to his childhood home. Plagued by nightmares and insomnia, he begins to notice strange things happening in the middle of the night.
Middle of the Night takes place over two timelines, the present and flashbacks to 1994 when Billy went missing. We typically are not fans of dual timelines as they can get messy and we usually find ourselves getting intrenched in one of the timelines hating to go back to the other. However, Middle of the Night’s timelines seemed to have worked for us. Sager seamlessly weaves together the past and the present giving us more to the picture while keep us engaged.
If we had to choose between straightforward horror mystery or one with a supernatural twist, we would most likely choose the latter. In Middle of the Night, Sager’s addition of supernatural elements added a nice extra layer to the mystery that kept us guessing as we read along. Something we didn’t think we would enjoy but in the end was worth it.
The group of characters are flawed, but relatable and are well developed. They each bring a different perspective and help bring a piece of the mysterious puzzle together which makes for a great story. Ethan’s interaction with the people of the Hemlock Circle cul-de-sac and surround area help uncover long-buried secrets the keep you wanting to turn the page and find out more. Sager does a wonderful job of creating a sense of unease throughout the novel, making us question what is really happening or what is all in Ethan’s trouble mind.
Middle of the Night starts off a little slow, but picks up and goes full force until the end. The book is full of twists and turns, some we saw coming from a mile away, but others caught us completely by surprise including the unpredictable and satisfying ending that we never saw coming.
This Riley Sager novel is not the best of his bibliography, but it finds itself near the top. Middle of the Night is a gripping novel that gives us horror, mystery, suspense and a few supernatural elements that kept us turning the pages.
Middle of the Night hits bookstores everywhere on June 18, 2024. The audiobook is also available for pre-order via Libro.fm.
