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challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Drug use, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Murder, Toxic friendship
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I saw some of the twists coming … but not them all!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness, Sexual content
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Toxic friendship
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The premise was a very interesting one. I love a murder mystery sort of book but I found a few things a bit jarring. I found the fact that there was lots of interjections from the crime that was presented at the start of the book throughout. This meant the end was supremely obvious because you knew what was going to happen, it was just a case of who. I felt the book could have been half the length it was because a lot of it was repetition of the same plot points again and again e.g. Tess wanting Sylvie to talk to Linda. Tess and Sylvie’s friendship wasn’t particularly believable, they just seemed highly incompatible. I didn’t feel I knew the characters well enough. There was also so much of the book based around alcohol, which was a bit boring and repetitive.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Cancer, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Cancer, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Rape, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
IT ENDS AT MIDNIGHT by Harriet Tyce and narrated by Lucy Patterson, George Weightmore, and Samara MacLaren was a dark thriller that kept me guessing!
The story begins with a fox sniffing out the blood of the bodies that have fallen from the roof, impaled on the fencing. (Like I said, dark, but what a gripping start!) As the pages turn, we go back in time to Sylvie being pushed into her long-time friend Tess's world with the revelation of a brain tumor. This begins the events of a vow renewal on the Scottish new year's celebration of Hogmanay, the night of the fox's discovery.
Sylvie and Tess have a complicated friendship and as Sylvie is climbing the judicial ladder and presiding over a case that stirs old concerns, Tess is pushing to drag the same event up for some sort of closure with the looming threat of her tumor.
There were layers to this story that I don't want to spoil, so if you enjoy a darker thrill, go in blind!
I would caution ⚠️ those sensitive to sexual assault and more graphic descriptions. This is my first of Tyce's novels, so I wasn't as prepared. Fortunately, that wasn't too long, and the story at large was compelling enough for me to get past it. (I don't enjoy any "open door" scenes, consent or not.)
The various narrators were a great feature of this story. In between Sylvie's story and memories leading up to midnight, there were peppered scenes of police witness statements, and then from one of the victims after the fall. It made for a very dark, atmospheric read!
Again, a shout out to @hankpryan for introducing me to this story via her YouTube channel, A Mighty Blaze! I listened to the author chat, checked my @NetGalley and requested the audio! I am grateful to @tantoraudio and @recordedbooks for this @sourcebooks title that you granted to me. The audio will be available February 21st!
The story begins with a fox sniffing out the blood of the bodies that have fallen from the roof, impaled on the fencing. (Like I said, dark, but what a gripping start!) As the pages turn, we go back in time to Sylvie being pushed into her long-time friend Tess's world with the revelation of a brain tumor. This begins the events of a vow renewal on the Scottish new year's celebration of Hogmanay, the night of the fox's discovery.
Sylvie and Tess have a complicated friendship and as Sylvie is climbing the judicial ladder and presiding over a case that stirs old concerns, Tess is pushing to drag the same event up for some sort of closure with the looming threat of her tumor.
There were layers to this story that I don't want to spoil, so if you enjoy a darker thrill, go in blind!
I would caution ⚠️ those sensitive to sexual assault and more graphic descriptions. This is my first of Tyce's novels, so I wasn't as prepared. Fortunately, that wasn't too long, and the story at large was compelling enough for me to get past it. (I don't enjoy any "open door" scenes, consent or not.)
The various narrators were a great feature of this story. In between Sylvie's story and memories leading up to midnight, there were peppered scenes of police witness statements, and then from one of the victims after the fall. It made for a very dark, atmospheric read!
Again, a shout out to @hankpryan for introducing me to this story via her YouTube channel, A Mighty Blaze! I listened to the author chat, checked my @NetGalley and requested the audio! I am grateful to @tantoraudio and @recordedbooks for this @sourcebooks title that you granted to me. The audio will be available February 21st!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It Ends at Midnight is gripping and kept me guessing the entire time. It was hard to put it down. It is written in three different times which sometimes draws me away from the story, but Harriet Tyce did a wonderful job and it worked well. I don't want to say too much and give anything away, but it is a tangled web that is slowly unraveled.
I highly recommend It Ends at Midnight! It is one of the best thrillers that I have read.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I highly recommend It Ends at Midnight! It is one of the best thrillers that I have read.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Blood
Minor: Sexual content
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Even though I did enjoy this book I just expected better as I guessed the plot quite early on and I didn't like with any of the characters. Most of the story was told from Syvlie's perspective with flashbacks to their school tragedy and glances at the future to the new tragedy. Tessa was clearly a controlling friend and highly doubtful that she ever had cancer. The friendship was not a healthy one fueled with jealousy and secrets. Even by the end it is clearly hinted that Tessa did push Sylvie off the roof but there is still an air to mystery of what actually happened with the different stories told by Sylvie and Tessa to the end. Gareth was too good to be true and the added complexity and parallel story of the trial did help keep things interesting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Murder