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lttlrureads's review
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Death, and Grief
lennie_delennie's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Suicide, Blood, Grief, and Car accident
shedevls's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
it wasn't as fun as it could've been, i think, but it was still an enjoyable experience... and henry is so precious, i love him.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Dementia
Minor: Bullying, Miscarriage, Kidnapping, Car accident, and Death of parent
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
2.5
Finished reading: November 5th 2024
"In my experience, men who say they want the truth end up wishing they had settled for the lie."
I guess it was too much to ask to actually enjoy two Riley Sager books in a row... His books can go both ways for me, and unfortunately Middle Of The Night turned out to be a bit of a dud for me. Don't get me wrong, the premise itself is more than solid and this story had SO much potential. I was hoping for a creepy thriller/horror read with a paranormal twist, but instead I got a total snoozefest... Oh yes, you read that right: I was utterly bored during most of the story, and I'm still not sure how I even made it to the end to be honest. There is SO much repetition going on; I've lost count of the times it was mentioned that Billy went missing. In the middle of the night. Sure, main character Ethan has no personality whatsoever... But Billy was kidnapped! In the middle of the night! And Ethan is traumatized even 30 years later! Sigh. On top of this, there were so many random POV switches and flashbacks, and it not only slowed down the pace but also halted any possible building up of suspense. To make things even worse, the so-called twists were both very easy to guess and underwhelming in general. That said, I can't say that I really cared about what happened to Billy by the time it was finally revealed... Which probably had a lot to do with the fact that the characters are basically cardboard cutouts and they struggle to win your sympathy. All in all Middle Of The Night turned out to be a surprisingly slow-paced, dull and tedious story that never managed to grab my attention. With its lackluster ending and constant repetitions, this is probably one of my least favorite Riley Sager books so far.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
metaphorsandmisc's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Homophobia and Pregnancy
killmoore_'s review
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I loved this so much, and even more so that Sager stated exactly the truth - it was so unbelievably human. It both warmed and broke my heart at points. Sager never disappoints.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Murder, and Alcohol
sweetteaandfiction's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Middle of the Night by Riley Sager is going to haunt me long past when I finished the book. The way that the supernatural and living work together to unearth the truth of a 30 year old disappearance of a neighborhood boy in tight knit community.
PROS:
⚾️The baseballs
⛺️Backyard camping
⚾️Ghost hunting
⛺️”weird” kids
⚾️People stepping up to take care of each other
⛺️All the layers to the events of the night Billy went missing
⚾️The Institute
CONS:
⛺️How the loss of Billy tore his family apart and messed with his mother’s sanity.
⚾️The fact it took 30 years before there was accountability
⛺️Relationships getting destroyed by other people’s lies
⚾️All the pain people went through and caused because we didn’t know the truth.
⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️ out of five baseballs tossed over the fence on a hot summer day
PROS:
⚾️The baseballs
⛺️Backyard camping
⚾️Ghost hunting
⛺️”weird” kids
⚾️People stepping up to take care of each other
⛺️All the layers to the events of the night Billy went missing
⚾️The Institute
CONS:
⛺️How the loss of Billy tore his family apart and messed with his mother’s sanity.
⚾️The fact it took 30 years before there was accountability
⛺️Relationships getting destroyed by other people’s lies
⚾️All the pain people went through and caused because we didn’t know the truth.
⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️ out of five baseballs tossed over the fence on a hot summer day
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Bullying and Gaslighting
Minor: Stalking, Car accident, and Alcohol
jefferz's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I’m starting to detest the genre and book descriptor “thriller” or “horror” as it sets an unfair expectation for a twisty, fast-paced, intense reading experience which doesn’t fit many books classified under it. And to be frank, Riley Sager’s Middle of the Night is NOT fast-paced nor intense (by my standards anyway), and even calling it slow burn might be a stretch at times. However, despite the slow pacing for almost 60% of the book (slow even by Riley Sager standards), I still found it to be a rewarding and surprisingly sophisticated read!
This is my 3rd Riley Sager novel that I’ve had the pleasure of reading and it’s definitely not one that I would recommend if someone has never read any of his other books before. The pacing is deliberately slow and there’s a decently large ensemble cast of characters to keep track of. Constantly jumping between two time perspectives, the bulk of the story is told from the present day perspective of Ethan Marsh as a grown 40yr old, thirty years after the disappearance of his friend and neighbor Billy. Despite much of the past perspective taking place over the course of a few days and the present tense also covering a short time period, there’s quite a lot of information to keep track of.
Many of Sager’s signature trademarks are included in Middle of the Night, but quite a few are flipped around or incorporated in unique ways that are only noticeable if you’ve read some of his other works. It’s rare for Sager to have a male main character in his novels and Ethan skews slightly older than his typical main protagonist (it intrigued me and was one of the biggest draws for me). Ethan and the other “kids” that grew up on Hemlock Circle are all in their late 30’s and 40’s who carry baggage that are more mature than the norm for Sager’s characters. The other half of the characters are the parents of the kids on Hemlock Circle who were in their 30’s during the flashback timeline, now retired seniors in the present tense. Some of Sager’s past works featured a few older characters and parents in the past, but never this many and such a variety (I don’t know how you can make five wealthy suburban families all distinctively different but he does). The older characters do have less of a focus compared to their kids, but they were still decently developed. Despite not having many pages focused on characters besides Ethan, I was surprised at how well-written and complex many of them were (the biggest surprises for me were Russ and Ragesh, Ethan’s other kid neighbor and the resident tough guy bully of the block). Particularly with the kids > adult characters, the growth in maturity and perspectives that happen off-the page between the thirty years Ethan was away from the circle was perhaps my favorite part of the whole book. The core mystery was good, but I actually think it almost pales in comparison to Sager’s understated, yet excellent character work.
Speaking of Sager’s typical quirks and approaches, one of his usual tropes done very effectively was his twist on his usual split perspective narratives that he uses in so many of his novels. Instead of presenting only flashbacks from Ethan’s perspective as a ten year old as expected (which would’ve gotten repetitive and old fast), the past perspective constantly shifts between nearly every character on Hemlock Circle. Not only did the constant shifts keep my attention during the novel’s slowest sections, but I also found it to be quite successful at unraveling the mystery of Billy’s disappearance with each different character holding a crucial piece of the puzzle. In a sense, the approach reminded me of the movie Vantage Point (or really hyperlink cinema piece in general) which I thought was genius. Sager does this with Middle of the Night, but unlike many other novels, does the shift purposefully. Whenever Ethan discovers a clue or potential lead on Billy’s disappearance, the perspective immediately shifts to the past and the character’s perspective that best relates to that clue. Instead of unnecessarily drawing out clues, the story immediately jumps to it and builds its momentum. The shifts are also used for the miscommunication trope, but this is purely done to highlight each character's regret of what they previously said or done, rather than the usual purpose to escalate the tension or drama. And again as previously mentioned, not much physical time actually passes over the duration of this 350+ book. That’s a lot of character content that never feels like it’s spread too thinly.
On the note of drama, another aspect that I thought was done well was the baggage and regret nearly every character on Hemlock Circle has. The contents vary substantially by each character and although some ultimately may not have much direct involvement with Billy’s disappearance, they are compelling misdirections that lead into a new plot reveal or provide valuable context to what other certain characters feel or suspect in each other. The introspection a lot of the characters experience are most relatable to readers of similar age to the characters, I occasionally felt like I would appreciate the reflections even more if I was another 5-10 yrs older (refreshing compared to how many times I’ve felt old or found recent books juvenile). Admittedly Ethan’s own regret that he feels for Billy’s disappearance can tread into the typical melodramatic, overdone territory, but patient readers will be rewarded as the story unfolds and Ethan’s own life had some hidden plot twists that I didn't see coming (a second read through and you’ll be able to catch all the hidden clues hinting at them from early-on).
Despite all the great qualities I’ve highlighted so far, this book still took a while to get going for me. The story didn’t really hook me until I got to about the 60% mark, which is considerably later and slower than both of the other Riley Sager books I’ve previously read. Like his other novels however, once it starts rolling, it’s an engrossing read; still slower-paced and methodical, but nonetheless interesting. I think I ended up reading over half the book in one day split in two sittings. I mentioned it previously in my review for Sager’s <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6142250099" target="blank">The Only One Left</a>, but the Sager’s plotting is tight and there is not one extraneous character or clue in the story. I was impressed then and I’m impressed again now at how Sager is able to incorporate so many characters into the story and suggest plausible reasons each could be a culprit. This may be a minor spoiler (though it’s actually a Riley Sager signature trope I’m noticing), but Middle of the Night continues Sager’s strategy of telling an unsettling story with seemingly light supernatural elements that are later revealed to be attributed to actions done entirely by the living. Parts of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6032776004" target="blank">Home Before Dark</a> could sometimes feel a bit of a stretch (granted that one had far heavier horror/supernatural elements involved), but Middle of the Night’s reveal and conclusion felt decidedly more solid and definitely more foolproof than his other two novels that I’ve read.
In short, I thought Middle of Night was an excellent slow-burn character drama story masquerading as a “mystery thriller”. The plot is well-crafted, methodical, and exudes a sense of sophistication and confidence that resists the temptation of unnecessary action, superfluous melodrama, or cheap red herrings; bucking the trend of so many other recently published and trending thrillers. This one is really a 4.5 rounded down due to the very slow start and seemingly standard setup, but I definitely enjoyed it more than Home Before Dark which I also rated 4-stars (but not quite as exciting to read as The Last One Left). I agree with many other reviewers that have commented that Sager’s flavor of thriller/horror (if you could even call it that) requires patience and is not for everyone, but so far I’m three for three and it’s really working well for me!
This is my 3rd Riley Sager novel that I’ve had the pleasure of reading and it’s definitely not one that I would recommend if someone has never read any of his other books before. The pacing is deliberately slow and there’s a decently large ensemble cast of characters to keep track of. Constantly jumping between two time perspectives, the bulk of the story is told from the present day perspective of Ethan Marsh as a grown 40yr old, thirty years after the disappearance of his friend and neighbor Billy. Despite much of the past perspective taking place over the course of a few days and the present tense also covering a short time period, there’s quite a lot of information to keep track of.
Many of Sager’s signature trademarks are included in Middle of the Night, but quite a few are flipped around or incorporated in unique ways that are only noticeable if you’ve read some of his other works. It’s rare for Sager to have a male main character in his novels and Ethan skews slightly older than his typical main protagonist (it intrigued me and was one of the biggest draws for me). Ethan and the other “kids” that grew up on Hemlock Circle are all in their late 30’s and 40’s who carry baggage that are more mature than the norm for Sager’s characters. The other half of the characters are the parents of the kids on Hemlock Circle who were in their 30’s during the flashback timeline, now retired seniors in the present tense. Some of Sager’s past works featured a few older characters and parents in the past, but never this many and such a variety (I don’t know how you can make five wealthy suburban families all distinctively different but he does). The older characters do have less of a focus compared to their kids, but they were still decently developed. Despite not having many pages focused on characters besides Ethan, I was surprised at how well-written and complex many of them were (the biggest surprises for me were Russ and Ragesh, Ethan’s other kid neighbor and the resident tough guy bully of the block). Particularly with the kids > adult characters, the growth in maturity and perspectives that happen off-the page between the thirty years Ethan was away from the circle was perhaps my favorite part of the whole book. The core mystery was good, but I actually think it almost pales in comparison to Sager’s understated, yet excellent character work.
Speaking of Sager’s typical quirks and approaches, one of his usual tropes done very effectively was his twist on his usual split perspective narratives that he uses in so many of his novels. Instead of presenting only flashbacks from Ethan’s perspective as a ten year old as expected (which would’ve gotten repetitive and old fast), the past perspective constantly shifts between nearly every character on Hemlock Circle. Not only did the constant shifts keep my attention during the novel’s slowest sections, but I also found it to be quite successful at unraveling the mystery of Billy’s disappearance with each different character holding a crucial piece of the puzzle. In a sense, the approach reminded me of the movie Vantage Point (or really hyperlink cinema piece in general) which I thought was genius. Sager does this with Middle of the Night, but unlike many other novels, does the shift purposefully. Whenever Ethan discovers a clue or potential lead on Billy’s disappearance, the perspective immediately shifts to the past and the character’s perspective that best relates to that clue. Instead of unnecessarily drawing out clues, the story immediately jumps to it and builds its momentum. The shifts are also used for the miscommunication trope, but this is purely done to highlight each character's regret of what they previously said or done, rather than the usual purpose to escalate the tension or drama. And again as previously mentioned, not much physical time actually passes over the duration of this 350+ book. That’s a lot of character content that never feels like it’s spread too thinly.
On the note of drama, another aspect that I thought was done well was the baggage and regret nearly every character on Hemlock Circle has. The contents vary substantially by each character and although some ultimately may not have much direct involvement with Billy’s disappearance, they are compelling misdirections that lead into a new plot reveal or provide valuable context to what other certain characters feel or suspect in each other. The introspection a lot of the characters experience are most relatable to readers of similar age to the characters, I occasionally felt like I would appreciate the reflections even more if I was another 5-10 yrs older (refreshing compared to how many times I’ve felt old or found recent books juvenile). Admittedly Ethan’s own regret that he feels for Billy’s disappearance can tread into the typical melodramatic, overdone territory, but patient readers will be rewarded as the story unfolds and Ethan’s own life had some hidden plot twists that I didn't see coming (a second read through and you’ll be able to catch all the hidden clues hinting at them from early-on).
Despite all the great qualities I’ve highlighted so far, this book still took a while to get going for me. The story didn’t really hook me until I got to about the 60% mark, which is considerably later and slower than both of the other Riley Sager books I’ve previously read. Like his other novels however, once it starts rolling, it’s an engrossing read; still slower-paced and methodical, but nonetheless interesting. I think I ended up reading over half the book in one day split in two sittings. I mentioned it previously in my review for Sager’s <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6142250099" target="blank">The Only One Left</a>, but the Sager’s plotting is tight and there is not one extraneous character or clue in the story. I was impressed then and I’m impressed again now at how Sager is able to incorporate so many characters into the story and suggest plausible reasons each could be a culprit. This may be a minor spoiler (though it’s actually a Riley Sager signature trope I’m noticing), but Middle of the Night continues Sager’s strategy of telling an unsettling story with seemingly light supernatural elements that are later revealed to be attributed to actions done entirely by the living. Parts of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6032776004" target="blank">Home Before Dark</a> could sometimes feel a bit of a stretch (granted that one had far heavier horror/supernatural elements involved), but Middle of the Night’s reveal and conclusion felt decidedly more solid and definitely more foolproof than his other two novels that I’ve read.
In short, I thought Middle of Night was an excellent slow-burn character drama story masquerading as a “mystery thriller”. The plot is well-crafted, methodical, and exudes a sense of sophistication and confidence that resists the temptation of unnecessary action, superfluous melodrama, or cheap red herrings; bucking the trend of so many other recently published and trending thrillers. This one is really a 4.5 rounded down due to the very slow start and seemingly standard setup, but I definitely enjoyed it more than Home Before Dark which I also rated 4-stars (but not quite as exciting to read as The Last One Left). I agree with many other reviewers that have commented that Sager’s flavor of thriller/horror (if you could even call it that) requires patience and is not for everyone, but so far I’m three for three and it’s really working well for me!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Homophobia
tspice24's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Suicide, Kidnapping, Grief, and Murder
amanda_reads13's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
30 years after his best friend goes missing, Ethan moves back to his childhood home and comes face to face with his past.
At first I found this to be fast paced and gripping, but the last chunk was such a let down. There was so much potential for a killer ending, especially with the supernatural/cult elements we see throughout the book. The big reveal felt very underwhelming.Billy snuck out at night to go to the institute and was accidentally hit by a car. Ethan's babysitter was driving drunk and underage. She panicked and threw Billy's body into the lake. The flash forward at the end was enderring, but felt like a very awkward ending. I really wish the story had leaned into the supernatural elements more, there was so much potential there!
The story switches to the past leading up to Billy's disappearance and the present in which Ethan is trying to solve the mystery. We see the story through multiple POVs. I found that despite there being a fairly large cast of characters, they were all fleshed out and had pretty good character development.
At first I thought Ethan was a pretty reliable narrator, but after we find out thathis wife is actually dead, I started to question his sanity . There are so many red herrings in this book, and honestly I did see a lot of them coming: his neighbour and mother working for the institute, someone trying to mess with him with the baseballs, etc...
Overall, this was a pretty decent thriller.
At first I found this to be fast paced and gripping, but the last chunk was such a let down. There was so much potential for a killer ending, especially with the supernatural/cult elements we see throughout the book. The big reveal felt very underwhelming.
The story switches to the past leading up to Billy's disappearance and the present in which Ethan is trying to solve the mystery. We see the story through multiple POVs. I found that despite there being a fairly large cast of characters, they were all fleshed out and had pretty good character development.
At first I thought Ethan was a pretty reliable narrator, but after we find out that
Overall, this was a pretty decent thriller.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Grief, and Car accident