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amanada11's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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? No
5.0
I’m rarely truly surprised by books but this one took my breath away. The lives of several people converge at the place where a young boy disappeared 30 years ago. None of them have ever shared their whole truths, and when the body of a young boy is found, the stories unravel. The last line of the book brought me to tears. Loved this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Minor: Child death, Drug use, and Homophobia
_pauline's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
this is going to be a long review; the short version is: perfect, loved it.
this is my 4th riley sager book & he’s already become one of my favourite authors. it might take a little while to get into his books but then I can’t put them down.
this is my 4th riley sager book & he’s already become one of my favourite authors. it might take a little while to get into his books but then I can’t put them down.
I think this had the perfect balance of unpredictability (if that’s a word) & clues/logic - it kept me guessing the entire time, but in hindsight everything made so much sense. I feel like I should’ve seen the signs (like russ being left out + his anger issues, that billy didn’t scream bc he knew the person - but apart from his parents that could also be one of his friends - or the mention of the second key that was given to the barringers, or how nobody knew where billy’s brother was & whether he’d been informed of the discovery of billy’s bones, and that he could know things that seemingly only billy knew, or how “the barringer boy“ could also mean him & not billy, or what ashley said about the party that day & how she’d find a way to get there + that she was driving at 15 w/o a license - by the end I’d completely forgotten about that; also how the slash in the tent ended up being only indirectly connected to billy’s disappearance, bc who tf would cut open a tent to grab sb instead of simply opening it ). but despite all of that, there were many surprising (to me) twists. pretty much the only thing I predicted was that henry would disappear at some point
I was also positively surprised that in the end there was no big supernatural explanation (which I know riley sager has done before & I liked it in the house across the lake, + it did play a role again in the lake/drowning scene at the end, but I kind of wanted the baseballs etc to have a different explanation & they did). I also liked how many people were involved in billy’s death in some way (instead of a simple solution with one villain) & the way the story was told from different perspectives but with one dominant pov/mc
my ranking so far:
- middle of the night (5⭐️)
- last time i lied (5⭐️)
- the house across the lake (4.75⭐️)
- lock every door (4.5⭐️)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Confinement, Drug abuse, Violence, Dementia, and Kidnapping
Minor: Homophobia and Car accident
kay_kxd's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction and Child death
Minor: Homophobia
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
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
kaneebli's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
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? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, and Grief
Minor: Drug abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Dementia, Kidnapping, and Death of parent
larareads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Kidnapping, Grief, and Car accident
Moderate: Drug abuse
Minor: Homophobia
ehoustonmyatt's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I hoped for more from this but it was alright. Maybe just not for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Homophobia and Racism
tarynlannister's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
I liked this book a lot more than I expected to going in. It really picks up in the second half. Plenty tense at times but surprisingly heartwarming, with unexpectedly lovable characters. I didn't expect the culprit, but felt the author dropped enough subtle hints that it didn't feel like she tricked the reader.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Drug use, Violence, Kidnapping, and Grief
Minor: Drug abuse, Homophobia, and Alcohol
jgillaspie20's review
dark
sad
slow-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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Homophobia
Minor: Miscarriage