The Midnight Man introduced a lot of new and interesting characters. I was not sure they were all actually necessary, but now I know we might see them again. I was intrigued by the very idea. The internet has brought us all sorts of new and creepy urban legends. Even if it comes from somewhere called Creepy Pasta…or maybe because it does….I don’t even know anymore. But I live in an old house in the forest and I am tempted to have some fun with this little ritual.

You invite the Midnight Man in and he doesn’t let go until he wants to let go. So who won’t let go here. There was a very obvious clue at the beginning that in no way took away from the creepiness of the girls who decided to try the ritual itself. And there are some intriguing supernatural elements that I hope will be explored in the hinted at future stories of this town.

A solid creeper.

The Midnight Man is a gritty, enthralling and compulsively readable second instalment in the Slayton Thrillers series about a crime that happened many decades previously that comes back to haunt the locals. On 31st October as the clock struck midnight, Nigel Middleton loaded his gun and shot his parents, wife and two children in Blackhall Manor in the small community of Slayton. He then took his own life. Thirty years later on Halloween night, some teenagers break into the abandoned manor to play the midnight game. But things take a devastating turn when thirteen-year-old Angelica Lawson disappears. Nobody knows what happened. Nobody except seven-year-old Elliot. But nobody wants to listen to the creepy little kid from the poor part of town. Across the neighbourhood, Sarah Noble lives a lonely existence. Shunned by the community for crimes committed by her husband, Sarah recognises an outsider when she sees one. So when Elliot whispers ‘The Midnight Man is coming…’ into her ear, she takes him seriously. The words echo in Sarah’s consciousness, a shiver driving its way up her spine.

And as more teenagers start to go missing, Sarah realises there is a killer on the loose. Who or what has brought a murderer to their door? Some games should never be played. Because the Midnight Man is coming… And soon he will strike again. This is a compelling and absorbing continuation of the series in which Mitchell has penned another cracking thriller with all the drama, peril, twists and red herrings needed to keep even the most demanding of crime readers chilled and entertained. It's chock full of mystery and gritty darkness as well as having that eerie autumn evening atmosphere that is perfect for the spooky season when the nights are drawing in exponentially. It moves at a brisk pace and features a cast of characters that engage you from the start, and the grisly murders we're certainly a little more gruesome and brutal than we are used to with Mitchell, which I didn't mind at all. It's a spine chilling and intensely creepy read from start to finish with supernatural elements to it and a terrifying and truly vice-like opening that grips you fully. The dread seeps through the pages from the moment you start to read and never subsides. Highly recommended.

THE MIDNIGHT MAN by Caroline Mitchell is a thriller that starts off with the brutal murder-suicide of an entire family. Years later, the murderer has become a sort of legend, the Midnight Man, and the manor where the tragic event took place still stands abandoned. However, when a group of teen girls plays a mysterious game in the old house and one of them ends up dead, police officer, Sarah, might be the only one who can catch the killer and uncover a shocking truth about the Midnight Man from 25 years earlier. That is, if she can face the ghosts of her past.

This story certainly caught my attention from the prologue and clips along at a brisk pace all the way to the end. It's a solid read if you're looking for something simple and a bit spooky. I do think it utilizes too many points of view, though, and I wish certain elements of backstory had been given more space and introduced earlier. THE MIDNIGHT MAN has a lot of similarities to DARK PLACES by Gillian Flynn. I can credit THE MIDNIGHT MAN with being more tightly plotted, but it's lacking in atmosphere and theme. Overall, the story feels rushed and the characters underdeveloped.

D̶o̶ Y̶o̶u̶ W̶a̶n̶n̶a̶ P̶l̶a̶y̶ A̶ G̶a̶m̶e̶?̶
̶T̶h̶e̶ M̶i̶d̶n̶i̶g̶h̶t̶ M̶a̶n̶ D̶a̶r̶e̶s̶ Y̶o̶u̶!̶

Thank you so much Embla Books, NetGalley and Mitchell for this gripping story!

Here we have Sarah.
She has been through so much since she was 14 and finally as an adult and now a detective....
Her life still is in shambles!
She has taken time away from work when tragedy strikes her life agan!
She only returns back when she hears of this deadly game teenage kids are playing called.....
The Midnight Man!
Once you start this game it stays with you. Forever!
When four teenage girls goes to Blackhall Manor to play the game only three get out alive.
Sarah is back on duty but only to take interviews.
And she has to reconnect with two ladies from her past!
Her best friend Maggie who is raising seven year old son Elliot by herself after her husband is badly injured in war. And her son who has these terrible awful nightmares that has things to do with the old Blackhall Manor and the Midnight Man.
And the other lady is Elsie who is struggling with obesity. Who is being taken care of by her son.
As Sarah has to revisit her past can she uncover who the Midnight Man is in time to save these teenage girls from harm?

I can't express how pumped I am to see this is becoming a series! OMG how exciting?!
This ending left open so many possibilities! I can't wait!
This story is totally gripping and surprising. I was seriously hooked.
I absolutely love it when a book hooks me the way TMM did!
I woke up at 2am wanting to read it. To put a few more chapters in.
That makes it a 4.5 star book in my opinion if you ask me!
The writing flowed effortlessly and the story was packed with mystery and twists as it spiralled its way to a compelling climax!
Quick paced and what a physiological thrillers this was.
I thought I knew who TMM was.....
Psshhhhh yeah ok! Had no damn idea!
Amazing if you ask me.
Can't wait to see more of Sarah.
Another top notch book from this author.!
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

Will post & tag to Twitter and Bookstagram
Already on Goodreads

PS if you need a advanced reader for future books..... I'm your girl! 😘

Opening with a bang, this book grabbed me from the start.

A tragic event at Blackhall Manor opens the story, then fast forward 25 years, Blackhall Manor is now the local haunted house where the town teens go to try scare each other!
Halloween is the perfect night for creepy stories though, so when a group of friends gather there on the creepiest night of the year to try and summon The Midnight Man, what could go wrong?

This was a pretty fast-paced book packed with a complicated, but reasonably easy to follow story told from several characters point of view. Each with their own stories that weaved together well to make a well-rounded tale.

An atmospheric, creepy tale that would make a great Halloween read!

The Midnight Man by Caroline Mitchell is one of the best mystery thrillers I've read in terms of keeping me guessing. I had so many theories on where this story would go, but they were all proven wrong. Mitchell threw one curveball after another, timing them just right for the greatest impact. The revelation at the end—the one that solved the primary mystery—kind of felt like it came out of left field, but it didn't dampen my enjoyment enough to deduct a star. Now that I know how everything plays out, I'd enjoy rereading this novel just to see if there were any clues I missed. I also really liked Sarah's empowering development and wouldn't mind revisiting her. I loved how Mitchell blended in some supernatural elements, too, as it made the story even more exciting and chilling.

The sordid history of Blackhall Manor added its own fascinating, shadowy aspect to the story. In a way, the manor felt like a character of its own, an antagonist that loomed ever-present in the background and swallowed me whole when the focus shifted to it. The one thing about this book that was mildly off-putting was how many new characters were rapidly introduced in the first few chapters. They were convincing, but I wanted to get more grounded in the story before the point of view changed from character to character. However, once I found my footing, the multiple perspectives helped build suspense and deepened my curiosity. I recommend The Midnight Man by Caroline Mitchell to anyone who's looking for an unpredictable thriller.


(Big thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the free review copy! All opinions in this review are my own and are honest and unbiased. This review was first published on my review site, Kayla C. Reviews.)

Trigger Warning: This is an adult work that contains murder, violence, abduction, brief mentions of child porn and child abuse, and themes of sexual abuse, PTSD, and trauma.

This story takes place in a town called Slayton, which really should have been a warning (I'm not sure if we're ever told where Slayton is located, geographically) and a deserted house called Blackhall Manor where a terrible crime took place years earlier. The house's creepy reputation is, of course, a lure for some, and the urban myth of the Midnight Man can be too much to resist. (At least as long as you're up for some business - the "Midnight Game" - involving knocking on doors, pieces of paper, and wandering around a darkened house in the middle of the night for a really long time.)

And in the present day, girls (it's always girls, isn't it?) are going missing....

We are introduced to a group of characters - police officer Sarah who's been off on long-term sick leave, single mother Maggie whose young son Elliot experiences unsettling visions, and Elsie, also a single mother of an adult son. (Elsie is American, for some reason.) All are connected in some way, although we spend the most time with Sarah, who definitely has some challenges to face - not least, fitting back into a workplace with distinctly hostile colleagues. (Author Caroline Mitchell has been a police officer, so we can assume has insight into the day to day business of policing.) I quite liked Sarah, as she tries both to prove herself and more importantly to protect others.

I did have a hunch about who would turn out to be responsible, though not how or why. I didn't really like the appearance - to play a significant role at the end - of a character who'd barely been mentioned earlier.

The story wasn't as creepy as the "Midnight Man" and "Midnight Game" premise makes it sound, but it was an enjoyable read.

WARNING: unpopular opinion ahead!!

I consider myself a fan of Caroline Mitchell's detective and psychological thrillers, so when I found out she was dipping her toe in the horror genre I simply couldn't pass up on the opportunity to read the result. I loved the sound of the premise of The Midnight Man and I was fully expecting to love every minute of it... Imagine my surprise when I ended up having mixed feelings instead. Because there is one thing for sure: The Midnight Man sadly didn't live up to expectations for me and lacked the wow-factor that I was hoping for. I'll try to explain what did and didn't work for me briefly below.

First of all I do have to say that I still love the premise and the idea behind the 'midnight man', the game and the supernatural vibe. Blackhall Manor makes for the perfect creepy backdrop and setting for the different events to take place. I do have to say that I would have loved to see it developed a bit more to make it feel even more ominous; more thorough descriptions would have made the story more 'gothic' and atmospheric as I feel that as it is its full potential hasn't been reached.

The story uses a multiple POV structure, which is useful to add more dept to the story, but in this case I think there were too many. I struggled especially in the beginning to keep them apart, and I think that as a result of having to juggle so many different POVs most characters lack dept. I also think that the characters in general are not exactly likeable, and I was never able to make a connection to any of them. I do like flawed characters, but main character Sarah was mostly frustrating instead of intriguing. The whole mystery around what her husband did was over the top and ended in a complete anti-climax; to make it worse, it was hardly developed afterwards and kind of brushed under the carpet. I wasn't sure about the tone in certain parts of the dialogues in general either, as for example the bullying and the Midnight Man POV came over as a bit childish.

The prologue started with a bang, and even the beginning of the story had me mostly intrigued as the events started taking place. Sadly, the story never reached that potential of the prologue for me, and I have to say that I found the plot to be rather dull and predictable in points. There were too many red herrings, and as a whole I don't feel The Midnight Man was as scary as the blurb seems to promise. More focus on descriptions and Blackhall Manor as well as the Midnight Man and Elliot's role could probably have helped the story, but as a whole I'm sorry to say that this ended up being a dud for me. I guess that it's no surprise when I say that I won't be continuing this series... I will be sticking to her usual stories instead.

An enjoyable thriller with an eerie atmosphere. Great twists and compelling storytelling keep you on the edge of your seat. A chilling read perfect for Halloween!

This is a great read.
A group of school friends receive an invitation to play a game and are told to go to a derelict mansion.
The Midnight Man is waiting for them and one of them does not come out alive.
The other friends are in shock and vow to keep the game a secret, until one of the other girls is taken from her home.
Sarah has just returned to work in the Police and is keen to help find the killer but her colleagues have not welcomed her back as she’s imagined.
Sarah finds it hard to fit in with the team after being off for so long and it’s clear some of the team don’t want her there.
Sarah gets in touch with an old friend and her son seems to know about the Midnight Man but Sarah is pushed out when she mentions it to her colleagues.
This is a gripping thriller that will give you the creeps but will also have you racing through the pages to find out who the Midnight Man really is.
Thanks to Embla books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Deliciously creepy and full of tension.

I haven't read anything by Caroline Mitchell before but I was initially drawn by the cover and then intrigued by the blurb which sounded like something I would enjoy and, overall, I wasn't disappointed.

There are some great characters and a fabulous plot which combines urban legend, creepy house, serial killer, murder mystery, police procedural and the paranormal. The pace is pretty good and the twists and turns provided suspense from the start.

This is a good spooky read and certainly made a nice change to the usual crime thrillers and I have to give a thank you to Embla Books and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publishers for an ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

I had high hopes for this book the premise was enticing and sounded a bit spooky. Slightly different to some of the other books I have read and loved by this author. It starts off with a great prologue that really made me feel intrigued to read on. However it became a bit of a mundane supernatural thriller, albeit with few thrills.

Fortunately, this was a fairly easy read so didn’t take too much time to read, fairly simple and the basic plot was confusing. But I didn’t really relate to any of the character’s. Could do with a bit more detail in the back story of the main character. ⠀
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Overall not a bad book, but not a great one either. Will definitely read more by this author in her usual genre

What a compelling read! A true thrilling and eerie story that had me flipping through the engaging story trying to figure out what was what!

It starts with a haunting suicide murder in Blackhall Manor. The way the story begins completely engages you for an exciting read! Fast forward to many years later and a group of girls decide to play the Midnight Man game. You whisper and light candles and call to him and try to survive the night without him finding you. All fun and games until the girls go home and find out one of their friends is missing. This is the beginning of a chain of events that lead to secret after secret being revealed.

Around 65% of the story I was getting antsy and ready for it to pick up and roll a little harder. Finally it did and all the truths became clear but I felt the pacing sort of dissipated slightly. For 3/4 of the book you feel the eerie atmosphere and thrill of the chase for the game and it’s players, but in the end it just felt like it didn’t all turn out to be as sinister as expected. Still a great read and one that I recommend especially during this spooky season!

This book really started with a bang. The prologue was so intense and it made intrigued and heartbroken all at the same time. This made my hopes for the book really high and I was somewhat disappointed.
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This was an easy read so reading didn't take much time. It was simple written and the dialog and story itself wasn't confusing.
The main character did confuse me from times to times with her communications with others and her actions.
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I did enjoy the concept behind the Blackhall Manor and The Midnight Man. I've only heard very little of The Midnight Man before so it was fun to read more about this concept and I loved the supernatural feeling around it. The plot however, did not shock me and it felt dull. It had so much potential and it didn't meet any of them.

I unfortunately had to DNF this one. The premise was awesome and I loved the spooky aspect. But it just wasn’t a good fit for me

I love a good thriller type book that will have you hooked, creeped out with chills, and a touch of eerie stuff going on, and this book was the perfect recipe for that. I enjoyed this book from the beginning and it pulled me in from he first few chapters, as a group of teenage girls go to a known haunted Manor where The Midnight Man is supposed to be. That’s right, these girls knowingly went to a haunted manor with every intention of calling upon the Midnight Man. On Halloween night as well, of all nights. Talk about creepy, scary vibes, right!?

I enjoyed reading this novel and learning about the girls’ experiences on this eerie night in Blackhall Manor, as they call upon The Midnight Man. When one of the girls disappears and doesn’t show up at home, the other girls cannot figure out where she went or what happened to her. Did The Midnight Man get her? Where could she possibly have gone? Full of frights, chills, and edge-of-your-seat thrills, this novel will have you hooked as you flip through the pages.

A perfect read for this time of year, as we are quickly coming up on Halloween in a few weeks. A book I highly recommend that you read.

I absolutely loved this book! I was so creeped out from the very beginning. I suspected everyone at some point and in the end I was completely shocked!! I was hooked from the first page. Sarah is a great main character. Definitely worth the read!

I had high hopes when I read the premise of this book, plus, it's got a great title - in my opinion. Unfortunately, for me, it just didn't work.

It started off well with a spooky, supernatural feel to the storyline. However, it then became a very 'run of the mill', mystery / thriller with few thrills. I guess it was the writing style that just appeal and which I found irritating. It's not a bad read, just, an OK for me.
A group of friends (for a dare) decide to spend the night in a spooky mansion where, if certain things happen, The Midnight Man appears and commits terrible acts.
One of the friends then disappears and the story is interwoven with these friends / a police investigation and a young boy who appears psychic.
For me; it started off well and then just became lacklustre.

Thanks to NetGalley and Embla books for the opportunity to preview.

One word for this book…WOW! Caroline Mitchell has surpassed expectations with this latest book.
A groups of teenagers have gone to the abandoned Blackhall Manor to play the Midnight Game, where they invite the Midnight Man in and try to avoid being killed before 3.33a.m.. Meanwhile, DC Sarah Noble is returning to work after a leave of absence, and the case takes a personal twist. During the case, Sarah resurrects some childhood friendships, all have secrets from the past.
A real gripping storyline, the characters have such depth and hooks about their past to keep you wanting to know more. A brilliant read and highly recommended.

Four teenage girls receive an invitation to play The Midnight Game on Halloween. It’s supposed to just be a silly game held in the town of Slayton’s spooky abandoned Blackhall Manor. The Manor is the sight of a brutal murder of a family 25 years earlier. Of course things go awry as one of the girls ends up missing. One of the police detectives who is working on the new crime is DC Sarah Noble. Sarah herself has a troubled past and has only recently started back to work. Will Sarah overcome her own secrets to help discover the truth about the Midnight Man?
This book was the perfect read for the spooky season. It was fast paced and I didn’t want to put this book down. The Midnight Man is perfect for anyone who enjoys thrillers with a dash of horror. Overall, it was such a fun read!