I enjoyed this, but I didn’t love it as much as I’d hoped to. I liked the begining but I felt it was lacking that wow factor.
I would still recommend it but I don't feel like it had much of a twist.

When they were ten years old, Ethan Marsh's best friend Billy was kidnapped from Ethan's own back garden when the pair were camping outside. Nobody knows what happened to Billy or who took him. The mystery devastated the local community and continues to haunt Ethan Marsh who, thirty years later, has reluctantly returned to his childhood home in Hemlock Circle. Once there, Ethan is plagued by nightmares of the night Billy went missing and haunted by guilt and shame for what happened to him. After there are developments in what had previously been considered a cold case, Ethan becomes obsessed with finding out exactly what happened to Billy and why. Meanwhile strange things seem to be happening to Ethan in the middle of the night. There's someone stalking the neighbourhood and leaving footballs and notes for him in his back garden. Is someone messing with him or is Billy back and trying to communicate with him?

Riley Sager's Middle of the Night is a decent thriller. The mystery is well executed and there were lots of red herrings along the way which kept me guessing. I didn't guess the ending which, for me, is always a sign of a good mystery. The book is very atmospheric - when strange things keep happening to Ethan there is even the suggestion of the supernatural which definitely added to the tension. There was lots of high-stakes suspense and I was left needing to know what happened even if I wasn't quite on the edge of my seat.

As well as being a mystery, the book grapples with themes of grief, loss, and trauma. Ethan is a flawed character who is haunted by what happened to his best friend and is grieving the end of a relationship. A lot of the novel is spent developing his character and establishing how the events in his life have shaped him and continue to shape him.

I like how Sager doesn't shy away from writing morally grey characters. Many of the characters in this book are far from perfect and are well-written, realistic characters. I think that Sager did a good job of characterising both the young and old, with young Henry being my favourite character in the book. I do think that we could have had more characterisation of Billy. Considering the whole book is about him going missing it would have been helpful to have some sense of him beyond the fact that he was interested in ghosts and the supernatural. That being said, most of the characters were well characterised and developed.

I wasn't a fan of the timeline of the book. The present day parts were written in the first person whilst the flashbacks were written in the third person which I found a bit jarring. I understand that this allowed for multiple POVs but it interrupted the flow of the book for me.

I did appreciate that we got some queer representation in this book. Two of the side characters are LGBT which I loved. Although it was only a very small part of the book, it's worth mentioning.

I was satisfied by the book's ending - the entire mystery was solved and I wasn't left guessing, which I appreciate in any mystery novel.

Overall I give the book three stars. It was a compelling and atmospheric mystery but it didn't dazzle me. It was pretty average for me, but I would recommend it to anyone who likes their thrillers with some in-depth character development.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this e-ARC.

Tropes:
✨ Slow burn mystery
✨ Small-town mystery
✨ Multiple POV
✨ Dual timeline
✨ Morally grey characters
✨ 90s nostalgia
✨ Queer representation

I highly recommend you go into this thriller knowing very little!

What's It About?

I am only gonna tell you this... Ethan must contend with the long-ago disappearance of his childhood best friend, Billy—and the dark secrets lurking just beyond the safe confines of his picture-perfect neighborhood.

What I Thought Of It:

- Riley Sager is an autobuy author for me, I will preorder any book he releases and this was no exception.

- Less of a tense wild ride thriller and more a slower burn emotive mystery thriller which pulled me in from the very beginning, because you wanna know what happened to Billy! But it's not short of twists!

- The last third of the book is where the pace really picks up and the twists and turns start to drop. I enjoyed the build up to this.

- It's got Sager's signature story telling style, which I love.

- The story is told over two timelines: present day - when Ethan is trying to solve his friend's disappearance - and 30 years prior when Billy and Ethan are kids and the disappearance occurs. I love a story with different timelines!

- Although this book isn't as fast paced as previous, I was hooked, and it kept me turning the pages as I was desperate to know what happened to Billy and by whom!

- I loved the setting in a closed (cul de sac) neighbourhood where you watch a tight knit community , unravel in the aftermath of the tragedy, as you don't know who to believe or suspect.

- This story is so well plotted and written that I loved spending time with the characters and following the twists and turns that story took.

- There are many possible subplots that come through as the mystery is unfolding which I won't share to avoid spoilers but I enjoyed them all!

Another enjoyable thriller from Riley Sager, I already can't wait to read the next!

This is highly addictive However absurd you think the ghostly element is you just cant put it down A real page turner with plenty of unexpected twists

This thriller was ok not my favourite but still enjoyable . I am big fan of the authors book so still would recommend it

When Ethan was ten years old, he did a camping in his backyard with his neighbourhood friend, Billy. But when Ethan woke up in the morning, he noticed that the tent was sliced and Billy was nowhere to be seen.
Billy just disappeared, and his disappearance became a cold case after years of no lead.
Thirty years later, Ethan is back to his childhood home, and memory of Billy's disappearance haunts him.
There are chapters that brought us back to thirty years ago - the last hours before Billy and Ethan back to the tent for the night. Those chapters will make you thirst to know what did happen or lead to Billy's disappearance.

Ethan: "He's just not any boy,  he's my friend, his name is Billy"

Billy : "Hakuna Matata, dude."

Riley Sager never disappoints me. He always presents an unputdownable book, which makes us wonder throughout the book. I love his writing style - which unexpected event is being revealed bit by bit, so you'll never get boring reading his book.
This one is full of suspense with a touch of paranormal thing.

So myself and a Bookstagram pal are of the opinion that Riley Sager books are either excellent or completely miss the mark - I’m sad to say that his newest book falls into the second category for me 😬 it could have been SO good but instead it was unendingly repetitive, ridiculously unbelievable and just l o o o n g. I thought about jacking it in multiple times throughout which goes without saying is not a sign of a good read.

Ethan is a very odd character and I still can’t work out my feelings for him, although I’m leaning towards intense dislike. He is a very unreliable and boring narrator and I simply ended up not caring what he may or may not have witnessed 30 odd years ago because it was dragged out for far too long (and when it was finally revealed, it was anticlimactic at best). Literally all of the other characters were forgettable so this really doesn’t make for a strong cast.

I feel like so much more could have been done with the Institute - it was alluded to as being a pretty focal point of the story but just ended up seeming like a tiny insignificant detail in the pages and pages of Ethan’s dull narration. A shame!

There were bits and pieces of this story that captured my attention which is why I’ve given it 2 stars but overall this was a flop. I’m not giving up on Riley Sager yet though 🫡 can we have more gems like The House Across The Lake please?!

Thank you Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Riley Sager does it again with another edge of your seat thriller that slowly builds to the most epic ending you can imagine.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review. This story was full of suspense, drama and a hint of the supernatural that all blended together to create an amazing story. I felt totally compelled to find out what had happened to Billy all those years ago. Full of plot twists and surprises. The story also focuses on grief and how people cope differently after a tragedy. A really engrossing tale that I would definitely recommend.

Riley Sager really can do no wrong. I have read every book by this author and this was my most anticipated release of 2024, I was not disappointed.

We follow Ethan whose best friend went missing whilst they were children and camping in Ethan’s back garden. Ethan now an adult cannot remember anything that happened that night and his friend has still not been found all these years later.

The story is set in a claustrophobic street where suspicion still lingers. An interesting host of characters join Ethan, including his childhood babysitter, childhood friend and bully alongside those who were adults at the time Ethan’s friend went missing. Who is hiding what is one of the biggest questions you keep asking yourself whilst reading this book.

I felt this was had a home before dark vibe about it. It was mysterious, thrilling and atmospheric. I was hooked and couldn’t stop thinking about this book.

It was a normal summer evening, the night that Ethan and Billy camped in Ethan’s backyard. Normal, until the tent was slashed and Billy disappeared, never to be seen again. Now, 30 years later, Ethan’s back in the neighbourhood…but so is Billy.

This is a hard book to review. I have loved lots of Riley Sager’s books but I found this one disappointing. This is primarily due to the slooooow pace in the first 50-60% of the book. I was seriously tempted to DNF once or twice because it felt like a slog and I just wasn’t feeling the ghost story element of the plot. Stubbornness made me finish the book and I am really glad I persevered. From 80% on, I was terrified and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. The ending is really satisfiying. I thought I had guessed what was going on and I had but only a small part of the big picture.

I would recommend the author and the ending but not the book overall. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a chance to review and advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This felt like the perfect blend between my two favourite Riley Sager books: Home Before Dark and The Last Time I Lied. I read most of it in one sitting and loved the blend of 90s vibes, the is-it-or-is-it-not? supernatural second guessing, and the small insular feeling of the cul de sac in which this book is set. This was everything I look for in a Riley Sager book, and I had a great time reading.

Is it summer really until we have a Riley Sager book? I don't think so and I was intrigued by this one as I think this is the author's first male main character and so I was curious as to how the dynamic would work compared to his female led works.

I do think the plot was doing great things, the two timelines in this book make for a book that keeps you hanging on to every chapter and I really do appreciate the plot twists in this book, it certainly wasn't something I saw coming (maybe I don't read thrillers enough, but this one was good!) and when the story gets started it's very difficult to stop reading.

However I do feel the characters are a bit of a letdown, some of them lack personality which is replaced by being reminded what the plot is. I feel like so much more could be made from these characters and though I am glad that there is representation here, I feel like it would have been improved by the characterisation.

There are good things here, I think it's a very poignant book about how we deal with loss and letting go of the past, I think the tension is strong and the plot really moves fast that makes this book really gripping.

One of those books perfect for taking on holiday in my humble opinion.

(thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc for review)

Middle of the Night by Riley Sager
Publication date: 2 July 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.25 stars
Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

On July 15, 1994, ten-year-old Ethan and his best friend Billy are camping in their quiet New Jersey cul de sac. In the morning, Ethan wakes up alone. The tent is sliced open, and Billy is gone, taken. Thirty years later, Ethan has returned to Hemlock Circle, still desperate for answers.

This was fine, a perfectly serviceable mystery that did nothing wrong but nothing special either.
It was fairly slow-paced, which didn't bother me too much, but a bit repetitive. The couple of plot twists and the reveal were wholly predictable.
This being said, I quite enjoy Sager's writing. There were some good moments of tension and I appreciated his exploration of grief and guilt. The flashbacks were good and I liked the multiple POVs in those instances. I still had a good enough time reading this book that I kept turning the pages and wanted to get to the end, and for that reason, I'll happily read more from this author in the future.

I am fully in my thriller era and of course, Riley Sager is the ultimate thriller author !

First of all, the cover ??? I am absolutely in love and obsessed, just like I am with all of Riley Sager’s books.

I liked how we had the flashbacks with the different POVs and across ages ! I thought this was so interesting and crucial to understanding what happened that night !

I did find the book to be slightly repetitive in parts and in turn, some chapters felt long.

The main reveal was slightly predictable but that didn’t take away from my reading experience. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good psychological thriller !!

On a warm evening in July 1994 on a quiet cul-de-sac, two ten-year-olds, Ethan & Billy, go about their usual Friday night routine of camping in Ethan's parents' backyard. They fall asleep but in the morning, only one of them is still there. Ethan wakes up to find their tent sliced open & Billy is gone. Now Ethan will be plagued by nightmares & what-ifs about what could have happened to his friend.

Thirty years later, Ethan returns to Hemlock Circle when his parents retire South. The same neighbours all still live in their homes except for Billy's family who moved away. Now that Ethan is back, it seems as if something has been stirred up & strange things begin to happen - like the yard lights coming on at each of the houses in the middle of the night one by one, as if someone or something is circling the street. Has Billy finally returned? Will Ethan finally find out what happened to his friend?

I've now read 7 out of the 8 books published by this author & the split is currently 5 really great reads & 2 not so great reads. Unfortunately this one falls into the not so great reads for me. It starts off well but it meanders a bit too much & I found my attention wandering a bit at times. I also managed to work out who was behind Billy's disappearance & usually Sager's a master at misdirection. It's still a decent read but it's not quite as good as the author's best work for me. 3.5 stars (rounded down)

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Hodder & Stoughton, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

According to Goodreads and this site Middle of the Night by Riley Sager is only the second book I've read by the American author since 2017 when I inhaled the popular, Final Girls. Although a couple of more recent books seem familiar, perhaps I only coveted them from afar rather than getting review copies or picking them up. Like Final Girls this is centred around an old mystery, stirred up when one of the players returns to his childhood home.

Ethan's returned to his childhood home as this opens, because his parents have downsized and moved to Florida. Ethan's reluctant to return to the morbidly named Hemlock Circle, the last place he saw his best friend Billy thirty years earlier, but's a lifeline he needs as it seems his personal and professional lives have imploded.

Some of his neighbours are still around so there are vivid reminders of his past but we learn Ethan's been tortured by nightmares for much of his life. I'm not a fan of books dipping into the fantastic or occult and this had Stranger Things vibes, with references to ghosts, parapsychology and the secretive Hawthorne Institute operating nearby in 1994.

We discover that Ethan, Billy and others in their neighbourhood trespassed on the day Billy disappeared, sneaking into the Institute grounds and the others taking off when Billy got caught, allowing him to be privy to some of the Institute's (not-so-evil) secrets.

There are strange happenings both then and now with something seemingly lurking in the nearby woods. Ethan assumes it's the ghost of Billy returned to share his secrets now those present in 1994 have all returned. Fans of the more surreal will appreciate the security lights being triggered by shadows and secret childhood  messages between Ethan and Billy being re-enacted.

We get a resolution here, with a few coincidences popped in for those who prefer the hazy world of ghosts and shadow people as well as some very real surprises... but it felt a little anticlimactic. In some ways I suspect Sager wanted that to be the case... that something so steeped in mystery could in fact be fairly banal.

3.5 stars

As a big fan of Riley Sager's books, 'Middle of the Night" was one of my most eagerly anticipated books of the year, and I'm delighted to report that it delivered! From the beginning, I was completely trapped by its intricate plot and compelling characters and couldn't pull the book down until I finished!

As always with Sager's writing, I always need to know how the story will unfold, and although this one was slower than others I've read, it still pulled me in.
The story starts in 1994, in 10-year-old Ethan's backyard, where he was camping with his friend Billy. However, Billy is nowhere to be found.
fast forward to the present day and Ethan is back in his childhood home, dealing with a failed marriage and the ghosts of what happened all those years ago.

i enjoy Sager's writing so much; this one didn't disappoint. If you like a slow-burn mystery set in a small culdesac, with twists and turns (some you can guess, others take you by surprise), then this book is for you.

Thank you to Riley Sager, Dutton Books, and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

This is a decent enough read although I have enjoyed other's by this writer more than this one unfortunately.
The book is based around a missing boy and what happened to him, the story is set 30 years later and his best friend is trying to find out what happened on that fateful night, lots of suspects and a few twists and turns along the way.

Another gripping and brilliant story from Riley Sager. A story full of tension with a spooky atmosphere