A nicely crafted novel from Cheon Seon-ran, whose writing I enjoyed much more than I expected. There are many layers to her story and she leaves no loose ends, just a bit of an open ending. I like that we got to follow three female characters who all went through a lot but made different choices in life. Nanju’s point of view helped us understand (though not excuse) her present actions, while Violette’s blossoming first love added some softness to the book. It was honestly a good read. Also, very interesting reflections were shared by the author.

I first discovered Cheon Seon Ran through A Thousand Blues, which I found on NetGalley. That novella was a brilliant piece of sci-fi, thought-provoking and Black Mirror–esque, and it left me eager to see what else the author could do. So when I found out there was a new English-translated work, The Midnight Shift and it was a vampire murder mystery, I was instantly on board.

Overall, this book is another winner for me.

The writing was incredibly engaging and vivid. I often struggle to visualize scenes while reading, but not this time. The prose just worked for me. I had clear, cinematic images in my mind throughout. In fact, I kept picturing it in the same visual tone as the Swedish film Let the Right One In, which is an excellent vampire movie everyone should watch. Like that movie, The Midnight Shift isn’t just about vampires. It’s more about grief, isolation, and the impact of deep loneliness on human behavior, and how that can distort actions in quiet, devastating ways.

This isn’t a fast-paced, twisty mystery, something I initially expected going in. Instead, it’s more about experiencing the lives of the three main POV characters. And honestly, I loved my time with all three of them. Their perspectives felt intimate, layered, and grounded, and the emotional threads throughout the story gave it real depth.

At the risk of repeating myself, I can’t wait to see what Cheon Seon Ran has in store for us next. This author is now firmly on my must-read list.

I’d round this up to 3.5
Unfortunately for me this read just didn’t hit for me how I would have liked.
I found parts a little all over the place and unnecessary.
I struggled with building connections to the character
I loved the concept of this but I feel it could of been executed a little cleaner for me to enjoy

Well, this was... different. It goes without saying that translated works that come with a sizable amount of cultural background are bound to hit different with an English-speaking audience, of course. And let me just say that, while I don't speak Korean, I thought this translation did a great job in terms of balance: original ideas and turns of phrase don't necessarily match what you'd expect from an English text, but they read as intentional and poignant, not awkward.

I feel that this story requires several trigger warnings. A murder mystery will by default be dealing with the subject of death, but here it's pervasive: all characters involved have their own relationship with death - investigating it, dealing it, wanting it, grieving it, escaping it - and that tips the narrative into a philosophical vein of the kind I personally don't particularly enjoy. At its core, this is a story about loneliness (also an emotional topic for many), unlikely connections, moral dilemmas and one's place in the world.

In terms of characters and relationships between them, I can say that I assumed there would be more - and more meaningful - interaction between the two leads, Suyeon and Violette. It didn't have to be romance (perhaps it's actually for the best, considering the romance we did get was a complete teenage-level-of-drama overkill for me), but neither did it reach the levels of camaraderie and friendship that I would appreciate. Unfortunately, I found it hard to relate to any character here, which, coupled with the fact that it's a musings-heavy narrative, made this story a miss for me.

3/5 rounded up to 4, because we need more translated stories.

'm here for all the things in the description about this book and so I asked for a copy, and I'm glad I did, as this novella tells the story of loneliness, history and vengeance that really for me comes together in the last pages.

An incredibly character driven story, I found the story Violette told more interesting than the present day story and as the characters partner up and we see the story conclude, Violette's story feels more and more pertinent to the story that it makes me wish a little bit it's told fully in her perspective. Not to say Suyeon is uninteresting as she comes to terms that vampires exist.

Though we know this is Seoul, I feel like the world isn't built well exactly, however the plot does move fast that the city would blur in the speed of it as we get into the plot straight from the get go - the pages jumping into the plot moving through the characters that make the story what it is, which is the major strength of this book.

Definitely makes me want to read the other books from this author, The Midnight Shift is certainly not the usual book I expected, but definitely one I'm glad I didn't!

(Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC for honest review).

This is more of a mystery than a horror. This is more literary than a regular mystery. Which I feel is part of the confusion I felt when starting this book. The indication of vampires hints that this is supernatural, but I wouldn't describe this as a supernatural horror. The mystery element is running through the book, however I felt that it wasn't the main plot. As other reviews have shared, this book is bout the lonliness one feels. Lonliness that appears at different stages of you life: as a teenager when no one understands you, as an adult when those who raised you have passed on and as an elder, when you have been abandoned by your family, friends and society. The element of lonliness being what attracts the vampires is interesting as it is an emotion we all experience and have some level fo fear of.
This was an interesting blend of genres with an interesting theme running thorugh.

I read the synopsis as Korean vampires and immediately knew that I had to read this novel. This was a suspenseful and gripping story about a series of suicides at a hospital that seem to Detective Su-Yeon to actually be murders. After a chance encounter at a crime scene with a mysterious woman called Violette a new possibility is revealed. Violette claims to be a vampire hunter; is she whom she appears to be or a delusional woman? Regardless Su-Yeon agrees to work with her to stop the string of deaths but will they both survive?

I absolutely loved this novel and read the book in one sitting. 5 stars! A must read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

This book was easy to read, I loved the Murder mystery storyline with a great supernatural element.
Will keep my eye out for further Cheon Seon-Ran books, this book was really enjoyable.

I was drawn in by the vampire murder mystery pitch! Overall I thought this was a good read and some of the characters were interesting (Nanju, Violette).

Intriguing and dark, this book follows a lone detective navigating a series of deaths that though they originally presented as unexpected suicides may have much darker paranormal origins. Our detective Su-Yeon while trying to understand why these deaths aren't quite sitting straight crosses paths with our vampire hunter Violette. Bonding over shared lives of tragedy and loneliness, our duo aims to put a stop to these killings and protect the lone and the elderly being targetted.

Loneliness is a leading concept, as it attracts our creatures of the night to their victims, the lonelier and hopeless the better. Absent of tears it takes place across Seoul, Korea and France, navigating our characters histories and how they came to be it sees us through earlier periods of their lifetimes as well as current times. Haunting from start to finish this was impossible to put down, twisted with mystery and sapphic yearning this truly held up as one of my most anticipated reads of the year and only makes me want to read more translations.

DNF. This was a struggle to read. As mentioned in previous reviews some translated fiction just doesn't flow and unfortunately this was one of them. I love the idea of the story but the translation once again felt robotic and just... not how people speak which made it really hard for me to get into and very bland.

Vampires, a murder mystery and a sapphic love story. This story explores loneliness, grief and the need to be understood.
I enjoyed the murder mystery aspect of this story and how the detective pieced together the clues and came to the realisation that violette was telling the truth.
I found the first half of the story a little hard to follow and how all the characters fit together however I really enjoyed the second half of the story.
Thank you for sending me an ARC of this book.

I’m a sucker for Asian literature, but I’ll admit—what initially drew me to The Midnight Shift was its stunning cover. I was in the mood for something not entirely fantasy and missed that rare thrill of diving into a book blind and falling in love. That’s exactly what happened here.

Still riding the wave of toxic lesbian vampires after reading Bury Our Bones by VE Schwab, I didn’t expect The Midnight Shift to nestle itself so neatly into a niche I hadn’t even realized I enjoyed until now. But beyond that, this book is, more than anything, about loneliness. Reading it felt like walking through an abandoned city at night—quiet, disorienting, yet strangely captivating. Every turn of the page felt like rounding another dimly lit corner, never knowing what might emerge from the shadows.

The writing is both elegant and emotionally raw. Cheon Seon-ran explores themes like isolation, depression, dementia, loss, and yearning in a way that’s as tender as it is unflinching. It’s not a plot-heavy story, and I can see why some readers might find it slow—but for me, the introspective, lyrical prose was completely engrossing.

Blending vampire fiction with a noir-esque detective narrative set in South Korea, The Midnight Shift feels entirely unique. I was left with many questions by the end—and maybe because I devoured it so quickly, it didn’t quite hit that perfect 5 stars—but it’s a solid 4.5 and easily one of my standout reads of the summer.

I absolutely loved every moment I spent reading this book.
From the characters to the story, from the heartbreaking moments in the past to the loneliness of the present, this was such a deep and impactful book on loneliness and the people left behind.
I wish everyone could read this, such a meaningful read.

A softly slow paced story of a vampire in modern day Korea. I've never read a book like this. Softly atmospheric and mysterious. I enjoyed the concept and I love the way it's been translated whilst still holding on to that Korean identity of the tale.
Having said that, I did have trouble staying engaged. But I put that down to experiencing this style of vampire storytelling for the first time. The characters retain some mystery which I think certain readers will love!

I read an eARC of this book so thank you to the author and the publisher.

This book blends vampire fiction with a detective story set in South Korea and it does it so well! The noir feel of the investigation just works so beautifully with the modern vampire. There’s a pervasive darkness throughout this book that creates such an incredible atmosphere.

We have three points of view in this book. We have a historical story in France in the 1980s and then two characters perspectives in a modern setting in South Korea. We follow an investigator in present day who is looking into some disturbing deaths at a care home, and a nurse who works there. Our historical perspective is a teenager in France who makes a mysterious friend in a cinema. The way the three perspectives were connected was brilliant, this was done seamlessly.

I was riveted by this book, I was so compelled to find out what would happen to the characters. An excellent exploration of vampires in a modern setting, how they would behave differently, how they adapt to modern technology and how detectives would respond to their activities.

A pretty quick read. A great mix of mystery and crime with a supernatural element. I enjoyed the characters and the over all flow of the story. Something I have always wondered how a vampire can go through life and what the loneliness would be like.

I really struggled to feel gripped by this book. It started off strong but I felt the description of setting and atmosphere was missing.

My favourite part of the story is between Violette and Lily, it had mystery and intrigue. I looked forward to learning more about Lily. I also found the concept of vampires being able to smell loneliness interesting.

The main story, however, felt a bit bland, the stakes weren’t quite high enough. There didn’t seem to be any sort of urgency to progress the story or stop the killer.

This fast short story was everything I thought it would be. It gave the sapphic vampires, the themes of exploring loneliness, fast paced that I didn't want to put down. I liked the different povs, but would've preferred to get into more of the world. And be it the writing or the translation, sometimes I snapped out of it because I had to go back a paragraph.

Thanks to the publisher for allowing me access. I blasted through this easy read that will please fans of Let the Right One In and The Old Woman with the Knife. The narrative felt a little unfocused for me, with too many POVs where I would have preferred to sit with one or two in more detail. The lonely blood concept was interesting.

3.5/5