Five stars. This book is perfect for October. I loved this book! Frightening, thrilling, jaw dropping, and most importantly a haunting story.

I almost peed on myself out of fear reading this book because woooow I am such a coward. This is my first Caroline Mitchell book and I am grateful to Embla books for my e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.. The book is set in the small town of Slayton and follows a group of 5 girls that go up to Blackhall Manor on Halloween to play the Midnight game. Things get real when one of the girls never makes it home. Enter Detective Sarah Noble who is on a mission to find this girl. This book was eerie and written so well. If you like books that scare sleep away then pick this up

Brooding and atmospherics, The Midnight Ma pulls the reader into a dark labyrinth. Twist and turns galore with a red herring thrown in for good measure! Rich, well crafted characters drive the story; Blackhawk a or itself a main character.

I had high expectations from this book but unfortunately it did not live up to them. I found the changing timeline and multiple narratives extremely confusing. I felt like giving up but my curiosity made me continue. It definitely is not for me.

A horrible crime creates a kind of urban myth legend (think Candyman) decades later, only not everyone who plays the game will survive!

Sometimes you read a book and several pages in you think, "Nope. Not for me." That's how I felt when I started this one. I wasn't connecting with the writing or the characters. I read a little further, but still wasn't feeling it. But I rarely ever DNR a book, so I took a look at the reviews, and they were good, so I plugged on a little further, and suddenly all the little things that were bothering me fell away and I found myself caught up in a book with a compelling plot that kept me guessing. I'm glad I kept reading! I ended up enjoying this one much more than I anticipated. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sarah Noble returns from being on a year long mental health leave after a traumatizing incident with her partner/husband. Her co-workers make it very clear she is not welcomed back.

Five girls get an invitation to Blackhall Manor, an old, decrepit and creepy house, but only four make it out.

The book started off with a heck of a bang. But then something seemed to shift a bit. I think I wanted more creepy house, less conflicts. I did enjoy the book, few creepy spots, good writing and I'll admit I did NOT see the end coming.

I liked the premise and had high hopes. I'm definitely in the minority so please read other reviews as well to decide whether you want to read this. This just wasn't for me.

This is my first time where a book has actually gotten on my nerves and I found a few parts hard to read. I don’t normally DNF but I wish I had.

1 Liner Summary: Detective Sarah investigates a murder case where only 4 out of the 5 girls who had played the Midnight Man game (like Bloody Mary) in the Black Manor returned, forcing Sarah to revisit and confront her traumisiting past.

Read this if you like: Mystery, thriller, crime, detective, spooky, multiple 3rd person point of views.

What I Didn’t Enjoy.

• This book started off with a bang but I didn’t feel the impact. Since it was only chapter 1 I wanted to give the book a chance but it never recovered for me. Perhaps it was the writing, it felt quite simple, straightforward and surface level so I could never engage or connect with any characters. The parts that should’ve invoked some sort of reaction or emotion, had no impact on me (or maybe I just have a heart of stone haha).

• We were in 4 different points of views and except for the Midnight man chapters, the rest did not have a distinct voice. Other than Sarah, I didn’t feel like each of them added significantly to the story. The whole book could have been from Sarah’s point of view.

• There was so much mystery around Sarah’s past and yet the reveal about her partner and this mysterious incident was extremely anticlimactic. They were mentioned very briefly in conversations as if I was telling you about my bad day yesterday and then brushed under the rug never to be revisited again. It felt insignificant when in fact, they were extremely traumatic events!

• There was little set up around the midnight man game and the Blackhall Manor. It didn’t feel dark, creepy or haunted. We were told a bit of history and then I had to simply accept it.

• There was a lot of meandering around. In between the major events, I don’t remember much of the actual investigation, it felt like a lot of fillers. I was skimming the book pretty fast and by the time the twist came I had already lost all interest and just wanted to get it done. The identity of the Midnight man and his obsession was really random and didn’t make much sense to me.

Cringeworthy and what got on my nerves:

The Midnight Man and office dialogue was cringey and hard to read.

• The Midnight man sounded like a sassy teenager dishing out some lame comebacks. When the identity was revealed and why, it feels even more ridiculous because the tone was very very young and immature.

• The police workplace scenes were essentially petty and immature school yard drama. The protagonist didn’t grow from it and I didn’t feel touched when they slowly accepted her. It was completely unnecessary and wouldn’t have made a difference to the story if they had welcomed Sarah back with open arms.

It actually got on my nerves because it was outright bullying and for no good reason. The protagonist - Sarah had gone on sick leave for her mental health due to a traumatic incident. When she returned to work everyone treated her like crap, threw her under the bus where possible, gave her the less desirable tasks, gossipped and left her out. Initially, we were led to believe it was because they were blaming her for the incident (even then it doesn’t justify their behaviour), but it turned out they were angry because she took sick leave for a long time and therefore couldn’t backfill her role so everyone had to take on extra workload. I have no words. There simply wasn't enough world building of the workplace such as detail about the characters or impacts to make it feel realistic to me.

Here are some example dialogue that raised an eyebrow (These are adults talking):

“Slayton's biggest loser cop”

"I don't think you’re ready to play the Midnight Game yet, are you? Have you figured out who I am? No. Of course you haven’t. You’re not really cut out for policing, are you, Sarah? If incompetence was a sport, you’d come in first every time.”

“But then, you have a forgettable face. Your clothes blend in...even your house feels like its hiding”

“Shouldn’t you be going home, Ms Part-Timer? The grown-ups have work to do”

Many thanks to NetGalley and Emblabooks for the ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

A very spooky start to the book which of course just gave me chills. I love the way the story is set up as it does make you think if one of those old horror movies that you used to be terrified of but now just have to watch.

Angelica seems like a typical teenager who wants to be grown up and also wants to scare her friends. She seems to also be very annoying as she seems to think of herself.

The first couple of chapters are more building up to what the true story is. In fact you just see the kids and not any adults and it felt like it was just meant to spook you out with the setting.

The pace is quick but carries with it the details required to make the story punch home. I think Sarah is designed well and you can see her struggles even without fully knowing what happpened.

Sarah is a great character. I find her easily relatable as she isn't perfect and has a lot of issues that she is working through.

Gabby felt like the hard-nosed queen of the department where she rules with an iron fist. She feels wrong in a lot of ways because she seems to have no care for Sarah and just wants to be angry and blame her for things beyond her control.

Christian is freaking me out as I really just think he is so intense and when you see what he is like it does feel that he is not all there mentally.

I wasn't really sure what to expect and I will say I am normally good at ferreting out who the culprits are and this caught me so off guard. I loved being surprised and this book was excellent.

The book made me feel a renewed love for this authors work and really pushed everything I loved about the Jennifer Knight series to the forefront. This was simply put amazing.

I had high hopes for this one - it seemed like the perfect creepy atmospheric tale for the pre-Halloween season, but it fell completely flat for me... I've read other reviews, and most people seem to have loved it. I feel like I read a different book than they did though...

Where other readers seem to enjoy the back-and-forth storytelling style enjoyable, I found the multiple points of view confusing and many of them did not seem to add very much to the story. I found the dialogue and behavior of the adults and children in this book to be virtually indistinguishable. I never developed an emotional connection to anyone. Despite the book beginning with a literal bang, I felt no emotional connection to the action. I started losing interest in this one with the "mysterious" disappearance of Anjelica, and my interest never returned.. ask him to head to see if it was just a lull in the action or what, but Sarah's return to work, the ramblings of the Midnight Man, and the self pity of Elsie's seeming-random chapters confirmed that this one was not going to be a good fit.

This is my second Caroline Mitchell. I read The Perfect Mother previously, and had many similar issues. I think that her writing style is just not for me.

This is the first book I've read by this author but it started off with a bang! It is a totally Amytiville Horror and Urban legend type of book with all the suspenseful feels!
Starting off with a bang!
"If you open your door to the Midnight Man
Hide with a candle where ever you can
Try not to scream as he draws near
Because one of you won't be leaving here"
One Halloween night after trick or treating a father goes on a murderous rampage killing the whole family. Fast forward to where the small town is shaken to its core when a group of 5 girls goes into the Blackhall Manor on Halloween to play the Midnight Man. However, while 5 girls went in only 4 girls came out and now Detective Sarah Noble has to find out what happened.
While the characters are all suspicious and the twist and turns are soo amazing I enjoyed it completely! While the story is told through different characters, it is soo cool! This is definitely a great spooky novel! I loved the whole paranormal aspect! If you love a great spooky suspenseful thriller then this would definitely be your next recommendation! Thank you Netgalley and Embla Books for the opportunity to read and review this one!

This was a great way to kick off October! Wow! It definitely gave me the eerie and creepy vibe I was looking for! The ending came out of left field and I wished the author gave it more context in the middle of story so it wasn’t so out of the blue. Other than that, I found the story to be fast paced and a definite page turner, perfect for someone who enjoys suspense and thrillers.

"If you open your door to the Midnight Man, hide with a candle wherever you can. Try not to scream as he draws near because one of you won't be leaving here."

I mean when the opening line of a book is "I remember the day I died quite clearly", you know it's going to be a good one! That prologue had me wide eyes with anticipation, for real, it was like watching the teaser trailer of a true-crime show. Loved it!

It's a very well crafted detective thriller with supernatural vibes. I loved the sudden shocking reveals, though there were a few towards the end which felt a bit implausible to me. But all in all a very enjoyable, engrossing read! Would love to see what other creepy stories Slayton's got to tell! 🙌😊

If you open your door to the Midnight Man, hide with a candle wherever you can. Try not to scream as he draws near, because one of you won't be leaving here...

This is the Midnight Game, but that's all it is, just a silly game, isn't it? That is what five teenage girls think when they decide to play it on Halloween 2019 at Blackhall Manor in Slayton, but it's not just a silly game and only four girls leave the manor that night.

Detective Sarah Noble is just returning to work after suffering a terrible loss, and being assigned to the case brings back to the surface so many haunting memories of what happened at Blackhall Manor back in 1994 that she is trying to forget, is she ready to deal with this yet and can she face the Midnight Man?

The Midnight Man begins back in 1994 with the family who live at Blackhall Manor, fast forward 25 years and the house is a dilapidated old building, lying empty since that awful night, avoided by many, especially Sarah Noble, what is it about that house that sets her heart racing and why won't she go inside? Sarah has a secret, that only a few close friends are aware of, and she wants it to stay that way, but when one of the teenagers disappears she knows she must face her demons and uncover the man behind the Midnight Game.

This latest thriller by Caroline Mitchell is shrouded in mystery from beginning to end, it draws the reader in with a tense prologue that sets the heart racing and the story continues to keep you intrigued, with many different characters, each having stories of their own, all interlinking throughout. The characters are authentic and the plot is well crafted, I especially liked little Elliott, he seemed such a lost soul and I just wanted to wrap my arms around him and protect him. A great start to what I'm certain will be a fabulous series from this very talented author.

I'd like to thank Embla Books and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

Have you ever gotten a notification from NetGalley that you've been approved to read a title and not remembered requesting it? No? Just me? Well, such was the case for The Midnight Man. I certainly was not disappointed!

It's Halloween in Slayton, and a group of teenage girls receives an invitation to abandoned Blackhall Manor to play the Midnight Game. The game is simple: write your name on a piece of paper, prick your finger and leave your blood on the paper, at midnight knock on the door 22 times to invite the Midnight Man inside.

Five girls enter Blackhall Manor, but only four return.

"If you open your door to the Midnight Man, hide with a candle wherever you can. Try not to scream as he draws near, because one of you won't be leaving here..."

I was very pleasantly surprised by this one. There is a hint of a supernatural element but I found I quite enjoyed it, which is not typical for me. This was a bit more police procedural than I was expecting, but as I enjoy that genre I didn't mind at all. I absolutely did not see the big twist coming, and based on the ending (no spoilers!) I believe we will be seeing more of Detective Sarah Noble.

Thank you to NetGalley, Embla Books, and Caroline Mitchell for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of The Midnight Man in exchange for my honest review!

This is a frantic, frightening and fabulous read. It is sinister, laced with the paranormal and the unknown.

Five girl are invited to the local haunted house, Blackhall Manor, to play the midnight game which might summon the midnight man. One of the girls disappears.

Part police procedural and part thriller this is a real page turner with excellent characters, a clever plot and great writing. It is an addictive read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Embla Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for sending me this book in exchange ror an honest review.


If you open your door to the Midnight Man, Hide with a candle wherever you can. Try not to scream as he draws near, Because one of you won’t be leaving here.

Whereas it wasn't the best thriller I've read, I still enjoyed reading it.
I liked the different points of view and the various characters. Elliot and Maggie remind me of the mother son pair in The Imaginary Friend. The twist was completely unexpected and a surprise for sure. I don't usually like detective points of view but I enjoyed Sarah and her development alot.
If you like creepy and unsettling books, definitely pick this one up.

Once again Caroline pens another cracking tale which is dark and menacing. It’s a mixture of crime and a bit of the paranormal together.

The Midnight Man needs to be feared, he seems to know all about Sarah and she has just returned to work after being off for twelve months and is quite fragile.

When five local school girls decide to play the Midnight Man’s game at Blackhall Manor, four return but one is missing. The game is “ If you open your door to the Midnight Man, hide with a candle wherever you can. Try not to scream as he draws near, because one of you won't be leaving here...”

This is scary stuff, Blackhall Manor, is an old run down Manor House, where 25 years ago, a man shot and killed his family before taking his own life. As you turn the pages, you can imagine the dark, chilling atmosphere in this old house, probably reeking of damp and nocturnal animals scuttling about their business, doors slamming etc, made my hair stand on end!

Anyway after one of the girls is found dead, Sarah has to take statements as she is on restricted duties and meets up with some old school friends Elsie and her son Christian, and Maggie and her young lad Elliot who seems to have visionary nightmares after his dad was injured in the Army. He sees things in his dreams which are very enlightening to Sarah, and she feels she’s getting closer to The Midnight Man. However, her colleagues are horrible and there’s only one or two who offer her any support.

As it all enfolds, and we are racing to the conclusion of whom the midnight man may be, is got it totally wrong and was quite surprised who it was.

I hope Caroline can write more with these characters as it was a refreshing change from ordinary crime thrillers.

My thanks to Caroline, the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC.

The Midnight Man was a fantastic read from start to finish. It had me gripped with each page as I didn't know where the next chapter was going to go. The author is very good at misdirection which kept me on the edge of my seat. I will definitely be reading more by Caroline Mitchell in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Embla Books for my ARC.

A truly fabulous story from this author who never fails to deliver.
Always seriously creepy and full of suspense, she creeps me out every time.
Very clever storyline. I loved it!
many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy.

Tense, twisty and atmospheric. The poem in the blurb sets the scene perfectly for those five girls who prepare to play The Midnight Game. It’s legendary in Slayton, and something of a rite of passage for teens to seek out an abandoned building and dare to knock 22 times and let the Midnight Man in.

Blackhall Manor is something of legend itself, home to a series of deaths 25 years ago when the father of the household killed his family – parents, wife and children – before turning the gun on himself. Ever since, the house has been considered cursed, making it the perfect setting for The Midnight Man.

Unfortunately for the five girls invited to Blackhall Manor that Halloween, this is a game with deadly consequences. It begins as spooky fun, superstitious nonsense … until one girl goes missing. Now, you might expect the four remaining girls to ‘fess up and tell their parents where they’ve been, but no. The power of the message on their invitation – if you tell, you’ll go to hell – is so strong that they’re too scared of what might happen if they admit where they’ve been.

Detective Sarah Noble has just gone back to work after extended leave. Her backstory is complicated and multi-faceted, both elements that inject her personally into the case of the missing girl, and not merely in her role as a police officer. It affects how she is treated by her peers, and also how she feels about Blackhall Manor.

Her friend’s son, 7-year-old Elliot, is a kindred spirit. He’s been having visions of the hooded man in his nightmares. These visions extend to the missing girl, and later to others caught up in the game. He finds Sarah to be a safe haven, someone to whom he can reveal what he’s seen and who, as a police officer, can actually help. Elliot is the sweetest boy but he’s not easily fobbed off. He is per-cep-tive in every sense (as his teacher has told him) and he not only sees the Midnight Man, but he also sees through adults trying to use his abilities for their own end.

As evidence comes in, the police think they’ve found their man … but have they? Sarah has her doubts, but doesn’t feel able to share them at work. If she is going to prove herself capable as a detective, she’s going to have to revisit her past. Dun, dun, duuuuunnn …

I’ve not read anything by this author before, and I was super excited to get my hands on this one (Thank you Embla, Netgalley & Caroline). I’ll admit to being wary, as horror (the gory stuff) is so not my thing, but I’ll categorise this as creepy horror blended with twisty suspense and aspects of a police procedural. I’ll definitely be back for more.