I love Amy McCulloch books and her style of writing. I was hooked after reading Breathless and I think this one is just as captivating.
Her storylines are well thought out and her attention to detail in describing the locations mentioned in her books is amazing. You almost feel you are there with the characters as the story unfolds. It feels like the author is writing from first hand experience of visiting the locations.
This was another page turner with lots of twists and turns along the way . Didn’t see the twists at the end coming.
Can’t wait for the next Amy McCulloch book.

This book has an Agatha Christie vibe to it. Olivia has no idea where her boyfriend is. She us stuck on this fancy boat in the Antarctic and she thinks someone is trying to kill her. Is she right or are they after someone else? With bodies piling up, people lying and lots of suspicious things going on, this is a real page turner. Great for a holiday beach read

a A thriller which is chilling! There's a boat in the antartic with a party on board. There are a lot of people on there for being such a small boat. Not everyone wants to be at sea. Thats when things go wrong and someone goes missing.

I found the pacing and the story a little off. There are a lot of peoplei involved and I'm not sure if they were all relevant. Good mystery with someone gpoing missing in the open seas though. There are some strange people on this trip.

II would still recommend and recommed her earlier one as well.

3.5 stars
I really enjoyed Amy McCulloch's previous book Breathless, so I had high hopes going in to this, but unfortunately after finishing this one I felt slightly disappointed. I do enjoy reading locked room mysteries and with this being set on an Antarctic cruise it was a setting I had never read before, so that had me interested and it did add a lot to the story.
I enjoyed the authors writing style previously and this one was no different, it flows well and is so easy to read. I liked the main character Olivia and the plot did have me intrigued.
But by the final third it felt like the whole thing was being dragged out. Considering this is only 320 pages that was disappointing.
It felt like we were going round in circles with not a lot happening until right near the end.
This also seemed like more of a mystery than a thriller in my opinion. So if you are looking for a locked room mystery than this might be to your taste.
Despite this not being perfect for me, I would read from this author again.

Olivia and her art-dealer boyfriend, Aaron, are heading off on a luxury cruise to Antarctica. The cruise is a once in a lifetime opportunity for Aaron to run an art showcase of the work of a recently deceased artist.
Under suspicious circumstances Aaron fails to make the launch time and paranoia quickly kicks in with Olivia who thinks someone on board is out to kill her.
There are lots of characters to get to grips with and some of the plot is highly implausible. A good, pacy read though.

I did enjoy Midnight but felt it took a little while to get going. Once it did though I was sucked straight in. It’s set in a great location, on an Antarctic cruise and has a great plot line that keeps you guessing along with some twists and turns. Thank you to NetGalley, Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and the author for the chance to review.

Amy McCulloch is a master of the atmospheric thriller. Her choice of remote destination settings is genius and adds to the high stakes scenario. I first discovered this in Breathless, but Midnight is no different and the claustrophobic, nowhere to run, perilous setting of a cruise ship was adrenalin-inducing.
I know one shouldn't, but it's impossible not to compare works of the same author, so suffice it to say that I found Breathless a little easier to get into. Once past the halfway mark, however, Midnight was fabulous. Twists and turns, and action-packed in true McCulloch fashion.
This author is fast becoming one of my automatic one clicks!

Ploughing through my Netgalley reads at the moment, after having this author's debut title still on my TBR list (I will get round to it one day!) and having read a few cruise related books lately too, this synopsis interested me.

Olivia is about to embark on a once-in-a-lifetime cruise to the Antarctic, alongside her boyfriend who is launching a famous artist's portfolio during an auction for the rich and famous on board this elite cruise. When the ship leaves port without her boyfriend on board, who has suddenly mysteriously disappeared, it soon becomes clear that all is not right and then suddenly bodies are found meaning there is a killer on board. Time seems to be running out for Olivia but who can she trust?

Firstly there are a lot of different characters in this book and I think this made it difficult to connect with any of them because there was too many to remember, even with the main character Olivia and her observations of people etc. I did feel some of the book was a bit predictable although the twist was conveyed very cleverly albeit slightly unrealistic once explained further. Saying that though it did keep me reading and I wanted to finish the book to find out what happened and have all the loose ends tied up. An easy read and I liked the writing style of the author, am still looking forward to reading 'Breathless' when I get chance!

I was a huge fan of Amy McCulloch's Breathless and couldn't wait to read this. Tense, and with an isolated setting, it's just my kind of thriller. There were a LOT of characters to get to grips with, and I did get a bit confused as to who was who at times. The pacing was a bit slow to start with, I think mainly as there was a lot to explain but it picked up pace in the second half and I raced through it. I loved the descriptions, they are SO vivid, and the conclusion was really satisfying.

I really enjoyed the author’s previous novel ‘Breathless’ so I am looking forward to reading ‘Midnight’ by Amy Mc Culloch.
Olivia and her Art dealer boyfriend Aaron are heading on a cruise to Antarctica. The cruise is one of a lifetime opportunity and for Aaron is to show of a artist’s work for an auction which the artist has recently died. But Aaron in all the commotion goes missing which leaves Olivia on her own on the cruise for the next 14 days. Where there is no phone signal and communication to the rest of the world. Which leaves Olivia to take charge of the auction in Aaron’s place.
But things are not right on the cruise ship. Not only as Aaron gone missing but the couple that she swapped cabins with ends up dead. They where poisoned and when she returns to the cabin that she shares with 3 other women it has been ransacked. What the hell is going on?
Thank you, Penguin Michael Joseph, for a copy of Midnight by Amy Mc Culloch. I had high hopes for this after reading her previous novel. I liked the premise of this story and the description of the setting and the wildlife. It really made me feel like I was there. But Olivia for me wasn’t that much of a likeable character and the antics of the killer for me was too farfetched. I wasn’t convinced how they managed to do that all on their own. So, the ending was a bit disappointing. 3.5 stars from me.

Ice cold revenge ★★★

A trip to Antarctica on the MS Virgil is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and Olivia is determined to embrace it despite the terrible boating accident that haunts her.

The cruise is part of her boyfriend Aaron’s auction of late Kostas Yennin’s work, and is a crucial opportunity for both of them.

However, when Aaron disembarks to deal with an emergency and doesn’t return, Olivia is forced to continue the trip without him and try to soothe the ruffled feathers of potential investors.

Yet after a guest is poisoned Olivia realises that more is at at stake than the art. Where is Aaron and is somebody after her?

A light thriller for fans of Freeze by Kate Simants.

Thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph for ARC..

This thriller has a great premise. Olivia has agreed to accompany her art-dealer boyfriend Aaron on an Antarctic cruise, cut off from internet and phone communication in one of the most bleakly beautiful landscapes in the world. Bucket-list for many, circle of hell for her. Just as they disembark, she realises he is nowhere to be found. Then the mysterious happenings start and slowly she realises that he, and she, are in danger. Who can she trust? How can she work out what's really going on?

For me, this didn't satisfy.. I found Olivia inconsistently realised and some of the descriptions of the art world milieu pretty implausible. The characterisation of the supporting cast was patchy and I could never get engaged with the plot. There are some fabulous descriptions of the ship and scenery and it seemed clear that the author knew her subject here.

Vein Of Menace..
A once in a lifetime Antarctic cruise? Sounds idyllic and Olivia cannot believe that this has come her way - all thanks to her boyfriend Aaron - and just as her own life appears to be coming apart at the seams too. As the cruise commences, however, it becomes clear that everything is not, perhaps, quite as it seems. And then the deaths begin. Who on earth can be trusted aboard this huge ship where everyone is a stranger? An engaging and compelling locked room type mystery aboard a ship where nothing is as it seems and nobody can be trusted. A credible and well drawn cast of characters populate a well crafted and atmospheric plot littered with twists and with a deftly done underlying vein of menace.

Loved this action packed story with an unusual setting, a cast of all slightly dubious characters, and descriptions that made me envious throughout. Twists and turns abounded in this thriller and loved every page. Addictive reading.

I am sorry to say that this book didn't really hit the spot for me .I found it to be quite slow, and there were a lot of characters and, it didn't flow too well

I am a bit disappointed that I didn’t like this book more. I really liked Breathless, so I had high hopes for this one. The storyline was interesting, but it felt too long. I feel like although things were happening, it felt a bit dragged out. It took a while, but I did predict the ending. I also didn’t love the characters - I didn’t hate them, but I found myself getting annoyed at them and the things they were doing. I do like Amy McCulloch’s writing so I will read future books, and I’m sure that some people will love this book, but I was disappointed after liking Breathless so much.

I absolutely loved Amy McCulloch’s previous book ‘Breathless’ which drew on her experience as a mountain climber so requesting her next book ‘Midnight’ was a complete no brainer for me.
The book is set on an Antarctic cruise to celebrate a late artist and auction off some of his paintings. On board are Olivia and her boyfriend Aaron - Olivia has a bad history with being out at sea and is dreading it and when Aaron disappears as they set sail, she realises that this trip may not be smooth sailing.

I’m not sure whether it was just my mood when reading this book, but something really stopped me from getting engaged with it. For a start there are a lot of characters to keep track of, even on a relatively small ship. Even in the last few percent when a small group of passengers leave the ship one couple are referred to as people Olivia can’t remember the names of! I kept getting the ladies Olivia shared a cabin with mixed up and there are so many minor characters, red herrings and people involved with their own agendas, I got really confused as to who was who.

I also thought Olivia was really naïve at times and a lot of her actions felt very convenient for the plot and not necessarily realistic as to what someone would do. This felt the case with most of the characters, especially those working on the ship who were brushing off and covering up major concerns without much reasoning behind their actions other than to make them look suspicious. There’s also a ‘twist’ at the end, which was very easy to guess from the outset, so I saw it coming a mile off. The ending just felt too neatly wrapped up – particularly the storyline about her father.

Overall, I really didn’t gel with Midnight which is a shame as I’d loved Breathless so much. For me I struggled to engage with it throughout and found there to be too many characters and a plot that was unrealistic and predictable. Thank you to NetGalley & Penguin Random House – Michael Joseph for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

You would think being mainly based around being on a ship not much would be happening but this book was quite action packed and had something happening all through it I enjoyed it from the beginning it just got better and better and I did not expect that ending I enjoyed it more than her previous book and am looking forward to her next book

I liked this book. I enjoyed the fact that it was a bit between a locked room book and a bit mystery and a bit detective work. It makes you work while you read it which I really enjoy too.

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Michael Joseph (Penguin Random House) for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Midnight releases June 22, 2023

Midnight is a locked room mystery story that takes place on a cruise ship that is destined for Antarctica, and lasts for 14 days.
Olivia and Aaron are a couple who are also recently in business together. Aaron’s deceased client’s artwork will be showcased aboard the Vigil as a unique art auction at sea, and the night of his auction will take place during the phenomenon known as “midnight sun” where the sun doesn’t set.
This business opportunity with her boyfriend could really change things for Olivia and lift some burdens she has, but the only problem is that she has a fear of boats due to past history involving her late father.

Things start unravelling for our main character Olivia just seconds into the journey, when she realizes the ship left without Aaron on board.
Then, not even 24 hours into the departure, individuals are being poisoned and turning up dead.
A series of events (like attempted murder, ransacking of belongings, feelings of being followed), make it seem like someone on board is out to target Olivia. Who is it and what is their motive?


I didn’t find myself all that convinced by the characters as a whole, and ultimately I wanted more of a thrill in the first half of the book since so much seemed to be packed in towards the end.
I also feel like some of the flashback scenes should have been written in italics or something for a way to visually break it up from the rest of the prose.
Overall though, this was a decent atmospheric read, and if you’re looking for your next locked room mystery with a chilling setting, you’ll find it here.