I quite enjoyed the plot but it was a little to slow paced for me so I los5 interest. Appreciate the chance to review.

Riley Sager is a must read for anyone who wants an unsettling thrill. Haunting and slick, this novel is as gripping as the others.

I really struggled with the pacing of this book. Half way through I still felt like we weren’t really getting anywhere. The flashbacks helped add more context to the story but there was a lot I felt wasn’t needed and there were opportunities to move the plot along that weren’t taken.

I liked the mix of characters and the differences between them. But again there were a lot of different points of view flashbacks which made it feel very slow.

One night whilst camping in the back garden, Billy goes missing. His friend Ethan was also in the tent but left unharmed. 30 years later Ethan returns to his childhood home to explore what happened that night to not only Billy but himself too. I enjoyed the premise of the book and the various potential culprits of who could have taken Billy. I anticipated part of the ending but I was blindsided by another part. I think some of the thought processes of the main character Ethan were a little naive and seemed to only serve the prolonging of the story rather than adding any real value (I think he had everyone on the road on his suspect list) which did become tiresome to read. The ending felt very convoluted and unnecessarily "chocolate box" esque for my tastes. I enjoyed the parts with the Hawthorn Institute and I actually wished there was more that they could have explored about this aspect. Overall it was an interesting premise but I didn't feel it had enough in it to really grip me

Thank you NetGalley, Riley Sager and the published for an ARC copy of this book.

Still cannot believe I got a copy before release. There were a few squeals when the email came through I must say. I’ve loved Riley Sager’s books since I started with The Last Time I Lied. Autobuy every single time for me and The Middle of The Night does not disappoint in the slightest.

No spoilers and you can read the plot for an overview but it’s an intricate web of spooky hidden truths, each character has their own trauma and potential motive and I was just hooked from the start, fully absorbed in the story. I love the blend of thriller, mystery with a dash of the occult and supernatural. Riley Sager smashes it every time!!

Returning home to the palce where his best freind was taken brings up some painful memories. When strange things start to happen, all sorts of ghosts and memories from the past are dredged up and not everything, and everyone are what they seem in this delightfully scary tale that reaches a fantastic finale!

Another masterclass from Riley Sager, no one does a creepy thriller better and another book that kept me awake long after I'd finished it!!

This was a gripping read, I thought the characters were intriguing and I'm going to keep an eye out for more from this author.

Middle of the Night is a really well paced thriller. Curious and interesting it's incredibly engaging and full of suspense. That said, the ending didn't quite hit the spot for me, it didn't do justice to the build up.
3 stars.

Riley Sager's new thriller, Middle of the Night, is a real page-turner. As a big fan of Sager, I always look forward to his books, and this one did not disappoint.

Sager does a great job of building suspense from the very beginning. The story is fast-paced and keeps you hooked. The mix of mystery and a bit of the paranormal adds an eerie atmosphere to the book.

Middle of the Night is a testament to Riley Sager's talent for crafting suspenseful and engaging thrillers. The book combines a gripping plot, atmospheric writing, and memorable characters to create an unforgettable reading experience. Whether you're a longtime fan of Sager or new to his work, this novel is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. Highly recommended for anyone who loves a good mystery with a touch of the paranormal.

Dnf read 25% but found it too slow and got bored. Not saying it's not well written just not for me. Found the initial idea interesting but as pictured it found the drama of such an event lacking and the working through of occurances after too slow and felt it could have had another point of interest, I am commenting on what I read 25% of novel.

I absolutely love all the Riley Sager books I've read so far so i was super excited to see this and instantly knew i had to request it!

This was a super sad but very tense and intriguing book. I love the dual timelines and the multiple POV's. It really helped to bring everything together.

I would of like to see a little bit more of Billy's POV, his character felt the most underdeveloped.
It was very twisty and I didn't see the multiple plot twists coming at the end, I had no idea who had done it!

Thank you to the NetGalley, Riley Sager and Hodder & Stoughton for this ARC.

Thank you netgalley for the arc.
I enjoyed reading this book although it's not my favourite of Riley Sager's. This was definitely a slower start that really worked its way up to a fantastic ending. There was plenty of suspense and some really good twists. It's a great recommendation for anyone who wants a good thriller.

Middle of The Night has a steadfast 4+ stars on Goodreads. I give it a 3.5, rounding it up to a 4 b/c it is Riley Sager. This isn’t my favorite of the authors books, maybe my least liked, actually. Most are pretty close to 5 stars but I couldn’t get immersed in this one til about 70%. At that point all heck breaks loose & the book can’t be put down. Many, many awesome twists. Stick with it, it’s worth it!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I actually squealed when I got accepted for this ARC through NetGalley.
I'm a big fan of Sager's books and when I realised this had a paranormal aspect to the story like most of his others, I was even more excited!

When I say that I was genuinely terrified while reading this, I'm not exaggerating. Throughout the second half of this story, as more and more secrets unfold, I found myself jumping at the smallest noises in the house and triple checking my doors and windows. It was so unsettling and genuinely scary.

The last 100 pages was a rollercoaster where I was gasping, crying and gripping my kindle in suspense.

It was a shocking and mysterious thriller that was creepy and atmospheric and despite it being a dark and tragic story, there's an element of sentiment and wholesomeness that makes this unique novel highly memorable.

I can imagine this being a big hit!

Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc. All thoughts opinions are my own.

Firstly, huge thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book! I adore Sager so getting this was incredibly exciting for me. Reading this was a COMPLETE emotional rollercoaster.

Ethan is absolutely riddled with guilt from the night his best friend went missing from right under his nose in the middle of the night. He has no memory of their tent being slashed and Ethan vanishing, just the recurring dream of waking up to find him gone. I felt for him throughout the book, he blames himself for what happened which brings him back to his childhood home, on the anniversary of what happened.

The book switches in both POV and timeline (which some have stated they did not like about the book, but I liked it) so you can get an understanding of how everyone in the cul-de-sac feels as the events of the book unfold. Also, getting Billy’s insight of the night was a gut-wrenching read and it got me choked up. I felt the same with Ethan, the poor guy!

Hemlock Grove gives the impression of being one of those safe towns, where nothing could ever happen to ‘them’. Until it does, and suddenly everyone is a suspect. It makes for a good read, I have to say. Just as you find yourself trusting or even liking a character, something is unveiled about them and even until the end of the book you can’t know who to trust.

Overall i loved this book. It made me smile, but mostly it made me cry. (in a good way). It comes out June 18th, and I would highly recommend picking it up!

I am a big fan of Riley Sager and have read all of this authors books. I was extremely excited to be able to read this ARC from NetGalley. It certainly did not disappoint and, although it was not my favourite, it was fun to read and the supernatural element gave it the chill factor I anticipated. I found it was a little slow in parts but the usual twists were there and the characters were interesting and likeable. All in all, a good read, and I look forward to the next one!

It’s 1994 Ten-year-old Ethan Marsh lives in a respectable and safe neighbourhood of Hemlock Circle or so he thought. One July evening he pitches a tent in his garden for himself and his friend Billy to sleep in. He hears a funny sound during the night but thinks nothing of it. The next morning her finds a slash in the tent and his friend Billy has disappeared, never to be seen again.
Thirty years later, Ethan has returned to his childhood home after his parents moved out and moved away. He is staying there temporarily until he decides to what he is going to do with his life and given now he can find out what happened to Billy all of them years ago. As there was no leads or suspects found at the time.
This is another dual timeline story from Riley Sager. From the time around Billy’s disappearance to present day. At first, I found this to be a rather slow but as I read on it got more interesting. This has a quite few threads and red herrings with a supernatural element to it along the way. I sympathize with Ethan you could feel his frustration and grief not only from Billy’s disappearance but other things going on in his personal life. This is another great read from the author. 4 stars from me.

Two 10year old boys camp in a garden overnight and one of them wakes alone.

A complex tale of grief and loss that twists and turns to a satisfying ending. The story of Billy’s disappearance and Ethan’s pursuit of the truth about what happened to his friend is part mystery part supernatural. A slower pace than usual from this author’s but this worked well to build up tension.

Thank you very much to NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton and Riley Sager for the ARC in exchange for a review. I devoured this book in one sitting and have a lot to say...

Plot:
Middle of the Night is a tale of two boys - one living and one presumed dead - the mysterious Institute, the suburban pocket that is Hemlock Circle, and the complex neighbouring characters who all seem a little bit culpable.
Poor little Billy disappeared from the tent he camped in with his sleeping best friend Ethan. The case quickly goes cold until Ethan returns to his childhood home and reignites the search for answers.
Absolutely everyone is a suspect at one point or another, with small crumbs of clues dropped throughout. I felt like Nancy Drew trying to figure out what had happened, changing suspects with each new chapter. None of my predictions were correct and the ending was as shocking as it was heart-rending.

Of course, there are supernatural threads weaved throughout; from spontaneous baseballs to bloody rituals. There were even scenes reminiscent of Paranormal Activity with nocturnal camera photographs. I don't think I'll be able to sleep peacefully again for fear of hearing the "scriiiiiiitch" in my dreams!

Opinion:
I can confidently give this book five stars. I absolutely loved the plot, I just couldn't put it down. The horror/thriller elements were enjoyable enough, but what truly stood out are the delicate and human themes that run through this story. They are subtle enough to not dampen the suspense, but so raw and relatable that I was utterly moved by them. Childhood trauma, grief, hyper introspection, friendships, existential crises, the human experience... these elements were all under the surface and I resonated with many of them. It elevated this novel from a breezy beach thriller to a teary-and-scared-in-a-dark-room read! I experienced so many emotions and was so deeply invested that I felt like more of a third-wheel in Ethan & Billy's friendship than Russ was.

But make no mistake: this was truly chilling and unnerving. Some portions I had to read through half-shut eyes as I was so on-edge, whilst simultaneously desperately speed-reading to unveil the horrors, intrigued and unnerved.

Equal parts character- and plot-driven, perfect pacing, wonderfully written, great twists, an incredible ending. This is the first of Sager's books that I've read, but I'm adding the others to my TBR!

Last points:
- *that* tent conversation absolutely broke my heart (I actually cried).
- Little Henry is my new favourite book character.
- I will be thinking about this book for a long time to come...

Billy and Ethan were 10 when they were camping out in Ethan's garden, when Ethan awoke in the morning Billy was gone, never to be seen again..
Fast forward to adulthood and Ethan is back at his childhood home with echo's of Billy everywhere.
What happened to him, is Ethan ever going to get the answer to this question which haunts him.
A bit thriller, a bit a paranormal with the twists you have come to expect from such an accomplished author.