I just love reading anything by Sager. The writing style is always fast-paced, the characters are typically ones I find interesting and I know that I need to strap myself in for a wild ride with lots of twists and turns. I'm now so familiar with Sager stories that I was shocked to find that the narrator for once is a male character. I actually welcomed this change, as well as the opportunity to delve into the brief glimpses of childhood and boyhood - and having that cruelly ripped from you.

Ten-year old Billy goes missing one night. 30 years later, his best friend Ethan is still dealing with nightmares, insomnia and a sense of uncertainty about what actually happened in the middle of the night. One minute he was there, the next vanished into thin air. Returning to his childhood home of Hemlock Circle, a suburban neighbourhood that inexplicably still houses a lot of the same neighbours, Ethan finds himself haunted by the memory of his lost friend. Or perhaps he's actually being haunted? What's the deal with the mysterious Institute in the woods, what memories are hidden deep inside Ethan's mind and what actually happened that night? Secrets and more threaten to unravel upon his return to his childhood home.

This has been such a joy to read. I know that not everyone enjoys paranormal details, which is something Sager has had slipping into some of his previous books. But when it's done well, I don't actually find that it detracts from the story or "thriller" at all. I actually found myself crying at times, which speaks to the strength of this protagonist and the story itself. It's terribly sad, at times frightening, and quite a realistic story. Which, I suppose, is what makes it so frightening.

Riley Sager's stories are almost always the kind you tear through when you are reading, and this latest book was no exception.

After ten-year-old Billy goes missing from a backyard tent where he is having a sleepover with his best friend Ethan, nothing is everything again for the residence of Hemlock Circle, located deep in suburban New Jersey. But who took Billy that night, and why would they do it?

Decades later, Ethan remains haunted by those questions. Indeed, while reading this it occasionally feels like he is being haunted by something else as well - a seemingly supernatural presence that shows up when Ethan has to move to his parents' home due to his life circumstances, the plan being that he will sell it for them after their (already completed) move to Florida.

A missing boy, the discovery of human remains, and a creepy "research" institute in the woods does sound like a promising set of ingredients for storytelling, but this tale is unevenly paced and occasionally repetitive. Despite that, it is highly readable.

The one thing that put me off this story is the same problem I had with another of his recent books. Sager writes well and he can deliver a compelling mystery thriller. So I wish he would not veer off into these flirtations with the supernatural.

It's a little annoying when you buy a book that's billed as a thriller, and end up getting something with paranormal elements. Publishers can easily indicate this in the classification, so why not do so? Is it to lure in traditional mystery or thriller readers who don't enjoy supernatural stories? I have no idea, but there seems to be a wider trend towards this.

Anyway, the story is compelling in that the reader wants to discover what really happened to Billy. The entertainment is also boosted by the fact that there are more than a few red herrings tossed along the way as the novel progresses. Worth reading, especially if you don't mind paranormal aspects to a mystery thriller. It gets 3.5 stars but misses 4 because of the (unnecessary) supernatural aspects.

Riley Sager has done it again! What a brilliant thriller!

Middle of the Night is the first Riley Sager book with male protagonist, Ethan, which gives the book a slightly different feel. Even though I found this a bit odd at the start, I quickly got used to it and enjoyed the different perspective it has to offer. There are two intertwined timelines: past and present, following the lead-up-to and 30-years-after events of Billy Barringer's disappearance.

Filled with suspense, twists, dark discoveries and supernatural feel, this book is another triumph that must not be missed establishing Riley Sager as my all-time-favourite thriller writer. I cannot wait to see what Riley does next!

Death is an illusion.

Middle of the Night by Riley Sager is insanely twisty, such a compulsive read and I was catapulted through it. My house could have collapsed around me and I am sure I would have had no idea. I couldn't stop reading until I discovered the truth of what transpired the night Billy disappeared.

Middle of the Night is inevitably going to draw comparisons with Stephen King's Stand By Me vibes not least because the boys are on the cusp of adolescence and their innocent friendships are precarious at best. The strong supernatural element also adds to the comparison, although of course Sager has his on stamp on the themes. The build up created by the dual timeline POV is unreal.

"His name is Ethan Marsh.

He is 10.

And this is the last carefree moment he'll have for the next thirty years."

Hemlock Circle is a typical street in suburbia, it could be anywhere. When 10-year-old Billy Barringer goes missing from a tent in his best friend's garden the case captures the nation's attention but 30 years on there are no leads. His best friend, Ethan, moves back to the close to sell his childhood home for his parents. Since that fateful night Ethan has avoided home as much as possible and has suffered from insomnia, wouldn't you if your childhood best friend went missing and you slept through it?

"Even though no adult - not the police, not even my parents - had told me so, I also knew the likelihood was high that Billy was dead. A horrible thing for a ten-year-old boy to deal with."

I felt for young Ethan and his friends but I also felt for the grown ups, as a mum the very idea of it chilled me to the bone. I kept thinking how I would feel if I were Billy's mum, or Ethan's for that matter. In fact, I could put myself in the shoes of most of the characters in the book because they all had clear motives for their actions even if I wouldn't make the same choice.

During his time in Hemlock Circle Ethan has the uncany feeling that someone is watching him and trying to get him to recall the invents of that night. Is it Billy returned from the dead or something far more sinister happening?

"Someone else is here.

In the yard.

Right Behind me,

I spin around and see.

Nothing."

Middle of the Night was chilling, every time the security lights clicked on and off on the circle or a ping notified Ethan of movement in his backyard then my heart leapt into my mouth and I had chills down my spine long after I finished reading.

Middle of the Night was packed full of red herrings and I can honestly say I didn't see a single twist coming. It was completely unpredictable and I was constantly re-evaluating what I thought I knew.

Hakuna Matata, dude

Riley Sager is one of my favorite authors but his latest thriller was not to my liking. The premise sounded really good a child being abducted, a creepy institute and some spooky occurrences unfortunately it was very repetitive and a slow burn. Nothing really happend until the 40% mark and afterwards it was still kind of mundane. The big plottwist was foreseeable. I think this might have worked better as a short story.

Thank you Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Middle of the Night by Riley Sager is the story of Ethan Marsh whose best friend was abducted whilst camping in a shared tent in his garden one evening, never to be seen again. Years later, Ethan returns to his childhood home and has to confront his memories and the unreconciled loss of his best friend years before.

Ethan is rocked when it appears that Billy is contacting him from beyond the grave in ways in which only childhood friends would recognise. Will Ethan finally understand what happened to Billy, will he be able to resolve the feelings of loss by finally uncovering what happened years before?

I’m torn by Riley Sager as an author. He structures plots so well and is able to plausibly thrown in twists and turns aplenty, but (and this is purely a personal preference) he seems to needlessly throw in supernatural elements unnecessarily distracting from a plot which doesn’t need the diversion. It’s almost as if sitting in a mystery genre alone isn’t sufficient!?!

This was the third novel from the author I’ve read and the second which I’ve felt has fallen foul of this supernatural tendency so I’ll bear it in mind before embarking on future reads. Not a bad book at ⭐️⭐️⭐️ but, for me, could have been much better as a genuine whodunnit.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance ready copy in exchange for this honest review.

Love Riley Sagars book so always very happy to read any of their new books! This one, I felt was weaker but still a generally enjoyable storyline with lots of twists and turns involving all the character cast. 3.75 stars from me as I did struggle to put it down but it didn’t quite grab me as previously ones had.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for a copy of "Middle of the Night" in exchange for an honest review!

Can't spell "Middle of the Night" without "mid". Because that's what this was. Mid. This is what I consider to be Riley Sager's third underwhelming release in a row. None of the charm of "Home After Dark" or "Lock Every Door" is present in "Middle of the Night". This book wasn't bad, it was just okay. Didn't surprise me at all. It's a very "paint by the numbers" suburban thriller. Wasn't the most engaging and the twist didn't impress me either,

Maybe I'm being a little harsh, I don't know, but this felt like something I could write over a spring break. Not sure how tuned in I'll be to Sager's future releases...

Another twisty, randomly creepy thriller from Riley Sager, hugely addictive as ever and very clever.as ever.

The story twists and turns its way to an unexpected conclusion. The characters are all intriguing and it has that small community caught up in horrific circumstances vibe to it.

An excellent read that is easily done in one sitting because you'll want to know what the heck is going on.

This was a really enjoyable book. It was moderately paced and kept me reading.

This is the first time Riley sager has written from a male perspective instead of female and I feel he did it just as well.

I didn't guess the ending and thoroughly enjoyed the wrap up at the end.

1994 - Ethan and his best friend Billy fall asleep together in a backyard tent. But when Ethan wakes, Billy is gone, never to be seen again.
Thirty years later Ethan returns to his hometown for answers, still plagues with nightmares and insomnia. Then mysterious things begin to happen. He wonders if the person that took Billy is still in the neighbourhood. And are they watching him?
This was full of mystery and the author is the master of building suspense.
I had no chance of guessing the outcome of this one but it was so enjoyable trying. 4.5*. Another sensational novel by one of my absolute favourite authors.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for this gifted review copy.

I was soooo over the moon, couldn't stop smiling, wanting to jump for joy, happy to be approved for an ARC copy of this. So firstly thank you to NetGalley for the ARC, you made my day, week, month and possibly year!
I have only read one Riley Sager book before this, The Only One Left, and gave it five stars because I loved it. I felt it was so good I wasn't sure this could compare, but it definitely did! I loved this book. It's similar to The Only One Left in that it starts as quite a slow burn, they both definitely gripped me from the start, but for the first part of the book you're getting to know the characters, in this one its Ethan the main character. But like in The Only One Left, once the twists in this book start they don't stop! It's dual timelines and we're introduced to Ethan both in the present as an adult and as a boy in 1994. Whilst they're camping in 1994 his best friend Billy goes missing. He can't remember seeing or hearing anything that night but suffers from insomnia and constant dreams of that night. The story unfolds then telling the story of the few days before Billy went missing, this is told alongside Ethan of the present day back in his childhood home, trying to figure out once and for all what happened to his best friend. I think that's all I can say without giving too much away. But this book has it all, it's a thriller but has mystery, suspense and even paranormal laced through it. I find anything to do with the paranormal a bit hit and miss but this one is definitely a hit. It definitely has a paranormal aspect to it but it isn't in your face and doesn't take over the story. I know a lot of people don't like that aspect to their thrillers, but I 100% do as long as it doesn't take over the whole story. I loved the nostalgic feel of the chapters in 1994, they reminded me of my own childhood camping in the feild behind my parents house. This book dealt with a lot of themes such as loss, grief, friendship and mental health. There was a good cast of characters, most of which were children in 1994 and adults now. And you get to the point where everyone is a suspect as the author leads you to believe one thing only to drag the rug out from under you and lead you in a different direction. This book gave me all the Stephen King Vibes, not quite as descriptive as King (is anyone?!?!) but honestly just as good, so if you like King, I would imagine you'd like this. I've now purchased this authors entire back catalogue to work through seeing as the two I've read so far are five star reads for me.
All in all I think this is definitely one to keep a look out for!

Middle of the Night by Riley Sager takes readers on a suspenseful journey through a seemingly idyllic suburban paradise where dark secrets lurk beneath the surface.

Narrated in a conversational first person style, the story is rich in description, vividly bringing the setting to life.

The narrative skilfully navigates between a thirty year period of summer 1994 and summer 2024 adding layers of intrigue where past and present collide. For me, it was very much like watching a captivating murder mystery thriller television show but with the scenes playing out in my imagination.

While the book is full of twists and turns, I felt that they took longer to unravel than I would have liked which left me craving for quicker revelations.

I thought however, the ending was stunningly done and by the end I really loved the main character and his journey throughout the book.

This book was a high 3.75/5 stars.

Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton, NetGalley, and of course Riley Sager for allowing me to read and review ‘Middle Of The Night’

This is very far from the first book I’ve read by Riley Sager and as soon as I read the blurb I knew I wanted to read this book. A 10 year old boy called Billy disappears from his very safe neighbourhood and thirty years later his family and friends still don’t have answers. The first half of the book was a look at the guilt and the loss that was being felt by his then best friend Ethan, who was present the night Billy disappeared. I thought it had started to wrap up when suddenly the book starts to unravel and secrets are revealed. I guessed the who, but not the how and the why but I still kept reading. Riley’s characters are always so fleshed out and you really do feel for them and their struggles. Really enjoyed this book and nothing is as it seems in this neighbourhood.

This book is all creepy and ghosty and nostalgic… it’s quite an unusual tale, even for Riley, Sager, but with the usual twists and magic we expect from him. A must request.

Riley Sager churns books out at a million miles an hour and I am HERE. FOR. IT. 👏🏻 This wasn’t his best work, but I still read it in a day and had a brilliant time with it! If you’re a fan of Eerie Indiana, Stranger Things & Goosebumps, you’ll love this book.

A slightly spooky thriller that is not my normal go to type of book but it definitely had me hooked. A fast paced book that makes you question everyone and everything but still leaves you surprised.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton, NetGalley and the author for the ARC of Middle of the Night.
Riley Sager is one of my go to authors so I was very excited to read this book, especially as the main character is a male which is not typical for Sager. This is a fast paced, page turner that will have you gripped and did not disappoint. I loved the spooky elements to the book and found myself genuinely scared at points which was exciting. The twist at the end was something I hadn't even considered and I had nearly suspected everyone in the book at that point. I have no doubt this will be an incredibly popular book this summer! 4.5 stars

"In my experience, men who say they want the truth end up wishing they had settled for a lie"

The latest from Riley Sager, due to be released July 2nd, sees Ethan return to his childhood home desperate to understand what happened to Billy, his best friend, who still haunts his dreams 30 years later.

Like many of his books, there are plenty of red herrings dropped throughout the narrative to put Ethan, and the reader, off the trail of the real killer. The tension builds slowly throughout but rachets up in the last quarter ready for the final reveal at the end.

Home Before Dark, the first book I read by Sager, remains my favourite by him and I'm not sure it can be topped, but Middle of the Night was still a fun twisty thriller to dive into.

Very claustrophobic!

This is a very creepy novel. Two boys camping in a garden and then one of them wakes up to find a slit in the tent and no friend....

Many years later, he thinks he sees his missing friend in the street or at least he senses his presence.
The woods, the street - this was Riley territory to be sure. I could see this play out like a Stephen King film.

Did I say this was creepy?