A Book A Week

We've officially settled into summer, which only means one thing: Riley Sager has a new book out this week! Since his debut with Final Girls in 2017, Sager has consistently thrilled readers with his fast-paced standalone thrillers, blending compelling mysteries with hints of horror and the supernatural. He's become one of my must-read authors, so I was ecstatic when his publisher shared an audio copy of his latest release, Middle of the Night. Adding to my excitement, the main character in the story is also named Ethan, making it an even more irresistible read for me.

Home is supposed to be a sanctuary, especially for a child. For Ethan Marsh, his backyard on the quiet cul-de-sac of Hemlock Circle was exactly that. It all changed one July night when that sense of security was turned upside down. Ethan and his best friend, Billy, had fallen asleep in a tent set up in the yard. When Ethan woke up in the morning, Billy was gone. Someone had sliced the tent open with a knife and abducted Billy during the night. Billy was never seen again.

That was thirty years ago. Ethan left that world behind, trying to build a new life, free from the tragedy that scarred his suburban community. But no matter how far he traveled, he couldn't escape the trauma of that night. The sound of the tent being sliced open haunted his dreams, filling him with an inescapable guilt. Life has a way of forcing us to face our demons, and Ethan's journey has brought him back to his childhood home. Plagued by bad dreams and strange occurrences, he sees signs of Billy's presence in his backyard. Is his mind playing tricks on him, or has his childhood friend returned? As Ethan delves deeper into the mystery, he learns that no place is truly safe and that the past has a way of haunting the future.

Riley Sager is at his best when he writes about hauntings. Hauntings by ghosts, yes, but also by the past. This talent is on full display in Middle of the Night. Ethan is a man tormented by the "what ifs" of his life. What if he had never camped in the tent in his backyard? What if he had never told his wife he didn't want children? What if he had never returned home? Sager alternates between chapters set in the present day and the past, methodically filling in the puzzle pieces and revealing just enough information to keep readers hooked. The line between the supernatural and reality blurs, making readers question everything. The story culminates in an ending filled with twist after twist—almost too many for my taste. Nevertheless, Middle of the Night is everything I've come to expect from a Riley Sager novel: spooky, twisted, and immensely fun to read.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

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