Middle of the Night: A Novel

· Penguin
4.3
39 reviews
Ebook
384
Pages
Eligible
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About this ebook

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

In the latest jaw-dropping thriller from New York Times bestselling author Riley Sager, a man must contend with the long-ago disappearance of his childhood best friend—and the dark secrets lurking just beyond the safe confines of his picture-perfect neighborhood.


The worst thing to ever happen on Hemlock Circle occurred in Ethan Marsh’s backyard. One July night, ten-year-old Ethan and his best friend and neighbor, Billy, fell asleep in a tent set up on a manicured lawn in a quiet, quaint New Jersey cul-de-sac. In the morning, Ethan woke up alone. During the night, someone had sliced the tent open with a knife and taken Billy. He was never seen again.

Thirty years later, Ethan has reluctantly returned to his childhood home. Plagued by bad dreams and insomnia, he begins to notice strange things happening in the middle of the night. Someone seems to be roaming the cul-de-sac at odd hours, and signs of Billy’s presence keep appearing in Ethan’s backyard. Is someone playing a cruel prank? Or has Billy, long thought to be dead, somehow returned to Hemlock Circle?

The mysterious occurrences prompt Ethan to investigate what really happened that night, a quest that reunites him with former friends and neighbors and leads him into the woods that surround Hemlock Circle. Woods where Billy claimed ghosts roamed and where a mysterious institute does clandestine research on a crumbling estate.  

The closer Ethan gets to the truth, the more he realizes that no place—be it quiet forest or suburban street—is completely safe. And that the past has a way of haunting the present.

Ratings and reviews

4.3
39 reviews
Nilufer Yenidogan Ozmekik
July 2, 2024
This book isn't a big mystery or an earth-shattering thriller, but a genuine, emotional, and gripping mystery about grief and letting go. Ethan Marsh returns to his childhood home, haunted by the night his friend Billy was taken. When Billy's remains are found, Ethan faces memories and secrets from the past. This is a well-written, sentimental read that tugs at your heartstrings. Highly recommended for mystery lovers and those nostalgic for childhood.
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Kayla Cooper
June 19, 2024
I was really excited when this came out. Her other books have been enjoyable. This one fell flat from page one. I kept waiting for it to pick up and actually get interesting. Well, it never did. The main character Ethan was hard to like. He's scared of everything & weak. The other characters also fell flat. No twists & turns. I would not waste money on this one, sadly to say.
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ABEL EZQUEDA
July 24, 2024
An inspiring and beautifully written tale
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About the author

Riley Sager is the New York Times bestselling author of eight novels, most recently The House Across the Lake and The Only One Left. A native of Pennsylvania, he now lives in Princeton, New Jersey.

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