Publisher: Dutton

I’m starting to detest the genre and book descriptor “thriller” or “horror” as it sets an unfair expectation for a twisty, fast-paced, intense reading experience which doesn’t fit many books classified under it. And to be frank, Riley Sager’s Middle of the Night is NOT fast-paced nor intense (by my standards anyway), and even calling it slow burn might be a stretch at times. However, despite the slow pacing for almost 60% of the book (slow even by Riley Sager standards), I still found it to be a rewarding and surprisingly sophisticated read! This is my 3rd Riley Sager novel that I’ve had the pleasure of reading and it’s definitely not one that I would recommend if someone has never read any of his other books before. The pacing is deliberately slow and there’s a decently large ensemble cast of characters to keep track of. Constantly jumping between two time perspectives, the bulk of the story is told from the present day perspective of Ethan Marsh as a grown 40yr old, thirty years after the disappearance of his friend and neighbor Billy. Despite much of the past perspective taking place over the course of a few days and the present…

I feel like the synopsis for Kristen Perrin’s How to Solve Your Own Murder does it no favors by comparing itself to Knives Out, Thursday Murder Club, or selling the murder mystery concept in general due to the murder mystery investigation being one of the weakest aspects of the novel for me (more flair and quality is needed to make such a bold claim). As a fan of true crime documentaries and the murder mystery genre, I was excited to read this based on the stellar premise of a character spending their life trying to solve their own murder before it occurs. I was also encouraged to pick this up as it was voted 2nd place for Jimmy Fallon’s upcoming bookclub. Unfortunately the actual execution, attention to details, and pacing left a lot to be desired (1.5 rounded down). From the get-go I was unimpressed with the characterization and dialogue as well as the story’s details. Following an excellently foreboding prologue where Frances receives her grave fortune that kickstarts the titular concept, the book’s pacing and interest lost me. Despite being 366 pages, I felt like I was reading empty pages with little value or importance to either storylines revolving…

Two good signs that you’ve read a great mystery novel; the full reveal is a “wow” instead of a “well that just happened” and you feel the need to instantly re-read it with a notepad to jot down clues missed on a first read. I found Riley Sager’s The Only One Left to be a solid murder mystery novel that’s well-rounded and smartly constructed. As per my read of Home Before Dark, The Only One Left was a slow burn with an explosive yet still comprehensible whodunnit reveal. This is a book that rewards slow and attentive readers that enjoy piecing clues and evidence together. If you speed through mindlessly the reveal and ending may feel random with its endless plot twists (they’re not random if you pay attention). What I particularly liked about The Only One Left is the use of common mystery plot devices implemented in creative ways. Although the story is primarily told from home caregiver Kit McDeere’s perspective in the present real-time (that is, in 1983 when this story takes place), Sager also somewhat incorporates a 2nd split (abeit limited) perspective of Lenora Hope. Literally written in the past tense (via a typewriter as Lenora is…

At long last I’ve finally read a mystery novel in 2023 with an actually compelling mystery full of surprises, who knew that the bar would be so low after so many contemporary novels in the genre fail to deliver on their basic premise. Home Before Dark is a quality mystery horror novel that follows a similar premise of the Haunting of Hill House refreshed through it’s unique split presentation told from Maggie’s Holt perspective in the present and her father Ewan Holt from 25 years ago via his published nonfiction book House of Horrors. It’s this split perspective narrative that helps separate Home Before Dark from the countless other “family moves into a house with history, bad things happen” storyline as you’re never quite sure how much authenticity House of Horror portrays as an unpredictable unreliable narrator. The two perspectives also contrast each other by their distinctive tones and beliefs with House of Horrors firmly portraying a haunted house with malevolent spirits vs Maggie’s perspective as a skeptic who just wants to know what actually happened in the house 25 years ago. The two split perspectives are done well and not only drop clues relevant to each other, but focus on…