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Midnight Cab
A three-year-old boy is abandoned at the side of a country road. His mother whispers to him to hold on to a wire fence. She never returns, but the boy is eventually found - holding-on so tightly the wire is cutting into his hands. Well-dressed, but without identification, the only clue to his background is a photograph of two young girls and a chatty letter from a teenager found in his pocket. Sixteen years later, Walker Devereux moves to Toronto to discover the truth about his early life. Who are his parents? Why was he abandoned? And if, as he remembers dimly, his mother loved him, what happened to her? In pursuit of answers Walker uncovers his family's dark secrets and comes within the deadly grasp of a man whose own early abandonment helped transform a lonely boy into a murderous psychopath ...
448 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
10 people are currently reading
343 people want to read
About the author
James W. Nichol
22 books8 followersJames W. Nichol has been a prominent playwright in Canada since 1970. Midnight Cab was inspired by his immensely popular radio drama of the same name, broadcast on CBC in thirty-five half-hour episodes. He lives in the country near Stratford, Ontario. Midnight Cab won the Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel and was shortlisted for the CCWA Gold Dagger. He is currently working on a second novel.
Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best First Novel (2003): Midnight Cab
Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best First Novel (2003): Midnight Cab
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
December 26, 2018
If it weren't for my pet hate - too much unnecessary description - this could have got a higher rating. It's the story of Walker Devereaux, who travels to Toronto when he's 19 in order to uncover the mystery of his past. He was found holding onto a fence when he was 3, and soon went into foster care. Now he wants to know what happened to his parents. Once in Toronto, he gets a job as a cab driver, and becomes close with Krista Papadopoulos. We also get chapters from the perspective of Bobby, who is a budding psychopath. It's clear the two strands will connect at some point.
I wavered between 2 stars and 3 stars, but eventually rounded this up to 3. The final stretch contained some mild surprises, some building of tension, and pieces of the plot fell neatly into place. But overall, it was much wordier than it needed to be. I am not a reader of literature, as you can probably tell if you read more than one of my reviews! I read for enjoyment, and seek a good story, and good characters. Walker and Krista were likable, but bland. The story wasn't as complex as it could have been, and it didn't need to take so long to get where it was going.
And that's the book's biggest downfall for me. I got bored at several points. It took me several days to read. Paragraphs and paragraphs devoted to describing what route a person took to get somewhere, or what every room in a house looked like, could have been nixed to keep the pacing more urgent. The chapters from the point of view of Bobby were intense and disturbing, and unfortunately, more interesting than Walker's investigation. There was simply too much extraneous, unnecessary description, which ended up making me bored, and that's ultimately the worst sin a book can commit.
I wavered between 2 stars and 3 stars, but eventually rounded this up to 3. The final stretch contained some mild surprises, some building of tension, and pieces of the plot fell neatly into place. But overall, it was much wordier than it needed to be. I am not a reader of literature, as you can probably tell if you read more than one of my reviews! I read for enjoyment, and seek a good story, and good characters. Walker and Krista were likable, but bland. The story wasn't as complex as it could have been, and it didn't need to take so long to get where it was going.
And that's the book's biggest downfall for me. I got bored at several points. It took me several days to read. Paragraphs and paragraphs devoted to describing what route a person took to get somewhere, or what every room in a house looked like, could have been nixed to keep the pacing more urgent. The chapters from the point of view of Bobby were intense and disturbing, and unfortunately, more interesting than Walker's investigation. There was simply too much extraneous, unnecessary description, which ended up making me bored, and that's ultimately the worst sin a book can commit.
January 27, 2017
Too many twists! Really enjoyed it! Walker Devereaux actually reminds me of Holden Caulfield, and when I picture every scene, I imagine Walker being portrayed by Ed Sheeran. Weird, I know.
January 29, 2022
Was für ein grandioser Mindfuck 🤯
May 16, 2025
Midnight Cab was a fast action packed thriller/mystery. Plenty of twists and turns which had me guessing most of the way. The psychopathic villain was very stereotypical. Loner, Daddy issues, bullied at school, tortured animals as a kid etc etc. Some scenes were pretty gruesome and might be hard to read for some. Perhaps a bit far fetched but then I guess a psychopath is technically capable of doing anything. A familiar formula which has worked for many authors, with some subtle differences. I enjoyed reading a book where the leading female character was disabled/wheelchair bound. A page turner which was enjoyable to read without being anything startling.
August 25, 2007
MIDNIGHT CAB (Suspense-Canada/Jamaica/Cont) – VG
Nichol, James W – 1st book
Canongate U.S. – 2002- Hardcover
When Walker Devereaux was three, he was found clinging to a fence by a country road. Now that he's 19, he is determined to find out about his mother and his past. The only clue is a photograph of a woman with two teenage girls and a letter written from one of the girls to the other.
*** This began as a CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) radio show, which means there are very good plot flow, dialogue and characters. Just when you think you know where the story is going, it turns on you. Toward the end, I did see the resolution, which lessened the suspense a bit. Still in all, I very much enjoyed this first book by Nichol and look forward to the next.
Nichol, James W – 1st book
Canongate U.S. – 2002- Hardcover
When Walker Devereaux was three, he was found clinging to a fence by a country road. Now that he's 19, he is determined to find out about his mother and his past. The only clue is a photograph of a woman with two teenage girls and a letter written from one of the girls to the other.
*** This began as a CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) radio show, which means there are very good plot flow, dialogue and characters. Just when you think you know where the story is going, it turns on you. Toward the end, I did see the resolution, which lessened the suspense a bit. Still in all, I very much enjoyed this first book by Nichol and look forward to the next.
February 19, 2014
I found this an easy and page turning read. 18 year old boy goes in search of his parents, having been abandoned at the side of a road when he was 3. A somewhat well worn story, but it mainly kept you guessing. I did feel it could have sped up at the end, as Walker had largely figured it out, but that's a small point. I liked the characterisation too, and the descriptions of the places he visited.
May 20, 2011
I'd actually give this 4.5 stars, if that was an option. A well-constructed thriller with several twists, inner and outer struggles and quirky, unique characters. Gripping enough to keep me going when I should have been ready for bed.
Read
August 7, 2011Wow! Never have I read such an interestingly writen novel. Truly kept me at the edge of my seat.
February 6, 2010
This is a very good thriller! Lots of strange twists and turns!
March 15, 2018
James W. Nichol is eigenlijk toneelschrijver van z'n vak. Misschien is het hierdoor dat de beelden in Nachtrit (Midnight Cab) zo helder maar toch sober beschreven worden. Hetzelfde geldt voor de personages: Walker Devereux, die als driejarig jongetje langs de kant van de weg werd achtergelaten, en Krista, die afhankelijk is van een rolstoel en 's nachts in een taxicentrale werkt.
Hoewel Walker al drie was toen hij werd gevonden, heeft hij geen herinneringen aan zijn ouderlijk thuis. Gelukkig wordt hij met veel liefde opgevoed door de familie Devereux, maar als hij 19 is begint het toch te kriebelen. De speurtocht naar zijn echte familie brengt hem naar Ontario, waar hij op geheel onverwachte wijze een baan krijgt als taxichauffeur in de nachtdienst. Hier ontmoet hij Krista die hem wel wil helpen zijn ouders te vinden. Hun speurtocht, aan de hand van een dertig jaar oude brief en een foto, brengt hen door het halve land.
Maar zo makkelijk is het niet. Bobby is er ook nog. Bobby, die in verontrustende stukjes zijn opwachting maakt bij de lezer. Later blijkt dat hij veel, zo niet alles, te maken heeft met Walkers achtergrond, maar of dat nou zo prettig is...
Dit boek is in Canada al in 2002 uitgekomen, nadat het hele verhaal op de radio was uitgezonden als hoorspel. Het was immens populair en na het lezen van het boek weet je ook waarom. De warme en persoonlijke aandacht die Nichol heeft voor zijn personen, en de knappe wijze waarop hij het kwade genius introduceert, maken van dit boek een heel speciale mix.
Hoewel Walker al drie was toen hij werd gevonden, heeft hij geen herinneringen aan zijn ouderlijk thuis. Gelukkig wordt hij met veel liefde opgevoed door de familie Devereux, maar als hij 19 is begint het toch te kriebelen. De speurtocht naar zijn echte familie brengt hem naar Ontario, waar hij op geheel onverwachte wijze een baan krijgt als taxichauffeur in de nachtdienst. Hier ontmoet hij Krista die hem wel wil helpen zijn ouders te vinden. Hun speurtocht, aan de hand van een dertig jaar oude brief en een foto, brengt hen door het halve land.
Maar zo makkelijk is het niet. Bobby is er ook nog. Bobby, die in verontrustende stukjes zijn opwachting maakt bij de lezer. Later blijkt dat hij veel, zo niet alles, te maken heeft met Walkers achtergrond, maar of dat nou zo prettig is...
Dit boek is in Canada al in 2002 uitgekomen, nadat het hele verhaal op de radio was uitgezonden als hoorspel. Het was immens populair en na het lezen van het boek weet je ook waarom. De warme en persoonlijke aandacht die Nichol heeft voor zijn personen, en de knappe wijze waarop hij het kwade genius introduceert, maken van dit boek een heel speciale mix.
November 4, 2022
This story kept me engaged with lots of twists. The character of Bobby was disturbing. The audiobook reader is Scott Brick, one of my favorites, and he did a great job of voicing the story.
BLURB: A terrified three-year-old boy is found clinging to a wire fence at the side of a country road. His mother had whispered to him to never let go, and then she vanished. The only clue found by authorities as to the child's identity is a photograph of two summering teenage girls and a letter presumably written from one to the other. Sixteen years later, Walker Devereaux finds himself in Toronto to uncover the truth about his biological parents, of whom he has a dim memory. Working as a cab driver, Walker befriends Krista, a pretty, demanding, wheelchair-bound night dispatcher. Krista and Walker become fast friends, and she can't help but involve herself with Walker's quest to understand his shrouded identity. Soon enough, though, their off-hours sleuthing turns perilous as they become the prey of another abandoned boy who has transformed himself into the embodiment of his own desperate, violent, and sinister pathologies.
BLURB: A terrified three-year-old boy is found clinging to a wire fence at the side of a country road. His mother had whispered to him to never let go, and then she vanished. The only clue found by authorities as to the child's identity is a photograph of two summering teenage girls and a letter presumably written from one to the other. Sixteen years later, Walker Devereaux finds himself in Toronto to uncover the truth about his biological parents, of whom he has a dim memory. Working as a cab driver, Walker befriends Krista, a pretty, demanding, wheelchair-bound night dispatcher. Krista and Walker become fast friends, and she can't help but involve herself with Walker's quest to understand his shrouded identity. Soon enough, though, their off-hours sleuthing turns perilous as they become the prey of another abandoned boy who has transformed himself into the embodiment of his own desperate, violent, and sinister pathologies.
May 16, 2021
Wow, eine Geschichte die mich mal wieder voll in seinen Bann gezogen hat.
Walker Devereaux erinnert sich daran, als seine Mutter ihm ins Ohr flüsterte: "halt dich ganz fest", dann ging sie weg und kam nie wieder.
Inzwischen ist Walker neunzehn Jahre alt und ist nun auf der Suche nach seiner Familie. Nur mit einem alten Foto von zwei kleinen Mädchen und einem alten Brief, das man damals bei ihm gefunden hat, macht Walker sich auf den Weg nach Toronto.
Diese Geschichte wird aus unterschiedlichen Zeiten erzählt. Ich fand es spannend aufgeteilt und ich habe Walker bei seiner Suche sehr gerne begleitet.
Obwohl es meiner Meinung nach kein Psychothriller, sondern eher ein Krimi mit Familiendrama und blutigen Momenten war, konnte ich das Buch gar nicht mehr aus der Hand legen.
Ich habe gesehen, viele fanden das Buch ganz schrecklich langweilig. Das kann ich zu keiner Sekunde unterschreiben.
Wie gesagt, mich hat dieses "Krimi/Drama" wunderbar unterhalten.
Einen halben Punkt würde ich ab ziehe, da ich einen Psychothriller erwartet habe.
Walker Devereaux erinnert sich daran, als seine Mutter ihm ins Ohr flüsterte: "halt dich ganz fest", dann ging sie weg und kam nie wieder.
Inzwischen ist Walker neunzehn Jahre alt und ist nun auf der Suche nach seiner Familie. Nur mit einem alten Foto von zwei kleinen Mädchen und einem alten Brief, das man damals bei ihm gefunden hat, macht Walker sich auf den Weg nach Toronto.
Diese Geschichte wird aus unterschiedlichen Zeiten erzählt. Ich fand es spannend aufgeteilt und ich habe Walker bei seiner Suche sehr gerne begleitet.
Obwohl es meiner Meinung nach kein Psychothriller, sondern eher ein Krimi mit Familiendrama und blutigen Momenten war, konnte ich das Buch gar nicht mehr aus der Hand legen.
Ich habe gesehen, viele fanden das Buch ganz schrecklich langweilig. Das kann ich zu keiner Sekunde unterschreiben.
Wie gesagt, mich hat dieses "Krimi/Drama" wunderbar unterhalten.
Einen halben Punkt würde ich ab ziehe, da ich einen Psychothriller erwartet habe.
March 9, 2025
Listen to the audio version instead of the hardcover! The CBC Mystery Project, Midnight Cab series is so well done. Great music, sound effects, short episodes. The mystery builds with each episode. Voices are full of character - real people. All 35 episodes are available free at https://archive.org/details/MidnightC....
August 12, 2025
J'ai acheté ce roman en 2005 et c'est finalement en 2025 que je le lis 😄
L'histoire était bonne, j'ai vraiment embarqué. Par contre, ce que je n'ai pas aimé c'est qu'il y avait beaucoup de descriptions. Je m'y perdais des fois et ça me mélangeait.
L'histoire était bonne, j'ai vraiment embarqué. Par contre, ce que je n'ai pas aimé c'est qu'il y avait beaucoup de descriptions. Je m'y perdais des fois et ça me mélangeait.
January 13, 2020
One of my favorite reads of my 2019 Challege
April 7, 2020
A thriller published under the name "Ne te retourne pas" in French. Boring at the beginning because of too much description but finally a really good story with many twists !
May 23, 2020
I loved it
Nichol is great at creating a cozy atmosphere that sucks you right in
A master of supsense, like Stephen King but with better pacing
Super excited to see that there is a radio version
Nichol is great at creating a cozy atmosphere that sucks you right in
A master of supsense, like Stephen King but with better pacing
Super excited to see that there is a radio version
December 10, 2021
A page turner, but a ,title clunky in places.
January 20, 2022
This was unexpectedly a good read! I had had the book for some time and never had the urge to pick it up but it was an enjoyable mystery that satisfied my need for a good thriller.
November 20, 2023
Il faut comprendre le changements de période tout les chapitre
April 24, 2025
Verstörend. Aber irgendwie trotzdem nicht so fesselnd. Unappetitliche Detailausführungen und kühle Charaktere.
October 8, 2025
gelesen Juli 2010 gut
December 23, 2023
Wahnsinnig guter Thriller, super Story 😍😍🥰😍😍❣️
August 30, 2014
German Audiobuch--"Ausgesetzt" Walker was 3 when his mom left him by the side of the road holding on to a fence--and told him to keep holding on and not let go. He's now 19 and wants to find his mother, with only a picture and a letter of a teenager. The story goes between Walker in Canada trying to find out who his mother is and Bobby, a very troubled young boy telling his story about how he gets away with murder, literally and figuratively. We don't find out for quite a while what these 2 stories have to do together.
Eine sehr gute schlüssige Geschichte von einem jungen Mann der sich auf die Suche nach seinen wahren Eltern macht, gepaart mit einem Hauch Liebe, einer ordentlichen Portion Spannung und einem dunklen Geheimnis, dass bis zu letzt auch dem raffiniertesten und krimierfahrensten Leser nicht unbedingt offenbart wird. Es ist diese leichte kribbelige Spannung die sich aufbaut und immer ein wenig mitschwingt, die dieses Buch so einzigartig macht. Nicht die großen Horror-Schock-Effekte sondern achtsam gesetzte "Thrills" und Rückblenden sind es, die einem zum Schaudern bringen. Fesselnd bis zur letzten Seite und manchmal sogar sehr melancholisch und einfühlsam aber durchaus auch witzig - ein rundum gelungenes Buch. Ich konnte "Ausgesetzt" nicht aus der Hand legen, habe fast Termine verpasst deswegen und wollte die Wahrheit endlich herausfinden - doch das Ergebnis ist so unvorhersehbar, dass sich wirklich erst kurz vor Ende das ganze Geheimnis des kleinen Jungen, der mit drei Jahren am Straßenrand ausgesetzt wurde offenbart.
Eine sehr gute schlüssige Geschichte von einem jungen Mann der sich auf die Suche nach seinen wahren Eltern macht, gepaart mit einem Hauch Liebe, einer ordentlichen Portion Spannung und einem dunklen Geheimnis, dass bis zu letzt auch dem raffiniertesten und krimierfahrensten Leser nicht unbedingt offenbart wird. Es ist diese leichte kribbelige Spannung die sich aufbaut und immer ein wenig mitschwingt, die dieses Buch so einzigartig macht. Nicht die großen Horror-Schock-Effekte sondern achtsam gesetzte "Thrills" und Rückblenden sind es, die einem zum Schaudern bringen. Fesselnd bis zur letzten Seite und manchmal sogar sehr melancholisch und einfühlsam aber durchaus auch witzig - ein rundum gelungenes Buch. Ich konnte "Ausgesetzt" nicht aus der Hand legen, habe fast Termine verpasst deswegen und wollte die Wahrheit endlich herausfinden - doch das Ergebnis ist so unvorhersehbar, dass sich wirklich erst kurz vor Ende das ganze Geheimnis des kleinen Jungen, der mit drei Jahren am Straßenrand ausgesetzt wurde offenbart.
May 18, 2012
Being a long-time fan of "Midnight Cab", I thought this book was consistent with the radio series, but the character of Walker Devereau was somewhat differently motivated.
I used to make sure I was free on Wednesday afternoons at my job in Newfoundland, so whenever possible no one would interrupt me while I listened to Midnight Cab on CBC Radio. Tried never to miss an episode.
This book was a bit harder than the series. It was intricate, with a complex set of characters connected in unexpected ways, and discovering those connections was one of the treats of this read.
Other than getting a more physical description of Krista, she was more or less the same character, though I found her a bit forgiving. The incident with her car would make most women drop a guy like a hot rock with needles sticking out of it.
Good book. Kept me turning pages until the end. Now ... where's the rest?
36 or so radio episodes are not enough, and certainly one book is not enough!
MORE WALKER DEVEREAU!
(On the radio I never pictured a tall, lean man with long black hair, an angular face and of the native Canadian heritage. I kinda pictured... fellow Newfoundlander David Ferry. Short, roundish, ... stubby. :-)
I used to make sure I was free on Wednesday afternoons at my job in Newfoundland, so whenever possible no one would interrupt me while I listened to Midnight Cab on CBC Radio. Tried never to miss an episode.
This book was a bit harder than the series. It was intricate, with a complex set of characters connected in unexpected ways, and discovering those connections was one of the treats of this read.
Other than getting a more physical description of Krista, she was more or less the same character, though I found her a bit forgiving. The incident with her car would make most women drop a guy like a hot rock with needles sticking out of it.
Good book. Kept me turning pages until the end. Now ... where's the rest?
36 or so radio episodes are not enough, and certainly one book is not enough!
MORE WALKER DEVEREAU!
(On the radio I never pictured a tall, lean man with long black hair, an angular face and of the native Canadian heritage. I kinda pictured... fellow Newfoundlander David Ferry. Short, roundish, ... stubby. :-)
September 22, 2013
Wir begeiten in diesem Buch den 19-jährigen Walker auf der Suche nach seinen leiblichen Eltern. Unterstützt wird er dabei von seiner körperlich behinderten Kollegin Krista. Zwischendurch gibt es immer wieder Rückblicke in die Vergangenheit, wo wir einem gewissen Bobby begegnen.
Leider muss ich sagen, dass dieses Buch die Bezeichnung "Psychothriller" absolut nicht verdient hat. Es geht weder auf die Psyche noch ist das Buch in irgendeiner Weise spannend. Klar, hin und wieder passieren einige mysteriöse Dinge, wo man sich als Leser fragt, was dahintersteckt. Am Ende versucht der Autor, ein wenig Spannung aufzubauen und der Handlung einen Twist zu verpassen. Aber so ganz gelingen will es ihm dann doch nicht. Sehr schade, denn ich finde, die Geschichte hätte durchaus Potential gehabt. Zumal Cover und Klappentext so vielversprechend waren.
Ich gebe diesem Buch: * *
Leider muss ich sagen, dass dieses Buch die Bezeichnung "Psychothriller" absolut nicht verdient hat. Es geht weder auf die Psyche noch ist das Buch in irgendeiner Weise spannend. Klar, hin und wieder passieren einige mysteriöse Dinge, wo man sich als Leser fragt, was dahintersteckt. Am Ende versucht der Autor, ein wenig Spannung aufzubauen und der Handlung einen Twist zu verpassen. Aber so ganz gelingen will es ihm dann doch nicht. Sehr schade, denn ich finde, die Geschichte hätte durchaus Potential gehabt. Zumal Cover und Klappentext so vielversprechend waren.
Ich gebe diesem Buch: * *
March 10, 2011
Midnight Cab was a pretty good book. I'll give it about 3 1/2 or 4 stars out of 5. You really get to know the main characters Walker and Krista, and I love how their relationship together developed so well, it felt so real. I like the style of the author's writing, he was able to make things run clear and smoothly. It was easy to get confused at some parts though, but no big deal.
I don't know if it's something I'd read again. Maybe in the future when there's nothing else for me to read. Don't get me wrong, it's a great book, and I enjoyed it, but it's not something I'd finish and then go back to the beginning.
All in all, good book. As I've said, loved Walker and Krista.
I do recommend it.
I don't know if it's something I'd read again. Maybe in the future when there's nothing else for me to read. Don't get me wrong, it's a great book, and I enjoyed it, but it's not something I'd finish and then go back to the beginning.
All in all, good book. As I've said, loved Walker and Krista.
I do recommend it.
January 24, 2015
I really liked reading this but it was quite a twisted tale. Our hero in Midnight Cab is nineteen year old Walker Devereaux. He's trying to find out why he was abandoned at three years old by his mother, a mother he is sure had loved him. Life has taken Walker on quite a ride but it's nothing compared to where his search for the truth will take him. Well written and enjoyable to read but as I said the plot and some of the characters are quite twisted.
May 23, 2012
Tja wat zal ik eens over dit boek zeggen. Op zich leest het boek heerlijk weg maar ik vind het verhaal eigenlijk behoorlijk warrig geschreven een beetje van de hak op de tak zeg maar. Toch wilde ik het boek wel graag uitlezen om te zien hoe het zou eindigen. Het einde was niet zo verrassend. Kortom: een prima weglezer maar geen boek dat me lang bij zal blijven.
May 23, 2012
een zeer spannend,meeslepend boek.
dit boek is vanaf het begin spannend,je wil door blijven lezen...wat er nu weer gaat gebeuren.
ook dit boek heeft weer 2 verhalen...die van walker die zijn moeder zoekt,maar ook het verhaal van de psychopaat(waar je je eigen aan ergert ...wat een engert)
dus....een aanrader.
dit boek is vanaf het begin spannend,je wil door blijven lezen...wat er nu weer gaat gebeuren.
ook dit boek heeft weer 2 verhalen...die van walker die zijn moeder zoekt,maar ook het verhaal van de psychopaat(waar je je eigen aan ergert ...wat een engert)
dus....een aanrader.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews