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Return to Midnight
On the anniversary of a savage mass murder, a survivor returns to the scene of the crime―and all its buried secrets―in a twisting novel of suspense.
Nearly ten years ago, five Ohio university students were murdered in an off-campus Victorian home. The media dubbed it the Midnight House Massacre. Ever since, survivor and novelist Margot Davis has wanted to forget it, and never again utter the killer’s name. Until she’s compelled to write her side of the story. To do that, she’s returning to Midnight House.
It’ll be a chance for Margot to reconnect with other survivors, heal the trauma, and dispel the ugly conspiracy theories of obsessed true crime fanatics. But when news of Margot’s book gets out, she receives a threatening note that demands she stop lying. Or else. It chills Margot’s blood. Because she hasn’t been telling the whole truth.
As the threats continue, each more sinister than the last, a journalist comes to Margot with new suspicions about that brutal October night. Now, to save her own life, Margot must reveal her well-guarded secrets―ones that, for good reason, she’s been too terrified to share.
Nearly ten years ago, five Ohio university students were murdered in an off-campus Victorian home. The media dubbed it the Midnight House Massacre. Ever since, survivor and novelist Margot Davis has wanted to forget it, and never again utter the killer’s name. Until she’s compelled to write her side of the story. To do that, she’s returning to Midnight House.
It’ll be a chance for Margot to reconnect with other survivors, heal the trauma, and dispel the ugly conspiracy theories of obsessed true crime fanatics. But when news of Margot’s book gets out, she receives a threatening note that demands she stop lying. Or else. It chills Margot’s blood. Because she hasn’t been telling the whole truth.
As the threats continue, each more sinister than the last, a journalist comes to Margot with new suspicions about that brutal October night. Now, to save her own life, Margot must reveal her well-guarded secrets―ones that, for good reason, she’s been too terrified to share.
10 pages, Audible Audio
First published August 27, 2024
1545 people are currently reading
21930 people want to read
About the author
Emma Dues
1 book186 followersEmma is a middle school teacher by day, thriller writer by night. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and family of rescue cats. When Emma isn’t writing or at school, she’s counting down to Halloween and watching scary movies. RETURN TO MIDNIGHT is her debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 848 reviews
June 12, 2025
Emma Dues and I have in common a love for horror movies, so it's with a heavy heart that I must admit I expected more from such a good premise.
It's not like I didn't like it; in fact, I did.
But it's one of those cases in which you see things coming, and even if you try to focus on the here and now, you've already seen them happening, you already know how it will end.
The narration is good, the flashbacks are good, and the seed of suspicion about every possible character is well planted - even if they're a little flat; I'd have skipped the possible love affair, but I get what the author was trying to communicate with it.
Full disclosure, for a moment I thought the ending was going in the complete opposite direction - which I can't say or I’ll spoil the whole thing - and I really loved it, but it only lasted a couple of chapters and left more questions than before. For example, what is the point of all that sleepwalking?
↠ 3 stars
Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.
It's not like I didn't like it; in fact, I did.
But it's one of those cases in which you see things coming, and even if you try to focus on the here and now, you've already seen them happening, you already know how it will end.
The narration is good, the flashbacks are good, and the seed of suspicion about every possible character is well planted - even if they're a little flat; I'd have skipped the possible love affair, but I get what the author was trying to communicate with it.
Full disclosure, for a moment I thought the ending was going in the complete opposite direction - which I can't say or I’ll spoil the whole thing - and I really loved it, but it only lasted a couple of chapters and left more questions than before. For example, what is the point of all that sleepwalking?
↠ 3 stars
Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.
September 1, 2025
Loved this book so much! Really recommned this. I love reading less popular authors books and being able to genuinely recommend them and this isn't one to sleep on! It's not a 5 star as it didn't add loads more to this 'type' of thriller.
September 4, 2024
They could never make me like you, Margot. NEVER.
I would like to return to a time when I did not read this tbh, because literally all of Margot's problems could have been solved by calling the cops.
I would like to return to a time when I did not read this tbh, because literally all of Margot's problems could have been solved by calling the cops.
August 18, 2024
Almost ten years ago, Margot was a senior in college, living her best life in a big old house with all her closest friends. And almost ten years ago, Margot survived a massacre in that house in which almost all of those friends were killed. A suspect was caught and convicted, and Margot has tried to move on…though mostly that means barely sleeping, barely eating, and barely leaving her mother’s house. Now, as part of the process of writing a book about that massacre, she’s returning to the house she lived in in college for the first time since the massacre. And things aren’t all as they seem…
I couldn’t tell you why, but I’m a sucker for final-girl-revisits-the-scene books. In this case, the cover drew me in (though ballet turns out to be a minor part of the book), but I would have been interested based on the description anyway. Massacres and final girls and old Victorian houses? Yes please.
The result is mixed. I finished the book late at night, and the end gave me some heart-pounding moments, which I appreciated. The dance element is also nice, in places: Margot and her friends were mostly dance minors at university, meaning that they had skill and interest but generally weren’t planning to make careers out of dance. As a rule, they’re as interested in partying and drinking and carb-based food as they are in putting in practice and perfecting pirouettes. This isn’t a side of dance that I see reflected often in fiction—I’m much more likely to see books in which the characters are desperate make it into a professional company, when in reality the experience Margot and her friends have is much more common. (And: I don’t know if this was intentional, but…shades of ?)
But I don’t love the voice (first person POV doesn’t help, I think), and Margot’s pretty inconsistent: she goes straight from a reclusive, terrified life to staying at the scene of the crime, telling her secrets to what sounds like a tabloid reporter (bad move for a number of reasons, not least that she’s writing a book about it and should think carefully about what she wants other people to be able to publish before she can), and running around town accusing people of stalking and/or murder. I think I’d have found her more believable if she had been able to move on more in the past nine years, or if she were less willing to throw herself back into it. Meanwhile, as we learn more about the side characters, they tend to get less appealing rather than more.
And…I’m not sure how best to say this, but lord have mercy, Margot is dumb as a box of rocks. Absolutely zero sense of self-preservation: in addition to trusting a stranger she knows nothing about (and inviting him over, and falling asleep while he’s there, and giving him free rein in the house), she contaminates evidence, doesn’t think to contact the police about that evidence or about stalking, routinely confronts people she suspects of violence, goes down into the basement without any sort of backup every time she hears a noise there…so many chances for her to end up even more traumatized, to say nothing of very dead.
Finally, this is a book in which a large amount of the plot hinges on Margot not being honest with the reader. There are some major gaps in her knowledge about what happened—we don’t get her memory of the murders until late in the book, but it could have opened the book without significant spoilers—but about other things she is very, very coy with the reader. I understand why it’s done, but it’s not something I much enjoy in thrillers; I like to be on the same page as the narrator (and, you know, to be afraid they’re going to die). For readers who don’t mind this withholding of information, this won’t be a problem, but…mileage may vary.
So—points for premise and the interesting use of ballet, but the characters are hard to connect with and overall it ended being not what I was hoping for from a thriller.
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.
I couldn’t tell you why, but I’m a sucker for final-girl-revisits-the-scene books. In this case, the cover drew me in (though ballet turns out to be a minor part of the book), but I would have been interested based on the description anyway. Massacres and final girls and old Victorian houses? Yes please.
The result is mixed. I finished the book late at night, and the end gave me some heart-pounding moments, which I appreciated. The dance element is also nice, in places: Margot and her friends were mostly dance minors at university, meaning that they had skill and interest but generally weren’t planning to make careers out of dance. As a rule, they’re as interested in partying and drinking and carb-based food as they are in putting in practice and perfecting pirouettes. This isn’t a side of dance that I see reflected often in fiction—I’m much more likely to see books in which the characters are desperate make it into a professional company, when in reality the experience Margot and her friends have is much more common. (And: I don’t know if this was intentional, but…shades of ?)
But I don’t love the voice (first person POV doesn’t help, I think), and Margot’s pretty inconsistent: she goes straight from a reclusive, terrified life to staying at the scene of the crime, telling her secrets to what sounds like a tabloid reporter (bad move for a number of reasons, not least that she’s writing a book about it and should think carefully about what she wants other people to be able to publish before she can), and running around town accusing people of stalking and/or murder. I think I’d have found her more believable if she had been able to move on more in the past nine years, or if she were less willing to throw herself back into it. Meanwhile, as we learn more about the side characters, they tend to get less appealing rather than more.
And…I’m not sure how best to say this, but lord have mercy, Margot is dumb as a box of rocks. Absolutely zero sense of self-preservation: in addition to trusting a stranger she knows nothing about (and inviting him over, and falling asleep while he’s there, and giving him free rein in the house), she contaminates evidence, doesn’t think to contact the police about that evidence or about stalking, routinely confronts people she suspects of violence, goes down into the basement without any sort of backup every time she hears a noise there…so many chances for her to end up even more traumatized, to say nothing of very dead.
Finally, this is a book in which a large amount of the plot hinges on Margot not being honest with the reader. There are some major gaps in her knowledge about what happened—we don’t get her memory of the murders until late in the book, but it could have opened the book without significant spoilers—but about other things she is very, very coy with the reader. I understand why it’s done, but it’s not something I much enjoy in thrillers; I like to be on the same page as the narrator (and, you know, to be afraid they’re going to die). For readers who don’t mind this withholding of information, this won’t be a problem, but…mileage may vary.
So—points for premise and the interesting use of ballet, but the characters are hard to connect with and overall it ended being not what I was hoping for from a thriller.
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.
October 13, 2024
I understand that authors will take events from real life to write books. I get it. It usually doesn’t bother me, but this one did.
It’s OBVIOUS this book is taking what happened in Idaho for the plot. It rubbed me the wrong way the entire time. That is still so fresh and coming up on two years . There hasn’t even been a trial yet this book is here. Released in August 2024.
Too soon.
I am shocked so many of my favorite booktokers thought so highly of this book, but didn’t make the connection.
Also all the characters were unlikable.
It’s OBVIOUS this book is taking what happened in Idaho for the plot. It rubbed me the wrong way the entire time. That is still so fresh and coming up on two years . There hasn’t even been a trial yet this book is here. Released in August 2024.
Too soon.
I am shocked so many of my favorite booktokers thought so highly of this book, but didn’t make the connection.
Also all the characters were unlikable.
April 16, 2024
3.5
this one was complicated. it almost put me in a slump, but i enjoyed the writing in general, more specifically the descriptions. the dialogue felt a bit cringe and corny at times, relying too much on cartoonish villain explanations near the end like the author forgot she needed the audience to get some kind of closure. tropes are fine, but you also need to rely on the strength of your characters and your plot, not just other devices.
as a character, margot was fine. she wasn't annoying, albeit jaded, and i could definitely feel her emotions, particularly her grief. her relationship with her mother is the true highlight of this book and i would have liked to see it be explored a bit more.
thank you to netgalley for the free copy!
this one was complicated. it almost put me in a slump, but i enjoyed the writing in general, more specifically the descriptions. the dialogue felt a bit cringe and corny at times, relying too much on cartoonish villain explanations near the end like the author forgot she needed the audience to get some kind of closure. tropes are fine, but you also need to rely on the strength of your characters and your plot, not just other devices.
as a character, margot was fine. she wasn't annoying, albeit jaded, and i could definitely feel her emotions, particularly her grief. her relationship with her mother is the true highlight of this book and i would have liked to see it be explored a bit more.
thank you to netgalley for the free copy!
November 21, 2024
such a short book yet took me forever to get through bc the main character is so annoying
loved the dance element though
loved the dance element though
August 21, 2024
A story filled to the brim with clichés. It's as if the author tried to cram as many horror flicks as possible in one story. The writing is extremely repetitive, and the narrative could be better. Not to mention that the main character is constantly having extreme physical reactions to every little thing (especially in her stomach) to the point that I'd recommend she see a doctor. Not my cup of tea at all.
March 16, 2024
I am so excited for this book to finally be out in the world and with readers! I had so much fun writing Margot's story and I hope that you love it as much as I do. Thank you to everyone who reads Return to Midnight and supports my dreams ❤️ - Emma
August 28, 2024
3.5. Return to Midnight is set ten years after a horrific murder takes place in an off campus home. Margot is a survivor of the massacre and has returned to the scene of the crime to complete her novel telling her side of the story.
This story was entertaining and twisty! But prepared to not be sucked in until the last third of the book. The first parts included so much detail about the characters that I felt were unnecessary at the end of the story however I enjoyed the book! The last portion was particularly bingeable. This was a solid mystery!
Thank you so much to Netgalley, Emma Dues, and Thomas & Mercer for providing this free ARC. This is my honest review! This published on August 27th!
This story was entertaining and twisty! But prepared to not be sucked in until the last third of the book. The first parts included so much detail about the characters that I felt were unnecessary at the end of the story however I enjoyed the book! The last portion was particularly bingeable. This was a solid mystery!
Thank you so much to Netgalley, Emma Dues, and Thomas & Mercer for providing this free ARC. This is my honest review! This published on August 27th!
November 18, 2024
4.25⭐️ This book is scary. Knowing that the actual crime itself (not motive or surrounding story) is so similar to the Idaho student murders makes it all the more terrifying. The last few chapters had my heart racing. Do not read this at night!
March 19, 2024
ARC for review. To be published August 27, 2024.
Ten years ago, five students from Oxford University in Ohio were murdered in a creepy Victorian house the girls lived in in what is now known as the Midnight House Massacre. Margot Davis was a survivor, now she’s a writer and while she’s tried to forget what happened she’s decided to write about the Massacre.
This brings her right back to Oxford and Midnight House and back to the other two survivors. She has to fend off conspiracy theories about what occurred and she meets up with a newspaper writer who wants to write a story about the event. And Margot is getting threats about telling the whole truth about what happened. And she hasn’t been.
OK, the Margot of today is just about the stupidest person to walk on Earth. Um….CALL THE POLICE, Margot! Call the police about twelve times. You are a writer. You are not a trained investigator. You are also an idiot and I, frankly, can’t believe that you and the boy wonder haven’t been killed ten times. I might do it myself because you are too dumb to walk around.
Have I mentioned that Margot is not wise? This is not terrible, but read only if you want to punch Margot. Some people like that sort of thing. I liked that the girls were dancers. There. I said something nice.
Ten years ago, five students from Oxford University in Ohio were murdered in a creepy Victorian house the girls lived in in what is now known as the Midnight House Massacre. Margot Davis was a survivor, now she’s a writer and while she’s tried to forget what happened she’s decided to write about the Massacre.
This brings her right back to Oxford and Midnight House and back to the other two survivors. She has to fend off conspiracy theories about what occurred and she meets up with a newspaper writer who wants to write a story about the event. And Margot is getting threats about telling the whole truth about what happened. And she hasn’t been.
OK, the Margot of today is just about the stupidest person to walk on Earth. Um….CALL THE POLICE, Margot! Call the police about twelve times. You are a writer. You are not a trained investigator. You are also an idiot and I, frankly, can’t believe that you and the boy wonder haven’t been killed ten times. I might do it myself because you are too dumb to walk around.
Have I mentioned that Margot is not wise? This is not terrible, but read only if you want to punch Margot. Some people like that sort of thing. I liked that the girls were dancers. There. I said something nice.
August 24, 2024
I absolutely loved this book. It's almost unbelievable that it's a debut. It really sucks you in, and once I started reading I just couldn't stop.
I really enjoyed the way it was written. A well written unreliable narrator is one of my favorite things. Being kept in the dark about the truth for most of the book really amps up the suspense, and Margot is unreliable as all heck. She makes the weirdest choices sometimes but that really plays up how sketchy she is and it works well.
Absolutely everyone is suspicious. You're given crumbs of truth throughout, but it's so hard to tell fact from her imagination that you're just along for the ride. The dual timelines are 🤌🤌🤌. There's present day and one starting 17 hours before the massacre and then leading up to it that just really ties the whole book together. I made the mistake of starting this at night and I definitely got spooked a few times reading this in my own house it's just that immersive.
I really enjoyed the way it was written. A well written unreliable narrator is one of my favorite things. Being kept in the dark about the truth for most of the book really amps up the suspense, and Margot is unreliable as all heck. She makes the weirdest choices sometimes but that really plays up how sketchy she is and it works well.
Absolutely everyone is suspicious. You're given crumbs of truth throughout, but it's so hard to tell fact from her imagination that you're just along for the ride. The dual timelines are 🤌🤌🤌. There's present day and one starting 17 hours before the massacre and then leading up to it that just really ties the whole book together. I made the mistake of starting this at night and I definitely got spooked a few times reading this in my own house it's just that immersive.
September 5, 2024
Easily one of my favorite books of the year and probably of all time. I cannot recommend this book enough.!
October 15, 2024
ugh
It literally screamed Idaho murders, and Brian Kohberger. The only difference was how it ended and the way. But the entire story was literally plucked out of the real life murder of the four college students in Idaho. Literally the only reason why I finished this book was to see if it would end the same way you did in real life.
It literally screamed Idaho murders, and Brian Kohberger. The only difference was how it ended and the way. But the entire story was literally plucked out of the real life murder of the four college students in Idaho. Literally the only reason why I finished this book was to see if it would end the same way you did in real life.
December 12, 2024
I can’t believe this is Emma’s first book. This realllyyyyyy keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time. It’s masterfully written and everyone feels like a suspect.
I was so impressed! This was such a fun ride.
I was so impressed! This was such a fun ride.
September 3, 2024
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
I’m a little backlogged with my ARC’s but working diligently to get caught up. The really liked the premise of this story! A group of friends studying ballet encounter tragedy in college and come together years later, staying in the same house where the unthinkable occurred, to try to put the pieces together. There were lots of twists and turns and the book held my attention the entire time. I would recommend to anyone who likes mysteries, thrillers, and a touch of horror!
I’m a little backlogged with my ARC’s but working diligently to get caught up. The really liked the premise of this story! A group of friends studying ballet encounter tragedy in college and come together years later, staying in the same house where the unthinkable occurred, to try to put the pieces together. There were lots of twists and turns and the book held my attention the entire time. I would recommend to anyone who likes mysteries, thrillers, and a touch of horror!
July 18, 2024
Emma, you are awesome! I can't believe this is a debut novel. This story kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time and I read the majority of it in less than 24 hours. It has heavy 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒆𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒕 𝑯𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 and Pretty Little Liars vibes which I really enjoyed.
I will say that the twists throughout the story really got me. They were really well done and had me guessing the entire time. I genuinely had no idea where the ending was going... and none of my guesses about the outcome were correct (which is relatively rare as I read many thriller novels).
I also really enjoyed the layout of the book. I thought that having both a present and past timeline in each chapter was a unique way of storytelling. In addition, each chapter felt like a mini cliff-hanger that made you want to continue reading.
There wasn't much about the story that I disliked. Initially, trying to keep track of all of the characters was a bit confusing but it definitely got easier as the story went on. It may have been slightly cheesy with some "gotcha" moments at certain points, but overall it kept me engaged and interested!
Let me say it again: I can't believe this is a debut novel. It is easily already better than what many popular, established thriller authors put out. I look forward to reading more of what Emma comes up with!
All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to the author for the gifted ARC!
I will say that the twists throughout the story really got me. They were really well done and had me guessing the entire time. I genuinely had no idea where the ending was going... and none of my guesses about the outcome were correct (which is relatively rare as I read many thriller novels).
I also really enjoyed the layout of the book. I thought that having both a present and past timeline in each chapter was a unique way of storytelling. In addition, each chapter felt like a mini cliff-hanger that made you want to continue reading.
There wasn't much about the story that I disliked. Initially, trying to keep track of all of the characters was a bit confusing but it definitely got easier as the story went on. It may have been slightly cheesy with some "gotcha" moments at certain points, but overall it kept me engaged and interested!
Let me say it again: I can't believe this is a debut novel. It is easily already better than what many popular, established thriller authors put out. I look forward to reading more of what Emma comes up with!
All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to the author for the gifted ARC!
August 12, 2024
Dark academia, a creepy Victorian house called Midnight House, ballerinas and a mass murder - I was sold from the start.
Return to Midnight follows Margot, a survivor of the Midnight House massacre in which most of her best friends were slaughtered, as she returns to the scene of the crime years later to write a book about it.
This reminded me so much of the Idaho murders and there were so many similarities. Emma said she started writing this prior to the murders loosely basing it on the Bundy sorority murders so the parallels are even more eerie.
I really loved the way we had flashbacks starting 17 hours before the massacre counting down to it. It had a real impending doom feeling to it seeing how happy the girls were while also illuminating different suspects to the reader. I was hoping the twist wouldn’t be silly and ruin it and it didn’t! There was one final twist that kinda made me roll my eyes but it didn’t ruin the main twist.
This was such a creepy, fun thriller and I’m truly shocked that it was a debut for this author. Cannot wait to see what else she comes out with!
4.5 ✨ rounded up 🩰
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!
Return to Midnight follows Margot, a survivor of the Midnight House massacre in which most of her best friends were slaughtered, as she returns to the scene of the crime years later to write a book about it.
This reminded me so much of the Idaho murders and there were so many similarities. Emma said she started writing this prior to the murders loosely basing it on the Bundy sorority murders so the parallels are even more eerie.
I really loved the way we had flashbacks starting 17 hours before the massacre counting down to it. It had a real impending doom feeling to it seeing how happy the girls were while also illuminating different suspects to the reader. I was hoping the twist wouldn’t be silly and ruin it and it didn’t! There was one final twist that kinda made me roll my eyes but it didn’t ruin the main twist.
This was such a creepy, fun thriller and I’m truly shocked that it was a debut for this author. Cannot wait to see what else she comes out with!
4.5 ✨ rounded up 🩰
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!
September 10, 2024
Return to Midnight relies on some common horror tropes, namely the MC who does everything they shouldn't do, but it does it well.
The book is fast-paced and entertaining. There are a few questions to ponder as the story moves along. It's a murderous whodunit where the MC is both sleuth and victim.
You may want to scream at Margot and tell her to stop being so idiotic, but I think that's the mark of a good story, right? You're invested enough to be mad at the MC.
The book is fast-paced and entertaining. There are a few questions to ponder as the story moves along. It's a murderous whodunit where the MC is both sleuth and victim.
You may want to scream at Margot and tell her to stop being so idiotic, but I think that's the mark of a good story, right? You're invested enough to be mad at the MC.
September 28, 2024
WOW, This was incredible!
I not only loved the writing style, but the pacing, the characters, the setting... I loved it all!
At first, I felt a little disappointed at the reveal toward the end, but boy was I wrong! The twists and secrets being revealed during the whole of this book were SO good!
I listened to the audiobook and highly recommend it, it was so well done!
This story has two stories being told, what happened the night of the massacre and the lives of one of the survivors in the aftermath. When I tell you I loved reading both, I mean it! Sometimes I find myself preferring a timeline over the other, but both of them had me captivated.
I highly recommend this for the fall/spooky season! The vibes were immaculate!
4.5 ⭐️ (rounded up!)
I not only loved the writing style, but the pacing, the characters, the setting... I loved it all!
At first, I felt a little disappointed at the reveal toward the end, but boy was I wrong! The twists and secrets being revealed during the whole of this book were SO good!
I listened to the audiobook and highly recommend it, it was so well done!
This story has two stories being told, what happened the night of the massacre and the lives of one of the survivors in the aftermath. When I tell you I loved reading both, I mean it! Sometimes I find myself preferring a timeline over the other, but both of them had me captivated.
I highly recommend this for the fall/spooky season! The vibes were immaculate!
4.5 ⭐️ (rounded up!)
April 24, 2025
Having a hard time finding good ones lately. I didn’t love it. 😑 It really took fore.ev.errrr. to get to the twists and action and I was bored. 🥱
By the end I was like “…really?” I mean it wasn’t awful, but felt cheesy. I couldn’t get into it but really wanted to!
Next!! ⭐️⭐️…
By the end I was like “…really?” I mean it wasn’t awful, but felt cheesy. I couldn’t get into it but really wanted to!
Next!! ⭐️⭐️…
October 19, 2024
i think i have to give this one 4.5 ⭐️ it had its issues (and some really unlikeable characters) but i can’t deny that this one sucked me IN and kept my attention the entire time. i truly could NOT put it down. i haven’t been that engrossed in a book in such a long time. i am also so impressed that this is a debut novel. emma dues, i’ll be looking out for more by you!!
August 17, 2024
Return to Midnight is a fantastic debut thriller that will keep you intrigued and guessing until the end. I loved the mystery of this story, with the impending threats and so many secrets. The characters are well developed and jump off the page. I felt all the emotions of the main character, Margo, and loved going on this journey with her.
I definitely recommend this thriller!
I also listened to the audiobook version of this story. I absolutely love the narrator. She was perfect for this story. I listened at 1.75x speed (my normal audiobook listening speed is 1.75-2x speed).
Thank you NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, Brilliance Audio, and Emma Dues for entrusting me with the ARC and ALC. I greatly appreciate you allowing me to read and review.
I definitely recommend this thriller!
I also listened to the audiobook version of this story. I absolutely love the narrator. She was perfect for this story. I listened at 1.75x speed (my normal audiobook listening speed is 1.75-2x speed).
Thank you NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, Brilliance Audio, and Emma Dues for entrusting me with the ARC and ALC. I greatly appreciate you allowing me to read and review.
September 11, 2024
This book was just ok. Margot played victim but honestly she just sucked as a human being.
August 17, 2024
Finished reading: August 16th 2024
"Whoever wants the truth of my secrets is someone with intimate knowledge of the events leading up to October 23. Otherwise, they wouldn't even know that I had secrets to keep."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
REVIEW
May 13, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
Oh my god, I LOVED THIS. Honestly, I was so close to not reading this. It had been on my shelf for the longest time and was about to expire in literally a few hours; whatever possessed me to give in and start reading this at midnight (title reference, haha), I'm so glad for it. I completely devoured this in one go and could not put it down.
The thing is, I'm not usually drawn to mystery/thrillers, so when one of them is an instant hit for me, I wonder why I don't read more of the genre. Return To Midnight is literally the perfect example. I believe it's the first mystery/thriller I read this year and it's easily in my top five for 2024 so far. I don't think it's going to move too far from there in the future as well, honestly.
What was not to love in this? The premise was so good — a friend group full of secrets that would do anything for each other, coming to heads on an intense night where most of them are murdered. Years later, the only survivors come back to the same place as new secrets about that night and their friends unravel. The buildup to this was SO GOOD. It seemed simple enough in the beginning, but when more people (and more crimes ??) were added to the mix, I was hooked.
The twists weren't the most mind-blowing part of this, except that last one. I didn't see it coming until it was at the reveal and it suddenly clicked, and 30 seconds later I read it. When I tell you my jaw was DROPPED. Even though the twists weren't abundant, especially in the first half, I appreciated the context that was built in the first half, before throwing in the plot twists and reveals. There was a connection built with Margot, the protagonist, and with her other friends in the flashback chapters. I loved the alternate chapters between the present and that night (I'm such a sucker for timeline switches).
Finally, I have to mention Aaron. Truly broke my heart, but it was so realistic. There wasn't a lot about him and we don't actually see him until the final stretch of the book, but it was written so so well. The emotions the characters were feeling was described so that the reader could empathize with them, agreeable or not, and that's always such a hard thing to do. Exploring Margot's dynamic with Remi and Kyle was also so interesting, as was their secret and its subsequent reveal.
I was just really obsessed with this book as I was reading it, and it's a definite recommend for me. Easily one of my favorite books this year, and one of my favorite mystery/thrillers as well. Getting back into the genre one book at a time!
Oh my god, I LOVED THIS. Honestly, I was so close to not reading this. It had been on my shelf for the longest time and was about to expire in literally a few hours; whatever possessed me to give in and start reading this at midnight (title reference, haha), I'm so glad for it. I completely devoured this in one go and could not put it down.
The thing is, I'm not usually drawn to mystery/thrillers, so when one of them is an instant hit for me, I wonder why I don't read more of the genre. Return To Midnight is literally the perfect example. I believe it's the first mystery/thriller I read this year and it's easily in my top five for 2024 so far. I don't think it's going to move too far from there in the future as well, honestly.
What was not to love in this? The premise was so good — a friend group full of secrets that would do anything for each other, coming to heads on an intense night where most of them are murdered. Years later, the only survivors come back to the same place as new secrets about that night and their friends unravel. The buildup to this was SO GOOD. It seemed simple enough in the beginning, but when more people (and more crimes ??) were added to the mix, I was hooked.
The twists weren't the most mind-blowing part of this, except that last one. I didn't see it coming until it was at the reveal and it suddenly clicked, and 30 seconds later I read it. When I tell you my jaw was DROPPED. Even though the twists weren't abundant, especially in the first half, I appreciated the context that was built in the first half, before throwing in the plot twists and reveals. There was a connection built with Margot, the protagonist, and with her other friends in the flashback chapters. I loved the alternate chapters between the present and that night (I'm such a sucker for timeline switches).
Finally, I have to mention Aaron. Truly broke my heart, but it was so realistic. There wasn't a lot about him and we don't actually see him until the final stretch of the book, but it was written so so well. The emotions the characters were feeling was described so that the reader could empathize with them, agreeable or not, and that's always such a hard thing to do. Exploring Margot's dynamic with Remi and Kyle was also so interesting, as was their secret and its subsequent reveal.
I was just really obsessed with this book as I was reading it, and it's a definite recommend for me. Easily one of my favorite books this year, and one of my favorite mystery/thrillers as well. Getting back into the genre one book at a time!
July 21, 2024
This was one of the first books that I wrote notes throughout its entirety. There was a lot that I wanted to love about the book, but it fell flat in all the areas: plot, character, prose, etc. There was nothing remotely redeeming about this novel except 1 thing: i expected one of the killers at the end, but not the other, but i was honestly not too far off anyway. I think the plot Emma had was really good, but the execution was abysmal. This felt like a really polished first draft and there were no structure edits at all. I think there were a lot of moments that were confusing, contradictory and nonsensical.
I also think this could have been structured very differently. The characters were all unlikeable, unfortunately, so I wasn't rooting for anyone. I think, with Margot's character entirely, she was always having information told to her rather than being apart of everything that was going on. I think either Julia or Remi's POV would have been a lot better because they were so much easier to enjoy on the page because they were a bit more complex or interesting than Margot was.
There were a lot of times where calling the police would have solved literally all of the plot points... literally all of them.
Honestly, Margot was the villain of the novel in a lot of points. like, nothing could ever make me like her. I was literally never rooting for her ever in any scenario. She made everything about her as if no one else in the novel was suffering and she treated her mom like shit. And she literally just needed therapy.
Anyway, i think I could write a novel, but I'll settle with this.
P.S. - They could never make me like you, Margot ♥
I also think this could have been structured very differently. The characters were all unlikeable, unfortunately, so I wasn't rooting for anyone. I think, with Margot's character entirely, she was always having information told to her rather than being apart of everything that was going on. I think either Julia or Remi's POV would have been a lot better because they were so much easier to enjoy on the page because they were a bit more complex or interesting than Margot was.
There were a lot of times where calling the police would have solved literally all of the plot points... literally all of them.
Honestly, Margot was the villain of the novel in a lot of points. like, nothing could ever make me like her. I was literally never rooting for her ever in any scenario. She made everything about her as if no one else in the novel was suffering and she treated her mom like shit. And she literally just needed therapy.
Anyway, i think I could write a novel, but I'll settle with this.
P.S. - They could never make me like you, Margot ♥
August 21, 2024
This was an excellent debut novel, and I'm mad at myself for not reading it sooner! It ticks all the boxes for me; unsolved murder, dark academia, and Halloween vibes. You should definitely pick this up as a fall read if you love thrillers!
Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.
September 11, 2024
Also NOT good. 🙄
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