Houston Night: The 12th Jack Nightingale Supernatural Thriller

by Stephen Leather

Supernatural detective Jack Nightingale used to be a police negotiator in a previous life - back in the days before he confronted devils and demons for a living.



So when a young woman embarks on a killing spree in a Houston mansion, Nightingale is the perfect choice to intervene.



But there is nothing that Nightingale can do to stop the slaughter. And there is worse to come. More killings. More bloodshed. More young women with murderous intentions.



The killings aren’t random - a demon from Hell is orchestrating the massacres as part of a diabolical scheme. And the only way that Nightingale can stop the carnage is to put his own soul on the line.







PRAISE FOR THE JACK NIGHTINGALE SERIES



'Written with panache, and a fine ear for dialogue, Leather manages the collision between the real and the occult with exceptional skill' Daily Mail.



'Another great thriller from Stephen Leather but this time with a devilish twist!' James Herbert.



‘A stunning masterclass in darkness from a ferocious talent who excels in putting the devil in the details’ Daily Record.



'A wicked read’ Anthony Horowitz

Genres: Paranormal

305 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 31, 2025

About the author

Stephen Leather was a journalist for more than ten years on newspapers such as The Times, the Daily Mail and the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong. His bestsellers have been translated into more than ten languages. He has also written for television shows such as London's Burning, The Knock and the BBC's Murder in Mind series. For much of 2011 his self-published eBooks - including The Bestseller, The Basement, Once Bitten and Dreamer's Cat - dominated the UK eBook bestseller lists and sold more than half a million copies. The Basement topped the Kindle charts in the UK and the US, and in total he has sold more than two million eBooks. His bestselling book The Chinaman was filmed as The Foreigner, starring Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan and grossing more than $100 million.

Reviews

[Dale Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The previous Jack Nightingale books were getting a bit "samey", and even though this one begins like that, it morphs into something a bit different. It's almost as if Stephen reads the reviews and takes heed of what readers say. There's a bit more of Wainwright, a bit more of Proserpine, but the same old banter between them. I really enjoyed this one, felt it was back up to scratch. The only downside is there's a side character that I thought would have made an excellent addition to the series, unfortunately it wasn't to be.

[Nick Brett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gift for fans of the author’s darker side. Jack Nightingale is back.

A long awaited instalment in a consistently great series. Jack is called in by his somewhat mysterious benefactor Josh Wainwright to look into some mass killings by teenagers that seem impossible and implausible. These are actually the start of something that might change the world forever and even Wainwright is under threat. Jack will need help from both friends and a familiar foe if he can stop this one.

Clever stuff as always. I like the dynamics between Jack and Wainwright as you are never quite sure what Wainwright stands for, he is an occultist but yet not evil and prepared to send Jack into situations to fight the bad stuff. It’s an interesting dynamic as is the interest of Jack’s nemesis Proserpine and her multi layered agendas.

It’s a great gore laden read and will rightly delight fans of the series.

[Jamesm1975 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A solid return to form for Nightingale—fast-paced, gritty, and full of demonic surprises.

I really enjoyed this one, but then again, I always enjoy Jack Nightingale’s no-nonsense, practical approach to demon hunting. Houston Night continues Stephen Leather’s winning formula of blending gritty detective work with dark supernatural elements. What makes it stand out is Leather’s knack for weaving contemporary issues into Nightingale’s chaotic world—it adds depth without slowing the action. If you’re after a thrilling blend of noir detective fiction and occult horror, you could do a lot worse.

[Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, a phenomenal rea, by Stephen leather.
The lore and world-building are peak authorship, and once again Jack Nightingale proves why this series stands out.
These stories don’t offer fairy-tale endings — the grit and darkness add a layer of realism that makes a book about devils feel unsettlingly believable. Leather’s willingness to lean into that brutality is exactly what makes the Nightingale stories so compelling.

[Myke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Our man Jack thrown into another mystery involving demons, but with Wainwright in the middle of it all.
A decent story, but all seemed a bit rushed. No real depth, that’s been present in all the other books

[Ian Pickford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light, easy going fodder.

[Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. The last few just haven't hit the mark for me, but this one was good. I enjoyed the story and extra characters. Really hope this is a sign of better books to come.

[Sara Twigg · Rating 4 out of 5]

my favourite occult detective.

[Kevin Atkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I used to enjoy this series but it is getting a bit far fetched now.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok read, but not as good as the novels from the first half of the series. It seems a tad stale. The series is great, but needs a refresh, not simply another monster of the week.

[Dan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I used to love the Nightingale series but am getting bored as for me I feel it’s run its course.
Lacking all the Jack one-liners and humour and I just didn’t get into it.

[Frank Emerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

All of the Jack Nightingale books are good, this was very good.

[Garry Widdop · Rating 5 out of 5]

i enjoyed Jack's recent outing in the US, however this was the weakest of the stories set in America. I miss Jenny as a character and the first 6 Jack Nightingale books were definitely the most enjoyable. Please Stephen Leather find a way for Jack to return to the UK and team up with Jenny again.

[vanessa sheldon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

I love Jack nightingale , I know it's all fiction but it feels like your there as an onlooker, absolutely brilliant