The Midnight Boy: A Percy St. John Novel

by E.A. Allen

In the shadows of London’s underbelly, a boy’s relentless fight for survival sparks the rise of a legend...

Orphaned by the murder of his father, rejected by his grandfather, and consigned to the harsh life of an orphanage, Percy St. John’s existence is marked by hardship. Under the cruel oversight of Reverend Mortimer Lovecraft, Percy endures a world filled with pain. When fate finally allows him to escape, Percy faces new challenges on the streets of London, where survival means scrounging for scraps and facing dangers at every corner.

Hope appears when he finds shelter in the locksmith shop of Tobias Finermann and his kind granddaughter, Hannah. Under their care, Percy begins to rebuild his life. With the help of a mysterious Guardian Angel, he discovers a newfound fascination for locks and safes, unlocking skills that will change his future.

But secrets linger in the shadows. As Percy settles into his new life, he and Hannah suspect that old Mr. Finermann is hiding something. Strange visitors and late-night outings hint at dark dealings that could place them all in danger. As Percy navigates these mysteries, he discovers that he might have a greater purpose than he ever imagined—a journey that will lead him to become The Midnight Boy.

200 pages, Paperback

Expected publication February 3, 2026

About the author

Dr. Edward A. Allen is a retired CIA Intelligence Officer. During Bush and Clinton Administrations, he served as the CIA’s Senior Analyst for European Security Affairs, and as Deputy National Intelligence Officer for Europe. He has lectured widely on International Relations and has published more than a score of historical articles in scholarly journals—notably The Journal of British Studies and French Historical Studies. He now lives in his native Northwest Arkansas, where he raises cattle, promotes Historic Preservation, continues to lecture on International Relations, and teaches Modern European History and World Civilizations.

Reviews

[natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Midnight Boy follows the story of Percy St. John, who was orphaned at a young age and landed at an orphanage run by people who couldn't care less about the children’s well-being. After a daring escape that uncovers the truth about the Reverend in charge, Percy is taken under the wing of locksmith Tobias Finermann, and his journey continues from there.

I truly loved how determined Percy was and just how big his heart is. For a boy who has been through the wringer at such a young age, seeing his compassion for his friend Arthur and the rest of the orphaned children said so much about the type of person he is, and continued to be throughout the story as we see him care for Mr. Finermann and Hannah. I would’ve loved to have seen more of Mr. Finermann and Hannah; they felt less fleshed out than our protagonist, but Percy and Hannah’s dynamic was one of my favorite parts of this book.

As I finished reading, it felt like this was meant to be a prequel of sorts, although only one line of the description alludes to this. There were a lot of moving parts in this story: Percy’s time at the orphanage, his hiring of Sir Alfred to try and hold Reverend Lovecraft accountable, on top of becoming The Midnight Boy. Sometimes it felt like a lot was going on despite the book's length, but I found myself wanting to see more of Percy as The Midnight Boy, rather than his journey towards becoming it. I know there is a previous Percy St. John book already published by Allen, but should there be another where we’ll get to see more of Percy fulfilling this new purpose, I will be happy to continue seeing where his journeys take him!

Thank you to NetGalley and Histria Books for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Charlie_Bharlie · Rating 2 out of 5]

*thank you to Netgalley for giving me access*
2 stars
I had expectations for this book that were, unfortunately, not met, especially when I saw that this author has published quite a few books. The pacing did not make sense; it almost felt like there were two different plotlines, between the first and second half of this book, where the first half only served as backdrop for the second half.
Main character Percy was mean, specifically in his thoughts about women. One of the first people he meets is described as a "fat woman" with three chins "one more than anyone should have" while heavyset men are not subjected to the same treatment. Hannah also, a literal child, is described multiple times as "crazy" and other mean adjectives. Percy also uses harmful stereotypes to describe mr. Finermann, something that he does, kind of, apologises for later, but that is still not okay in my opinion.
When Percy escapes the orphanage, he steals around 1,000 pounds from Lovecraft, from which he uses 800 to pay the lawyer, which, if my math is correct, leaves him with 200 pounds. He must have spend some to survive but it is weird to me that he resorts to stealing in order to eat right away as those 200 pounds should be able to feed him for days at least. I can't remember when exactly the story took place, but this should be more than enough money. This is just one of the examples that did not make sense to me plotwise, as it only serves as a reason for Percy to meet mr. Finermann and Hannah.
The novel also seemed unable to make up its mind whether or not paranormal activity was real or not as it did serve a purpose but it was not well developed.
This is a personal pet peeve of mine, but it urks me a little to see American English used in a novel that is set in London, specifically when it came to the first vs second floor thing, but that is just my personal opinion.
There were also some grammatical errors and issues with punctuation which took me out of the story but hopefully these will be fixed before publication.
I think it's safe to say, I will not continue this series.

[nur]

This book was quite an interesting read, and I really enjoyed the author’s writing style. What I liked most about the story was the determination of the main character, Percy, and the loyalty he showed to his friend he met at the orphanage. I also enjoyed seeing his friendship with Hannah grow throughout the story, it felt meaningful for both of them to understand each other better and help each other out. Although there were a few parts that left me with unanswered questions at the end, which I wish had been explained, the story overall opened new perspectives for me. It gave me a lot to think about, especially regarding stereotypes and prejudice.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am voluntarily providing this review.

[Alyssa Jenkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like this book had a lot of potential but it didn’t quite live up to it.
There was a very predictable plot line and I feel like the story could have been better developed in places.
I still enjoyed the book but would not read it again.

The characters I felt didn’t get as much development as they deserved and I would’ve loved to see more of the Hannah and Percy banter.

I appreciate the chance to read this book. Thank you to NetGalley and EA Allen.