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Midnight in Memphis: A Novel
In this Southern noir, two detectives forge an unlikely alliance as they strive to bridge the racial divide and catch a killer hell bent on revenge.
Set against a historical backdrop of mid-century racial inequality and political turmoil, this thriller is perfect for fans of William Kent Krueger and Greg Iles.
1955, Memphis. Homicide detective Burdett Vance is trying to outrun his past, but working in the homicide division always ends up bringing in new waves of horror. Now an unknown killer is reaping retribution for decades of lynching by targeting the daughters of rich white families in Memphis. When Vance is assigned to the case, he’s also put in charge of a new trainee, Officer Eustace Johnson.
Eustace Johnson has been recently "promoted" and as one of the few Black men on the force this is the latest publicity stunt of the police department. Forced to work together, Vance and Johnson must catch the rampaging killer in a city roiling with racial injustice and a fight to control the crumbling local politics.
Then Emmeline Bryce, Vance’s old flame, becomes the killer’s next target. With Emme’s life on the line, Vance and Johnson must confront their deepest fears and darkest desires before the city ignites into chaos and the blissful vision of a better future disappears forever.
Set against a historical backdrop of mid-century racial inequality and political turmoil, this thriller is perfect for fans of William Kent Krueger and Greg Iles.
1955, Memphis. Homicide detective Burdett Vance is trying to outrun his past, but working in the homicide division always ends up bringing in new waves of horror. Now an unknown killer is reaping retribution for decades of lynching by targeting the daughters of rich white families in Memphis. When Vance is assigned to the case, he’s also put in charge of a new trainee, Officer Eustace Johnson.
Eustace Johnson has been recently "promoted" and as one of the few Black men on the force this is the latest publicity stunt of the police department. Forced to work together, Vance and Johnson must catch the rampaging killer in a city roiling with racial injustice and a fight to control the crumbling local politics.
Then Emmeline Bryce, Vance’s old flame, becomes the killer’s next target. With Emme’s life on the line, Vance and Johnson must confront their deepest fears and darkest desires before the city ignites into chaos and the blissful vision of a better future disappears forever.
336 pages, Hardcover
Published November 18, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
July 13, 2025
Midnight in Memphis was the perfect southern noir novel. It was well-written with excellent character development. I enjoyed all the twists and loved the ending!
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
November 18, 2025
Wow, I loved this one. If you want a debut that saunters in like a slow blues riff and then hits you with the hard truth—Midnight in Memphis is it. Thomas Dann doesn’t just write a murder mystery; he resurrects 1955 Memphis with grit and grace.
From the rickety alliance of Det. Vance and Officer Johnson to the creeping power of the Crump political machine, Dann weaves a story that bristles with history and heart. I think Memphis Magazine said it right: his character work is “finely tuned,” and the city itself becomes a character — smoky bars, political backrooms, the river, the past clawing into the present. That’s one of the elements that I think works especially well: the sense of place. Memphis isn’t just a backdrop but a character in its own right — the music thrumming on every block, Beale Street as the black and white communities may have interacted with it, the rolling Mississippi, and the old political machinery watching the city from downtown penthouses all lend heft and texture.
Dann is brilliant in fostering the atmosphere at each beat — each chapter starts with a quoted lyric from a blues or early rock song from that time period. It really feels like an inspired move, especially as I see (via Dann’s social media) that Dann’s opted to use custom guitar picks seemingly in lieu of business cards.
While the novel is set in the mid-1950s, something about it feels timeless. It doesn’t feel like a mystery just for mystery’s sake. It’s a reckoning. Maybe even a warning. Dann doesn’t just challenge his characters — he challenges us, the readers, to sit with the weight of history and the possibility of change.
I’m so glad this came out right before the holidays – I know what I’ll be gifting everyone!
From the rickety alliance of Det. Vance and Officer Johnson to the creeping power of the Crump political machine, Dann weaves a story that bristles with history and heart. I think Memphis Magazine said it right: his character work is “finely tuned,” and the city itself becomes a character — smoky bars, political backrooms, the river, the past clawing into the present. That’s one of the elements that I think works especially well: the sense of place. Memphis isn’t just a backdrop but a character in its own right — the music thrumming on every block, Beale Street as the black and white communities may have interacted with it, the rolling Mississippi, and the old political machinery watching the city from downtown penthouses all lend heft and texture.
Dann is brilliant in fostering the atmosphere at each beat — each chapter starts with a quoted lyric from a blues or early rock song from that time period. It really feels like an inspired move, especially as I see (via Dann’s social media) that Dann’s opted to use custom guitar picks seemingly in lieu of business cards.
While the novel is set in the mid-1950s, something about it feels timeless. It doesn’t feel like a mystery just for mystery’s sake. It’s a reckoning. Maybe even a warning. Dann doesn’t just challenge his characters — he challenges us, the readers, to sit with the weight of history and the possibility of change.
I’m so glad this came out right before the holidays – I know what I’ll be gifting everyone!
October 30, 2025
It's 1955 in Memphis, Tennessee, and homicide detective Burdett Vance is dealing with a case of white women being discovered floating. They have nylons tied around their necks holding a beer bottle and a note which seems to indicate they were killed in tribute to the many lynchings of Black men. The note is signed the Mound Builder.
The death of the local kingpin has resulted in a new scramble for power. Burdett's captain wants his share. To claim the Negro vote, he has advanced Eustace Johnson, one of the few Negro cops on the force, to be Burdett's partner in the investigation. He's pulled Burdett's former partner into his own squad supposedly hunting down Communists but actually looking for the kingpin's cash stache.
Eustace has his own agenda. He joined the police force after his World War II stint as a Tuskegee airman in order to track down the men who murdered his younger brother Caleb. He has been working on unsolved Negro murders in his free time since he joined the force. He did tip off Burdett about one of the two men who killed his brother resulting in the man's imprisonment. He has his eye on the second man and is hoping to maneuver Burdett into arresting him too.
As Burdett and Eustace hunt for the killer, it soon becomes apparent that Burdett's old girlfriend Emme is in the middle of things. After dumping Burdett, she took up with the kingpin and then was shunned by all her cronies when the kingpin died. Now she's back and hoping to rekindle things with Burdett.
This was an engaging historical mystery. I liked the Memphis setting. Burdett was an interesting character: a lover of the Blues, a man with a strong sense of justice, and a man with secrets and heartaches as a big part of his past. I also liked Eustace who was willing to take all the abuse by White officers in order to get justice for his brother.
Fans of historical mysteries set in the deep, dark South will enjoy this one.
The death of the local kingpin has resulted in a new scramble for power. Burdett's captain wants his share. To claim the Negro vote, he has advanced Eustace Johnson, one of the few Negro cops on the force, to be Burdett's partner in the investigation. He's pulled Burdett's former partner into his own squad supposedly hunting down Communists but actually looking for the kingpin's cash stache.
Eustace has his own agenda. He joined the police force after his World War II stint as a Tuskegee airman in order to track down the men who murdered his younger brother Caleb. He has been working on unsolved Negro murders in his free time since he joined the force. He did tip off Burdett about one of the two men who killed his brother resulting in the man's imprisonment. He has his eye on the second man and is hoping to maneuver Burdett into arresting him too.
As Burdett and Eustace hunt for the killer, it soon becomes apparent that Burdett's old girlfriend Emme is in the middle of things. After dumping Burdett, she took up with the kingpin and then was shunned by all her cronies when the kingpin died. Now she's back and hoping to rekindle things with Burdett.
This was an engaging historical mystery. I liked the Memphis setting. Burdett was an interesting character: a lover of the Blues, a man with a strong sense of justice, and a man with secrets and heartaches as a big part of his past. I also liked Eustace who was willing to take all the abuse by White officers in order to get justice for his brother.
Fans of historical mysteries set in the deep, dark South will enjoy this one.
December 30, 2025
There’s some nice descriptive writing in places here, but the mystery is only a mystery to the main character…I think most readers will figure it out well before he does. There are also some unfortunate and overused crime novel/police procedural tropes here, especially in the characters and the action of the story. I’ll give the author another chance…as a debut novel, it does show some promise.
November 29, 2025
I especially loved the authentic Memphis historical context.
September 5, 2025
Picking up this book instantly transported me to the hazy, slow paced yet all the while charged environment of midcentury Memphis. If you love a southern noir or a twisty mystery, this is a MUST READ!
Each character felt so well explored, I could read spin offs for any one of them (*nudge nudge* to the author… please give us more of this world!)
A triumph of a debut novel and a perfectly paced mystery. I can’t wait to recommend this to my book club when it’s officially released!
Each character felt so well explored, I could read spin offs for any one of them (*nudge nudge* to the author… please give us more of this world!)
A triumph of a debut novel and a perfectly paced mystery. I can’t wait to recommend this to my book club when it’s officially released!
November 18, 2025
If you’re here for razor-sharp prose, atmospheric perfection, and a mystery that unfurls with the confidence of a writer who already knows exactly what he’s doing—Midnight in Memphis delivers in spades.
Thomas Dann writes like someone who has been storing sentences in a vault for years, polishing them until they gleam. The language is rich without ever being fussy, lyrical without losing its bite. Every paragraph feels tuned— tense, humid, and humming with intent. It’s the kind of prose that makes you pause mid-chapter just to enjoy the craftsmanship before diving back into the murk of the mystery.
From the opening pages, the setting of 1950s Memphis crackles with change: the fading dominance of the Crump political machine, the still-smoldering racial fault lines of the era, and a detective partnership whose dynamic echoes that friction. The skillful blend of smoky Southern-Gothic atmosphere and rooted historical tension make the protagonists, Detective Burdett Vance and Officer Eustace Johnson, feel that much more vivid and real. Each carrying their own burdens; each navigating a world built on unseen contracts of power and prejudice.
I can understand why Dann’s fellow writers, from Scott Turow to Thomas Perry, have all praised Dann’s debut as “the real deal.” This book reads like the arrival of a writer who understands both the art and the mechanics of storytelling.
In short: if you love mysteries that are as beautifully written as they are cleverly constructed, Midnight in Memphis is the debut you’ve been waiting for. A knockout debut— and easily one of the most satisfying reads I’ve picked up in a long time.
Thomas Dann writes like someone who has been storing sentences in a vault for years, polishing them until they gleam. The language is rich without ever being fussy, lyrical without losing its bite. Every paragraph feels tuned— tense, humid, and humming with intent. It’s the kind of prose that makes you pause mid-chapter just to enjoy the craftsmanship before diving back into the murk of the mystery.
From the opening pages, the setting of 1950s Memphis crackles with change: the fading dominance of the Crump political machine, the still-smoldering racial fault lines of the era, and a detective partnership whose dynamic echoes that friction. The skillful blend of smoky Southern-Gothic atmosphere and rooted historical tension make the protagonists, Detective Burdett Vance and Officer Eustace Johnson, feel that much more vivid and real. Each carrying their own burdens; each navigating a world built on unseen contracts of power and prejudice.
I can understand why Dann’s fellow writers, from Scott Turow to Thomas Perry, have all praised Dann’s debut as “the real deal.” This book reads like the arrival of a writer who understands both the art and the mechanics of storytelling.
In short: if you love mysteries that are as beautifully written as they are cleverly constructed, Midnight in Memphis is the debut you’ve been waiting for. A knockout debut— and easily one of the most satisfying reads I’ve picked up in a long time.
September 24, 2025
Thomas Dann’s debut, Midnight in Memphis, plunges you into the humid, charged air of 1955 Memphis, where two homicide detectives, each scarred by their own past, are forced into a reluctant partnership. Their target: a killer preying on daughters from white families, leaving a trail that slices through the city’s racial fault lines. As the detectives chase leads through smoky bars and tense neighbourhoods, the story tightens like a noose, never giving away too much but constantly daring you to guess what’s coming next.
At its core, the novel is about more than catching a murderer. Dann’s detectives are flesh-and-blood reminders of a city and a country, split by history and resentment. Their uneasy alliance mirrors Memphis itself: raw, divided, but still moving forward. Themes of justice, vengeance, and the long shadow of racial violence saturate every page, giving the mystery real weight.
Dann’s writing is razor-sharp, conjuring mid-century Memphis in all its grit and gloom. He strikes a careful balance between suspense and substance, weaving in social commentary without letting the tension slip. The city feels alive, the characters bruised but believable, and the plot, full of twists and slow-burning reveals, keeps you turning pages late into the night.
Some might find the opening a slow burn, but the payoff more than delivers. As secrets unravel and the detectives’ partnership deepens, the book ties its mysteries and its message together in a finish that lingers. Midnight in Memphis isn’t just a solid whodunit; it’s a powerful look at the scars that refuse to fade. For anyone drawn to Southern noir or stories that grapple with America’s history, this one’s a must-read, and Thomas Dann is a name you’ll want to remember.
At its core, the novel is about more than catching a murderer. Dann’s detectives are flesh-and-blood reminders of a city and a country, split by history and resentment. Their uneasy alliance mirrors Memphis itself: raw, divided, but still moving forward. Themes of justice, vengeance, and the long shadow of racial violence saturate every page, giving the mystery real weight.
Dann’s writing is razor-sharp, conjuring mid-century Memphis in all its grit and gloom. He strikes a careful balance between suspense and substance, weaving in social commentary without letting the tension slip. The city feels alive, the characters bruised but believable, and the plot, full of twists and slow-burning reveals, keeps you turning pages late into the night.
Some might find the opening a slow burn, but the payoff more than delivers. As secrets unravel and the detectives’ partnership deepens, the book ties its mysteries and its message together in a finish that lingers. Midnight in Memphis isn’t just a solid whodunit; it’s a powerful look at the scars that refuse to fade. For anyone drawn to Southern noir or stories that grapple with America’s history, this one’s a must-read, and Thomas Dann is a name you’ll want to remember.
September 29, 2025
Midnight in Memphis is one of those rare novels that doesn’t allow you to rest — from the opening pages, the tension is taut, the pacing relentless, and the stakes high. Thomas Dann masterfully plants just enough intrigue in each chapter to make you whisper, “just one more,” until suddenly, the book is over and you’re left wondering how it went by so quickly.
Favorite quote (paraphrased): “Sometimes the darkest nights teach us who we truly are — if we let them.”
The strength of the book lies in its ability to combine momentum with character. The protagonists feel real, with flaws and fears that tug at the reader’s empathy, and even when the plot presses forward, you care about who is in danger — not just what is happening to them. The setting (Memphis) is evocative, atmospheric, and woven into the story in a way that it becomes a subtle character itself.
There were a few moments where I wished for more breathing room — brief pauses to soak in emotion or setting — but those are small quibbles in a novel designed to keep you turning pages. I also appreciated how Dann managed to sprinkle in surprises without betraying plausibility.
If you like fast-paced thrillers with heart, tension at every turn, and a setting that breathes life into the narrative, Midnight in Memphis is well worth your time. I’ll be looking forward to what Thomas Dann does next.
I received an advance copy and am leaving this review voluntarily.
Favorite quote (paraphrased): “Sometimes the darkest nights teach us who we truly are — if we let them.”
The strength of the book lies in its ability to combine momentum with character. The protagonists feel real, with flaws and fears that tug at the reader’s empathy, and even when the plot presses forward, you care about who is in danger — not just what is happening to them. The setting (Memphis) is evocative, atmospheric, and woven into the story in a way that it becomes a subtle character itself.
There were a few moments where I wished for more breathing room — brief pauses to soak in emotion or setting — but those are small quibbles in a novel designed to keep you turning pages. I also appreciated how Dann managed to sprinkle in surprises without betraying plausibility.
If you like fast-paced thrillers with heart, tension at every turn, and a setting that breathes life into the narrative, Midnight in Memphis is well worth your time. I’ll be looking forward to what Thomas Dann does next.
I received an advance copy and am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 18, 2025
Many thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an eARC of Midnight in Memphis in exchange for my honest review!
While this doesn't grab me as much as it could have sometimes, it still does a solid job at building up a gritty atmosphere that coats my senses in all of its palpable grimness. It's such a visceral landscape that's infected with overt and covert racism, and this book sets all of that within a world that existed decades ago—a world that we may not live in today on a technical level, but it's also a world that has passed down such bigotry to our modern era, making it necessary to examine that past and understand what's led to the society we have today. This examination arrives via a moody murder mystery where the characters are engaging enough to get me treading through the wounds and traumas of Memphis. That being said, as someone who's plunged into a ton of these thrillers of the crime and neo-noir varieties, I'm quite familiar with the tropes they'll deploy, and because of that, this novel left me feeling like I've gone down this general path numerous times before. The pacing does slow down at certain points, too, though that's more of a smaller gripe for me.
Overall, I'm officially rating Midnight in Memphis 3.25 out of 5 stars, and I'll keep an eye out for more of Thomas Dann's writing.
While this doesn't grab me as much as it could have sometimes, it still does a solid job at building up a gritty atmosphere that coats my senses in all of its palpable grimness. It's such a visceral landscape that's infected with overt and covert racism, and this book sets all of that within a world that existed decades ago—a world that we may not live in today on a technical level, but it's also a world that has passed down such bigotry to our modern era, making it necessary to examine that past and understand what's led to the society we have today. This examination arrives via a moody murder mystery where the characters are engaging enough to get me treading through the wounds and traumas of Memphis. That being said, as someone who's plunged into a ton of these thrillers of the crime and neo-noir varieties, I'm quite familiar with the tropes they'll deploy, and because of that, this novel left me feeling like I've gone down this general path numerous times before. The pacing does slow down at certain points, too, though that's more of a smaller gripe for me.
Overall, I'm officially rating Midnight in Memphis 3.25 out of 5 stars, and I'll keep an eye out for more of Thomas Dann's writing.
November 19, 2025
Y’all, this Southern noir had me sweating like a glass of sweet tea in August. 🌡️📖 Thomas Dann drops us into 1955 Memphis—thick heat, thicker tension—where Detective Burdett Vance and newly “promoted” Officer Eustace Johnson are shoved together to hunt a killer targeting wealthy white families. And whew… their partnership crackles like frying bacon. 🔥
The writing is sharp, atmospheric, and sensory-rich—you can hear the cicadas buzzing and feel the moral grime settling under your nails. The plot hits hard: political games, racial injustice, revenge killings, and then Vance’s old flame Emmeline lands on the killer’s list, raising the stakes real fast. 😬💀
It’s gritty, smart, emotionally loaded, and fast-paced—though a couple spots at the end felt a bit rushed. Still? The character chemistry and noir vibes absolutely deliver.
Dark, stylish, and full of bite.
Solid 4 stars 🌙✨
Thanks to Crooked Lane Books for providing this review copy via #NetGalley #MidnightInMemphis
The writing is sharp, atmospheric, and sensory-rich—you can hear the cicadas buzzing and feel the moral grime settling under your nails. The plot hits hard: political games, racial injustice, revenge killings, and then Vance’s old flame Emmeline lands on the killer’s list, raising the stakes real fast. 😬💀
It’s gritty, smart, emotionally loaded, and fast-paced—though a couple spots at the end felt a bit rushed. Still? The character chemistry and noir vibes absolutely deliver.
Dark, stylish, and full of bite.
Solid 4 stars 🌙✨
Thanks to Crooked Lane Books for providing this review copy via #NetGalley #MidnightInMemphis
November 20, 2025
This story is set in 1950’s Memphis, TN where the racial divide is on everyone’s mind. The Police Chief is corrupt, half the force is as well, but recently promoted black street officer, Eustace Johnson is being paired with Homicide Detective Burdett Vance, all to make the Chief look good. They are put on a case to find a killer of upper class white women being killed by someone that is enraged regarding the lynchings of 30+ black men in the past. They must learn to work together, to trust each other and deal with their pasts before the killer slips away. This was a great book that seemed to really embody the time period and the corruption and political unrest of the time.
December 31, 2025
If you love the blues and the city of Memphis, you will like this debut novel which takes place in the mid-1950s. Rich with description of the city and its divided citizenry, the story involves Detective Burnett Vance who is tasked with finding the murderer of a Jane Doe who has washed up in the Mississippi River. Along the way Vance partners with a black officer, Eustace Johnson, who turns out to be a great help. Although the ending is telegraphed far in advance, the book still resonated with me because I knew little about Memphis or the era. Each chapter heading contains a few lines of a blues song.
November 24, 2025
A well written police drama set in the south.
I felt like the author did a great job of providing the perfect enough of character development while also being heavy on plot.
It was definietly heavy on the "historical fiction" elements perfectly twisted together with enough mystery and intrigue to keep me captivated and guessing.
Highly recommend to anyone who is into historic fiction but wants to dip their toes into crime / police drama.
I felt like the author did a great job of providing the perfect enough of character development while also being heavy on plot.
It was definietly heavy on the "historical fiction" elements perfectly twisted together with enough mystery and intrigue to keep me captivated and guessing.
Highly recommend to anyone who is into historic fiction but wants to dip their toes into crime / police drama.
December 12, 2025
I read this book not knowing that it just came out a few weeks ago. However, it is one of the best fiction books I have read in the past few years. If you are a fan of James Patterson and John Grisham novels, then you will absolutely love this book. The suspense was gripping. This book provided an interesting and insightful historical context regarding the history of Memphis and the Delta and how that influenced law-enforcement at the time in Memphis. Highly recommend!!
January 2, 2026
I thoroughly enjoyed this bit of Memphis noir. Well developed characters and a well paced plot kept me turning the pages. Set in 1955, not only is it a murder mystery but the character of the city itself is a central theme in the book. The overt racism, unbridled police corruption, and the unethical political environment was not only the backdrop for the story but perfectly captured the Memphis environment. Highly recommended
October 2, 2025
The unlikely partnership between Vance and Johnson is beautifully layered complex, flawed, and deeply human. Every scene is drenched in atmosphere, pulling you straight into smoky bars, tense precinct rooms, and streets simmering with unrest. The writing itself feels cinematic, sharp yet lyrical, with dialogue that crackles with authenticity.
January 5, 2026
There were holes in the plot which was seemed contrived and parts (as all the preachers) added nothing to the book. The ending was rushed and unrealistic. That said, I enjoyed the relationship between the 2 main cops. This is a debut novel so I am willing to try a second novel by the same author.
January 7, 2026
This novel is a powerful and gripping Southern noir that blends crime, history, and moral complexity with remarkable skill. Set in 1955 Memphis, the story does far more than follow a hunt for a killer.it immerses the reader in a city fractured by racial injustice, political tension, and long-suppressed violence.
January 3, 2026
3.5 one of the few novels written about my hometown that didn't drive me crazy with creative license. This is set up to begin a series. I wouldn't have read it if I didn't know the author's sister but I enjoyed it
November 18, 2025
Slow and dull.
December 10, 2025
The setting is quite the mood and the characters are well-drawn, but the reveal is not that surprising at all.
December 25, 2025
Fun holiday reading — and an extra star from a child of Memphis.
December 27, 2025
4.3... an enjoyable historical mystery and exploration of mid 20th century Memphis.
January 10, 2026
"Through the alchemy of shared survival they had forged a new kinship that transcended everything, a brotherhood that was beyond words to describe."
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews