In a Midnight Wood

Jane Lawless #27

by Ellen Hart

Beloved heroine Jane Lawless finds that some secrets don't stay buried forever in Mystery Writers of America Grandmaster Hart's 27th mystery in this cultishly popular series.

Minnesota private investigator Jane Lawless is headed to the small town of Castle Rock for a little getaway. She and Cordelia plan to visit an old friend, participate in an arts festival, and look into a cold case that has recently come on Jane’s radar—thanks to a podcast Jane is now involved in which looks into Minnesota cold cases.

In Castle Rock, a high school senior named Sam went missing in 1999. Everyone thought he ran away, though the town rumor mill has always claimed the father killed him. In present day, within a week of his 20th high school reunion, Sam’s remains are found. People who knew Sam, and those around him, will be in town for the much anticipated reunion. It’s up to Jane to sort friend from foe, before it's too late.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, LGBT, Audiobook, Book Club, Cozy

309 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 8, 2020

About the author

Ellen Hart is the author of twenty-eight crime novels in two different series. She is a five-time winner of the Lambda Literary Award for Best Lesbian Mystery, a three-time winner of the Minnesota Book Award for Best Popular Fiction, a three-time winner of the Golden Crown Literary Award in several categories, a recipient of the Alice B Medal, and was made an official GLBT Literary Saint at the Saints & Sinners Literary Festival in New Orleans in 2005. In 2010, Ellen received the GCLS Trailblazer Award for lifetime achievement in the field of lesbian literature. For the past fourteen years, Ellen has taught "An Introduction to Writing the Modern Mystery" through the The Loft Literary Center, the largest independent writing community in the nation. Ellen's latest Sophie Greenway mystery is No Reservations Required (Ballantine). Rest for the Wicked, the twentieth Jane Lawless mystery, will be released by St. Martin's/Minotaur in October 2012. Bella Books has recently revived the out-of-print books by publishing them in both trade paperback and E-book. Ellen lives in the Minneapolis area with her partner of over 35 years.

Reviews

[megs_bookrack · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a Midnight Wood is the 27th-installment of Ellen Hart's well-loved, Jane Lawless Mystery series.

I discovered this series on a whim back in 2018, when I requested an ARC copy of A Whisper of Bones. The cover was so gorgeous that I failed to notice it was the 25th-book in a series.



I decided to give it a go anyway, and I'm so glad that I did!

Like many other long-standing Adult Mystery series, these don't necessarily need to be read in order. In fact, they even make great standalone novels.



However, once you meet Jane and her best friend, Cordelia, you'll definitely be back for more!

In this installment, the two women head to the quaint town of Castle Rock, in their home state of Minnesota, to visit a friend and participate in a local Arts Festival.



The Festival happens to coincide with Homecoming Weekend. The friend they are staying with, Emma, is busy planning her 20th-class reunion for the occasion.

In a completely unrelated turn of events, the body of Emma's high school sweetheart, Sam, is discovered. When Sam went missing 20-years ago, it was assumed he ran away, clearly not the case.



Jane, a private investigator, who also happens to be involved in a Podcast that covers Minnesota cold cases is very intrigued with Castle Rock's discovery.

So begins the investigation of what happened to Sam all those years ago.



I had a ton of fun reading this. I absolutely love Jane and Cordelia. Their friendship and banter, it cracks me up all the time.

At first, I had a little difficulty differentiating between some of the characters we meet in Castle Rock, but once the ball got rolling, that was no longer an issue.



I am really looking forward to picking up more books in this series. I missed the 2019 release, Twisted at the Root, so I will probably start there.

I would highly recommend this if you are looking for an Adult Mystery series with LGBTQIA+ representation. I feel like finding that rep in this space can be a challenge. Jane, the protagonist in this series, is a lesbian and there have been queer side characters in both of the installments I have read.



Thank you so much to the publisher, St. Martin's Press, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review.

I am definitely looking forward to solving more mysteries with Jane Lawless!!!

[Linden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jane Lawless, true crime podcaster, private investigator, and restaurateur, is in the small town of Castle Lake, where there is a 20th high school reunion scheduled. Attendees are shocked because remains have been discovered--and it their former classmate Sam, a popular student who had disappeared right before their senior year. Jane wants to get to the bottom of this death, and finds that almost everyone in this small town has a secret. I have not read anything by this author before, but enjoyed this mystery, and hope to read more of her work. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know Ellen Hart is a well-known author but sad to say, this is the first of her books I've read. This book is a perfectly delightful gay, cozy mystery. Jane is a private investigator/ restaurateur/ true-crime podcast researcher and her best friend, Cordelia, both went to Castle Lake, a small town, for an art festival. They're also there to visit their friend, Emma. While there, a body of a long-missing teen, Sam, was found. Sam was Emma's boyfriend in high school. So, Jane is drawn to solving the crime as research for the podcast. The town is filled with interesting characters who seem to have secrets of their own. The book also has flashbacks to 1999 to show us what was happening before the disappearance happened. The story is engaging as we learn more about what truly happened in this small scenic town.

**Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for giving copy of book in exchange for honest review!**

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ellen Hart knocks another one out of the park. I continue with my mantra: if you love traditional detective fiction, few writers are doing it better than Ellen Hart at the moment. The air is sucked out of the room by some of the writers of traditional fiction set in England (Ann Cleeves, Deborah Crombie) or Canada (Louise Penny), but make no mistake, Ellen Hart is treading the same ground. She’s just doing it in Minnesota instead of London or Montreal. As much as I love Cleeves, Crombie and Penny, I love Hart every bit as much, and with 27 books in her Jane Lawless series (and counting) there’s plenty to embrace.

Jane Lawless, for the uninitiated, is a gay restaurant owner in Minneapolis, lives alone with her dogs, and has had various relationships through the series, none of them ending particularly well. She has a comic foil, the flamboyant Cordelia Thorn, who balances Jane’s sensible practicality with theatrical flair and drama. In this book, Jane and Cordelia have traveled to the small Minnesota town of Castle Lake, where they are taking part in a fundraising auction.

They are staying with their friend Emma Granholm who is planning her class reunion, a situation ripe with possibility as far as dragging skeletons out of any long ago closets are concerned. When the body of a missing local man is discovered under a grave that’s being disinterred, all the skeletons begin to come home to roost.

Like every good writer of traditional mystery fiction, Hart provides the reader with a large and distinct cast. While of course they provide the suspects for the crime, they are also all fully realized humans who make the atmosphere in any Hart novel a rich and dense one, this one being no exception. Because Jane is out of town and out of her element (she does have a P.I. license) she’s functioning in this novel in her new iteration, that of a true crime podcaster. It’s a perfect in, allowing her to believably interview suspects and eventually get to the heart of the matter.

Unlike the other authors I’ve mentioned, Hart’s main character is an amateur, not a
policewoman/man. That may be what has slightly marginalized these books as not worthy of serious attention, but Hart has given Jane a P.I. license and the introduction of the podcasting element is a smart one. Not much is trendier at the moment than true crime podcasts. And the writing couldn’t be more brilliant.

Hart’s plots are complex, her characters are interesting and complicated, and Jane is incredibly relatable and appealing. I guess there are two schools of thought as far as Cordelia goes, but I think she’s hilarious, and Jane’s deadpan response to some of her behaviors just makes them all the funnier. This was an excellent story on top of everything else. While I wasn’t totally surprised by the perpetrator, part of the reason for that is Hart’s careful set up of events, and part of it is the fact that Hart also writes suspense novels. Sometimes how a crime was committed is as important as whodunnit, which is a suspense/psychological element.

Pick this one up or pick up the first novel in the series (Hallowed Murder, 1989), and read your whole delicious way through. Hart grows as a writer as the series progresses, so it’s a wonderful journey all around.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great entry in the Jane Lawless series. Jane and Cordelia are visiting the small town of Castle Lake, MN for an arts festival, which coincides with a 20 year high school reunion for residents of the town. When remains of a member of that class, missing since high school, are unearthed, Jane decides to investigate for a podcast she's involved with. This one is a bit less a whodunit than about the how and why, since it becomes clear early on who was involved in the crime in some way. I enjoyed the way everything came together and how the backstory was fleshed out via flashbacks to 1999. We also get the hint of a potential new romance for Jane, so I'm excited to see where they goes in the next book!

*I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Janice · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had gone to the library looking for something different from the thrillers I’ve been reading lately. Picked this up from the stack area, it said on the cover it was a “Jane Lawless mystery,” and was written by an MWA Grand Master, so I was intrigued. Great character driven story, I was never bored, the end was lackluster compared to the rest of the story but a decent mystery overall. I wasn’t aware this series is considered “gay cult mysteries” at first, having said that, this was a good story and some people in it were gay and others not. I enjoyed it.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Private investigator Jane Lawless and her actress friend, the outrageous Cordelia Thorn visit their friend Emma, who is back in Minnesota to attend her 25th high school reunion. There's a cloud over the reunion, though, when a grave is excavated and the bones of Emma's high school boyfriend Sam are found. When Sam disappeared from his senior year, some thought he'd run away seeking adventure, but some thought that his rigid father had killed him for some perceived infraction. Through flashbacks, the reader learns some of the secrets of Sam's life, including how he saved a classmate from being raped. Jane can't help but get involved in the speculation over Sam's death, even though she realizes she may be finding a new romantic interest in the attractive woman mayor of the town.

[Dawn Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jane lawless, podcaster investigator is delving into a case of a missing high schooler from 1999. This was a young man from her high school so this means a lot to her. Since, this cold case had never been solved and the rumors were various she wanted answers. This is a very thought out and powerfully written mystery. I normally can figure out a mystery in the first three chapters but this time that didn’t happen. I love the flashbacks to 1999. I truly enjoyed the essence of the town characters and all their secrets. Ellen Hart definitely has another best seller.

[Holly Stone · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is the first book by Ellen Hart I've ever read or even heard of Jane Lawless is a gutsy heroine In town staying at a friend's house Jane and her friend Cordelia become involved in an old murder case which Jane might use for her cold case pod cast....In the course of her investigations Jane learns small towns have a lot of dark and sometimes ugly secrets....Jane also finds herself in a new romance with the Mayor This book might not be for everyone's taste but I found it very well done the story believable and I am looking forward to reading more in the Jane Lawless series. F/F situations

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

it took me way too long to read this one
it just didn’t grab me at first
I kept going because main character Jane is quite charming and fun
I have not read any of the previous Jane Lawless books but apparently there are quite a lot
the writing is good and the mystery was interesting but for me the pacing was off, starting out slow and then rushing towards the end
to be fair I don’t read a ton of mysteries so maybe that’s how they sometimes go?
I liked Jane and her BFF Cordelia and most of the side characters but i think they introduced too many at once and I was about halfway through before they all started to click in my head

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jane and her friend Cordelia are visiting another friend Emma in her hometown,planning on taking part in the art festival. The school reunion is going on and Emma tells them that her boyfriend in high school had disappeared . Jane decides to look into it after finding his boy in under another person’s grave.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

A readable, well-written, but fairly typical mystery in most regards ... A number of the characters were fleshed out to human proportions, although there were so many that I did not feel very attached to any one of them; one character was flamboyant to a degree that distracted from the story, in my opinion. All in all, the book held my interest but didn't wow me. The most noteworthy aspect of the book is that it is an entry in the "cultishly popular gay mystery genre" (Entertainment Weekly). I'd say it's a pretty tame example of the genre (although this is my first exposure to it) and would not offend most people.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars have read all of Ellen Hart’s books and have enjoyed them all, but this one just somewhat less. There were a lot of characters to keep track of, all of a sudden Jane is a podcaster, too many food descriptions (this seems to be standard fare—no pun intended—in many mysteries these days (granted, Jane is/was a restaurateur but that has no bearing on this book and adds nothing to the plot—this isn’t a cookbook). I still like the series but didn’t find this up to the standards set in her earlier books.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a 3.4 star read, only because it was a bit too predictable, and the pacing wasn't as sharp as some of the previous entries in this series. It was still an entertaining read, and I really like this series. The author is clearly working to expand the range of storylines that are possible. I'm not totally convinced that the podcast angle is going to work, but as a loyal reader I'll give it time to prove itself or not.

[Nora-adrienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the author, and I usually am excited with the story. This was just a little slow at a time when I'm looking for something to take my mind off of life. It didn't quite hit the mark.

[The Library Ladies · Rating 3 out of 5]

(originally reviewed at thelibraryladies.com )

Outside of the “Tita Rosie Kitchen Mysteries”, I don’t really do many ‘cozy mysteries’ when it comes to the litany of mystery sub genres. I’ve dabbled here and there, but it’s not really my thing. But Book Club is always making me challenge myself, and when it was a cozy mystery prompt, I went in with an open mind. Oddly enough, even though I’ve worked for multiple public library systems in Minnesota, I had never heard of local author Ellen Hart or her character Jane Lawless, so “In a Midnight Wood” was completely new to me as a title and series. I had no idea what to expect in terms of specifics, but had some preconceived notions based on the sub genre, and I was, mostly correct.

“In a Midnight Wood” has a lot of really charming elements to it. The most obvious are our main character Jane and her ride or die best friend Cordelia. I really enjoyed their friendship and they way they interacted with each other, and I liked that we were getting a story about two aging lesbian best friends who have each other’s backs, but also call each other out on their nonsense. While I was jumping into a series 20+ books in, I still felt like I got to know Jane and Cordelia and who they were as people in spite of the fact I have missed OODLES of backstory. I also, being a Minnesotan, really liked the Minnesota setting in the fictional town of Castle Lake. It just felt like an outstate Minnesota town, with the insular community, the main street area with beloved local businesses, and the descriptions of chain of lakes food specialties, from burger joints to mentions of some favorite local beers (Grain Belt forever!)

On the flip side, the mystery and plot itself was fairly generic and run of the mill. I had a pretty good idea of what was going on, and the beats of twists and red herrings and reveals were fairly easy to spot. It also felt a little out of time in some ways, as the mystery at hand involves people who graduated in 1999, but as adults sound less like elder millennials and a bit older than that. And finally, and this is purely reflective of the choice we as a book club made and not on the book itself, jumping into a long running series twenty plus books in may have been a bit of a mistake. Not one that derailed the experience or anything! But there were definitely references to past characters long gone that seemed meaningful, but were meaningless to me as a reader with no context.

Overall, “In a Midnight Wood” was an entertaining choice for Book Club. I don’t think I’m going to tackle the series as a whole, but it made for a good discussion.

[Smitten · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Jane Lawless is a former private investigator who now works part-time for a Minneapolis podcast. She is also a restaurateur who is staying with her friends Cordelia and Emma in the small town of Castle Lake for their arts festival. While in town, the body of Emma’s high school boyfriend, Sam Romilly, who had disappeared twenty years ago is discovered buried under someone else’s coffin. Jane decides Sam’s murder would make the perfect topic for her true crime podcast and Emma is on board if it can help bring justice for Sam. However, other prominent residents in the town have worked hard to keep the circumstances of Sam’s death secret and will do what it takes to keep the truth from coming out.

In a Midnight Wood is the latest in a long-running series. It’s the first I’ve read so I appreciate that the author included a list of characters at the beginning of the book. This came in handy keeping track of all of the various people in the story. However, it didn’t help me to connect with the characters. I liked the main character, Jane, the most. She is smart and not afraid to go after the truth. She is grieving the death of her on-again/off-again girlfriend, but hasn’t given up on finding love. However, I found her best friend Cordelia to be annoying and too over-the-top, even for a theater director. Emma plays a large part in the story, but I never felt I got to know what she was really like.

The plot of the book is interesting and as more and more secrets are revealed, the more potential suspects in Sam’s murder are added to Jane’s list. The official investigation is complicated since one of the top suspects is Detective Sergeant Dave Tamborsky, the person leading the investigation. Jane’s sleuthing becomes even more important since she seems to be the only objective person who just wants to find out the truth. I liked the idea of Jane doing research for a podcast, but unfortunately that aspect of the book never came to life. Without any excerpts of the finished product, Jane just seemed like any other amateur sleuth instead of a podcaster. There is also a bit too much political and social commentary in the book for my taste and each instance took me out of the story. There are some interesting parts to the way the story ends, but others are a let down after the build-up given throughout the book. This isn’t a series I am interested in following, but I think fans of the author will like seeing the developments in Jane’s complicated personal life.

~ Christine

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a Midnight Wood is the 27th book in Ellen Hart’s Minneapolis restauranteur/investigator/podcaster Jane Lawless series. I haven’t read them all, but I’ve read most, and while this one seemed perhaps less dangerous and maybe more predictable, I still enjoyed it. After all, Jane is growing older and has experienced some changes in her life. Even her best friend Cordelia Thorn, the flamboyant artistic director at the Allen Grimby Theatre in St. Paul, seems more casual than usual. Is it because the pair have travelled outside of the Twin Cities to a fictional small town called Castle Rock to visit Emma Granholm, an old friend and participate in an art festival?

The events also coincide with a high school class reunion, which turns out to be the setting for the mystery of this story. Years earlier, Sam Romily, a friend of Emma’s, disappeared and was never seen again – until now. Remains and a backpack belonging to Sam were found. Because Emma had known him, and because of her crime podcast, Jane took an immediate interest in the unsolved case and set about asking questions.

As one can imagine, there were some in the community who were also interested, including those who wanted to keep her from learning too much. The mystery was not too difficult to figure out, but there were some interesting people, secrets, and events along the way. These included another crime or two, love affairs, stalking, food, and the usual small-town banter. Jane and Cordelia, who are used to being out of the closet, encounter several rural folks who are used to being closeted, and this is a prevailing theme in this story. Some folks are quite accepting, others, not so much. After reading several intense books in a row, I was ready for a cozier read, and In a Midnight Wood fit the bill. It was a nice, quiet mystery with just a touch of romance, and perfect timing for Pride Month. Thanks, Ellen. Happy Pride!

3 stars

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scored: 4.5

In 1999, a high school senior named Sam disappeared without a trace. Jane Lawless, once a private investigator, has the cold case on her radar. She and her friend Cordelia decide to go to the small town of Castle Rock to participate in a fundraiser for their arts festival and snoop around the town and its inhabitants to find out what they can about Sam’s disappearance. People in the town are of two minds – Sam either ran away from home or his father killed him. When the truth comes out, it is much worse and more complicated.

This is Hart’s 27th Jane Lawless mystery is well written with well-developed characters. That being said, if the reader is reading Hart for the first time, this may not be an easy read – Hart introduces several characters who have appeared in previous books in an info dump in the first chapter. She has also listed a very long list of characters at the front of the book. For the first-time reader, neither way of introducing characters is satisfactory because the reader may remain in the dark about who is who for a couple, or more, chapters.

The author is careful to dole out information about what happened in 1999 so the reader can try to solve the mystery herself. That being said, I think most readers will not have figured it out before Jane does.

If you’re a long-time fan of Jane Lawless, you’ll undoubtedly love this book. If you’ve heard about the author and want to check out her series, you’ll need a bit of patience in order to sort out who’s who, but once you’ve done that, this a page-turner and you may very well be up past your bedtime reading about Jane’s adventure.

My thanks to Minotaur for an eARC.

[Sunsettowers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite this being a series with 27 books already out there, I somehow had never heard of Jane Lawless. I'm glad that has been rectified now, as this was a clever mystery with a strong female protagonist.

Jane Lawless is a private investigator who also works on a true crime podcast. Visting her friend, Jane finds herself drawn into a mystery surrounding the 1999 disappearance of a teenage boy, brought to a head by an upcoming high school reunion.

The mystery is a good one, with lots of ties to secrets in the past that are linked to characters in the present. I did feel that the ending twist was partly given away by a clue, but I still didn't guess the whole reveal. I was definitely invested in finding out what had happened to the missing teenager.

Jane is a great lead character. I fell in love with her even without having read the previous 26 books in the series. She's strong, believes in herself, and genuinally wants to help others. Her budding romance with the female mayor of the town she is visiting has a lot of sweet potential.

It felt like there was a little too much going on sometimes. There were so many characters I couldn't always remember who everyone was in the beginning. There were a lot of side plots as well (the stalking plotline especially felt unnecessary). But everything came together well in the end, and the resolution felt satisfying.

[Diane Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

The game is afoot In a Midnight Wood, the 27th book in the Jane Lawless series.

Jane Lawless is busy! She runs a successful restaurant in Minnesota. She is a part-time true crime podcaster always on the hunt for new stories. Jane is also a licensed private investigator.

While visiting a friend in rural Castle Lake, a teenage boy’s body is found. Using DNA, the police discover the boy was Sam. Sam went missing twenty years earlier while still in high school.

Jane decides to investigate Sam’s death with help from her friends, Cordelia and Emma. But does Emma have a conflict-of-interest? She was dating Sam up until his death. The town has already pinned Sam’s disappearance on his abusive father. Could the rumors be true? Did Sam’s father kill his own son?

If you feel like a good old-fashioned police procedural with a LGBT viewpoint, In a Midnight Wood will fit the bill. Its clues, as well as its red herrings, are in plain sight. However, it will take a clever armchair detective to unravel all the small town ties to solve the crime. It can easily be read as a standalone. 4 stars!

Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jane and her friend Cordelia are in Castle Rock for two reasons- to attend a fund raiser and to see if Jane can get some answers about the disappearance of Sam, a teenage boy, back in 1999. They're staying with Emma, who dated Sam in high school. Jane, who is both an investigator and a restauranteur, has discovered podcasting and is interested in cold cases. Well, Sam's case is very cold and there are people who don't want answers, which Jane (and Cordelia) quickly discover. While the mystery is clever and twisty, a large part of the charm of these novels is the relationship between Jane and Cordelia, two gay women who are terrific friends. Hart does provide back story on them (as well as some other characters) early on making this fine as a standalone (it's also a useful catchup for those who have read the series). There's great Minnesota atmospherics (love that this installment took us to a small town). Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. A fun read that will keep you guessing.

[Vontel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another entertaining & solid Jane Lawless mystery, with all kinds of complicated personal relationships, motives & actions in the small Minnesota town of Castle Lake. I have read a number of these Jane Lawless books over the years.

The tentacles of this murder mystery go back to high school days, twenty years ago. That class just happens to be having their twenty year class reunion. Jane & her theater director friend Cordelia have come to visit an old friend, & to take part in the local arts festival, for which Jane has donated a prize of a dinner for four to the silent auction. That event, & the reunion, are overshadowed by the discovery of a back pack & bones of a high school senior who disappeared twenty years ago, in someone else's grave. The reunion brings back a number of people who knew the people involved.

I don't remember if Jane were a true crime Podcaster (in addition to restranteur & PI) in her last book. It certainly provides her with a new means of access to potential witnesses.

[Cozy Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful addition to this fun series. Congratulations to the author on the 27th in series. I loved this next in series and thank the publisher and Net Galley. My review opinions are my own.

As we join our savvy protagnist she is at Castle Lake for her high school reunion and a art festival with her best friend. She is reminiscing about a high school boyfriend that went missing and was never found. When his remains turn up in another grave before the reunion, Jane is on the case determined to honor him by solving his murder. She has a way of finding clues and with the help of old classmates soon she is on the right track.

This was a great well crafted sleuth and a interesting addition to this series. I enjoy this series very much as Jane is a savvy investigator and has a special talent for finding clues.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A satisfying cold case meets modern day danger when an exhumation leads to the discovery of the bones of a teen missing for years. I liked the characters but didn't really find that any of them were prominent. Jane Lawless, the main character, seemed very quiet. Cordelia was more pronounced, as was the mayor. There were a lot of subplots and the ending was just enough of a surprise (and creepy enough) to make it worthwhile.
The trope of a class reunion and old grievances come to light was played well and all the classmates playing off each other worked well, although this was a large cast and sometimes it seemed overmuch. There were some minor inconsistencies and tics (why was Hattie even mentioned in the cast of characters?) but overall a solid and entertaining read.
I have read one other Jane Lawless mystery and I do like her small-town settings and interesting cases.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

JaneLawless is a private investigator turned Minneapolis restaurateur and true-crime podcast researcher, especially cold cases. She is back in northern Minnesota visiting with friends and it is time for a class reunion for one of them. Back in their senior year, 1999, a popular boy with an abusive father disappeared. Just now remains including backpack with wallet are found under a coffin being exhumed and it definitely appears as if the missing boy has been found. Lots of drama, red herrings, misdirections, and plot swings back and forth between night of murder and present day in a distracting almost bipolar manner. An interesting read.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley.

[joyce w. laudon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ellen Hart has been writing stories about Jane Lawless and Cordelia Thorn for many years. This is a series that I read but then stepped away from though not for any particular reason. All to say, that I was happy to meet up with these characters again.

This time the story takes them to Castle Lake where Jane and Cordelia are visiting their friend Emma and hoping to enjoy an arts festival. The weekend will also include a high school reunion and one that has repercussions in the present.

Private investigator by trade, this situation lures Jane in. Read this book to find out what happened then and what that means for now.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this title. All opinions are my own.

[LittleRead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jane Lawless and Cordelia are attending a fund raiser in Castle Rock. While they are in town, the body of a missing boy was found and it turns out he was the high school boyfriend of their hostess. While half the town suspected his father killed him and the other half thought he ran away, it seems the past has come back to haunt his classmates who have returned to town for their 20th reunion.

Given Jane’s involvement with a podcast focused on Minnesota cold cases, this is right up her alley and she begins to dig. It seems there isn’t much faith in the local police getting to the root of what happened twenty years ago since they couldn’t solve the case back then either. Now Jane needs to find answers and help Emily and the town find closure and answers to what happened all those years ago.

This the first book I have read in this series and I found it quite enjoyable. Given that there are 26 books in the series prior to this one, it looks like I have a great series to binge on over the Summer. Yippee!

[Laurie Siegel · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a Midnight Wood is the 27th offering that Ellen Hart has in her Jane Lawless mystery series and I have read all of them. I hope she keeps adding to the list. Jane Lawless is a gay restaurateur in Minneapolis, with a lovable best friend, Cordelia Thorn, who dresses outrageously but directs plays brilliantly as a theater director. The mysteries are well thought out, with smart twists and turns, as well as characters that often arise out of Jane's circle of family and friends. Placing the action in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area is part of what drew me in as I have a special affection for that part of the country, having lived there in the 70s. I highly recommend this series.

[Julie Verne]

A bit confusing how Jane knew one character was a stalker before anyone else did, but otherwise a good installation to the Jane Lawless series.

It's startling to go from the 1980's to the 2020's, from car phones to MAGA caps. The series itself has evolved to take advantage of contemporary times but that could have been omitted and still told the same stories. It was a shock to see people born the same era as me as adults with adult children, although it's clearly within the realm of possibilities.

The historic part (set early 2000's) is sadly still realistic, and was intriguing enough alongside the current day era storyline.