The Midnight Lullaby

by Cheryl Low

Everybody has secrets…

For years, Benedict Lyon has been living a lie. Not even his family knows the truth he's been keeping from the world. Only Emmeline knows his secret—and she's dead.

…some are darker than others…

When the matriarch of the Lyon family passes away, Benedict is summoned home for the funeral. Emmeline urges Benedict not to go, certain that if he returns to that house, neither one of them will escape.

…but are they worth dying for?

Their presence in the family home causes the spirit of Gloria Lyon to become restless, and as the remaining members of the Lyon family attempt to put their mother to rest, long buried secrets, some deadlier than others, are unearthed. Who will survive…

The Midnight Lullaby.

Genres: Horror, Fiction

136 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 3, 2020

About the author

Cheryl Low might be a primeval entity, born from the darkness of the universe and vacationing on a forgotten island where she eats coconuts and the souls of stranded sailors.

…Or she might be a mundane human with a deep love of all things sugary, soap opera slaps, and horror flicks.

Find out by following her on social media @cherylwlow or check her webpage, cheryllow.com. The answer might surprise you! But it probably won’t.

Reviews

[Laurie (barksbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 but bumping up to a 5 because I can.

This was a terrific tale of messy family dynamics, secrets, and vengeance. Go get it. Go read it! I don’t think you’ll regret it! My friends Jen (Book Den) and Tammy (Books, Bones & Buffy) both recommend it too and they have exquisite taste so don't take my word for it.

Benedict is a ghost hunter in a family famous for them but he feels like a fraud and a failure even though he’s successful because his talents aren’t quite up to snuff with the rest of his gifted family. But he deals with his failings in a very unique way but fears exposure if he spends too much time around his family and with an upcoming funeral, well, it’s going to be hard to avoid them.

To say too much is to spoil the fun of this book. Go in as blind as you can and know that the complicated and tangled and intense relationships are some of the best parts of this story and this is a story filled with all of the best parts. There’s a mystery, a strange family dynamic, a ton of terrible family secrets, and a sweet, loving friendship that begins to change as events take a turn.

“But there was something brewing between them, something gathering in her like a storm that had been there for years. He feared it would be a hurricane when it finally broke free.”

It’s violent and chilling and emotionally satisfying and I highly recommend reading this novella if you enjoy any of these things.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Tammy for putting this novella on my radar! (And thank you to Grinning Skull Press for sending me out a copy for review!)

Ghosts have always been my favorite horror element so I get really excited when I read a ghostly book that brings something new to the table. The Midnight Lullaby did just that! I don't want to spoil anything for you, though. At 165 pages, The Midnight Lullaby escalates quickly!

This was my first book by Cheryl Low, but I'm definitely going to go back and pick up Infernal.

We are at the beginning of spooky season, and we are all going to be spending a lot more time at home this year. The Midnight Lullaby is on my list of books that I recommend you add to your horror pile this fall.

4.5 stars

[Irene Well Worth A Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

They're creepy and they're kooky,
Mysterious and spooky.....
Oh wait, wrong family, but the Lyons are most definitely a scream. Poor Benedict has never quite fit in with the rest of his spiritualist family. They see dead people, and he sees just one. A single spirit who has been sharing his home for some time now. Emmeline is somehow cloaked from everyone's view but Benedict's. Since she is a spirit she can see what Benedict can not, thus relaying this information to him much like the fake psychics who have a microphone in one ear, being told all the little details about the people they are trying to con. When Benedict is forced to return home for his mother's funeral he fears his family may discover that he is a fraud, but it is Benedict who will uncover far darker secrets than his own.
This was a fast paced, blood splattering, bone cracking tale.

I received a complimentary copy for review.

[Matt (TeamRedmon) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Midnight Lullaby by Cheryl Low

5 out of 5 stars

Benedict Lyon is the youngest son in a family of spiritualists, ghost whisperers, witches, and psychics. Once the black sheep of the family with no ability to see ghosts, Benedict now works as a ghost hunter to "cleanse" houses of the spirits that inhabit them. The only problem is, he still can't see ghosts. Well, except for one. Emmeline is the ghost of a murdered young woman that has been tied to Benny since he was a teenager. Since she showed up, he has learned to live with a ghost companion to the point where it's pretty clear that they love each other. She helps him bust ghosts, telling him where they are, what they are saying, and how to get rid of them. Because of Emmeline's help, Benedict is no longer considered the outcast of the Lyon family, finally earning their respect. However, when Benedict's mother dies, he must return to the family home with Emmeline in tow. While both are concerned about having a ghost in the house with a family of ghost hunters, they couldn't see her in the past, so what could go wrong?

I loved this book so much. It's a very emotional story, and while the supernatural horror is present, the real horror in this book is subtler and closer to home. I felt a deep connection to Benedict and Emmeline's relationship from the very beginning chapters. The way Low describes the emotional weight of not being able to have physical contact is excellent and gives a hint of sadness to their relationship. I also especially enjoyed the dynamics at play within the Lyon family. Every family has secrets, but when your family is steeped in the supernatural, those secrets hold more weight.


I'm a fan of quiet, emotional horror, and this book delivers that in spades. Even though the supernatural horror is present and terrific, The Midnight Lullaby shines with its ability to wrap the reader up emotionally and then cut deep. I felt for these characters and wanted them to be safe, happy, and to live out their ghost/human love story. One of the moments that made me feel that way was that Benny would hold open doors for Emmeline. Even though she's a ghost and could pass through the door, it makes them both feel like she's part of the world and that their relationship is a tangible thing. It's a beautiful and moment between characters that conveys so much about their relationship. I won't discuss the ending at all, but I will say that I thought it was perfect.


The Kindle edition of The Midnight Lullaby is available now, with the paperback being released at the end of July. I highly highly highly recommend that you read The Midnight Lullaby.

[Jill the Ripper · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I've just finished Midnight tonight and I have a multitude of feelings about it.

Benedict Lyon is the baby in a family of ghost hunters; once considered the runt of the clan, he's now able to send pesky spirits back to where they came from -- but with the help of his own secret. The ghost of Emmeline, young and murdered, tied to him and the love of his (admittedly, very odd) life. The Lyon clan don't know of her, or how she helps Benny make his way in their ghost-busting world and he'd like to keep it that way.

But when his mother dies and he's called back to the Lyon estate to pay his respects it marks the beginning of the end for his secret... and for his family.

This was, and I mean this, emotionally devastating. It is a horror story and a love story and if you take your cue from the dedication that Ms. Low pens for her partner, at the beginning ("All love stories are tragedies. Every great romance has a horror waiting at the end") then the tone for Midnight is set. Reading it means to volunteer to be constantly sucker-punched with emotion - small moments, things that seem like character quirks in the moment all lead to beautifully done ending that left me with something akin to an emotional hangover.

I think, at the heart of it, Midnight is definitely a love story first -- beyond the (literal) blood and guts trappings of its horror setting, it's about the power of both anger and love and what it means when those two emotions are tangled together for two people who are tied together.

It's a beautiful story, and I cannot recommend this book enough.

[Ben Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

A ghost story that’s not at all what I expected (for better or worse…but mostly better).

I love a subtle tale of tragedy and grief, but I also love a nonstop thrill ride of spooky scares. Rarely can books manage to handle both in a way that is balanced and believable, but The Midnight Lullaby certainly comes close!

This book covering a lot of ground in less than 200 pages, but it manages to do so in a way that hits a range of circumstances, conflicts, and emotions. Not everything lands perfectly, but what sticks is really good!

I really liked the set up of Benedict being the only member in a family full of exorcists who can’t see ghosts. It immediately allows for interesting conflict and character development. I also really liked the relationship between Benedict and Emmeline. I didn’t fully understand it at first, but as the story progressed I really began to care about them and the connection they have. It’s sad and beautiful, but it also leaves an undercurrent of ferocity and mystery to keep the book moving forward. By the end of the story, when I finally realized the full extent of what had happened to Emmeline and what was currently happening to the other characters, I was completely shocked and surprised.

The book also has a fair amount of family drama, which I didn’t expect but I ended up enjoying. The side characters might not be fully fleshed out, but their relationship to Benedict and each other pretty well is, and that’s what really matters here.

As far as spooky moments go, there were less than I expected. I had to adjust expectations as the first half of the book is fairly fright-free. But then a particular seance happens in the middle, and the scares and gore are quickly ramped up for the second half of the book. The climax and the resolution of the story are incredibly grim and depressing. So much so that it almost affected my rating of the book it was so dark. But after taking time to process and think about the book as a whole my qualms seemed to ebb and I ended up liking it quite a lot!

[Linn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once you start this book it's hard to put it down!
I really enjoyed the characters and the emotional stakes in this story. I'll keep it short so I don't spoil anything. Read it!!!

[Kaycee Sterling · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my new favorite ghost books!

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.The nitty-gritty: Cheryl Low delivers yet another bloody good horror story, complete with vengeful ghosts and buried family secrets.

Cheryl Low’s latest horror novella was a perfect distraction from real life, a combination of ghostly hauntings, twisted family secrets, mysteries and even an unexpected love story. All of these elements come together in a short, punchy story that starts innocently enough but soon turns into a violent, bloody tale of survival. If you are looking for a quick but absorbing read with some shocking twists, then look no further. 

Benedict Lyon is part of a famous family of spiritualists, led by matriarch Gloria Lyon. Growing up with siblings Elysium, Luis and Lucy, Benedict learns early on that he is not like the other Lyons. His mother, brothers and sister can all see ghosts, you see, but Benedict can’t. This is a sore spot for the family, particularly Gloria, a hard, unfeeling woman who rules with an iron fist. But despite his inability to participate in seances and perform exorcisms, Benedict has a big secret. Ever since he turned eighteen, Benedict has been haunted by a ghost named Emmeline, a ghost only he can see. Emmeline has been with him for ten years now, seemingly bound to him by an unearthly, invisible tether and unable to leave. Emmeline follows him wherever he goes, but even she isn’t able to tell Benedict why she’s there or how she died. It’s a mystery that he’s willing to let go of, though, because over the years the two of them have grown very close.

Emmeline’s presence has also created a boon of sorts for Benedict. With her help, Benedict has become a successful spiritualist himself, although he knows deep down he’s actually a fake, since Emmeline is the one who sees the other ghosts and tells him what they’re saying. 

When the story begins, Benedict and Emmeline have just completed a fairly stressful spirit cleansing, when Elysium shows up unexpectedly with the news of Gloria Lyon’s death. Benedict catches a flight home for the funeral, with Emmeline tagging along—well, it’s not like she has a choice. But once they arrive, strange things begin to happen. Gloria’s spirit seems to be haunting the house, with deadly results, and Emmeline’s emotions are running higher than ever. All Benedict wants to do is go home, but a dangerous presence won’t allow anyone to leave. 

Low sets up her mystery right away by introducing Benedict and Emmeline and their unusual relationship. Emmeline is a rather angry spirit and it took me a while to warm up to her. She clearly has some kind of trauma in her past that’s manifesting itself in her ghostly afterlife. For example, whenever she gets particularly emotional, bruises and wounds appear all over her body (and then disappear just as quickly). But despite the odd situation that Benedict and Emmeline find themselves in, I thought their relationship was actually sweet. And when the author reveals the shocking reason Emmeline is tied to Benedict, that relationship takes on a whole new meaning.

I loved the Lyon family dynamic, a family full of clashing, toxic personalities. Benedict is clearly the odd man out, even though his secret weapon—Emmeline—allows him to be on equal footing with his brothers and sister. This is a fairly large cast of characters for such a short story, though. In addition to the Lyon siblings, there are a handful of cousins and an uncle, not to mention Gloria Lyon’s household staff. Not all of the characters are as carefully developed as Benedict and Emmeline, but honestly, it didn’t really bother me much. The real focus of the story is on Benedict and Emmeline and the mystery behind Emmeline’s haunting.

Once the family gathers for the funeral, it doesn’t take long for the horrors to begin. This was a quick read and nearly impossible to put down. Like Cheryl Low’s The Infernal , there’s a feeling of doom and inevitability hanging over the story, and I honestly was not prepared for that ending. If you’re looking for a mix of gruesome horror and fast-paced mystery, you can’t go wrong with The Midnight Lullaby .

Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.This review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy

[Stuart West · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cheryl Low's new novella, The Midnight Lullaby, is perfectly titled. It begins as a nearly poetic and quiet meditation on the melancholy of land-locked ghosts and doomed romance, only to morph into a terrific, frightening, and ultimately disturbing horror tale. Something for everyone! To give away anything about the plot would be doing the reader a disservice as I I honestly thought I had the book pegged and then it zagged to my zig. Tell you what, if you enjoy lovely, ethereal writing, read the first half. If you like bang-up horror, continue on! I enjoyed it all immensely. Highly recommended.

[Sara Bauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, this totally freaked me out. In the best way. Low's super spooky novella has managed to rekindle my love for all things horror.

I adore the character of Benedict. I feel for this little bro in a family full of gifted mediums. When he returns home for his estranged mother's funeral, we know things are going to take a dark turn. Well ... THEY DO.

My God, the plotting was excellent. The twists and turns. The horrific and vividly described events leading up to the denouement? Holy shit. I mean, WOW.

Yeah, after finishing this one, I just sort of sat on my couch trying not scream. This is what horror should do, have a lingering effect and make us check under our beds at night. Yup, mission accomplished, Ms. Low. I'm terrified, and I LOVE IT.

[Linh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm surprised this book doesn't get more recognition! it was a fast read for me, but it doesn't feel rushed. I came to love the Lyons family. Still thinking about that ending...

[Alex Gray (gray__pages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks so much to Grinning Skull Press for sending me an ARC for review.

Well.....this book was certainly NOT what I was expecting at all! I expected your typical ghost story: spooky, haunting, maybe some good scare scenes, just about what you’d expect from a good ghost story. However, I got something completely different.

MIDNIGHT LULLABY follows Benedict Lyon, who is the youngest in a family of spiritualists. His entire family can see ghosts, except for him. However, in his teenage years, the ghost of a murdered girl named Emmeline comes to him and she is the only ghost he is able to see. The two form a bond over years and Emmeline helps Benedict in his job “cleansing” homes of spirits. He cannot see the ghosts, so she tells him who they are, where they are and what they are saying.

When Benedict’s mother dies, he must return home to attend the funeral and face his family. This is where the story really picks up, so it is where I will end my synopsis. Let’s just say....MAJOR family drama with a supernatural twist!

This book has some very touching moments, particularly in the relationship between Benedict and Emmeline. Their companionship warmed my heart. The book also has some real chilling scenes, complete with possession and gore. The creep factor definitely gets dialed up to 100+ and it’s a dream for horror lovers.

Now, that having been said, I must warn you that this book is BLEAK AS HELL. I will even go as far as to say it’s quite sad. The author really goes there with the darkness and depression at times, and it can be a lot to handle.

This novella packs quite a punch at 165 pages and although it had some real moments of doom and gloom, I really enjoyed it. It is very well written, I loved the characters (even when I hated them!) and the plot was unique. I do prefer my horror with a bit more scares and a little less sadness, but this is an overall solid read. If this sounds up your alley, I definitely recommend!

[Weevil Dead · Rating 4 out of 5]

A ghostly tale of a family of ghost hunters, convening for the burial of their mother. But secrets will come to light that may destroy them all.
I really enjoyed this short novella. It was a quick read, and held my interest the whole time. Also it was a quiet love story, as well as a revenge story. Excited to read more from this author!
I was provided a copy of this for an honest review by Grinning Skull Press! Please read my full review here: https://www.scaretissue.com/the-midni...

[Samantha Gilbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book! I don’t normally read “scary” stories, but I was looking for something a little different for Halloween. This was very well done and interesting. Though you know it’s not real, the writer allows you to suspend your reality and join in the story. Loved it!

[Ryder O. Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book I've read in a while! Stayed up til 10am to finish it haha. Scary without being extremely gory (there is a bit of gore but it's not the focus of/reason for the fear, imo) and a lovely (twisty) ending. Highly recommend!

[Panda Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating read

I cannot praise this book enough. I was enamored since the first paragraph. I wish it had been longer!! Well paced and wonderfully detailed.

[Bookish Satty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Haunted house story with an awesome twist!

[Lisa Russo-Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic Read!

This book had me hooked from chapter one. A cool ghost story with an ending I didn’t see coming. Totally worth a read.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can read my full review here

The Midnight Lullaby is short, spooky, and lots of fun.

[Fay · Rating 4 out of 5]

like 3.7ish

[WendyB · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was one messed up, twisted family.

[Levyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

rtc but i really enjoyed this!