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Port Stirling #2
Midnight Beach: A Port Stirling Mystery
A brutally murdered federal agent, and distrust among his close colleagues greet Port Stirling Police Chief Matt Horning as he faces down a second homicide in his new Oregon hometown. "I can now add Kay Jennings to my list of go to authors. Another reviewer likened her to Louise Penny, and I think it's a fair comparison." Amazon reviewerIs there really an international drug ring operating in his remote coastal village where nothing ever happens? Is this what Matt Horning bargained for when he took this job last winter? As spring blooms on the Oregon coast, are there also blossoming forbidden feelings within him?Just when his police department gets back to normal after solving its first murder in decades, along comes another dead body found in a marsh near the Pacific Ocean. And this one has ominous overtones never before seen in Port Stirling.Did Matt Horning bring this trouble with him when he fled a painful professional experience in Texas four months earlier? Dogged by his own demons, Horning must quickly face the facts; this is more than a few bad guys exchanging pot for cash. Much more. Does he have the resources and the experience to take back Port Stirling from those who would harm its peaceful vibe before it’s lost forever? Travel to Port Stirling, Oregon, and enter a beautiful, rugged coastal village about to face down an international threat.Fans of top crime fiction authors like Melinda Leigh, Sandra Brown, Kendra Elliot, Robert Dugoni, and Michael Connelly will enjoy a visit to Port Stirling in Midnight Beach.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 18, 2020
733 people are currently reading
130 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
September 11, 2021
This is more of a 3.5 star read but I rounded up because it is a good regional read that had an engaging plot, interesting characters & was reasonably well paced through much of the book. Some judicious editing to smooth out rough phrasing & accelerate the pace of the final chapters would have improved this reader’s experience significantly. In my experience, crisp prose & seamless transitions are hard to achieve consistently unless the writer is extremely attentive to a “less is more” philosophy. Eliminating awkward phrasing & making every word count is hard work, but essential to good pacing & the crafting of a book that you “can’t put down”. If Kay Jennings had done this more consistently “Midnight Beach” would have been a solid 4 star book. Best wishes to her as she continues to work on her future books. I love living in the Pacific NW & there’s plenty of people like me who think it makes a fine setting for a good mystery!
February 7, 2024
Disappointing Sophomore effort
I enjoyed the first book of this series enough to look forward to this second one even though the main characters (Matt & Fern) make me feel like I’m reading a mashup of a True Romance comic and COPS. This installment however is even more superficial in that respect. The initial encounters between law enforcement and “the bad guys” (that’s what they call them, honest) are embarrassingly pointless and the “mystery” is boringly weighted down by long description of setting up for stake outs, calling off stake outs, the actual stake out. The concurrent rescue of the plucky Fern is a foregone conclusion, as is the subsequent resolution of the relationship between Matt and Fern. I will probably read #3 in the series but right now I have the new Jonathan Kellerman as a palate cleanser.
I enjoyed the first book of this series enough to look forward to this second one even though the main characters (Matt & Fern) make me feel like I’m reading a mashup of a True Romance comic and COPS. This installment however is even more superficial in that respect. The initial encounters between law enforcement and “the bad guys” (that’s what they call them, honest) are embarrassingly pointless and the “mystery” is boringly weighted down by long description of setting up for stake outs, calling off stake outs, the actual stake out. The concurrent rescue of the plucky Fern is a foregone conclusion, as is the subsequent resolution of the relationship between Matt and Fern. I will probably read #3 in the series but right now I have the new Jonathan Kellerman as a palate cleanser.
October 29, 2025
I wanted to like this book but I couldn’t. It’s by a local author and set in my general neck of the woods, but there ended the pleasure for me.
One problem was all the cop-procedural cliches in the world, packed into one volume. The dialogue often made me cringe, as did the performative dedicated-cop behaviors. There were plenty of made-for-TV scene enders too, and the plot was on the preposterous side, in a ripped-from-the-headlines-and-then-magnified-tenfold kind of way. And it was all capped off by a police chief —begging for mutual firing as well as being summarily shot by the sensitivity police. What on earth?
The editing wasn’t terrible, save for the all-too-common confusion about “lie” and “lay”—why is this so hard for people? And if it is, why don’t they look it up? That the author did not pretty much sums up the experience for me—a lazy approach to writing on every level. It’s part of a series and I was so hoping for extended pleasure; but no.
One problem was all the cop-procedural cliches in the world, packed into one volume. The dialogue often made me cringe, as did the performative dedicated-cop behaviors. There were plenty of made-for-TV scene enders too, and the plot was on the preposterous side, in a ripped-from-the-headlines-and-then-magnified-tenfold kind of way. And it was all capped off by a police chief —begging for mutual firing as well as being summarily shot by the sensitivity police. What on earth?
The editing wasn’t terrible, save for the all-too-common confusion about “lie” and “lay”—why is this so hard for people? And if it is, why don’t they look it up? That the author did not pretty much sums up the experience for me—a lazy approach to writing on every level. It’s part of a series and I was so hoping for extended pleasure; but no.
December 16, 2020
Impossible. Not a good description for mystery and suspense books. When you have two highly trained snipers killed off by a incompetent person. . . . then make it even worse by having a blood type mistake. . . OMG. I read it to see just how bad it could get. . Small town Chief of Police is telling the CIA or as described here the State Department and the County Sheriffs and the State Police how to run the operation cause he has the hots for a fellow officer. In addition we had a whole lot of useless information throughout the books and the author choose to throw the kitchen sink at the finale. . . Really?????????Don't quit your day job
November 24, 2020
Compelling read
This book was more than just good, it was wonderful! It was hard to put down and I kept reading until my eyes got bleary. Kay takes you along on a story based on facts. Growing up in the area, I recognized some of the sites described in the story. This such a great read I am anxious to read the next book, and the next. You can't go wrong with this book.
This book was more than just good, it was wonderful! It was hard to put down and I kept reading until my eyes got bleary. Kay takes you along on a story based on facts. Growing up in the area, I recognized some of the sites described in the story. This such a great read I am anxious to read the next book, and the next. You can't go wrong with this book.
March 9, 2021
Engaging Characters.
I enjoyed reading this story, and can now add Kay Jennings to my list of go to Authors. A reviewer likened her to Louise Penney, and I think it was a fair comparison.
I enjoyed reading this story, and can now add Kay Jennings to my list of go to Authors. A reviewer likened her to Louise Penney, and I think it was a fair comparison.
October 26, 2025
3.5 stars
This book made it quite clear that this series isn't and probably won't be a "normal" police procedural.
The author's method of tackling this murder and the whole setting of the "new cop in town" felt quite new and fresh - yet... I'm not sure it works for me. 🤔
Maybe I'm too much of a sucker for the classic formula of a "case"? I don't know, but a lot of effort is made by the author to make me care about the town and its people just as much as about the mystery. But somehow this fails for me.
I feel like a part of me is acting out like a stereotypical Sherlock Holmes character, spinning around in my chair, kicking my feet in frustration while yelling "Booooring!" at the top of my lungs.
Like, yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it. It's a nice little town. Community means a lot. People are also nice – as long as they don't murder anyone. But.... I don't really care! 😆🙈
OK, so judging by the very high ratings, this is clearly a "me problem", which I fully accept in this case. The book is good. Just not the right fit for me – and I have not yet (it's now October 2025) picked up the 3rd book.
I suspect I might pick it up though. Because it has the word TSUNAMI 👀 in the title and I'm a total sucker for a natural disaster. (Yeah, I know. I'm a ghoul. Sorreh.) #notsorry 💀
This book made it quite clear that this series isn't and probably won't be a "normal" police procedural.
The author's method of tackling this murder and the whole setting of the "new cop in town" felt quite new and fresh - yet... I'm not sure it works for me. 🤔
Maybe I'm too much of a sucker for the classic formula of a "case"? I don't know, but a lot of effort is made by the author to make me care about the town and its people just as much as about the mystery. But somehow this fails for me.
I feel like a part of me is acting out like a stereotypical Sherlock Holmes character, spinning around in my chair, kicking my feet in frustration while yelling "Booooring!" at the top of my lungs.
Like, yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it. It's a nice little town. Community means a lot. People are also nice – as long as they don't murder anyone. But.... I don't really care! 😆🙈
OK, so judging by the very high ratings, this is clearly a "me problem", which I fully accept in this case. The book is good. Just not the right fit for me – and I have not yet (it's now October 2025) picked up the 3rd book.
I suspect I might pick it up though. Because it has the word TSUNAMI 👀 in the title and I'm a total sucker for a natural disaster. (Yeah, I know. I'm a ghoul. Sorreh.) #notsorry 💀
August 28, 2023
In this engaging police procedural, we meet Matt Horning, the new police chief in the small town of Port Sterling, on the Oregon Coast. Horning is a 40ish, single, alpha male (one character calls him a “studmuffin”) with emotional baggage from his former job in Texas and a trust issue with his team. When a federal agent is found decapitated in a marshy area near the sea, he faces the challenge of his career and the town’s second murder case in just a few months. (The case covered in the previous novel in this series, Shallow Waters, is referenced several times, but Midnight Beach can easily be read as a standalone.) The agent was investigating an international smuggling operation, and the resources of the small police department, even with some state and federal help, are stretched in suspenseful and character-defining ways. Jennings’ scene setting here is skillful, with the local ambiance, seascape, and weather described in detail, making me wish I could visit. The crime is ultimately solved in a spectacular denouement that has intriguing implications for Horning’s relationship with his team and his personal life.
February 22, 2025
The story was interesting. But. It was very obvious that this book was written by a woman. Everyone was so overtly emotional that it was simply ridiculous, even outright crying at the drop of a hat. It started with Matt apologizing again and again for not telling his team about the identity of the victim - at a time when it was absolutely none of their business, what with him being a secret agent on a need-to-know mission and the local cops really didn't need to know, his safety was more important than the hurt feelings of some local cop - and continued with Matt's downright hysterical outbursts when Fern was kidnapped. Anyone behaving like that should've been immediately taken off the case. The whole book all the male characters felt like the author was following some fantasy of hers on how men should behave. It was actually cringe-worthy in places and it took away from the enjoyment of the story itself.
August 28, 2025
This is the second book that I have read in the series. My wife and I just bought a home on the Southern Oregon Coast, located on a river about 1/2 mile from the ocean. The setting in this book could be in our backyard. I really enjoy the way that Kay Jennings is able to capture the flavor of the area. The book describes an interesting mystery that keeps one's interest throughout. I also enjoy the fact that there is no weird sex or grotesque violence that seems so common in novels these days. This is a good, fun read. The characters from the first book continue to develop well and they are all likable. The story involves murder, drug running and human trafficking. There is enough action to keep one's attention. It was a quick read that was very enjoyable. I recommend the book, particularly if one is relaxing at the coast. I have already downloaded the next book in the series.
October 12, 2024
Midnight Beach #2
October 6 - 12, 2024
5 ☆s duh!
This is an amazing series set in the Pacific Northwest; actually the Oregon coast between Port Orford and Florence. The new police chief, Matt Horning has hardly had time to catch his breath when another grizzley murder has occured. This time its somebody Matt knew. Clay was a suspect in the murder of Emily, the little girl in Shallow Waters until the US Feds set him straight. This book is based on an actual case with lots of twists at the discretion of the author, Kay Jennings. I highly recommend this book series with likeable characters and fast-paced action.
October 6 - 12, 2024
5 ☆s duh!
This is an amazing series set in the Pacific Northwest; actually the Oregon coast between Port Orford and Florence. The new police chief, Matt Horning has hardly had time to catch his breath when another grizzley murder has occured. This time its somebody Matt knew. Clay was a suspect in the murder of Emily, the little girl in Shallow Waters until the US Feds set him straight. This book is based on an actual case with lots of twists at the discretion of the author, Kay Jennings. I highly recommend this book series with likeable characters and fast-paced action.
September 1, 2021
Quite Enjoyable
After reading the first book in this series I was delighted to move on to the next. Escapism is what I am interested in at this time, and 'mysteries' are the answer! Again the plot is interesting enough to keep you reading and the characters really enrich the experience. The author has created a cast of characters whom you can admire and care about - far beyond those in the more typical mystery novel.
Descriptions of Oregon coastal scenery add tremendously to the experience.
After reading the first book in this series I was delighted to move on to the next. Escapism is what I am interested in at this time, and 'mysteries' are the answer! Again the plot is interesting enough to keep you reading and the characters really enrich the experience. The author has created a cast of characters whom you can admire and care about - far beyond those in the more typical mystery novel.
Descriptions of Oregon coastal scenery add tremendously to the experience.
June 8, 2022
Love this series!
Midnight Beach was a great follow-up to Shallow Water. Author Kay Jennings has created an engaging group of characters and does a fine job crafting compelling plots. I was surprised to read in her bio that she's a publisher though because there were several glaring grammar/usage errors that a competent proofreader should have easily corrected. The errors were an annoying distraction and I hope subsequent books in the series are more carefully edited. Jennings' fine writing deserves better.
Midnight Beach was a great follow-up to Shallow Water. Author Kay Jennings has created an engaging group of characters and does a fine job crafting compelling plots. I was surprised to read in her bio that she's a publisher though because there were several glaring grammar/usage errors that a competent proofreader should have easily corrected. The errors were an annoying distraction and I hope subsequent books in the series are more carefully edited. Jennings' fine writing deserves better.
September 16, 2021
I have a mixed review of this book and this author. Obviously I like it because this is the second book in the series and I could've stopped reading but I'm on number 3. The books as a whole are good but I wish at the end it was less predictable - throw us off a little. It seems like she is going to - building up but then it just kind of fizzles at the end. I really like Melinda Leigh - read all of hers - and Jennings could be as good if she would just give us some punch at the end.
October 26, 2021
Who's Money
Good story line and nice visual images. Like the nice light touch of romance that did not obstruct the flow of the story. ( dislike stories where the romantic interest have a tingly feeling whenever they see the interesting party on every other page..) I know it is only a story but would have preferred if Juan got only one sniper and then the other county sniper got him. Nice way to end it all. Don't believe the mix up in the lab.
Good story line and nice visual images. Like the nice light touch of romance that did not obstruct the flow of the story. ( dislike stories where the romantic interest have a tingly feeling whenever they see the interesting party on every other page..) I know it is only a story but would have preferred if Juan got only one sniper and then the other county sniper got him. Nice way to end it all. Don't believe the mix up in the lab.
January 28, 2022
Another Port Stirling mystery
Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this book as much as the first in the series. I was distracted by so much reference to the crime in the first book. I realize it's a series, but it felt like half the book was reliving the last. I was also very distracted by the head hopping and slips between third and first person. I don't give reviews below three stars but I don't think I'll continue with this series after this.
Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this book as much as the first in the series. I was distracted by so much reference to the crime in the first book. I realize it's a series, but it felt like half the book was reliving the last. I was also very distracted by the head hopping and slips between third and first person. I don't give reviews below three stars but I don't think I'll continue with this series after this.
April 20, 2022
HoHum
If you like sappy, drippy mystery stories with predictable plot lines this will do. I couldn't get past cops that do group hugs and police chiefs worried about withholding classified information from staff who clearly didn't need to know. Anyone with a family member who has a security clearance knows not to even ask or care about the secret stuff. I won't be reading the next in the series
If you like sappy, drippy mystery stories with predictable plot lines this will do. I couldn't get past cops that do group hugs and police chiefs worried about withholding classified information from staff who clearly didn't need to know. Anyone with a family member who has a security clearance knows not to even ask or care about the secret stuff. I won't be reading the next in the series
September 10, 2024
I really liked this among so many in the category of police detectives. I will read others in her series. This one about a police chief that moved from big-town Texas to small-town Oregon to chase some drug runners new to this small town and deserted beach area who may have been hiding at some recently purchased acreages. Add in a horrific murder and there's lots of detective work to be done. The cast of characters assisting are well-portrayed, as is the chief.
May 3, 2025
Book #2 in this series and Kay Jennings has stepped up the mystery! Three months after Matt Horning took over as Chief of Police of Port Stirling and solved the horrific murder of a four year-old, another brutal murder happens in the once sleepy coastal town. This time a federal agent is found decapitated in a marsh and Matt knows him to be undercover, a fact he never revealed to his team. Signs point to possible drug traffickers and with the help of the state, federal agents and his own police department they uncover a criminal enterprise. I’m in on this series and the possibility of the romance I see coming:)
December 11, 2020
Excellent!
This mystery is as good as the first one, although extremely different! Death of a federal agent in their area reunites the task force! In addition to murder, there is also drug smuggling and human trafficking to be investigated-----all are connected! All groups together plan and execute a massive raid ------ very exciting and scary!
This mystery is as good as the first one, although extremely different! Death of a federal agent in their area reunites the task force! In addition to murder, there is also drug smuggling and human trafficking to be investigated-----all are connected! All groups together plan and execute a massive raid ------ very exciting and scary!
January 31, 2021
Great read
I read this while fighting for my life at the age of 84. I am recovering from Covid19. It definitely distracted me. I thought it was well written. My family moved to Bandon many years ago from California. This book was set on the Oregon Coast. That was also a factor.
I read this while fighting for my life at the age of 84. I am recovering from Covid19. It definitely distracted me. I thought it was well written. My family moved to Bandon many years ago from California. This book was set on the Oregon Coast. That was also a factor.
September 24, 2022
There were some things about this mystery that did not really make sense in today's world. That were used at the end to acknowledge that someone could not have done it but was kept as a suspect to add tension, that I never believed. Otherwise, it was an interesting story but not 100% believeable, with the final ending only implied. The first one was better.
August 14, 2023
Doesn't Know Who Does What
Treats Plano, TX like a hick town while writing about a hick town.
Plano, population 285,000 in Collins County, TX, population 1,000,000 plus..
State Department does not do the DEA's job, since when does State Department operate inside U.S., much less investigate drug trafficking?
Undercover operations are NOT shared with Anyone outside the scope of the operation.
Treats Plano, TX like a hick town while writing about a hick town.
Plano, population 285,000 in Collins County, TX, population 1,000,000 plus..
State Department does not do the DEA's job, since when does State Department operate inside U.S., much less investigate drug trafficking?
Undercover operations are NOT shared with Anyone outside the scope of the operation.
August 31, 2023
Another great book!!!
There were many times I wanted to skip to the end of the book!!!!
Lots of edge of the seat action and suspense!! In fact, I had to take a break and relax for a minute, as it got tense!!!
I was actually yelling at the characters in the story, because they were so slow to see some of the clues!!!!!
(That was frustrating!) But I think they heard me...☺
There were many times I wanted to skip to the end of the book!!!!
Lots of edge of the seat action and suspense!! In fact, I had to take a break and relax for a minute, as it got tense!!!
I was actually yelling at the characters in the story, because they were so slow to see some of the clues!!!!!
(That was frustrating!) But I think they heard me...☺
June 16, 2025
I love this series!
I've read the first two books so far and looking forward to the next. The stories are hard to put down and the main characters are wonderful. I'm not very good at explaining why I enjoy this series so much but when I'm reading I feel like right there with them.
I've read the first two books so far and looking forward to the next. The stories are hard to put down and the main characters are wonderful. I'm not very good at explaining why I enjoy this series so much but when I'm reading I feel like right there with them.
October 11, 2020
Who dunnit?
Looking for a good murder mystery? Midnight Beach can promise you late night reading as the end of each chapter draws you into the next..and the next. Twists and turns contribute to the need to keep reading!
Looking for a good murder mystery? Midnight Beach can promise you late night reading as the end of each chapter draws you into the next..and the next. Twists and turns contribute to the need to keep reading!
July 17, 2021
This started out to be a good book BUT the last page turned romantic. Ugh!!
Do not like romance; killing ok! The last page made me consider whether or not I wanted to read the third book. If its romance, I don't.
Do not like romance; killing ok! The last page made me consider whether or not I wanted to read the third book. If its romance, I don't.
November 8, 2021
Intrigue
A great plot, good character development. The interplay among characters was interesting. The one big disappointment was the way the new sheriff developed. He becomes an emotional wimp at times, at odds with his nature.
A great plot, good character development. The interplay among characters was interesting. The one big disappointment was the way the new sheriff developed. He becomes an emotional wimp at times, at odds with his nature.
January 12, 2022
Excellent story line and exciting characters ! Love the Oregon Coast details! I will read books by
I enjoyed reading this book a lot! The characters worked well together. Love the Oregon Coast descriptions in the book!
I enjoyed reading this book a lot! The characters worked well together. Love the Oregon Coast descriptions in the book!
November 27, 2022
I could not put the book down I love this book, and I'm going to read the next book of Jennings
,. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. I'm looking forward to reading more of your work 😀
,. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. I'm looking forward to reading more of your work 😀
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews