It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

by Dorian J. Sinnott

It’s the most wonderful time of the year – except for Harold Trapp. With sales numbers plummeting, he and his company rush plans to create the perfect Christmas the Hans and Heidi dolls. But with a tight deadline hanging over their heads, stress is a frequent visitor. As are the two cats that mysteriously appear on his doorstep. But there’s something sinister hiding behind their sweet and furry demeanor. And the town of Oakridge comes to know it well.When the Christmas lights shine and the snow falls heavy, something awakens. Something dark and ancient. Cold. And with it, unspeakable terrors are born. From legends of old black trains to holiday satyrs and straw goats of yore, the winter wind lurks in the deepest of shadows. Hungry for flesh. Waiting for the darkness to return.The spirit of the season is far more than Harold Trapp bargained for.

Genres: Horror, Christmas

319 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 3, 2020

Reviews

[Rachel Brewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid 4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this book. Each chapter is a different short story but they all weave a narrative together. The description on the back is misleading in my opinion because it’s about way more than just two cats! There are different stories involving holidays legends and characters including Santa, krampus, elf the shelf, etc. this truly is a perfect Christmas read and blends Christmas traditions and legends either horror so well.

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5. i started this over the holidays and loved reading one story each night. initially i thought this was just a collection of shorts but discovering how every short fits together into the overall narrative was a delight. definitely will be a yearly holiday read for me

[Renata · Rating 5 out of 5]

While the festive season is filled with cozy mysteries and charming Christmassy stories, this horror book brought a change to the usual Christmas reading fare. I had picked it up many months ago, and was waiting for the Christmas season to begin reading. On its surface, It Came Upon A Midnight Clear appears like a collection of short stories, each one named after the twelve days of Christmas, with a theme that follows suit. So, we have one haunted fir tree, two suspicious cats, seven screaming children, nine broken snow globes, eleven frightening whistles, and so on. Dorian Sinnott cleverly winds these seemingly unconnected tales into a novel of its own, as characters move across the different stories – a minor character in one being the protagonist in another. I loved this interweaving narrative that brought to mind Yoko Ogawa’s equally stellar horror Revenge, and Jane Borges’ cultural fiction Bombay Balchao.

A story within a story makes for an interesting reading experience, and Sinnott’s dark take on the Christmas season is absolutely magnificent. He presents the usual tropes of Santa, Mrs. Claus, Jack Frost, Elf on the Shelf, snow globes, naughty and nice children, and also brings in cultures and traditions from around the world with the Julbock and Krampus. We have a range of characters, both children and adults alongside animals and mythical creatures, as the reader is taken through ancient practices and historical events, contemporary rituals and Christmas parties.

The prologue and epilogue are written in verse, and Sinnott once again shines through as a writer proficient in both prose and poetry. I had read short stories from this author in anthologies, but this was my first full-fledged novel from him, and it’s unputdownable. A wonderful premise and very well written. Not a word or punctuation mark out of place. Definitely a writer I would want to read more from.

It Came Upon A Midnight Clear isn’t fluffy Christmas fare. It’s an out-and-out horror novel and recommended for horror readers. If you love horror fiction, do not miss this book. It’s a keepsake in the bookshelves.

[Missi Martin (Stockwell) · Rating 5 out of 5]

It Came Upon A Midnight Clear by Dorian J. Sinnott is usually not a book that I would read, and I will admit the cover does draw you in ..... However, the contents are not what I expected.

It Came Upon A Midnight Clear consists of twelve stories that can be read alone but together really brings the story alive (and that is with a lack of a better word right now, but it seems fitting in a weird way)

It Came Upon A Midnight Clear focuses around Harold Trapp and his toy company. He wants to have the highest selling toy for the Christmas season no matter what !! So, his team develops dolls Hans and Heidi who are programmed to do so much .... except the program to run them doesn't go live until Christmas Day ... which shouldn't be a problem seeing as the dolls are purchased for presents for Christmas. Unfortunately, as you can guess there are naughty kids out there and they think they can open and play with the dolls ahead of the holiday.

There are also two cats that are in a number of the stories, and they are not very nice cats ... and I should know because I have three cats and they are nothing like the cats here. There are also some other shady characters in the book as well, but I will leave you to discover them as you read.

I tend to lean towards romance and cozy mysteries, even fantasy, but horror is not my cup of tea, but I didn't want to not finish reading this book. I guess it's like when people drive by a car accident or a car pulled over by the cops, you cannot help but look. I do have to give props to author Dorian J. Sinnott for having the imagination it takes to write a horror of this level.

[Eric Woods · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holiday Slaughterday!

For the first book in the new indie author horror book club (Thor Thoughts), I was taken in by the holiday theme of this chilling novel, which was written more as a series of short stories that were all interconnected. Bringing in classic Christmas characters (Santa, Jack Frost, Krampus, and Elf on a Shelf for example) and giving them sinister plotlines can be a dangerous strategy, but the author pulls it off brilliantly with a well written story and characters you want to follow. It got to be a little confusing at times as the stories began to blend together, and I’m usually not a fan of young children being killed, but overall this book was a thrilling and well written holiday tale!

[Audrey Adkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was definitely not what I was expecting, but I loved it. The story goes back and forth between different families who are in one way or another connected to Harold Trapp and the Heidi & Hans dolls. Harold Trapp is a nasty, narcissistic man who I didn't like. He is the president of the company that makes the dolls and has no empathy or kindness for his employees. The story will definitely have you looking at winter in a whole different light, and the cats, those cats just creeped me out. Horror books are not my normal genre, but I'm so glad I read this book because it kept me entertained, interested, and wanting to know what happens next. A definite five-star read that I will be recommending to everyone.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Managing to combine three of my favorite things – Cats, Christmas, and horror - “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” by Dorian Sinnott is a chilling, holiday-themed romp through a wintery, terror filled landscape.

I thoroughly enjoyed this unique book that is somehow both a short story collection AND a complete novel. Intricately woven, each story connects to, and builds on, the next with absolutely no falling action. And together, these stories create an entire landscape of frozen horror.

This is a great read for this time of the year; a fierce, fun book that isn’t sappy or syrupy sweet, that delivers exactly on what it promises. It is perfectly Christmassy but also creepy and dark AF.

[Skye Giordana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book while enjoying the lights of the Christmas tree was kind of perfect. It blends holiday magic and horror in its own little beautiful tale set to teach you to follow the rules, to do what's right, or else. It reads almost like something that you would read to a child on Christmas eve, only rather than hearing Santa sleigh bells, it is likely to be something much more sinister. Every tale, while seeming seperate at first, weaves together to provide you a full story of a town trying to survive the holiday season.

[Kerry]

With 12 short, holiday-themed, interconnected stories, Dorian J. Sinnott’s collection, It Came Upon A Midnight Clear, draws readers into a world of greed and consumerism. A company’s head pushes his staff to near breaking to create new, interactive dolls before the holiday. Two mysterious felines thread their way through the narratives, observers and supernatural participants in the hijinx. This collection features endangered children, homicidal dolls, gift exchanges, an office party, the yule goat, and more.

[Erika O'Brien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

I found myself having a hard time putting this down! Kept saying 1 more chapter. In the beginning I thought it was a collection of short stories but after the 3rd or 4th chapter you begin to realize you're getting a background and characters. Definitely recommend this book.

[Terry and dog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super fun book. It starts out with Santa messing up and unleashing something very nasty. The stories along the way are mostly different but there is a thread connecting them. All our favourite Christmas comforts and characters are fair game for an evil little twist. Two lovely cats are sometimes naughty and sometimes nice. I loved the poetry and pretty much everything else.

[Ronald Weston · Rating 4 out of 5]

I struggled with It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, finally giving it a 4-rating due to Sinnott's abilities as a writer. His characters are well-drawn, folkloric elements nicely placed, and the woven texture of stories into novel was accomplished. Perhaps I wasn't really in the mood for a winter apocalypse Christmas tale.

[Brynn Gaeta-Allard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome. At first it seemed like this was a collection of short stories, I couldn't find a connection between the early chapters in making it one story, however, each chapter was thrilling and scary and how the story came together in the end was awesome. Great book!

[Kathy K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. At first, it seems like it's a series of short horror stories all themed around Christmas, but they are all connected in some way. All of the stories are interesting and unique. It was so much fun to read this one. It has become one of my favorite books this year.

[Julie Hiner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect holiday time book with the right amount of chilling terror!

Loved every moment of this and thrilled I picked it up this holiday season. Looking forward to reading more by this author.

[Clare Rhoden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only for horror lovers, who will really enjoy it

[H. Everend · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 / 5

[Erica Fields · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so good!!! Cats, Santa, Krampus, Jack Frost, dolls, snow globes...so much fun!!!

[Jimmy Hatchfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Initially disappointed because I thought this was a novel going in, instead of another anthology. But the stories connect and they are so awesome.

[Erin Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this book upon receiving it. I loved how the stories all intertwined together. It's spooky and twisted in all the right ways.

[Amy Lane · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.35

[Íris Carriço · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Amwhite88 · Rating 5 out of 5]

It Came Upon A Midnight Clear was the perfect change from cozy Christmas reads. On the surface, it seems like a collection of short stories based on the 12 Days of Christmas—think haunted trees, eerie snow globes, and mysterious cats—but as you read, you realize the stories are cleverly connected. Characters weave in and out of each story, creating a seamless, novel-like experience. I loved how Dorian Sinnott took familiar holiday traditions like Santa, Krampus, and Jack Frost and gave them a dark, creepy twist. This is a chilling, unique horror novel that I couldn’t put down. Definitely a must-read for horror fans looking for something different this season!

[Maya J. Lujan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this. It felt like short stories. But nope. All connected. And wild! Highly recommend if you're in the mood for dark Christmas stories

[SilentReverie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect read for the holiday season!

When I picked up this book, I had no idea what I was getting into, and I ended up completely hooked. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear reads like an anthology of chilling holiday tales, each exploring the darker, more haunting side of Christmas folklore. But what really surprised me was how seamlessly these stories wove together into a cohesive, eerie narrative that felt like one complete tale by the end.

I absolutely loved this book. It was unique, immersive, and just the right amount of creepy for holiday reading. Highly recommend if you enjoy horror with folklore roots and a seasonal flair.