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The Midnight Child
A long-ago trauma and a family mystery may shed light on her troubled sleep—or pull her into the darkness once and for all . . .
As a child, Grace Cooper suffered from bouts of sleepwalking. Now, after the unexpected death of her husband, she’s moved back to Woodburn Cottage, her childhood home—and the sleepwalking returns. It’s all stirring up dark memories—memories that involve the disappearance of her brother Simon, who vanished one night when he was a child, and the death of her father, who fell from an upstairs window.
With her mother in a care home with dementia and her sister living in a nearby village, Grace tries to settle in—but with the passage of time, the sleepwalking only becomes more regular and the blurred memories of the past only become more disturbing. Spurred on by these hazy dreamlike recollections, Grace becomes determined to find out what happened to Simon that fateful night. But digging up the past isn’t always a good idea, because you never know what skeletons you might unearth . . .
As a child, Grace Cooper suffered from bouts of sleepwalking. Now, after the unexpected death of her husband, she’s moved back to Woodburn Cottage, her childhood home—and the sleepwalking returns. It’s all stirring up dark memories—memories that involve the disappearance of her brother Simon, who vanished one night when he was a child, and the death of her father, who fell from an upstairs window.
With her mother in a care home with dementia and her sister living in a nearby village, Grace tries to settle in—but with the passage of time, the sleepwalking only becomes more regular and the blurred memories of the past only become more disturbing. Spurred on by these hazy dreamlike recollections, Grace becomes determined to find out what happened to Simon that fateful night. But digging up the past isn’t always a good idea, because you never know what skeletons you might unearth . . .
Unknown Binding
First published October 6, 2021
31 people are currently reading
222 people want to read
About the author
J.A. Baker
24 books338 followersJ. A. Baker was born and brought up in the North East of England.
When she's not writing and thinking up new and inventive ways of killing off her fictional characters, or looking after her young grandchildren, she can be found pottering around her garden with her madcap dog, Theo or in a coffee shop eating cake with her long suffering husband.
When she's not writing and thinking up new and inventive ways of killing off her fictional characters, or looking after her young grandchildren, she can be found pottering around her garden with her madcap dog, Theo or in a coffee shop eating cake with her long suffering husband.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
September 9, 2021
As always from this author a very descriptive read with good narration, this time involving a very dark story/ subject in a revealing almost whodunit read
Have to mention the sections on the Mum and her dementia and the superbly honest way this is described, dementia is a feature of many books at the moment but this is probably one of the rawest and most real I have read
Also have to mention Janine, a vile yet superbly readable character with her tombstone teeth and spittled gossip, horrendous yet fabulous for a reader
The story itself as said above is dark, very dark and centres around Siblings, one of which went to bed one night and was never seen again, of course there is way way more to this than was brushed aside at the time and as the book progresses we learn/find out more
One of the biggest things in the book comes from nowhere, almost dropped halfway through a convo and this was a real shock and game changer to the story
Well written, good conclusion and ending and a attention grabbing and keeping read
9/10
5 Stars
Have to mention the sections on the Mum and her dementia and the superbly honest way this is described, dementia is a feature of many books at the moment but this is probably one of the rawest and most real I have read
Also have to mention Janine, a vile yet superbly readable character with her tombstone teeth and spittled gossip, horrendous yet fabulous for a reader
The story itself as said above is dark, very dark and centres around Siblings, one of which went to bed one night and was never seen again, of course there is way way more to this than was brushed aside at the time and as the book progresses we learn/find out more
One of the biggest things in the book comes from nowhere, almost dropped halfway through a convo and this was a real shock and game changer to the story
Well written, good conclusion and ending and a attention grabbing and keeping read
9/10
5 Stars
September 29, 2021
THE MIDNIGHT CHILD is a psychological suspense novel by J.A. Baker.
Her Novels Include:
Undercurrent (2017)
Her Dark Retreat (2017)
aka The Retreat
The Other Mother (2017)
Finding Eva (2018)
The Uninvited (2018)
The Cleansing (2019)
The Woman at Number 19 (2019)
The Girl I Used To Be (2020)
In the Dying Minutes (2020)
Looking For Leo (2021)
The Face of Clara Morgan (2021)
The Midnight Child (2021)
She wakes up alone in the night with her body coated in a sticky fluid-blood…but she is alive. It isn’t her blood! Muddy footprints staining the carpet, and she hears a noise from the kitchen. Someone was in the house. When she went downstairs, she discovered the back door was wide open, and she closed it.
Grace Cooper suffered from episodes of sleepwalking, when she was a child. She had gone through a lot. After her husband, Warren died suddenly of natural causes, she moves back to Woodburn cottage, her childhood home, and the sleepwalking returns, stirring up dark memories – memories that involve the disappearance of her older brother Simon who vanished one night when he was a child.
Her father died soon after Simon’s disappearance, and her mother, Sylvie is in a care home with dementia. Her older sister, Kim, lives in a nearby village, and checks up on her regularly.
Then over time, Grace begins to sleepwalk more regularly, with more disturbing blurred memories from the past filling her mind. Grace is determined to find out what happened to Simon that night.
“Will time reveal the truth about what happened that night?”
This is a nail-biting psychological suspense novel with a detailed plot and high suspense level leading up to and unexpected ending. Did I figure out the ending? No! This novel is loaded with lots of red herrings, to pull the reader in different directions on the path to expose the real truth. Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the author and Bloodhound Books for my digital copy.
Her Novels Include:
Undercurrent (2017)
Her Dark Retreat (2017)
aka The Retreat
The Other Mother (2017)
Finding Eva (2018)
The Uninvited (2018)
The Cleansing (2019)
The Woman at Number 19 (2019)
The Girl I Used To Be (2020)
In the Dying Minutes (2020)
Looking For Leo (2021)
The Face of Clara Morgan (2021)
The Midnight Child (2021)
She wakes up alone in the night with her body coated in a sticky fluid-blood…but she is alive. It isn’t her blood! Muddy footprints staining the carpet, and she hears a noise from the kitchen. Someone was in the house. When she went downstairs, she discovered the back door was wide open, and she closed it.
Grace Cooper suffered from episodes of sleepwalking, when she was a child. She had gone through a lot. After her husband, Warren died suddenly of natural causes, she moves back to Woodburn cottage, her childhood home, and the sleepwalking returns, stirring up dark memories – memories that involve the disappearance of her older brother Simon who vanished one night when he was a child.
Her father died soon after Simon’s disappearance, and her mother, Sylvie is in a care home with dementia. Her older sister, Kim, lives in a nearby village, and checks up on her regularly.
Then over time, Grace begins to sleepwalk more regularly, with more disturbing blurred memories from the past filling her mind. Grace is determined to find out what happened to Simon that night.
“Will time reveal the truth about what happened that night?”
This is a nail-biting psychological suspense novel with a detailed plot and high suspense level leading up to and unexpected ending. Did I figure out the ending? No! This novel is loaded with lots of red herrings, to pull the reader in different directions on the path to expose the real truth. Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the author and Bloodhound Books for my digital copy.
December 16, 2021
Grace Cooper returns to her childhood home after the death of her husband. Once she’s back living in Woodburn Cottages, she starts to sleepwalk again, something she hasn’t done since she was a child.
Grace’s brother, Simon disappeared when they were children and her Dad died soon after. Grace has a much older sister called Kim and their mum is in a nursing home with dementia.
As time moves on in the cottage, Grace starts to also have flashbacks. Can she finally work out what happened when she was a child? Will she finally get to the truth behind all the secrets and lies?
A wonderful story that I couldn’t put down. Interesting and well thought out characters throughout. Beautiful and descriptive writing that was extremely emotional. Yet another outstanding story from this author.
Grace’s brother, Simon disappeared when they were children and her Dad died soon after. Grace has a much older sister called Kim and their mum is in a nursing home with dementia.
As time moves on in the cottage, Grace starts to also have flashbacks. Can she finally work out what happened when she was a child? Will she finally get to the truth behind all the secrets and lies?
A wonderful story that I couldn’t put down. Interesting and well thought out characters throughout. Beautiful and descriptive writing that was extremely emotional. Yet another outstanding story from this author.
March 9, 2022
I read until I was 76% finished and couldn’t continue. I can’t begin to list all that is wrong with this book.
October 6, 2021
With her sister living nearby and her mother in a care home with dementia, Grace decides to move back into her childhood home.
As a child, Grace was sleep-walker, depriving her not only of sleep, but memories, as well. She suffered the disappearance of her best friend, her sightly older brother. That was 40 years ago and the case was never solved. Only months later, her father died in a tragic accident. The sleepwalking persisted for many years, and then stopped.
Grace is having blurred memories of her childhood .. or is it all her imagination? Her mother, suffering with dementia has spells where she yells out that she killed them all. Is there a grain of truth in there? Her older sister only tells her it's time to move on. But she can't.
She wants ... she needs .. to know what happened the night her brother went missing. She wants.. she needs to discover the secrets that no one will share with her.
You know what they say ... be careful what you wish for ...
Twists and turns around every corner swirl in and out of this well-written novel. It's a real page-turner, filled with lies, deceptions, and family secrets. The characters are well developed. The ending was unexpected and surprising.
Many thanks to the author for the digital copy of this psychological thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
As a child, Grace was sleep-walker, depriving her not only of sleep, but memories, as well. She suffered the disappearance of her best friend, her sightly older brother. That was 40 years ago and the case was never solved. Only months later, her father died in a tragic accident. The sleepwalking persisted for many years, and then stopped.
Grace is having blurred memories of her childhood .. or is it all her imagination? Her mother, suffering with dementia has spells where she yells out that she killed them all. Is there a grain of truth in there? Her older sister only tells her it's time to move on. But she can't.
She wants ... she needs .. to know what happened the night her brother went missing. She wants.. she needs to discover the secrets that no one will share with her.
You know what they say ... be careful what you wish for ...
Twists and turns around every corner swirl in and out of this well-written novel. It's a real page-turner, filled with lies, deceptions, and family secrets. The characters are well developed. The ending was unexpected and surprising.
Many thanks to the author for the digital copy of this psychological thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
October 9, 2021
What a great read that was. A bit of a slow starter for me, after a fast paced opening but as the family secrets are gradually revealed this is nail-biting. The book is very descriptive and characterisations are excellent. Grace’s mother has dementia and as someone who has been there the description of her personality and actions are all too real and raw. And Janine; oh my goodness what a horrible woman, I just wanted to slap her.
Briefly, Grace Cooper has recently been widowed, she rarely sees her adult children, her sister always makes her feel inadequate and her mother is in a care home with dementia. The family home belongs equally to herself and her sister so she decides to sell her city home, buy her sister out, and return ‘home’. But once she moves in she begins sleep walking again, something she hasn’t done for many years, and she starts to recall long hidden memories. Memories to do with the disappearance of her brother Simon and the death only a few months later of her father. Can Grace find out what happened to her brother? Or should she leave the past alone?
There are so many revelations in this book and a plethora of red herrings and in the main they fooled me.vv to look forward to. An enjoyable read and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Briefly, Grace Cooper has recently been widowed, she rarely sees her adult children, her sister always makes her feel inadequate and her mother is in a care home with dementia. The family home belongs equally to herself and her sister so she decides to sell her city home, buy her sister out, and return ‘home’. But once she moves in she begins sleep walking again, something she hasn’t done for many years, and she starts to recall long hidden memories. Memories to do with the disappearance of her brother Simon and the death only a few months later of her father. Can Grace find out what happened to her brother? Or should she leave the past alone?
There are so many revelations in this book and a plethora of red herrings and in the main they fooled me.vv to look forward to. An enjoyable read and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Read
September 15, 2021Grace Cooper has not had an easy life. A brother, Simon, vanished as a child without trace. Her father died as the result of an accident and her husband died suddenly in his sleep. Also, her mother has dementia and is in a care home. These events cause anguish and distress for Grace.
Grace decides to move back to her childhood home of Woodburn Cottage but this act in itself causes more problems. Grace experiences episodes of sleepwalking which she had experienced as a little girl.
Her sister, Kim, is married and Grace does not have an easy relationship with her, often feeling frustrated and, even, angry with her. A totally unexpected bombshell is dropped into the book, which sends Grace reeling.
Written in the first person, The Midnight Child is a cleverly written book which weaves several threads together. JA Baker's writing is highly descriptive resulting in a vivid portrayal of Grace and her intense emotions and issues. The book's ending is highly charged and leaves you with that "wow" feeling.
Grace decides to move back to her childhood home of Woodburn Cottage but this act in itself causes more problems. Grace experiences episodes of sleepwalking which she had experienced as a little girl.
Her sister, Kim, is married and Grace does not have an easy relationship with her, often feeling frustrated and, even, angry with her. A totally unexpected bombshell is dropped into the book, which sends Grace reeling.
Written in the first person, The Midnight Child is a cleverly written book which weaves several threads together. JA Baker's writing is highly descriptive resulting in a vivid portrayal of Grace and her intense emotions and issues. The book's ending is highly charged and leaves you with that "wow" feeling.
September 21, 2021
Grace Cooper moved back into her childhood home after the unexpected death of her husband. She had issues sleepwalking when she was a child in this house, but she is grown now and that shouldn't be a problem...until it is. What is causing her to start this up again? Is it the house that she loves so much? She is also determined to find out what happened to her brother. He just disappeared when she was young. The more she digs into her brother's unsolved case, the more strange things happen. Can she find the truth? The answer surprised me. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
October 26, 2021
J.A.Baker’s “The Midnight Child” is one more feather in her cap. Baker’s books begin deceptively calm, move slightly faster as the story unspools, and before you know it, you are chasing the pages, breathlessly wanting to know what happens next. It’s like she has you racing along with her, while staying just a few steps ahead of you.
Enjoyed the book.
4 Stars
Enjoyed the book.
4 Stars
October 30, 2021
After the death of her husband, Grace returns to her childhood home where she begins to sleepwalk, something she hasn't done for many years. Her brother Simon disappeared when they were kids and her dad died not long after. This story is full of secrets and lies, will Grace be able to work out what happened all those years ago. Brilliant book I highly recommend.
October 9, 2021
Yet another great book by this author. Families are full of secrets and lies and this family was no exception. Well-written characters intertwined with a suspenseful thrilling plot combine to make a story that will make you want to stay up late to finish. I received an advanced readers copy of this book.
October 23, 2021
A slow burner mystery suspense read. Grace is troubled by events from her past which causes her to sleepwalk. A very emotive part of the story is Grace's mother suffering from dementia, it was so well written. The tension increase with each chapter as Grace tries to find out what actually did happen all those years ago. A well written and descriptive read
October 20, 2021
JA Baker has woven a fab story here. The fine lines between the characters and their lives and the deep digging.
As always her book has had me lost in its pages.
As always her book has had me lost in its pages.
September 10, 2021
After Grace Cooper's husband dies, she decides to purchase and live in her old childhood home, Woodburn Cottage, to give herself peace to write ..When she begins to sleepwalk, something she did often as a child , faded memories begin to resurface. A long time ago in this same house her brother vanished in the night..With her mother being in Cherry Tree Home with advanced dementia, and her beautiful, at times overbearing sister being of no help , Grace sets out to find out what could have happened all those years ago ..But with the quicksilver memories of her childhood, that are swirling and cutting and grey ..What will Grace find when the snapshots of her past are brought to life ? .Shattering ..A Stunningly Crafted story ..An Outstanding read ..5 stars ..
October 10, 2021
Another fantastic read from this author,
October 4, 2021
Families with their secrets and lies - we all have them, although most of us don't have the consequences that Grace's character has to endure. Judith Baker has the great skill of being able to be so descriptive in her writing that everything and everyone is easy to visualise however it is never over described. The parts of the story which highlight this are the somnambulism of Grace, the main character, who having moved back to her childhood home finds herself getting out during the night which has been triggered by stress. You, as the reader, are able to feel how scared Grace is becoming with no control over this. Personally for me is her description of the mum who is suffering from dementia. The writing in these parts is so accurate with the mum going from happy go lucky to almost feral at times within seconds. She could be describing my late mother in law to a T in these passages. There is so much going on as happens within families but the story never loses its way. I would very much recommend this book.
Thanks to the author for the ARC to review.
Thanks to the author for the ARC to review.
October 6, 2021
I enjoyed this suspenseful story. This is not my first book by this author but it is one of my favorites by her yet. I enjoyed being pulled into the story from the beginning. I also enjoy how her writing skills and attention to details give her story a realistic feel as well as entertaining. This book is no different. It is a well written story about trama and a family that has a past. It is a fast paced story that is full of action and was hard to put down. I enjoyed the growth of the plot and characters throughout the story as well. This is a really great story that I enjoyed. The twists and turns take things to a new level. You don't want to miss this book for sure. I highly recommend this book.
December 17, 2021
Good story
This isn't quite the narrative I expected. A cold case, what did happen to Simon? A child goes missing in the dead of night, his younger sister haunted by his disappearance. Years later it still haunts her. The story is good but it lacks something. It didnt grip me enough to captivate me but I did need the answers and kept with it. The end seemed to be the place it all happened. Three and a half stars from me.
This isn't quite the narrative I expected. A cold case, what did happen to Simon? A child goes missing in the dead of night, his younger sister haunted by his disappearance. Years later it still haunts her. The story is good but it lacks something. It didnt grip me enough to captivate me but I did need the answers and kept with it. The end seemed to be the place it all happened. Three and a half stars from me.
November 3, 2021
Found this hard to get into but persevered and became gripped by the building mystery. I’m not a fan of books in the first person but this story could not be told in any other way. The frustration of trying to piece together a 40 year mystery is clear . The descriptions of dementia and it’s effects on a once healthy person are so real it’s scary and so true to life. Well worth a read.
October 7, 2021
This was a good read, steady to start with but boy when it picked up the pace it did so with great gusto. A dark story of families and the web of lies we can find ourselves caught up in, but also what lengths we go to protect the ones we love.
September 23, 2021
4 1/2 stars
October 13, 2021
A big flop
Couldn’t even get past first few chapters. Ended up returning book as just couldn’t get into it and ended up borrowing another book
Couldn’t even get past first few chapters. Ended up returning book as just couldn’t get into it and ended up borrowing another book
January 11, 2025
Another absorbing and suspenseful thriller from J A Baker.
I couldn't put it down.
I couldn't put it down.
October 4, 2021
An incredibly emotive read.
Grace has already lost her brother at a young age, her father not long after that, and then her beloved husband Warren. Her mother is in a nursing home suffering with dementia, who most of the time doesn’t even recognise her or her sister Kim.
With all she is having to deal with would think that is enough but since moving back to her childhood home, Grace is sleepwalking again. But are they dreams or deeply hidden memories?
As Grace's story unfolds you will find yourself unable to put this book down.
Even as it was nearing the end and I had guessed where we were being taken, I wasn’t prepared for the range of emotions that I felt as the book came to its conclusion.
The author draws you in slowly with her words, and in parts will have you speed-reading to get to the next part. It is an emotive subject that she has written in such an incredible way you will be feeling anger then trying to hold back your tears as it nears its conclusion.
Grace has already lost her brother at a young age, her father not long after that, and then her beloved husband Warren. Her mother is in a nursing home suffering with dementia, who most of the time doesn’t even recognise her or her sister Kim.
With all she is having to deal with would think that is enough but since moving back to her childhood home, Grace is sleepwalking again. But are they dreams or deeply hidden memories?
As Grace's story unfolds you will find yourself unable to put this book down.
Even as it was nearing the end and I had guessed where we were being taken, I wasn’t prepared for the range of emotions that I felt as the book came to its conclusion.
The author draws you in slowly with her words, and in parts will have you speed-reading to get to the next part. It is an emotive subject that she has written in such an incredible way you will be feeling anger then trying to hold back your tears as it nears its conclusion.
October 5, 2021
When Grace's husband dies and she decides to buy her old childhood home not only does she have to deal with her recent loss but the memories of her brother disappearing from the house when she was six years old. Not surprisingly considering her emotional state, Grace starts to sleepwalk just as she did as a child and old memories start to resurface. The Midnight Child captures the atmosphere of living alone in a house full of sad memories and Grace's struggle with her disrupted sleep, often finding herself outside in the garden. Everyone seems to know more than they are telling Grace and as she tries to find out what happened to her brother more family secrets are about to unfold.
A wonderful, atmospheric book with really well written characters.
Thank you Bloodhound Books for an ARC of The Midnight Child.
A wonderful, atmospheric book with really well written characters.
Thank you Bloodhound Books for an ARC of The Midnight Child.
October 6, 2021
Very well written suspense and psychological thriller, I couldn't put it down, had to continue reading until the last word of the book.
With one unexpected twist and some hard truths the author has been able to write a book that will keep you thinking about it even after you finish reading it.
A page turner, with lots of family lies, deceits, heartbreak and good character development it will make you feel sad, despair and anger, especially when you come near to the end of the book.
I highly recommend it.
With one unexpected twist and some hard truths the author has been able to write a book that will keep you thinking about it even after you finish reading it.
A page turner, with lots of family lies, deceits, heartbreak and good character development it will make you feel sad, despair and anger, especially when you come near to the end of the book.
I highly recommend it.
February 16, 2022
Wonderful narrative. Loved it.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews