Midnight Clear

Callahan Garrity Mystery #7

by Kathy Hogan Trocheck

When his shrewish wife is found murdered just before Christmas, Callahan Garrity's estranged brother goes on the lam, leaving her with the daughter he has kidnapped and the hope of clearing his name. Reissue.

Genres: Mystery, Christmas, Audiobook, Fiction, Holiday, Cozy Mystery, Southern

400 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 12, 1998

About the author

aka Mary Kay Andrews

Kathy Hogan Trocheck is the author of critically acclaimed mysteries, including the Callahan Garrity mystery series. A former reporter for the Atlanta Journal Constitution, she is also the author of Little Bitty Lies and the Edgar®- and Macavity-nominated Savannah Blues, under the name Mary Kay Andrews.

Reviews

[Cammie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I chose this holiday themed mystery to occupy my time between Christmas and the New Year holidays and to round out my reading for the year and I was sucked into the story way more than I expected. I also didn't realize that it was part of a series so now I have to decide if I will go back to read the first 6 books in the series and any others that follow.
I was expecting a Christmas mystery and got so much more: a child custody dispute, a deadbeat father trying to redeem himself, a young mother whose been murdered, and the holidays....

[Taury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Midnight Clear by Mary Kay Andrews is a novel that blends holiday an exciting murder mystery. Nothing says Christmas like a good murder at Christmas.
The story follows two estranged sisters who reunite just before Christmas. Filled with family drama, humor, and a bit of romance. Sometimes all you need is a little forgiveness with a second chance. Though a bit predictable, it was a quick read and different from the authors other novels I have previously read.

[Madeline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this story.

It wasn’t the typical sappy Christmas story that I love to read, but more true to life.

But still the ending gave me the happy, warm, feelings that I enjoy.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm almost certain I read this book in its first publication under the author's other name, Kathy Hogan Trocheck. So if you, like me, have a little trouble remembering titles after 10 or more years have gone by, check before buying. However, if you haven't read the Callahan Garrity series by Trocheck, which are now being republished in paperback as by Mary Kay Andrews, you are in for a treat and I highly recommend it. All the great humor and characters you love in Andrews' books, with a little more detective work, and some urban grit since they're set in Atlanta.

(In fact I had read this in 2005; one comment from that reading was that this and the following book were a bit darker in tone than the earlier ones in the series).

[✨Susan✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light murder mystery surrounded by the custody of a child. Not really a Christmas book but it was timed around the Holiday Season. A Mother-in-Law takes on the responsibility of protecting her granddaughter from her Mother, who has less than any moral compass when it comes to the welfare of her child. When the Mother is found murdered everyone involved in the sweet child's life becomes a suspect.

Callahan Garity, her aunt, is a retired PD officer and private detective so understandably she is on the case to clear her family and protect her niece. Corruption and unsolved murders start cropping up while she is conducting her investigation. A pretty good mystery with real characters. Hillary Huber's good narration added to the story and took it from a 3 to a 4 for me.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took some time to decide on this rating .. yes, I would read it again .. plus it came at the right time.
I hadn’t read a Callahan book in a long time and this one was centered on her immediate family and highlighted her best as a character.
(Found out that this author morphed into Mary Kay Andrews too.)
I have read most of this “House Mouse”series .. but out of order and over many years. Hopefully I can do an orderly read soon.
Her brother Brian is an unforgettable character.
Totally surprising plot .. I never was sure about specifics until the very end and the author’s nice “wrap-up”.
Wrong cover on this review. Red Harper paperback cover with Christmas tree by Kathy Hogan Trocheck is edition I read.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Number 7 in a wonderful series.... on to the next.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fun, action-packed mystery solved by former cop turned private detective & entrepreneur, Callahan Garrity, and her quirky Southern crew!

[Kenya | Reviews May Vary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it. It was fine. I think we are supposed to excuse the annoying, busy body nature of the main character because of the generally happy ending... but I don't.

[Trisha · Rating 1 out of 5]

Maybe it was starting this one so late in the series (#7 and all...) but I just did not enjoy this one. It was nice that it took place in Georgia so I recognized a few of the location. But I didn't find the characters believable or likable and I found so many pieces of the mystery to be over the top silly. I wish I'd liked it more but I don't plan to read more of this series.

[Amara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't grip me. I did appreciate the treatment of the difficult issue of children and unfit mothers/parents. So tricky---for of course the child still loves the mom or dad. The mystery wasn't much, and I wasn't having much fun being with Callahan in this one. I need the humor to get me through and it was pretty sparse here.

[Sherri Robinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't like it as much as the rest of the books in the series. Maybe because it was a family drama than House Mouse cozy. Sister and Baby just did walk on parts. The supporting characters of Baby, Sister, Neva Jean, Swanelle, added such a richness to the books. Edna's, my baby boy can do no wrong, got old.

[Susan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absurd. Listened to end. Ridiculous. The voice of Edna was irritating, over acted. Believe me sometimes I like just a light story and that is what I expected. But the story line was insulting. I have never posted such a low rating, but save yourselves!

[Trisia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the best of the series!

[Julie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Heartwarming and hilarious??? Who the hell wrote this blurb!?

Her brother is such a repugnant character that I didn’t care if he was innocent or not because he was such a disgusting idiot.

[Esther Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started this book looking for a Christmas story. This was not really that, so the title is def misleading. Yes, Christmas lights are mentioned and there is a mass attended at the end, but other than that, don’t pick this one up if you’re looking for a feel-good MKA story. In fact, this novel was actually relatively gritty and unlike anything else I’ve read by her. Murder, prostitution, poverty/homelessness - it’s all in there. BUT…….i actually still really liked it! It was an easy page-turner but it was still a smart mystery that I didn’t know who the guilty party was until the very end. If you approach this book without thinking you’re reading a typical holiday feel-good, and you’re open to a little more edge, I feel like this book delivered.

[Tama]

Good little fun Christmas mystery that is part of the Callahan Garrity (PI) mystery series. I would like to say it was lighthearted, but the book dealt with multiple serious issues and was fairly descriptive in terms of the murder scene. Included in this story were domestic violence, child custody, family dynamics and dysfunction, friendship, and an ending that made me stay up and read until I finished the book. Lightly centered around Christmas week, so there were also elements of what happens in the world during this time, including office parties that slow down productivity, traffic jams, and even a special Christmas gift. No spoiler here, so I will not say who the gift was for.

[thebrunettebookjunkie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this earlier book by MKA. It was a fun read with a realistic ending. And, honestly, I kept guessing at who the killer was actually going to be or how everyone was involved. I liked the twist at the end as well but I think my favorite thing might have been the blast from the past as this book was originally released in the late 90s. Also, as a person from Georgia it was fun to see a bit of my own small, hometown mentioned in the book.

[Cora Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was way more family oriented and developed the story of mom and daughter and their family dynamics. It was like going inside their mind and explained a lot of their relationship. We finally learn more about the long lost brother and are introduced to Maura his daughter.
This series gets better with every book!

[Donna Huber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was looking for more Christmas stories from Mary Kay Andrews and this is one that my digital library had but it isn't really a Christmas story. It is set at Christmas and it is about family, but it is also about a custody dispute and murder. I have not read this series but this book felt like a standalone novel. I enjoyed the mystery and the characters.

[Juliana Kulak · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

[Michele]

3.5

[Chris Lake · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was gonna be a romantical xmas story so i put it off for a while. NOPE! Great read

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little long in the middle but this was great. I love that it was a completely different type of Christmas story. Wowza

[Alysia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, Snap.
4 Stars.
Something a little different for Christmas.

[Anne Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE this author and I LOVE Hillary Huber's amazing ability to sound like all the characters!!! I've listened to almost every book in this series and I'm never disappointed. Warning- this book does have some bad language. No explicit sex scenes. Just so you will know what to expect. I normally am offended by bad language and this series doesn't usually have a lot of it. This book deals with a lowlife brother and the language is pretty much isolated to his rants. It serves to make Jules' brother seem like a scumbag, which Brian is. This is the only part of the story I had an issue with, in that I didn't feel very sympathetic to Brian's plight. I didn't think he deserved to have custody of his little girl. I want to shake him until his teeth rattled. Pure full grown brat of a man. Ugh. But that's real life, so I'm glad Andrews is able to make him an authentic " lost Peter Pan" character. She did a good job of making him unlikeable.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just really didn’t like the characters and everyone was so flawed that I found it super frustrating and just unsatisfying.

[Jaycee Lasater · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not a typical lighthearted Christmas read. More like a murder mystery. My fault for not reading the synopsis.

[Erin L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of the audiobook.

This is the second last book in the series and it makes me quite sad that the series is ending. The characters are great, the plots change with each book - this one involves a custody battle along with past and present murders. While sometimes you get a good idea of WHO, you don't know why so it leaves you questioning what you believe.

This is just a good, strong series of mysteries.

[Norma · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love Mary Kay Andrews, but this book is awful. I got it on Audible, and it got good reviews. But those people must be listening to a different book than me. I only really like one character, the mom - she’s a hoot - and when you don’t like the lead character that’s a problem. I just cannot continue listening.