Middle of the Night

Middle of the Night 

Middle of the Night is the latest novel from bestselling author Riley Sager to be checked off my to be read list. I am impatiently waiting for the release of his newest novel, The Unknown, and while waiting I decided it was time to check all of his other novels off my to be read list. 

This year I’ve decided that life is too short to read bad books. Which is why I’ve decided to really put in the effort to check several of my favorites completely off my to be read list until they release more novels. 

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For me, Riley Sager is pretty high on the list of my favorites. I never know where his stories will take me, because they are anything but predictable. Every time I think I have it all figured out, I’m dead wrong. This makes reading his novels a really fun and interesting adventure. 

Do you have any favorite authors that you have read all of their books? If so, please tell me about them in the comments. I would love to hear who is at the top of your lists. 

Have you read Middle of the Night? Come on in and let me tell you about it! 

About Middle of the Night 

In the latest jaw-dropping thriller from New York Times bestselling author Riley Sager, a man must contend with the long-ago disappearance of his childhood best friend—and the dark secrets lurking just beyond the safe confines of his picture-perfect neighborhood.

The worst thing to ever happen on Hemlock Circle occurred in Ethan Marsh’s backyard. One July night, ten-year-old Ethan and his best friend and neighbor, Billy, fell asleep in a tent set up on a manicured lawn in a quiet, quaint New Jersey cul-de-sac. In the morning, Ethan woke up alone. During the night, someone had sliced the tent open with a knife and taken Billy. He was never seen again.

Thirty years later, Ethan has reluctantly returned to his childhood home. Plagued by bad dreams and insomnia, he begins to notice strange things happening in the middle of the night. Someone seems to be roaming the cul-de-sac at odd hours, and signs of Billy’s presence keep appearing in Ethan’s backyard. Is someone playing a cruel prank? Or has Billy, long thought to be dead, somehow returned to Hemlock Circle?

The mysterious occurrences prompt Ethan to investigate what really happened that night, a quest that reunites him with former friends and neighbors and leads him into the woods that surround Hemlock Circle. Woods where Billy claimed ghosts roamed and where a mysterious institute does clandestine research on a crumbling estate.  

The closer Ethan gets to the truth, the more he realizes that no place—be it quiet forest or suburban street—is completely safe. And that the past has a way of haunting the present. 

Thoughts on Middle of the Night 

“Something most people don’t realize until they’re older. But everyone is a little weird. Some people hide it more than others, but it’s true. Everyone is weird.” 

Riley Sager, Middle of the Night

In Middle of the Night we meet Ethan Marsh. Ethan moves back into his childhood home after running away for some thirty years after his friend was kidnapped and supposedly murdered. Missing for that length of time almost always means death, so it is hard to have any hope for a happy ending. 

This brings up a million questions. Is Billy alive and at ten years old decided to walk away from his life? Was he kidnapped and murdered? Is he a prisoner somewhere? If you’ve watched any amount of true crime shows, it is all possible. Which makes the mind go wandering throughout the book. 

What I love about this story is the way Riley Sager builds atmosphere and suspense. There was a whole vibe that was brilliantly built here. The vibe and the way it was built here reminded me of Mexican Gothic and the way Silvia Moreno-Garcia built her atmosphere based around a house. Riley Sager built his around a neighborhood cul-de-sac here. But that takes talent, and something not every author can do. But Sager does it well in this story. 

We’ve all experienced something traumatic in our lives that completely changed who we are, and likely still carry that with us many years later. In this case it was the disappearance of Billy for Ethan. This is something we can all relate to. Obviously the circumstances are different for everyone, but we’ve all experienced that kind of trauma at least once in our lives. This made it easy to relate to Ethan throughout the book. 

Why wasn’t Ethan taken as well? How was he special in that he’s still alive and well? Was he the intended target? There are a million questions that as the book progressed, I found myself needing to find out all the answers. Which is what kept me reading and wanting to know more. 

Middle of the Night was a brilliantly built story that had me captivated from the beginning to the end. I found I was especially happy with this in comparison to reading Final Girls as my last Riley Sager novel. 

Final Thoughts on Middle of the Night 

“In my experience, men who say they want the truth end up wishing they had settled for the lie.” 

Riley Sager, Middle of the Night

I’m calling Middle of the Night a five star read. This is one that is going to stick with me for quite some time. It also makes me really stop and look around at the people around me, my neighbors, my friends, and family. 

There are no villains in this story, and no heroes either. Just a neighborhood group of flawed people. Some are obviously more flawed than others. But they felt real, because we’ve all known people exactly like the characters in this story. 

I may be comparing here, but I’m noticing more and more how characters feel real instead of made up. This is especially true after reading Daisy Jones and The Six. I had the same feelings when I finished Middle of the Night. 

I think so often these days that as a reader, I expect shock value at the end, and some authors cater to that by giving us almost stupid level endings that wouldn’t happen in a million years. But Riley Sager doesn’t do that. He gives something far more real and relatable in this story, and I appreciate that fact. 

It is an emotional and gripping mystery about grief, letting go, and healing after trauma by facing their fears, secrets, and the past. 

I was saddened when I found out what happened to Billy. I was also somewhat healed by Ethan’s character development along the way, and especially at the end. This is a story that will break and heal the reader in a span of just a few chapters at the end. 

This is my second to last Riley Sager novel to be checked off my to be read list until he releases The Unknown, and I’m so glad I picked this one to read. Next on my list is The Only One Left. If you are a Riley Sager fan, keep an eye out here in my blog for that review coming next. 

Discussion 

Have you read Middle of the Night or any other Riley Sager novels? Are you a fan? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! 

Middle of the Night Discussion Questions 

• How does the setting of a suburban cul-de-sac contribute to the atmosphere and themes of the novel? What does it symbolize? 
• Discuss the dual timeline structure of the novel. How does shifting between past and present enhance the storytelling and build suspense?
• In addition to the dual timeline, the novel is told from the point of view of multiple people in the neighborhood. Did you enjoy hearing from multiple perspectives? Whose voice did you most enjoy inhabiting? 
• Ethan is haunted by Billy’s disappearance for 30 years. How has this trauma shaped his life and relationships? Do you think his reactions and struggles are realistic? 
• Several characters from Ethan’s childhood have returned to or remained in Hemlock Circle as adults. What might this suggest about the impact of Billy’s disappearance on the community? 
• The novel touches on themes of childhood friendship, growing up, and nostalgia. How does Sager portray the complexities of these experiences? 
• Discuss the supernatural elements in the story. How do they contribute to the overall mystery and atmosphere? 
• What role does grief play in the novel? How do different characters cope with loss and unanswered questions? 
• This book has been described as both a thriller and an emotional exploration of trauma. How does Sager balance these elements? 
• Without spoiling the ending, were you surprised by the final revelations? How did they impact your understanding of the story and characters? 
• Compare this book to other Riley Sager novels you may have read. How does it fit into his body of work? What makes it unique? 

About the Author 

Riley Sager is the New York Times bestselling author of six novels, most recently Home Before Dark and Survive the Night. His first novel, Final Girls, has been published in 30 countries and won the ITW Thriller Award for Best Hardcover Novel. His latest book, The House Across the Lake, will be published in 2022 by Dutton Books.

A native of Pennsylvania, he now lives in Princeton, New Jersey. When he’s not writing, he enjoys reading, cooking and going to the movies as much as possible. His favorite film is “Rear Window.” Or maybe “Jaws.” But probably, if he’s being honest, “Mary Poppins.” 

Purchasing Middle of the Night 

• If you are interested in buying the paperback version of Middle of the Night, click here.
• For the hardcover version, click here. 
• Click here for the Kindle version.
• Click here for my favorite Kindle I currently own.

More from Riley Sager 

Did you enjoy my review of Middle of the Night? Need another great Riley Sager novel? Here are my favorites! 

• Final Girls 
• The Last Time I Lied 
• Lock Every Door 
• Home Before Dark 
• Survive the Night 
• The House Across the Lake 
• The Only One Left 
• Middle of the Night 
• With a Vengeance 
• The Unknown

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