Ten years after the Midnight House Massacre, Margot finds herself back at Oxford University. The night of the massacre, five of Margot's friends were brutally murdered, leaving her as one of three survivors. Being a writer, Margot feels compelled to finally share her side of the story.
Overall, the story itself was good. I enjoyed the flashbacks and how it gave insight as to what truly happened leading up to that horrible night. Unfortunately, the writing seemed a little repetitive. Some ideas nd details were brought up a number of times, like the mention of Margot digging her nails into her skin. There were quite a few twists, with the very last one being the best!

Thank you NetGalley and Emma Dues for this read!

This was a really well done novel, it had that tense atmosphere that I was looking for and enjoyed how well everything fit with the world. The characters were overall everything that I was hoping for and thought they were realistic. It had a great amount of secrets and thought it was a overall great story. I enjoyed the way Emma Dues wrote this and can’t wait to read more.

Almost a decade has passed since a harrowing tragedy struck an off-campus Victorian home, resulting in the deaths of five Ohio university students. This haunting incident was branded the Midnight House Massacre. Margot Davis, both a survivor and a novelist, has strived to repress the memories, avoiding any mention of the perpetrator's name. Yet, she feels compelled to document her account, leading her back to the ominous Midnight House.

The novel's atmospheric and foreboding tone held me captivated, keeping me on tenterhooks throughout. Told through dual timelines—one unfolding before the massacre and the other in the present day as Margot seeks answers—the story brims with tension. While each character seems to possess a motive for the murders, the actual truth remains an elusive mystery that defied my expectations.

The narrative weaves a complex web of hidden truths, surprising twists, and turns that continually challenge and redirect the reader's assumptions—a narrative approach that I found deeply engaging. The mounting suspense was tangible, compelling me to resist putting the book down.

I extend my thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for granting me access to this captivating tale.

This was really well written, I absolutely loved this story! If you love murder mysteries then this is the book for you! I loved how the main character was authentic in the end and she owned up to her part in the tragedy that occurred.

An enjoyable debut thriller from Emma Dues! I didn’t find the resolution or twists totally revolutionary but it was fast paced/ multi timeline/ unreliable narrator which are all elements I enjoy in this genre!

Gorgeous writing. Impeccable storytelling. A thrilling ride. What's not to love? A fantastic debut by Emma Dues!

Loved this book! Normally I struggle with the jumping around story lines but this was easy to keep up with! I liked that there were so many suspects to keep you guessing. The only reason I gave this a 4 star review was that I was able to figure out who it was early on as I always suspect the innocent, nice one trying to get close to the group, but also having some type of history (I read a lot of crime and thrillers). I, also, figured out that there was something hidden in the walls that allowed someone to get inside early on as well. However, the way the book was written to reveal who it was, trying to throw you off with the father, I found very clever. And what happened to Cooper I feel like was a great way to throw off readers as well! Overall it was a great book and I would definitely recommend it! (In fact, I already have a few friends reading it now!)

This book kept me reading and reading. While the main character is unreliable and this has been done a lot lately I still enjoyed Margot. There are lots of suspenseful scenes and a few good twists and just wanted to know what happened. This is a great debut novel!

I has the pleasure of receiving an ARC for Return to Midnight by Emma Dues.

First and foremost, I loved the vibes of this book. It takes place during Spooky Season, and all I wanted was to be surrounded by pumpkins, candles, and cozy blankets while reading this. Emma does a great job of really setting the tone for this story, adding an air of eeriness at every turn.

I found the story itself very gripping. I love dual-timeline novels, especially in thrillers. I also really enjoyed Margot's character, and despite wanting her to succeed, still wasn't sure I could completely trust her (which goes the same for all the characters). I love a good unreliable narrator, and this one certainly delivers.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It's a great debut, and I'm looking forward to reading more of Emma's work.

This is the kind of book when you say “just one more chapter” and you end up reading it in one setting.

This book has a creepy and dark setting that kept me at the edge of my seat the whole time. It’s told in 2 different timelines, one leading up to the massacre and one year after as Margot is still trying to uncover and understand what really happened that night. Everyone had a motive for the murders but I would’ve never guessed how it actually all happened.

There were so many secrets and twists and turns that everytime you feel like you got it right it takes you to a completely different path and I love that. The tension building was insane, I truly couldn’t put this book down.

I can’t wait to read more from this author.

4.75 stars.*

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for a digital ARC copy.

#ReturnToMidnight #NetGalley

3.5

this one was complicated. it almost put me in a slump, but i enjoyed the writing in general, more specifically the descriptions. the dialogue felt a bit cringe and corny at times, relying too much on cartoonish villain explanations near the end like the author forgot she needed the audience to get some kind of closure. tropes are fine, but you also need to rely on the strength of your characters and your plot, not just other devices.

as a character, margot was fine. she wasn't annoying, albeit jaded, and i could definitely feel her emotions, particularly her grief. her relationship with her mother is the true highlight of this book and i would have liked to see it be explored a bit more.

I found this book to be a little under developed, The ballet subplot was interesting as was the creepy house the murders happened in but nothing really pulled together. Even though there were chapters about the events leading up to the murders no one really felt like a real person so it was hard to tell when someone was acting out of character or even what was going on since they were so interchangable.

There were also so few characters, there was really only one outcome of the book that made sense

Almost 10 years on from a brutal massacre at the house she shared with other students, Margot is returning to the scene of the crime in order to lay the ghosts of that terrible night. Five students were killed at Midnight House in Ohio on that occasion, in what was dubbed the Midnight Massacre.

One of Margot's intentions in revisiting the place is to connect with other survivors, to finally heal, and to write her version of events, supposedly to dispel the conspiracy theories and wild accusations from armchair sleuths.

Except that Margot is not a reliable narrator - so how much of her version can be trusted? And just what does the person sending her anonymous warning notes and accusing her of lying actually know about what really happened that night?

This is an enjoyable read written by an engrossing storyteller. If you are interested in hearing the (possibly fast and loose) version of this particular last girl's story of the night in question, check this book out. It gets 3.5 stars.

I read thrillers for the plot. With middling frequency I'll read other genres - a little gay litfic, a bit of horror here and there - but too often I find myself missing the propulsive tumbling of events, the short cliffhanger-y chapters, the twisty ways things come together at the end that make up the best thrillers. One drawback is that more often than you'd hope character is sacrificed on that plot altar, with characters behaving in strange, unrealistic ways for the sake of making a plot point happen.

In this book, the main character Margot returns to the scene of the crime that changed her life. She's hosted there by two of her fellow survivors who now own the house where their friends were murdered. She wants closure. She wants to figure out what REALLY happened. She hasn't talked to these friends in years - they let her stay anyway, but then refuse to talk at all about what happened. In fact, they don't even really hang out at all, or act as hosts. Margot is just, like, there. At one point they leave her there alone for a night, explaining that they didn't think she'd be there for that long (it's been less than a week at this point, also, sorry, you didn't know how long you were going to have a houseguest?).

These things happen, ultimately, because Margot needed to be at the house to figure things out, and she also needed a night there alone (well, with her bad idea hookup) so more creepy stuff could happen. It makes no sense that her former friends would let her stay there at all when they clearly don't even want to interact with her. It makes no sense that they'd leave her alone there - seriously, she lives one whole hour away. Girl, go sleep in your own bed.

This can lead to characters that feel more like paper dolls placed where you put them rather than real people. And this is unfortunate, because this book had all the other ingredients that make for a good thriller. Just give me some characters who act like actual human beings, please!!

My thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the ARC.

Such an awesome thriller! There were so many twists and turns, and it kept my attention the whole time. Definitely pick this one up!

Return to Midnight deftly layers atmospheric creepiness with sinister betrayal in this page-turning debut where past and present collide. Emma Dues will have you side-eyeing everyone, trusting no one, and desperately seeking answers—this is an author to watch!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

This is definitely a solid vacation read -- something you could quickly and easily devour on the beach. I did fly through it; the story was engaging and Dues flip flops between past and present very well. I never felt confused or lost. That being said -- the grand reveal at the end was somewhat lacking. I don't know what I was expecting but it wasn't that. It could just be a me thing though and totally work for others!

I did really enjoy this though and I will be on the lookout for more of her books.

I was really into this one when it started. I loved the Final Girl-type angle and the back-and-forth in time (which I don't always enjoy) worked well as far as setting up tension and establishing an eerie sense of impending doom. But after a while I simply could not believe that Margot would continually behave as she did, after surviving such a horrible event. She seemed to have no common sense, no sense of self-preservation, and no consideration for the danger she kept throwing herself in the direct path of repeatedly. Suspension of disbelief is one thing, but honestly - at some point I started finding myself rooting AGAINST her, and that's when I knew it had jumped the shark for me... This wasn't a good fit for me as a reader, although from the reviews it appears most people don't feel the same way. I did really like the set-up here, but that just wasn't enough to hold my interest.

I love a good thriller, and I’m impressed that this is the author’s debut novel. Return to Midnight tells the story of Margot, a woman who survived a massacre at her college residence. It’s nearly ten years later and she has returned to finish up her book she’s been writing about the tragic murders.

Margot’s love Aaron was sentenced to prison for the murders, but did he actually do it? There’s also secrets that Margot has been keeping along with fellow survivors Remi and Kyle.

There were fun twists and turns but the end did feel a bit predictable.

Thanks as always to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thanks Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for this ARC.
It’s hard to review a whodunnit , a suspense / thriller without spoilers so I’ll first list the premise

**On the anniversary of a savage mass murder, a survivor returns to the scene of the crime—and all its buried secrets—in a twisting novel of suspense.

Nearly ten years ago, five Ohio university students were murdered in an off-campus Victorian home. The media dubbed it the Midnight House Massacre. Ever since, survivor and novelist Margot Davis has wanted to forget it, and never again utter the killer’s name. Until she’s compelled to write her side of the story. To do that, she’s returning to Midnight House.

It’ll be a chance for Margot to reconnect with other survivors, heal the trauma, and dispel the ugly conspiracy theories of obsessed true crime fanatics. But when news of Margot’s book gets out, she receives a threatening note that demands she stop lying. Or else. It chills Margot’s blood. Because she hasn’t been telling the whole truth.

As the threats continue, each more sinister than the last, a journalist comes to Margot with new suspicions about that brutal October night. Now, to save her own life, Margot must reveal her well-guarded secrets—ones that, for good reason, she’s been too terrified to share.**


Emma Dues is an author whose work is new to me, and I have to say- IM A FAN!

At every stage in this book just when you think you might be able to figure out where the plot is heading, you’re in for a twist. With more hairpin bends than a hairpin… I couldn’t put Return to Midnight down - I just had to read it all in one sitting!