This book - it was so promising. I enjoyed the dual timelines. I enjoyed the mystery and the slow unraveling of details. But I felt like threads that were hinted at were never fully explores, like when the protagonist determined she needed to find the killer only to "interview" one group of women and then essentially stopped her investigation. Also, the ending was...something else. If I referenced a movie, you'd know exactly how it ended. And it was not what I expected and too abrupt for my taste. Overall, I like the book until the last few pages.

I'm definitely comfortable saying this is an improvement from her last book (which I kind of hated a bit, really), but I'm not totally converted yet. There remains something not quite right, although whatever it is is much more manageable than it was in her previous work.

It’s the small town of nightmares. Ruth is the over protected daughter of a fire and brimstone preacher who runs the town with the fear of shunning and hell. Ruth and her best friend, Everett, are connected by a secret that has threatened to be discovered. Together they must discover if there is a killer on the loose to protect themselves and their town. This a dark tale weaving power, money, and a twisted belief of god. Overall, a great story but tended to get long.

While I love Ashley Winstead's novels to death, Midnight is the Darkest Hour ended up being too much for me to read. I felt very squeamish while reading, which means that Winstead did her job well creating an atmospheric tale! The take on Southern courting only and Twilight tie ins felt realistic and set the stage. However; I couldn't finish the novel at the forty percent mark due to the trigger warnings taking a hit.

Wow, what a ride! I had so much fun reading this. I was torn between wanting to binge read because I couldn’t put it down and wanting to savor it because I wasn’t ready for it to be over. Thank you so much Sourcebooks for making my week by blessing me with an early copy of this.

I have six major points I jotted down:
1. Fundamentalism is wild
2. Thank god I wasn’t raised by a zealot
3. Everett is a babe
4. Could we have just not included so much Twilight? Maybe I don’t get it because I’m not a Twilight girlie, but I generally don’t love excessive pop culture references in any book I read. She does explain the point of this in her ‘Conversation with the Author,’ which I did appreciate and it did make sense. But still.
5. I loved how the mystery slowly unraveled for the reader with no left-field plot twists placed simply for shock value. The reader is given all the pieces to this puzzle.
6. THAT ENDING

Ashley Winstead has delivered 3 thrillers that are all bangers and so different from each other. From dark academia to crazy cults to southern gothics… is there anything she can’t do? Plus, her morally grey characters are truly unmatched. I’m just completely enamored with her writing. Midnight in particular is incredibly atmospheric and the perfect creepy small town read.

This one is darker than In My Dreams I Hold a Knife, but not nearly as dark and disturbing as The Last Housewife. If you liked her other two thrillers, you’ll enjoy this one. If you haven’t picked up a book by her, what the heck are you waiting for? Already looking forward to what she writes next!

Welcome to Ashley Winstead's dark, sinister, complex, mind-bending, and bleak universe. It's an eerie small community with cultish, witchery, and demonic vibes, and it features a heart-wrenching love story between two outsiders: the preacher's daughter and the devil's son. This book draws reminiscences of M. Night Shyamalan's "The Village" mixed with the thrilling elements of "Bonnie & Clyde."

Pietism, blind faith, and narrow-mindedness permeate the core of Bottom Springs, where Pastor James Cornier's opinions hold more power than any law enforcement. He is curtsied and worshipped by the entire town, and his words are listened to with awe.

Ruth Cornier, the preacher's daughter, has always been an outsider and has never fulfilled her father's high expectations of becoming an exemplary Christian. Trapped in this town for a long time, she hides behind the facade of a shy, obedient, and naive librarian. However, instead of losing herself in the various universes of books, the only thing that liberates her from becoming a sheep in the town's flock is her sacred friendship with Everett Duncan, the Devil's son. Everett, dressed in ratty clothes and bearing an intense stare, follows in the footsteps of his father, one of the town's chief church-shirkers.

Their shared interest in getting lost in fictional worlds by burying their heads in books is not the only thing that makes them inseparable. They also share a dangerous secret: something very bad happened on the day Ruth dreamt of getting her first kiss during her first date. The night turned out to be far more unexpected and traumatic than she had anticipated.

Now Sheriff Thomas Theriot and his deputies have discovered a skull in Starry Swamp, belonging to a male aged twenty-five to fifty. The fracturing on the bone indicates blunt-force trauma. This earth-shattering news isn't the only shock the townies receive; satanic symbols are also found carved around the area where the skull was discovered.

Luckily, Everett, Ruth's secret keeper and best friend (and perhaps more than that), returns to town as if he has sensed trouble brewing. Their first thought is that they might get caught for the accidental murder they committed. However, as the victim's identity is revealed and another skull is found, they realize that things are far more complex than they had imagined. They find themselves in the middle of an investigation that may lead them to face the most frightening urban legend of all: Low Man, a nightmarish creature that takes the form of a beautiful man. Low Man is a trap for sinners, capable of seeing into their hearts and revealing their true wickedness. He slips in through their windows, sinking his fangs into their necks to take not only their lives but also their souls.

As Ruth and Everett delve into the mysteries of the town, the ugly face of Bottom Springs, created by its distorted "good" citizens, slaps them in the face as yet another layer of hidden truth is revealed.

The twists in this book are well executed, unpredictable, and leave readers feeling as if the rug has been pulled out from under them.

The conclusion of the story and that ending... Dear Ashley Winstead knows how to write an impactful and epic ending that takes readers' breath away. She literally left me breathless!

She is one of those brilliant authors who can play with the strings of our hearts by writing addictive romance books. Yet, she can effortlessly delve into the dark side and deliver twisty, dark, and shocking psychological thrillers like this one. This book has earned my full five stars, and I highly recommend reading it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for sharing this thrilling read's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest review.

The perfect southern gothic, thriller with alot of heart break. I loved loved loved the setting, characters, and twilight references!!! The ending had me screaming! Would be the perfect read for fall.

Well, move over, The Last Housewife, I have a new favorite @ashleywinsteadbooks!!

I did not want this book to end, but that ending tho… (iykyk) 🫣 I absolutely loved this book, the MC Ruth was so likeable, I mean, anyone who loves Twilight and Edward Cullen is alright with me. I loved all the twilight references, and for a minute I felt like I was reading an adult version of it? If that makes sense? Also, Ever is my new book boyfriend. I said what I said.

Read this book! It was dark and page turning and everything we love about an Ashley Winstead book! Publishing in October, mark those calendars!

Thank you @netgalley and @bookmarked for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Just perfection and I’m amazed at Ashley’s writing and genius. Couldn’t put this one down and I cannot believe we have to wait until October for this one to release?!

Initial non-spoilery thoughts:
• i was so sucked into the story I didn’t even have time to guess who did what. And that’s my favorite thing in a thriller
• there was ROMANCE! Who knew I’d gain a book boyfriend out of a thriller?!
• the twilight references were sending me and were super nostalgic
• i grew up in the church and it was genuinely so triggering to read this and the horrific backward ways people view the world and how women should be treated 🤮
• the ENDING was everything. Literally edge of your seat for the last 20%

I probably have more thoughts but that’s everything at the top of my brain and I can’t wait to write a full review on my bookstagram —> @me_myshelfandi 🤗

It was a genuine fun read while also sticking to the thriller genre of murder, mystery and creepy religious rituals. and that ending! A unique ending that I think fit the story perfectly. But I won't spoil anything. Very good read but i feel like The Last Housewife is still my top book.

It’s becoming apparent that I’ll love anything Ashley Winstead writes. I love that she puts trigger warnings at the front of the book. This is a gothic Southern thriller about a killer haunting a small Louisiana town, where two outcasts—the preacher’s daughter and the boy from the wrong side of the tracks—hold the key to uncovering the truth. The main character is a librarian, which of course I love! The swampy, tight knit small town setting, religious cult thriller mixed with the occult and Ruth taking back her power as a woman - and a crazy ending - so good!

Probably the most creepy skin crawling read I’ve had all year, and that’s a compliment! Gonna be thinking this one over for weeeeeeks. I was trying to figure out who to root for as I read, and honestly, that part I could never figure out. Who to trust? Who to be wary of, if not everybody? Couldn’t tell you.

That ending. That. Ending. It is Verity level shocking.

Going with four stars because I did guess the twist and it’s a tiny little pet peeve of mine when there’s zero epilogue. To quote Augustus Waters, “There is an unwritten contract between author and reader and I think not ending your book kind of violates that contract.” So for me, I crave an epilogue in every circumstance. But that’s a personal preference and I highly encourage you to read this book of the synopsis is appealing to you!

But Ashley, a round of applause on this one.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC!

Did you like the show Midnight Mass? You HAVE to read Midnight is the Darkest Hour.

Ruth Cornier has lived in Bottom Springs, Louisiana, her entire life, under strict watch of her mother and father, the town preacher. They've never approved of Ruth's best friend Everett, who's giving total Edward Cullen vibes. All you need to know going into this is it involves murder, cults, and small-town secrets. SO GOOD.

This is my second read of Ashley Winstead. This book came with a content warning, same as her previous book The Last Housewife. I have finally learned to start taking these warnings seriously. The setting of a super religious small town in Louisiana drew me in--also the fact that the protagonist works in a library. The discovery of a human skull in the swamp puts everyone on alert and we soon discover (through alternating) timelines why Ruth and her best friend, Ever, are especially nervous.

This story wore me out--emotionally. But I think this is Winstead's strength. She can draw readers in so much that we are 1000% invested. But there is so much going on in this book that I was emotionally void about 50% through it. I had to take a break before I dove back in. I will say that Winstead did not do her research when it comes to basements in the south and near coastal areas.

But I do plan on reading her first thriller--In My Dreams I Hold A Knife. But before I do, I'll take a mental health break. I look forward to more from this author, she has a wild mind.

Thank you SO much to Ashley Winstead and Sourcebooks for my copy of this book! Ashley is one of my favorite authors and I am obsessed with her writing. This book was a southern gothic thriller about Bottoms Springs Louisiana. It is a stereotypical southern town, with religion at the center and no room for outsiders. Ruth has always felt like an outcast, while the town is enamored by the fire-and-brimstone teachings of her preacher father.

The only thing the town fears more than the Devil are the local myths that haunt the area. One of these is the Low Man, an evil shapeshifter that is said to use moonless nights to sneak into sinners' bedrooms and kill them. When a skull is found in the swamp near eerie symbols, Ruth and her only friend, Everett, try to get to the bottom of what’s going on. They have ties to the town’s past, and there are secrets they never want to get out.

Thoughts: Once again I LOVE that Ashley Winstead puts content warnings at the beginning of her books. They include religious fundamentalism, substance abuse, colonialism, physical and sexual abuse, child abuse, and murder. This story was dark and damp and haunting and important, though not as dark as The Last Housewife. I loved the fact that she included Twilight in the story, and the connections made a lot of sense.

This book is about taking back our power as a woman in the world. It’s about the intersection of religion and love and fear and power. There is an element of romance in the book, and while I normally don’t like that, she did it perfectly to give examples of a power dynamic. The claustrophobic religious small town mixed with the occult and power of nature were a fascinating contrast. I love that Winstead can take on so many important topics and do it so well. It’s much more than your typical thriller, and I loved it! 5-stars!

Ashley Winstead continues her winning streak, in my eyes, with her next book Midnight Is the Darkest Hour.

This Southern Gothic, Thriller was a phenomenal read and made you feel as though you were in the southern, religious bayous of Louisiana. Growing up in a religious Southern area, I feel that Winstead captures the setting perfectly with characters feeling like people I knew growing up and showing just how powerful religion is in these areas.

Her biggest strength though is her characters and they feel real, fresh and alive which made me love the story even more.

Winstead is now on my automatic read list of authors!!

I love a good southern, dark thriller filled with a forbidden love. The pulse of this is a slow build that leads to an ending everyone will be talking about.

I really loved this book. The intoxicating atmospherics of the Louisiana gulf coast setting were beautifully done and so accurate. Ruth's story is as twisted, convoluted, and dark as the swamps and forests she is surrounded by. I read this book with a total desperation for the pieces of the story to fall together and I was kept guessing until the very end. This story has the intrigue of Twilight, The Vampire Diaries, and True Detective but there is so much more bubbling under the surface here. Having recently read Ashley Winstead's novel The Last Housewife, I can definitely see parallels between Ruth and Shay. This story delves into similar deep-seated feminist issues. Ruth's Southern, Evangelist upbringing and support system bring to mind Shay's Texas beauty queen background. In The Last Housewife, Shay gets out of Texas and attends a liberal arts college. The same cannot be said for Ruth. Yet the two go on similar journeys. These stories explore female rage and the chaos and/or justice it can serve when fully unleashed.  I loved the Twilight references peppered throughout this novel. Ruth's obsession with Twilight is such an honest and relatable element of this story for so many women. Outside of being relatable, there seems to be an open critique of Twilight and stories like it within this book. Ruth was sold a story of heroes, happy endings, and otherworldly love both in Twilight and in church. But how was she supposed to attain these things in the real world?  There is so much to unpack here surrounding the wants and needs of men and women and how they combat each other.  Ruth's job as a librarian in her small, conservative town and how she uses her access to information to attempt to save herself was a lovely addition to this story as well as the conversation surrounding banning books/limiting library services unfolding in the world today.  There are honestly so many commentaries going on under the surface in this story that I could probably go on for paragraphs and paragraphs more. I will be thinking about this book for a long time. I look forward to more stories from Ashley Winstead.

Ashley Winstead's books deserve all the hype. This one gripped me right from the start and never let go. The atmosphere was fantastic, I loved all the themes and social commentary as well. Read it!

I was so excited to get my hands on an advanced copy of MIDNIGHT IS THE DARKEST HOUR. I absolutely devoured this book. This book does include a warning as it deals with child abuse, fundamentalism and sexual assault, so please read at your own discretion.

This book takes place in backwoods Louisiana, where a preacher’s daughter named Ruth struggles to find herself. In the wake of finding human remains in the swamp, Ruth worries this is the man she and her friend Everett killed years ago. Ruth has to face her past and present and learn that monsters aren’t always legends passed down from generations, but can be the people closest to you.