You just can not go wrong with anything from Jonathan Maberry. Hands down one of the best writers of horror or fantasy working today. Now after saying that there is no better journey to take with Mr. Maberry as your guide than a trip to Pine Deep.
Pine Deep is a quaint little town with very nasty secrets. Set in the farming areas of Bensalem, PA. As a Philadelphia native, I recognize this little town and have a nice healthy fear of being caught there after dark.
Personally, I think the best Mr. Maberry has written has involved Pine Deep. But if you don't feel like, or have the time to read the original trilogy, then here is a good place to start.
All of the short stories here involve Pine Deep but do not require any prior knowledge of The Trouble or The Bone Man.
But I can guarantee that they will spark something in you to go and read the books.
Highly recommended
Thanks to @netgalley for the opportunity to read this eArc in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

A creepy collection of stories and a poem sure to keep you up at night.
Many thanks to Kensington and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

4.5 Stars

This was an anthology of sorts, except that this collection of 9 stories have all been written by the same author - Jonathan Maberry. I am already a fan of Mr. Maberry, but my absolute favorite series at this time is the Joe Ledger Series.

What this collection DID do for me was make me realize that I need to go out and find the Pine Deep Trilogy and then read it. This collection of short stories are all peripherally attached to the small town of Pine Deep. They all occur either before, during or after what has apparently become known as "The Trouble".

One thing that I love about being a fan of a particular author and having read most of their books, is that when we do happen to get the gift of a short story or novella and the story has either a character or a setting that we are familiar with, it is always a great feeling. It makes you feel like you know a secret that not everybody does, or that you have inside information. Maybe it's just me....

Anyway, each of these stories are uniquely different, yet each holds its own. I loved getting to see a peek into one of the stories and just KNOWING exactly who was doing the talking on the walkie talkie when they said, "Cowboy out", and it was fun to see Sam Hall again.

Several of these stories revolved around the town of Pine Deep or the characters that comprised the story (I'm guessing). Since I haven't read that series yet, I didn't have the inside scoop, yet I still didn't feel left out or feel like I was lost. This collection can definitely be read as a stand alone without any problems.

If you are a fan of Mr. Maberry, or a fan of the horror genre in general, this is definitely a book you want to take the time to read. He is a master of setting scenes in such a way that you can suddenly feel your breath start to come in quicker gasps and then you realize that you somehow, sometime, also started holding your breath. There are also moments in certain stories that somehow seem to draw out unexpected emotions, sometimes at the most unexpected times.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. The opinions above are mine and mine alone.

Long Past Midnight by Jonathan Maberry

Perfect stories to read as All Hallow’s Even approaches! Starts with four children on a ghost hunt getting quite a surprise and ends with a teen talking to a ghost that brings her a glimpse of what might be expected of her in the future.

I thought that I would read a few stories to see if I like this author and then move on to something else only to find out that every story in this compilation seemed to build on the previous one and draw me into the Pine Deep community with a desire to see how all would turn out. I have a feeling there is more for me to hear about this small town in Pennsylvania and the humans, and not so humans, that interact as they occupy the same part of the world .

This writer has a way with words and created unbelievably believable situations that had me happy nobody came in unexpectedly while I was reading. I was immersed in the stories, cared about the characters, wanted to find out what would happen next, and realize now that I am totally invested in the characters and want to know what happens next with Crow, Val, Sam, Mikey, Ledger, Val, and Djinn.

I am delighted to have found a new author that writes creepy, atmospheric, haunting stories that will stay with me and have me looking for more by Jonathan Maberry.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

This book made me discover an excellent horror writer and a fascinating and chilling world. Well written and creepy stories, dark and twisty.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. I had high hopes for this book, as I really enjoyed the Pine Deep trilogy when I read it a few years ago. However, I found this book to be very light on the supernatural and very heavy on the action movie style aspects. I felt like we spent so much of the stories watching the male characters argue, and have these macho contests over who could be more tough, and it was very annoying. This book just didn’t work for me, but I feel like if you were a fan of the authors Joe Ledger series, you will like this.

Nine eerie and chilling horror short stories plus a poem keep readers turning the pages in Jonathan Maberry’s Long Past Midnight . The stories take place in or near Pine Deep, Pennsylvania. While most take place after the author’s Pine Deep horror trilogy, the first story takes place before the Trouble. All are descriptive without slowing down the story line and have great characterization.

In Property Condemned, nine-year-old Malcolm Crow and his friends Vall Guthrie, Terry Wolfe, and Gerry Stickler decide to explore the abandoned Croft house which is known to be haunted. Malcolm wants proof of the existence of ghosts. The house feels like a fifth character in this story. Whether it is due to the nervousness of the four children or the evil sensations from the house, readers may fell chills as they read this story.

Readers familiar with Maberry’s series will be happy to find Captain Joseph Edwin Ledger and two members of Echo team are featured in Material Witness. The story starts with post-mission statements and analyses and the discrepancies between Echo team’s after-action reports and interviews and verifiable facts. After this, it reverts to the mission itself. All of this takes place after the events in the Pine Deep trilogy. Those who love action thrillers with a supernatural twist will enjoy this story.

Long Way Home surprised me. It features Donny Castleberry and takes place ten years after the Trouble. I didn’t see this ending coming!

Three Guys Walk Into a Bar features private investigator Sam Hunter. I loved this character and would love to read a series featuring Sam. He’s an ex-cop, tough, and scary. However, he sleeps with a light on at night. He also has a surprising aspect to his character. In his latest case, he goes to Pine Deep. By now, Malcolm Crow is the Chief of Police and his adopted son, Mike Sweeney is a deputy. Joe Ledger is back for this story as well. This is another supernatural action thriller with plenty of suspense and danger. It’s also the longest of the stories.
On Lonely Roads is the only poem is this book. It’s the only one that features Monk Addison, but was my least favorite.

Mister Pockets features the only homeless person in Pine Deep and a young boy, Lefty Harrigan. This one was a little predictable, but still had great characterization.

Whistlin’ Past the Graveyard amped up the atmosphere with much of it taking place in the cemetery in Pine Deep. It features Francesco Sponelli who maintains the cemetery and digs the graves.

A House in Need of Children features Sam Hunter again. This is another great story featuring a haunted house and is one of the sadder stories in the book.

The Trouble takes place after the Pine Deep Trilogy and features Malcolm and Mike as well as Val who is now married to Malcolm. This one is another action thriller story.

The final story, Ghost Creepin’ Blues, features 16-year-old Jinnifer who suffers from depression, panic attacks, and hallucinations. This one feels like the set-up for a novel.

Overall, this was a great collection of stories and one that kept me feeling the characters’ anxiety. While some are full of exciting scenes and plenty of action, others are more thought provoking. The world-building and characterization are terrific.

Kensington Books and Jonathan Maberry provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for August 22, 2023. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

I love Pine Deep. Unlike a lot of people, it was not my first Jonathan Maberry book. That would be Rot and Ruin. But it was the second series I read after I finished that one. Then I moved onto my favorite-Joe Ledger. I expanded into Limbus, Glimpse, etc. Love all of the characters. Now I get to revisit all of my favorite characters. One of my favorite things to read is the collision of all of those world. Anytime Joe Ledger appears in another series I give a silent cheer. When Crow and Joe finally met, I was practically giddy.

I love the way this was put together. It included some things I’ve read and some I haven’t. I haven’t been back to Pine Deep in a while. And it was nice to reunite with Joe Ledger just before his next book comes out. I enjoyed reading this more than anything I’ve read in months. You have to read this if you are a Maberry fan.

With Long Past Midnight Jonathan Maberry takes us back to where he started his career, the tormented town of Pine Deep. Now let me first say that you don’t need to have read any of Maberry’s other works to enjoy these wonderful tales. (Though if that is the case…dang have you missed out on some fantastic books.) However if you have read his work, you’ll likely enjoy seeing so many familiar faces: Crow and Joe Ledger just to name a few. And if you’re anything like me you’ll immediately have the desire to re-read the Pine Deep trilogy. The crazy thing is that as much as I enjoyed each and every tale, it was actually Maberry’s introduction I enjoyed the most. In it he takes us back to his younger days, hanging out with his friends and talking about where the idea of Pine Deep originated. I always find it fascinating when authors share some incite into their inspiration and how their past influenced their work. Be sure not to skip over it. If this is your first introduction to Maberry and Pine Deep you’re in for a real treat…if you’re already familiar then welcome back. I have to say the title for this one is perfect as it will keep you up reading long past midnight. I’d like to thank Kensington Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Long Past Midnight.

Is it weird that I would move to Pine Deep and date Crow? Since reading this book I have gone and downloaded the first book in the pine deep trilogy Jonathan Maberry has written a great collection of stories an although they say it’s an anthology of short stories some of them are not so short like the one with detective Hunter and the serial killer,… Who is awesome and the one with Detective Joe Ledger which had the best Wolfman versus Shapeshifting wolves fight scenes ever! The haunted house that would haunt the dreams of Dracula and many more they have some very great intent Shapeshifting monster stories in this awesome book Long Past Midnight and they’re not just your average OMG there is a werewolf about type monster stories they have great details like the one with detective hunter and the $500 bills and that’s just one example only a true storyteller could add fascinating details like that I love this book and cannot wait to dive into the trilogy and any other books I run across by Jonathan Maberry if you love horror with an IQ then you will definitely love long past midnight by Jonathan Maberry I am a big consumer of smart horror and I’m so glad I’ve been introduced to the I want to thank Kensington books in NetGalley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

This was an amazing anthology! Lots of great little stories to keep you entranced throughout. Pine Deep is and has been home to ghosts, werewolves, and vampires. It's the spookiest town in America and it was a joy for me to revisit it.

A trip back to Pine Deep where the ghosts, werewolves and vampires thrive. Beloved characters from the Ghost Road Blues trilogy appear in all new stories of horror and suspense. New characters are also introduced within the Pine Deep mythology such as Annabelle Pish who has a ghost problem that only a P.I. with a background in the supernatural can solve. There is also Frankie Spoons whose job at the Pine Deep Cemetery has become a bit more “lively” then would be expected. Malcolm Crowe, Mike Sweeney, Val Guthrie from the original trilogy along with Joe Ledger from the DMS all have their moments.

I highly recommend this book. Reading the Pine Deep Trilogy is not necessary but you are missing out if you don’t.

There is a character in this book who equates a trip back to Pine Deep as being as pleasant as a case of genital warts. So although I laughed, I feel the opposite. I loved the Pine Deep trilogy and I will travel back there as many times as Jonathan Maberry is willing to take us.

These stories all stand-alone and you do not need to have read Ghost Road Blues or the rest of the trilogy to enjoy them, however, you are truly missing out on something special if you have skipped them.

The tales take place before, during, and after the trilogy. There is a brief description of what some of the characters had experienced in the trilogy so that you are not totally out of the loop when reading this book but I still feel it is best that you not skip them. I loved this book to pieces.

Pine Deep is and has been home to ghosts, werewolves, and vampires. It's the spookiest town in America and it was a joy for me to revisit it.

Short stories based around Pine Deep all very good with great characters. Loved all the stories especially the Joe Ledger one. A must read for all horror fans, now I'll have to hunt out the original Pine Deep trilogy.
I received this book from Kensington books and Netgalley for a review.

Finally, more Pine Deep from Mr. Maberry! I started reading his books after picking up the first pine deep book from the bookstore. I really enjoy everything he writes. This is a worthy addition to the series.

This is a good collection of short stories if you are a long time fan or just deciding to give Jonathan Maberry a try for the first time.
All the stories are based around the location of Maberry's first fiction publication, The Pine Deep Trilogy. Through the stories you get to meet most of his characters from various series as they cross paths with this small rural haunted town, in my home state of Pennsylvania.
Reading the author's introduction is a must. It was easily as interesting and exciting as any of the fictional tales.
If you are one of the people I have been badgering to read Maberry, Reading this collection would be a good way to get me off your back.
Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to enjoy this e-ARC.

My thanks to Kensington books,.Jonathan.Maberry and Netgalley.
It's Pine Deep, y'all!
I loved these stories!
It was nice.seeing how some of these peep's are getting on, and to read new stuff.
I'm hoping and thinking (fingers crossed) that maybe some new Pine Deep tales are in the works!

I will admit I was halfway through the author’s note before I realized it wasn’t the first story in the book. I’d wonder what happened next except it’s clear how Mr. Maberry spun those meetings in the cornfield into the Pine Deep trilogy and these related stories. I loved catching up with these characters. I can’t wait to read more!

I have been waiting forever for more Pine Deep stories, and this book didn't fait to drag me in. Amazing stories..
I recommend this to any Jonathan Mayberry fans.

As prolific as is author Jonathan Maberry (whose oeuvre in total probably gives an entire new meaning to the term), he may be best known for his work in that elusive and trouble-ridden farming community of fictional Pine Deep, Pennsylvania, site of the PINE DEEP TRILOGY. In LONG PAST MIDNIGHT, a single-author short story collection, Mr. Maberry offers ten more views of this odd location, neither a place one wants to visit or to reside. The initial story scared me so badly I'm probably guaranteed years of Nightmares, and of course, the Fright doesn't stop there.