This frightening story continues to make you grab the sides of your chair as you read. The follow-up to Shepherd’s eerie story, Malice House is filled with even more extraordinary monsters and bogeymen

Okay, what’s the deal? This sequel has so few ratings and I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY. This series has the coolest concept for a horror series, and the writing is excellent. The fact that people are sleeping on these books is killing me. Seriously, this series would work so well as a TV show! A bloodline with powers to bring fictional characters to life, two badass FMCs, a monster-turned-hero (…maybe?) as the love interest, and plenty of dark themes and descriptions to keep horror fans happy — what more could a person want??? Midnight Showing managed to shift the focus from scary short stories to horror movies in a way that kept me hooked, and introduced some fun new villains while bringing back the big baddie from the first book. Plus, we’re introduced to a new character that will take the series in a new direction I’m so excited for! I hope beyond hope that the author keeps this series going because I may be addicted.

I also want to say that one of my pet peeves in books is when there’s a book within the book that’s supposed to be critically acclaimed/amazing quality, but the way it’s actually written is kinda shitty and you’re left wondering who the hell the critics are in the fictional world who thought that piece of trash was any good,,,, but Megan Shepherd pleasantly surprised me with her ability to write another story in another voice so seamlessly and expertly. Brownie points for pulling that feat off!!

Always love me some Megan Shepherd books! Will always look for her books to purchase and usually try to buy ahead of time because I'm that much of a fan.

Midnight Showing continues Haven’s journey from Malic House as the second book in the Malice Compendium series. I absolutely loved Malice House and looked forward to reading the next book. I thoroughly enjoyed Midnight Showing and how it incorporated horror movies into the mix. It is important to note that in order to understand this book, you must first read Malice House.

I really liked this book! Perfect for the creepy vibes. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for access to this book.

This one picks up right where Malice House left off. It started out a bit slow and I was on the fence, but once the events really started to take off at the halfway point I was hooked. I absolutely love Haven and Rafe, and I loved seeing their relationship develop. I also loved that we finally get to meet Rob and get to know his character better. Haven and her sister’s relationship takes some new and interesting turns in this story and I enjoyed those dynamics as well. The screenplay excerpts at the beginning of each chapter were a fun way to get to know the story worlds better. They related to the overall narrative in interesting ways and it was a great way to break up the story. No spoilers, but there are some other characters that come back in this one as well. The stakes are higher than ever, with all the action-packed horrors that unfold. The world-building expands as Haven and her sister learn more about their heritage and their family’s curse. The vintage, Hollywood, noir settings are a really fun experience. From the way it ends, I’m hoping and expecting there to be a third book in this series and I will definitely be reading it. This was a creepy, exciting ride and I highly recommend this series! It’s the perfect blend of horror, mystery, thriller, and even a bit of fantasy.

In the sequel to Malice House, Haven is grappling with living among the creations from Bedtime Stories for Monsters. She and Kylie traveled to Portugal to hopefully get answers about the family curse. Once back in the states, their quest turns into a murder mystery.

Uncle Arnold is out there. He can compel someone to do anything at all with just a whisper and he wants revenge.


The whole concept of the Malic House story is really cool. It's a mix of horror and fantasy set in "the real world", and I think it works. One of the elements I loved through out the first book was the excerpts from Bedtime Stores at the beginning of each chapter. Book two continues that theme with movie scripts.

Midnight Showing is the sequel to Malice House, not a standalone, and you will be lost if you read this without the first book. Very spooky and atmospheric. I think I would classify this as horror, with some mystery and fantasy elements. Fun if you love old monster movies!

This was a creepy good read, a wonderful follow up to Malice House. You really can’t enjoy this book without the background of the first, so I would read Malice House before attempting it. Thank you for the opportunity to read in advance!

This book was really difficult to get into. A follow up to the amazing Malice House - two sisters delve further into their heavily shrouded past to learn more about their heritage. Just couldn’t get into the story. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Totally enjoyed this second book in Malice House series and here’s to hoping for a book 3!!

Haven and Kylie pick up right where we left off in malice house by traveling to learn more about their family roots and this curse. They discover “monster hunters” along the way and of course have run ins with some super creepy monsters. Also get to meet the famous Rob from book one and he plays a big part in this book. Great storyline, vivid writing to help visualize the monsters and had twists that weren’t predictable! Did feel a little long and was ready for the end by the time it came.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hyperion Avenue for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Word of caution....you evidently need to read the first book in the series in order for this book to make much sense. Cool concept of writing and drawing monsters brings them to life. The mini descriptions of old horror movies really threw me off. I couldn't figure out what those were for some time. The writing was a bit sporadic and all over the place. I didn't read the first book and was totally lost with this one. Interesting concept but didn't like the delivery.

Midnight Showing had such a creepy/golden age of movies vibe to it and was a wonderful follow up to the previous, malice house! I could NOT put this down as I was on edge from the creepy vibes and eager to solve the mystery. A fantastic follow up!

I was really wondering how Megan Shepherd could top Malice House but she came into Midnight Showing swinging. The premise carried over but morphed from one media to another. I liked the character development and the unique form of story telling but a couple of elements were a bit cliche or unrealistic, but not enough to ruin the experience. Excited to see how the compendium progresses!

I loved the creepy vintage movie parts in this one! A great follow- up to Malice House! The mystery and creepy parts made this a really quick read. I might be used to the weirdest of this series,,,because I didn't think this one was really weird haha
Thank you, Net Galley

Sequel to Malice House. This picks up after Haven and Kylie escape the ruins of Malice House. They head to Portugal to try to find more information about the Acosta family curse while also hiding from the sinister Uncle Arnold. This was good, maybe better than the first book because I kind of knew what I was getting into. 4 stars.

I had really really loved Malice House so I was very excited for this sequel. I think this is a good book in itself, but I think my expectations might have been a bit too high after Malice House. I still enjoyed the concept! Thank you so much to Hyperion Avenue for the ARC.

I did not know reading this that there was a prior novel that related heavily on prior events in this novel. I wanted to enjoy this and thought the curse cast to do horrifying acts was interesting but the pacing of the book was also not great IMO. Plus it had a few predictable plot points. I really wanted to like this but I could not get there.

I think other readers may get more out of this book than me. It is obvious you have to read the first book to enjoy this one. I did not know there was a prior book. I cannot recommend this as a good standalone book because the prior book relates to this one. Example: reading Breaking Dawn first without reading Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse.

I did like the cover and the overall concept.

Thanks to Megan Shepard, Netgalley and Hyperion Avenue for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Already available

My first warning is this: I did not realize this was the second book in a series before I started reading. So, other than searching the book on Goodreads, reading the blurb, and then scrolling until I found a solid review, I have no first hand knowledge of Book #1. I don't know if that matters or not, but felt like it needed to be said. I may have missed something from the first installment and that's on me.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review which you can find below.

Genre-blending is one of my favorite things, especially when it's done with skill. I'm a reader with many likes, most of them dark or dark-adjacent. It was nice to see several genres represented here in a way that was cohesive and made sense. Fantasy and horror readers alike may be attracted to this series.

The story starts with two sisters (one's I've gathered aren't familiar with one another or were estranged) on the road. One seems a little unhinged and the other a bit more rational. They're searching for something and maybe running from something as well and they have an foe, a salesman named Arnold with the power to persuade anyone to do anything. The book is full of monsters and while not terribly scary does have nods to horror ages gone by. At it's heart, though, the story is about two sisters. I'm not sure I liked either one and I'm not sure I'm supposed to but I think this was a solid exploration of family relationships.

Megan Shepherd continues her Malice Compendium with Midnight Showing. Make no mistake, however. Midnight Showing is not a sequel you can pick up and understand without reading the first book. Not only does Ms. Shepherd refer to scenes from the first book, she does not recap what happened. Therefore, you need to know who Haven is, what happened at Malice House, and why she is on the run.

Don't let that prevent you from checking out this series, however. The first book, Malice House, is a fascinating mix of horror and fantasy, and Midnight Showing continues that trend. This time, instead of exploring Haven's prowess, we follow alongside Haven and her sister as they seek to uncover more about their lineage and the curse that dogs their family.

As any good horror story enthusiast knows, sometimes the scariest monsters are the ones we create with our imaginations. This is a fact Haven learns the hard way in the first book. This time, however, the monsters she faces aren't her own making, upping the stakes as she seeks to minimize the damage these creations wrought.

Like any good sequel, we get the answers to some lingering questions while Ms. Shepherd raises even more. There continues to be a good blend of horror and fantasy, and the addition of Haven's sister allows for some much-needed dry humor to ease the tension. Midnight Showing is a fantastic spooky read for the season and worthy of any horror lovers' attention.