As a Riley Sager fan, I was looking forward to the release of Middle of the Night and was even more excited to receive an ARC of this novel. Middle of the Night is everything you want in a Riley Sager novel. It's full of suspense and mystery with just the touch of supernatural spookiness that is a trademark of a Sager novel. The story begins in 1994 with the disappearance of Ethan Marsh's best friend, Billy, from his backyard when they're camping during a summer night. Now in his 40s, Ethan grapples with the guilt and mystery of Billy's disappearance and lack of answers of what happened to him as the case remains cold. From there the story flashes between memories of that entire day in 1994 and the present Ethan, now back in his family home where Billy disappeared, along with other neighborhood characters that played a part in the events of that day, trying to piece together what really happened that night. Sager weaves an enticing, nail biting story that leaves you wondering if you believe in ghosts or if monsters only exist in the real world. This was one I didn't want to put down and when I did, I was rushing to get back to it. A perfect summer thriller to add to this years TBR.

When Ethan was 10 years old, his best friend, Billy, disappeared while they were camping in his backyard. Ethan woke to seeing a gap in the tent they were sleeping in and 30 years later, the mystery still hasn't been solved. Ethan moves back to his childhood home and is haunted by the memories of that night.

Told both in the present tense through Ethan's perspective and the past in third person narratives, Sager had me wanting desperately to know what happened to Billy. I wasn't expecting to have so many twists and turns in this story; it comes across as a simple story of a boy who disappeared from a quiet suburban neighborhood. However, as you dive into the story you realize that things aren't quite what they seem.

I loved this book and gobbled it up in less than a day. Highly recommend. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I am giving this book 3 stars. I was interested in it and it felt creepy at times. However, it was very repetitive and the characters were lackluster.

Riley Sager is a consistently dependable author when it comes to thrillers and suspense - that being said, this one was just average for me.
The protagonist was sympathetic, the conflict was intriguing, but the pacing was off. I felt like I was forcing myself to keep picking it up at some points. Being someone who has a hard time not skipping to read the end of every book, I found this one that much more difficult simply because I was bored.
When the ending did come, it felt like a let down somehow.
I would still say it's worth a read if you're a fan, but it's not likely to be your new favourite from this author.

You can count on a great thriller every summer from Riley Sager, and this one does not disappoint. Loved the ghost story element and the character growth.

Like with most Riley Sager books, I read this in one sitting. His ability to build suspense is unmatched. I correctly guessed one twist pretty early but the other made me gasp out loud. In general I’m not a big supernatural person, but it works well here.

I am a huge fan and Riley Sager, and while I enjoyed this, it definitely was not my favorite of his. My main gripe with this story is that I felt like there was just a bit too much going on. I like the pacing of the book though and there were certain elements of this book that I really connected with, such as the spookiness and close knit neighborhoos setting.

Ethan Marsh's life was turned upside down when he was 10 years old and his best friend was stolen out of the tent they were sleeping in and never seen again. Now Ethan has returned to his childhood home and is facing the ghosts of his past. He's determined to find out what really happened to Billy on that fateful night thirty years ago. This book had plenty of twists and turns and a lot of red herrings. The second half of the book flew by! I didn't find some of the twists very surprising and the couple of misdirects that were thrown in seemed to be just that even as I was reading but it was a fun ride nonetheless and the ending felt like a reasonable wrap-up to the story. Another winner from Sager!

Wow Riley Sager has done it again! I could not put this book down. I don’t know if it was the 90’s reference, the dark and creepy abandoned institution, the supernatural references or what, but I kept getting Stranger Things vibes off and on which I absolutely love! I am looking forward to recommending this book to individuals and book clubs.

I was so excited to get the copy of this book. This book was amazing. His best yet! Ethan has lived for thirty years haunted by his best friends death. When he has to move back to his parents house, weird things start happening. The story kept me engaged and could hardly stop reading!

*3.5*
I both enjoyed this and also felt like something was lacking at the same time. I feel like it started off on such a good note. A kid waking up to the nightmare of his best friend missing. A close knit neighborhood. A mysterious institute in the woods. I was expecting so much! Sager always loves to throw in a lot of twists that sometimes work really well, but sometimes throw me off a little. These twists threw me off more than were hitting, especially the supernatural ones. This one also got to be quite repetitive at points, especially with Ethan being such a dull main character. I did enjoy the dual timelines in this though! I feel like it added a lot more to the story to get a deeper look at the past.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC!

Ghosts, spirits, supernatural? Or are there more reasonable explanations for the mysterious Institute, the missing 10 year old boy, the unusual happenings in the cul de sac? This story sucks you in and takes the reader on a wild ride. The tale is gripping and fascinating. You will be wondering right up to the end.

When I got approved for this ARC, I freaked out a bit. I’ve been a fan of Riley Sager for years now. I’ve read all but one of his novels and enjoyed them all.

In 1994, Best friends Ethan and Billy go to sleep while camping out in Ethan’s backyard. When Ethan wakes up the next morning, he’s greeted only by a large slice in the side of the tent. Billy was never seen again.

Despite trying to run from his checkered past, we follow a now forty year old Ethan as he returns to his childhood home where he last saw Billy. Though not much has changed in the decades since Billy’s disappearance from their perfect suburban neighborhood, Ethan becomes convinced that the truth about that happened all those years ago lies in the very place he’s tried to escape all his life.

I actually really enjoyed this entry from Riley Sager! I found the protagonist really interesting and I really loved jumping from 1994 to present day. Aside from Ethan, there are a handful of other diverse characters who we as the reader become really attached to. Not only because of their unique personalities but because we get to see how they grew up after the tragedy that occurred when they were children. Watching them age and mature was a really cool element of the story and it’s done really well. The novel moves really fast and is hard to put down. In true Riley Sager fashion, he grabs you and won’t let go. It’s incredibly eerie and atmospheric and the story unfolds really nicely.

Sager does it again with his new novel! I’m a fan for life and I’ll be eagerly awaiting to buy a physical copy when it releases.

A massive thank you to NetGalley, Dutton, and Riley Sager for providing me with an eARC in return for my honest review :)!

Another excellent edition by Sager! As a longtime Riley Sager fan, I always anticipate his new title publication. His latest has a cool setup that goes back to a man's childhood where his best friend was kidnapped from their tent while sleeping in his backyard. Fast forward to adult years --Ethan Marsh is still coming to terms with his past and even more so because he has moved into his childhood home where the incident occurred. In true Sager-style, the story keeps you guessing and on the edge of your seat. Middle of the Night does not disappoint!

Thank you so much to Dutton and Riley Sager for my copy of Middle of the Night. Riley is one of my favorite authors, so I was beyond excited to get my hands on this one. It’s about Ethan and his best friend Billy, and the summer Billy is taken from a tent in Ethan’s backyard in the middle of the night. The tent is cut open and no one hears from Billy again. Now years later, Ethan is back in his parents house after his life is turned upside down. Ethan has both terrifying dreams of the night Billy disappeared, as well as insomnia, and now signs of Billy’s presence start showing up in Ethan’s backyard. Is this just a joke? Or has Billy somehow returned to Hemlock circle?

Thoughts: This book was much anticipated and the cover grabbed my attention right away. I love the idea of someone going missing in the middle of the night, and all the mystery surrounding it. I loved the setting of the mysterious institute that may or may not be a cult. It’s more of a mystery than thriller, and the multiple perspectives make for a slow burn.

Unfortunately this book wasn’t my favorite of Sager’s. First of all, it was repetitive and a bit boring. Ethan didn’t have much of a personality, and the way his insomnia is described is confusing. The supernatural elements were not interesting and felt obvious on where they were going. All the reveals were predictable, and there were too many thrown in. Lots of things didn’t make sense (they didn’t search the grounds? He just happened to call when the police found something?). It seemed like a lot of ideas were thrown together to make a book that felt disjointed and predictable. Sadly, 3 stars for this one.

Riley Sager’s Middle of the Night was a book I couldn’t put down – it took me less than 24 hours to read – every time I opened my phone, I was reading this book. The storyline made you want to keep reading and trying to figure it out. I was really surprised at the ending. Thank you Net Galley for the advance read #MiddleoftheNight #NetGalley #RileySager

Hemlock Circle is a safe New Jersey cul-de-sac that maybe isn't so safe. Losing your best friend when you were sleeping right beside them would scar anyone for life. At ten years old, I can't imagine what Ethan is feeling and thinking. All of the residents had their own issues going on before and after the tragedy.

Thirty years later, the worst thing that ever happened is still a mystery. There is so much trauma and suspicion amongst a variety of characters. We follow Ethan as he interacts with, the teen bully turned cop, the old babysitter turned single mom, the creepy neighbor couple who never had kids, the backup best friend and his family living next door, the neighbor man whose memories can't be trusted, the old institute that is such a mystery and more.

Who did it, and why are things Ethan might hold the key to answering in his insomniac dream. This was an enjoyable read all the way through, but I thought it really hit the gas around chapter 27. I was instantly hooked, but this chapter made me not want to put it down until I knew everything.

This is a very entertaining, heart stopping, throat clutching, ghost story/mystery. A young boy camping out with his best friend in his backyard disappears. Thirty years later the best friend returns to the neighborhood where spooky things start happening. I got the chills and scares on more than a few occasions. You might want to keep some tissues on hand also.

I truly enjoyed reading this book. It was scary but very entertaining. I enjoyed the characters and the plot. I could not stop thinking about the ending and the characters it portrayed. It was a page turner and I could not put this book down.

One of my favorite Riley Sager reads. A nostalgia tinged mystery about a missing boy and the impact it had on the friend who slept through his disappearance. My favorite Sager stories are the ones that hint at a bit of supernatural, some other worldliness that is impacting the world that we inhabit day to day. To be honest when I'm picking up a Sager book I'm mostly looking for a quick, fun, and spooky read but I found that this one had a little more depth than I am usually expecting. The depth added to my enjoyment, and it was still a very fun read.