In Riley Sager’s Middle of the Night, Ethan and his best friend Billy share a seemingly innocent camping adventure in Ethan’s backyard. When Ethan wakes up the next morning, Billy is missing and the whole community is looking to Ethan for the answers. Forced to leave town, this one-night affects Ethan’s life for years to come. Thirty years later, Ethan moves back into his childhood home and begins to unravel the mystery that has caused him a lifetime of grief. As each layer of the onion gets peeled back, Ethan makes a series of startling revelations and discoveries about what really happened that fateful night Billy disappeared.

Riley Sager’s latest effort, Middle of the Night, is a simple, straight forward, yet satisfying tale of a boy caused undue grief from one night in his childhood that reverberates through the rest of his life. Sager does not rely on the supernatural to tell his tale, making the story so much more bone chilling since it is entirely plausible in some ways. Middle of the Night is a quick read, with few slow or dead spots, making it easy to read in all one sitting or over a long weekend. I recommend this book to all Riley Sager fans and to all the people looking for a new thriller writer.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for sharing this advanced review copy with me in exchange for my honest feedback!

Ethan was ten years old when his best friend Billy went missing from their tent in his backyard. Thirty years later, Ethan finds himself back on Hemlock Circle where mysterious things start happening in the middle of the night and they all point to Billy. Ethan begins looking into it and enlists the help and answers of his neighbors who were also there thirty years ago…

It’s absolutely no surprise that MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT by Riley Sager was one of my most-anticipated releases of the year…but I’m here to tell you that it didn’t fully hit the mark for me (IT’S STILL FOUR STARS, OKAY!!!)

Let’s start with the good - the setting and atmosphere were everything! The cul-de-sac vibes are the epitome of small town, while also creating a tiny, very close-knit group of people - I could wax poetic on these details forever and ever (also a big reason for the four stars!!)

There’s also a kid named Henry in this who’s my absolute favorite little nugget of all time (literally protect him at all costs) and we also get some queer rep in this book!

With all of that greatness, there’s also the not-so-great (Michael-Scott-face-cringe while I’m writing this)…….

the twists were not twisting 😬

And honestly, I blame Riley for giving us some of the most unbelievable twists known to man for making my expectations so high(?) for this book. But the twists were very mehhh.

There were also some elements that were brought in, but then just fizzled out that felt very unlike Riley as well, BUT THE ATMOSPHERE. This book has got that!

I’ll obvi still continue to read Riley’s work and truly did enjoy most of my time reading this, but I am extremely nervous for the harsher Riley readers to hop in the chat 👀

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: June 18

I was obsessed with Riley Sager’s newest thriller from the moment I started it. While it starts as a slow build, the scene is very well set. A pristine and swanky neighborhood is struck by tragedy after two children are lost: one to an overdose and the other to a suspected kidnapping. Told from the dual perspectives of the summer the young boy went missing and nearly 30 years later, readers follow along to try and unpack what went wrong all those years ago. The only way I could have read this book any faster was if daylight had stretched longer - once the sun went down, I swear I started hearing spooky sounds!

I always look forward to a new Riley Sager! And this one delivered! I loved the ambiance of the novel - it made you feel like you were really there, with a sprinkling of nostalgia. I was a bit skeptical of the "paranormal" side of this novel but it ended up working really well in the end - it really helped tie everything together. Now I have the next Riley Sager to look forward to!

I have read almost every book by Riley Sager and this one is my favorite thus far. The Middle of the Night features a character who is unreliable due to suffering from insomnia. This combined with switching to past and present create a hard to put down book. I also adore that this is a male main character. There also is not any romance just focuses on the bond of these two boys and the eeriness of that night. I have already submitted this for the library purchase and would fully recommend for a solid thriller. Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read this early and I was able to snag a prerelease copy for the library.

Riley Sager decided to shake things up this time with a male main character, and honestly, it was refreshing to read. I much prefer his writing style when he's writing like this.

The plot has some slow and repetitive moments, and some twists are pretty predictable, but there's still enough suspense to keep the pages turning. The paranormal elements were handled really well, in a way that made them feel a lot more plausible than in some of Sager's previous novels. They enhanced the eerie atmosphere without overstepping into the unbelievable.

The ending wasn't my favorite and felt like there were some missed opportunities. However, even though the resolution didn't blow me away, it still felt mostly reasonable and realistic, which I appreciated in this story.

The best book Riley Sager has written. It will keep you on the edge of your seat and you won't want it to end. And it will definitely keep you up all night. I read it in one sitting. This will be a favorite to recommend to people!

Riley Sager's books are always suspenseful and chilling, and Middle of the Night is no exception. It was an amazing book, jumping from the past to present day to tell a story that will keep you in suspense until the last chapter. The characters were relatable, and you rooted for them all.

Riley Sager has made a name for himself over the past few years. His books have been highly sought after reads and there is a reason for this, Sager knows how to keep you guessing. This goes the same for his latest novel, Middle of the Night, where things may not be as they seem.

One July night, ten-year-old Ethan and his best friend and neighbor, Billy, fell asleep in a tent set up on a manicured lawn in a quiet, quaint New Jersey cul-de-sac. In the morning when Ethan woke up, he was alone. During the night, someone or something had sliced the tent open and Billy was missing. He was never seen again. Ethan reluctantly returns 30 years later to his childhood home. Plagued by nightmares and insomnia, he begins to notice strange things happening in the middle of the night.

Middle of the Night takes place over two timelines, the present and flashbacks to 1994 when Billy went missing. We typically are not fans of dual timelines as they can get messy and we usually find ourselves getting intrenched in one of the timelines hating to go back to the other. However, Middle of the Night's timelines seemed to have worked for us. Sager seamlessly weaves together the past and the present giving us more to the picture while keep us engaged.

If we had to choose between straightforward horror mystery or one with a supernatural twist, we would most likely choose the latter. In Middle of the Night, Sager's addition of supernatural elements added a nice extra layer to the mystery that kept us guessing as we read along. Something we didn't think we would enjoy but in the end was worth it.

The group of characters are flawed, but relatable and are well developed. They each bring a different perspective and help bring a piece of the mysterious puzzle together which makes for a great story. Ethan's interaction with the people of the Hemlock Circle cul-de-sac and surround area help uncover long-buried secrets the keep you wanting to turn the page and find out more. Sager does a wonderful job of creating a sense of unease throughout the novel, making us question what is really happening or what is all in Ethan's trouble mind.

Middle of the Night starts off a little slow, but picks up and goes full force until the end. The book is full of twists and turns, some we saw coming from a mile away, but others caught us completely by surprise including the unpredictable and satisfying ending that we never saw coming.

This Riley Sager novel is not the best of his bibliography, but it finds itself near the top. Middle of the Night is a gripping novel that gives us horror, mystery, suspense and a few supernatural elements that kept us turning the pages.

I really liked this one! Riley sagar always writes a great mystery thriller that has a side of horror! Overall 4 stars!

Ethan was ten years old when his best friend vanished in the middle of the night. Both boys were sleeping in a tent in Ethan’s back yard. When Ethan woke up, Billy was gone. Now Ethan is forty and back in the same house from which Billy disappeared. Ethan thinks he can sense Billy around - is it Billy’s ghost wanting revenge?

Like many Riley Sager’s novels, this too keeps the reader guessing whether they’re reading thriller or horror, and that’s what makes Sager’s books so good.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for a chance to review this book.

I hate to do it to him, I really do, but this was (for lack of a better word) bland for me.

I've had a bit of a complicated past with Riley Sager's works but his latest release, The Only One Left, turned out to be my favorite of his so far. And I feel like everything that one had, this one lacked. So, I'm left feeling pretty disappointed after getting my hopes up for this one following the high of his latest - let's get into why though.

The hardest hit with this one is the repetitive natural of this story and additions to the plot that fell flat. I thought the institute would be a much bigger part of this story but it wasn't? It felt like the beginning of an idea but was left abandoned for a simpler route. I can't much get into the repetitive part without mild spoilers, but the same general things kept happening that made the story a bit of drag to get through.

The setting was another piece of this story that disappointed me - mainly because the setting/atmosphere of The Only One Left was one of the strongest parts of its narrative. In Middle of the Night, it had that ominous vibe at time, but I never felt the heavy cloud I'd imagine hanging over this neighborhood. The institute didn't have that daunting energy I felt it strived to hold. I'm not sure if it's the (too many) characters and narrative style that kept pulling me away from getting settled in the atmosphere or what. But I wasn't feeling it.

Then there are the reveals and the mystery. Now, I don't always like to judge thrillers based on the fact I predicted what happened and I'm not going to say I predicted everything here, however, I do feel that everything came together in a safe/easy manner. It was also in such a way that I never truly felt the thrilling element of the story. If you're paying attention enough, you can string it all together with relative ease and if it's your first Sager, it may be fine. But perhaps my expectations were higher in this area since I have previously read from Sager, and it just seemed too easy here. Almost like a safe route was taken.

And I know many people were intrigued by the idea of Sager taking on a story with a male protagonist, as was I, but Ethan fell flat for me. I think had some time been spend on his background between the time he left home and came back or on his struggles with grief that connection would be better. But despite being told his struggles, I didn't see much of it and found that most time with him was spent on repeated actions. As for the other characters of the neighborhood?? I feel like I couldn't distinguish any of them.

Unfortunately, this one will probably fade in the background for me. But! I will still keep reading from Sager as I know he can write books I love but sadly to say, this one is a miss for me.

“Middle of the Night" is an electrifying thriller that had me hooked from the very first page. Riley Sager masterfully weaves a gripping tale filled with twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end. The characters are complex and compelling, and the atmospheric setting adds an extra layer of tension to the story. Sager's writing is crisp and immersive, making it impossible to put this book down. If you're a fan of psychological thrillers, "Middle of the Night" is a must-read. Highly recommended!

So, not my favorite Riley Sager, but that's like saying there are other perfect beautiful unicorns whose company I prefer. To be clear: This is still a great read - for serious.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for providing this arc for me to review!

I really enjoyed this one. It leaned more heavily into the spooky zone than a lot of Sager's books do. There were some supernatural, occult-y, ghost themes throughout that I think did a decent job of creating a fun and creepy atmosphere around the story, similar to The Last One Left.
Although some of the twists and turns could be guessed at early on in this story, I still think there were a few that stood out as genuinely surprising and still worth sticking around for.
Ultimately, what I really enjoyed about this book was the emotional background of grief and loss throughout. It's told by a protagonist (and community) who are still stuck in their grief after a devastating shared experience and will literally do anything to find their way out of it. I really enjoyed getting to know and hearing the background on all of the characters within the book. I think they were all handled with care and empathy in a way that many authors wouldn't necessarily care to show.
Overall, this is yet another Riley Sager book that kept me enthralled until the end.

This was by far my favorite Riley Sager book to date! The plot kept me guessing the whole time, so many twist. I can honestly say that I did not see the ending coming.

I really enjoyed this book. It was definitely one I kept wanting to return to when I wasn't reading. The setting was interesting and easy for me to fall into (something I love), the characters were multi-dimensional. I liked the chapters that returned to childhood POVs; the author did that well too. It was a propulsive and engaging read.

My only complaints...and they're minor as I completed the book happily:
The setting of the cul-de-sac was a bit twee and felt falsely like it was very isolated and that no people outside the circle even existed., Some of the timestamps were sometimes off & it pulled me from the narrative in a silly way (1994 was not a Swatch watch & Keds time), and the continual use of characters using first & last names for the folks who lived on the cul-de-sac didn't feel true.

At the end, there was a little too much, "no, it was this guy-no, this guy-no, this guy!" for my liking, but overall, I would 100% recommend this and now I'm seeking out other work from this author.

**Review of "Middle of the Night" by Riley Sager**

"Middle of the Night" by Riley Sager is a psychological thriller set against the backdrop of an unsettling, nocturnal landscape. Sager expertly uses the fear and isolation associated with the darkness of night to heighten the suspense and build an eerie atmosphere throughout the novel.

The story begins on a strong note, with a series of mysterious events that instantly capture the reader's attention. Sager's descriptive prowess brings the chilling settings to life, making the reader feel the protagonist's growing anxiety and fear as each night unfolds.

However, the narrative struggles with pacing issues as it progresses. The plot becomes repetitive, with similar scenes reoccurring too frequently, which slows down the story and dilutes the initial excitement. This repetition seems to stall the development of the plot, making the middle part of the book less engaging.

Character development is uneven across the cast. While the protagonist is portrayed with depth and complexity, showing a clear evolution in response to the unfolding events, the supporting characters are not as well-drawn. Many of them lack sufficient backstory or distinctive personalities, which makes them feel more like plot devices than real people.

Despite these issues, Sager manages to deliver some impactful twists and turns, especially towards the end of the book. These surprises help to regain some of the lost momentum and provide a satisfying conclusion to the thriller.

Overall, "Middle of the Night" earns a solid three stars. It combines a potent atmosphere with a few genuinely suspenseful moments but is let down by its repetitive plot and underdeveloped characters. Fans of Sager and readers who appreciate atmospheric thrillers might still find it worth a read, though it may not meet the expectations set by some of his earlier works.

Riley Sager has become one of my "go to" authors when I need a book to read. Unfortunately, I've now officially read everything they've written including Middle of the Night.
Always steady, slow at times, but always moving - the plot of "Middle of the Night" had me hooked from the start. I definitely found myself up reading this ARC in the middle of the night. The story was constantly changing while revealing very little at one time and always leaving me wanting for one more chapter. Even the slower parts didn't bother me because they were written in such a haunting way that only Riley Sager can accomplish.
In a plot twist that is specific to me as a reader - this is the first book I've read of Riley Sager that has had a somber subplot which also made me cry a little. I'm usually a sap, but not when it comes to mystery or horror books.
My favorite parts were the third person accounts of each character back in the 90's when the crime took place. I normally don't like dual timelines, and sometimes multiple POVs can be cumbersome to me. The "Middle of the Night" however is written so that these third person accounts of that terrible day worked in the plot's advantage.
I ultimately think "Survive the Night" will always be my favorite Riley Sager book, but this one is a close rival!

I had a very tough time with this one. I had a tough time getting into it and figured out what was happening pretty early on in the book. A disappointment for me, and feel it could have been much better