This one had me til the end. I was charmed by the setting, the eerie mood, the "monster,' and the main characters, both of whom were understated and believable. The story took a little while to gain momentum, but once it did, I was loath to press pause. However, the last 20 or so minutes of this audiobook were deeply confusing. At first, I assumed that I just hadn't been paying close enough attention, but relistening didn't really clear up any of the questions I had about the resolution. It's a shame, by the time certain details came to light, I was really on the edge of my seat, but he didn't quite stick the landing for me.
That much said, I still found elements of this text to be haunting, and my brain was still in Soap Lake for a few days after reading.
Kristen Sieh did a wonderful job with the narration.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in advance of its publication.

This book had too much sci-fi for my taste unfortunately. I did like the audiobook narrator.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc/alc.

3.75 ⭐️

MIDNIGHT IN SOAP LAKE by Matthew Sullivan

Abigail is new to Soap Lake, Washington, and her husband Eli quickly was summoned to Poland to do research. So when she finds a little boy George whose mother was murdered by a screwdriver, she immerses herself into the community, takes an active role in George’s life, and tries to help solve the murder of Esme. The novel flashes back to when Esme was younger in Soap Lake.

➕ Unique way to bring together an actual, mystical lake with a mystery. Soap Lake is a few hours away from me by car, and I enjoyed learning more about this actual lake.
➕ I really liked the found family element in this novel, as Abigail is new to town, and finding George after his mother’s murder gets her more involved in the town. I liked the unique individuals in the town, including the recovering drug addict.

➖ I didn’t think the actual mystery was very compelling.
➖ It felt a little too drawn out.

I’m not usually too much of a fan of quirk, and this novel has some elements that are off the beaten path. I actually liked several of these elements although I didn’t quite grasp the myth of “Tree Top.”

I thought the audiobook narrator Kristen Sieh did a good job narrating the audiobook.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hanover Square Press, and Harlequin Audio for an Advance Reader Copy and Advance Listener Copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

It publishes April 15, 2025.

I really enjoyed this book. Two timelines and points of view. A phenomenal story with a decades old mystery thrown in. Then add in the setting of a very real historical town and lake. Really enjoyed listening to this one. I think I finished it within two days. The narrator was great. The book itself was well written and interesting. Definitely some surprises at the end I wasn’t really expecting. I loved the characters of Esme and Abigail.

The parts of this story I found most fascinating were the true parts of the biology of Soap Lake and what it means to study lakes. The mystery was fairly good, the mythology of the monster interesting, but it just had a lot going on. Too much, and too big of a conspiracy, and too many angles not fleshed out enough. The characters were not very compelling to me, and I struggled to care about many of them. Still, I was invested in the getting to the bottom of all the violence and terror inflicted on this town, and the end was satisfying. I immediately looked up info on the real Soap Lake, and that part will stay with me because I learned from it.

The setting in this book was so intriguing to me. The story takes place in Soap Lake, Washington. This book has mystery, conspiracies, urban legends. It’s addicting and I couldn’t put it down.

The audiobook is narrated by Kristen Sieh. She does such a good job voicing the role. I felt all the emotions while listening to this story.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
This novel takes place in small town Soap Lake, Washington. The town’s lake plays a significant role in the narrative blending mystery and drama.
The characters are well-developed and the intricate dual timeline plot weaves them all together, creating a rich tapestry of life in this unique and intriguing setting.
The conclusion took me by surprise!
I highly recommend reading the author’s note - very interesting and informative.
I both read and listened to this story and felt like I grasped the complex concepts easier with the e-book.
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.