Midnight by Stephen Leather

Stephen Leather, you clever clever man – what a truly magnificent way to kick off a brand new year – welcome to 2011!

My first introduction to Stephen Leather and Jack Nightingale, “Midnight” is one of those books you never really know what to expect when you pick it up. Sent an ARC by Hodder & Stoughton towards the end of last year I put it to one side to clear my backlog of impending publishing deadlines. If I knew then what I know now – I sincerely doubt I would have waited until New Year’s Day to begin reading this supernatural thriller!

Available at Amazon & The Book Depository.

As many of you know I have a penchant for crime thrillers and have thoroughly enjoyed reviewing the genre over the last five months. Leather’s “Midnight” is a crime thriller and so much more – add a dash of devilish behaviour, sprinkle with the occult and finish it off with helping of soul and you have a non-stop thriller on your hands.

As I read the novel, I found myself on three occasions holding my breath during certain passages, such was the intensity Leather had created. With my heart rate intensifying, the atmosphere was palpable and I had to take stock following each incident – I can’t remember the last book that affected me in such a way.

“Midnight” isn’t your classic horror book, it slowly works psychologically and before you know it you find you can’t escape the desperate fight to save not one but two souls from an impending and final destiny.

The narrative is sharp and incredibly well thought out affording an expeditious pace from start to finish. I must admit I struggled to put the book down and over the course of two days I found I had to force myself to switch off the light at 3am and give in for fear of sleep deprivation until the following morning – not before I’d double checked all windows and doors were secure mind you!

“Midnight” is the second installment in the Jack Nightingale series, an ex-cop in London who, together with his one and only assistant, has turned his obvious detective skills to earn a living as a gumshoe – a private detective. Along with the usual infidelity case, Jack has to save a soul – his sister’s soul. The trouble is Jack doesn’t know who she is and where she lives!

Nightingale gets caught up in a number of related and unrelated murders, deaths and apparent suicides – it seems everywhere he turns, death follows him. Time after time Jack is hauled in by the police to answer questions and prove his innocence – all the while trying to investigate what the hell is going on in his troubled world.

The characters are spot on. I loved the relationship between Jack and Jenny and I’m keen to find out if anything develops in the third instalment of this trilogy – both comfortable with each other, it’s clear Jenny isn’t in the job for the money – is there something more to this alliance?

Without giving too much away his interaction with his sister is priceless. I felt as if I was looking into a mirror and seeing a female version of Jack looking back at me. The dialogue seemed spontaneous yet cleverly crafted – highly entertaining exchanges!

So there we have it – my first acquaintance with the devil, my first taste of the occult and without a shadow of a doubt not my last Stephen Leather book! Highly intelligent, “Midnight” is one of those books you’ll struggle to put down. Make sure the lights are on, the doors are locked and you have a stiff drink to hand – you’re going to need it with this book!

I can’t rate this book enough – a wonderful start to the new year, “Midnight” comes highly recommended and already a contender for best thriller of 2011. Magical and exceptionally powerful.

Published by Hodder & Stoughton Midnight is available at Amazon & The Book Depository