BOOK REVIEW : BLACKTHORN BOOK TOURS – NOTHING GOOD HAPPENS AFTER MIDNIGHT : A SUSPENSE MAGAZINE ANTHOLOGY

TITLE : Nothing Good Happens After Midnight

AUTHOR : Jeffery Deaver, Linwood Barclay, Rhys Bowen, Heather Graham, Alan Jacobson, Paul Kemprecos, Jon Land, John Lescroart, Kevin O’Brien, Hank Phillippi Ryan, D.P. Lyle, Joseph Badal, Shannon Kirk

GENRE : Adult, Thriller/suspense/mystery Anthology

FR RATING : ⭐⭐⭐⭐( 4.5 Stars)

DATE OF PUBLISHING : November 17th 2020

FR REVIEW

DISCLAIMER : Thank you, Blackthorn Book tours for providing me with a review copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

DISCLAIMER : This is going to be spoilery and read the review at your own risk. If you do not want to be spoiled and would like to hear my overall thoughts on the book and my feelings about it, I’ll leave the link to my Goodreads review here. (CLICK HERE)

I have loved reading anthologies in the past, and so when I saw this title on the Blackthorn Book Tours website, I knew I needed to sign up for this one. This is an anthology of 13 thriller/mystery/suspense short stories compiled together to give us a wonderful collection of quick page-turners.

A Karen Vail Short Story by Alan Jacobson is the first story in this anthology. We are following the detective who is following a case that looks to be the handiwork of a serial killer. The only problem is the serial killer is about to be euthanized for his crimes. Teaming up with the detective who investigated the case, together they try to find out the person who is getting inspired by the killer.

Cell Phone Intolerant by Kevin O’Brien tells us the story of Ed, who is a bit of a loner after his wife’s death, who likes to invent things and tinker with technology. He creates a signal jammer and goes around zapping cell phone users who are irresponsible or rude to him. He is the vigilante who meets with an unexpected accident, which prompts him to retire his vigilantism.

All Aboard by Hank Phillippi Ryan follows a PR fixer on an overnight train ride. The fixer overhears a conversation through the walls of the cabin and decides to intervene and help the woman the next door lady had set her sights on.

Gone Forever – A Lassiter/Martinez Short Story by Joseph Badal is the story of how a young man whose grief, anger, and frustrations turn him into a monster with only the vision of playing GOD’s hand in righting the wrongs paving his way.

Nightshift by Lindwood Barclay depicts the atmosphere of a nightshift in a newsroom with so much intensity, we feel like we are there right along with the characters. The story is about the mindset of killers and how a nightshift could turn awry at any moment.

Midnight In The Garden Of Death by Heather Graham is the story of a slumber party by teens at the cemetery gone wrong. It has a bit of a supernatural element to it making the readers question what really happened.

The Sixth Decoy – An Aristotle “Soc” Socarides Short Story by Paul Kemprecos is about an art collector’s search for a rare wood carving worth millions. The collectors seek help from the former cop and PI Soc. It talks about how far people would go for acquiring art and also the brotherhood of Marines sticking together.

A Creative Defense by Jeffery Deaver is the story of a composition driving people to stab and kill others. The eerie and emotion-inducing composition makes people go into a fugue state and kill.

After Midnight – Cinderella Then And Now by Rhys Bowen is a story about a Cinderella who stands up for herself and devices a way to make sure she is treated right in the ‘then’- storyline. In the ‘now’ – storyline, we see Cinderella taking the reins of her life by taking revenge on the man who destroyed her mom’s life and didn’t have any qualms about ruining hers either.

Easy Peasy by Lescroart is about a strange series of events starting from a plan to TPing a popular high school student’s house to a breaking and entering attempt that ends with police shooting at the students leaving the two injured. How fates bring two people together in the most unusual and strange ways is also explored in this story.

Tonic by D P Lyle is the strangest one I encountered in this mix. I mean, come on!! This is the stuff of the nightmares. Ever heard of a crazy doctor who grinds humans, bones, tissues, and everything to make miracle tonics?? Yep, that is what this is about. Let’s just say I will be wary of medicines from now on!!Tonight Is The Night by Shannon Kirk tells the story of a man in his fifties planning a proposal and looking forward to it getting to meet an old enemy, and also getting rid of the serial killer terrorizing the community lately. The story is so bizarre with a lot of moving players but at the same time very intriguing. The story also has elements of the supernatural in it, making it even more fascinating.

ATM by Jon Land is an uplifting and hopeful story about a young man struggling to make ends meet finds himself at a peculiar ATM, which demands it’s users to perform certain tasks and rewarding the user for the success.

All the stories were engaging, and I found them to be very much enjoyable. I loved how this anthology helped me get out of my funky mood with entertaining stories that made me hooked to the book from page one. I have a few stories that I thoroughly enjoyed and a few that I found to be unique. Overall I loved the anthology, and the stories fit the theme perfectly. The theme was Nothing Good Happens After Midnight and every single one of them had elements of sinister, evil, and dangers lurking at every corner after dark. I gave the book 4.5 stars. If you love anthologies and are looking for a quick and entertaining read, pick this one up. It’s a great choice and I highly recommend checking it out.

CLICK BELOW TO BUY THIS BOOK FROM AMAZON US!!

CLICK BELOW TO BUY THIS BOOK FROM AMAZON UK!!

CLICK BELOW TO BUY THIS BOOK FROM AMAZON AE!!

SYNOPSIS

The sun sets. The moon takes its place, illuminating the most evil corners of the planet. What twisted fear dwells in that blackness? What legends attach to those of sound mind and make them go crazy in the bright light of day? Only Suspense Magazine knows…

Teaming up with New York Times bestselling author Jeffery Deaver, Suspense Magazine offers up a nail-biting anthology titled: “Nothing Good Happens After Midnight.” This thrilling collection consists of thirteen original short stories representing the genres of suspense/thriller, mystery, sci-fi/fantasy, and more.

Readers’ favorites come together to explore the mystery of midnight. The ‘best of the best’ presenting these memorable tales, include: Joseph Badal, Linwood Barclay, Rhys Bowen, Jeffery Deaver, Heather Graham, Alan Jacobson, Paul Kemprecos, Shannon Kirk, Jon Land, John Lescroart, D. P. Lyle, Kevin O’Brien, and Hank Phillippi Ryan.

Take their hands…walk into their worlds…but be prepared to leave the light on when you’re through. After all, this incredible gathering of authors, who will delight fans of all genres, not only utilized their award-winning imaginations to answer that age-old question of why “Nothing Good Happens After Midnight”—they also made sure to pen stories that will leave you…speechless.