In the latest jaw-dropping thriller from New York Times bestselling author Riley Sager, a man must contend with the long-ago disappearance of his childhood best friend—and the dark secrets lurking just beyond the safe confines of his picture-perfect neighborhood.
The worst thing to ever happen on Hemlock Circle occurred in Ethan Marsh’s backyard. 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, Ethan woke up alone. During the night, someone had sliced the tent open with a knife and taken Billy. He was never seen again.
Thirty years later, Ethan has reluctantly returned to his childhood home. Plagued by bad dreams and insomnia, he begins to notice strange things happening in the middle of the night. Someone seems to be roaming the cul-de-sac at odd hours, and signs of Billy’s presence keep appearing in Ethan’s backyard. Is someone playing a cruel prank? Or has Billy, long thought to be dead, somehow returned to Hemlock Circle?
The mysterious occurrences prompt Ethan to investigate what really happened that night, a quest that reunites him with former friends and neighbors and leads him into the woods that surround Hemlock Circle. Woods where Billy claimed ghosts roamed and where a mysterious institute does clandestine research on a crumbling estate.
The closer Ethan gets to the truth, the more he realizes that no place—be it quiet forest or suburban street—is completely safe. And that the past has a way of haunting the present.
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"Middle of the Night is Riley Sager at his masterful best—this story is dark, scary, and twisty, but also bittersweet. It’s the secrets that hide in a bucolic neighborhood on a summer night, lingering in the freshly cut grass and the sound of crickets. You will follow these fascinating characters through its brilliantly woven plot all the way to the unexpected, poignant end."
— Simone St. James, New York Times bestselling author of Murder Road Praise for Riley Sager
"A classic summer coming-of-age story with a page-turning side of paranormal activity.”
— People“A thriller with a touch of the supernatural, Sager’s suspenseful mystery is gripping, unsettling, and for some fans, takes a deeper dive into emotional conflict and trauma than in his previous novels.”
— Huffington PostBestseller Sager expertly doles out chills and pathos in his mesmerizing latest…This standout work of psychological suspense confirms that Sager has few equals when it comes to merging creepiness and compassion.
— Publishers Weekly (starred)“There are twists aplenty in Sager’s latest. His signature style will leave readers dizzyingly satisfied.
— Library JournalSager, author of Final Girls (2017) and Survive the Night (2021)—to name but two of many fine thrillers—has devised a genuinely frightening story and populated it with characters who feel as real as anyone you might encounter in the ‘real world.’ He is a master craftsman, and Middle of the Night is a superlative novel.
— BooklistFull of tension, urgency, atmosphere, and feeling—this is Riley Sager at his very best.
— Lee Child, #1 New York Times Bestselling AuthorI've read all of Riley Sager's novels and Middle of the Night is my new favorite. It's a sweet-and-spooky story about an unsolved mystery, childhood friendships, and things that go bump in the night—with plenty of 90s nostalgia and a twist I never saw coming. Read it outdoors with a flashlight on a warm summer's evening—if you dare!
— Jason Rekulak, bestselling author of Hidden Pictures“The latest dependable airport bookstore grab and name in summer suspense.
— The Chicago Tribune“Sager is a master of the twist and the turn.
— Rolling Stone“[Sager’s novels are] all creepily atmospheric, easy to read without being fluffy, and fun as hell.
— VultureSuspense master.
— USA TodayFull of tension, urgency, atmosphere, and feeling—this is Riley Sager at his very best.
— Lee Child, #1 New York Times Bestselling AuthorA thriller with a touch of the supernatural, Sager’s suspenseful mystery is gripping, unsettling, and for some fans, takes a deeper dive into emotional conflict and trauma than in his previous novels.
— Huffington PostIf there's one book that will be on BookTok shelves in 2024, it's Middle of the Night.
— Refinery 29Sager, author of Final Girls (2017) and Survive the Night (2021)—to name but two of many fine thrillers—has devised a genuinely frightening story and populated it with characters who feel as real as anyone you might encounter in the ‘real world.’ He is a master craftsman, and Middle of the Night is a superlative novel.
— BooklistEthan Marsh has returned to his childhood home 30 years after his best friend, Billy, disappeared from their backyard, and some seriously strange things are afoot. The vibe is a classic summer coming-of-age story with a page-turning side of paranormal activity.
— PEOPLE, "Most-Anticipated Summer Books"A thriller with a touch of the supernatural, Sager’s suspenseful mystery is gripping, unsettling, and for some fans, takes a deeper dive into emotional conflict and trauma than in his previous novels.
— Huffington PostSager's thriller is packed with the author's trademark psychological suspense and one big "Oh my!" moment.
— Star Tribune“There are twists aplenty in Sager’s latest. His signature style will leave readers dizzyingly satisfied.
— Library Journal“[T]his thriller unfolds with a frenetic, almost feverish pace that will keep readers hooked.
— BookpageSager’s Middle of the Night is a twisty mystery with a touch of the supernatural, but it’s also about the complexities of friendship, those fleeting but overwhelming feelings from growing up and coming to terms with profound grief.
— USA TodaySager's thriller is packed with the author's trademark psychological suspense and one big "Oh my!" moment.
— Star TribuneBeyond the big, final reveal, another twist — personal for Ethan — changes our feelings about him, mine dramatically. It’s then that all the pieces fall into place to make Middle of the Night the most satisfying Sager yet.
— St. Louis Post-DispatchBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Riley Sager is a pseudonym for an author of suspense thrillers who has previously published under another name.
Santino Fontana is a stage actor, director, and composer. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater BFA Actor Training Program and recently provided the voice of Prince Hans in Frozen. In 2015 he became the first guest artist to perform three times in the space of one year with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.