JESS JUST READS

A BOOK REVIEW BLOG

Either Side of Midnight by Benjamin Stevenson

At 9.01 pm, TV presenter Sam Midford delivers the monologue for his popular current affairs show Midnight Tonight. He seems nervous and the crew are convinced he’s about to propose to his girlfriend live on air.

Instead, he pulls out a gun and shoots himself in the head.

Sam’s grief-stricken twin Harry is convinced his brother was murdered. But how can that be, when one million viewers witnessed Sam pull the trigger? Only Jack Quick, a disgraced television producer in the last days of a prison sentence, is desperate enough to take Harry’s money to investigate.

But as Jack starts digging, he finds a mystery more complex than he first assumed. And if he’s not careful, he’ll find out first-hand that there’s more than one way to kill someone . . .

Australian author Benjamin Stevenson publishes his second crime novel Either Side of Midnight, and it’s another page-turning, fast-paced, high-tension masterpiece. Either Side of Midnight wraps its claws around the reader, drawing them closer with each passing chapter. Readers will have no choice but the ride the rollercoaster of this novel.

Fans of Benjamin’s previous novel, Greenlight, will recognise disgraced TV documentarian Jack Quick as the protagonist. He’s been serving a prison sentence after the events in Greenlight, and when he’s released, he accepts the paid opportunity investigating news anchor Sam Midford’s suicide. Jack is thrust back into the world he’d left behind — another suspicious death, more deceitful suspects, and plenty more complex and complicated truths.

Either Side of Midnight explores the power of technology, and how easily words can influence others. Services aren’t yet equipped to handle criminal cases where technology is used as a weapon.

“Jack hadn’t been prepared enough to come back here. The whole building was triggering. The epileptic rotation of adverts. The rustle of the ground floor. Any of the bathrooms where, sometimes, at ten in the morning, Jack on his knees and a man snorting a line off the basin would lock eyes conspiratorially.”

Once again, we’re thrust back into Jack’s world, quickly remembering what made us like him so much the first time around. He’s flawed, but likeable. Relatable. He’s calculated and intelligent — quick to join the dots in the case. Dialogue is quick and blunt, Benjamin only using as many words as necessary to keep the pacing consistent, to keep the story moving forward.

Chapters end with revelations and unveilings, drawing the reader in and forcing them to keep reading. Benjamin is incredibly talented at dropping hints and clues without the reader feeling like they can guess the ending.

“Harry didn’t know if he slept. The night blurred past, timeless. Some moments he was counting the seconds, and others he seemed to zone out and when he zoned back… was the moon in a different spot? Time must have passed.”

Set in Sydney, an underlying theme is familial loyalty, and processing feelings of regret. Jack is still dealing with an accident from his childhood that left his brother in a permanent vegetive state and entirely reliant on care. Jack’s father has been forced to take on the burden of his son’s care while Jack has been in prison, and Jack feels deep regret.

There isn’t much I can fault with this novel. The cast of characters are three-dimensional and engrossing, the plot feels original and incredibly inviting, and Benjamin has incredible skill crafting scrumptious crime/thriller novels.

“It’s a cliche in film and television to present recent widows as brittle, frail. To have the make-up team use pale foundation, ghost-like, and smear dark circles under their eyes. Every time a widow opens a door in a film, they’ve just finished crying. The message being that, without their husband, they are barely keeping it together.”

Recommended for fans of crime and thriller. Readers don’t need to read Greenlight to understand or follow the events in this new novel — Either Side of Midnight functions as a standalone.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Either Side of Midnight
Benjamin Stevenson
September 2020
Penguin Book Publishers Australia

The Girl from Widow Hills by Megan Miranda

Everyone knows the story of the girl from Widow Hills.

When Arden Mayes was six years old, she was swept away in terrifying storm and went missing for days. Against all odds, she was found alive, clinging to a storm drain. A living miracle. Arden’s mother wrote a book, and fame followed. But so did fans, creeps and stalkers. It was all too much, and as soon as she was old enough, Arden changed her name and left Widow Hills behind.

Now, a young woman living hundreds of miles away, Arden is known as Olivia. With the twentieth anniversary of her rescue looming, media interest in the girl who survived is increasing. Where is she now? The stress brings back the night terrors of Olivia’s youth. Often, she finds herself out of bed in the middle of the night, sometimes outside her home, even streets away. Then one evening she jolts awake in her yard, with the corpse of a man at her feet.

The girl from Widow Hills is about to become the centre of the story, once again.

Megan Miranda’s The Girl from Widow Hills is a fast-paced psychological thriller about a young woman forced to face her traumatic but mysterious past when a dead body is discovered on her property.

At 6 years old, Arden Maynor got caught in a flash flood whilst sleepwalking. She miraculously survived in a storm drain for three days and was found clinging to a grate. Fame followed her for years and so when she got older, she changed her name to Olivia Wells and moved to rural North Carolina.

Now 26 and a hospital administrator, Olivia works hard to keep her past hidden. Until that body ends up outside her house and she’s thrust back into the spotlight once again, the media circus returning to her front door.

“I was too young to really remember, and too much time had passed anyway, the trauma buried under so many layers that it existed only in the psychological reactions: the flutter of my pulse as the doors slid shut in an elevator; a ringing in my ears in the darkness of a movie theatre before the first trailer kicked in…”

A lot of this book explores unprocessed trauma — memory loss, murky childhood events, and the unreliability of Olivia’s mind. The Girl from Widow Hills also explores the media’s obsession with these survival stories, people who escape the inescapable. And then the media feel they’re owed updates in the years to follow. They don’t always care for the life that person is trying to lead, away from the limelight.

The writing is sleek and effecting. Narrative devices propel the story forward, red herrings keep you guessing, and the carefully woven twists and turns keep you enthralled. The cast is large enough that there’s room to suspect just about anyone of anything, and there’s enough mystery to keep the readers guessing.

The book is scattered with additional narrative elements that help carve a bigger picture surrounding Olivia’s childhood, such as newspaper articles, interview transcripts, police reports, and publicity coverage. Slowly, we’re able to piece together what happened to Olivia as a child, and how that connects to the dead body she found on her boundary line.

“There was a visceral reaction to speaking about the past. Something I’d long gone out of the way to contain. A shaking that started in my fingers, a tremor that worked its way through my body, though no one seemed to notice but me. The precursor to panic; something that seized my mind and body alike.”

Truthfully, I think there’s a bit of disconnect between the reader and Olivia. You spend so much of the book trying to understand her past, and her memories from when she was six, that I don’t feel like you really get to connect with her as an adult. Olivia comes across as distant — a little stiff and boring. You never really feel a huge range of emotions coming from Olivia, it’s mainly an observant kind of POV, assessing the events around her. Readers will follow along for the mystery, not for the characters.

“Everyone tried to act normal when I arrived at the hospital. Faces that were either too friendly, or people who averted their gaze entirely, pretending to be absorbed in their phones. I had found a dead body outside my house, and everyone knew it.”

Admittedly, the ending is a little far-fetched and rushed but by then you’re so seduced by the story, you don’t really care.

Recommended for fans of thrillers, crime and psychological suspense novels.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Girl from Widow Hills
Megan Miranda
August 2020
Allen & Unwin Book Publishers

None Shall Sleep by Ellie Marney

It’s 1982, and the innovative FBI Behavioral Science section is breaking new ground. Emma Lewis and Travis Bell, two teenagers with valuable skills, are recruited to interview convicted juvenile killers for information on cold cases.

When they’re drawn into an active case targeting teenagers, everything starts to unravel. Over Travis’s objections, Emma becomes the conduit between the FBI and an incarcerated serial killer, nineteen-year-old Simon Gutmunsson, who is a super-intelligent sociopath. And although Simon seems to be giving them the information they need to save lives, he’s also an expert manipulator playing a very long game …

Can Emma and Travis stop a serial killer on the loose – or will they fall victim themselves?

In Ellie Marney’s latest YA crime None Shall Sleep, two 18-year-olds in the US find themselves interviewing juvenile killers for the FBI — soon, they’re on the hunt for a vicious and fast-moving serial killer, who targets teenagers.

I’ve read a few of Ellie’s books and this is by far my favourite, and the strongest writing I’ve seen from Ellie. The prose is sharp and blunt; Ellie only uses words she needs to, propelling us through the story with efficiency.

The premise is a little absurd, sure, but it’s easy to put that aside and just let yourself fall into this thriller. I’m a sucker for a good crime story and Ellie kept me guessing with each chapter. All my predictions were wrong — all my guesses were misguided. Readers will find themselves engrossed in the story, desperate to turn each page.

“The inside of Behavioural Science is all low ceilings, crummy carpet, and cubicle hallways. Not as impressive as he imagined. Bell hears the sound of someone hanging up a phone farther ahead, then a muffled question, answered by an unfamiliar voice.”

Both Emma and Travis have troubled pasts that they avoid speaking about. Emma was kidnapped two and a half years earlier by a serial killer, but managed to escape. She still carries the scars — physically and mentally. Travis’ dad was murdered by a serial killer, and when that same serial killer crosses their path, Travis struggles to process the events.

Somehow, just somehow, I managed to read this entire book without realising it was set in 1982. I’d read the blurb multiple times and somehow missed it, and then I read the book and assumed it was set in the present. And to be honest? It works in the present. I mean, the premise is all a little ridiculous and unbelievable, which is probably why it’s not set in the present, but there didn’t really feel like any key descriptors or atmospheric indication that this was the 80s.

I think it’s both a good and bad thing. Good, because if it was too heavily embedded in 80s culture/landscape, teenagers today might not have enough of an interest in that to keep reading. And perhaps bad because…isn’t it a little weird you can read a whole book set in the 1980s and not realise? Ellie probably could’ve captured the setting a little stronger, without alienating her young readers.

“Kristin Gutmunsson’s resemblance to her twin is striking. She has the same gifts of good breeding, the poise and length of bone. She’s barefoot, in a simple cream linen shift that likely cost about as much as a small car. Her hair is ice-white and hands down in long tassels that remind Emma of Spanish moss — which makes her thinks of chiggers.”

It’s clear that a lot of research has gone into the writing of this book — the technicalities around the cognitive behavioural strategies, the descriptions of the killings and the crime scenes, the PTSD that Emma suffers from. Ellie has crafted a multi-layered story that sucks you deep into its clutches with each passing chapter.

Notorious serial killer Simon Gutmunsson plays a large role in this book, which I loved. He’s a fearsome character — he terrifies the reader with his quiet demeanour, his careful and considered actions. His characterisation is flawless, his dialogue chilling. He is both charming and intimidating, you can’t help but fall in love with him even though he’s a cold-blooded and remorseless killer. Readers will sympathise with his one weak spot — his love and devotion to his sister. It’s important to give antagonists something in their personality that makes them relatable, it allows the reader to understand them a bit better and perhaps like them. Simon’s connection with his twin sister Kristin makes him relatable, well-rounded, three-dimensional, and even that bit more human. It also allows for a few tender moments within the story.

“Cooper navigates the roads towards the Capitol Building, and Bell’s eyes move over the scrawl of Emma’s handwriting. She’s taken the entire interview down like dictation, and Bell finds the part he’s reading disturbing.”

As a long-time fan of Criminal Minds, I absolutely loved this book. I was genuinely shocked at how obsessed I became with this novel — how quickly I ditched plans just so I could finish this. The chapters snap at your heels, demanding you to keep reading, daring you to venture further.

Chilling and disturbing, but also really fucking entertaining. Recommended for readers of all ages.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

None Shall Sleep
Ellie Marney
September 2020
Allen & Unwin Book Publishers

The Erasure Initiative by Lili Wilkinson

A girl wakes up on a self-driving bus. She has no memory of how she got there or who she is. Her nametag reads CECILY. The six other people on the bus are just like her: no memories, only nametags. There’s a screen on each seatback that gives them instructions.

A series of tests begin, with simulations projected onto the front window of the bus. The passengers must each choose an outcome; majority wins. But as the testing progresses, deadly secrets are revealed, and the stakes get higher and higher. Soon Cecily is no longer just fighting for her freedom – she’s fighting for her life.

Lili Wilkinson’s The Erasure Initiative is a YA psychological thriller that explores human behaviour, morality and ethical decision-making. The novel is also highly entertaining and set within a high-stakes, high-pressure environment. The Erasure Initiative ponders the possibility of using the trolley problem to re-align criminal behaviour.

Seven people wake on a driverless bus with no memory of who they are and how they got there. Our protagonist, Cecily, soon forms strong bonds with the handsome young Paxton and the brash but tech-savvy Nia. A series of hypothetical situations forces the group to come together in an unpredictable, and at times manipulative manner.

“The seatback displays don’t offer us any new information. We pace up and down the aisle. Check over everything a few more times. Hunger makes everyone jitter and snap at each other. Riley’s knee bounces up and down incessantly, and I want to yell at him, but I don’t, because I’m scared of his clumsy tattoos and scars.”

I’ve read quite a few of Lili’s books, including her other psychological thrillers After the Lights Go Out and The Boundless Sublime and I always find the twists and reveals to be incredibly clever. I genuinely don’t see them coming, so big ticks for that.

The trolley problem is only interesting and engaging the first few times you do it, so I was intrigued to find out how Lili was going to keep a reader engaged for at least 70,000 words. After the first couple of trolley problems I was bracing myself for repetition, but Lili manages to switch the rules and change the game with each chapter. I’m happy to admit my prediction was wrong.

“Inertia hurls me forward. I have just enough time to throw my hands up to protect my face as I collide with the windscreen, my body doing its damnedest to continue its forward trajectory through space. I close my eyes in involuntary defence as my face smashes into my hands, and my wrists and elbows and hips connect with the glass.”

I do think some characters were so engaging and dominant that a few characters on the bus got drowned out as a result. Riley is one of them — I kind of forgot about him until his character reached their pivotal moment. Catherine was also a bit of a sly fox, disappearing into the pages (although I’m certain that was intentional). And Edwin is a lot more interesting (and relevant) towards the end of the novel — he felt a little lost in the first half of the book.

The dynamic between Cecily and Nia is an interesting one, and something that develops really well over the course of the novel. I think Lili has done a great job of capturing the premise of missing memories very well. Being in Cecily’s head feels like climbing inside a toddler learning to walk. You can’t really look away.

“This time only Sandra chooses to save the person. I choose NO, because if Edwin’s right and the dickhead who’s behind this is trying to compare our answers, then I’m going to screw with him by always choosing NO.”

Admittedly, at times the dialogue felt a bit preach-y and like the author’s views on certain societal issues were poking through the novel. Additionally, with such a small cast of characters — there’s really only seven of them — Lili manages to tick a lot of diverse minority boxes and sometimes it felt a bit like it was approaching being tokenistic.

Compelling and enthralling right until the final page, The Erasure Initiative is recommended for fans of thriller and mystery. I don’t think this book is limited to YA readerships; adults and young readers alike with find themselves absorbed in this premise.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Erasure Initiative
Lili Wilkinson
August 2020
Allen & Unwin Book Publishers

The Bluffs by Kyle Perry

When a school group of teenage girls goes missing in the remote wilderness of Tasmania’s Great Western Tiers, the people of Limestone Creek are immediately on alert. Three decades ago, five young girls disappeared in the area of those dangerous bluffs, and the legend of ‘the Hungry Man’ still haunts locals to this day.

Now, authorities can determine that the teacher, Eliza Ellis, was knocked unconscious, so someone on the mountain was up to foul play. Jordan Murphy, the local dealer and father of missing student Jasmine, instantly becomes the prime suspect. But Detective Con Badenhorst knows that in a town this size – with corrupt cops, small-town politics, and a teenage YouTube sensation – everyone is hiding something, and bluffing is second nature.

When a body is found, mauled, at the bottom of a cliff, suspicion turns to a wild animal – but that can’t explain why she was discovered barefoot, her shoes at the top of the cliff, laces neatly tied.

Eerie, mysterious and utterly gripping, The Bluffs is the debut novel from Australian author Kyle Perry, set amidst the mountains of Tasmania’s Great Western Tiers. The novel blends the real and the supernatural, drawing readers in with a page-turning mystery and keeping them trapped until they get to the final page.

A group of teenage girls go missing in the remote mountains of the Great Western Tiers; the entire town is on edge because three decades earlier, a different group of young girls went missing and they’ve never been found.

“Eliza had grown up without a father. She’d hated it, she still felt broken hearted whenever she thought of it. She wanted Wren to grow up healthy and happy. Not just with a father, but a father she could respect.”

The Bluffs is heavy with police procedure; robust Sydney detective Con Badenhorst is tasked with finding the missing girls. He’s determined and desperate, but he’s also holding on to some pretty triggering baggage from his work back in Sydney.

Local drug dealer Murphy is one of the strongest characters in the book — flawed and morally ambiguous, but also really likeable. He’s driven by his love for his daughter and his protective nature adds depth to the story.

Local teacher Eliza is a pretty fascinating character. At first, she appears to be a weak character, easily confused or fooled. But over time we come to understand her as a little unreliable, a little mixed up in the information she’s telling us.

“Being dismissed by a 16-year-old was not an experience Con enjoyed, but Gabriella grabbed his arm and he let her drag him outside. His mind was turning, carefully putting observations and facts into boxes, listing options and priorities and questions he needed answered.”

Tension builds with every passing chapter. Writing is crisp and quick; the dialogue is realistic and spurs the story on. There are a lot of characters in the story, but their characterisation is unique and you can tell Kyle spent a lot of time really crafting each and every one of them.

Setting plays a strong part in this novel. The weather is unpredictable and unforgiving — you can feel the cold rain and the harsh environment as it builds up in the mountains. Sometimes setting feels like another character, adding intrigue and mystery. What secrets is that fog hiding?

The blend of supernatural elements into this story was an interesting choice. Personally, I hated the final chapter. When a novel is a standalone and the final chapter hints to some other world, there’s no way for a resolution and I end up incredibly frustrated. But I’m sure not everyone would have the same reaction.

“Something roared in Murphy’s ears. He wrenched against the cuffs on the table, shouting profanity. He was barely aware of the words leaving his mouth as he kicked the chair over behind him, kicked against the metal legs of the table.”

I will admit, there were a few moments — twists — that felt predictable to me. Spoiler alert. The letters KUN being etched onto the police car felt significant, and identifiable as a clue; Madison mentioning the ‘game’ when they were atop the mountains also signalled some kind of forward planning; Jake being tasked with driving himself to the police station when he was acting suspicious — no surprises when he drove off and tried to make a break for it.

I don’t think I fully understood why the author crafted Tom and Monica the way he did. Monica doesn’t have much real estate in the story, so I’m not really sure why we were positioned to feel sorry for her when she also was very aware of Tom’s behaviour. To be honest, I didn’t feel like Eliza and Monica’s acceptance of Tom’s behaviour was very realistic.

The twist about a certain character being related to another certain character was also signposted too many times. I saw that one coming and I imagine other readers might as well.

Despite some predictable moments, The Bluffs will please any crime or mystery reader. Recommended for fans of Stephen King.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Bluffs
Kyle Perry
July 2020
Penguin Random House Publishers