Horror Book of the Week: MIDNIGHT ON BEACON STREET by Emily Ruth Verona

 

One Night. One House. One Dead Body. 

This tagline is sure to intrigue you and check out this week’s horror book MIDNIGHT ON BEACON STREET. 

If you like suspenseful thrillers, you will want to dive right into this novel written by Emily Ruth Verona.

The plot is set in 1993 so many readers will find it enjoyable to get a slice of nostalgia in between the pages. 

The book was published in January 2024 by Harper Perennial. Midnight on Beacon Street is on the bestsellers list in U.S. Horror Fiction, and Horror Suspense. 

The reviews have been mostly positive with many reviewers calling it a riveting thriller that perfectly captures the 90s era. They further state that the book has the perfect whodunnit elements, and the author capably immerses the reader into the plot by making sure they get into the character’s minds and understand what they feel, see and think. 

Customers found a lot of potential in the book as well. The book was praised for being a well-written slow burn mystery with interesting characters. 

The criticisms focused on the ending that the readers thought was too abrupt. Some also didn’t enjoy the way the book was presented, calling it a disjointed narrative that got too confusing. 

Quick Book Review of MIDNIGHT ON BEACON STREET

When the book opens, you don’t even get a chance to breathe. We are introduced to Ben who is standing over a dead body. The description aptly gives us insight to every little thought and feeling Ben is going through. 

It can be a little over-descriptive but over here it is acceptable considering the scene and theme for the story is being set. 

The chapter heading mentions that it is past midnight on October 16th, 1993. 

The next chapter is told through Amy’s perspective. It is October 15th, and still time before whatever happens in midnight, happens. 

Amy is a babysitter and she has come to take charge of Ben and his sister Mira while their mother Eleanor goes out on a date. Amy really likes Eleanor and finds her to be almost like her friend. 

We then learn about Amy as she was six years ago. She was younger and prone to anxiety. 

There’s a lot of going on with the characters and the author makes sure we understand the character’s deepest thoughts and their insecurities. 

After the shocking and riveting introduction, the following chapters do allow the readers to breathe but it doesn’t waste pages informing them of things that are not pertinent to the story. 

In order to truly understand what happened at midnight and be truly immersed in the gripping plot, it is important to understand everything about these characters and the reason they behave the way they do. 

Those who have read the book have promised an intensifying climax if not surprising. 

To Read or Not to Read?

I would want to continue reading this book, and get to the bottom of the mystery of why a timid little boy managed to end up killing someone. 

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