In the Midnight Hour

Rating:
Summary: Phyllis Whitney for the Millenium
Review: Although this could be classified as a British suspense novel, I find the comparisons to an American Grande Dame of suspense,too many to explore here. Suffice to say that those who enjoyed the work of Phyllis Whitney will also appreciate Michelle Spring. A well plotted mystery with a terrific heroine.,and a fine cast of characters make for a cozy and quick read.

Rating:
Summary: Move over P.D.James...here comes Michelle Spring!
Review: Don't start this book if you don't have time to finish it in a couple days! My poor husband felt as if his wife was abducted when I started 'Midnight'. But it was so good! Definitely a woman's mystery! With all the humour and insight that only a woman can appreciate. The characters are so richly woven and developed that you will feel almost desolate when you've finished the book! Michelle Spring is a talent that not many have heard of but I'm on my band wagon singing her praises! She is awesome! Not since P.D.James has there been a more talented mystery writer that can weave a tale like Spring.

Rating:
Summary: Another finely-crafted mystery I can't put down!
Review: Michelle Spring has created a heroine with layers and erudition. Laura Principal's already well-defined character takes on a new layer with this book. (Like a mystery itself, Laura has emerged layer by layerr in previous books.) So, too, does the plot, unfolding gradually. The author knows how to tell a story, little by little, until the reader is hooked and has forsaken everything but the book. The suspenses builds, then tapers. And when you think you've got it all figured (maybe you've cheated and read the last page) forget it: there are still more layers to peel back. Well written and not at all trite, as is the case with some mysteries that are lumped into the "cozy" category. Or maybe Spring has redefined the genre.

Rating:
Summary: A great mystery and family drama
Review: Twelve years ago, four-year-old Timmy Cable vanished while walking alongside his father Jack on the beach. He took his eyes off his son for a few seconds and that is all it took for the kid to disappear. A happy family remained shattered as they wait for news about their missing child that never came.

Timmy's mother Olivia believes she has seen her lost son, playing guitar for cash on the streets of Cambridge, England. Not wanting his spouse hurt again, Jack hires sleuth Laura Principal of Aardvark Investigations to learn what she can about the teenager, Liam, who remains reticent about his background. However, two incidents lead the Cables to believe they have found Timmy, leaving it up to Laura to determine the truth.

IN THE MIDNIGHT HOUR is a well-crafted tale filled with unexpected twists. Most of the plot revolves around whether Liam is actually Timmy, but a subplot concerning Laura and her lover-partner adds depth to the story-line. Michelle Spring proves her gift as a storyteller by keeping the audience's attention throughout the novel even while striking at one of the worse nightmares a parent can face. Do not look for cute explanations that tie a ribbon on this suspense novel. Instead, readers will feel the increasing tension as they wonder until the very end whether Liam is Timmy and, if yes or no, what really happened on the beach that day.

Harriet Klausner