Summary:

Every city has places where a person can disappear without a trace. Crimson Lake often feels like it is full of these spots, especially as the disappearances continue to multiply. More concerning is the threat of connecting each missing person to the next.

Ted was facing enough pressure to solve this series of cases before his daughter entered the fray. With her on the line, he’ll do just about anything to ensure things get wrapped up before she becomes the next to go missing.

Review:

First, I must confess a mistake I made: I didn’t realize Gone by Midnight was the third in the series until after I started. Since I got it from the library, I figured I’d just forge ahead. But that might have altered my perspective of the story.

With that out of the way, let’s begin. The investigative combination in this book is so surprising, and I think it really makes the book/series. Likewise, the characters absolutely make this world come to life. If that’s the sort of thriller you’re into, you’ve got to check out this series. I’m sure the others hold up.

I really enjoyed Candice Fox’s writing style. She lets the characters drive the plot, forging an emotional connection with the reader, all while holding a few surprises up her sleeve. It’s the perfect combination for a thriller.

Highlights:
Mystery Thriller
Multiple perspectives
Crime & Suspense

I absolutely LOVE this series by Candice Fox. It is dark, weird and set in a place I never want to visit. It's great!

Ted Conkaffy is finally in a good space. The past that has haunted him is being sorted out and he is ready to move on from being falsely accused of a crime he didn't commit. Ted has a new career as a private investigator with partner Amanda Pharrell. Things between his ex-wife are smoothing out and he has a chance to have his toddler daughter for a week while she goes to a conference.

Ted is having a good time with his daughter and is basking in the wonders of parenthood when his partner comes calling with the news of a young boy missing from a local hotel. He is informed that the mother of the missing boy has requested his help to find her son. As usual the case doesn't add up and Ted and Amanda must work feverishly to try and save this little boy.

This book is rich with wonderful characters that become more interesting with each book. At times I held my breath because the story became so intense. This is the third book in this series and I highly recommend this author if you especially like a gritty and tight thriller.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan/Tor-Forge Books for the opportunity to read this book.

Interesting mystery series! What I love the most are the sleuths themselves - modern "Sherlock" Amanda with her brilliant, out-of-the-box way of thinking and unusual behaviour; and her Watson embodied by Ted, good guy with harsh and untrue stigma of being child rapist pinned on him.

While mystery was not bad, to be honest, it was not that interesting as the sleuthing duo´s interactions, really!

Absolutely brilliant thriller with a fabulous plot which I could not put down. Brilliant characters, and twists and turns. Highly recommend to other fans of this genre!!

I love the cover of this novel and the inside. "Gone by Midnight" is an exciting novel by Candice Fox. A page turner for sure.

This book intrigued me from the beginning to end. It's completely haunting and continues to stick with me weeks after reading. I was a little lost at the beginning due to the fact that I haven't read the previous books in the series but that didn't make this book unenjoyable. I enjoyed this one so much that I'm definitely going to go back and read the previous books.

The Crimson Lake mystery series by Candice Fox is an almost guilty pleasure for me. I won’t claim it’s brilliant writing, but it’s creative and dark and fascinating, and I can’t look away from the stories until they’re done. They are more violent and suspenseful than I usually care for and tend to melodramatic overkill, especially towards the end of each book, and yet I’m eagerly, greedily awaiting each additional book in the series. So of course I requested an advanced copy of Gone by Midnight to read as soon as I saw it was available. Then life happened, including pandemics and shutdowns and stay at home orders and a great dreary reading dry spell for me, and I didn’t get to finish it until this autumn. But when I finally got both the time and the emotional energy/ concentration to pick up Gone by Midnight, I was hooked again.

These books are dark. I hesitate to recommend them to other readers, because how to explain them in an appealing way? “Well, the main character Ted is a former cop who was accused of violently (sexually) attacking a young teenage girl and is hiding in a remote corner of Australia now, where he works for Amanda, a heavily tattooed seemingly neurdivergent woman–who is a convicted killer who served her time and now works as a private investigator. And every book in the series deals heavily with violence against children, including sexual violence, and always seems to involve Ted and/or Amanda suffering severe physical injuries. But the books are really good!” No one seems to believe me. Which is sad. Because I really do enjoy them, in a slightly furtive and yet enthusiastic way.

Gone by Midnight is more of those same elements, but with new developments, including Ted getting a love interest and getting to spend some time with his toddler Lillian, and continuing to deepen his friendship with Amanda, who continues to be my very favorite character in these stories. Honestly, Ted sounds like he was a very boring guy before his life got turned upside down, and only got interesting because of the trauma that happened to him. Whereas Amanda is a very interesting character who has also suffered a lot of trauma, but continues to be very interesting. I enjoy the dynamics between them, especially that they are solely platonic.

Amanda is incredibly observant and intelligent, although people often don’t notice it because of her peculiar behavior and quirky personality. I am embarrassed to note that it took a Holmes reference in this, the third book in the series, for me to notice the Holmes and Watson dynamic going on between Ted and Amanda, but I’m here for it. Amanda, who can’t stand to be touched, and who loves cake and bright sparkly clothes and talking in cheesy rhymes, who has too many cats, and hangs out with elderly biker gang members in her free time, is the real anchor of this story. I appreciated getting some of the story told from her POV. To use her own words, “I’m not death . . . . I’m just a super-intelligent ex-con who likes to solve mysteries.”

As far as other story elements introduced in this story, I very much liked the new police officer, nicknamed Superfish. He’s delightfully awkward and earnest and a great addition to their little island of misfit toys. Ted’s ex Kelly is only slightly more interesting than his new love interest, Laney, as both are boring conventionally fit and beautiful white women. I just didn’t buy into Ted’s immediate obsession with Laney, aside from her being the only person who didn’t seem to know his story as soon as they met. Maybe given the trauma he’s been through, that and a pretty face would be enough, but I still didn’t buy it, and found it really boring. Lillian is not particularly interesting either, but she at least has the excuse of being a very young child. Ted’s friendship with the coroner continues to be more interesting, as does his growing menagerie of pets.

There continues to not be a lot of diversity in this series. I really do appreciate the depiction of Amanda, with its expanding understanding of her neurodivergence. There are several times in this story where Amanda reflects on past experiences, both specific and general, that have helped develop her into the buoyant but bizarre person she is. At one point in the story, for instance, she ponders how she has “spent her life trying to reconcile the connection between people’s words, facial experiences, hidden and actual emotions, and how they translated to their intentions.” This, combined with the deliberate vagueness about Amanda’s sexual orientation, makes for a fascinating and engaging character, and provides a little representation, but not enough. Will Fox ever include more diversity? I wish she would.

There were several plot lines that really stressed me out, which frankly I did not need this year. I was really worried about the sick goose, for one thing. I hate reading about animal suffering, and was nervous until that story line was resolved. And the resolution to the mystery this time was just more over the top than even the first two books, incredibly drawn out, rather violent, and requiring suspension of disbelief multiple times. So many coincidences and incredibly tight time lines. I found myself wondering several times, first, how the heck Ted let himself get into the situation he was in, especially with the person he was with, and then how the heck he was going to get out of it. I actually wondered more than once if the series was going to go REALLY dark and kill off a main character.

I’m not going to give spoilers. I’ll just say that things worked out well enough for my preferences, and despite the overblown wrap of the plot, and Ted’s boring taste in women, and what I have a sneaking feeling is Fox’s misrepresentation/ overdramatization of an entire region of Australia (can Cairns really be this dangerous and wild? Online research I’ve done seems to suggest it’s not.), I enjoyed this third book, laughed aloud at the closing lines, and am very much looking forward to the next book in the series. I can’t wait to see what is in store next for the surviving characters, especially given the new tensions that this story brought to Crimson Lake. So if you can handle stories with violence and suspense and violence against children and characters who have suffered a lot of past physical and emotional trauma (a lot of caveats, I know), I do recommend this series in general, and Gone by Midnight in particular.

Gone By Midnight by Candice Fox
This book kept me up late turning the pages, it was interesting, funny and sweet, intense and riveting all making for a very good read! This is the 3rd book in the series of which this is my first but I will be looking for the 1st two. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this and leave my opinion.

was informed that this was book 3 of series and recommended to read in order, I will have a full review up as soon as I do so.

Gone by Midnight is the third installment from the Crimson Lake series. This is my first read, from Candice Fox, but you’d best believe that with this introduction to the author’s writing, I’ll be going back and reading the rest! This book had so much going on, and while that might be the kiss of death in some books, it was perfect in this one.There are a lot of players in this story, but Ted seems to be the main character to me. Maybe because he was the first main character I ‘met.’ And I liked so many things about him. I love how he’s so attached to his geese because even after being released for a crime he didn’t commit, people shun him and they’re all he has. And they mean everything to him. I love how excited he is to see his daughter after being separated from her for so long. I just loved his character. His partner in crime, Amanda, was one of the most messed up women I’ve ever read, but damn if she wasn’t so much fun to read. I love her and her wild mouth and her motorcycle gang friends. I liked her fearlessness in dealing with the cop who was targeting her; she wasn’t going to back down no matter what, and the culmination of that whole plot thread was unexpected. Her story line, and the fact that I think there’s so much of her history I don’t know, is one of the main reasons I want to go back and read the previous books. 

This story is jump-started when a woman’s son goes missing from a hotel room, and when they begin to focus on her as a suspect, she calls Ted in as a private investigator, as he knows what it’s like to be wrongly accused. And this was another thing to love about Ted - even though he was so excited to have his daughter stay with him, he couldn’t help but take this case, because he knew what she was about to go through.

I won’t say anything more about the plot because I don’t want to spoil it for you, but I will say that once this book started, the pacing never let up. And there are glimpses into the lives of Ted and Amanda off the clock; I enjoyed both, and as they are recurring characters throughout the series, I am glad to see that we do get parts of their personal lives. One of the most interesting aspects of this story was the psychological component; it was so unbelievable, except that I do believe it could happen. And it was just so brilliant.

I really loved this book, and not to sound like a broken record, but I can’t wait to read the rest of the series! If you like a fast paced thriller with at least one morally gray main character, I think you’ll enjoy this one.

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

A child goes missing in a hotel and there are no clues as to where he went and with who….
The concept of the book is really good. Before I started the book and seeing “they left children and came back to three” I already had a number of questions. Why did they leave kids alone in the room being my top one. But also why take only one child out of four? And so many more.

The problem? The story really didn’t go in that direction. The parents hire two people to investigate and find their child but the investigators are so weird that I kept shaking my head at them. I just couldn’t really even like these two.

This book just wasn’t what I hoped it would be.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

3rd book in the series set in Australia. I suggest you read the series in order . The characters were so believable. It reminded me so much of the Madeline McCann situation. It had a great plot, and twists and turns. I couldnt stop turning the page. I loved it being an Australian it made me feel close to the characters and the plot.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor Forge Books for this arc.

What is it about Crimson Lake that draws such sick and obsessive folks there???

I thought this was a truly compelling read, managing to keep me a little off balance throughout as it flip-flopped between Ted's and Amanda's "adventures" during this third Crimson Lake book. I've read the previous two books of this series and while Gone By Midnight could be read as a stand-alone, I do recommend reading the series in order as it's the characters of Ted and Amanda that really shine in these stories for me.

Gone By Midnight is the story of 7 not-so-responsible parents who leave their combined four 8 year old boys alone in a hotel room together while they go enjoy themselves at a nearby bar/pub/restaurant. One mother does leave them to make hourly check-ins on the boys. On their second night out, the volunteer mother finds her son missing at her midnight check-in of the boys and starts screaming the hotel down. Let the twisting begin.

There's all sorts of suspicious characters and possible perpetrators throughout for the boy's disappearance as well other obsessives for Ted and Amanda to personally deal with, especially Amanda. Laney was extraneous and unnecessary to the story, but kept the obsessive thing going for everyone.

4.0 stars

I love coming back to this series. The setting, the characters - it's all unique and has its own vibe. The outback of Australia, where this takes place, close to danger aka all the gators. Small town feel, as everyone seems to know everyone: the judgments, the trust issues, or lack of it.

This time we see Ted and Amanda solve a mystery of a missing child, who disapeared from a hotel room. The kid was spending an evening with his buddies, while the parents enjoyed dinner downstairs in a restaurant. Almost like magic, noone knows what happened to him or how he got out of the building. As old wounds are being torn open, and everyone is focusing on the wrong issue of Ted and his past the real perpetrator is about to escape unscathed.

I loved seeing more of Ted and his personal life get in order. He is definitely one to feel bad for. It seems when life has taken a wrong turn, it's hard to get back on track and gain the traction, aka trust of people. Also Amanda, and her quirky self. I feel like she has grown more as a person in this book, but just as Ted she's a misfit in this community still.

The twist of the story was disturbing for sure. Lots of red herrings and little side stories, but I enjoyed the ride. Looking forward to what's next for these two.

4 children played together in a hotel room while their parents socialized downstairs. At the end of the night, one child was missing. CCTV confirms none of the boys left the hotel, so where is Richie?

Called in to investigate is Ted Conkaffey, disgraced ex detective, who will be forced to relive his own past as he digs deeper into the mystery. He and his quirky partner Amanda lead us through the twists and turns of desperately trying to find the boy before it is too late.

This is the third book in a series by Fox, which I didn't know going in. It is fine as a standalone book but I do feel like having read the 2 previous books would b beneficial to the reader. Fox has created interesting characters and her story moves well.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

While their parents are vacationing in Queensland, Australia, four young boys are left alone in a fifth floor room at the White Caps Hotel. Each parent taking a turn to check on them every few hours, while they have dinner and cocktails at the hotel restaurant below.
At the midnight check in, Richie Farrow has disappeared.
His mother brings in private investigator Ted Conkaffey and his partner Amanda Pharrell to assist as the police investigate.
Ted is an ex police detective, wrongly accused of a horrendous crime and now has a ruined reputation. Amanda is an ex con, who spent ten years in prison for killing a classmate. These two misfits have come together to run a detective agency.
The sense of urgency increases as they frantically search to find the missing boy alive.
This extremely gripping and suspenseful mystery/thriller captivated me with its highly original, peculiar and quirky characters.
The writing was brilliant, by turns humorous and dark. Lots of action throughout.
I loved everything about this one!
Third in a series, this is an excellent stand alone.
Thank you Macmillan-Tor Forge Books for the e-ARC via NetGalley.

Set somewhere in Australia the story revolves around a missing child,the ticking click that that starts and two private investigators brought in by the mom to assist in his recovery. The first clue that something is off is the mom who seems too composed to have a child disappear. Ted and Amanda each with their own ghosts are dealing with a lack of access and information due to in Ted’s case a case of mistaken identity in a juvenile assault case that cost him his job on the force. Amanda his partner just rubs everyone the wrong way,intentionally. Add to this cocktail an officer who blames Amanda for everything going wrong in her life and you have the perfect maze of misdirection and drama. Shifty characters fill in the blanks and an encampment of bikers round out the engine that drives you to one conclusion only to find one more alley to explore. Happy reading

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Gone by Midnight by Candice Fox.

This is the third book in a series about a disgraced Australian cop named Ted who moved to Crimson Lake after a false accusation that never seems to leave him alone. In a stroke of luck, he is now paired up with an eccentric PI, Amanda, who has her own sordid past. The two have become an unwelcome but surprisingly helpful pair in this small town. And now in book three the local police have finally begrudgingly begun accepting their help.

I don't need to highlight the case that they worked on because at this point, the case is just a catalyst to tell the stories about these interesting characters and their lives. I love this pair of investigators. Ted, with the trauma of being wrongfully accused, and rediscovering his family and baby daughter. And I ADORE Amanda. She is so inappropriate and crass but so endearing that you can't help but love her. I've been devouring this series lately and it's been a VERY welcome distraction during the quarantine.

I’ve probably read way more mystery and suspense novels already in 2020 than I read in the last three years combined. So I’m sure no one’s surprised that I’m reviewing yet another. Thankfully, while many I’m the genre have let me down, Gone by Midnight by Candice Fox did not!

My Thoughts on Gone by Midnight by Candice Fox:
I absolutely loved this book!!! So much so that even in self-quarantine with 3 toddlers, a 4-year-old, a 20-year-old, and a husband, it took me less than 24 hours to read it.

Gone by Midnight is book 3 in the Crimson Lake series by Candice Fox. It follows private investigators Ted Conkaffey and Amanda Pharrell as they try to solve a missing child case. The child disappeared without a trace from a hotel room there was no way to escape from. The plot had a very Agatha Christie kinda vibe to me. Since I’m a Christie fan, that’s a huge compliment!

Ted and Amanda are both ostracized by just about everyone due to their pasts. Amanda accidentally murdered her best friend as a teen while trying to escape a rapist, and Ted was wrongfully accused of a crime so heinous he lost everything – his wife, kid, job… Basically his entire life. So no one is happy when the mother of the missing child hires Ted and Amanda to help find her son.

I thought Amanda was hilarious and she and I could definitely hang out, even though I’d probably be ostracized by just about everyone else except for Ted. But that’d be okay with me.

I haven’t read any of the other books in this series yet, but I’ll definitely be going back and reading them now! I was a little aggravated with the seemingly pointless info-dumping at times, but I’m assuming it was done to update on what happened in the previous books, but most of it didn’t really move the story along. So the book got 4 instead of 5 stars from me for that.

**Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan-Tor/Forge for the review copy. This did not affect my opinions in my review.*

Brilliant read! This is the first time I've read Candice Fox and I will definitely stock up on more books from her. Fast-paced action with some really funny parts as well. All in all a well-rounded and very visual book.

A young boy disappears from a hotel room where he was playing with his friends while their parents were having dinner. There is no trace of him on the CCTV cameras and his friends can't tell the police what happened.
Public enemy number 1 Ted Conkaffey and his hilarious partner Amanda Pharrell is called in by the boy's mother to assist the police in finding her son. Both of them have so much hate directed at them that makes solving the case even more difficult. Will they figure out what happened and will it be too late for the missing boy?

I loved the multi-facets of the story and Amanda is sooooo funy. She is such a badass and 1 of my new heroes!

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion