A dark story that I’m still thinking about days later. This turned into a binge read and I’ve been recommending it to all my thriller friends.

Gone by Midnight is the third book in the Crimson Lake thriller series.

When eight-year-old Richie goes missing while in a room with three other young boys, his mother Sara asks for discredited private detective Ted to assist the police in finding her son. Ted brings in his wild “don’t call her crazy” partner Amanda.

First off, I love the comprehensive backstories of the main characters, private detectives Amanda and Ted. Ted was convicted in the small town of Crimson Lake in the public’s mind of raping and murdering teenage Claire even though he was released because of lack of evidence by the New South Wales Police. Amanda accidentally killed a classmate and was mauled by a crocodile before reaching adulthood. Things only got worse from there what with her friendship with local “bikies” (motorcycle gang). I can’t imagine what our Californian gangs like the Hell’s Angels would do if anyone called them “bikies”.

Speaking of bikies, there are many Australian slang words in this book. Luckily, my Kindle defined them all. I particularly liked sprog for Ted’s toddler daughter. It’s the name of Mad Max’ son. I also can’t imagine living right next to crocodiles.

But the plot is the shining star of Gone by Midnight. The twisty mystery of what happened to Richie will keep you reading until well into the night. I had no idea where the plot was going most of the time. It felt like riding an unfamiliar rollercoaster with a blindfold on. It’s exhilarating! 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars! Now, I’m stuck impatiently waiting for the next book in the series.

Thanks to Forge Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

I have the first two books of this series in hardcover. So when I saw Candice had the new book coming out, I jumped at the chance to request this from Macmillan/Tor so I could read it, and I'm so glad I did.

As far as the storyline of the missing boy, Richard, Fox gives us the perfect setup. Four young boys are left alone in a hotel room, with their parents downstairs eating and drinking. With only an hourly check-in, the boys are definitely not going to stay put. So when one goes missing, the mother hires Ted to find her son. Of course, Ted is going to work with Amanda on this one, even if the police chief wants her to have nothing to do with it.

In this book, Ted gets to have his daughter Lillian for an entire week, which is a huge adjustment for him. But he also has a case involving the missing boy, so he needs to find the right balance of work and parenthood. It's a role he hasn't had in a while, but he relishes having his daughter under his roof.

I adore Ted and Amanda; they make a fantastic team as they both have gone through something major in their lives. Amanda's quirky character is fun, and she's incredibly perceptive. She doesn't have the typical reactions when she figures things out, and it makes her that much more a lovable character. I love how Fox creates these wonderful setups that make you question everyone. She has wonderful characters who you cheer on because things are always going wrong for them. I absolutely love this series and Gone by Midnight is a fantastic addition. Well done!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Absolutely fantastic! I've managed to read this series out of order but it is still fabulous and you know what the back story is so you won't be "lost". Superb writing with believable, relatable characters. I definitely recommend this book! Enjoy!

The latest installment in the Ted Conkaffey series does not disappoint! I highly recommend readers pick up the first two novels before reading this one, but once you've done so, RUN, don't walk, to your nearest local bookstore to buy Gone by Midnight!

Things I loved:
-Atmospheric setting - the sweltering heat of the tropical north is almost treated as a character
-Goofiness of Amanda and her complex relationship with Ted that seems to both make a ton of sense and no sense at the same time.
-Ted's relationship with his daughter. It's sweet and heartwarming but also horribly sad.
-The mystery storyline that runs through this installment is, like prior novels in the series, compelling and brilliant.

Fantastic instalment of this great series. Hope there will b more a great writer who takes you to the heart of the story. Highly recommend read for anyone looking a new saga to follow

I’m very happy to have received an ARC of Candice Fox’s third book and being the crazy person that I am, I purchased the first two to read first. I think it’s still possible to enjoy this book without the other two, as the author provides a lot of the back story, but these characters are so fun, why wouldn’t you?
The third installment takes place roughly two years after Ted’s old life goes up in flames. A child goes missing from a hotel room while his mom and her friends are dining downstairs. It’s a fun, twisty, turny mystery.
Ted and his partner in their PI firm, Amanda are just so quirky and fun. Ted’s the by-the-book former drug squad detective and Amanda is a tattooed pixie with no filter. Their dynamic is entertaining to read. They bet homemade cakes on case outcomes. If that’s not enough, there’s a dog and a gaggle of geese.
Thank you to NetGalley, Candice Fox, and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for this ARC.

I have read the other two books in the series and I wasnt disappointed in this one with ted and amanda. Their relationship is a fun and twisted one. I love the relationship ship that Ted has with his geese.
The twists, turns, and quirky characters keep getting me to come back for more. I am always pushing this series on my friends that want a good mystery and they never regret it!
I was given this ARC by netgalley and publishers for my honest opinion.

First Sentence: The real trouble came at midnight.

Four families, each with one son, are having dinner at the White Caps Hotel, checking about every hour on the four boys left in a hotel room upstairs. At the midnight check, Sara Farrow finds her eight-year-old son, Richard, is missing in spite of the other three boys swearing no one left the room. Police Chief Damien Clark is not pleased when the mother, Sara, insists on hiring PI Ted Conkaffey and his unusual partner, Amanda Pharrell. The investigation is complicated by Teds being granted a week-long visitation of his almost-two-year-old daughter, and a policewoman who obsessively blames Amanda for the death of her partner.

What a well-done, dramatic opening. More than that is the fact that it actively involves the reader and then segues perfectly into the next chapter.

Fox knows how to convey emotion. One feels the fear which transitions to worry. We understand the attachment as we learn of the protagonist's history and his name. Amanda knows how to make an entrance and, once she does, she's one of the most memorable characters one will find. For those who love quirky characters, one can't do much better than Amanda—"The next man who tells me what to do around here is going to get his nads kicked so hard he's going to taste them at the back of his throat." She is not a woman to cross, but she attracts other interesting characters to her, such as a biker gang.

There is interesting information about judging the behavior of the missing boy's mother. The interview between the father, Ted, and Amanda is so well done. Fox writes in visual terms. One can easily see why a television series is going to be made from these books. Fox builds sympathy for a character and then shatters it while switching to something completely ordinary. That's clever writing.

It is surprising that Ted, being a former cop, isn't better at reading people, but that's balanced by Amanda. The feud between Amanda and Joanna Fisher escalates in dangerous turns--"…perhaps she shouldn't have fired on Fisher through her door. That wasn't good. … But she hadn't hit Joanna, so Amanda decided to ignore that little slip-up." and the added character of Superfish is wonderful. The advantage of the two protagonists is being able to split them up, doubling the excitement and tension as things progress.

As to the plot, some of it is a bit predictable from obvious tells along the way. There is no question that Fox's books focus more on character than on plot, but that's actually just fine.

"Gone by Midnight" is a terrific read with wonderful characters and a great ending. Fox really does need to write them faster.

GONE BY MIDNIGHT (PI-Ted Conkaffey/Amanda Pharrell-North Queensland, Australia-Contemp) – VG+
Fox, Candice – 3rd in series
Century – January 2019

I read the first two books in this series and was looking forward to the third one. I was not disappointed. I liked the mystery and getting to spend some more time with the quirky characters. Now I can't wait for the next one. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

All the stars! The Crimson Lake series is outstanding, and one you don’t want to miss if you enjoy crime thrillers with a detailed, well thought out mystery.

Gone By Midnight (book #3) follows the brilliant Australian crime solving duo of Ted and his sidekick, the ever-so-quirky filterless Amanda, as they’re drawn into a race against time to find a missing eight year old.

Fox delves into the backstories of her protagonists for a better understanding of them, and writes a positively atmospheric setting of the Australian Crimson Lake region, also with you guessed it.. crocs.. who play a role in it’s surprising and thrilling conclusion, eek - I was hanging on to the edge of my seat!

This story is a puzzle that unfolds the further you read and keeps you guessing up to it’s ending. I absolutely love that about this series. I really liked how Fox flipped around the good guy-bad guy characters in the story, which had me cheering on the bad guys.

So if you’re thinking.. oh no, not another child is missing story.. THINK AGAIN. This one has blown the rest out of the water, and in my opinion it’s her best book yet in this series. Can’t wait for book #4.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Tor/Forge for the arc copy!

This is another compelling edition of the Crimson Lake series. I wish I had some helpful concrit, a really deep insight, but I just really like the twisty mysteries and the relationship between Ted and Amanda. And the geese! Hey, I'm a simple gal.

Gone by Midnight by Candice Fox is a dark and twisty mystery with a lot of thrill! Makes your heart race and keeps you intrigued!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It should be safe to leave your children asleep in your hotel room while you have dinner downstairs in the very same building. But when Sara Farrow goes to check on them later, her son is missing. Sara is very aware that in these sort of situations, the police usually focus on the parents, letting real leads go univestigated, so she hires a P.I. Ted Conkaffey is a cop with a bad rep and his partner, Amanda, is a convicted killer and for Ted this new job is an unwelcome one. His daughter, Lillian, whom he barely knows is coming to stay with him. Having lost his family when he was falsely accused two years earlier, Ted doesn’t want to blow this chance with his daughter. Still, he agrees to help Sara, knowing that he may come across information that could prove dangerous for his own daughter