I was so thrilled to see this crime fiction anthology! 20 authors of color have created a variety of tales around what happens at the midnight hour. Cozy readers will recognize some names here, including Vandiver’s own contribution (Hers might have been one of my favorite stories in the collection) but these are not cozies. Gritty and real, sometimes about revenge and getting even, and justice isn’t always served; each author creates a compelling tale with twists you won’t expect.

Abby L Vandiver is the bestselling author of more than 25 books and short stories and in Midnight Hour she has assembled stories by writers of colour with one common theme – the events taking place in each occurs around midnight. There’s something for everyone: love triangles, revenge, heists, closed circle mysteries, exposed family secrets, serial killers, ritual killings and even cyber crime.

The rest of this review is here on my blog: https://westwordsreviews.wordpress.com/2021/11/15/midnight-hour-ed-abby-l-vandiver/ and here on Crime Fiction Lover: https://crimefictionlover.com/2021/11/midnight-hour-a-chilling-anthology-of-crime-fiction-from-20-authors-of-color/

My interview with Abby L. Vandiver here: https://www.crimewritersofcolor.com/cwoc-podcast/anthology-extravaganza

Midnight Hour is a collection of twenty short mystery and suspense stories by authors of color. All of the stories have something to do with Midnight. Of course in an anthology like this, there will always be stories I like better than others. However, overall I found this to be an entertaining collection. Two standouts for me were The Cape May Murders by Tina Kashian, a cute cozy murder mystery, and Gigi Pandian's The Diamond Vanishes, about a seance gone wrong. I also enjoyed the humor in Elizabeth Wilkerson’s story about a yearly planner and the clever way in which E.A. Aymar told a melancholy story.

Other favorites included a couple in which I found myself rooting for the villains, such as an elderly serial killer in Tracy Clark’s story, a female police detective on the take in a story by Delia C. Pitts, as well as the V.M. Burnts tale about an art thief. It's all relative and in these stories, the characters who could be considered villains aren't necessarily in the wrong.

I was already familiar with a couple of the authors who contributed to this collection, but I really enjoyed the opportunity to be introduced to some new authors through their short stories. Fans of mysteries and short stories should find several stories to their liking in this diverse collection.

I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Crooked Lane Books. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

What an interesting group of short stories. All written by authors of color. The connection for the anthology stories is crimes committed around midnight. There is something here for everyone. Some are tame and some are grisly. They run the gamut from thriller to mystery and suspense to horror. It is a great way to try out new authors and get a taste of their writing.

This short story collection has a range of stories that will please most readers. From blackened crime and bloody horror to cozy mysteries and cyber crimes.

For me, I prefer my stories on the darker side, so the first half of the collection worked better for my personal taste.

A highlight was getting to revisit some of the characters from Winter Counts, in David Heska Wanbli Weiden's short story Skin.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an ARC of this title.

Anything that includes story by Abbi Vandiver, Gigi Pandian and VM Burn is a must read for me and their story didn't disapping.
I was happy to read a new Java Jones story and thoroughly enjoyed the stories by Ms Vandiver and Burns.
This an anthology of stories bound by a common theme: the midnight hours.
It's a mixed bag but most of the story were quite entertaining and well written.
I discovered some new to me author and enjoyed those by author I already knew.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I was looking forward to reading some crime fiction by various authors but I think this anthology format just may not be for me. I had a hard time getting into the stories and they were reading more tell than show.

Prolific author Abby L Vandiver (aka Abby Collette) leads this compilation of short stories by twenty authors of colour. Having not had previous experience of any of the authors, there is a mixture of stories including murder, mystery, horror and thriller genres. It would be highly unlikely not to find a favourite given the level of tension and darkness of the stories. So, if you like variety and a gripping diversity of tales, this is a must-read three-and-a-half-star rating. With thanks to Crooked Lane Books and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and are made without fear or favour.

Midnight Hour is an anthology of crime stories authored by people of color. This anthology was right on time for the Halloween season. What impressed me the most was that because the authorship was so diverse, it bled into the storyline and characters. The crime stories incorporated different cultures and backgrounds that added so much depth to the stories. There wasn't a lot of wow factors, but the stories were engaging and at times suspenseful. If I had to choose a favorite, it would be The Bridge by Abby L. Vandiver.

CW: physical violence, torture, murder

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane books for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book is a collection of short stories, all horror or horror-related, by authors of color. Though a cool concept and not necessarily boring, I found myself uninterested in continuing. The stories I read were good, but not captivating, and it felt like a drag to keep going. (Not bad, just not for me)

A unique and engrossing collection of short stories. They are all so different and provide so much variety - any reader could find something to love here. The first story absolutely blew me away!

An excellent halloween, spooky collection of short reads. I thoroughly enjoyed this anthology. Like all collections of short stories, some for me were better than others, but, there are sufficient of good quality to make this a worthwhile, satisfying, ghostly read.

I found it especially interesting to read the authors biography information as this is such a diverse, interesting group all of whom were given the same theme and who all came up with such different, varied and (mainly) riveting stories.

Give it a go.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview.

Midnight Hour is a fun crime fiction anthology where each entry spotlights a dastardly deed that occurs around the witching hour. Like most anthologies, this one is a mixed bag of both tricks and treats. Fortunately, the haul presented within mostly contained full-sized Almond Joy and the three-pack Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Yes, there were a few sour apple Jolly Ranchers along with the occasional single stick of gum. And JuicyFruit at that. C’mon… who only gives out single sticks of gum at Halloween?

Hey, everyone’s taste in fiction runs as varied as the colors of M&Ms. Some stick with the classic milk chocolate. Others dig the peanuts. Members of Van Halen only jammed to the green ones. As assorted as these records are in this anthology, there certainly has to be someone who enjoyed the account about the conflict in the stationary store. Or the one written in second person. You know, the one you thought was a joke when you were reading it. Before you skipped to the next chapter. Right.

Stories within Midnight Hour are mostly the standard setup-jump-twist format. A number conclude too soon - or too conveniently, which is always the bane of short stories. A few go too deep with characters, and names, and specifics that weigh down what should be tidy. And then there are those that truly stand out. The sparkle within a cluster of shadows. Tracy Clark’s Lucky Thirteen, about an suspecting serial killer and his unsuspecting guest. Skin by David Heska Wanbli Weiden that tells of a quest of Native Americans trying to right a long-dead wrong.

There are tales of vengeance. With women playing the antagonist; posing as the punisher. Perhaps even a redeemer. Jennifer Chow’s Midnight Escapade features revenge birthed from that most awful period in everyone’s lives: high school. There are tales of murder, justified or not, in The Bridge by Abby Vandiver and Callie Browning’s Dead Men Tell No Tales.

VM Burns brings a touch of action in The Vermeer Conspiracy where an art detective rounds up stolen pieces. Dark humor is subtlety breached In The Matter Of Mabel And Bobby Jefferson; a story by Christopher Chambers uniquely set in that most fearful of environments: help desk support.

The grand scheme behind Abby Vandiver’s Midnight Hour was a gathering of fiction writers of color. One would think by 2021 such a distinction would not be important. That writers are writers and their work should be held in high regard no matter color, creed, or gender. But this being 2021, such a collection is absolutely important. And necessary.

I am glad this was compiled and I enjoyed the stories within.

One final mention. Cape May Murders, by Tina Kashian, is a paint-by-numbers murder mystery that takes place in a Victorian B-and-B down in the famous South Jersey shore resort. As I type this review, I am sitting on a long-backed rocker out on a wooden deck. The sun is hitting my face. The sound of the waves is not far away; nor is the light smell of salt. And I look out onto the narrow road of Perry Street. That leads directly to the beach. In beautiful Cape May.

Midnight Hour is a great crime fiction collection for those who are in the mood for some variety in their storytelling. From mysteries to thrillers and a dash of horror, this is a collection I would recommend to those who want to sample short stories from amazing crime fiction authors.

Midnight Hour is a spine-chilling crime fiction anthology. The unifying thread in these twenty contemporary suspense short stories is crime that occurs at the stroke of midnight. Anthologies have a history of featuring stories that aren't entirely in sync with one another. Some of them were adequate in my opinion, but others were simply drab. Others, on the other hand, captivated me due to outstanding stage setup and exciting plot twists.

Overall, it's an entertaining collection of short, terrifying crime stories.

Midnight Hour: An Anthology
Ed Abby L. Vandiver

If you enjoy the noire mystery genre, then this anthology is for you. This collection of twenty contemporary short stories of mystery and suspense is tied together by a central theme: the midnight witching hour is when the proverbial “stuff” hits the fan. Like any anthology, there is a bit of unevenness to the stories. There are some I found to be adequate but just ho-hum. Others I found riveting, primarily because of good stage setting and unpredictable twists. As with any noir story, the hero or shero is flawed, so it’s hard to root for them as they seek vengeance for perceived or actual wrongs. You could say several of the protagonists exemplified the outcome of untreated or unsupervised mental illness. This is a good book for spooky read-aloud story time, and many stories could spark good conversation among noire aficionados. Overall, an enjoyable collection. I thank NetGalley for the advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

A compilation of short murder and crime stories which I absolutely loved. Every story is well-written, creepy and very entertaining. I found a lot of new authors that I have never heard of and that I need to check out. My favorite stories were by Jennifer Chow and Tracy Clark: I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to the authors, the publisher and NetGalley for this copy.

This is a collection of stories from 20 authors. Murder and crime is the common theme of all stories. Some of the stories are very small and some have content worth many pages. The second half of the book (after around 25%) of the book has more content to read. The publisher has provided a brief bio of authors along with photo at the end of the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing an advanced review copy.

This is such an entertaining collection of short fiction! I enjoyed each and every story and I now have a new list of authors to keep an eye out for. Each story was unique and found its own way to incorporate the midnight hour theme. Every story is good, but if you read just one, make it "Change of Plans" by Elizabeth Wilkerson. Anything I say may spoil it, other than you know that you know someone just like the lead character in this. If not, then it might be you... But honestly, don't stop there. It's a great collection and I look forward to reading more of these authors.
Gratitude to NetGalley and Crooked Lane books for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.