I am such a huge fan of the Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths and also of the books featuring Harbinder Kaur, but this is the first book I've read from the “Brighton Mysteries” series. It has a totally different feel to it and I really enjoyed the 1965 setting. This allowed for the story to explore women's rights at the time and the restrictions for women in the workplace. I loved Emma Holmes as a character and couldn't believe the rule about married women not being allowed to stay in the police force - it was a real eye-opener and it was fantastic to see her continue to push through the investigation as a PI and not just give up her career as she is obviously a talented detective. I will definitely be reading more from this series!

This series was originally billed as DI Edgar Stephens/Max Mephisto, however, those two characters now take such a back seat that it's now called The Brighton Mysteries.

To be honest, I miss Edgar and Max. Max had a few pivotal scenes and I relished all of them. Edgar, however, was relegated to maybe two pages worth (granted, his major babysitting scene was worth the price of entry alone!). Instead we mostly get young WDC Meg Connolly, who is nice enough, but a little bland.

The murder mystery does keep in the same tone of the other books by featuring a victim and suspects with a theatre/music hall background. The murderer and their motives, I thought, were a little obvious (there was no other real reason for this character to even be mentioned so often otherwise), and the ‘twist’ which Griffiths added at the end wasn’t quite twisty enough.

I also thought maybe Griffiths was a little heavy handed with her feminist message. I would have preferred if it was added a little more organically and a little less ‘knock you over the head’.

Still, Griffiths’s style made me enjoy the book probably more than I should, given the above. There’s just something so readable about her books, meaning I will likely read book seven despite the fact I like this series a lot less than her others.

The Midnight Hour I’d rate maybe a 3 ½ out of 5

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Set in Brighton this series of books doesn't quite match up to her other books.
A man is found dead and to all it seems that the wife poisoned him. Enter the detectives and Max the magician, his old colleagues are soon on the case and with a bit of magic the case is solved

The 1960’s are brought to life in this tale of murder. Bert is killed and his widow has employed a Brighton team of female private investigators to find the murderer.. but who is it?

Great read, flows perfectly. Well-written and completely engaging. I have devoured this book in one sitting with no regrets. I NEED more.

Another excellent book written by Elly Griffiths. I love her writing and can’t wait to read the next one.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for a review.
I will be putting this on Amazon too.

This is book 6 in the Brighton based historical series, Elly Griffith never disappoints she has become one of those authors you automatically buy as each book is released. This one is set in 1965 a man’s world, married women cannot stay in the police force, they are certainly not allowed to drive police cars. Emma Holmes had been the first woman detective but married to now Superintendant Edgar Stephen’s, she is finding the sheen of love and marriage has worn off as she is now responsible for the care of the 3 children and the home, when investigating she has to take her youngest child with her, not ideal. But having set up a PI Agency with local journalist, Sam Collins and WDC Meg Connolly who is following in Emma’s footstep's needs must.

When 90 year old former theatre impresario Bert Billington is found dead at home, murdered after he ingested rat poison. His wife Verity is a suspect, she hires Emma and Sam to prove she is innocent. She also insists that Meg is on the case as she only wants to deal with a woman Detective. Verity is very into women’s rights which is why she wants Emma and Meg to prove her innocence.

The story is full of plenty of red herrings and plenty of suspects to keep you guessing as Bert and Verity have 3 children, but Bert may have a few more. This is a good case for the agency with a possibility of bringing in more business as well as showing that women are more than capable despite not being allowed to drive a police car.

This can easily be read as a stand-alone novel and once you’ve read this one you may look at reading the earlier books. Plenty of humour as well as twists and turns.

I would like to thank #netgalley and #Quercusbooks for an eARC of this in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.

I have not read previous books in this series although it did not make a difference to the enjoyment of this book. I enjoyed the era this book was set and how the author captured the gender differences of the time. This is a book with a whole host of suspects to work through!

This is the 6th book in Elly Griffith’s “Brighton Mysteries” series. Technically you could read this as a standalone (and there is a guide to the main characters and their back stories at the end of the book), but you’ll enjoy it far more if you have at least read Now You See Them and have a sense of who everyone is. I felt like I was catching up with old friends.

I love Elly Griffith’s Ruth Galloway mysteries so I thought I’d give this a try. I was a little bit disappointed. I didn’t engage with the lead characters and it was a little too cozy for me. I liked Emma, and new police officer Meg, doing the investigating. I think Meg’s character had the most depth as she felt three dimensional next to the other characters. This could be because she’s new and the others were more established. I truly enjoyed the 1960s background and what that would have been like for women working in a very masculine environment. They were the highlights for me, I didn’t enjoy the mystery itself or the characters. The author has two great characters here, so with a good, mystery, full of depth, it could continue as a great series.

The Midnight Hour has stacks about it to love! This is the 6th book in the Stephens and Mephisto series by author Elly Griffiths. It is my first instalment and can be enjoyed as a standalone read. The reader is in Brighton in the year 1965 and an elderly theatre impresario Bert Billington is found dead by his wife, Verity Malone. Private Investigator Emma Holmes and partner Sam Collins, who is a journalist have been given the case. Who might have wanted Billington dead? Incredibly engaging and tremendously well written, this mystery is well worth a look.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Quercus via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Another great book from Elly Griffiths, a clever who done it set in the 1960s when women police officers made the tea! Most enjoyable.

Brighton 1965, an elderly theatre impresario Bert Billington is found dead by his wife, Verity Malone.
Verity was herself a stage star and younger than her husband.
When its confirmed that Bert was indeed poisoned Verity finds herself as the prime suspect. Even her son suspects her.
Superintendent Holmes team are investigating, however Verity decides to hire private detectives Emma Holmes and Sam Collins to discover the truth and clear her of suspicion.
It seems Bert was not a well liked man and there are plenty of suspects to consider.
When it seems apparent that Emma and Sam may know more than the police, Superintendent Edgar Stephens, Emmas husband instructs his officers to work with them.
They find themselves in Liverpool and Whitby as they chase up leads and clues before coming to realize the truth is much closer to home.
An entertaining and well written mystery with great characters and interesting period detail.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Quercus books.

Always a pleasure to dip into an Elly Griffiths book. I cannot recommend this author highly enough.

Midnight Hour is a very clever book that is the sixth in this particular series but easily can be read as a standalone. There is a brief who’s who at the end which will help you want to hunt down the unread books in this magical selection of crime mysteries.

Paying great respect to music hall and variety acts, the writing is both inclusive and engaging reflecting an often forgotten time in the birth of entertainment.
This latest book is again set in Brighton but brilliantly segues between this developing place and other locations including the infamous Moors Murders.
Elly can do no wrong as her writing allows the reader time and consideration to process the unravelling mystery which rarely stays at one murder.
Full of well written characters but for me WPC Connolly (Meg) steps forward in this story and I liked her involvement best.

The clever bit is that Elly is also able to bring subliminal messages into her work. The difficulty for women in the police is again demonstrated but without any soap box the author is able to show the lack of opportunity for women in general and the violence, intimidation and abuse that often overlays relationships. I commend her writing for this dimension which is sensitively done and countered by introducing us to strong female characters at a time when prejudice, inequality and predetermined roles were often a woman’s lot.

Like I say this isn’t a Ptolemaic or a political pamphlet it is a story that works as a murder case but has this reflection on an earlier time in British social life that the author casts a subtle light on.

Long may Griffiths find inspiration and energy to write in her varied projects; as quickly as she writes them I shall read them as they bring me joy, comfort and a deep satisfaction of a resolved mystery.
I am old enough to imagine this period of time and we still have the joy of England winning the World Cup to look forward to.

This is book 6 of the series and while I have read the first book, I've not read the previous 4. Nevertheless I enjoyed this story and didn't feel I was missing any important information on the characters.
I liked that this story was set in the past and it was the female characters that were the centre of this story.

This is a good mystery with some intriguing characters. The story centres on the killing of Bert Billington, a sleazy former theatre boss who seems to have created plenty of enemies in his time. As cops and private detectives Emma and Sam try to get to the truth of what happened, they uncover plenty of sordid secrets in Bert’s past.

It’s an enjoyable book, but I was interrupted in reading it towards the end, and so ended up feeling a little disengaged from it. Also, there were points where I felt I could put it down and not be worried about what actually happened.

There are some good characters and through them we get social commentary, especially on the position of women in society. But really the plot could probably have been a bit more gripping.

Elly Griffiths is one of my favourite mystery writers and I was thrilled to receive an early copy of The Midnight Hour via NetGalley. This story is number 6 in her Brighton Mysteries, which is slightly darker than her Ruth Galloway series, and runs from 1950 to 1965 (so far!). While it is possible to enjoy this story without reading the others first, each book introduces more main characters, who all become involved in solving the mysteries, so you might find it a little confusing if you don't start with the first one (The Zig Zag Girl).

Brighton, 1965. When theatrical impresario Bert Billington is found poisoned, suspicion immediately falls on his much younger wife, ex-variety star Verity Malone. The evidence is stacked up against her; even her son thinks she did it. Exasperated by the police, Verity calls in two private detectives to clear her name: ex-police sergeant Emma Holmes and journalist Sam Collins. It soon becomes apparent that Bert had a very long list of enemies. In fact, it would be easier to find someone who didn't want to kill him...

The Midnight Hour is more light-hearted than the other Brighton Mysteries and in a similar style to Elly's recent bestseller, The Postscript Murders. Rather than DI Edgar Stephens (now a superintendent) and famous variety magician Max Mephisto solving the murders, in this book it is Emma (Edgar's wife) and Sam, with the police represented by DI Bob Willis and WPC Meg Connelly, although Emma and Meg do most of the legwork as Sam is chasing a news story in Manchester.

The Midnight Hour is set in the run up to Halloween and Elly has had a lot of fun adding spooky elements to the story. Max is working on a new film in Whitby, playing the part of Dracula's dad, and at one point Meg is convinced she's seeing a real vampire. There are also other tiny supernatural hints.

Despite the light-heartedness, there are darker moments and some serious themes are touched upon. This is the 1960s, so a reoccurring one is equality between the sexes and women's rights, along with harassment and bullying in the workplace. As the story takes place in 1965, it also mentions the Moors Murderers.

The Midnight Hour is probably my favourite of the series to date. I particularly liked the character of Meg (along with her eccentric family) and I hope she appears again. There are lots of red herrings; I was led up and down the garden path several times and didn't guess the identity of the murder at all.

Recommended to anyone who loves brilliantly written, fiendishly plotted murder mysteries with fabulous characters. One of my favourite reads this year.


Thank you to Elly Griffiths and Quercus for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

I'm enjoying this accomplished author's, Brighton mystery series more and more as it goes on. Elly Griffiths really knows how to get her readers caring not only about the mystery but to also have a connection to her vivid charactes.

In this episode we have the fabulous female duo of Emma Holmes (wife to Edgar Stephens who featured prominently earlier in the series) and Sam Collins as they seek to investigate the death of a former prominent theatre player, Bert Billingham. Bert's youngest son Arron has pointed the finger squarely in his mother's direction.

Indeed the author makes the point about how life was for women in 1965 and it wasn't pretty! Perhaps especially if over his 90 years Bert had a less than sparkling past when it comes to the younger women of the company. With a shady past there is plenty to unravel for the women detectives against the shadowy backdrop of the trial of the Moors Murders.

Such a great read, I was disappointed to say goodbye to all my favourite characters at the end.

This was my first Elly Griffiths' and I enjoyed it very much!
The Midnight Hour could be read as a stand alone as there is a guide to the main characters and their back stories at the end of the book, but being number six of the series, I'm sure it would be even more enjoyable if read in the right order. So I'll definetly have a look at the first 5 instalment, now.
I've found this book very well written, I liked the strong female characters and especially enjoyed the insight into what it meant to be a woman in the sixties and trying to be independent.
Thank you Quercus Book for granting my wish!

Thank you to netGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.