Set in Ireland this is a captivating and enchanting read. Set across two timelines the story seamlessly switches from the 1940’s and the disappearance of Lady Charlotte Rathmore to 2019 when Ellie finds a letter in a book. As secrets come to light the story will keep you gripped to your chair. I couldn’t put it down.

A brilliant dual timeline novel. A very gripping read that was extremely hard to put down, which led to a binge read and finished within a day. Highly recommend

An absolutely amazing debut novel! Descriptive scenes that pull you into the past are sprinkled throughout this wonderful historical fiction cozy mystery story that is set in Ireland. I could hear the sweet accents as I read this book and it really made me want to keep reading. The way the author seamlessly weaved between the present and the past truly helped me feel a deep connection to these wonderful characters. I truly did not want to put this book down!

Every once in a while a book comes across my desk and it grabs my heart and won’t let go. This is one of those books. The writing is gold, just like Kerry butter.

“It sat as it had for two centuries, on the furze-rimmed water’s edge, its walls hidden behind a thick curtain of ivy, its windows and doors shut to the world. Russet and yellow leaves, discarded from the surrounding woodland, littered the hummocky lawn. A weak puff of smoke rose from one of a dozen chimneys, spires against the mountainside.”

The book is full of wonderfully descriptive paragraphs, like the one above describing Blackwater Hall, a dilapidated manor holding secrets of the past. It’s easy to see why I was captivated within the first few pages.

Like a skilled Kerry tweed weaver, Geard deftly combines the warp and weft threads of her timelines, producing one of the finest mysteries ever written in South Western Ireland. Geard uses the common threads of ‘broken’ and ‘lost’ to unite her 1940 and 1958 timelines with the 2019 timeline. What amazed me the most about the structure was that, like the unity of tweed, I didn’t notice the break between timelines. It flowed unhindered. That’s talent.

At the core of this mystery is a woman who vanishes from the estate in 1940 and is presumed drowned in Lough Atoon. Her body is never recovered.

Ellie Fitzgerald, the modern day protagonist, is nursing a broken heart while hiding out at her family home, Cahercillin Farm, in County Kerry. She stumbles across an old letter tucked inside an Agatha Christie book she’s purchased from a second hand shop in town. This letter initiates the solving of an 8 decades old mystery as well as the healing of Ellie’s heart. Slowly Ellie unravels the mystery of the girl’s disappearance and introduces us to Lady Charlotte Rathmore, one of the heirs to the Georgian ancestral estate and the girl who vanished one misty night in 1940.

The intricately crafted characters, the taut plotting, the unpredictable twists, the visceral atmosphere and the compelling mystery all work together to make this debut novel a 5-star read. The tug and pull between the reader wanting to know more about the secret and the author slowly leaving clues, was set up masterfully! For anyone who’s experienced the pull of my birthplace, you’ll feel your heartstrings tugged. Geard has captured the essence of rural Ireland between the pages of this book. I identified with Nancy, appreciated her loyalty, and loved that she never went anywhere without a book. I enjoyed reading about Nils at The Procaffination and smiled at his menu, and loved reading about Milo. I hope that the author isn’t finished with their story as I’d love to know more!

How ironic that the book is to be published on Florence Nightingale’s birthday as it is a nurse, Nurse Abby in St. Thomas Hospital, who, with compassion comparable to Nightingale’s, contributes to a miracle in this story!

Amanda Geard is a talented debut author on the rise and Agatha Christie would definitely be proud of her mystery.

“Hindsight is the best insight to foresight.”

“It was possible to step out of a life, but not to leave it behind.”

I was gifted this advance copy by Amanda Geard, Headline, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

I was exited to get this book to read. Thank you NETGALLEY. I loved this book. I thought it would be hard to follow with the different timelines, but the MIDNIGHT HOUSE flowed together nicely. The chapters ended in a way that made the reader have to continue to find out what happened. Make sure you have time to read the whole book. You won’t want to put it down.

I've been looking forward to reading this book since I heard about it, and I was not disappointed! It was a really enjoyable read, and the author has very skillfully interwoven three different narratives each adding a layer to the mystery of Charlotte Rathborne's disappearance in the 1940s. In the present day (2019) Ellie returns home to Co Kerry to lick her wounds after work and relationship issues. Whilst there, the journalist in her refuses to stay quiet and she finds herself unravelling the threads of Charlotte's story.
Meanwhile, we hear the story as it was unfolding, from the parts of the book set in the '40s against a backdrop of war - both that in Ireland, and the blitz in London, and then moving into the late 1950s for another point of view, adding more pieces to the puzzle.
I loved this book from the very first pages and was equally invested in all the different major characters - particularly but not exclusively, Hattie, Charlotte, Ellie, and Nancy.
I'm not always a fan of multiple points of view in a novel, but this is a perfect example of how well it can be done - it was never confusing or disjointed, and the use of the close third-person narration throughout would have kept the signposting clear for the reader had it been necessary - However, each point of view was so distinct in its voice and so artfully set into its own time that I found myself easily moving back and forth with each character. The overlap in the narration of certain events, but from other points of view, was also very pleasing - it was never repetitive, but included many 'oh, so that's what happened' moments as Ellie would uncover something that we would then 'see' unfolding in real time back in the '40s or '50s. The scenes in war-ravaged London or the 'big house' in Kerry back at a time when Ireland was having its own internal struggles tipped us into a historical drama, and the scenes set in 2019 pulled us into a lovely mix of cosy mystery and almost-romance, but again, I reiterate how skillfully all the threads entwined to make one very cohesive story. I read this fast, while simultaneously it wouldn't end too soon. This book will appeal to many, and will be read across genres and across generations. It is well-researched and beautifully crafted and I wait with anticipation to see what Amanda Geard is going to bring us next.

Wow this book is masterfully written. It is stunning and sweeping and beautiful. The plot is complex and completely absorbing. Loved it.

My advice is not to start reading this unless you have time to go to the end! It is compulsive. Masterfully written, this novel will reel you in and hold you enthralled right through to the ending.

I was totally drawn in to this book from the very start with the beautiful descriptions of the Kerry stone that built the Midnight House of the book's title.
I felt invested with all the characters and found myself just reading "one more chapter" to see what was going to happen next. Every era pulled its weight within the plot with the switches between them coming at very well thought out intervals to really keep the reader's interest piqued. I found the historical aspects very interesting and the flashes of humour were a very effective contrast.
As a bookseller i know this book will appeal to many readers as it has a gripping plot which is backed up with really lovely writing.
I always love timeslip novels and enjoy finding one where all strands stitch elegantly together to form a satisfying resolution. I am definately looking forward to reading more by this new author!

I was over the moon to be accepted by Netgalley to have an advanced copy of this debut novel by Amanda Geard to read and review. Almost from the first page I read I knew this book was going to be one of those that I would not be able to put down, it just pulls you in with an invisible thread.

I don’t usually like dual timeline books but this story is so captivating i didn’t even notice that it was dual timeline because I was so engrossed in the story, so if you’re like me who doesn’t normally like dual timeline please take my word for it that you’ll not even notice and you’ll just enjoy it.

I loved everything to do with this beautiful story from the moment I begun reading. Both timelines are so inviting I couldn’t stop reading until I found out what happened to everyone, especially Charlotte, Ellie and Nancy those three are the characters I loved the most.

The beautiful Irish setting blew me away I was so invested in the little Irish village and all it’s inhabitants both past and present. This book is incredible, if you love a historical fiction book that has dual timelines is a mystery/ thriller and has war, heartbreak and romance in this book is for you.

Thanks again to NetGalley the Publisher and the Author for the advance copy of this book to read and and review .

Written in descriptive and rich prose, Geard nails the dual-time line and her women leap off the page. She has a real talent for creating atmosphere and evoking a real sense of place. I was there, sipping a turmeric latte with Ellie in Procaffination, solving the mystery beside her. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book. This is my honest review.

I was captivated by The Midnight House. It wasn't the gothic mystery I expected, although there is a mystery to be solved. While I don't always enjoy a book with multiple time, in this case it added richness to the plot.

The characters were very well written. They are mainly women. Moreover, women struggling with societal expectations. They were easy to identify with.

The author's descriptions, particularly of rural Ireland were vivid and nuanced.

I

"...the secret to a good life is to learn what matters and what doesn't."

Lovely, lovely story. I took a chance on The Midnight House, not having read anything by Ms. Geary before. I was totally invested in the story and couldn't wait to get back to it every night. Fabulous female characters, they are what the story(ies) revolves around. It's not disappointing that the male characters take a secondary role. You can inhale the coffee aroma, feel the caffeine hit your system, and see the butter melting off the homemade scone. Geary provides such a sense of place - in Kerry - love love love this book!

P.S. Thanks to #Netgalley for the ARC.

A well-crafted, duel-timeline debut that flips seamlessly between the past and the present. A broken-hearted journalist runs back home in disgrace but once a journalist...
Compelling read.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This was an okay read, not great but readable. Not too sure about the storyline as I found it all a bit boring in places.

The Midnight House is a wonderful and incredibly rich novel, so well built and fast paced that I wasn't able to put it down till I reached the end. I was absolutely captivated by the atmosphere, and the characters.

This novel submerges the reader in a landscape so imaginative and detailed that the information of the world building/plot never feels forced, and is never difficult to understand or picture in one's mind. I had an enjoyable time reading this and it held my attention the entire way through that I finished it within the day! I enjoyed every page and thought that the plot/story was very unique. Would recommend to anyone!

Disgraced journalist Ellie Fitzgerald trades life in Dublin for small town Kerry; her intent is to keep her head down and hope things blow over, but she uncovers an intriguing mystery instead. An old letter tucked inside a book takes Ellie back to 1940 where Lady Charlotte Rathmore is presumed dead after she disappears near her manor’s lake. But the reality is much more complicated, as Nancy Rathmore discovers when she receives a letter in Blitz weary London. She is told a secret, and it’s one she must take to the grave. I loved the two different timelines in this story, but must admit the 1940’s saga was my favorite. A lovely story much appreciated in our own continuing time of uncertainty

The Midnight House by Amanda Gerard

1940: In south-west Ireland, the young and beautiful Lady Charlotte Rathmore is pronounced dead after she mysteriously disappears by the lake of Blackwater Hall.

2019: Decades later, Ellie Fitzgerald is forced to leave Dublin disgraced and heartbroken. Abandoning journalism, she returns to rural Kerry to weather out the storm. She finds a faded letter in a book.

In this past year I've been reading a lot of dual time line books , and this one has to be up there with the best
I really enjoyed the story and thought the characters meshed perfectly together.
This is a brilliant read .

I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the dual timeline as it really brought extra depth to teh story and I enjoyed the storyline. The writing was good and the characters were well developed, relatable and believable. It was a completely captivating book that gripped me right from the start and engaged me the whole way through. I really enjoyed it.