Intrigued by the author’s admonitions to delve into the book knowing as little as possible, I requested an advance reading copy on NetGalley. Categorized as “Mystery Thriller,” my favorite, I had high hopes. The plotting was masterful, but I didn’t appreciate the story as much as more eclectic readers might. Still, it was clever and well done.

I think going in blind with this book helped. I wasn't sure what to expect. The author made an interesting, well written book even with the slow start it was enjoyable.

Compelling and utterly engaging. A recommended purchase for collections where crime and thrillers are popular.

The Other Side of Night begins with a man named David Asha writing about his biggest regret: his sudden separation from his son, Elliot. Then we jump into the life of Harriet Kealty after finding a handwritten note in a second hand book that says " Help me, he’s trying to kill me. "
Harri is a discharged police officer struggling to find her footing and the note leads her on a quest to solve what she perceives as a murder. She draws her former partner into this and finds herself faced with the main suspect being a former love interest.
Unfortunately, this didn't work for me on many levels. I found Harri unlikable and weak. Her professed deep love for Ben (the suspect) after three dates had me rolling my eyes. Ben was strange without being likable.
Reading this was a struggle for me but I stayed with it because of all the comments about the book reveal that would come. I wished that had the same effect on me that it did on the other readers.

This one took me forever to read and finish. I'm not sure why, but it just didn't work for me. Maybe it was the writing style? The mystery is interesting. The characters are likeable enough, but I just didn't connect with them. I kept waiting for the big reveal noted in the description. I liked learning how each character connected.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

The cover of the book is mysterious, that should be your first clue about how the story is written. The story is a rollercoaster ride of emotions. The story packs in a lot of information throughout the story, but the reader will find it easy to follow along. The plot has surprising twists and turns. The genre mixes melds well together to make a great story. The characters are amazingly written. This book is a book that makes you think and wonder about it long after you finish. Only a few books have had that effect on me. This book is just WOW.

Disclaimer: Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for this review copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Other Side of Night
By: Adam Hamdy
Pub Date:10/11/22
Publisher: Atria

What a hippy dip trip that was! I can honestly say you’ll never in your wildest dreams see or guess what’s coming before it arrives.
Harriet Kealty is a police officer who has chosen the slower side of life and has moved to a small town. She in her job makes what is seen as a mistake and loses her position. While trying to prove her innocence she comes across a new case she just can’t figure out. She and her former partner detective sergeant Khan begin to investigate on their own.
As they work through the case things don’t add up. A young boy just 10 years old has lost both of his parents and has been taken in by their friend. Only no one can say for sure what’s happened. Beth had cancer and died at the hospital but there’s a screw up along the way. David was so grief stricken they believe he jumped off a clif only there isn’t a body. All will be explained eventually but it’s slow moving and takes time.

My attention tended to wander with this one. I believe, because my brain truly could not figure out what was happening, and by the time things finally started to reveal themselves I couldn’t put it down.

I could spank myself for putting this book off for so long!

The Other Side of Night, was literally written with me in mind as the perfect audience. This book right here is a slam dunk when it comes to a juicy, twisted thriller and I loved every bit of it!

Never once was I bored. I easily zipped through this book from cover to cover. I will say, at times, it was a bit strange, but it just added to the vibe.

Adam Hamdy, did a beautiful job weaving together an intricate plot with a wild conclusion. This is not one you want to miss!

Check out this teaser:

The Other Side of Night begins with a man named David Asha writing about his biggest regret: his sudden separation from his son, Elliot. In his grief, David tells a story.

Next, we step into the life of Harriet Kealty, a police officer trying to clear her name after a lapse of judgment. She discovers a curious inscription in a secondhand book—a plea: Help me, he’s trying to kill me. Who wrote this note? Who is “he”?

This note leads Harri to David Asha, who was last seen stepping off a cliff. Police suspect he couldn’t cope after his wife’s sudden death. Still, why would this man jump and leave behind his young son? Quickly, Harri’s attention zeroes in on a person she knows all too well.

Ben Elmys: once the love of her life. A surrogate father to Elliot Asha and trusted friend to the Ashas.

Ben may also be a murderer.

I’m not going to lie I almost DNF’ed this book. The middle was just hard to relate to with the characters and story line. Started to become very syfy and not my genre of stories.
But I stuck with it and I got to really like it by the ending.
There are so many things to say but so many secrets that would spoil the story.

This book was a DNF for me. It really did not pull me in. I was really hoping to enjoy this book but it was too much of a slow burn for me. I was expecting more of a thriller.

This was an interesting read. I was never really quite sure what was going on. With that said, it helped me to continue to keep turning the pages to find out what was going to happen. A good read!!

I'm not going to detail the many, many reasons I didn't enjoy this, but I will say the story was better than the writing - which was absolutely insufferable.

🤯😵‍💫Book Review:
Title: The Other Side of Night
Author: Adam Hardy
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/3.5 stars

First off, let me start out my saying that I did "read" this one on audiobook. This could potentially have effected my rating as it was a very deep book that required lots of focus to understand. At least for me. Secondly, it does have a sci-fi aspect to it which is not really one of my favorite genres. This being said, I found this book to be very interesting but very hard to understand (see above reason 😆).

From what I'm reading on other reviews, the author has asked that the big secret in this book to not be revealed so I'll respect that. Between the four main characters is a connection that is far beyond what they or you can even imagine. A secret that you must read the book to find out 😊. Keep an open mind with this one and try to finish it! It's worth the ending!

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My mind is blown. What did I read?

Edit: this is not a typical thriller which I originally thought it would be- go into it with an open mind, but I can’t say much else. It’s more of a twisty unique slower burn mystery… just trust me.

No spoilers per the author! Go into this not knowing what to expect. I enjoyed this book but it was not an all engrossing read. Lots of twists to kee you on your toes. 4/5 stars.

A long game for a bizarre and lackluster end game. I wanted to love this book but there was just no connection with the characters. I found the story to be so dull in comparison to everything in the background. There were many amazing reviews for this book so I decided to stick it out and find out what all the fuss was about. I made it to the end, and truly there is not much that I enjoyed. The main character Harri is an absolute pathetic MC. It was so unbelievable that after three dates this women would change her whole life negative and positive simply for a weird man. I have no reason to recommend this book to anybody but I may find just the right instant. I will be reading the authors next work because I bet there will be a real winner for me.

I thought this book was so so good! It’s got an intriguing premise, interesting characters, and shock value. Loved it!

I went into this one completely blind, as recommended by the author and publisher, and I'm so glad I did. I never would've expected the trajectory of this novel but my jaw was on the floor at every twist and turn. The characters were interesting, mysterious, and compelling, and especially as you see them develop throughout the book, it makes the ending far more satisfying than I could've thought possible.

That being said, a few of the more theoretical and scientific aspects went right over my head. As someone who studied English and education, I was not cut out to comprehend some of the critical points of the plot. However, I don't think the lack of knowledge took anything away from the book. Even without that basis, the novel is still touching, heartfelt, and moving. I would recommend this book and also feel that it's critical to go in without context. It made for a very fun ride with a satisfying ending!

If you're just looking to escape reality for a few hours almost any novel will do. But if you want a mind blowing, soul searing, totally immersive reading experience that stays with you long after you finish, pick up The Other Side of Night. The publisher has requested pre publication reviews not mention the stunningly spectacular twist that is the heart of The Other Side of Night, which is a good thing as the novel is much more than one brilliant moment. Young Elliot is mourning the death of both parents- mom to cancer, his heartbroken dad to suicide mere weeks later. Elliot's parents asked their friend and colleague Ben to care for Elliot after their passing, and Ben tries to help the child heal from these devastating losses while struggling with his own grief. But Ben is an enigma. A year ago he was in a brief but passionate relationship with Harriet-until he vanished from her life without a trace. Now police officer Harriet thinks Ben may be responsible for these deaths. Is she seeking revenge on the man who jilted her, or is Ben truly a monster? The Other Side of Night is many things-mysterious, ingenious, engaging, and illuminating-but it is mostly a family saga. What happens will make you question how far you'd go to protect your family-would you stop at nothing to help those you love even if it came at great personal cost? Night may turn into day, But the Other Side of Night will have you pondering destiny, and how much control we have over it, forever. It will make you gasp and leave you crying-and is like nothing you've ever read before.

I can't/won't say much about this one, but I will say you need to read it. Trust me. Just read it! It's a crazy, twisty thriller that you have absolutely no clue what the heck is going on!