Dark, atmospheric, and chock full of characters that make you question their every move. Harriet Tyce is a master psychological storyteller.
Sylvie And Tess have been friends wife they were in school. Their friendship is toxic and full of lies and secrets. It’s Hogmanay (New Years) in Edinburg as the book starts and there are two bodies impaled on the cast iron railings surrounding a fancy house and as the story unfolds we find out what led to them being there, as well as who they are. The storyline is told in flashes back and forth in time as well as from a few POV.
Sylvie is a successful barrister with plans to move up to be a crown court judge but a trying case in the youth court in which she is a part time judge could ruin her chances.
Tess, meanwhile, is battling a brain tumor which is causing seizures, so she decides to have a vow renewal to celebrate her marriage in case she doesn’t survive it. In planning the celebration, Tess wants Sylvie to get in touch with someone else they went to school with that was at their original wedding to try to make amends, but it’s not as easy as that because of their history.
There is plenty of suspense and the unreliability of the characters adds to the thrill of the read and the authors previous work in the legal field really helped to add depth to the story. She continues to be a go-to author for me.
Thanks to the author and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

This one was quite a twisty one! While I ended up enjoying it, there may have been a few too many twists maybe? Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC of this one!

This is a story about forgiveness and vengeance.
With multiple timelines, it wasn't clear for some time what the direction of the story is, but here are the basics:
Two people are dead or dying.
In the present, a female solicitor is currently working her way up the English court system, but a secret from her past has come to light that may ruin everything.
In the past, two women lied under oath that put a "friend" behind bars.

As the story progresses, my thoughts on several of the main characters flip flopped, specifically Sylvie and her BFF, Tess. With time, my sympathies waned, and it was clear they both are
self-involved. Do they deserve what happens to them? Depends on what you think about forgiveness. If you don't believe they are worthy, then maybe you are ok with how things play out. I was on the fence, pun intended (you'll get this if you read the story).

While the story leads up to one night, meant as celebration, it felt like more of a countdown. Who are the people dying? What did they do to deserve their fate? The pace of the story was steady throughout but the last 5% was very intense and hard to put down as I HAD TO KNOW!

This might be a good thriller for a book group, specifically to discuss the main characters and reactions to the ending. It definitely gave me some pause to think about.

A nail biter from start to finish!

I’m new to Tyce’s work, and now I regret not finding her sooner. This book was a runaway train from start to finish, and completely gripping. I tore through it in under 24 hours.

Her writing style feels effortless and utterly true. The people are three dimensional, flawed, and delightfully raw. I would love to say more, but I’m afraid of giving anything away.

With more twists and turns than a corn maze, this book should be a must-read on everyone’s list!

This book was enjoyable, and the twists and turns were many, but I was able to figure out the main twist by the first half The second half of the book was entertaining as I waswaiting to see how they wound it up. I’m a fan of this author, and I did like this book. I look forward to seeing what she does next

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

There's a party in Edinburgh on New Year's Eve, and the goal is to right some wrongs before the night ends. However, at least one person will die, but how? And who?

I admit that I guessed one of the big twists early, but it's possible that was because I recently read another book with the same twist. There were some surprises, but I wasn't satisfied with the ending. It felt too neat and tidy for a thriller where the characters have this many issues. I don't mind some chaos! Not a favorite, but not a bad read either.

CW: death, illness (cancer), sexual assault/rape

New Year's Eve invokes a certain image for most of us: hope for the future, optimistic resolutions (even the ones we know we won't keep), champagne toasts to health and happiness. It's all very inspiring and heartwarming—unless of course one never makes it to the big countdown, let alone kisses somebody special at the strike of midnight. Many thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC copy of It Ends at Midnight, a twist on new beginnings by Harriet Tyce.

Interestingly enough for a day that encourages us to look forward, it's the history between some of the characters that proves to be the most influential factor on the first of the year in this novel. Rooted in complex relationships, the plot is rife with old wounds and heartache, as well as some fresh perspective on it all that's offered through the eyes of characters just arriving on the scene alongside readers. To this end, I think Tyce acquits herself well; from Tess and Marcus's strained marriage (made even more so by her recent diagnosis and her friend Sylvie's constant presence) to the interactions between the rest of the guests at the fancy affair leading up to its gruesome conclusion, it's almost reminiscent of Love Actually. Every storyline is its own conversation, even those on the periphery, but they tie in together one way or another in the end. Best of all, each character is realistically flawed, lending an authentic foundation to the plot that continues to its conclusion.

What could have been a rom-com or dramedy takes a hard left, jerking us all out of the semi-happy, semi-nostalgic atmosphere of New Year's Eve and vow renewals to the thrilling mind games for which Tyce became known with her debut domestic mystery novel, Blood Orange. In It Ends at Midnight, one guest's resolution to right a few wrongs spirals into something far more complicated than even they planned for. The way this is all eventually spelled out—in twists and turns that would make even some of the more calculating readers out there go cross-eyed—supports Tyce's reputation as a darkly entertaining writer who knows how to lead her audience on a not-so-merry chase to the riddle's most basic answer, the missing piece of the jigsaw puzzle hidden within the plot.

That being said, I would be remiss if I didn't admit that all of the machinations seemed to come to a head a little too jerkily toward the end of the story. Don't get me wrong: I appreciate a good twist ending that leaves me discombobulated and determined to reread the book just so I can identify where I must have missed a glaringly obvious clue along the way. Granted, I haven't done that in this case (yet), but something tells me that I might have to look harder than usual for that illusive evidence that the ending wasn't a work-in-progress until one of the last manuscript drafts.

For lovers of Clue (the game or the movie—take your pick), legal and psychological thrillers, and of giving feel-good holidays like New Year's Eve a cheeky middle finger, It Ends at Midnight is an enthralling page-turner that will keep you all wondering what could possibly come next.

This was a hard book to put down.. I loved the way the author didn't reveal the victims until the end of the story and how she featured triple twists to wrap up things. I didn't guess who-done-it or who the victims were, which is a rarity for me.

This book starts on New Year's Eve in Scotland (hogmanay as it's called there). Two people, a man and a woman, are found impaled on fence stakes outside a house at which a party has taken place. Readers are priivvy to the dying thoughts of the victims throughout the book as it alternates from that time backwards.

Sylvie, a lawyer, is the main character. When she learns her best friend, Tess, has an inoperable brain tumor, she agrees to inform Tess' husband and also help Tess locate a childhood friend whom Tess wants to make amends with for something they both did to her back in their school days.

As the plot moves forward to New Year's Eve when Tess plans to renew her vows with her husband at a house where Sylvie's boyfriend, a caterer, will be arranging the food, Sylvie has flashbacks to the event she's tried to erase from her mind for twenty years.

The title of the book is appropriate, as the final scenes of the story take place as New Year's Eve turns into New Year's Day. My only criticism of the book is that the characters aren't too likable, but the ending more than makes up for that. I recommend this to fans of Gone Girl and other dark fiction tales.

I enjoyed this mystery/thriller. I liked how the story was told, from the perspective of Sylvie leading up to the deaths and from the perspective of those involved in the crime scene after the deaths occurred. I did figure out most of the plot and pieced together almost every twist. The only thing I had wrong was one of the people that ended up dead. That didn't affect me from enjoying the book, though. It was well thought out, suspenseful, and full of twists. I didn't enjoy most of the characters but I'm pretty sure that was what the author intended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooka Landmark for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book started out a little slow for me and it took me some time to get into the story. I couldn't stand the MC but I also think that's the point. It just made it hard for me to care what was going on. I wasn't really surprised with any of the events, but I did think it was entertaining. Very middle of the road in terms of thrillers - but I still think there are people who would absolutely love this.

It's New Year's Eve and the stage is set for a lavish party in one of Edinburgh's best postcodes. It's a moment for old friends to set the past to rights - and move on. The night sky is alive with fireworks and the champagne is flowing. But the celebration fails to materialize. Because someone at this party is going to die tonight. Midnight approaches and the countdown begins - but it seems one of the guests doesn't want a resolution. They want revenge.
Harriet Tyce is a gripping storyteller whose unreliable narrator and toxic friendship, Sylvia and Tess, have secrets and lies from the past. Sylvia is having a court case and she is bound and determined to become a Crown Court judge. There is a lot of suspense and tension that kept me reading until the very end. This well-plotted thriller is dark and atmospheric and set in London and Edinburgh. If you enjoy psychologic legal thrillers, then you would love this book. I would like to thank NetGalley and Sourcebook’s Landmark for a copy for an honest review.

There were more than a few potential suspects that kept me guessing in this flawed tale of bad decisions and bad people. It’s dark from the first chapter. You know that something bad has happened and by the end when all the pieces make sense and you know why, I realized it was so twisted. Kudos to the author.
Two good friends since high school Sylvia and Tess are planning a vow renewal ceremony since Sylvia and her husband Marcos almost broke up. Sylvia is also dealing with some devastating news and things are going very wrong for Tess. Are these friends cursed or is there more going on with one or both of them?
Both have a closet(or two) full of secrets.
It took me a bit to become invested in the story, but then a certain twist happened and I couldn’t put it down. A tale that kept me guessing…… wrong( I love it when that happens)!

Was I wowed by this book? No. Was it a good book? Yes. Absolutely. Was it a waste of my time? Not at all. Would I read another book by this author? Yes.

I'm not the type of person to think that books are either 5 stars or 1. As if though good, decent books don't exist. This is that. Now, as per usual, with a thriller the less said the better...but the story line was good. It never ramped up for me but it didn't drag either. I also wasn't too invested in any characters, so this is a good book for me in between more intense books. Not because thrillers are easy reads but I know my heart won't be broken or I won't be sad about losing a character. Yes I know that sounds mean...but it is what it is.

A New Years Eve party that will never be forgotten! Instead of making resolutions, someone is out for REVENGE in Harriet Tyce’s “It Ends at Midnight” ⏰ 💥

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

Sylvia and Tess are childhood best friends who have been through a lot together and are bonded together by dark SECRETS of their past…

I love how the novel started off at a crime scene on New Years Day and counted backwards to the events leading up to the crime. This gives you insider knowledge into the tumultuous friendship between the girls and the reasoning behind suddenly confronting their past.

I will not say anything more because I refuse to spoil anything about this novel! Harriet Tyce explores the toxicity within female friendships and just how dangerous the truth may be.

Thank you kindly to Harriet Tyce, @bookmarked @netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this gripping thriller before it’s release date! You can grab your own copy on February 21, 2023 👏

Tess and Sylvie have been best friends since six form in Edinburgh. She is now a successful lawyer hoping to move up. One night out with her friend, Tess, she shares with her a medical diagnosis that makes her head spin. She asks Sylvie to please tell husband Marcus that has moved out of their home. We get flash backs from the past during their school days when something bad happened, the girls lied about, and the present where Sylvie is framed for something she didn't do. Two people die, a man and a woman at midnight, on the evening Tess and Marcus renew their vows. Who are they and why did it happen?

IT ENDS AT MIDNIGHT sucked me in from the beginning and I became lost in the pages. I woke at 4 am to finish this one, if that doesn't tell you how much I liked it!!! I really didn't know who to trust or believe. The ending left me speechless. Harriet Tyce, I like your style! I will gladly be checking out her past novels!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebook Landmark for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review will be shared on my Instagram (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

It Ends at Midnight is a tension filled suspense drama set at the end of the year. Two people end up dead at midnight on New Year's Eve. The book tells the story leading up to their deaths as well as a mystery from the past, when the two main characters, Sylvie and Tess, are in high school. While the main story plays out, we get glimpses of the past through Sylvie's memories and conversations.

Sylvie is having a long run of misfortune. And "misfortune" is probably putting it mildly. She's in it deep, but all she really wants to do is make Tess happy. Until she doesn't. I never really clicked with Sylvie's character completely, which made the story a bit difficult to get fully lost in. Instead, I felt detached and not really caring about what happened to these people. They were very well developed. I was just missing the little endearing quality that made me want to care.

The story line was good. It was well paced. It never seemed to drag or get confusing and all jumbled up. There were a few red herrings here and there. But I suspected the big reveal early on.

In conclusion, I really wasn't wowed by It Ends at Midnight, but it was still a good book. I enjoyed it and am glad I took the time to read it. I'm giving it 3 out of 5 stars. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the electronic copy in exchange for my honest opinion. Which most definitely is my own and nobody else's.

This book should have ended way before midnight. Maybe it should not have even started the day, because I was confused about what the author was trying to do with her story from the first chapter. There is way too much going on in this book. It’s told by Sylvie, a self-absorbed barrister trying to earn a judgeship at high court, but she’s more concerned about getting approval from the right people than ensuring justice is actually served, as evidenced by her attitude during a trial that takes up a decent portion of the first part of the book. At the same time, the story is also flashing back to her reckless teenage years with her friend Tess, and flashing forward to a pair of gruesome deaths that occur, told from multiple perspectives. The events of the past ended up with another young woman convicted of homicide, but Tyce never gives the reader the circumstances until the end of the book, when it serves no purpose. Sylvie’s fragile world comes crashing down when Tess informs her that she’s been diagnosed with an inoperable tumor, and she’s accused of sending explicit photos to a defendant in the trial she’s standing for as judge. On top of that, Tess has informed her that they need to make amends with Linda, the young woman they testified against years ago, and she expects Sylvie to handle it. There were so many plot points in this story. Tyce tries to pull them all together, but they were never threaded together well enough during the story to make it work well. Sylvie is really not a good person, which is scary if she aspires to a judgeship. Tess is at turn’s manipulative and whiny. Marcus is inconsistent. It’s hard to like a book when you don’t like the main characters, and it’s hard to follow what the author is trying to do with the story. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have mixed thoughts about this one. I liked the beginning and how it started off. But as I kept reading, there was so many twists and turns in the plot that I had trouble keeping up. And then all of a sudden the ending everything was thrown at once.
Though I did enjoy the suspense as to what happened to the two guests.

Book Title: It Ends at Midnight
Author: Harriet Tyce
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Genre: Dark Mystery
Pub Date: February 21, 2023
My Rating: 3.4

Story starts on a New Year’s Eve at a lavish party in festive Edinburgh. Tess and Marcus are supposed to be renewal their wedding vows but two party guests fall from the roof and are killed. Is this a tragic accident or something else?

Story moves back and forth.
It also features Sylvie and Tess who have been friends for many ears. We find out that they were witnesses in a murder case many years ago and the outcome changed the girls like. Tess is now diagnosed with a terminal illness and doesn’t have much time and wants to right a previous wrong.
She wants Sylvia to find the girl. Sylvie is a successful lawyer and hoping to be a judge. So doesn’t’ want to get involved as it will probably hurt her rising career.

I read a lot of psychological thrillers and love the twists and turns but I was having a hard time connecting with this story and characters. Doesn't mean it isn't good and I know many readers will love it!

Want to thank NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this early e-Galley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for February 21, 2023

The book opens on gruesome death. The blood is flowing and people are slowly, painfully dying. Meanwhile, we start following Sylvie, a lawyer with a bright future and a trauma in her past. Her friend Tess wants to put the trauma behind them and find forgiveness, while also trying to make up with her estranged husband. This dark, psychological thriller leads us down some twisty paths and makes the reader question who can be trusted and who is sabotaging from the shadows.

Wow! What a twisty ride! I have to say, I was appropriately confused and misled for a good portion of the book. I would say that "manipulative" is a good description, with a twisty ending. The book was packed full of flawed people and it's unclear who to trust. I don't want to say much more and give it away, but unreliability is a hallmark of this narrative. What a well-written, exciting trip!

Trigger alert: violent death, gore, sexual bondage