3.5 stars

I enjoyed this thriller. It really got under my skin with its level of tension and suspense. I loved the elements of toxic religion, the Louisiana swamp and local folklore that tied the story together.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Normally, I'm not a fan of small town novels, especially thrillers, but this one totally delivers. Like Ashley Winstead's other thrillers, this one has more than meets the eye. Check your idea of morality at the door, and get ready for a ride!

DNF at 30%.

I really enjoyed In My Dreams I Hold a Knife, but I DNFed The Last Housewife. I was intrigued by the title of this new Winstead book, so I decided to give it a try (and I'm grateful for the ARC!). However, reading this book was an absolute slog. I was interested at the beginning especially because of the religious fundamentalist themes (I was raised in a religious fundamentalist community so that really hit home), but the book became really repetitive and boring. It also felt so so long. I felt like by 30% that I had read about 500 pages because it was so slow and tedious, but really I wasn't even one third of the way through the book. I thought the characters were flat and there was no twisty, turny action like I'd expect from a "thriller."

That being said, I don't think this book should be marketed as a thriller. It is indeed dark, but it is very slow-paced which does not meet the criteria for "thriller" branding in my opinion. It is more of a case study of a small, religious fundamentalist town full of some pretty terrible people.

Unfortunately, I won't be finishing this book or recommending it to my bookstagram audience.

I received this book as an ARC in return for an honest review.

I want more! Please tell me there will be a sequel. I admit I fell a tiny bit in love with Everett and I could have read another 500 pages easily. I adored this book. The small town vibes, the religious at its core, the occult. Ruth was a wonderful character to follow and I loved watching as her strength grew. I did think this story was going to take a certain path and was surprised by what happened. The ending has me reeling and like I've already said I want more of Ruth and Everett, more of their story. Absolutely awesome book that I highly recommend.

This book is a mix of so many things that it's hard to sum up. Suffice it to say that growing up in the backwoods of Louisiana with an evil preacher for a father makes for a really good read.

I want to start by saying THANK YOU NetGalley, Sourcebooks, and Ashley Winstead for allowing me to read this book early! I absolutely loved In My Dreams I Hold A Knife & The Last Housewife. Like loveddddd. But this one, ugh. I wanted to love it so much more but it just hit the “meh” mark for me. Definitely much different writing then I’m used to from AW. The heavy Twilight and religious aspects were particularly not my thing and since that is the essence of the book, it makes sense why it didn’t appeal to me very much. I love a dark thriller but this one just didn’t do it for me. Still love Ashley and will always support her books regardless.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 4.25 rating

“It’s the moment you realize the family who raised you—the people who witnessed you in every moment of tender vulnerability growing up, who saw your small scraped knees, your spilled tears, your young eyes wide in wonder—don’t love you back. At least not the same way. Your love is, and will always be, unrequited.”

Ashley Winstead is by far one of my favorite authors and she DID IT AGAIN! This is the perfect book for the Fall and Halloween season! I loved the small town feel and really appreciated how realistic she made it especially with the church aspect! I was always on my seat wanting more and wondering what was going to happen next. The ending was something that will leave you stunned and wanting more and it was absolute perfection!

I am honestly mind blown at how surprised I am by the depth and intensity of this novel. I am lucky enough to get to read an advanced reader's copy, this book publishes on October 3, and I have been SO EXCITED to get to this as the author's last thriller, The Last Housewife, is my favorite book of 2023 so far (this is book #99!) This story is a complex crime novel set among a religious cult in Louisiana. Ruth is the daughter of the town preacher of Holy Fire Baptist Church. She has always been a good girl and survived in this world of strict morality and obedience, until she meets Everett. When a skull is found in the swamp, surrounded by mysterious symbols, Ruth and Everett are aligned in order to search within the community for where the true evil lies.

I truly feel like my review of the complexities and conversations that can result from this novel will not give it justice. There are some dark themes to pay attention to including religious abuse, mentions of violence, sexual assault, physical abuse, and child abuse. However, it felt less graphic and dark than her previous work. What really made this book stand out for me were the almost dystopian-like themes. There were so many different characters--those standing for moral justice, those that were outright corrupt, those who were blindfully submissive, and characters like Ruth and Ever, who developed their own definitions of law and order outside of the narratives created for them. I was reminded so much of characters like June in The Handmaid's Tale and Walter White in Breaking Bad. I highly recommend reading the author's note and questions at the end of the book for the full experience and understanding of the characters.

While I am not a fantasy reader, there are many mentions and connections to Twilight in this book and I am sure that adds another layer of depth to the creation of the story and also to Ruth's overall experience as a woman inside a patriarchal system--a woman with longings for freedom, romance, and an escape. BUT LASTLY CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE ENDING?! I was so surprised and screamed when I got to the end because it is quite the cliffhanger. All I can say is that, even if this book is not for you, Ashley Winstead is a brilliant writer and I will write anything she chooses to grace us with.

Thank you so much to #NetGalley and #Sourcebooks for my #ARC. Be sure to grab this one as the perfect, gripping fall thriller!

Pros: I was interested to read this book because I liked reading the author’s previous books In My Dreams I Hold a Knife and The Boyfriend Candidate. My favorite part of this book was its examination of religion and the power and corruption that come with it.

Cons: As someone who lives in Louisiana, I really wanted to like the Louisiana setting, but it didn’t feel accurate.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to read this book.

I rate this 4.5 and am rounding up for reviewing purposes. I really enjoyed this novel This is my first one by Ashley Winstead and I will be checking out the rest of her backlist.

In this we find the preachers daughter and a boy who ends up becoming her best friend, who are both considered outcasts, are caught up in a small town in Lousiana where a skull has been found in the local swamp.
Not only that but in the very religious small town that there are occult symbols showing up around the swamp as well. A killer is on the loose and let the mystery being.

I really did like this book. I did not find that anything was of surprise to me. I usually don’t end up surprised very often in most book sand found that i picked up the clues that were left for me as i went read along. Though even though I wasn’t surprised I ended up devouring it in around 4 hours and am really wanting to go and read the authors other works. I really enjoyed the authors style of writing and loved the twlight reference littered throughout the book. Would recommend and will be purchasing a phsyical copy

I really enjoyed this one! I loved the Louisiana setting. I think this book kept me intrigued because of the eeriness of the bayou and the cult like vibes. Religious cults are so fascinating to me, I just can’t believe the way people will follow leaders they way they do. This book was deep and touched on some pretty uncomfortable topics but it was done so nicely. I am a huge Ashley Winstead fan and if you are too, you won’t want to miss this one when it comes out October 3rd! Thank you so much Netgalley and Sourcebooks for the gifted copies!

Ruth has always felt like an outsider in her small southern town. Always the outcast because her father is the beloved reverend in town, Ruth finds herself a friend in an unlikely person. Everett has always made Ruth feel worthwhile and whole.

The town wholeheartedly follows her father’s fire-and-brimstone warnings and fear nothing more than the Devil and myths that haunt the area. The story of the Low Man has always brought fear to their hearts.

When a skull is found in the swamp next to mysterious symbols Ruth and Everett realize they need to figure out the town’s secrets to search out true evil.

Ah what a book! I have read all but one of Ashely Winstead’s books and thought she couldn’t do any better, but then she wrote this one and blew me out of the water. This book is just fantastic. I absolutely devoured it in one sitting, I did not want to get up for anything. This story draws you in and holds your attention in such a captivating way. This book is so atmospheric you will get sucked right in and never want to leave – even though it will creep you out. I was a bit unsure about some of the trigger warnings, but they were done so wonderfully I didn’t mind at all. They all perfectly fit the story and while there were twists and turns, the triggers weren’t surprising – just the plot! This book perfectly described when I think of a creepy small southern town. It has everything from the church run wild, to folklore.

If you are looking for a truly amazing gothic southern thriller, then do yourself a favor and pick this one up.

Additional links will be added once posted closer to publication date.

loved every single minute of this! I think it will be my new fav by Winstead. I really liked the Louisiana setting, it reminded me of Where the Crawdads Sing and all the Twilight references were so fun. Amazing!

For lovers of: Practical Magic & Beautiful Creatures.

The Deep South is deeply in love with their traditions, religion and values. When Ruth Cornier doesn't quite fit in, she has nowhere to turn but inwards. As she grows up and discovers freedom within the walls of her local library, she is allowed to believe.

Ruth has a chance encounter with the resident bad boy, Everett Duncan. Their fates become entwined and the two are inseparable.

There is something dark and deadly in the Louisiana swamp, and it is seeping into Bottom Springs...

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I Loved, capital L, no, uppercase word, LOVED, "In My Dreams I Hold A Knife" and "The Last Housewife". I was not prepared for a different style of writing. The last 1/3 of the book was more of what I expected from Ashley Winstead. and I am glad that I finished the book because it was well worth it!

Thank you to the publisher and the NetGalley for this ARC! It took me a little bit to get into this one but once I did I was invested. I enjoyed the twilight-esque landscape and the references didn't feel too heavy handed. I think the pacing was a little slow initially but overall a unique book!

I absolutely love a good gothic Southern thriller and Midnight is the Darkest Hour did not disappoint. It is set in rural Louisiana with an unlikely duo of outcasts. Ruth, the preacher’s daughter, who has never fit in even in her own family, and Everett, who has lived a challenging life, form an unlikely friendship in their teens. Together, they’ll examine the history of their small town and it’s secrets regarding murder, religion, and love.

Every time I picked up this book, I was immediately sucked back in to the story no matter where I left off. Winstead is excellent at creating both unique and compelling plots combined with an immersive setting. She is one of my favorite authors I’ve discovered recently, and I cannot wait to see what unique work she has in store for the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

Deeply creepy.

This was my first jaunt into an Ashley Winstead novel. Me thinks it won't be the last. Winstead knows how to set up a scene that will be embedded in your mind for a long time. She brings out all the stops here with young love, creatures of the night, over-the-top religious fervor, and a town entrenched in its own questionable past.

Our main focus is on Ruth Cornier. Ruth is a twenty-three year old town librarian who has been exposed to more havoc and mayhem in her young time than a barnyard dog with fleas. Not easy to shake off. And she sits in the surround sound of small town Bottom Springs, Louisiana. Her daddy just so happens to be Pastor James Cornier of the Holy Fire Born Again Church. He certainly doesn't spare the rod when it comes to Ruth. He keeps the flames lit right by her feet.

That is until Ruth is reunited with her childhood friend, Everett. Everett and his father have always been the town's outcasts for being unchurched and also drunk in the case of his father. Everett and Ruth will have a secret encounter unplanned one evening. It will end in a tragedy in which the two of them must hide the evidence of a crime.......a big crime. And it will haunt them when a skull is retrieved from the swamp. Just whose skull might that belong to?

Ashley Winstead adds a bit of woowoo in the likes of Low Man. Low Man is a vampiric figure who will sneak into your bedroom on a moonless night and leave you without a soul. But are these latest situations in Bottom Springs blamed on ol' Low Man or has it been left to the human kind?

Clearly a well-planned and well-developed storyline with highly unusual characters. Midnight Is the Darkest Hour is a curious romp into Booga Booga Land.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and to the talented Ashley Winstead for the opportunity.

4.5 stars, rounded up.

"Midnight is the Darkest Hour" by Ashley Winstead is a Southern gothic thriller that serves up a satisfying mix of suspense, mystery, feminism, and emotion...and I couldn't get enough of it!

Set in a small Louisiana town, the novel is filled with well-developed characters who were easy to get attached to, especially Ruth and Everett. Their deep bond and complicated love story kept me invested all the way through. The story's atmosphere, brimming with mystery and the supernatural, was so tangible that I could almost feel the chill of the eerie swamp mist and hear the rustling of trees and thunderclaps in Bottom Springs.

Winstead's references to "Twilight" and the meticulous crafting of Ruth and Everett's relationship, loaded with intense feelings, added an extra layer of intrigue. The setting, steeped in nature and the bayou, came alive under Winstead's skilled descriptions, making the town itself a complicit character in the story. It's a slow-burning narrative, which might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I found it satisfying and perfect for the small-town story's unfolding.

The only things keeping me from giving this a full 5 stars are the story's predictability, and the pacing, which, at times, I wished was faster. The "twists" didn't quite catch me off guard, but that didn't stop me from thoroughly enjoying the story.

Despite a few slow patches, however, this book was a captivating read that I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys dark thrillers and intense relationships wrapped up in a heavy atmospheric setting.

Ruth has always felt like an outsider in her small, hyper-religious Louisiana hometown. Her only friend Everett, another town outcast, is haunted by his father’s nefarious reputation. When a skull is found in the swamp, surrounded by mysterious, carved symbols, the townsfolk fear the Devil, while Ruth and Everett worry a secret from their past has caught up with them. Once again, I found Ashley’s brain to be absolutely dazzling, and the Twilight fan in me was delighted.

This book is truly for the girls who were introverted with religious trauma, who always ALWAYS fell for the bad boys and disobeyed every rule ever given to them (even though you still felt guilty because you know…religious shame).

Oh yeah and the girls who like really loved Twilight. Aka me.

Ashley Winstead did it again. This book had me flipping pages SO fast. From the very beginning sentence I was hooked. I love a dark thriller and this one was exactly that. There was a lot of timeline jumping but it felt like I was following Ruth’s thought processing in the present and that made it really work for me. The tension between Ruth and Everett was magical and the parallels to Bella and Edward (or if you’re a Vampire Diaries girl- Elena and Damon) were SO GOOD. And every bit of the small town flew off the page. It was so easy to picture this dark, swampy place and all its secrets. It was just so incredibly good.

While I do feel like I guessed the twist in this one early on, it did not deter me from loving it. Instead Ashley threw an ending at me that literally had me flipping back through the pages saying WAIT out loud. 10/10 big squealing screams.

And as always, her main character is a nod to issues and problems that girls face. I highlighted so many paragraphs that resonated with me deeply. Ashley’s writing is just SO SMART and SO CREEPY.