This was Narrated by Sarah Welborn and she did a wonderful job. It made this book so smooth to listen too. I also love the cover of this book. This was the first book of Ashley Winstead I have read and I have already bought two of her other books to read. This was such a wild ride in the best way possible. I didn't see some of the twists coming and I didn't see how the end was going to be. I was happy about that so I was actually surprised. The characters are well written. I would definitely recommend this book!


Thank you NetGalley and Tantor Audio for allowing me to listen to the ARC for my honest opinion.

In her small hometown, librarian Ruth Cornier has always felt like an outsider, even as her beloved father rains fire-and-brimstone warnings from the pulpit at Holy Fire Baptist. Unfortunately for Ruth, the only things the townspeople fear more than the God and the Devil are the myths that haunt the area, like the story of the Low Man, a vampiric figure said to steal into sinners' bedrooms and kill them on moonless nights. When a skull is found deep in the swamp next to mysterious carved symbols, Bottom Springs is thrown into uproar—and Ruth realizes only she and Everett, an old friend with a dark past, have the power to comb the town's secret underbelly in search of true evil.

It took me a bit to get into at first It was a slow start, until about a third into it, and then it started to really pick up for me. I was deeply impacted by the ending. Halfway, I thought it was going to one direction, then went another way, only for it to end in another way!

Winstead really knows how to tell a story. Once you finish, you'll kind of see it's a story we've seen and heard of before, BUT her take on it is unique.

Thank you to Netgalley and RB Media for the audiobook version of this story.

Though her beloved father has been the preacher at Holy Fire Baptist her whole life, Ruth Cornier has always felt like an outsider in their small town of Bottom Springs, Louisiana. The townspeople of Bottom Springs not only fear God and the Devil, but also the town legend, the Low Man, who comes in to people's bedrooms through their windows and kill them on moonless nights.

When a skull is found in the swamp next to strange symbols carved in to the trees, the folks of Bottom Springs go in to a frenzy. Ruth realizes that she and old friend, Everett, with a dark history himself, are the only people who can comb through the secrets in their small town. What will Ruth choose to do when all the secrets come to light?

I really enjoyed this book, even though I usually shy away from thrillers as I'm too much of a scaredy cat. However, for a majority of the book, it read more like a murder mystery. I was enthralled with the many mysteries and secrets revolving around the town of Bottom Springs. It was so fun to be able to try to guess what would happen at the end while reading through this story. I really enjoyed the bravery of Ruth to look in to the mysteries of the town she's always called home. She had to step up in ways she never had before and come out stronger.

For this book, I listened to the audio from RB Media. The narrating by Sarah Welborn was phenomenal. With her accent that she read with, I truly felt like I was in Bottom Springs, Louisiana. Sarah was able to make the other character's voices distinct enough to tell who was speaking. This was a very fun way to read this book.

Welcome to Bottom Springs, Louisiana. It’s a place where religion is king and where citizens fear the devil and the mythical Low Man in equal measure. A place where a pastor’s daughter and a sinner’s son have a soul-deep connection bound by love and blood. When a battered old skull is found in the swamp with strange symbols carved on the surrounding trees, all of the town’s secrets and ugliness are about to come to a head.

Wow, this book was something else! I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this stunning dark southern gothic tale, with a sinister undercurrent running through the meandering, mesmerizing prose. It’s not a fast-moving twisty thriller, but the pace is perfect for this gripping exploration of religious zealotry, hypocrisy, power dynamics, and misogyny, with a years-old murder mystery woven throughout. Ashley Winstead always does a phenomenal job of weaving feminist themes throughout her plots, and her latest novel is more evidence of how talented she is.

Listening to this as an audiobook enhanced my enjoyment of this novel even more. Narrator Sarah Welborn does a fantastic job of bringing Ruth and the town of Bottom Springs to life. Her accent and cadence add to the haunting atmosphere and made me feel totally immersed in the story!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for providing me an advance copy of this audiobook.

This really was a 3.5 star for me, but would round up for rating purposes. I listed to this on audio and I'll be honest it wasn't my favorite. I think the story was good, and I would have enjoyed it way more if I read a physical copy versus listening to it. I do enjoy books by Ashley Winstead, so always excited to read her newest. This didn't make my top favorite, but I can see how others really enjoyed it!

What a difficult book to rate. We follow Ruth, a pastor's daughter, when a skull is found in the swamp and secrets and misteries envolving her and her best fried, an outcast called Everett, begin to unravel.

Although not thrilling and with a slower pace, I could not put the book down. I really wanted to know what was going on in the city. It's like that disaster that is beneath the veneer of a well-polished community that when it comes to light everyone wants to know more about. So, the atmosphere and the unveiling of the secrets were gripping.

However, I didn't care for any of the characters and the big villain is pretty clear early on. I was never captivated by the story more than a morbid curiosity of what was going and when the people doing all kinds of evil would be punished.

To be honest, when I saw the reviews mentioning the ending being insane, I was waiting for something more. So, maybe I set myself up for failure. And there's a comparison that is being made that is really spoiler-y for the main plot point and for the ending (spoilers ahead): <spoiler> the Bonnie and Clyde comparison already tells the reader that Ruth and Everett are the killers, that they will end up together, and that they'll die together fleeing the scene </spoiler>.

By the end, I think the book was just ok to me.

The narration was really well done. I liked the acting and the changes in the voice that narrator did for each character.

Thank you Netgalley, author, and publisher for the ARC.

Not quite for me.

I'm sorry to report that I didn't enjoy Midnight is the Darkest Hour nearly as much as the Last Housewife.

I wanted this one to be more suspenseful or more atmospheric than it was. It reminded me of The Book of Essie more than any mystery/suspense novels. I do wonder if I'd have enjoyed Midnight more had I picked it up expecting book club fiction, not "gothic Southern thriller." And it's entirely possible S.A. Cosby, Karin Slaughter, and Attica Locke have set my bar for suspense set in the South far too high.

While on the long side, I did find the story generally engaging, and suspect avid Twilight readers might feel a kinship with main character Ruth. I also think this one might work for anyone interested in a story about the grip religion can have on a person and a town, and those interested in questions of justice.

I do have to credit narrator Sarah Welborn for keeping me reading - her accent helped place me in the story, and I liked how she subtly made her voice sound younger for the flashbacks. I would recommend the audiobook for those interested in giving this title a shot.

Audio book:
Having been utterly entranced by Winstead’s previous work, "The Last Housewife," I embarked on a journey to the eerie town of Bottom Springs, Louisiana, with high anticipation. "Midnight Is the Darkest Hour" unveils a gothic Southern thriller that effortlessly veers through the shadowed lanes of murder, obsessive love, and the menacing folklore that ties the pious and the profane in a knot of chilling mysteries.

As the night descends upon Bottom Springs, whispers of The Low Man’s malevolent deeds echo through the heart of this devout community, stitching fear into the fabric of daily life. This vampiric phantom, notorious for preying on sinners during the eerie calm of moonless nights, casts an ominous shadow that blurs the lines between folklore and the frightful reality that lurks within the town’s dark corners.

Amidst the sinister unfolding, Ruth Cornier, the virtuous daughter of the local preacher, finds herself entangled in a web of mysteries with the discovery of a battered skull in Starry Swamp. The narrative takes a turn reminiscent of Bonnie and Clyde with the entry of Everett, a boy tainted by a dark past yet bound to Ruth by the unyielding chains of love. Despite the ominous warnings from Ruth’s stern father, their hearts find solace in the clandestine affair that blossoms amidst the blood-curdled soil of Bottom Springs.

Their quest for truth digs deep into the town’s sinister secrets, unearthing a landscape where evil wears the mask of piety and where every revelation is a step closer to peril. "Midnight Is the Darkest Hour" is a narrative tapestry intricately embroidered with elements of horror, love, and the age-old battle between good and evil. The atmospheric setting of Bottom Springs, reminiscent of classic Southern gothic landscapes, lays down a fertile ground for a tale that is as haunting as it is engaging.

Winstead’s storytelling is akin to a slow-burning flame that gradually engulfs you in its eerie warmth. The characters are crafted with a touch of realism that makes their fears, desires, and the moral dilemmas they face, relatable to the reader. The blend of horror with a subtle romantic subplot adds a layer of complexity to the narrative, making it a compelling read.

The audiobook version, narrated with a tone resonating with the eerie ambiance of Bottom Springs, adds an auditory texture to the tale, enhancing the overall experience. The narration brings the characters to life, the fear feels palpable, and the love feels tender amidst the looming darkness.

However, the narrative may at times tread on the line of predictability, and the climax, albeit fitting, might polarize readers based on their appetite for closure. The pacing could have been tighter, making the unraveling of mysteries more engaging.

In conclusion, "Midnight Is the Darkest Hour" stands as a dark reflection of the evils that lurk beneath the surface of a God-fearing community, and the relentless spirit of young love that shines even in the heart of darkness. It’s a read that beckons the brave-hearted to delve into the sinister secrets of Bottom Springs, with a tale that’s likely to linger long after the last page is turned. Rating it at three stars, it's a journey worth embarking upon, especially for those who revel in dark, atmospheric narratives with a touch of romance to soften the harsh realities of a cruel world.

Thank you to NetGalley for this audiobook.

This is my second time reading Ashley Winstead and I unfortunately had about the same experience as I did overall with In My Dreams I Hold a Knife. The story sounds great as a blurb and the book starts off well enough. But by about half way through she starts to lose me. The story becomes outlandish and goes in too many directions leading up to an anticlimactic and somehow also over the top ending. Parts of this book also felt like Christian propaganda to me and I didn’t love that.

Ashley Winstead's done it again! I swear her thrillers are some of the best I've ever read.

I don't want to give any type of synopsis because I honestly believe going into her books blind is the best way to do it! Please make sure you check the trigger warnings on this one!

I love how dark and twisted Winstead's thrillers are. Parts of this one were a little predictable, but for the most part, I was kept guessing what was going to happen. Make sure you pay careful attention (especially if you're listening to the audiobook) because there are two different timelines.

Please make sure you check the trigger warnings on this one!

My only complaint about the narrator was the "southern"/"Louisiana" accent they tried to use. It felt very forced to me and was a little annoying.

Thank you to Ashley Winstead, NetGalley and Tantor Audio for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Loved this as I knew I would. Winstead is phenomenal! I wish there was slightly less twilight references but all in all I loved it.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! Ashley Winstead is the queen of a dark thriller! And this one I couldn’t my put down! It was poetic and magically and dark and everything you want you in a thriller!

Midnight is the Darkest Hour is a southern folklore thriller set in the Bible Belt of Louisiana. Ruth Cornier, daughter of the larger than life pastor of Holy Fire Church, makes unlikely friends with town outcast Everett, after a traumatic event in the woods. When members of the community go missing, rumors begin flyer that The Low Man, a local folklore myth, is behind the deaths. But when suspicions arise that the Low Man may be Everett himself, Ruth finds herself caught between her friendship and family.
Ashley Winstead's two other novels were my #1 top picks from each year, and Midnight is the Darkest Hour, while not my favorite, was still pretty solid. Definitely an auto-read author for me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for my honest feedback.

Ashley Winstead Does it again! I have never given one of her books less than four stars, and I have only ever given her mystery/thriller books 5 stars. Which makes me so happy to report that this was an EASY 5 STAR read!!!

Midnight is the Darkest Hour follows Ruth Cornier, she lives in Bottom Springs (a small town with a big love of the lord), her daddy is the pastor of a very well known and loved church in the town. So you can bet that there’s bound to be trouble when there are murders that begin to happen in the small town. Most people think it’s the work of “The Low Man” he’s said to be demonic in every sense of the world, and sometimes he’s even been known to drink the blood of his victims?! Ruth and her best friend Everett, set out to figure out what is really going on at the heart of this town, because things are rarely what they seem. This is said to be Twilights meets Bonnie and Clyde meets Where the Crawdad Sings, and honestly I could not have given a better description myself.

As someone who grew up in an environment very much similar to Ruth, there were definitely moments of this book that have the ability to be triggering. It deals with a lot of heavy topics surrounding religion, gender roles, purity, etc. I think that it made the book better for me, but I can see how it might be harder for others to read and as such, I would definitely recommend looking up trigger warnings. I think that this may be my favorite book from AW. If you are not triggered by these things, or you can handle it, I HIGHLY recommend this book. It is in my top favorite reads of the year.

This book reminds me of Where The Crawdads Sing. I like Ruth, the good girl next door that is naive. Everette ism the good guy from the wrong side of town. I like that they're only friend was each other. I like that they always did for each other what needed to be done. I really like Ruth's job. Is there gonna be a follow up book after that ending? I haven't listened to a book by this author, boy was I missing out. Without giving away spoilers, this book is very good, It's religion and drugs, what's better than that.

I loved this book! The relationship between Ruth and Everett (Ever) is so well written, their friendship blossoming over being outsiders in a small Louisiana town where she is the pastors daughter who rules the town with an iron fist. It's a god fearing community where no one questions the pastor or his decisions.

The dark tale twists when Ever rescues Ruth from an attempted rape and their lives are bound together over the dark secret they share..

The narration was excellent, and the story really drew me in. My only criticism is that it was quite long and could have been condensed. Also the ending, without giving too much away, I would have loved to had more of a conclusion.

Otherwise a fantastic read I thoroughly enjoyed listening to. Thanks to the author and publisher for an advanced audio copy.

4.5 ⭐ Wow wow wow!!! This was not what I was expecting from an Ashley Winstead book, but man did I enjoy it. I will say it was not as much as a punch to the gut or fast paced as The Last Housewife and had more of a romance to it than I expected, but I didn't mind that at all. The ending was CRAZY!! Overall I'm thankful to Netgalley for allowing me the audiobook and to Ashley for writing another great book!!

The minute I saw this book with the words southern Gothic in the description, I knew I had to read it. That and the fact that Ashley Winstead wrote it! I was all in. Let me just say that it was not a disappointment in the least. It's another great entry by a talented author and I inhaled the entire thing in one day.

I received an early copy of the audiobook via NetGalley and once I received it, I couldn't wait to dive in. It was a mesmerizing story and the narration was stellar. I felt completely immersed in the story and continued to look for things to do in my house so that I could continue listening to the book. Let's just say I did a lot of baking that day.

I saw several comparisons to other books and I guess they somewhat make sense, but for me I don't think there's truly a book I can compare this one too. It's definitely it's own "animal."

Set in a small community in Louisiana, the people are easily convinced that otherworldly beings could be responsible for bad things happening. In the case of this town, they believe in a mythical being known as the Low Man that is described in a way that makes them sound like a vampire. The Low Man supposedly kills people and when locals find a skull in a nearby swamp, that's who they want to believe committed the crime. The problem is they start looking for a person in the community that they think resembles what they believe the Low Man would look like and therein lies the danger.

The story focuses on the unlikely friendship and ultimately love between the preacher's daughter, Ruth and the son of the town drunk, Everett. Or as the townspeople often like to refer to him - - the son of the Devil. They make an unusual pair but yet they have a bond no one else knows about that ties them together and from there, their friendship blossoms. Everett is the one person that Ruth can depend on to help her feel normal in a town that often makes her feel like an outcast.

This story simply pulls the reader in and envelops them completely in its curtain of mystery and mayhem. It's an addictive read so get ready to immerse yourself in this book when you start it because you'll be driven to see how it all wraps up and it's a heck of a ride.

Thank you to NetGalley for the early copy of the audiobook. I chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

📕Is it a Twilight fanfic? Is it a book on religious freaks? Is it a book on corruption in a small town? Is it a book on outsiders? Is it a book on witchcraft? What is it?
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📗I said this for another book recently, but I’m going to say it again. When you try to combine all of the above in one book, you won’t get any of it. When I felt like “ha, okay it think I see where this is going”, there was another reference to Twilight. I could not take the MC seriously. The moment I started to respect her, she did another thing making me question her
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📘Let it be her trauma, let it be her childhood under constant scrutiny, let it be her tiny town mentality - I could not deal with Ruth. It’s great that she brought down a whole corrupt system, but that will be the only good thing I’m going to say

Thank you Tantor Audio for the review copy of Midnight is the Darkest Hour (also available to me from the Libro.FM alc program but I had this copy first before that was posted!). This is a powerful story that is a bit of a change of pace from The Last Housewife in terms of pacing and focus... but there are similar elements to the power of men over women, the hurt of cultish mindsets and the enduring strength of women to overcome abuse and harmful relationships. I really liked a lot of the themes in the story even as the story itself felt at times a little drawn out, the plot a little too obvious to me (no twists really in it for me and while I don't need twists, the story felt less novel to me). I did though love the end, though it felt rushed (but if there ever was a reason to write a sequel even to a story that was less than wow for me... this is it... I would read that sequel). ... The end is where the real story is.
The narration worked for me a bit but also sounded a little too young/naive for me at times, I appreciated the approach and it captured a lot of the characterization but I wanted a little bit more from the narration.
This is a 3.5 star plot for the ending, 3.5 audiobook. I rounded up because I think stories like this are still worth thinking about.