Full transparency, I DNF’d this at 11%. The writing was not good and the story was boring me. I really did not care how it ended. We got a few flashbacks scenes that honestly did nothing to drive suspense.

Ten years ago, five students from Oxford University in Ohio were murdered in a creepy Victorian house the girls lived in in what is now known as the Midnight House Massacre. Margot Davis was a survivor, now she’s a writer and while she’s tried to forget what happened she’s decided to write about the Massacre.

This brings her right back to Oxford and Midnight House and back to the other two survivors. She has to fend off conspiracy theories about what occurred and she meets up with a newspaper writer who wants to write a story about the event. And Margot is getting threats about telling the whole truth about what happened. And she hasn’t been.

OK, the Margot of today is just about the stupidest person to walk on Earth. Um….CALL THE POLICE, Margot! Call the police about twelve times. You are a writer. You are not a trained investigator. You are also an idiot and I, frankly, can’t believe that you and the boy wonder haven’t been killed ten times. I might do it myself because you are too dumb to walk around.

Have I mentioned that Margot is not wise? This is not terrible, but read only if you want to punch Margot. Some people like that sort of thing. I liked that the girls were dancers. There. I said something nice.

Harrowing Proportions..
The Midnight House Massacre has never been forgotten. In fact, the Midnight House itself still stands and is now occupied by two survivors. Margot Davis, novelist and another survivor of the massacre, makes a return to the crime scene in pursuit of the truth. Tension fuelled, disturbing and often downright terrifying - the pacy narrative never lets up nor drops off for a second - with a deftly drawn and credible cast of characters, a well imagined sense of place, a plot bubbling with often unexpected and surprising twists and a house which becomes a dark character in its own right. A one sit read of harrowing proportions that is impossible to put down.

Wow this was such an amazing read! As soon as I started I knew I needed to know the truth and this absolutely hooked me and made sure I didn't put it down until I was finished.

Whoa! I was not expecting this to be so…well, thrilling! This had me at the seat of my pants wondering what was going to happen next. The characters were well-crafted and the plot deep. Highly recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing this book, with my honest review below.

Return to Midnight was an eerie thriller that kept me up racing through it! Emma Dues is coming on the scene with a phenomenal debut, exactly capturing the feeling of cold water dripping down your back in a book.

Margot, Kyle, and Remi are the sole survivors of a brutal killing in the ‘Midnight house’ Margot and Remi shared with fellow ballet during college. We know all three are hiding a secret, and that Margot is writing a book about the murders, set to be released on the tenth anniversary of the killings. But someone knows her secret and she has a fear that the real killer is still free. This was little reminiscent of the ID murders though I don’t wish the survivors of that the same experience Margot goes through. A very well done novel, we alternate between the past at various timelines leading up to the murder to the murder itself, alongside the present as Margot gets more involved with the current day mystery.

This had so many twists and turns I didn’t see coming and really capitalized on creepy settings to put me on the edge of being really scared (night reading doesn’t help)! I highly recommend this for thriller readers though I will say it reads a bit younger, I still think the murder and tension built would appeal to any age.

This book was great. It had a lot of twists and turns and just when you think the story is over, there are more surprises. I did think I figured it out early on, however I was WAY off. Margot was a great main character and I wish we got to see more between her and Aaron. Thank you for allowing me to read and review this ARC. I will be posting this review on tie Tok, good reads, and amazon!

"Return to Midnight" by Emma Dues is a compelling exploration of a savage mass murder, intricately woven with the iconic Final Girl trope. Dues riveting debut thriller masterfully crafts a narrative filled with suspense, twists, and unexpected revelations. Her writing style is sharp and engaging, drawing readers into a dark and complex web of secrets and deceit. "Return to Midnight" is a must-read debut for fans of thrillers and intense mysteries. I eagerly anticipate Emma Dues next literary offering.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read and review “Return to Midnight” before its publication date.

I have been waiting to read this book and was grateful to have the opportunity to do so through NetGalley.

This book had me hooked by chapter 2. It was one of those books that was impossible to put down, as you’re trying to solve the mystery while still receiving clues. It kept me intrigued and desperate for some answers. The dual timelines kept me guessing, giving me bits of info but more questions than answers. It was an absolutely thrilling ride that had me on the edge of my seat until the end.

The release date is August 2024.

I thought this was a good read. Was I amazed? No. Was I entertained? Yes. I think that the only problem was the fact that it was lacking originality.

Thank you to the Publisher for the arc!


This felt like a 90's thriller for some reason to me. I just kept picturing the characters acting super over the top and it got super disorienting. I enjoyed the build up but the ending just seemed kind of lazy to me? I was hoping for more of a grander reveal and what we got was a lame super villain ending.

I am a sucker for a good debut, and this is that! What a great thriller. Some of the twists were quite surprising, and that dual time line really kept me on the edge of my seat.

This book is fantastic and will be out in August. Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC!