"Midnight in Soap Lake" by Matthew Sullivan is a story that takes place in the small town of Soap Lake, Washington, where Abigail moves with her husband, Eli, who is conducting research on the town's mysterious mineral lake. When Eli departs for an assignment in Poland, Abigail finds herself alone in a community steeped in urban legends and unsettling secrets. Her life takes a dramatic turn when she encounters a blood-covered boy in the desert, leading her to investigate the death of his mother, Esme, and unravel the town's dark past.​

This book alternates between Abigail's present-day experiences and flashbacks to Esme's earlier life, gradually revealing the connections between the characters and the town's enigmatic history. This dual timeline structure helps build suspense and depth. ​

The novel blends elements of mystery, supernatural intrigue, and small-town dynamics. The character of TreeTop, a local boogeyman figure, adds a layer of eerie suspense to the plot. This novel is some similarities to the storytelling in "Twin Peaks," highlighting the book's rich, expansive universe filled with quirky and complex characters. ​

Overall, "Midnight in Soap Lake" offers a captivating exploration of a town teetering between its bright past and a mysterious decline, weaving together themes of generational survival, hidden truths, and the complexities of human nature. It's a recommended read for those who appreciate atmospheric mysteries with richly developed characters and a touch of the supernatural.

The cover and it’s unique title initially piqued my interest. And the untimely death of a main character, leaving a boy orphaned and stranded became the ultimate hook. It was one of the strongest point in the book. The mystery behind the quiet rather hushed little town with its town mascot and urban legend kept me suspended in suspense the entire time. I was very eager to discover the identity and unmask the person behind the Tree Top killings. Unfortunately, the execution was painfully slow-burn and by the time the curtains were peeled back, it had ended abruptly and was anti-climatic. The story had very little action, was long-winded in certain areas, and was clouded mostly in mystery.

Descriptions of the town and character development were the highlights of the story; both were fully fleshed out. But the alternate POV was where I struggled the most and I typically do not have issue with it. Even with the help of audio I still had trouble keeping up with what was happening and who said what.

Overall, I enjoyed the eerie backdrop, small town feel, and its eccentric characters. My takeaways from this were the somber vibes and some limnology terms but not much else. Wish I could say it was great but overall it was about a fair and brooding read.

Abigail's husband is a researcher and the couple is sent to Soap Lake for him to investigate the lake, take samples, and otherwise learn more about what gives this lake the great ability to heal various ailments as it has seemed to do over the years...but almost as soon as they arrive he is called away to Poland instead and Abigail is left alone in this strange place.

The next few days send her down a rabbit hole of adventure and entangle her in a mystery involving the town's eerie mascot TreeTop, a murder (actually a couple of murders in all honesty), and a young boy wandering in the desert...what do all these things have to do with eachother and to what degree...

There is so much more to this story and unraveling the mystery is great fun! I adored this book and I can't wait to read it again in the future!

I was interested in the premise, and especially the location because I’ve visited Soap Lake
For some reason I couldn’t get into the story itself though
Other people do seem to love it, so I’m keeping it in mind to maybe try again at another time

I honestly don’t know how to categorize what I just read—or even how I feel about it. It’s not quite a mystery, though it has elements of one. There are no shocking twists, no intense climax, yet somehow, it still got under my skin.

What really struck me were the raw relationships between the characters. No single character stood out as the "main" one, but they were all memorable in their own way. The story felt deeply human, full of emotions and the complexity of human nature, and that’s what stayed with me the most.

The part that intrigued me most was the science aspect, especially the mention of the lake microorganisms. It was such a small piece of the story, but I found myself wanting *more* of it. I wish they were real—just like Soap Lake itself is real—because that would have made the story even more fascinating.

In the end, I can’t say whether I loved the book, but I can say it made me think. It’s the kind of story that lingers in your mind, even if you’re not entirely sure why.

I would like to express my deep gratitude to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for their generosity in allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Midnight in Soap Lake takes place in...you guessed it... Soap Lake. It's a small town in Washington that seems like any other dry desert on the surface, until you figure out what's really going on behind the scenes. Through intertwined timelines and lore of a small town monster lurking in the shadows, suspense builds. I felt like there were a lot of loose ends mostly tied up but not entirely clear by the end, which docked it a bit for me. 4.25 stars! Overall a great blend of sci-fi, mystery, and thriller. Kind thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for sending me an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review!

This book felt like I was reading an intriguing, paranormal,true crime,conspiracy theory, family drama, and small town murder mystery. Three-dimensional characters, complete with back stories and excellent world building (in this case, town building).

The reader really gets immersed in this town, which feels like it's stuck under its own dome. Some people are fighting to get out but are ultimately drawn back into its drama, history, and darkness. Others enjoy being captive to the town's past, power, and corruption.

The ending thankfully answered most questions but did leave some things open to interpretation as well as your imagination. Possibly even a sequel.

I read this book and listened to the audiobook. I admit it was a slow start for me, but it didn't take long to suck me in. So, trust me, stick with this! The narrator was very good, but I did find myself going back to reading with my own internal voice bringing it to life.

This is my first book by this author, and it definitely won't be my last.
4.5 stars rounded up to 5⭐️

PS This really should be made into a Netflix series.

PPS This is one of those digital reads that I now want a physical copy!

As always, I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to have an advanced ebook and audiobook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Midnight In Soap Lake by Matthew Sullivan is a very compelling addictive mystery about a lake and it’s magical properties. Abigail and Eli, had a whirlwind courtship she married him and left everything behind when he got a grant to study soap Lake but after moving there he was sent to do work for another Grant team in Poland, leaving Abigail alone. She used her time to walk around the desert surrounding the little town. One day while there a little boy who is covered in blood runs up to her grabbing her not wanting to let go but when he does it’s to bring her to his mom who is dead in the backseat of her cutlass. This is when she meets the only good policeman in town and learns about the dead woman whose name is Aspera. She grew up there and it’s part of one of many mysteries plaguing this miraculous yet troubled place. She will learn many things including why her husband Eli‘s predecessor Dr. Carla picked up and left town without a goodbye and what that may mean for her safety but mostly she will learn the truth about Treetop, and the dark, But deadly secrets a little town can keep. The story really got me out of a reading slump I was sitting up in bed in the dark not wanting to stop reading this book. I absolutely loved it I found it felt authentic and like it could be a real story and or conspiracy theory but either way makes for a great reading and an awesome mystery. There’s lots of tentacles to the story but the author definitely ties them all up by the end and OMG it was so good!#NetGalley, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview, #MathewSullivan, #MidnightAndSoapLake,

⸻

Review: Midnight in Soap Lake

A lake with strange properties. A town steeped in urban legend. Two women whose lives intersect in terrifying ways. Midnight in Soap Lake is an eerie, atmospheric mystery blending folklore, crime, and small-town secrets.

When Abigail moves to Soap Lake for her husband Eli’s research, she expects quaint charm but finds isolation and an unsettling history. Left alone when Eli departs for work, she encounters a blood-covered boy in the desert—setting off a chilling investigation into the death of his mother, Esme.

As Abigail searches for answers, she’s drawn into the town’s dark past, aided by a recovering addict-turned-librarian, a grieving brother, and a conspiracy theorist. At the center of the mystery is TreeTop, a local boogeyman who seems to lurk around every corner. Told in a dual timeline, the novel slowly reveals Esme’s tragic story while Abigail uncovers the town’s secrets.

Sullivan crafts a setting as vivid and unsettling as Twin Peaks or Castle Rock, where every shadow hides a secret. The novel’s many twists and turns keep readers guessing, and the rich cast of characters makes the town feel real. While the complexity can be overwhelming, the gripping suspense and puzzle-like storytelling make it impossible to put down.

With its chilling atmosphere, layered mysteries, and unforgettable town, Midnight in Soap Lake is a must-read for fans of eerie thrillers and urban legends.

This book is a thriller about two women whose lives intersect. Abigail just moved to Soap Lake and is excited to learn more about some of the urban legends it has. Esme is a local in the town who loves one of those urban legends. There is a paranormal feel to this book and I was intrigued the whole time I was reading.

"When Eli first told her he’d landed a grant to research a rare lake in the Pacific Northwest, Abigail thought ferns and rain, ale and slugs, Sasquatch and wool. And then they got here, to this desert where no one lived. Not a fern or slug in sight."

☆☆☆.5 rounding up

I just finished reading Midnight in Soap Lake by Matthew Sullivan, and what a wild read!

This is an intense murder mystery that takes place in the very small town of Soap Lake, Washington. It's a dual timeline/dual point of view book that follows Abigail, a limnologist's wife, and Esme, a local woman who gets murdered in the desert just outside of town. Yes, a desert. In Washington.

Abigail and her husband, Eli, are there because of his work to study Soap Lake and its mysterious healing properties. On the other hand, Esme had been missing for years, and nothing is known about where she went or what she was doing. Until one fateful day when a little boy finds Abigail walking in the desert, and brings her back to his mother's car, where Esme is dead. You learn about present day from Abigail, and bits of the past from different years of Esme's life and her tragic backstory.

While the story itself is fascinating, the side characters really make this book special! It was like stepping into this small town, and there are so many little pieces to this puzzle!

This book is full of twists: mysteries, intrigue, environmental issues, urban legends, and conspiracy theories. It does get a little confusing at times, especially trying to keep track of who's who and what's what.

Midnight in Soap Lake gets released on April 15th, and is available to pre-order now!

Thank you to HTP Books, NetGalley, and the author for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I hate to say it, but I got 25% into Midnight in Soap Lake and I decided to DNF it. I'm not going to post this on other sites, as I don't want to hurt the author's chances of getting readers.

Here is my feedback:

I've heard really good things about this book, but it just ended up falling flat for me. I feel like Abigail's story is lagging and just not something I'm super interested in. I feel nothing for any of the characters other than George, because he's a small, innocent boy. Esme's story is definitely more interesting, but not enough to keep me reading, unfortunately. I just find myself really struggling to pick up the book. I wish I would have liked this more, because I was looking forward to reading it.

Thank you to @netgalley and @HarlequinTrade for this ARC. Abigal has moved to Soap Lake because her husband Eli received a research grant to study the secret healing powers of the lake. While on a walk, Abigal finds a 4 year wandering around in filthy pajamas. He leads her to his mom who has been murdered. This opens up an investigation in the past regarding the lake and all that are trying to cover up the mystery of the lake. I really enjoyed Sullivan's last book "Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore" so I requested this book. It is a thriller from the start but I felt the ending fell a little flat. However, the story flowed easily and I still really enjoyed it! #MidnightatSoapLake #MatthewSullivan #HarlequinTradePub #April2025

This book had too much sci-fi for my taste unfortunately. I did like the audiobook narrator.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc/alc.

Midnight in Soap Lake is a captivating, atmospheric novel that weaves mystery, suspense, and a touch of the supernatural into a compelling narrative. When Abigail moves to Soap Lake, Washington, for her husband's research, she expects a peaceful life surrounded by nature and quirky charm. Instead, she finds herself immersed in a town steeped in eerie urban legends and strange occurrences.

The story picks up momentum when Abigail encounters a young boy running from something dark and mysterious, leading her to investigate his mother’s tragic death and the secrets of the town. With the help of a colorful cast of characters, Abigail delves deeper into the town's violent history and the lake's hidden magic, discovering that the past might not be as dead and buried as everyone believes.

The novel skillfully blends small-town intrigue with a gripping supernatural mystery, creating an immersive world that readers won’t want to leave. The mix of quirky characters, suspenseful plot twists, and magical realism keeps the reader hooked. Abigail’s personal journey of uncovering the truth and surviving the growing dangers makes for an engaging and satisfying read.

With its richly developed setting and intriguing plot, Midnight in Soap Lake is a great choice for fans of mysteries that blend the eerie with the everyday, and it’s sure to leave readers eager for more.

Well color me impressed! This book is captivating, well written, and full of interest featuring a small town with big secrets.

Do you ever choose a book out of curiosity and don’t expect much of it? That was this book for me. I chose this book because the setting is Soap Lake, about a 2 hour drive west of where I live. We drive through this town every time we’re headed to or through the mountains and it is not a place to stop for any reason. When we see the lake, we have driven a few hours through farm and scrub land with no rest stops so Soap lake is a bit of a relief to see. However, there is only one place to stop, a really nice outhouse type structure, on the outskirts of the gated RV park on the lake. There is a mini mart but it is not inviting to travelers. There are no fast food places or visible stores or coffee shops. It’s safe to say that Soap Lake is a place to quickly drive through toward your destination. Never in my wildest imagination did I think a whole book could be written about this little blip on the map of my great state! But boy was I wrong!

This author not only brought Soap Lake to life, he created colorful and quirky characters that I cared about, some I disliked, and a few I rooted for. This book is written with two storylines, side by side, past and present, intertwining until they masterfully come together with all the reveals.

This is a great book with a compelling story. This book touched my soul and I won’t ever forget it. I can assure you that I will see Soap Lake with new eyes the next time we’re passing through!

If you love books about small town life where a tragic and mysterious murder takes place and a lake that has ancient healing powers, then put this one on your TBR. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Thank you Netgalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on April 15, 2025

3.75 ⭐️

MIDNIGHT IN SOAP LAKE by Matthew Sullivan

Abigail is new to Soap Lake, Washington, and her husband Eli quickly was summoned to Poland to do research. So when she finds a little boy George whose mother was murdered by a screwdriver, she immerses herself into the community, takes an active role in George’s life, and tries to help solve the murder of Esme. The novel flashes back to when Esme was younger in Soap Lake.

➕ Unique way to bring together an actual, mystical lake with a mystery. Soap Lake is a few hours away from me by car, and I enjoyed learning more about this actual lake.
➕ I really liked the found family element in this novel, as Abigail is new to town, and finding George after his mother’s murder gets her more involved in the town. I liked the unique individuals in the town, including the recovering drug addict.

➖ I didn’t think the actual mystery was very compelling.
➖ It felt a little too drawn out.

I’m not usually too much of a fan of quirk, and this novel has some elements that are off the beaten path. I actually liked several of these elements although I didn’t quite grasp the myth of “Tree Top.”

I thought the audiobook narrator Kristen Sieh did a good job narrating the audiobook.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hanover Square Press, and Harlequin Audio for an Advance Reader Copy and Advance Listener Copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

It publishes April 15, 2025.

Wow! Midnight in Soap Lake by Matthew Sullivan blew me away with its complex and flawed characters, unique setting, complex storyline, and twists and turns.
I'm glad that I stuck with it, because I did find it to be a tad slow at the beginning and considered setting it aside. But once it picked up, it snowballed! Threads from the past and present were woven into an intricate story that grabbed me and wouldn't let go. The cast of characters - from the bored wife, transplanted to the area and then deserted by her scientist husband, who needed something to occupy her time, to the town pariah Esme, whose story traverses time, to the conflicted police officer, the grieving parents of teens tragically lost, and the scientist who fled the town and the husband she left behind - are compelling and easy to understand. Together they tell a story that is part mystery, part tragedy, and completely spell binding.
This would make an excellent limited television series!
Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC of #MidnightinSoapLake, working title my ARC came with #MidnightintheOrchardbytheLake.

📚 Summary:
Abigail moves to the quiet town of Soap Lake, Washington, to support her husband’s research on the town’s mysterious mineral waters. When he leaves for an overseas project, she is left to navigate the town’s eerie legends and unsettling secrets. A chance encounter with a young boy tied to a local myth pulls her into a web of mystery, forcing her to uncover the town’s hidden past—and the truth about the lake’s enigmatic reputation.

💭 Thoughts:

This was a true whodunit, and I was HOOKED from the start! 🔍✨ I even tried to stay up reading, but I just couldn’t keep my eyes open—otherwise, I would have devoured it in one sitting. 😴📖

Sullivan crafts an atmospheric and immersive mystery that perfectly balances eerie folklore with a gripping investigation. Abigail’s journey was compelling, and I loved how the town itself felt like a character, filled with quirky residents and chilling secrets. The pacing kept me engaged, steadily unraveling twists while maintaining an undercurrent of suspense.

If you love mysteries that keep you guessing, small-town secrets, and stories that feel like they could be real, Midnight in Soap Lake is a must-read!

I have to share a little secret about this book…

When I requested, the cover had yet to be revealed. Me, a typical cover snob would never request a book without at least recognizing the author BUT I was completely captivated with the description that I knew I didn’t want to miss out !

Midnight in Soap Lake

Not only is the revealed cover amazing but it’s as mysterious as the book is. I absolutely love it!

Equal parts mysterious and suspenseful. Matthew Sullivan does an incredible job pulling you right.

I LOVED the urban legend incorporation!

Sullivan is THE author too keep an eye on and I can’t wait to see what’s next .

Check out this teaser :

A lake with mysterious properties. A town haunted by urban legend. Two women whose lives intersect in terrifying ways. Welcome to Soap Lake.

When Abigail agreed to move to Soap Lake, Washington, for her husband’s research, she expected old-growth forests and craft beer, folksy neighbors and the world’s largest lava lamp. Instead, after her husband jets off to Poland for a research trip, she finds herself alone, in a town haunted by its own urban legends.

When a young boy runs through the desert into Abigail’s arms, her life becomes entwined with his and the questions surrounding the death of his mother, Esme. In Abigail’s search for answers, she enlists the help of a quirky cast of friends to unearth Esme’s tragic past, the town’s violent history and the secret magic locked in the lake her husband was sent there to study. But as she gets closer to the truth, her own life may be in danger, too.

A sweeping, decade-spanning mystery brimming with quirky characters and puzzle-hunt scenarios, Midnight in Soap Lake is a rich, expansive universe that readers will enter and never forget.