📚 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.

_Midnight in Soap Lake_ by Matthew J. Sullivan is an atmospheric mystery read about a small town urban legend and real-life crime. It follows newly married Abigail in the present-day, who is stuck in the small town of Soap Lake after her husband is employed out of the country, as she investigates a tragedy that leaves a young boy without a mother. At the same time the reader follows Esme, a high school student who left the town after a horrific event, from the past to the present. With suspense from the cryptic TreeTop monster, who has terrified the town for years, well-developed characters, and clues throughout the book, mystery fans will appreciate this read.

It took me awhile to figure out how I was going to rate this book. Not because it wasn’t well written, it is.

Not because of the dual POV’s or alternating timelines, they were clear and each POV and timeline contributed to the story. I think the book would have lost something without them.

The ending was unexpected and to the author I say “Wow!”

It finally came down to the fact that even after I finished this book and started a new one, this one was still rolling around in my mind and to me, very few books today can offer such an experience.

Take a chance, you might just find yourself thinking about this book long after you’ve put it down too.

Midnight in Soap Lake by Matthew Sullivan is a haunting and atmospheric mystery that immerses readers in the eerie town of Soap Lake, Washington, where urban legends and unsettling history collide. Abigail, expecting a quiet life in the picturesque town while her husband conducts research, quickly finds herself entangled in a web of secrets and danger when a young boy thrusts her into a mysterious case surrounding the death of his mother, Esme.

The novel skillfully blends elements of supernatural intrigue, small-town charm, and a deep dive into the dark past of both the town and its residents. Abigail’s journey to uncover the truth about Esme's death and the strange powers of Soap Lake is filled with quirky characters, twists, and puzzles that keep the tension high and the pace relentless. The deeper Abigail digs, the more she realizes that the lake’s secrets could cost her everything.

With its richly developed setting, intriguing mystery, and complex characters, Midnight in Soap Lake offers a compelling read for fans of atmospheric thrillers and slow-burn mysteries. Sullivan expertly crafts a gripping narrative that will keep readers hooked long after the final page, offering both suspense and reflection on the consequences of uncovering hidden truths.

"Midnight in Soap Lake" by Matthew Sullivan is an intriguing story but for me felt like it doesn't quite reach its full potential. There are moments of genuine suspense and intense emotion, yet the pacing, multiple POVs and puzzle-hunt scenarios, were uneven, with certain sections dragging while others rush key developments. The characters are well developed but occasionally veer into familiar tropes, making it difficult to feel truly invested in their journeys. I was curious but I didn't burn through it, more a slow plod. The ending was anti climatic, leaving questions unanswered which is unfulfilling and doesn't make me want to recommend. Sullivan's writing is solid, with some beautiful descriptions, but the narrative lacks the spark that would make it truly memorable. Overall, it's a decent read—enjoyable enough, odd and quirky characters, but not particularly remarkable.

I loved parts of the story and other parts fell very flat. I really enjoyed the background story of Esme and Silas and Kevin. I wasn’t a fan of Eli and his work. I understand the point of his character and his work. But I found it a boring. The tree top urban legend idea was great I wish they played more into it. Honestly tho I felt this story was all over the place. The ending fell so flat as well. Not a book that I will really be talking about I’m sure.

Right of the bat this one locked me in. However it was a bit all over the place in terms of what actually was happening. While I was still wanting to know what would happen next, the ideas and premise were not consistent to keep me engaged throughout. Once you hit the end - it felt like there was no point as nothing really got resolved. I’d love to read future books from Matthew Sullivan.

Thank you NetGalley and Hanover Square Press for the arc!

When I saw this title I couldn't click request fast enough. I'm from the town next to Soap Lake and my husband is from Soap Lake.

The premise of the book was really interesting. A woman moves to Soap Lake, with her husband who is a scientist studying the lake. She find a little boy and his mother who has been killed in her car. The book is all about unraveling why the mother was killer and her back story, and how it connects to the scientist and his wife.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. There are a lot of different characters and they are all interwoven, which really is just like small-town life. I liked how the author kept most of the town as it really is, although the author note does say that it's a fictionalized version. I was fairly worried that he hadn't ever been to Soap Lake at the beginning of the book.

I really like the science that was there to explain the properties of the lake and why people flock to the shores or laying in the water all day. I'm not sure about the conspiracy side of things but it added to suspense I guess.

The ending was a bit anti-climactic and left me with a lot of questions.

The setting in this book was so intriguing to me. The story takes place in Soap Lake, Washington. This book has mystery, conspiracies, urban legends. It’s addicting and I couldn’t put it down.

The audiobook is narrated by Kristen Sieh. She does such a good job voicing the role. I felt all the emotions while listening to this story.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
This novel takes place in small town Soap Lake, Washington. The town’s lake plays a significant role in the narrative blending mystery and drama.
The characters are well-developed and the intricate dual timeline plot weaves them all together, creating a rich tapestry of life in this unique and intriguing setting.
The conclusion took me by surprise!
I highly recommend reading the author’s note - very interesting and informative.
I both read and listened to this story and felt like I grasped the complex concepts easier with the e-book.
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book wasn’t quite for me. While the writing was strong, and I found myself invested in the story, I struggled to follow it at times and often lost focus. It definitely keeps you guessing, but the heavy focus on lakes and science wasn’t to my taste and made it hard to stay engaged. That said, The tree top kills part really spooked me! I think many readers will enjoy it though.

Nope. Sorry, but if you don’t know how to end a story then don’t write the damn story. This book has two timelines and countless mysteries connecting them both. Good character development but I didn’t like any of them. Even little George didn’t escape my annoyance. Too much science, too much urban legend, too many questions unanswered. The cover art is pretty fantastic though. Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.

Wish it didn't take me so long to get to reading this book because I really enjoyed it! I saw some reviews say it was a weird read, but I am very much into "Weird." I actually thought it was a unique story and I thought it was so cool that Soap Lake actually does exist and is ecologically and culturally significant to the people who live around it as well as visitors. It's even considered to be "healing waters" with it's healing properties of alkaline water, oil and mud to the Moses-Colombia tribe. So, knowing you are reading a story based on a magical/mysterious lake that is real makes it all that more interesting!! I love a story with a mystery, and Soap Lake provided that. Abigail and her husband Eli, move to this town primarily so he can research this mysterious lake but shortly after arriving, he ends up moving away to Poland after being offered another job while Abigail stays behind. Abigail stumbles upon a crime scene and is thrust into trying to figure out what is going on-not only with the murder of the woman Esme, but also just the mysteries behind this town, lake and legends in general. The chapters read in alternate voices between Abigail and Esme and there are some great supporting characters. If you feel the book starts off slow, just keep with it because it really does end up being a good one!

“A lake with mysterious properties. A town haunted by urban legend. Two women whose lives intersect in terrifying ways. Welcome to Soap Lake, a town to rival Twin Peaks and Stephen King’s Castle Rock.”

After a world win romance, Abigail agrees to move with her new husband Eli to a tiny town called Soap Lake for Eli to work his dream job studying the mysterious lake. Before they can even get settled in, Eli ships off to Poland for a different research project. This leaves Abigail all alone in a new town with new people. Out one day for her daily walk, she finds George, 4 year old boy that runs out of the desert. After finding the car with George’s dead mother, Esme, seated in the front seat, Abigail is thrown into trying to solve the mystery of Esme’s death and the town’s creepy mascot, TreeTop.

This book is very well written in two different timelines. The author takes his time to build both timelines in such a way that you truly feel for each of the characters. The book kept me guessing the entire time and actually surprised me several times I highly recommend this book!

Ok, this one was, well, weird. And not good-fit-for-me weird, just odd and disconnected and strange to follow. I was intrigued by the blurb (Twin Peaks by way of Castle Rock? Sign me up!), but just couldn't find my way into this one no matter how hard I tried. It was a bizarre mix of oddities (TreeTop, I'm talking to you) and banalities (a female lead who basically just follows her husband around, surprised but not really shocked by everything). It made for a somewhat disjointed read that I just could not get into. This one wasn't for me...

Midnight in Soap Lake was so good. While I enjoyed the characters and the plot, it was the setting that most intrigued me. Of course I also needed to go and read about Soap Lake. And I would suggest you also fall down that rabbit hole. So while the mystery was entertaining (dark), I liked the undercurrents of our eco system, what we are doing to it. And what the powers that be will do to stop us asking questions.

When Abigail marries a scientist and moves to the small town of Soap Lake, Washington for his research on the lake, she is excited about experiencing newlywed life against the backdrop of the town’s tourist attractions. But she’s disappointed, not only because the famous “biggest lava lamp in the world” doesn’t exist, but also because her husband is offered another research opportunity in Poland and chooses to leave her alone in their new, unfamiliar town. One day, while taking a walk in the desert, Abigail becomes witness to a strange crime scene. A four-year-old boy has fled the scene of his mother’s murder; the mother was stabbed with a screwdriver and left to bleed out in her car.

The murdered woman is Esme Calderon, who grew up in Soap Lake but left town suddenly after a string of tragedies culminating in the death of her boyfriend Kevin right before the two were supposed to graduate from high school. Police assume that her death was the result of a drug deal gone wrong. The child, George, is sent to live with his Uncle Daniel, who had no idea that his sister was coming back to Soap Lake or that she had a child.

Disturbed by the crime scene and bored without her husband or a job, Abigail becomes George’s babysitter and continues looking into the details of Esme’s death herself. She gleans information about Esme and the town’s recent history from Daniel, from an attractive police officer named Abe Krunk, and from Sophia, a recovering addict who works at the local library. Sophia even accompanies her back to the site of Esme’s death, where they find further evidence. Abigail isn’t convinced by the police’s assumption that Esme was dealing drugs. In fact, after meeting Preston, the local “crazy” conspiracy theorist who also happens to be the ex-husband of another scientist who had come to town to study the lake, she comes to the conclusion that all the local mysteries are connected. It all has something to do with the lake and something to do with the creepy local legend known as Treetop.

The chapters from Abigail’s perspective alternate with chapters giving Esme’s backstory from her own perspective years earlier. Despite that backstory, the final revelations about who the real bad guys are doesn’t come until the very end. The atmospheric setting and the several unexpected twists late in the book make it well worth pushing through the slow, uninteresting start. Likewise, the lack of defining, memorable character traits in Abigail herself is easy to overlook given this book’s other redeeming qualities, including fascinating secondary characters. Well worth reading despite those minor imperfections. Interestingly enough, the town of Soap Lake is very much a real place, and the lake’s unique biome, (which seemed like the most unbelievable aspect of this story) is factual.

I really really enjoyed this book. You can tell from the get go how much effort, research and planning was involved in creating such a complex plot. The characters were never flat and the ‘thrillerness’ of it all kept me hooked. I also enjoyed how it was still able to offer important social commentary on life under capitalism/protecting the environment, without stating it outright in an artless way.
My only critique would be that if it’s important to the story, perhaps fleshing out the main characters’ identities would be a good idea. For example, we know Esme is not necessarily seen as a golden child and people are constantly judging her based off of her poverty level, but all of a sudden in the last chapters she’s described as a “brown” woman, something that if introduced earlier may help readers better understand the trials and tribulations she goes through in Soap Lake.

Really enjoyed it overall though and am highly anticipating its release!

I loved this and I hate that it took me so long to get to! I was completely captivated. And Matthew Sullivan’s writing is so refreshing and crisp.