Midnight in Soap Lake is the story of a troubled, desert, small town in Washington that is famous for the lake with strange properties/magical healing powers. Told through intertwined timelines, this story has a complex multilayered plot, with an eerie mysterious atmospheric feel, and some interesting, eccentric characters who all have secretive pasts. It has a good blend of elements of mystery, sci-fi, family drama, true crime, paranormal, urban legend/folklore and conspiracy theory.

I definitely enjoyed this even more than I originally thought I would. The author did a great job giving a vivid description of the town and lake and developing a balance of well rounded characters. The plot was mysterious, suspenseful, and intriguing and kept me hooked the entire story. However, the ending was abrupt and I felt like a few things weren’t ever wrapped up, leaving it to your interpretation/imagination or maybe leaving it open for a sequel.

This was my first audiobook narrated by Kristen Sieh. Her tone and voice were perfect for this mix of genres, differentiating the multiple eccentric characters, and setting the eerie, mysterious, atmospheric vibes. She definitely helped bring the story and characters to life and delivered a flawless performance from start to finish.

Thank you @htpbooks, @htp_hive, @harlequinaudio, @hanoversquare, and @netgalley for the #gifted ARC & ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.5 stars

This book was so intriguing! It's chalk full of mysteries, creepy urban legends, science fiction elements, and general small town everyone-is-in-your-business. It got a little science-heavy at times, which honestly went right over my head and I glossed over, but otherwise I couldn't get enough. Full of quirky characters and written in dual POV and multiple timelines, I was captivated.

All that being said, I was left completely confused by the ending. It's left very open ended with nothing really resolved and that doesn't work for me. I'm very much a wrap it all up in a bow kind of gal, I don't like being left with questions in a mystery/thriller so that lowered the rating.

Kristen Sieh was a fantastic narrator for this book!

Thank you Harlequin Audio and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the gifted audiobook and book.

Midnight in Soap Lake by Matthew J Sullivan fell flat for me, unfortunately. The first couple chapters were intriguing, grabbed my attention, and made me want to continue reading. But quickly thereafter the pacing changed, and I found myself thinking about everything around me rather than the story before me. I never connected to the characters or believed the events. I kept wondering where it was all going, and whether it mattered.

Thank you @netgalley for my #gifted book.

I really enjoyed this murder mystery set in a real small town in Washington. I have never been to Soap Lake but I have heard about it. It is in a somewhat remote area of the state, but it really sounds like a lovely place to visit.

Kristen Sieh does an excellent job narrating this murder mystery. She is able to capture both narrators voices and make them sound like different individuals. She also does a nice job with the emotions of each characters. She certainly brought this story to life and made it a wonderful listening experience.

The story is told by two women in two different time periods. The first is Abigail, who is the woman who finds the body in the present. I really liked Abigail and really appreciated her strength and her growth as a person in this story. The other part of the story is told from Esme’s point of view and starts back when she was a young girl and comes up to the present and to her death. It was very interesting seeing her grow up and the significance of the events in her life and how they shaped her. She not only had a rough life growing up in a small town, but she had many tragedies in her short life.

The author does a great job of capturing small town life and I loved all of the quirky people that populate this story. There were lots of suspects in this story and lots of people that both woman befriend. I loved the recovering addict that Abigail becomes friends with, I think her name is Sophie, who was also struggling with finding her place in the world. Esme brother was also a character that stood out to me as well done and someone I really felt for.

When most people think of Washington state they think that it is all green and rainy and pretty much looks like Seattle. That is only a very small part of the state. Once you get past the mountains into Eastern Washington you are in high desert territory where it it hot and dry in the summer and cold and dry in the winter. Not the most hospitable place to grow apples, but somehow they do. The author did an excellent job of conveying what it is like to live and work in this part of the world. I could feel the dry heat and how tired and irritable it made everyone. This setting also played into the story as the real life Soap Lake was an important part of the murder and the mystery surrounding it. I learned alot about Soap Lake and what makes it so special, but all of this information was sprinkled throughout the story so it was never boring.

There is a bit of creepiness built into this story in the form of the local legend of Treetop. He is a sort of boogeyman that parents use to scare their kids and is sort of the town’s mascot. His presence in the story felt supernatural at the start of the story, but the real life story behind this legend is scarier than anyone realizes. I really liked how the author wove this aspect of the mystery together.

The writing was wonderfully descriptive, the characters and dialogue well done. The pacing was pretty steady throughout and only got a little bogged down in the middle. The ending and the big reveal of what was really going on was a bit mind boggling and was even more convoluted than I had imagined.

A well done small town mystery with a dash of creepiness that I highly recommend.

The story itself was fair but not memorable nor captivating. At best, the mystery and suspense kept me afloat to the finish. This review will mainly focus on narration.

This is my first time listening to Kristen Sieh narrate and it’s fitting for the genre and overall tone of this book. Her voice was audibly clear and I had no trouble with comprehension on higher speeds. I did find it hard to differentiate between characters and had to hit rewind on several occasions or fall back on the e-ARC.

Had the audiobook included music or sound effects, it could have been a game changer and perhaps hold my attention longer. Kristen’s deep voice has a lulling effect that could easily fool my brain for a sleep story; I did nod off a couple times and had to repeat chapters often.

With multiple attempts with the audio I still managed to make it through regardless. It garnered a three because the quality wasn’t terrible. It just didn’t sweep me away entirely.

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/audiobook 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.

I wanted to listen to this book because I lived in WA. I liked the book but I think it was just not the right time for me to listen to it. I felt it was a little drawn out. The narrator was terrific! Thanks to NetGalley for the audio book.

This one had me til the end. I was charmed by the setting, the eerie mood, the "monster,' and the main characters, both of whom were understated and believable. The story took a little while to gain momentum, but once it did, I was loath to press pause. However, the last 20 or so minutes of this audiobook were deeply confusing. At first, I assumed that I just hadn't been paying close enough attention, but relistening didn't really clear up any of the questions I had about the resolution. It's a shame, by the time certain details came to light, I was really on the edge of my seat, but he didn't quite stick the landing for me.
That much said, I still found elements of this text to be haunting, and my brain was still in Soap Lake for a few days after reading.
Kristen Sieh did a wonderful job with the narration.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in advance of its publication.

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.

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.

I really enjoyed this book. Two timelines and points of view. A phenomenal story with a decades old mystery thrown in. Then add in the setting of a very real historical town and lake. Really enjoyed listening to this one. I think I finished it within two days. The narrator was great. The book itself was well written and interesting. Definitely some surprises at the end I wasn’t really expecting. I loved the characters of Esme and Abigail.

The parts of this story I found most fascinating were the true parts of the biology of Soap Lake and what it means to study lakes. The mystery was fairly good, the mythology of the monster interesting, but it just had a lot going on. Too much, and too big of a conspiracy, and too many angles not fleshed out enough. The characters were not very compelling to me, and I struggled to care about many of them. Still, I was invested in the getting to the bottom of all the violence and terror inflicted on this town, and the end was satisfying. I immediately looked up info on the real Soap Lake, and that part will stay with me because I learned from it.

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.