Though I usually read a lot of romance/fantasy books, I do pick up thrillers from time to time especially if they're written by Ashley Winstead! I've been a fan of hers since I read her debut - In My Dreams I Hold A Knife in '21 and I loved her writing. All of her books are amazing - both the romcoms & the thrillers!
So, I was quite excited to read the ARC of Midnight Is The Darkest Hour(out on 10/3) which is a southern gothic thriller set in a Louisiana small town dominated by Christian fundamentalism. We follow Ruth Cornier, a librarian who has lived in Bottom Springs her whole life but never fit in despite being the preacher's daughter. Though she's been the quintessential good girl, she seems to be the odd one out, while her father is revered by everyone. He rules the whole town along with the other church elders and the only thing that scares the townsfolk more than god would probably be the myth of the Low Man. And if Ruth's father is the town's beloved then the opposite is the drunkard Mr. Duncan and his son Everett. An unexpected event during her teens brings Ruth and Everett together that sparks an unlikely friendship between two outcasts. But years later when a skull is found in the swamp, Ruth and Everett might have to face their past again and digging through everything brings up more secrets to the surface that could throw the whole town into upheaval.
I loved everything from the characters to the eerie atmosphere and mystery in this one! We have such flawed characters with questionable morals that undergo so much character development, especially Ruth - as she breaks free from the rules that have been caging her. But at the same time we do notice that though Ruth follows the rules, she has always broken them when she needs to - especially when it came to Everett. Ever might be her opposite in some ways, but they're also cut from the same cloth with their shared love of literature and families that they love and hate at the same time. And what has always remained the same between them is the bond that they share and that was really beautiful! I loved how they had each other's backs through everything and the lengths that they were willing to go for each other.
One of Ruth's obsessions is the book Twilight and there are quite a few references to it which I enjoyed, as I had also discovered Twilight during my teens. But what's different is the way the book played a pivotal role in her life and if you look deeper you can see that this isn't just about her romanticizing the text but also represents her desire to break free from everything that's been holding her back. It's her escape portal and perhaps what she desires more than a love like Bella and Edward's, is the power that one could possess through the transformation.
Another aspect of this book that had me thinking about a lot of things was religion and how it influences each and every sphere of life. Ashley is a talented writer and she explores so many things in this book from religion to its influence on women and how morality varies from person to person.
Honestly, this book was unputdownable and had me turning the pages wanting to know what would happen next. I had guessed some of the twists correctly(that always makes me happy lol) but many other surprises were still waiting for me and that was really exciting! The only thing that might create mixed feelings is probably the ending which was totally unexpected. And this is very uncharacteristic of me to say this but I personally think that this ending suits the book and the characters(though others may feel differently). The author's note after that also gives a lot more insights and I loved every bit of it!
Anyway, I should probably stop gushing about this one now but you'll surely love this one too if you've read this author's books before. And if you haven't read them you can give them a try as her writing is amazing - either the thrillers or the romcoms - depending on what you're in the mood for!❣️✨
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