Item: The Other Side of Night
Rating: 3.50
Author: quirkycat

by Adam Hamdy

'A fantastic read. Mind bending, gut wrenchingly tense and one of the most original stories I’ve read in years. It was an absolute treat' – John Marrs, author of The Vacation

A New York Times Best Thriller Pick for 2022

Bestselling author Adam Hamdy returns with The Other Side of Night, an utterly unforgettable tale of love, loss and redemption.

When disgraced former police officer Harriet Kealty discovers a plea for help in the margins of a second-hand book, she sets out to unravel a mystery that quickly leads her to confront some uncomfortable ties to her own life, including her ex-lover Ben.

Following the deaths of his close friends, Ben became an adoptive father to their orphaned son Elliot. But Harriet suspects that Ben knows more about these deaths than he’s willing to say . . .

What starts as a simple investigation becomes something entirely different in this moving story that will open hearts and minds as it answers the question: what would you do for one more moment with someone that you love?

What authors are saying:

‘A big-hearted, big-brain, novel that you'll finish in three days and think about for the rest of the year. Wonderful.’ – Stuart Turton, author of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

‘The pages almost turn themselves and when I was finished I couldn’t stop thinking about the story’s incredible twists, turns, and surprises’ – James Patterson, author of the Alex Cross and Private series

'Remarkable'– Anthony Horowitz, author of The Twist of a Knife

‘A strange, compelling, and ultimately moving head-spinner of a novel’ – John Connolly, author of The Furies

'Absolutely brilliant. I was blown away' – Manda Scott, author of the Boudica series

‘Mind-bending! This intriguing and thought-provoking thriller is a profound exploration of how far some are willing to go in the name of love. A fantastic twist you’ll never see coming’ – Liv Constantine, author of The First Shot

'A brilliant meta-thriller with huge ideas and even greater heart' – Steve Cavanagh, author of The Accomplice

'An utterly satisfying read' - Ryan Gattis

What readers are saying:

'I'm still reeling from it. Read it!' ***** – Amazon Reviewer

'It has 100% made onto my list of favourite reads of 2022' ***** – Amazon reviewer

'A 5 star read ?????….( but that’s not enough! )' – Amazon reviewer

A mind-blowing, soul-searing, totally immersive reading experience' ***** – Netgalley reviewer

'My mind is blown!!! Wow, what a twist.....' ***** – Netgalley reviewer

'Go into this book blind. I could not put this book down' ***** – Goodreads reviewer

'BRAVO!!!!! This was the best book I've read all year, bar none, hands down, no question!' ***** – Goodreads reviewer

Book Summary:

Harriet Kealty has recently had a lot of time on her hands. After an incident gone wrong, she's lost her job as a police officer, even though she believes she did nothing wrong. The evidence isn't there to back her up.

Wandering through a secondhand bookstore, she finds a novel with a handwritten note begging for help. This starts her on a trail, leading her right to David Asha, now deceased, which in turn brings her to Ben Elmys...her ex-boyfriend. It's just as awkward as it sounds.

My Review:

First, let's talk about that cover! The Other Side of Night's cover is stunning, if I may say so. As for everything inside? It's worth the read! Especially if you love your mysteries with a heaping dose of science fiction.

What do you get when you combine science fiction with a murder investigation? As it turns out, you get The Other Side of Night. I'm resisting the urge to specify what kind of science fiction novel this is because I'm worried that it will spoil the twist.

There are a lot of interesting and different elements in this novel. It takes a while before it all starts to connect and make sense. More accurately, it takes the big reveal at the end for us to have that "aha!" moment.

Not sure how I feel about this one overall. It had a different take, but there are also bits I didn't love, including how the characters sometimes treat each other. It's a bit...much. Still, I have no regrets about spending time reading it, and I can see many other readers enjoying it.

Highlights:
Science Fiction
Time Travel
Speculative Fiction
Mystery/Thriller

Trigger Warnings:
Cancer
Family Death
Stalking

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The Other Side of Night

by Adam Hamdy

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on Jan 1, 2023

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