Nothing Good Happens After Midnight

by Jeffery Deaver, Heather Graham, and John Lescroart

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

Nothing Good Happens After Midnight is an anthology of thirteen stories where events occur after midnight. All the authors who collaborated on this anthology, except for one, were new to me. I found a few of the stories likeable, but some not so much. When I first saw the title, I thought it would be an anthology of horror stories, but they turned out to be tales of suspense, some of which had interesting psychological twists and some humorous moments.

The focus of my review will be on the stories I enjoyed the most. So here goes:

In 12:01 am by Alan Jacobson, the reader met Karen Vail, an FBI agent on the trail of a copycat killer. The story delivered a fast-paced and gripping read. It had me on the edge of my seat as the characters raced against time to catch the kidnapper and save his victim before it is too late. Will something good happen after Midnight?

Cellphone Intolerant by Kevin O’Brien tells the story of Ed McKinnon. One day while shopping he observed the unhealthy behaviour of owners of mobile users. Angered by their actions, he came up with a plan, hoping to end it all. Will he succeed? Well, let’s just say I for one am glad that I do not live in Ed’s world, nor do I have an unhealthy relationship with my mobile device. I guess plans made after Midnight is not conducive to one’s physical being.

In All Aboard Hank Phillipi Ryan delivered a psychological thriller featuring a Public Relations expert who overheard a sinister plot, while travelling on a train and gets involved. An interesting tale of turning the tables on someone when they least expect it.

Night Shift by Linwood Barclay of a reporter and his editor, who while working the graveyard shift received a phone call from someone threatening to carry out a mass shooting. Interesting tale with a doozy of a twist at the end.

Midnight in the Garden of Death by Heather Graham delivered a chilling tale of teenagers who had a sleepover in a cemetery past the Midnight hour. Well, let’s just say things did not go as planned.

The Sixth Decoy by Paul Kemprecos featured Aristotle Socarides a former marine and police officer turned private investigator. A suspicious and rather strange individual hired him to find a bird sculpture.

In Creative Defense Jeffery Deaver treated the reader to a creepy tale of a young lawyer driven insane after attending a classical concert and an unusual murder.

Tonic by D.P Lyle proved to be a strange but interesting tale of two cousins who made a living by a weird and gruesome means. This story had me thinking about the stuff we put in our bodies in order to achieve optimum health. How well, all I will say is what the eye doesn’t see, the heart doesn’t grieve over.

The stories are perfect for fans of the suspense and thriller genre who do not have the time to commit to a longer read. Each story delivered sufficient entertainment, leaving me wanting more from these authors. I will definitely look at other stories they penned.This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading