Midnight Crossroad (Midnight, Texas, #1)

by Charlaine Harris

[Quirky Cat]

Three and a half stars.

Fans of Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse series will be shocked by how different it is from her Midnight Texas series. I think those that go into one expecting something more like the other will find themselves disappointed. In fact, considering Midnight Texas released after the Sookie series, I suspect that’s the reason why the rating is lower than one would expect (especially considering it also got a TV series).
Midnight Crossroad is an interesting blend of genres; its one part mystery and one part fantasy. Some may be disappointed by the lack of heavy fantasy elements in this series. Others will be pleased about the subtlety of the mixture. It really all depends on your personal preference.



When I first started reading Midnight Crossroad I naturally assumed that Manfred was the main character. Why you ask? Mainly because it was his perspective we were seeing from. Even when the perspectives started shifting I found myself thinking he was still the main character. I think it’s because anytime we had to learn something about the town of Midnight or its people, we learned it through Manfred (being the newcomer, he was the one that had to ask questions or make new observations, allowing us to learn along with him).
Midnight is a shocking small town – something that most of us will probably have trouble imagining, let alone understanding. The residents total less than fifty in all likelihood. Even less than that are actually named characters. It seems like for a small town (can you even call it a town?) it gets pretty decent foot traffic, though I’m not sure how they’re discovered so readily.
Despite the town’s small size it sure is full of eccentricities and secrets. Manfred is a psychic, though mostly he sticks to online (fake) readings for cash, he’s also the newest member to the town. I’m not yet sure why he moved to Midnight, but I’m sure there’s a good reason for it; one that will likely prove that he fits in with the people of Midnight. As for the rest of the townspeople? We have a witch, a vampire, a special cat (I’ll let you find out why on your own), and I’m sure more. I secretly suspect one or two of the characters may be an angel-like creature, or something winged. I haven’t fully decided yet. Maybe I’ll have figured that one out by the end of the next book.
Midnight Crossroad had a pretty decent plot (it’s a mystery of sorts, as mentioned earlier), but it mostly felt like it was all building up to something else. Almost like the plot was serving the purpose of helping us get to know the town (and the extent of its secrets) before something even bigger happened. I think that feeling is actually the reason I enjoyed this book as much as I did. There was this constant sense of something over the horizon, while at the same time not causing my anxiety or dread. Just curiosity. It kept me reading right up until the end, and makes me grateful I can just go ahead and other the next book now, rather than waiting.


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