Book Review: The Midnight Call

This morning I am going to try to suck it up, give my anxiety the finger, and try to go to a play group with Penelope and Lucy. It's an hour and a half long but honestly, I need to get these kids doing something because just hanging around the house pretty much sucks. That and Lucy said the most heartbreaking thing EVER. Olivia was talking about seeing her friend and Lucy says, "We have no friends" motioning between her and Penelope.

You guys.

I felt terrible. So I'm going to try really hard to embrace my anxiety and just go to the dang play group. It's at a public park and I'm pretty sure there's a place I can sit (knowing I really can't stand the entire time) and it'll be fine. I can do this. I think.

Anyways- let's do a book review. Also, if you read any of the books I review- let me know. I really want to know what you think about the book, too!

The Midnight Call - Jode Millman

Could you ever suspect that your mentor was a cold-blooded killer? 

Attorney Jessie Martin couldn’t– at least not until she answers the midnight call. 

Late one August night, her mentor/confidante and popular high school teacher Terrence Butterfield calls, admits he’s killed someone and pleads for Jessie’s help. Out of loyalty, she rushes to his aid, unaware that she’s risking her love, her career, her life and that of her unborn child. 

When the police arrive, her presence raises questions as to her role in the gruesome slaughter of the teenage boy found in Terrence’s basement. Did Terrence call her as a lawyer or a friend? Was she somehow responsible for the murder? 

To dismiss the murder charges Terrence betrays Jessie, making her wonder whether he’d been a monster in disguise all along.

To prove her innocence, Jessie must untangle the web of betrayals and the shocking truths behind the homicide. This quest turns out to be the fight of her life. 

If you are a fan of legal thrillers, this is going to be right up your alley. Is it cream of the crop legal thriller? No, but there's enough talent here that I think this author is moving in the right direction and gaining traction to really get going. I will say that the legal aspect of this book is so well done because the author is an attorney herself and you can really tell she pulled a lot of that expertise into this book. It feels kind of like an episode of Law & Order, but the second half where it's the D.A. trying to piece together a case.

So the book starts with a fairly brutally murdered boy in the basement of Terrence, who is a close friend of Jessie. The details are murky, at best, by Terrence is sure that he did it (you'll find out why it wasn't a concrete yes or no). The characters all kind of know, or know of, each other so that kind of makes this an interesting whodunit story where nothing is really as it seems and you look at people you know differently. How well can you really know a person?

I'm giving this one a solid 3. I really liked how fast of a read this was, the conclusion was kind of out there enough that I don't think I really saw it coming. I'm knocking points off because the love triangle aspect was a little strange for me because Jessie is really pretty pregnant. That's not to say a pregnant woman can't have a banging sex life and find the love of her life, I'm just saying it's a trope you don't often see in a book, at least I can't think of one off the top of my head. Also, this would probably make for a cool Lifetime movie you know you'll binge on a lazy weekend. I will say the very last line of this book automatically sets it up for a sequel, and I'm not sure that it's needed? But dammit if I'll say no because you know I'm a sucker for a series and I can't stop myself. Ha!

   

I received an advanced copy of this, special thanks to Meryl Moss Media, but all thoughts and opinions are my own. This post does contain affiliate links and that helps this blog keep going, thank you for supporting it! I'm excited to see what you think of this one, too- let me know!