Anna Romer has firmly planted herself as one of my favourites and her books just keep getting better.
Under the Midnight Sky is the latest release and it captivated me from the first page to the last; it drew me back time and time again so that I was sneaking in single chapters at every opportunity, reading long after I should have been doing something else and finished in 24hrs.
Once again Romer has captured the atmosphere of her setting and turned an old house into a gothic character in her novel. A building that houses deep secrets and has a personality all of it’s own.
I keep wanting to categorise this as an historical fiction because of the dual timelines but I’m not sure that it quite fits there. There are romantic elements but I’m not sure that I would call it a romance either. It has been reviewed for the AWW Challenge 2019 in General, Historical, Romance and Crime genres and it does fit each category. For me, the story is definitely about the mystery with the history and the romance secondary, though most definitely essential elements to the story.
Under The Midnight Sky is a story that doesn’t seem to have an overwhelming number of characters but there are quite a lot of perspectives which does take a little while to get your head around.
Abby Bardot has moved back to her small hometown of Gundara, still suffering from events that took place decades ago, and she goes for a run every morning alongside Deepwater Gorge searching for answers that will finally allow her mind to rest.
On a morning run she discovers an injured teen and runs for help, by the time she returns with the ambulance the girl is gone but it deepens Abby’s desire to have her story about the grisly history of Deepwater Gorge printed in the newspaper. A story that the editor promises to print if Abby can get an in-depth interview with the reclusive bestselling true crime author Tom Gabriel who has recently purchased a local property.
Abby turns up to Ravensong unannounced one day and discovers an injured Tom in a compromising position and negotiates her help for an interview.
Tom is an interesting character in that he has quite a colourful past, and an intriguing relationship with the press which makes him hesitant to agree to an interview. The novel he is working on is supposed to centre on the history of Deepwater Gorge but he is suffering writer’s block, he was hoping that being so close to the area would help but so far it hasn’t.
The negotiations between Tom and Abby included some cleaning up around the place and as Abby cleans she starts uncovering some of the history of the house, and the story gets ever more interesting.
Lil and Joe are a gorgeous old couple living on land outside of town, also close to Deepwater Gorge. We get to know them through chapters of their own and their role in the bigger story that is being told takes a while to become clear.
On it’s own, their story is one of an enduring love that sees two people still in love and unable to comprehend a life apart from one another after decades of marriage.
Romer has woven a compelling story with Ravensong firmly at its centre. A story that explores PTSD, small communities and the snap judgements that can be made about people of a different socio-economic background. Romer also explores families, relationships and all forms of love.
Abby wants to see the history of the area shared to warn people of the dangers but some people want to keep things out of the news because the town can’t afford to take a tourism hit.
I found Under The Midnight Sky to be a captivating read with some delicious twists. I was invested in the characters and their stories, and touched by their heartaches.
Available now from Simon & Schusterand where all good books are sold.
You can find Anna at her Website as well as on Facebook.
Thanks to Simon & Schuster 30 of our lucky Beauty and Lace Club members will be reading Under the Midnight Sky so please be aware there may be spoilers in the comments below.
I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!
Under the Midnight Sky was my first book by Anna Romer and it won’t be my last!
I read this book in one sitting and went to bed way later than I should have as I just couldn’t put it down!
There were some great twists to this book and no matter how much I guessed I was wrong every time.
I will definitely be making some room for more of Anna’s books on my bookshelf!
Thank you for the opportunity to read this amazing book!
Thankyou Beautyandlace and Simon&Schuster fot the opportunity to review ‘Under The Midnight Sky’ by Anna Romer.
Abby out for a run stumbles across an unconscious, injured young girl. She tries without success to get a mobile phone signal and ultimately has to leave her to get help.
When the ambulance arrives the girl has disappeared.
Abby is a divorced journalist whose mother deserted herself and her brother when they were really young. Her father brought them up and has only been dead for five months. They are living in Gundara a small north eastern Australian town, and Abby after a traumaticc incident when she was twelve as well as losing her friend at that age, has never got over it.
Girls have a habit of disappearing in the area and Abby is on a mission to find answers.
As a journalist she is given the task of interviewing for an article, a newly arrived author to the district, Tom, who is living in a rundown and mysterious house ‘Ravensong’.
Other interesting characters, each with their own stories will keep you hooked in this book.
‘Under The Midnight Sky’ weaves in disappearaces, murders, intrigue and a little romance.
So well written, an enthralling story and one where you think you know the answers, but find you’re wrong!
An absolutely brilliant book up there with my all time favourites. I’ve read all of Anna Romer’s novels and loved them with Beauty and Lace introducing me to Anna Romer with her first novel, Thornwood House. It is wonderful when you’ve loved an author’s work and look forward to the next novel to not be disappointed and to be enthralled from start to finish. This was the case with Under the Midnight Sky.
I don’t cope well with crime or suspense so was a tiny bit concerned in the beginning that I’d chosen a book I shouldn’t have but while this is definitely suspenseful with a definite crime theme it is so well written that even someone who avoids that genre will find themselves captivated.
There is no need for me to add any more to the story line than Michelle has, so excellently. There are stories within stories and all blend brilliantly. Nothing is forced, nothing artificial.
I loved Abby and Tom and the way their relationship developed. I loved Lil and Joe and although saddened by the twist it was so well written it was fascinating and apt.
I am indebted to Beauty and Lace ad Simon and Schuster for my copy. I’ve already thanked Anna personally and she has responded. I ended up finishing this at 5.45am after climbing out of bed at 2am because I couldn’t sleep and needed to finish the story. It is an absolutely wonderful book and will stay with the reader. I’d recommend it to everyone and love that the author is Australian.
Under the Midnight Sky by Anna Romer
On a morning run through the bush, Abby comes across an unconscious injured girl but has to leave her to find a mobile phone range spot to call for help. When she escorts the Ambos in, the girl has gone. When she contacts the police, they are not very helpful.
Abby Bardot has returned to her hometown of Gundara, NSW, which has grown to 8,000 people in the ten years she’s been away. Abby works for the local newspaper, and has a story she is itching to write about the Deepwater Gorge murders from twenty years ago. Her editor Kendra has other ideas for a great feature- she wants Abby to interview big shot Sydney writer Tom Gabriel who has just moved to the area. But he does NOT give interviews; he hates journalists. Kendra promises Abby she can write her Gorge story if she gets the dirt on Tom Gabriel.
Tom writes fictionalised accounts of true crime. His novels were mega hits, with many of them made into movies. But since his marriage bombed years ago, rumour has it he has hit the bottle and his writing has dried up. Abby has a big challenge to get Tom to consent to an interview but is spurred on by Kendra’s promise of letting her have lead story with Deepwater Gorge.
Twenty years ago, campers in a remote part of the local Gorge discovered the remains of a teenaged girl, thought to have been there for a decade. Weeks later, another body is found, a second teenage girl. A year later, a local girl goes missing and her body is found a month later. All at Deepwater Gorge. A local man is arrested and charged, and the locals breathe easy when he is locked up.
Abby needs to write this story! But that means getting an interview with Tom.
When she arrives at his place, she finds him locked out of his house and needing some assistance, so an uneasy truce is established between Abby and Tom. If she helps him out, he will give her the interview, but only if he can have final say in what she writes.
As the two of them sort out the belongings that were left in the old house Tom has just bought, they find an old diary. To Tom, this sparks the idea for a new story. To Abby, is this the lead she needs for her Deepwater Gorge murders?
The twists and turns in this story are wonderfully woven to lead the reader astray, and just when we think we know the answer, we discover yet again we are wrong.
An intriguing fantastic, satisfying book that I could not put down. Thank you to Beauty and Lace Book Club and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to discover another Australian author Anna Romer to add to my favourites.
This is the third novel I’ve read from Romer, and it’s the one I’ve enjoyed most. Her plotting is more credible, and the diary from the past (Romer often works in diaries or letters to facilitate time shifts) is better integrated than in some of her work in the past. I also found the characters a little more relatable.
Abby Bardot is a journalist in small town Gundara. She’s travelled widely, and has a notable writing talent, but childhood trauma has inescapably drawn her back home. When an injured teenage girl appears then disappears at a remote campground in nearby bushland, Abby can’t ignore the similarities to past murders in the region – including one Abby has a very personal link to.
Abby’s editor won’t print the story Abby wants to write about the murders (which struck me as strange given that a number of minor plot points turn on how sensationalist the editor is making the paper). So they strike a deal: if Abby prises an interview from reclusive novelist Tom Gabriel, she can write a story about the murders.
Tom’s reluctance is soon dissolved in the twin furnances of his attraction to Abby, and the discovery that his own house may have a link to long ago murders. But their quest for the truth may bring danger too close to home…
This was a really enjoyable novel. The relationship between Tom and Abby rang very true, as did their separate past traumas and how they carried forward to affect this new relationship. Both were easy to empathise with and like. And while their pasts may be a little more extreme than most people’s, I think many readers will find their challenges in moving on very recognisable.
Although Tom and Abby are the prime characters, other characters in the novel are also well drawn and believable. This includes characters seen only through diary entries, who nevertheless come to life.
The mystery element of this plot is really clever. It unwinds in a way that is completely credible, and yet very unexpected. Romer has woven the two time strands together in a way that misleads the reader even while leading them closer to the truth. Few readers are likely to work out the truth themselves.
This is an excellent novel that will appeal particularly to those who enjoy well written and credible crime novels that are not too graphic.
Thankyou to Simon &Schuster and Beauty and Lace for the opportunity to read Under the Midnight Sky by Anna Romer.
Once you start this book you can’t put it down, an excellent read.
Abby Bardot is a journalist for a local paper in a small rural town. It is the town she grew up in, left and has now returned to. The town is on the edge of Deepwater Gorge Reserve.
While jogging Abby discovers an unconscious teenage girl. With no phone reception in the area Abby leaves the girl to go and call for help. When Abby and the ambulance return the girl has disappeared.
It reminds Abby of the past…..20 years ago 3 teenage girls went missing and 10 years later their bodies were found. Abby fears the killer is still on the loose. She wants to write a story on the murders, but the Newspaper fears it will scare off tourists, which the town relies on.
Abby is bribed by her editor. If she can gain an interview with Tom Gabriel, a reclusive successful crime writer who has recently moved to the area, she can then write her story on the murders.
Abby approaches Tom when he is injured and vulnerable. Surprisingly he agrees to the interview in exchange for some unpacking help.
Toms home, Ravensong is on the edge of Deepwater Gorge. While exploring the house a secret room is found. A page from a diary written in 1949 is also found.
The book is told in 2 timelines .The present with Abby and Tom working to find the missing teenager, while solving mysteries from the past. The past is explained by the diary of another missing girl.
Lots of twists and turns in this suspenseful thriller. A great read.
Another winner by Anna Romer. Abby stumbles upon an unconscious young teenager while out running, but the girl disappears while Abby is finding help.
Abby is tasked with interviewing Tom Gabriel, a reclusive author. With help from Tom, Abby discovers a mystery diary and they chase answers to the disappearance of two young girls over fifty years earlier.
Abby is convinced there is still a chance of finding the answers to past bushland murders and the current missing teenager alive.
This story is interwoven between three time frames and kept me turning the pages long after midnight.
I loved it.
Thanks to Beauty and Lace and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read this latest offering from Anna Romer.
When Abby goes looking for answers to what happened to the girls that have gone missing over the years little does she know how caught up in it all she will be.
Abby is journalist and wants to write a a story for the local newspaper about the murders but her editor doesn’t want to scare of potential tourists to the area.
Tom Gabriel a reclusive crime writer has moved to the area and doesn’t do interviews but the editor has sent Abby off to get an interview.
While at Tom’s house Abby does some exploring and finds a hidden room. In the room are remnants or a dark past. Together Abby and Tom form a friendship on their search for more information about the murders and missing girls.
This story as with many stories now have a time travel element to them which is how you discover bits from the past and how they fit in to the here and now.
It also gives you different insights into why certain things are happening in the story.
Be prepared to be surprised. I ‘knew’ so many times who was the killer but I was wrong every single time.
Carefully disguising the killer until the end makes this book so intriguing and makes it hard to put down.
A cleverly woven story that will keep you guessing until the very end.
Anna’s books seem to have a bit of a sinister, darker more mystical feel to them.
Thank you Beauty and Lace and Simon and Schuster for this wonderful read.
Another brilliant author I have discovered through the Beauty and Lace Book Club.
This was my first time reading bestselling author Anna Romer and her latest “Under the Midnight Sky” captured me from the moment I saw the beautiful cover. The cover made me want to know more and once I saw the storyline I was hooked.
I read this book very quickly as it was easy to read, well written and you did not want to put it down.
A teenage girl goes missing in a remote area campground and no one seems to be worried except for Abby Bardot a local journalist. The girl bears a resemblance to the victims of three brutal murders that occurred over twenty years before and Abby fears the killer is still on the loose.
Abby is keen to write the story and to investigate her concerns for the local newspaper but they would prefer to supress the story as the town is already suffering bad publicity. Deepwater Gorge Reserve once was full of campers and hikers from all over the country but after the murders the tourists stopped coming. Her boss agrees to let her write the story if she meets and interviews recluse crime writer Tom Gabriel for the newspaper so Abby reluctantly agrees.
After not meeting under the best of circumstances Abby and Tom start to work together and they discover a hidden attic in Ravensong, the house Tom had recently purchased and been renovating. The attic room shows signs of imprisonment from half a century before. Could it be linked to the bushland murders and the missing girl? Will they find her in time?
These questions kept me reading away until I finished, I carried my book around and was reading whenever I got a moment. There were enough plot twists that had me constantly reassessing who was involved.
The story was told from both the present and flashbacks including the diary of one of the missing girls. I also felt like the house had a story to tell, especially when the hidden attic room was found. They all came vividly to life in this thrilling novel – the characters, the house and the vastness and isolation of Deepwater Gorge.
Highly recommend this novel from Anna Romer. Thank you to Beauty and Lace, Anna Romer and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read and review this novel.
Under the Midnight Sky by Anna Romer is another brilliant story from this author.
Journalist Abby finds an injured girl in a local park, but by the time she has found mobile reception to call the ambulance, the girl has disappeared.
Over the last 20 years several girls have disappeared, and Abby wants to write a feature for the paper, but her boss wants her to interview Tom Gabriel, a reclusive crime writer, who has recently moved to the area.
The story develops around Abby and Tom, including discovery of an old diary in Tom’s house, relating to events 20 years ago, and the connection to the current disappearance.
This is a book you cannot put down, plenty of twists in the story, suspense, the characters are well written. A great read.
Thank you to Beauty and Lace, and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read this book