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Midnight Crossroad (Midnight, Texas #1)
Charlaine Harris
Published: May 6, 2014 (Ace)
Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon
Review Source: Purchased
Reviewed by: Chelsea
Rating (out of 5): 4 stars
I was a long-time fan of the Sookie Stackhouse series. I stuck with it though all thirteen books. That’s a long series, and over the course of the series my engagement was driven by the love of the characters and the desire for plot resolution. Normal stuff.
This May, though, there wasn’t my usual Sookie release. Instead there was a new novel in a new series set in Texas, and I had to decide if I was ready to dive back in. Was I game to make the commitment? I’m so glad I decided to make the leap.
Midnight Crossroad reminded me why I fell in love with Charlaine Harris’s writing originally. As I read this novel, I felt the same connection I had when I read Dead Until Dark all those years ago.
Midnight Crossroad could probably be labeled magic realism, but for our purposes I’m going to call it paranormal mystery. Honestly, though? It’s a the story of a tiny Southern—in this case Texas—town, the people within it, and how they deal with secrets, loss, and friendship. The paranormal elements—yes, there’s a vampire—are considered matter of fact by the residents of Midnight, Texas. There’s a psychic and witch. Everyone has a reason for living in the remote, one-stop-sign town, and they all know better than to pry into others’ lives. However, when one of them is accused of murder, hard truths are exposed and the community has to become stronger because of it.
Harris has a skill for portraying the small-town dynamic in a real, honest, and engaging way. It almost made me homesick for the small town I grew up in. The characters are fleshed out, and by the end I found myself craving more of their stories. I want to unearth more of the secrets in Midnight, and you can bet I’ll be reading Midnight Crossroad‘s sequel next May.
Sexual content: References to sex
I’m glad you reviewed this. I’ve been back and forth as well as to whether or not I wanted to read Midnight Crossroads. Towards the end, the Sookie series wasn’t one of my favorites but I too stuck with it. It’s nice to hear that Midnight Crossroads reminds you of Dead Until Dark. The beginning of the Sookie series was so good, it was one of the series that started me in to reading UF and PNR. I’ll have to give Midnight Crossroads a try.
I’m glad it was helpful, Amy. You’re not the only one on the fence about this one. I hope you’ll give it a go, and let me know what you think.
Glad you liked this one 😀
Sorry. I bought the complete Sookie Stackhouse series in Hardcover, but the quality of the last four and the way she chose to finish a series that had that many readers who bought that many books, puts her in my never buy again category. I may read it from the library or buy it at a yard sale, but once an author thinks so little of her readers, my money will not fund her retirement.
I read all 13 of the Sookie Stackhouse series, most more than once and loved them. In addition, I
read all of Ms. Harris’ other books. However, I did not like this new series that much. I did not find any characters to identify with like Sookie. The small town was in it and that was a plus. I will read the other books in the series, but am not enthusiastic about the next one.
I agree with BJ Cox. I will never again purchase a book written by Charlaine Harris. Her last book in the Sookie series was so poorly written I thought maybe someone just beginning to write had written it. I do believe she should just retire from writing if this is the kind of books she is publishing. Stop while you still have some fans.
@BJ & Marie – I totally get where you’re coming from. The Sookie series went on too long and I think readers weren’t the only ones who lost enthusiasm for that series.
However, I’m really glad I did try her new book. I think Charlaine needed a new world to play in and new characters to write to reinvigorate her. It’s worth the read.