After Midnight

Stranded by a raging hurricane, a group of strangers find themselves trapped at a grand antebellum mansion, now a boutique hotel. Novelist Callum Burke, known for his historical bestsellers, is among the guests, the Oleander Plantation the main stop on a research trip for his new book, while several couples from up north are in New Orleans to celebrate personal milestones.

As the hurricane batters the house and the waters rise, Callum is found hanging from an ancient oak, murdered in the same way as the notorious villain in his most popular book. Cut off from the outside world, the guests soon realize that the murderer might strike again, and everyone at the plantation could either be the next victim or the killer.

The Oleander Plantation becomes the perfect setting for a real-life locked-room mystery, where the truth is buried beneath layers of deceit, hidden motives, and suppressed desires. The tempest outside mirrors the chaos within the mansion's walls, and plot devices from Callum’s book become clues as truth and fiction collide in a deadly narrative.

©2024 Irina Shapiro (P)2024 Merlin Press LLC

Loved it

A really enjoyable listen. Who done it books are the best and with a plantation and Louisiana it is a recipe for amazement. I felt sorry for Jess because everything g went down at her place of business. I would recommend this listen and let the reader decide if private justice is suitable when the justice system fails the victims. I don’t condone murder but sadly the justice system fails the victims. The writer in this story was not a nice person and as the listener it makes you wonder if the victims would have gone to the police whose word would be believed.

Just Eh…..

I’ve really liked other books by this author, so I went into After Midnight with high expectations, but this one just didn’t land for me.
The story felt a bit muddled and overly congested, like there was a lot going on but none of it fully came together in a way that pulled me in. I had a hard time staying engaged and found my attention drifting more than once.
The narration was okay and did what it needed to do, but it couldn’t quite make up for the pacing and clarity issues in the story itself.
Not a terrible listen, just not a memorable one for me. I’d still try other books by this author, but this one didn’t hit the mark.

Great listen

Got this for free as a member deal. I liked pretty much all Irina Shapiro’s books I listened. This one was somewhat different from her historical fiction genre. Not sure why the negative reviews. Maybe they expected some gory story. It’s an interesting and well written story, there is a suspense without gore in it. It kept my attention to the end.

Story Just Didn’t Gel

This was just an “ok” book. I had a hard time keeping the characters straight. It seemed pretty drawn out and at times did not hold my attention. It wasn’t bad and I can see how some people might enjoy it.

Everyone is written a little stupid so the reader can’t solve the mystery

One of the most common phrases is “oh, why didn’t I think of this sooner.” “Why didn’t I remember to hide/lockup my gun that is stored in my desk when there is a killer on the loose?” “Why did I never look into providing backup power when I continually pride myself in offering top class service and also continually say that I learned the lessons of hurricane Katrina?” “Why did we not realize that our lawn/maintenance man is storing bags of weed in our garden shed?””Why did I not remember that I had a transistor radio until days later?” Oh why? Oh why? Oh why?