Midnight in a Perfect World

By: Ambrose Ibsen

Narrated by: Joe Hempel

Length: 8 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

A mysterious suicide. Horrific specters walking the streets. A drug that promises to change the world. An apocalyptic cult.

Something is stirring in the city of Duluth, Minnesota. Ever since a celebrated researcher announced the creation of a new experimental drug - a drug with the potential to cure the mind of countless ills - people have been disappearing. When a grad student involved with the drug's development unexpectedly commits suicide, a private detective is tasked with unearthing the details of her tumultuous final days.

This miracle drug may not be what it seems. Others touched by the drug begin to see things - horrible things - and find themselves transported into a nightmarish world where an ancient evil stirs.

Those who taste the drug are left spiraling into horror. Dark figures tail them on the street, and the scenery of their nightmares begins to encroach upon waking life, blurring the lines between dreams and reality. Their terrifying experiences make up the individual fragments of a dire mosaic. As the pieces fall into place, they come to realize the unspeakable horrors that await all of mankind.

Midnight is looming, and the sun may never rise again over the city of Duluth.

©2018 Ambrose Ibsen (P)2018 Ambrose Ibsen

The ending :l

I liked the story until the last part..
I may have missed something but I replayed the last 5-10 chapters and... Almost sad face

Have to be into it to be into it..

Brutal, weird, tough, gruesome, odd, abstract, intense, and not without merit.

Certainly not the "feel good book of the year" this is more of a Lovecraft-esque offering than anything else.

Approach with care. It is well done to be sure, just not my ideal.

I was provided this book by the author in exchange for this independent review.

Amazingly Creepy!

*I was graciously provided an Audible code for this book, to be honestly reviewed*

This had all the factors to shape up to a great story, and I think the author and narrator really pulled it off! I loved some characters, hated others, and loved to hate yet more. Their different thoughts about the going were amazing, and I was really pulled in. I sat on the edge of my seat, getting killed in my game, because I got so focused on the story I was being read that I completely forgot to defend myself LOL. Great book, I can't wait to find out what happens next!

I'm quickly becoming an Ambrose Ibsen fangirl.

Bob says: 5 Platypires

Midnight in a Perfect World

Doctors scare the crap out of me... well, pharmacists and chemists. Anyway, this was a pretty straightforward horror show. It didn't expand my mind or break new ground in the genre in my opinion, but it was a fun book with the dirty, bloody, gruesome bits peppered in there for good measure. I thought the background and foreground bouncing between chapters helped the story along. And I do love a not-happy ending.

This book was given to me for free at my request for my voluntary and unbiased review.

Chilling listen

Chilling story with great characters. Ambrose Ibsen and Joe Hempel always make for a great pair, their writing Ang narration styles pair perfectly. I received a free review copy of this audiobook at my request and I have voluntarily left this review.

Midnight in a perfect blend of author and narrator

Ambrose Ibsen is a master of the terrifying and creepy. If H.P. Lovecraft were here today the two of them could collaborate on the greatest works of horror our world would ever know. Add to that a narrator with the range and ability to convey that terror from your ears to your soul and you have midnight in a perfect world. For this who have seen silent hill you will have a better way of adding the imagery to your minds eye. The veil between two worlds and the god hand is weakening, he is almost free, a new drug has hit the streets and it is breaking through the veil that blinds the mind and is blending the worlds faster and faster. To what end? Find out at midnight. I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

Midnight in a Perfect World

The book was okay. I liked the middle of the book the best. Another enjoyable performance from one of my favorite narrators. I received this audio book for free from Audiobook Boom for my unbiased review.

Wasn't really impressed.

Seems like a Cthulu wannabe. Also, there were some unanswered questions. It seems to me that someone went to a lot of trouble to throw a god-like being into a hole. I'd bet they'd be wanting to keep him there, regardless of how they felt about Humanity. I certainly would and thus the story misses a great opportunity for actual conflict.

The main human antagonist was pretty much like an after thought. Also, this "Godhead" thing while not only coming across with its one-line- one-trick gimmick was definitely a poor man's Cthulu. Also, the creature and his toadies came across in my mind like something ripped from a Samurai Jack cartoon. As a result of these deficiencies the whole story was pretty much toothless. There were some good moments, to be sure, but much of it felt like he'd watched a bad horror movie one night and thought he could top it.

On the whole, while I respect the fact that the Mr. Ibsen has most certainly published more than I have. I'd never have tried to publish this, not unless I was coming to my publisher shame faced and hat in hand. I certainly hope he does a sequel and uses the opportunity to correct this half-hearted effort.

To be sure, I mostly enjoyed Hempels narration, and I hate to add further criticism, but he did seem to have trouble with simple words and couldn't seem to get away from his female voice even with male characters. Like Tommy.

Really Good Ideas

There are really good ideas here, primarily that of a pharmaceutical doorway into an alternate dimension (which is Hell). The book is firmly in the horror genre, with elements of science fiction and detective. The story plays out through the points of view of many characters, each with a vested interest in the drug, either to produce it in order to open the gateway for the "godhead," a gigantic Lovecraftian deity who is building a stairway to our world using the bodies of human beings who have "come to him," or to oppose that plan. Joe Hempel gives an excellent reading, making clear distinctions between characters, and evoking the lush prose without sounding affected. I liked the book for the ideas. There were a couple of surprises, where I thought a thread would lead and it went off in a totally surprising direction. The writing is really good too. You really root for the good guys towards the end, but remember, the book is horror, not fantasy, and no matter how much you want the good guys to win, the overall results are bleak.

Not too sure on this story

OK so I normally LOVE every single word these two give me. The deep and crazy story of Ambrose Ibsen to the deep and masculine voice of Joe Hempel. So while Mr. Hempel excelled, the story didn't so much. I felt like is was everywhere. It's so different from all the other books he's written... and I've loved. I don't know what it was... it had possibilities but the story fell short for me. There was some interesting areas in the story and that's what gave the story a 3 star. Joe Hempel made this audiobook for me. It was hard to follow along with the time line but with Mr. Hempel having that deep voice, it helped. He did freak me out a bit when he started changing his voice to some creepy parts... at least, I think that was him. It was freaky... and again, Mr. Hempel saved this book for me!