The Other Side of Midnight by Simone St. James

An urban legend (of a young woman rumored to haunt the school) that just might be more fact than fiction and the discovery of a girl’s body made this one a book I absolutely could not put down.

So it was a no-brainer for me when a publicist reached out about participating in the book tour for Simone’s latest, The Broken Girls!īouncing between 20, The Broken Girls weaves a tale of a boarding school for wayward girls and a modern-day journalist who hasn’t moved on from her sister’s murder two decades earlier. Although my GoodReads Recommends post based on Black Rabbit Hall ( STILL one of my favorite books!) suggested Lost Among the Living, it was The Other Side of Midnight that ultimately became my introduction to her work. James had been on my radar for ages (creepy, potentially paranormal tales full of dark, Gothicy goodness!), it wasn’t until 2016 that I actually read one of her books. Genre: Historical Fiction, Gothic, Horror, Mystery But a shocking discovery during the renovations will link the loss of her sister to secrets that were meant to stay hidden in the past–and a voice that won’t be silenced. When Fiona discovers that Idlewild Hall is being restored by an anonymous benefactor, she decides to write a story about it. And though her sister’s boyfriend was tried and convicted of murder, Fiona can’t shake the suspicion that something was never right about the case. Twenty years ago, her body was found lying in the overgrown fields near the ruins of Idlewild Hall. As much as she’s tried, journalist Fiona Sheridan cannot stop revisiting the events surrounding her older sister’s death. Four roommates bond over their whispered fears, their budding friendship blossoming–until one of them mysteriously disappears. And in the small town where it’s located, there are rumors that the boarding school is haunted. There’s a place for the girls whom no one wants–the troublemakers, the illegitimate, the too smart for their own good. Source: e-ARC + finished hardback via publisher (Thank you, Berkley!)

The Other Side of Midnight by Simone St. James