The Other Side of Midnight

I have read all of St. James' books, and she has gotten better with every book. In this one, her ghostly, supernatural story lines are in an ideal plot involving competing psychics, murders, spies, and lost loves. The main character, EllieWinter, finds herself pulled out of her quiet. Happy life of being a finder of lost things when a stranger presses her to become a finder of a lost soul. That should being a former close friend who Ellie blames for destroying her mother's career as a psychic. But she cannot deny her own need to find out what happened to the friend who was once so close to her. The background of war-devasted families, battle-scarred men, and grieving young women in post WW1 England rings true, as does the huge surge of interest in psychic contact with the dead. I've read several'othermseries of books set in this period and St. James really brings out how the forced gaiety hid so much trauma. There are several. Really well written passages about supernatural visions, but the main plot is a solid who-done-it. There's a good cop, an old adversary who becomes an ally, and interesting second tier characters who are well drawn and interesting in themselves. This can be read as a free standing book, as none of st. Jamesbooks keep the same characters. (Only one had even a tiny bit of overlap in plot with an earlier book.) but with Ellie Winter I think that St. James could develop a very intriguing series, and hope she will.

I was looking for. Anew author to fall in love with. Well I find Ms Simone and I can’t stop reading all her books. I may even email her (somethingi never do). I love this character and Ellie winters. Thanks for these amazing books!!

This one is well researched about mediums and seances that were so very popular in England after WW 1 (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle--not mentioned in this book--was very into this scene). I liked Ellie, a true medium who could find lost things and refused to contact the dead, although she could. I found her delightful and resourceful and spunky. The murder mystery about who killed the brilliant psychic Gloria, was well contrived. Great drawing of that post war time, the clothes, the parties, etc The hunk with the broadest shoulders and bluest eyes, James (shell (shell shocked, of course) does not disappoint, nor fall in a pool of his own blood (as happen to other St. James' hunks), and they live happily ever after. Tid Bit: "I want to go to your flat." I told him. "I have something to show you."He smiled ........."Interesting. I think that's my line.""What?? Oh!" My cheeks flushed ......."I don't mean that.....I mean....""I know" he said......I've waited this long, I can wait a little longer."

The setting of The Other Side Of Midnight is London, 1925.There are elements of romance, suspense and the supernatural in this haunting gothic-like stand alone.Psychics, seances and spirits were commonplace since the sufferings of WWI were still fresh.The desire to reach those beyond could be intense.A medium called Gloria Sutter is murdered.A message from Gloria surfaces requesting the help of her former friend and rival, Ellie Winter.Ellie, who at present, simply finds lost items, must now honor Gloria's request.The story intensifies as Ellie fearfully accepting her ability to see the dead and James Hawley, a damaged war verteran "who can't forget his experiences and his fallen comrades from the war" join forces.They face their personal demons courageously as they pursue Gloria's murderer.Simone St James' plot is, as usual, well crafted with attention to the details of her characters.A good read.

What beautiful writing. The conversations between the characters made me feel like I was in the room with them. Generally, I don't choose to read a suspense novel, but the reviews were great and I'm so glad I dipped my toe in this water. Ellie is a sympathetic h, having supported her psychic mother for most of her life, lonely and unable to really connect with the outside world. James is exactly the right kind of man for her, a wounded H trying to make his way back to the land of the living. Both are individuals who have led lives that were deeply affected by death, Ellie as a psychic medium who has the ability to see the dead and James who can't forget his experiences and his fallen comrades from the war. The story line is riveting and it takes a while for the reader to untangle the who done it part of the plot. Throughout the reading I felt strongly that even though both h and H are wounded by their experiences, you get the feeling that together they will go on to lead lives that are filled with light and hope once again. I am now combing Simone's back list to read more of her work; hope it's as good as this novel is at making me keep turning those pages.

Another winner knocked out of the ballpark by Ms. St. James. I have read all 4 of her books voraciously. As always, historically they are believable. The plotlines are twisty and dark, a delightful slow burn that descends into a thrill ride. The Other Side of Midnight, like the last 3, does not disappoint. What St. James really exceeds in, is a visceral, doomed love story that shines slightly towards the end with a ray of hope. There is no neat-fitted cap of a happy ending for her lovers, but that makes it all the more happy for the reader when that glimmer of hope does shine. James and Ellie's carefully deconstructed estrangement is a wonderful read. AND - for fans of An Inquiry of Love and Death, we get a guest appearance of Inspector Drew Merriken, who is, in my opinion, one of the sexiest men ever written. In summary, the mystery is well crafted and spooky, the history fascinating and realistically evoked and St. James always glows in the romance department.

I loved this book at first. The heroine was interesting, realistic and likeable. The male lead was also fantastic. The mystery, with a dash of paranormal woven through, got me gripped. I really enjoyed the return of Drew Merriken, the inspector from An Inquiry into Love and Death too. I thought this title would topple my favourite Silence for the Dead.But for some reason, when I finished the book, I wasn't completely satisfied, and you know what? I can't quite figure out why. I can't put a fault on any of the characters, so I think I'll point the finger at the plot resolution. I can't say it was predictable (though some of it is) but rather...lukewarm, in a "oh, was that it?" way.Still, for the colourful portrayal of engaging characters, and the flawless pace of the story, I could not rate this less than 4 stars. It's a 4.5 from me.

An author new to me, I will be searching for her other books. The plot was so engrossing that I ignored all the chores and read the book in two goes, stopping only when the dog had to be walked. The descriptions were fluid and one could actually see and sense the various places and conditions the heroine encountered; the style moved smoothly with times when one could feel the fear or relief of the characters. But what I liked most was the period detail; the language and manners displayed were spot on, something that is rare in many period based novels. The author deserves full credit for the massive amount of research she must have done. In all, one of the best novels I have read this year- and I read a lot.!It was so enjoyable that I am suffering withdrawal pains after finishing it.

I found this to be a very well written, evocative read...but the ending was so anticlimactic and disappointing that I felt cheated. The interrogation room scene was so lacking that it made me feel I'd wasted my time reading the whole book. So overall it was a letdown.

In the years after the War to End All Wars, a bright young English woman with psychic powers is persuaded to investigate the death of a medium and former friend. With admirable twists and turns, St. James sets her endearing main character Ellie Winter on a path to truth (and love!) as witnesses die or disappear. The Other Side of Midnight is great historical mystery for crime fans who like magical realism and a fair bit of romance.

Loved this book, as I have all other Simone St. James books. So far, her books have all been set in England, early 1900s. Her description of the murky skies and cold dampness add to the foreboding, dismal and melancholy mood that the main character faces. As I near the end of each of her books, I find myself reading a little less at a time because I really don’t want them to end.