The neighborhood where Ethan Marsh and his friend, Billy Barringer, grew up was aptly named. Hemlock Circle, a dead end cul-de-sac, is adjacent to a leafy forest. But the relationships between the adults and children who live there are every bit as poisonous as the hemlock plant.
When they were ten, Ethan and Billy planned to camp out in a small tent in the Marsh’s backyard. Mrs. Barringer was reluctant to allow the sleepover. There were reports of a stranger in camouflage clothing prowling around the area. What if he intended to harm one of the boys? After Mrs. Marsh assured her that the boys would be safe, she relented.
The next morning Ethan woke up and noticed a large tear in the side of the tent. Not only that – Billy was missing. When a search of both homes failed to find Billy, the police were called. Ethan was questioned, as well as everyone who lived on Hemlock Circle. No one saw anything and Ethan told the police he was fast asleep and never saw who made the cut in the tent and took Billy away.
Thirty years later, Ethan is back on Hemlock Circle. His parents have moved to Florida and since Ethan is between jobs and his marriage is over, he offers to stay in the house until it can be sold. Ethan has never recovered from Billy’s disappearance. He blames himself for not being able to remember anything about that night. Whenever he’s lucky enough to fall asleep, he has “The Dream,” placing him back in that tent. When he wakes, he scribbles on a notepad anything that shows up in those dreams. But he never learns anything new.
While Ethan moved away, many of the original inhabitants of Hemlock Circle still live there. Russ Chen, who sometimes hung out with Ethan and Billy, is now married with a small child and another on the way. He runs a sporting goods shop in town. Ragesh Patel, who was ahead of Ethan and Billy in school, is now a police detective and is assigned to follow up on any new leads in Billy’s disappearance. Ashley Wallace, who used to babysit Ethan, is back with her ten year-old son, Henry, looking after her father who is in the throes of dementia. The Barringer house is empty. Billy’s father is dead and his mother is living in a nursing home. No one has heard from Billy’s older brother, Andy.
Ethan’s insomnia worsens and he spends many nights staring into the street thinking about Billy. One night he notices movement outside. Someone is triggering the motion-detector lights outside each home. Ethan can’t help but think Billy is somehow back, either an older Billy or his ghost. Baseballs begin to appear in the Marsh yard, a trick that Billy used to play on Ethan. And when Ethan finds that someone has scribbled, “hakuna matata dude” in his notebook, he knows it’s a message from Billy.
Everyone’s polite to Ethan, but there’s no hiding that his presence reminds them of a tragedy they are trying to forget. Ethan is convinced that what happened to Billy involves someone who lives on Hemlock Circle. But will he be able to find Billy before someone truly tries to stop him?
Riley Sager’s Middle of the Night, adds to his reputation as one of the best thriller writers operating today. He taps into every parent’s nightmare, but reminds us that many suffer when a child disappears. He also hasn’t forgotten what it’s like to be a child, trying to be included in a group, no matter what risks must be taken to impress others. Even the adults in the story bear scars from those early years. As the story unfolds, those who didn’t actually take Billy still carry guilt for what happened to him. There are many twists and turns before the final reveal that many won’t see coming.
Middle of the Night
Riley Sager
Top photo: Bigstock
