Bloodtype Online

Published by Leisure Fiction 

    What would you do if your entire foundation of beliefs between what is good and evil were shattered in a few short moments? Even worse still, how would it affect you if you were only 12 years old? These are just a couple of questions raised during the course of this fine thriller. 

    Kyle Mackay lives a nice innocent existence in the small-town of Midnight, doing what kids his age normally do; playing on his bicycle or exploring the local woods. It is however whilst he is travelling home through the woods one night after a local Gala that he witnesses a heinous crime; the murder of a local teenage girl. This may seem bad enough, but when he realises who the murderer is it makes things a whole lot scarier. This whole scene is set-up in a quite marvellous opening chapter, by the time I had read that opening I was hooked. Bang, it hit me, dragged me in and never let go. 

    The novel itself is wonderfully written, exploring as it does the trials and pre-teen angst of Kyle, his relationships with his alcoholic mother and high school hero brother Dan, as well as the more sinister events that unravel in this once quiet town. The fact that I read it in about four or five sittings says great things about it too. I so often get sidetracked whilst reading, whereas during this I would be pissed off if I had to stop reading it for whatever reason ie work getting in the way! I had to get to the end though, as I knew there was more to it than initially meets the eye, but what though? Well, Newman throws in enough curves to keep you guessing throughout. I thought I had worked part of it out, but as if on cue there on the very next page he would tell me otherwise, as if quietly mocking me. 

    The ever present rain of the title helped keep things suitably sombre, as if things weren't bad enough already. At times reading Midnight Rain reminded me of a cross between Stand By Me and Twin Peaks, albeit without the wacky characters, although there are some interesting folk in this town too. A coming of age murder mystery if you will, set to the backdrop of post-Vietnam America. So throughout we get little snippets of current events, music or movies of the time. This novel will draw you in that I can assure you. 

    Midnight Rain isn't without its faults though, although these aren't enough to really spoil your enjoyment. I found a couple of the characters a little cliched, and on the odd occasion I felt that some of the plot points were a little convenient, such as the alcoholic mother's love interest. Mind you, to Newman's credit he uses this superbly to heighten the tension further. 

    Overall Midnight Rain is a taut thriller that I recommend you seek out. This is the second piece of work by the author that I have read, the other being his short story Love Bites, and I wholeheartedly look forward to reading more. 

Rating - ***1/2

- Jude Felton