Publication Date: January 30, 2024
A suspenseful and entertaining debut thriller—and love letter to vintage horror movies—in which a teenager must overcome her own anxiety to protect the two children she’s babysitting when strangers come knocking at the door.
October 1993. One night. One house. One dead body.
When single mom Eleanor Mazinski goes out a for a much-needed date night, she leaves her two young children—sweet, innocent six-year-old Ben and precocious, defiant twelve-year-old Mira—in the capable hands of their sitter, Amy. The quiet seventeen-year-old is good at looking after children, despite her anxiety disorder. She also loves movies, especially horror flicks. Amy likes their predictability; it calms the panic that threatens to overwhelm her.
The evening starts out normally enough, with games, pizza, and dancing. But as darkness falls, events in this quaint suburban New Jersey house take a terrifying turn—unexpected visitors at the door, mysterious phone calls, and by midnight, little Ben is in the kitchen standing in a pool of blood, with a dead body at his feet.
In this dazzling debut novel, Emily Ruth Verona moves back and forth in time, ratcheting up suspense and tension on every page. Chock-full of nods to classic horror films of the seventies and eighties, Midnight on Beacon Street is a gripping thriller full of electrifying twists and a heartwarming tale of fear and devotion that explores our terrors and the lengths we’ll go to keep our loved ones safe.
An anxiety-ridden babysitter coupled with mysterious phone calls and knocks on the door create a nightmarish combination in Midnight on Beacon Street.
Written by Emily Ruth Verona, the chapters are organized by time and shift back and forth to provide more of the back story. This requires the reader to pay close attention. Meanwhile, the first chapter acknowledges that something horrific happened within the Mazinski household. The events leading up to midnight then unfold.
As a babysitter, 17-year-old Amy is no stranger to entertaining children. Ben, 6, and Mira, 12, are fairly typical, although Mira has a chip on her shoulder. Amy feels comfortable with the routine established by single mom, Eleanor.
The night takes a sinister twist with random phone calls and some unexpected (and unwelcome) visitors. Amy is already on high alert because of home invasions in the area.
The twists and turns built into the storyline serve up an unexpected dose of chills, particularly as the clock gets closer to midnight. How far will Amy have to go to protect the children?
Midnight on Beacon Street takes the classic babysitter horror story and repackages it for a new generation of readers.
Emily Ruth Verona received her Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and Cinema Studies from the State University of New York at Purchase. In 2014 she won the Pinch Literary Award in Fiction. She is a Bram Stoker Award nominee, a Jane Austen Short Story Award finalist, and a Luke Bitmead Bursary finalist. Her previous publication credits include fiction and poetry featured in several anthologies as well as magazines such as The Pinch, LampLight Magazine, Mystery Tribune, The Ghastling, and Nightmare Magazine. Her essays and articles have appeared online for Tor.com, BookBub, Litro, BUST, and Bloody Women. She lives in New Jersey with a very small dog.
Wonderful narration and review. I read the book and it is fantastic. Both heartwarming and frightening with twists and turns along the way. I like the way this reviewer describes, sums up and critiques the book.