Midnight in Soap Lake: The sinister small town psychological crime thriller for 2025 from the author of Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore

'Midnight in Soap Lake made me fall in love with reading all over again' Stuart Turton ‘A fantastic, assured debut’ Elly Griffiths on Matthew Sullivan Abigail uprooted her life to move to Soap Lake, Washington. A once-popular tourist destination, the town is now home to a dwindling population and the menacing shadow of an urban legend. With her husband away on a work trip, Abigail is alone when a young boy emerges from the desert scrub, catatonic and covered in blood. His mother, Esme, lies stabbed to death in a nearby car. When Abigail discovers Esme was a local woman who moved away after a series of tragedies, she is compelled to find answers. Esme’s is not the only mysterious death this town has witnessed. But her search attracts unwanted and dangerous attention. Drawn into a complex web of conspiracies and violence, Abigail will learn that the smallest towns can hide the biggest secrets. Praise for Matthew Sullivan ‘Matthew Sullivan has written—with great panache and suspense—a smart, twisty crime novel filled with compelling characters set in a world that book-lovers will adore.’ Jess Walter, # 1 New York Times bestselling author of Beautiful Ruins ‘An intriguingly dark, twisty story and eccentric characters make this book a standout.’ Kirkus Reviews