This is a work of fiction; this is not a confession: The Midnight King by Tariq Ashkanani #TheMidnightKing #NetGalley

Lucas Cole is a bestselling writer. He is also a father, a widower, and a beloved celebrity in his small town. He is an unassuming man ­- tall, thin and quietly friendly. Lucas Cole is also a serial killer.
Nathan Cole has known the truth about his father since he was ten years old. Too terrified to go to the police, he ran away from home as soon as he was able, carrying the guilt of leaving his sister behind. But when Lucas is found dead in a dingy motel room, Nathan returns to his childhood home for the first time in seventeen years. It’s there he finds The Midnight King, his father’s final unpublished manuscript, a fictionalised account of his hideous crimes, hidden in a box of trinkets taken from his victims. Trinkets that include a ribbon belonging to a missing eight-year-old girl who disappeared only days before his father’s death.
Now, Nathan must deal with the consequences of keeping his father’s secret. But it may not be as simple as finding a lost child. For The Midnight King holds Nathan’s secrets as well as Lucas’s, and he is not the only one searching for the truth…
Full of unexpected twists and heartrending turns, The Midnight King is a gripping thriller perfect for fans of Chris Whitaker, S.A. Cosby and Ian Rankin.

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Hi and welcome to my review of The Midnight King!

The Midnight King, for me, was one of those rare reads you start and just from that first chapter you already know: oooh, I’m going to LOVE this one! And quite possibly hate it a little bit, too. And I was right. On both counts. 

The Midnight King is without a doubt one of the darkest books I’ve ever read. And that’s saying something, cos I really do love dark books. I won’t go into detail, I wouldn’t want to spoil anything, suffice it to say that even with just a few explicit scenes but many even darker things referred to and hinted at, The Midnight King is not for the faint-hearted.

Fortunately, I am not faint of heart nor weak of stomach – not when it comes to fiction anyway – and I gobbled it up! I became addicted! I was thinking about it when I wasn’t reading, dying to get back to it whenever life got in the way. And I had to tear myself away whenever duty in some form or other called. I’d been feeling a bit slumpy, sometimes a book just doesn’t work for me and my fatigue and brain fog make it worse, but then a book like The Midnight King comes along and reminds me why I love reading.

The Midnight King is a chillingly dark and twisted serial killer thriller. It is shocking but intelligent and I love how the nature vs nurture theme is woven into it. Suspenseful and engrossing, I hung onto every word and I would definitely recommend it to fans of the genre. Worth the hype!

The Midnight King is out in digital formats, hardcover and audio on 10 April.

Massive thanks to Viper and NetGalley for the DRC. All opinions are my own.