What do you think?
Rate this book
Midnight Rain
With no one else to trust, a terrified Phoebe Rain turns to her neighbor, Dr. Alan MacKerrie, when her diabolical ex-husband, who is supposed to be in a coma after trying to kill her, begins leaving her terrifying messages. Original.
336 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 2, 2004
About the author
Holly Lisle
107 books446 followersHolly Lisle has been writing fiction professionally since 1991, when she sold FIRE IN THE MIST, the novel that won her the Compton Crook Award for best first novel. She has to date published more than thirty novels and several comprehensive writing courses. She has just published WARPAINT, the second stand-alone novel in her Cadence Drake series.
Holly had an ideal childhood for a writer…which is to say, it was filled with foreign countries and exotic terrains, alien cultures, new languages, the occasional earthquake, flood, or civil war, and one story about a bear, which follows:
“So. Back when I was ten years old, my father and I had finished hunting ducks for our dinner and were walking across the tundra in Alaska toward the spot on the river where we’d tied our boat. We had a couple miles to go by boat to get back to the Moravian Children’s Home, where we lived.
“My father was carrying the big bag of decoys and the shotgun; I was carrying the small bag of ducks.
“It was getting dark, we could hear the thud, thud, thud of the generator across the tundra, and suddenly he stopped, pointed down to a pie-pan sized indentation in the tundra that was rapidly filling with water, and said, in a calm and steady voice, “That’s a bear footprint. From the size of it, it’s a grizzly. The fact that the track is filling with water right now means the bear’s still around.”
“Which got my attention, but not as much as what he said next.
” ‘I don’t have the gun with me that will kill a bear,’ he told me. ‘I just have the one that will make him angry. So if we see the bear, I’m going to shoot him so he’ll attack me. I want you to run to the river, follow it to the boat, get the boat back home, and tell everyone what happened.’
“The rest of our walk was very quiet. He was, I’m sure, listening for the bear. I was doing my damnedest to make sure that I remembered where the boat was, how to get to it, how to start the pull-cord engine, and how to drive it back home, because I did not want to let him down.
“We were not eaten by a bear that night…but neither is that walk back from our hunt for supper a part of my life I’ll ever forget.
“I keep that story in mind as I write. If what I’m putting on paper isn’t at least as memorable as having a grizzly stalking my father and me across the tundra while I was carrying a bag of delicious-smelling ducks, it doesn’t make my cut.”
You can find Holly on her personal site:
Hollylisle.com
You can find Cadence Drake, Holly's currently in-progress series, on her site:
CadenceDrake.com
You can find Holly's books, courses, writing workshops, and so on here:
The HowToThinkSideways.com Shop, as well as on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and in a number of bookstores in the US and around the world.
Holly had an ideal childhood for a writer…which is to say, it was filled with foreign countries and exotic terrains, alien cultures, new languages, the occasional earthquake, flood, or civil war, and one story about a bear, which follows:
“So. Back when I was ten years old, my father and I had finished hunting ducks for our dinner and were walking across the tundra in Alaska toward the spot on the river where we’d tied our boat. We had a couple miles to go by boat to get back to the Moravian Children’s Home, where we lived.
“My father was carrying the big bag of decoys and the shotgun; I was carrying the small bag of ducks.
“It was getting dark, we could hear the thud, thud, thud of the generator across the tundra, and suddenly he stopped, pointed down to a pie-pan sized indentation in the tundra that was rapidly filling with water, and said, in a calm and steady voice, “That’s a bear footprint. From the size of it, it’s a grizzly. The fact that the track is filling with water right now means the bear’s still around.”
“Which got my attention, but not as much as what he said next.
” ‘I don’t have the gun with me that will kill a bear,’ he told me. ‘I just have the one that will make him angry. So if we see the bear, I’m going to shoot him so he’ll attack me. I want you to run to the river, follow it to the boat, get the boat back home, and tell everyone what happened.’
“The rest of our walk was very quiet. He was, I’m sure, listening for the bear. I was doing my damnedest to make sure that I remembered where the boat was, how to get to it, how to start the pull-cord engine, and how to drive it back home, because I did not want to let him down.
“We were not eaten by a bear that night…but neither is that walk back from our hunt for supper a part of my life I’ll ever forget.
“I keep that story in mind as I write. If what I’m putting on paper isn’t at least as memorable as having a grizzly stalking my father and me across the tundra while I was carrying a bag of delicious-smelling ducks, it doesn’t make my cut.”
You can find Holly on her personal site:
Hollylisle.com
You can find Cadence Drake, Holly's currently in-progress series, on her site:
CadenceDrake.com
You can find Holly's books, courses, writing workshops, and so on here:
The HowToThinkSideways.com Shop, as well as on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and in a number of bookstores in the US and around the world.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
November 27, 2008
Midnight Rain is an excellently-plotted thriller. I am often disappointed by thrillers because the outcome of the story is so clearly laid out. Here, Lisle does a terrific job of misdirecting the reader, such that there are twists and turns at the end of the book that will chill and thrill you. Lisle has a great website for aspiring writers as well--check her out!
February 10, 2023
Phoebe Rain is a woman with a past - a terrifying past of being trapped in an abusive marriage. When she manages to escape her husband, Michael, and forges a new life as a school teacher she thinks she's safe. Then he finds her one day and shoots two of the children in her class before she manages to attack him, knock him out (causing him to fall into a coma) although she's badly injured herself by his shotgun blast.
We meet Phoebe in this book as she tries to rebuild her life two years after the classroom attack. Her husband Michael is still in a coma, her life has disappeared to almost nothing as she feels responsible for the deaths of the two schoolchildren. She makes a living by doing telephone tarot readings but is constantly frightened that one day Michael will wake up and come back after her.
And then it appears that he has done just that - who is it who is telephoning her? And why does she have strange nightmares now? Why do things in her house move? And what is the ghost of a child that she is seeing? She finds herself getting to know her next door neighbour, Alan MacKerrie, a widowed doctor whose daughter died five years ago - and whose ghost is appearing to Phoebe.
This book is full of suspense - is Michael alive? Is it him to blame for the phone calls? How does he know everything Phoebe is doing? Alan the neighbour vacillates between trusting Phoebe and wondering if she's a bit of a loony, especially with all the tarot and psychic stuff.
We meet Phoebe in this book as she tries to rebuild her life two years after the classroom attack. Her husband Michael is still in a coma, her life has disappeared to almost nothing as she feels responsible for the deaths of the two schoolchildren. She makes a living by doing telephone tarot readings but is constantly frightened that one day Michael will wake up and come back after her.
And then it appears that he has done just that - who is it who is telephoning her? And why does she have strange nightmares now? Why do things in her house move? And what is the ghost of a child that she is seeing? She finds herself getting to know her next door neighbour, Alan MacKerrie, a widowed doctor whose daughter died five years ago - and whose ghost is appearing to Phoebe.
This book is full of suspense - is Michael alive? Is it him to blame for the phone calls? How does he know everything Phoebe is doing? Alan the neighbour vacillates between trusting Phoebe and wondering if she's a bit of a loony, especially with all the tarot and psychic stuff.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 25, 2008
This is the third book by Lisle that I've read, and the one that I've liked the least. It wasn't bad, exactly. I just had some issues with various aspects of the book.
For one, I didn't think the writing style was as smooth and readable as in the other two books. I just thought at times her wording was awkward and cyclical. And sometimes too simplistic. There just wasn't all that great a flow. But it wasn't awful, only average. Her other books were better written.
But there were two issues that really bothered me about the book. One was, I guess you could call it, Phoebe's emotional scars...or lack thereof, to a certain degree. Her ex-husband was a sexual sadist...or so it seemed. The wording on that was rather vague in the book and you were only given veiled hints as to what the ex did to her. It didn't sound pretty. Yet, it didn't seem like Phoebe had any lingering scars from the sexual sadism. One would have thought she'd be extremely wary of sex - considering he'd been her only lover - or hate certain things, or just be more conscious of what he'd done to her. And I just didn't get that feeling. For a large part of the book, you only get the impression that her ex had physically abused her, not sexually as well. And then when she was intimate with Alan, she wasn't bothered by the frantic pace, or other actions. Basically, I just felt there was a lack of realism with Phoebe because it didn't seem like she dealt at all with being sexually abused, only physically.
The second issue was the lack of a resolution regarding a major "fight" between Alan and Phoebe. He said some really nasty things to her and she was crushed. Then he finds out the truth, but they never talk about it, never resolve what had happened. It was like "oh, oops, I was wrong..la, la, la, la, laaaaa....let's go have sex." Sorry, no, that doesn't work. It just really bothered me. This was a major obstacle between them and it was shoved aside with the flick of a finger.
Aside from those two things, the over all storyline was interesting. The suspense plot and the romance kept me reading. Lisle has a knack for creating interesting suspense plots. I would have liked an epilogue to wrap up all the issues, but *sigh* it seems like a lot of authors hate to do that. Anyway, decent enough book. Worth reading, despite it's issues.
For one, I didn't think the writing style was as smooth and readable as in the other two books. I just thought at times her wording was awkward and cyclical. And sometimes too simplistic. There just wasn't all that great a flow. But it wasn't awful, only average. Her other books were better written.
But there were two issues that really bothered me about the book. One was, I guess you could call it, Phoebe's emotional scars...or lack thereof, to a certain degree. Her ex-husband was a sexual sadist...or so it seemed. The wording on that was rather vague in the book and you were only given veiled hints as to what the ex did to her. It didn't sound pretty. Yet, it didn't seem like Phoebe had any lingering scars from the sexual sadism. One would have thought she'd be extremely wary of sex - considering he'd been her only lover - or hate certain things, or just be more conscious of what he'd done to her. And I just didn't get that feeling. For a large part of the book, you only get the impression that her ex had physically abused her, not sexually as well. And then when she was intimate with Alan, she wasn't bothered by the frantic pace, or other actions. Basically, I just felt there was a lack of realism with Phoebe because it didn't seem like she dealt at all with being sexually abused, only physically.
The second issue was the lack of a resolution regarding a major "fight" between Alan and Phoebe. He said some really nasty things to her and she was crushed. Then he finds out the truth, but they never talk about it, never resolve what had happened. It was like "oh, oops, I was wrong..la, la, la, la, laaaaa....let's go have sex." Sorry, no, that doesn't work. It just really bothered me. This was a major obstacle between them and it was shoved aside with the flick of a finger.
Aside from those two things, the over all storyline was interesting. The suspense plot and the romance kept me reading. Lisle has a knack for creating interesting suspense plots. I would have liked an epilogue to wrap up all the issues, but *sigh* it seems like a lot of authors hate to do that. Anyway, decent enough book. Worth reading, despite it's issues.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 6, 2008
An Excellent Read!
The minute you begin, you're sucked right into the story and darn near can't put the book down until the last sentence in the final chapter.
The characters are complex and distinctive. Phoebe, the poor woman, needs all the help she can get. She'd been through something horrible, something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy, and yet she still perseveres. She still passes through the day with a constant reminder of that past, but she's determined to continue on - even in a remote way.
Dr. Alan, her neighbor, has been through something horrible as well, and doesn't trust what he feels. He soon realizes that nothing is ever as it appears.
The secondary characters all work well together to help in any way they can.
The plot is thick with suspense and many curves that leave you guessing. Lots of intense action and emotions that glue you right to each and every page. I don't use my word often, but it was darn near 'unputdownable'! I can't wait to get my hands on another Lisle novel!
The minute you begin, you're sucked right into the story and darn near can't put the book down until the last sentence in the final chapter.
The characters are complex and distinctive. Phoebe, the poor woman, needs all the help she can get. She'd been through something horrible, something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy, and yet she still perseveres. She still passes through the day with a constant reminder of that past, but she's determined to continue on - even in a remote way.
Dr. Alan, her neighbor, has been through something horrible as well, and doesn't trust what he feels. He soon realizes that nothing is ever as it appears.
The secondary characters all work well together to help in any way they can.
The plot is thick with suspense and many curves that leave you guessing. Lots of intense action and emotions that glue you right to each and every page. I don't use my word often, but it was darn near 'unputdownable'! I can't wait to get my hands on another Lisle novel!
May 19, 2008
I read this because I've read several other of Lisle's fantasy books. This is markedly different in that it is set in the present and the main character is physically handicapped by a torn up knee. There are no swashbuckling episodes or magical battles in this book. On the other hand, there are several rather vivid sex scenes. They're well-written and tasteful, but the stalker/ex who plays the villain is extremely disturbed, and that balances out any tastefulness that may exist. Lisle is a little overenthusiastic in her description of the villain, his proclivities, and his activities. The effect is like a romance novel gone terribly, terribly wrong. Don't think I didn't like the book. I read it in 4 hours in one day. It's just disturbing, so be prepared!
September 25, 2017
A woman turns to her neighbor for help when it seems as if her sadistic ex-husband has finally caught up with her. Her ex is supposedly in a coma and near death on the other side of the country, but she feels certain that her ex is behind the threatening phone calls and other strange occurrences in her life.
I liked the book. I debated between 3 and 4 stars. It's really worth 3.5, for me. It was good, but I thought the paranormal aspect wasn't needed for the book to work well. I will admit, though, that I may just not have been in the mood for paranormal when I read this book this weekend.
I liked the book. I debated between 3 and 4 stars. It's really worth 3.5, for me. It was good, but I thought the paranormal aspect wasn't needed for the book to work well. I will admit, though, that I may just not have been in the mood for paranormal when I read this book this weekend.
March 7, 2018
I started reading this book after school today...and didn't stop (except to drive home) until I finished.
Lisle strikes a delicate (but fantastic) balance between her paranormal, suspense, and romance elements and the writing is, as always, well crafted. Definitely worth the read.
Imagine it as 'Sleeping with the Enemy' meets hmm, not quite 'Ghost' and not quite Blanchett's 'The Gift.' But something along those lines.
Excellent for beach or snack reading.
Lisle strikes a delicate (but fantastic) balance between her paranormal, suspense, and romance elements and the writing is, as always, well crafted. Definitely worth the read.
Imagine it as 'Sleeping with the Enemy' meets hmm, not quite 'Ghost' and not quite Blanchett's 'The Gift.' But something along those lines.
Excellent for beach or snack reading.
July 14, 2017
I enjoyed it.
October 26, 2021
What a lovely shining dream of a book!!! It's an absolute wonder!!!!!!!
January 8, 2022
The suspense and mystery in this book was beyond amazing. I loved the plot of this story and the characters development as the story went on
August 21, 2023
This book was good. I like the characters and the storyline. The mystery, and the paranormal aspect of the story. It wrapped up well
April 2, 2015
So I was very pleased to see that this story picked right up where Black Rain left off. I did not feel like I was missing puzzle pieces when I started it. I love how Jetti was able to keep her characters growing and evolving with the story without losing touch with the key personality traits that made me fall in love with them. And let me just say while I love Blake and Mikki, Pea steals the show for me – freaking love that kid!
This story really grabbed me and kept me hanging on. It was one of those books that you wanted to whip through to find out what was going to happen, and at the same time you want to slow down and savor every last page. Jetti just has this amazing ability in her writing to suck you in and make you feel all the things that the characters are feeling, and trust me when I say there is a lot of that in this book. This is just one more shining example of why I love reading Jetti’s novels. If you have not oneclicked this novel you need to.
This story really grabbed me and kept me hanging on. It was one of those books that you wanted to whip through to find out what was going to happen, and at the same time you want to slow down and savor every last page. Jetti just has this amazing ability in her writing to suck you in and make you feel all the things that the characters are feeling, and trust me when I say there is a lot of that in this book. This is just one more shining example of why I love reading Jetti’s novels. If you have not oneclicked this novel you need to.
March 22, 2015
I absolutely LOVED this book. The thrill/suspense of the story reminded me of the style of Alfred Hitchcock. The story was in the suspense NOT in how graphic the violence could be.
I almost knocked a star of because towards the end instead of the suspense the author went towards graphic description of a murder scene that was slightly unbelievable and then the sadistic torture at the end almost ruined the whole story.
I did not take the star off because the story did keep us in suspense for almost the entire book. It had you guessing almost the whole way though.
It was indeed what could be described as a real page turner.
I will be reading more books by Holly Lisle.
I almost knocked a star of because towards the end instead of the suspense the author went towards graphic description of a murder scene that was slightly unbelievable and then the sadistic torture at the end almost ruined the whole story.
I did not take the star off because the story did keep us in suspense for almost the entire book. It had you guessing almost the whole way though.
It was indeed what could be described as a real page turner.
I will be reading more books by Holly Lisle.
January 17, 2013
After years of horrific abuse, Phoebe Rain finally defended herself against her abusive husband, Michael and put him into a coma. Now two years later she's getting threatening phone calls from comatose Michael. Is she going crazy or is Michael somehow getting to her through otherworldly means?
This is an exciting story that will totally creep you out. Holly Lisle knows how to draw out the suspense and dole out the clues (very few actually). I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the last 75-100 pages were fantastic. A truly great book.
This is an exciting story that will totally creep you out. Holly Lisle knows how to draw out the suspense and dole out the clues (very few actually). I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the last 75-100 pages were fantastic. A truly great book.
November 21, 2015
Phoebe Rain's sadistic ex-husband lies in a coma a thousand miles away -- a coma she put him in the last time he tried to kill her. Yet Phoebe knows the voice on the other end of the phone belongs to the twisted man who vowed he'd never let her get away. This was an awesome paranormal romantic suspense. Will Phoebe survive the ghost haunting her in order to have a life with the new man in her life? They say that ghost can't hurt the living, but I think someone forgot to tell Phoebe's ghost.
March 20, 2016
Midnight Rain was a very good mystery that had me stumped during the first half of the book. It bothered me that I wasn't given more of the background of the villain, Michael. All I knew as I read was that he was evil. The background of the main characters was well developed, but I would like to have known more about their personalities. There wasn't much to make them stand out as characters. Overall, however, a good mystery romance and a good read.
July 11, 2016
This was a lot better than I was expecting! I didn’t know much about this author, but I would definitely read another book by her. I was quickly sucked into Phoebe’s story and found myself rooting for her even when no one else was. There’s just a little taste of the supernatural here, but enough to require some suspension of disbelief.
June 7, 2013
Knows how NOT to bring a story to a screaming halt by giving the reader a well-deserved finished. However, did not feel anything or even care for Phoebe or Alan...therefore, the sex scenes were just that and nothing more. Less sex and language, and more on developing strong character relationships, are writing aspects that I prefer.
January 8, 2011
Ms. Lisle's contemporary suspense and paranormal romance are so different. It always takes me by surprise. This was a creepy stalker one which was a bit chilling. Reminds me a little bit of Sleeping with the Enemy.
June 27, 2007
Great for a quick read.
September 30, 2007
once again... brilliantly written.. i'm becoming addicted to Holly Lisle's novels.. so engrossing to read..you can go from gut-wrenching,heart-rending and then heart-wrenching..
December 23, 2009
A very eerie, thrilling plot that had me wondering how the story was going to unfold.
A book I can recommend reading.
A book I can recommend reading.
June 22, 2011
An intensely romantic thriller, with deep, believable characters.
June 17, 2010
I bought this book because someone described it as "really scary". Sadly, it didn't do it for me. Nevertheless I remember finding it intriguing and enjoyed reading it.
January 8, 2011
I really enjoyed this book! :)
June 10, 2012
Read this when it first came out and stumbled on it again today. Re-read and wanted to punch the hero for one of his reactions. Thought the heroine forgave too easily.
Read
July 1, 2012started good. but around the middle of the book, it's just got me riled up. both characters are getting on my nerves.
June 9, 2013
I enjoyed reading this book. It had an exceptionally fast pace and more action within each chapter that kept it moving.
It was well thought out.
It was well thought out.
September 9, 2013
My favorite one from Holly's romantic suspense collection.
October 1, 2013
erotic, full of blood ,crime,pain,suspence,agony....in one day 336 pages passed in front off my eyes like water.....higly recommended for young readers of thriller books
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews