Middle of the Night; A Novel

In the latest heart-pounding thriller from New York Times bestselling author Riley Sager, a man must confront the long-unsolved disappearance of his childhood best friend—and the dark secrets hidden just beyond the picture-perfect facade of his seemingly idyllic neighborhood.

The most horrific event to ever occur on Hemlock Circle happened in Ethan Marsh's backyard. One quiet July night, ten-year-old Ethan and his best friend, Billy, fell asleep in a tent pitched on the pristine lawn of their peaceful New Jersey cul-de-sac. But when Ethan woke up the next morning, Billy was gone. The tent had been slashed open with a knife, and Billy vanished without a trace. He was never found.

Thirty years later, Ethan reluctantly returns to his childhood home, battling nightmares and insomnia. Soon, he begins noticing eerie occurrences late at night—strange figures wandering the cul-de-sac and signs of Billy’s presence appearing in Ethan’s backyard. Could it be a sick joke? Or has Billy, presumed dead, somehow returned to Hemlock Circle?

These unsettling events push Ethan to uncover the truth behind Billy’s disappearance. His investigation brings him back into the lives of old friends and neighbors, leading him into the woods surrounding Hemlock Circle. It’s a place Billy once claimed was haunted, and where a secretive institute conducts strange research on a decaying estate.

As Ethan delves deeper into the mystery, he realizes that no place—whether a quiet suburban street or a forgotten forest—is entirely safe. And that the past has a chilling way of catching up with the present.