The truth hides in dark places . . . Recently settled in Hode’s Hill, Pennsylvania, Maya Sinclair is enthralled by the town’s folklore, especially the legend about a centuries-old monster. A devil-like creature with uncanny abilities responsible for several horrific murders, the Fiend has evolved into the stuff of urban myth. But the past lives again when Maya witnesses an assault during the … assault during the annual “Fiend Fest.” The victim is developer Leland Hode, patriarch of the town’s most powerful family, and he was attacked by someone dressed like the Fiend.
Compelled to discover who is behind the attack and why, Maya uncovers a shortlist of enemies of the Hode clan. The mystery deepens when she finds the journal of a late nineteenth-century spiritualist who once lived in Maya’s house—a woman whose ghost may still linger. Known as the Blue Lady of Hode’s Hill due to a genetic condition, Lucinda Glass vanished without a trace and was believed to be one of the Fiend’s tragic victims. The disappearance of a young couple, combined with more sightings of the monster, trigger Maya to join forces with Leland’s son Collin. But the closer she gets to the truth, the closer she comes to a hidden world of twisted secrets, insanity, and evil that refuses to die . . .
more
Jumping into paranormal suspense is a significant leap for me. I don’t like horror. I don’t get a thrill from being scared. So I was a bit nervous starting Cusp of Night. What if it is too scary? Gives me nightmares? Or worse?
Cusp of Night is an incredible read. It is suspenseful but never once even steps a toe over the line into horror. Did I get chills and goosebumps? You bet I did and more than once. But I was never scared and never once hid under the covers.
What I loved
I loved the characters – all of them, even the more nefarious ones. My favorite character, however, is Maya, the main character. If I were a character in the novel, I would be Maya. Healthily skeptical but open to possibilities, she is mostly concerned with getting to the bottom of the mystery and stopping the murderer. She has gumption when she needs it but is never foolhardy. And, as an aside, she works at the local library – with books – enough said.
The story keeps you on the edge of your seat, whether you are back in time or in the present. Both storylines are compelling, captivated my undivided attention, and worked seamlessly to tell the tale. Sometimes having two different but related storylines intertwining can be confusing, but in Cusp of Night, it balances out well and makes perfect sense.
I love the use of the little known blood disorder, Methemoglobinemia, that causes people who have it to appear blue. I enjoy learning about oddities that I might have never heard of otherwise, and it provided an intriguing layer to the story that brought it full circle at the end.
The setting is both familiar and eerie at the same time. I love the small-town setting with all of its everyday small-town drama. The eeriness of the night works perfectly in this story, and it is an eeriness that you can only experience in a place where everything shuts down for the evening.
To Read or Not to Read
Be prepared to take on all three books in the series because you won’t be able to stop after book one. You will, without a doubt, want to read them back-to-back.
5.0 out of 5 stars Creepy and Totally Satisfying!
Any book that includes characters with names like the Fiend and The Blue Lady of Hode’s Hill is bound to pull me in. This one did not disappoint! In fact, as much as I’ve enjoyed Mae Clair’s other books, with Cusp of Night, she hit it right out of the ballpark! Creep Factor? A+. Strange happenings? A+. Interesting and compelling character? A+ You get my drift. Cusp of Night has all the spooky elements you want in a good mystery or ghost story, PLUS, a blue-skinned lady! Now there’s something you don’t read about every day. (And after a bit of research, I discovered this is a real condition. People with blue skin! Who knew?)
Mae Clair has done meticulous research into the séance culture of the 1900’s and put together a tale that seamlessly meshes that era with the modern day one. I loved every minute!
A+ all the way!
I have loved every book by Mae Clair that I have read and Cusp of Night is no exception. I loved how Mae created two dual timelines and she was able to take me seamlessly from one to the other. I also admire Mae for her historical accuracy. I had never heard of blue-skinned people but discovered their existence through this book. My heart broke for the blue-skinned woman in Mae’s book, Lucinda Glass. She only wanted to be loved and cherished as any normal woman would. But, the circumstances that surrounded her life made it impossible. She was used and discarded. But, her dabbling in mediumship turned her into an uncontrollable monster that created a myth and legend. All of this was in the 1800s. The way the author brought the story into modern day Hode’s Hill, Pennsylvania, and the twists and turns the plot took was nothing short of brilliant. I kept trying to guess the outcome and solve the mystery as I read, but it wasn’t until the very end of the book that it all came to a satisfying climactic conclusion. If you love a good mystery with plenty of action and drama all based around a local myth and monster, you’ll love this new book from Mae Clair! Well-written and brilliant storyline
Enjoyed the characters in this book. The author said that she can’t paint but when she learned that she could paint with words was a great day. She can “paint with her words” for sure. The ending was interesting. I will be ordering more in this series ±P±
Enjoyed the book.
I couldn’t get into it.
Cusp of Night is only mildly entertaining. It suffers from a lack of originality, from undeveloped characters and a plot that entirely predictable. The most interesting thing for me was to discover that blue skin is indeed a condition. I could have done so without having to read to the end of a book that had neither originality, unpredictability, that was not witty, haunting or inspirational. The author is a good journeyman writer, but she is not sharing any deep reflections about life and her characters never spring from the page. The book was not exciting or even action-packed. In fact, I thought it moved rather slowly. While not untalented, the author still has a fair way to go.