The Sookie Stackhouse novels have been laid to rest and Midnight Crossroad marks the beginning of a new trilogy. It’s set in the remote and rural town of Midnight, Texas – a quirky Royston Vasey-type of place where newcomers are greeted with twitching curtains and furtive whispers. But when genuine psychic Manfred Bernardo moves in, the tightknit community accept him right away.
Fans of Charlaine Harris’ work will recognise the character from the Harper Connelly series, and his new landlord happens to be Bobo Winthrop from the Lily Bard Mysteries. You needn’t be acquainted with them beforehand, since the third-person omniscient narration introduces us to the entire cast.
Some of our favourite new characters include a witch named Fiji and her unusual cat, and the mysterious Reverend who’s definitely harbouring a secret. In fact, it’s hinted that most of the inhabitants are, and while a few are exposed in this novel, there are still plenty more to uncover.
It’s a gentle read that ticks along with the steady pace of America’s deep south, but when a corpse is discovered at a picnic, a mystery is set in motion. Everyone’s a suspect, particularly Bobo, because the body turns out to be his ex-girlfriend.
This genre is what Harris excels at, and the ending was an unexpected surprise. We were only sad not to see more supernatural elements at play. It’s clear that creatures exist in this new world, with shape-shifters and a vampire in residence, but they lurk in the periphery. And while romance was hinted at, we want some action in later books to complicate life for the Midnight folk.
All in all, Midnight Crossroad represents a promising start to a new series, and we get the feeling that like Royston Vasey, once you’ve entered, you’ll never leave.
