rockchickchickyrock's review against another edition
5.0
Loved this second book. Love how characters from other series pop up. Can't wait for the next installment.
sueotwell's review against another edition
4.0
I am really enjoying this series and the crossover of people within this book. I am not wanting to read the next book because I know it is the last in this series....
yvnn's review against another edition
4.0
We get to know a little more about the residents of midnight in this one.
After Manfred has a client dying on him during a psychic reading, he is set on proving he had nothing to do with it. He get's help from an unexpected person: Olivia.
But that's not all: a hotel has opened in the isolated town of midnight, and none of the characters seem too pleased about this. On top of that, a boy named Diederik is dropped of at the Rev's, but he doesn't seem like a regular child.... At all.
Enough problems for Manfred, Olivia, Fiji, Joe en Chuy to worry about. Lemuel is out of town during this story and Bobo is way in the background. We do however learn a bit more about Olivia's past and a lot more about Chuy, Joe and the Rev, which is really nice.
I love how the Midnight Texas series has no singular main character and the town is filled with interesting, odd people. But what I love most about these books is the way they combine all of Harris' previous universes. We see people popping up from Shakespeare (Bobo, who you might remember as a friend of Lily Bard's), Harper's friend Manfred, Arthur the policeman (who seems to be Aurora's Arthur, if I am not mistaken) and of course the obvious vampire parallels to Sookies Universe. In Day shift, the link to Bon Temps becomes more tangible when Barry Bellboy pops up out of nowhere. I just love these cameo's because they show there's life after Sookie.
Also, one of the reasons I gave this book four stars is that it's not your typical Harris cosy mystery. It's not as much a whodunnit as some of her other work. It builds an enriched environment which seems to be the setting for many more stories for us to enjoy. I really liked this one and I can't wait to find out what's next for the people in midnight!
After Manfred has a client dying on him during a psychic reading, he is set on proving he had nothing to do with it. He get's help from an unexpected person: Olivia.
But that's not all: a hotel has opened in the isolated town of midnight, and none of the characters seem too pleased about this. On top of that, a boy named Diederik is dropped of at the Rev's, but he doesn't seem like a regular child.... At all.
Enough problems for Manfred, Olivia, Fiji, Joe en Chuy to worry about. Lemuel is out of town during this story and Bobo is way in the background. We do however learn a bit more about Olivia's past and a lot more about Chuy, Joe and the Rev, which is really nice.
I love how the Midnight Texas series has no singular main character and the town is filled with interesting, odd people. But what I love most about these books is the way they combine all of Harris' previous universes. We see people popping up from Shakespeare (Bobo, who you might remember as a friend of Lily Bard's), Harper's friend Manfred, Arthur the policeman (who seems to be Aurora's Arthur, if I am not mistaken) and of course the obvious vampire parallels to Sookies Universe. In Day shift, the link to Bon Temps becomes more tangible when Barry Bellboy pops up out of nowhere. I just love these cameo's because they show there's life after Sookie.
Also, one of the reasons I gave this book four stars is that it's not your typical Harris cosy mystery. It's not as much a whodunnit as some of her other work. It builds an enriched environment which seems to be the setting for many more stories for us to enjoy. I really liked this one and I can't wait to find out what's next for the people in midnight!
laurenjodi's review against another edition
4.0
Day Shift
4 Stars
Series note: If you are new to Harris's works, I do not recommend starting with this series. There are several crossover characters from Lily Bard, Harper Connelly, Sookie Stackhouse, and even one from Aurora Teagarden. The backstories for the characters in these series add another layer of enjoyment to the books.
The tiny town of Midnight, Texas with its single stoplight and reticent residents gets an unwelcome influx of attention when Manfred Bernardo, the local medium, is involved in the suspicious death of one of his clients. Matters are only compounded with the reopening of the local hotel and the arrival of a mysterious boy who is anything but normal.
Harris writing style is particularly engaging. She has a knack for captivating the reader and making seemingly mundane characters and situations interesting and intriguing. In this installment, readers learn more about the enigmatic Olivia Charity and there are revelations regarding other characters as well as hints at developments to come - I do wish.
The mystery is the weakest element in the book. To begin with, it is never clear why the reader should care about the victim aside from the inconvenience her death creates for Mandred and the other inhabitants of Midnight. Moreover, the resolution is very anti-climactic with an obvious culprit and motive.
In sum, an entertaining read and I look forward to the final installment.
4 Stars
Series note: If you are new to Harris's works, I do not recommend starting with this series. There are several crossover characters from Lily Bard, Harper Connelly, Sookie Stackhouse, and even one from Aurora Teagarden. The backstories for the characters in these series add another layer of enjoyment to the books.
The tiny town of Midnight, Texas with its single stoplight and reticent residents gets an unwelcome influx of attention when Manfred Bernardo, the local medium, is involved in the suspicious death of one of his clients. Matters are only compounded with the reopening of the local hotel and the arrival of a mysterious boy who is anything but normal.
Harris writing style is particularly engaging. She has a knack for captivating the reader and making seemingly mundane characters and situations interesting and intriguing. In this installment, readers learn more about the enigmatic Olivia Charity and there are revelations regarding other characters as well as hints at developments to come - I do wish
Spoiler
Bobo and Fiji would get a move on with their romance thoughThe mystery is the weakest element in the book. To begin with, it is never clear why the reader should care about the victim aside from the inconvenience her death creates for Mandred and the other inhabitants of Midnight. Moreover, the resolution is very anti-climactic with an obvious culprit and motive.
In sum, an entertaining read and I look forward to the final installment.
kandicez's review against another edition
4.0
I recently binged the show Midnight Texas, and much like the early seasons of TrueBlood, it kept the feel, if not the actual plot of the first book. Having read this second installment, it also picked up a few threads from this. I am looking forward to the third as well, and am hoping the show stays true to the mood Harris has created on the page.
I love the quirky, downright weird characters Harris creates.You care about them. Even those that aren't quite so...friendly. I'm really hoping to see more of Lem in the next.
I love the quirky, downright weird characters Harris creates.You care about them. Even those that aren't quite so...friendly. I'm really hoping to see more of Lem in the next.
chelseavbc's review against another edition
4.0
This review was originally published at Vampire Book Club.
Day Shift, like so many engaging mysteries, picks up steam as you delve further into its story. The novel begins at a meander—it took me three chapters before I was hooked back into the world set in Midnight Crossroad. The easy pace at the opening of the novel is a clever deception on Charlaine Harris’s part. She’s such a master of this. She skips from one eccentric Midnight resident to another touching on day-to-day minutiae that give the novel the feeling of a languid character study. Toward the end of the novel, though, you’ll be sprinting to solve mysteries.
The rich ensemble she’s crafted for this series is engaging and curious and Day Shift gives us more. We learn more about each of the characters, what makes so many of them more than human, but questions aren’t easily answered in Midnight. There are far too many secrets for that. And perhaps that’s why I was hooked the second we had chapters from Olivia’s point of view. While Manfred, the key protagonist of the first novel, is again front-and-center, Olivia is equally so this time. She’s engaging and fascinating and has the right amounts of ingenuity and darkness to make me crave every passage with her.
While Day Shift focuses on its characters, the deeper we get into the story, the more the plot winds. More secrets are revealed, and by the end I found myself rushing forward to get the answer of the whodunit instead of simply wanting more time in Olivia’s head.
Without giving any of the clever twists away, I was shocked to discover that the Midnight, Texas world coincides with that of the Sookie Stackhouse one. An ancillary character everyone will recognize makes an appearance in this book, and fit right in with the Midnight crew. It was curveball, and at first I balked a bit, but quickly everything fell in to place and I understood the decision. Plus, it’s like an Easter Egg for the Sookie fans.
Harris continues to be a master at the character-driven story. Day Shift has a cast worthy of your investment and intrigue piled upon intrigue. I’m eager to get back to Midnight, Texas just to unearth more of their secrets.
Day Shift, like so many engaging mysteries, picks up steam as you delve further into its story. The novel begins at a meander—it took me three chapters before I was hooked back into the world set in Midnight Crossroad. The easy pace at the opening of the novel is a clever deception on Charlaine Harris’s part. She’s such a master of this. She skips from one eccentric Midnight resident to another touching on day-to-day minutiae that give the novel the feeling of a languid character study. Toward the end of the novel, though, you’ll be sprinting to solve mysteries.
The rich ensemble she’s crafted for this series is engaging and curious and Day Shift gives us more. We learn more about each of the characters, what makes so many of them more than human, but questions aren’t easily answered in Midnight. There are far too many secrets for that. And perhaps that’s why I was hooked the second we had chapters from Olivia’s point of view. While Manfred, the key protagonist of the first novel, is again front-and-center, Olivia is equally so this time. She’s engaging and fascinating and has the right amounts of ingenuity and darkness to make me crave every passage with her.
While Day Shift focuses on its characters, the deeper we get into the story, the more the plot winds. More secrets are revealed, and by the end I found myself rushing forward to get the answer of the whodunit instead of simply wanting more time in Olivia’s head.
Without giving any of the clever twists away, I was shocked to discover that the Midnight, Texas world coincides with that of the Sookie Stackhouse one. An ancillary character everyone will recognize makes an appearance in this book, and fit right in with the Midnight crew. It was curveball, and at first I balked a bit, but quickly everything fell in to place and I understood the decision. Plus, it’s like an Easter Egg for the Sookie fans.
Harris continues to be a master at the character-driven story. Day Shift has a cast worthy of your investment and intrigue piled upon intrigue. I’m eager to get back to Midnight, Texas just to unearth more of their secrets.
thegeekyblogger's review against another edition
4.0
Listened for Fun/Read for Review (Audible/First Read Program)
Overall Rating: 4.00
Story Rating: 4.25
Character Rating: 3.75
Audio Rating: 3.50 (not part of the overall rating)
First Thought when Finished: Day Shift by Charlaine Harris really had 2 good mysteries but left me with some character questions.
Overall Thoughts: People ask me if they liked Sookie would they like this series? The answer I give them is always the same: If you liked the mystery part of Sookie then I think you will like this series more. If you were more invested in the romance then I would skip Midnight Texas. Me, I am a fan of Charlaine's ability to write a solid, fun, twisty mystery with just a bit of "Oh my did that just happen" thrown in. Day Shift had 2 mysteries and I liked them both. That being said, I do have character questions left but I am guessing those will be answered in the next (final) book of the series. I really enjoy my time in Midnight!
Audio Thoughts:
Susan does a solid job with the narration but her male voices (2 of them) are a little too high pitched for me. I do love the emotion and cadence she brings to the table though. Her pacing is stellar and I will continue with this series on audio.
Part of my Read It, Rate It, File It, DONE! Reviews
Overall Rating: 4.00
Story Rating: 4.25
Character Rating: 3.75
Audio Rating: 3.50 (not part of the overall rating)
First Thought when Finished: Day Shift by Charlaine Harris really had 2 good mysteries but left me with some character questions.
Overall Thoughts: People ask me if they liked Sookie would they like this series? The answer I give them is always the same: If you liked the mystery part of Sookie then I think you will like this series more. If you were more invested in the romance then I would skip Midnight Texas. Me, I am a fan of Charlaine's ability to write a solid, fun, twisty mystery with just a bit of "Oh my did that just happen" thrown in. Day Shift had 2 mysteries and I liked them both. That being said, I do have character questions left but I am guessing those will be answered in the next (final) book of the series. I really enjoy my time in Midnight!
Audio Thoughts:
Narrated By Susan Bennett / Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins
Susan does a solid job with the narration but her male voices (2 of them) are a little too high pitched for me. I do love the emotion and cadence she brings to the table though. Her pacing is stellar and I will continue with this series on audio.
Part of my Read It, Rate It, File It, DONE! Reviews
offbalance80's review against another edition
2.0
There are books that have what is called a "plot", in which a distinct series of events unfold. And then, there are books where a bunch of stuff just kind of happens, and you get to visit with the characters. That was more in line with Day Shift. Granted, Harris still has a lot of world building to do in Midnight, but after the crackling first novel, I expected more. I really do feel like almost nothing at all happened. It's a good thing that her characters are so pleasant to be around.
erin_oriordan_is_reading_again's review against another edition
4.0
Goddesses help me, I am addicted to this series. Even better, two characters from the Sookie Stackhouse series make appearances. For me, this made it even more fun than the first one. I anxiously look forward to the trilogy's concluding volume.
elenap's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
3.0
So much better than the first book. Really wanted to know more about Olivia and we finally got the backstory. Bobo and Lemuel are almost MIA in this story but I got a reference to Sookie and let me tell you I teared up, lol.
Pretty fun book with a few mysteries (the mansion bit was fun with them teaming up with the old residents), but I can't say it's too good if you know what I mean.
Pretty fun book with a few mysteries (the mansion bit was fun with them teaming up with the old residents), but I can't say it's too good if you know what I mean.