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I'll try to review this without mentioning [b:Boy's Life|11553|Boy's Life|Robert McCammon|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1314302694s/11553.jpg|16685995]. Dammit!

I couldn't help it. It's an easy comparison. [b:The Body|11574|The Body|Stephen King|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328182521s/11574.jpg|2334601] and [b:Summer of Night|11279|Summer of Night|Dan Simmons|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1400270646s/11279.jpg|1623734] also come to mind. Midnight Rain was less a horror novel and more of a coming of age story blended with mystery/crime elements. All in all, very well done and the tension really builds near the end. "Gripping" is a word I'll use for the last 15%.

I also want to note that I believe this is one of the first books published by the author (2004.) I've read three of his others, [b:Animosity|21466471|Animosity|James Newman|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1394909462s/21466471.jpg|15946523], [b:Ugly As Sin|19440127|Ugly As Sin|James Newman|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1386927013s/19440127.jpg|25422093] and [b:The Wicked|13648459|The Wicked|James Newman|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1336971941s/13648459.jpg|19267499]. I thought the writing was significantly smoother in his later works and couldn't help noticing how much he seems to have grown as a writer in between each of the four novels I have read. If by chance you just read Midnight Rain as your first Newman experience and it wasn't your thing, check out one of his more recent releases like Animosity. That book was a work of art.

I'm looking forward to all future releases by James Newman. I haven't been disappointed yet and he just keeps getting better.