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bookish20's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
My 6P review: Publication, Plot, People, Place, Prose/Pace, Praise
Sam Midford shoots himself dead on live TV. How can it be murder? Jack Quick begins investigating and what he uncovers is that there is more than one way to kill someone.
This book really should have had a trigger warning as it evokes a lot of emotions.
Everybody seems to have a motive but not the actual means. So how can Sam have been murdered?
I loved the internal struggle Jack has with the notion of keeping his brother alive even though he couldn’t possibly survive without the use of the machine. It made me think of the moral implications and asked the question of what I would do in the same circumstances.
There were times I thought Harry was actually happy that his brother Sam was dead and this didn’t really sit well with me, after all, he was the one who wanted Jack to investigate. Beth is awful. I couldn’t put my finger on it or why I didn’t like her, I just didn’t.
I liked the fairground setting. This was easy to visualise. I could also sense the nervousness of being on the Ferris wheel as I don’t like them myself.
The power of words. In today’s age of social media, this has become an even bigger issue than it ever was in the past and something everybody needs to be mindful of.
As per Stevenson’s writing style, it all came together in the end. He loves to leave a trail of clues in his writing so you’d better be paying attention. I thought I’d solved it a couple of times so it kept me guessing. I also thought the title was very clever.
It was a quick and easy read. Perfect for on the plane trip I was on.
I would recommend to others.
Sam Midford shoots himself dead on live TV. How can it be murder? Jack Quick begins investigating and what he uncovers is that there is more than one way to kill someone.
This book really should have had a trigger warning as it evokes a lot of emotions.
Everybody seems to have a motive but not the actual means. So how can Sam have been murdered?
I loved the internal struggle Jack has with the notion of keeping his brother alive even though he couldn’t possibly survive without the use of the machine. It made me think of the moral implications and asked the question of what I would do in the same circumstances.
There were times I thought Harry was actually happy that his brother Sam was dead and this didn’t really sit well with me, after all, he was the one who wanted Jack to investigate. Beth is awful. I couldn’t put my finger on it or why I didn’t like her, I just didn’t.
I liked the fairground setting. This was easy to visualise. I could also sense the nervousness of being on the Ferris wheel as I don’t like them myself.
The power of words. In today’s age of social media, this has become an even bigger issue than it ever was in the past and something everybody needs to be mindful of.
As per Stevenson’s writing style, it all came together in the end. He loves to leave a trail of clues in his writing so you’d better be paying attention. I thought I’d solved it a couple of times so it kept me guessing. I also thought the title was very clever.
It was a quick and easy read. Perfect for on the plane trip I was on.
I would recommend to others.
marais90's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
angelakay's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
nicovreeland's review
3.0
Unfortunately, the solution to the mystery didn’t captivate me the way the premise did. Jack quick is also not nearly as entertaining a narrator as stevenson’s more recent character, Ernest Cunningham.
I think I’m gonna stick to Stevenson’s newer stuff
I think I’m gonna stick to Stevenson’s newer stuff
virginia63's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
geordies17's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
alisha_j's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
kcfromaustcrime's review
5.0
Benjamin Stevenson's first book featuring documentary maker Jack Quick was a revelation, particularly when considered again, in hindsight, from the viewpoint of the second novel in the series. Quoting from my own review of GREENLIGHT at the time:
Hinted at by me then, but discussed more succinctly by fellow AustCrime contributor Andrea Thompson is the central character of Jack Quick:
Those mental health issues are explored more in EITHER SIDE OF MIDNIGHT, from multiple perspectives, and it's the realisation that this is what's occurring that made this novel a serious page turner.
First assumptions are obviously suicide, but it's Sam's twin brother Harry who is convinced his brother was murdered. Convinced enough to hire now disgraced TV producer Jack Quick to investigate. That investigation is intertwined with the story of two struggling families. The twin brothers (born either side of midnight / hence the title of the novel) who have had a fractious, difficult relationship, in part initially it seems because ... brothers; but something was triggered by an event in their teenage years which has come back to bite them big time in the present. The other family is Jack's own. There's enough in this novel to fill in some of the background to Jack's torment and his mental health and physical challenges, although the extent of the damage is even more understandable if you've read the first novel.
The truth of what happened in that TV studio, and why, goes to human behaviour that's had more attention in recent years, with some high profile cases in real life. Impossible to discuss here without major spoilers, there is a point at which the reader may very well work out the who and why, and even have some insight into the how, but the devastation, and destructive forces unleashed by this behaviour are part of what made this such a page turner.
Along the way there's yet more insight into the damage that unresolved, or unaddressed, mental health issues can cause. It's good to see this approached from a male perspective in this case, but there's plenty here to be learnt about the human condition overall.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/either-side-midnight-benjamin-stevenson
"There's a something about GREENLIGHT that feels like a non-too-subtle dig at the commercialisation of true crime. There's always been a sub-set of true crime writing that's been about the crims, their exploits, personalities and too big to be believable criminal histories. Ranging from reflective and analytical in style, to tongue in cheek, many books and programs seem to have contributed to the rise of the "celebrity criminal".
It's no surprise then that the rise and rise of the true crime investigative journalist is increasingly leaking over into the crime fiction realm, with GREENLIGHT by debut Australian author Benjamin Stevenson introducing documentary maker Jack Quick doing a major TV program on the murder of Eliza Daley. "
Hinted at by me then, but discussed more succinctly by fellow AustCrime contributor Andrea Thompson is the central character of Jack Quick:
"The mental health issues raised in this novel are not often addressed in fiction in relation to the males of our species. This is quite enlightening to read of, as negotiating your everyday working life around a full blown eating disorder is just another difficulty to your day. Jack’s character and life outside of his career are fully fleshed, and the read is all the better for it."
Those mental health issues are explored more in EITHER SIDE OF MIDNIGHT, from multiple perspectives, and it's the realisation that this is what's occurring that made this novel a serious page turner.
"At 9.01pm, TV presenter Sam Midford delivers the monologue for his popular current affairs show Midnight Tonight. He seems nervous and the crew are convinced he's about to propose to his girlfriend live on air.
Instead he pulls out a gun and shoots himself in the head."
First assumptions are obviously suicide, but it's Sam's twin brother Harry who is convinced his brother was murdered. Convinced enough to hire now disgraced TV producer Jack Quick to investigate. That investigation is intertwined with the story of two struggling families. The twin brothers (born either side of midnight / hence the title of the novel) who have had a fractious, difficult relationship, in part initially it seems because ... brothers; but something was triggered by an event in their teenage years which has come back to bite them big time in the present. The other family is Jack's own. There's enough in this novel to fill in some of the background to Jack's torment and his mental health and physical challenges, although the extent of the damage is even more understandable if you've read the first novel.
The truth of what happened in that TV studio, and why, goes to human behaviour that's had more attention in recent years, with some high profile cases in real life. Impossible to discuss here without major spoilers, there is a point at which the reader may very well work out the who and why, and even have some insight into the how, but the devastation, and destructive forces unleashed by this behaviour are part of what made this such a page turner.
Along the way there's yet more insight into the damage that unresolved, or unaddressed, mental health issues can cause. It's good to see this approached from a male perspective in this case, but there's plenty here to be learnt about the human condition overall.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/either-side-midnight-benjamin-stevenson
priceliketag's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A fantastic sequel to Trust Me When I Lie, that includes both a unique mystery and some pretty incredible character moments. I assume this will be the last Quick book because of the Ernest books but that would be a shame.