This review originally appeared on my blog at www.gimmethatbook.com.

Many thanks to author Joan C. Curtis for gifting me this book in exchange for an honest review.

Janie Knox wants nothing more than to live her life quietly in Savannah, Georgia and never return to her hometown of Atlanta. At age 17, a week after a jury convicted her stepfather of killing her mother,she packed all her worldly possessions in a single duffle bag, hopped on a bus, and vowed never to return. But, when she learns that she’s got three months to live, she journeys back home to finish what she couldn’t do when she left–kill her stepfather.
As the clock ticks away, Janie uses the last days of her life to right the wrongs that have haunted her for 20 years. She faces more than she bargained for when she discovers her sister’s life in shambles. Meanwhile her stepfather, recently released from prison, blackmails the sisters and plots to extract millions from the state in retribution.
The Clock Strikes Midnight is a race against time in a quest for revenge and atonement. This is a story about unleashing the hidden truths that haunt a quiet Southern family.
This book is truly Southern Gothic—family secrets, manipulation, drinking to ease the pain of loss, plus guilt all around. This is a plot I can sympathize with–trying to right a wrong in your life before you die, knowing that even if you do accomplish murder, you will also be getting away with it because you only have three months to live.

Janie is as strong as Marlene is weak, and the juxtaposition between the two made for an easy read. Stepfather Ralph is a truly odious character, and I cringed every time he was around. The “bad thing” that makes him a target for murder isn’t explained until the end, but I was rooting for him to lose based on how Curtis described him, with his onion breath and mean eyes.

Even though Janie has murderous intentions, she is a sympathetic character and devoted to her sister, as the reader will discover as more of the plot is revealed. Suspense is generated via the reader knowing the clock is ticking both literally and figuratively on Janie’s life. There are a few close calls, and a flashback that will seem a bit out of place at the time, but once you get closer to the end it will all make sense. I’ll admit I was hoping for a different kind of ending (no spoilers here!), but I was satisfied how things turned out.

Almost all of Curtis’ characters have a flaw: weakness, cruelty, denial, self-absorption–you name it, and it’s in here. There is also love, strength, honor, and friendship. Almost all of the female characters are strong ones, trying to remain in control of their lives despite the curves thrown their way. The main thrust here is justice, a departure from the usual fare of girls chasing men under the guise of romance and pillow talk. Descriptions of Atlanta make you feel as if you are experiencing the town for yourself, and I could easily picture the characters in my head.

THE CLOCK STRIKES MIDNIGHT is a sleeper of a book; you turn the pages until you realized you’ve been hooked, quietly, and then you simply must see how things are going to turn out. I’m glad I took a chance on this one. Want your own copy? You can pick it up here. ( )

I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Janie and Marly had a happy childhood, that is, until the tragic car accident that took their father away from them. That's when their lives were forever changed.

Janie Knox spent most of her life running away from her past. But when her doctor diagnoses her with inoperable cancer, Janie drops everything and returns to her hometown of Atlanta to tie up loose ends. Her family is surprised to see her, she had left after her stepfather was convicted of murdering her mother, planning never to return. She had basically abandoned her sister and never kept in touch.

When she arrives in Atlanta, she reaches out to her sister. Not only is she not greeted warmly by Marly, but Janie can see that she's clearly drunk. Marly tells her that their stepfather was released from prison two weeks earlier and he's been harassing her for information on the night of the murder. The night she still doesn't remember anything about. The part that upsets them both the most is that Ralph has taken up residence in the old house; their dead mother's home.

As Janie keeps her illness secret, she sticks to her plan to put things in order; she also becomes determined to exact revenge on the man she feels responsible for her mother's demise.

As The Clock Strikes Midnight is a gripping suspense novel that has you at the edge of your seat the entire time. My heart broke for both Marly and Janie as the story of their past began to unfold. Some of it hit home and i found myself tearing up a bit. Madly and Janie could easily be a friend or even a neighbor, this was a story about family secrets and how they can destroy us. ( )

I loved this book. Curtis has developed her characters so well, I felt I was part of the family. The twists and turns in the plot kept me awake, reading way past sleep time, but I couldn't put it down. Very well written with very interesting characters, and more "I must know what happens on the next page," than any book I've read in a long time.
~ Linda Thompson, Host of TheAuthorsShow.com ( )

If you found out you had only 3 months to live, what would you do? That’s the question Janie Knox faces in this fast-paced mystery full of uncertainty and tension that will surprise you until the very last page.

The Clock Strikes Midnight is a thriller that is hard to put down once you start reading. Joan C. Curtis has written a wonderful mystery that will live on in my mind for a long time. She tackles some difficult subjects with a wonderful understanding of how trauma can affect a person's life for a very long time.

Janie returns home to face the past she left behind. She wishes to right the wrongs of a very traumatic life. Her stepfather has been released from prison for killing her mother and he is intent on clearing his name.

This is a novel with great depth in the characters, although some are not very likable, they have an inordinate amount of strength. I highly recommend The Clock Strikes Midnight by Joan C. Curtis and give it five cups of steaming hot Room With Books coffee.

~Patricia, Room With Books~
© Feb 11, 2015
( )

I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Janie and Marly had a happy childhood, that is, until the tragic car accident that took their father away from them. That's when their lives were forever changed.

Janie Knox spent most of her life running away from her past. But when her doctor diagnoses her with inoperable cancer, Janie drops everything and returns to her hometown of Atlanta to tie up loose ends. Her family is surprised to see her, she had left after her stepfather was convicted of murdering her mother, planning never to return. She had basically abandoned her sister and never kept in touch.

When she arrives in Atlanta, she reaches out to her sister. Not only is she not greeted warmly by Marly, but Janie can see that she's clearly drunk. Marly tells her that their stepfather was released from prison two weeks earlier and he's been harassing her for information on the night of the murder. The night she still doesn't remember anything about. The part that upsets them both the most is that Ralph has taken up residence in the old house; their dead mother's home.

As Janie keeps her illness secret, she sticks to her plan to put things in order; she also becomes determined to exact revenge on the man she feels responsible for her mother's demise.

As The Clock Strikes Midnight is a gripping suspense novel that has you at the edge of your seat the entire time. My heart broke for both Marly and Janie as the story of their past began to unfold. Some of it hit home and i found myself tearing up a bit. Madly and Janie could easily be a friend or even a neighbor, this was a story about family secrets and how they can destroy us. ( )