Through the Midnight Door by Katrina Monroe
As emotional as it is haunting, Through the Midnight Door explores the sometimes-fragile bonds of sisterhood and the way deeply rooted trauma can pass from generation to generation.
The Finch sisters once spent long, hot summers exploring the dozens of abandoned properties littering their dying town―until they found an impossible home with an endless hall of doors…and three keys left waiting for them. Curious, fearless, they stepped inside their chosen rooms, and experienced horrors they never dared speak of again.
Now, years later, youngest sister Claire has been discovered dead in that old, desiccated house. Haunted by their sister’s suicide and the memories of a past they’ve struggled to forget, Meg and Esther find themselves at bitter odds.
As they navigate the tensions of their brittle relationship, they draw unsettling lines between Claire’s death, their own haunted memories, and a long-ago loss no one in their family has ever been able to face.
With the house once again pulling them ever closer, Meg and Esther must find the connection between their sister’s death and the shadow that has chased them across the years…before the darkness claims them, too.
Review:
I received an advance galley of this book courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this one, but right off the bat, it sucked me in with its “Haunting of Hill House” vibe. If you’re a fan of family drama and dark, eerie mysteries with a touch of supernatural horror, then this is the book for you. This novel follows the Finch sisters, Claire, Meg, and Esther, as they are drawn back to the old abandoned house that holds the key to disturbing secrets from their past.
The story begins with the tragic death of the youngest Finch sister, Claire, who is found hanging from the rafters in a decrepit house that the sisters used to explore as children. As Meg and Esther delve into the mystery surrounding Claire’s suicide (or was it?), they are forced to confront their own haunted memories and the long-buried secrets that almost ripped their family apart.
I really enjoyed watching the sisters uncover the dark truth behind Claire’s death. Flashing back and forth in time between all three of the sister’s points of view, we slowly begin to unravel the events that fractured the bond between these once close-knit siblings. From the book’s first lines, we’re pulled into the mystery when Meg receives a haunting call from a distressed Claire. Meg knows exactly where Claire is, and she knows something has pulled her back to this creepy old house, but when she finds Claire dead, she fears that whatever lurks in the walls will likely come for her and Esther next.
The complex family dynamics and the unique personalities of each character were a highlight for me. It made it easy to keep track of who we were hearing from in each chapter. The house, with its endless hall of doors, is a character in and of itself, providing a chilling backdrop to the sisters’ journey into the unknown.
Monroe’s writing style is immersive and atmospheric, drawing readers into the world she has created and keeping them engaged from start to finish. The worn-out town and its financially struggling citizens were easy (though a little uncomfortable) to settle into. I felt the citizens’ depravity and hopelessness and understood the adverse effects of poverty on the Finch family.
What really makes this book work is the complex and nuanced relationship between Meg and Esther. Their bond is fractured by years of guilt, grief, and resentment over an event that nearly destroyed the family – an event Meg feels responsible for – and Monroe perfectly captures the raw emotions that simmer beneath the surface of their interactions. As the sisters race against time to solve the mystery before the darkness claims them too, readers will find themselves rooting for the sisters to overcome their differences and confront the demons of their past, stopping the house and the darkness inside it once and for all.
While I enjoyed the book, I felt the situation that nearly pulled the family apart could have delivered a stronger punch if there had been a more impactful reason behind what transpired. It all felt a little weak. I also felt the “big bad” was obvious, and some of the scenes felt as though they were lifted right out of familiar ghost stories we’ve seen (or read) before. Still, none of these issues were enough to completely ruin the overall story for me.
While I had minor issues with a few plot points, I still enjoyed the creepy atmosphere and complex family dynamics within the pages. This is a chilling read that will appeal to fans of horror, mystery, and supernatural fiction. If you are a fan of the Mike Flanagan “Haunting of Hill House” series, I would recommend checking this out.
