Midnight at the bookstore

When a bookstore patron takes his own life in the middle of the store, his favorite saleswoman is forced to piece together the puzzle he left behind in Midnight at the Bookstore , Matthew Sullivan's smart and thrilling debut thriller.

Lydia leads a reclusive life. An employee at the Brilliant Ideas bookstore, she maintains a meticulously calculated existence among her beloved books, her eccentric coworkers, and the BookFrogs—the bookstore's lost, lonely regulars who spend their days browsing the store's overflowing shelves.

But when Joey, a young BookFrog, takes his own life upstairs at Bright Ideas, Lydia's routine is turned upside down. Joey's favorite saleswoman, he left her his only inheritance: books. But as she leafs through them, she realizes they've been vandalized in a disturbing and enigmatic way. They reveal the psyche of a troubled young man. And they seem to contain a hidden message. What did Joey know? And what does this have to do with Lydia?

As Lydia investigates the mystery of Joey's death, she unearths a long-forgotten memory from her own childhood. Reminiscences of a bloody night begin to resurface. Her estranged father returns, along with an obsessed police officer. And it doesn't take long for her to discover that a killer who has long been in her life is never completely gone.

Midnight at the Bookstore is Matthew Sullivan's electrifying debut novel. A suspenseful mystery, with a touch of bookishness—sometimes a bit disturbing—it's sure to captivate both thriller fans and literature lovers.

“Addictive.” – Nina George, author of The Little Bookshop in Paris

“A mysterious story, full of twists and turns and eccentric characters, which makes this book unique.” – Kirkus Reviews

“This original book will especially appeal to puzzle solvers and book fans.” – Booklist