The
Clock Strikes Midnight is a race against time in a quest for revenge
and atonement. This is a story about hate, love, betrayal and
forgiveness.
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.
Hiding behind the façade of a normal life, Janie keeps her family
secrets tucked inside a broken heart. Everything changes on the day she
learns she’s going to die. With the clock ticking and her time running
out, she rushes to finish what she couldn’t do when she was 17—destroy
her mother’s killer. But she can’t do it alone.
Janie returns to her childhood home to elicit help from her sister. She
faces more than she bargained for when she discovers her sister’s life
in shambles. Meanwhile her mother’s convicted killer, her stepfather,
recently released from prison, blackmails the sisters and plots to
extract millions from the state in retribution. New revelations
challenge Janie’s resolve, but she refuses to allow either time or her
enemies to her stop her from uncovering the truth she’s held captive for
over 20 years.
Warning there are some sensitive topics that are discussed in the storyline involving things pertaining to sexual abuse, abortion, and post partum depression.
Janie has been diagnosed with Cancer and her doctor has given her 3 months to live. With the reality of death on the horizon Janie decides it’s time to deal with her past and put some things she’s been putting off in order. She has a list she needs to complete before her time runs out and that means she needs to go back home to Atlanta to face her demons, to face her stepfather Ralph who killed her mother. It’s been 20 years since she ran away from Atlanta leaving her past behind her but she has a plan. Once she’s back home she ‘s going to contact her sister Marlene and convince her estranged older sister that it’s in both their best interests if they work together. However, Janie’s plan doesn’t go as smooth as she thought it would. Marlene isn’t exactly in a good place. She’s harboring anger and bitterness over Janie disappearing on her 20 years ago, her marriage is in shambles and she’s turning into a depressive and angry alcoholic like their mother.
Most of the characters in the story aren’t exactly likeable nor are they perfect. They make mistakes and do some rather selfish things but it’s their raw and relatable imperfections that make them compelling and as a reader I couldn’t help but want to delve deeper into the psychology of each character and pick away at their misguided attempts. I was won over by Marlene and Janie’s determination and inner strength. The two are complex characters with layer upon layer of secrets and emotions that once pulled back reveal moments in their childhood that shaped them as adults. I don’t want to reveal too much of what happens so I don’t take away from the insights and nuances that build up the mysterious reasons behind Janie’s plans.
The storyline transitions between the past and the present and between different points of view from Janie’s perspective, to Marlene’s, to their mother Eloise who as a teenager went through something that would one day shape Marlene and Janie’s future. The transitioning was done smoothly and in a way that allowed the story to reveal itself in a gripping manner adding to the intensity of the plot. The book was suspenseful and dramatic with touches of loss, tragedy, adversity, love and family unity.
“Daddy,
when I get my kitty, can I name him Davy?” she had asked, yanking Marlene’s
Davy Crockett mug full of M&M’s from her grasp.
The colorful candy spilled all over the backseat of the car.
The colorful candy spilled all over the backseat of the car.
“Mama,
tell Janie to—”
"Janie,
behave,” Daddy said, admonishing her for an instant with his eyes from the
rearview mirror.
“Malcolm,
look out—!” Mom screamed.
Janie
slammed into Marlene. Pain. The world tumbled topsy-turvy. The mug flew across
the interior of the car, colors of the rainbow falling all around her.
Then,
everything went black.
When
she opened her eyes, Mom’s blood-streaked face rose in front of her out of the
darkness.
“Wrap
your arms around my neck, honey.” Mom lifted her from the wreckage.
Janie
clutched her doll by the dress while the rain beat her curly hair flat.
Marlene
stood on the side of the road.
“Try
to walk,” Mom said, toppling her from her arms.
Her
head pounded and blood trickled down her leg. She leaned on her good leg and
limped in the direction of her sister.
“Mama,
where’s Daddy?” Marlene asked between sobs.
Mom
took Marlene’s hand and yanked her forward with Janie in tow.
Marlene
lurched back toward the smashed Oldsmobile with smoke billowing from its hood
and a big tree lying across the roof. The Davy Crockett mug lay shattered by
the back tire.
“Daddy!
We can’t leave Daddy!” Marlene yelled, picking up pieces of the broken glass.
They
had left Daddy that day and piled into an old Chevy pick-up truck with a bashed
in headlamp, belonging to a man with carrot-red hair. Mom pushed them inside
the truck and ordered the man to get help. But by then it was too late for
Daddy.
It
was too late for all of them.
Hi, Thank you for hosting me today and for the very nice, thoughtful review of The Clock Strikes Midnight. I'm gratified that readers are finding it moving as well as a pleasant read.
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