Midnight    by Kevin Egan Order:  USA  Can Forge, 2013 (2013) Hardcover, e-Book      Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth In Kevin Egan's Midnight, what initially seemed a farce quickly became a serious mystery with more twists and turns than I anticipated. It's a great plot, with one twist in particular at the finale that I really didn't expect. We start off with a judge who has the audacity to die in his chambers of natural causes! The problem is that unless he lives until at least a stroke past midnight on New Year's Eve, two members of his staff will lose their jobs. If he lives into the new year, their jobs will be secure for the whole year. What a quandary. What to do to save their livelihoods? Tom used poor judgment and now owes a considerable sum to a moneylender from whom he borrowed to pay off his gambling debts. Moneylenders are not patient people. Carol, a single mother, also takes care of her own mother who is slowly losing the battle for her mind. Carol's salary does not go far enough. As it seemed nothing else could go wrong, something else jumped onto the pages, taking me by surprise, and my concern for Tom and Carol escalated. There are good guys as well as the baddies. Each time I thought the baddies would get their comeuppance, they didn't. Of course, Carol and Tom's solution for the inconsiderate judge's body doesn't work out as they expected. Another character deserving of mention is Foxx. He plays a large role in the story and always seems to be lurking in the background. For a new and refreshing slant on mystery, don't miss Midnight by Kevin Egan. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews