The Long Night by Christian White

The long night is an intense, horrifying thriller that kept me rivetted to the page, unable to put it down. The publisher’s blurb will give a background as I don’t want to add any spoilers to this mind-blowing novel.

Em has lived a quiet life with her complicated mother and is now looking for love and a potential escape from her small hometown. When a masked man kidnaps her in the dark of night, though, she is drawn into a terrifying world.

Jodie has been trying to forget a troubling time in her life, pouring her trauma into her work and out of her mind. Until one night her daughter is kidnapped and Jodie is dragged back into the violence.

As Em and Jodie race into the darkness, the agony of the past rushes up to meet them. It will take all their devotion and courage to escape this night alive.

The long night is complex with twists and turns that I found difficult to work out and I was surprised with the ending when all the threads were finally joined. White’s technique of leaving chapters with cliff-hangers compelled me to continue reading in a couple of sittings. And it was easy to relate to the characters and their horrifying situations.

Not to be missed for fans of dark mysteries, The long night is a chilling and engrossing story that I could easily visualise as a fabulous TV series. Readers who haven't read other books by White could enjoy The nowhere child, winner of the Victoria Premier's Literary Awards, The wife and the widow, winner of the Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Novel 2020, and The ledge, Indie Book Awards shortlist 2025.

Themes: Horror, Kidnapping, Art.

Pat Pledger