Jax Jackson has returned to Blackberry because of Frankie's retirement. If she takes the position of Police Chief she'll be closer to her parents and the friends she made in the case that brought the madman, Mordecai Young, to an end. Although, it was a nightmare of a case, Frankie and most of the residents in Blackberry claim that crime isn't that big, but they forgot to mention River Corbett and the fact he is in a mental hospital because he pleaded guilty to the murder of his pregnant wife.

When she gets saved by a homeless man who is awfully thin, all things start to unravel. Especially, the case against Corbett. Something isn't right. Someone who would pull her from the ice cold river couldn't have murdered anybody. Why would he kill one and then save another?

Everything starts moving so fast. If anything, there has to be a way to find out what happened a year ago, without getting herself killed or losing the job that Frankie has offered, but then again, Jax has seen the haunted look in Dawn's eyes. Now she isn't so sure.

If you have read Maggie Shayne's Thicker Than Water and Colder Than Ice, you really shouldn't miss DARKER THAN MIDNIGHT. Ms. Shayne once again takes on a suspenseful ride as she delves into a world where everything is different than it seems. From the beginning, she shows us how one event in Jax's life shaped the person she has become and her determination to protect her father from himself. Supporting the main storyline, she revisits Dawn and the impact of a gift she wants to desperately get rid of. I am anxiously waiting to see what happens to her next.