The Bay at Midnight

Diane Chamberlain never fails to deliver an interesting story with well defined characters and The Bay At Midnight is no exception. In trying to describe her writing, I can't possibly do her justice. I never fail to recommend her books to people who want a well written and unique story. The characters are all believable with flaws and virtues that make them seem real (and realistic), as well as likeable. This writing ability adds to the reading enjoyment, as the people in the stories aren't clearly divided by "the good" or "the bad", adding to the suspense as the plot reveals unexpected twists and turns. I won't go into the story line, but anyone who has ever visited or stayed at a beach community will find much to recognize here, with that bit of familiarity making it possible to almost envision it all, so well does Diane Chamberlain write. I happened to read this while on vacation at the beach, making it all the more enjoyable. I highly recommend not only this book, but all the books written by this author.

She is SUCH a good writer! I can't wait to see what she is coming up with next. Every book is different - and every one just has these unexpected twists and turns that keep you reading longer than you intended to.... like when you need sleep. The characters in this one are just wonderful. My favorite was Maria - the grandmother, 'though most of the story is told by one of her daughters, Julie, a writer of mystery novels, who was 12 when her sister dies and feels responsible for her part in her sisters death. The story goes from present day back and forth to 1962 where Maria's loses her daughter Izzy in a tragedy at the age of 17 at Bay Head Shores, in New Jersey - the family summer site. The story revolves around two families that lived next door to each other and spent their summers together at the Bay. Now, over 40 years have passed and an apparent note left by a dying man (who was the victims boyfriend when she died) indicates that a man prosecuted for murdering Izzy may have been innocent and so the case is reopened, and so are all the memories and scars of that fateful night that the tragedy occured for everyone at the Bay, and how it affected all their lives. There are a few other stories going on here, be prepared to stay up late. Diane flawlessly crafts her characters so you won't easily forget them once you've finished this. I read this in two days, I wanted to savor it a bit longer, but just could not put it down, like many others of her novels. Loved it and highly recommend it.

I absolutely love the way Diane writes. She develops the characters so beautifully that you can dream about them and feel like they're "real" and part of your life. And you hate to see the story end. As always when I'm reading her novels, I lose sleep trying to finish the book when it's too exciting to put down. I loved the mystery, the love story, the single mom point of view and the humor as well. It has it all----as Diane's stories always do. She's one of the best. I always look forward to her next book and know that I will enjoy it thoroughly. I always do. She never disappoints me. She just keeps getting better and better----when I think she's already the best. She thinks like a social worker and her stories show that part of her past life. Another great read from a truly wonderful woman.

On August 5, 1962 Julie's life changed completely. Until then she was an inquisitive 12 year old girl who dreamed of becoming the next Nancy Drew. She even has a bread box where she keeps things she finds which may be clues to a mystery further down the road. The bread box is a secret and is buried in a corner of the yard. The only one she shares the secret with is her big sister Izzy (Isabelle). The family is spending the summer, as usual, at their summer home. Izzy is 17 and interested in boys - especially Ned Chapman, the boy next door. Lucy is 9 and is afraid of everything so mainly stays close to home. But Julie spends the summer playing Nancy Drew, taking the boat out on the canal and fishing with her friends on the other side of the canal. Friends she's not supposed to see because they're black. Of course, being Julie she goes anyway. Izzy sneaks out at night to sit on the platform and meet Ned. Julie sneaks out too just to see what's going on. All pretty typical - until Julie mixes in Izzy and Ned's relationship and their lives are changed forever. Someone is murdered and someone is convicted of the murder. But years later, a letter is found which changes everything! I really enjoyed this book - the story just gradually grew until it became absolutely riveting. And full of surprises. In fact, I stayed up until almost 2AM to finish the book because I couldn't put it down. In other words, a VERY good read.

I've always loved Diane Chamberlain's work and have bought and read all her books. Any reader has favorites, of course, and I'm no exception. KEEPER OF THE LIGHT is my all-time favorite, but THE BAY AT MIDNIGHT runs a close second. It's always amazing to me how Chamberlain can give you just enough information to keep you hooked yet hold back enough to keep you in suspense about the ultimate outcome of the story. She's a marvelous writer, and her characters live in your mind for a long time. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.