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The Back Door of Midnight (Dark Secrets #5)

by Elizabeth Chandler

4.22 of 5 stars 4.22 · rating details · 2,210 ratings · 144 reviews

Elizabeth Chandler is a pseudonym for Mary Claire Helldorfer. She lives in Baltimore

Paperback, 224 pages

Expected publication: December 30th 2030 by Simon Pulse (first published November 16th 2010)

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Jan 20, 2013 Casey Macdonald rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Anna O’Neill Kirkpatrick is a teenaged girl about to enter college; She lost her mother in a robbery at their home when she was very young. She now is adopted by a family and lives in Baltimore and she is 18 years old. When school is just getting out she gets a letter from her uncle Will saying “Dear Anna, Would you visit us this summer? The sooner the better. Aunt Iris is doing poorly, and there are things I must tell you about your mother and out family. I want to do so while I am still clear...more Anna O’Neill Kirkpatrick is a teenaged girl about to enter college; She lost her mother in a robbery at their home when she was very young. She now is adopted by a family and lives in Baltimore and she is 18 years old. When school is just getting out she gets a letter from her uncle Will saying “Dear Anna, Would you visit us this summer? The sooner the better. Aunt Iris is doing poorly, and there are things I must tell you about your mother and out family. I want to do so while I am still clear-minded. –Uncle Will”(pg 3). When she arrives she soon finds that her family is well known around town to be crazy psychics and people are a little afraid of them. When she gets there she learns from her crazy Aunt Iris that her uncle Will had died a few nights before in a fire. The weird thing is the night of the fire Anna had a dream she was at a fire with her uncle and there was a lot of police men and firetrucks. She soon meets the boy next door and doesn’t know whether or not she can trust him so she is very hesitant around him. Anna learns a lot of new information just by talking to people and looking around the house at her uncles old papers and articles. She gets a bad feeling that all of the unfortunate events that have happened in the past years in the small town of Wisteria were not accidents. She goes snooping around and tries to figure out what is actually going on but she may be getting herself into danger that she does not know about.

I would say that my favorite character throughout the whole book is Anna. Anna is the main character and narrarator of the story and she is the girl trying to solve the mystery. The character did evolve throughout the story in the beginning of the story she believed many things like that her Aunt Iris was crazy and that she could trust certain people but she was all wrong. I think it was intended for you to like Anna because she is just a very level headed calm person who kept at things even though her life was in danger. Also, she was very cautious around some people she was careful who she put her trust in. In conclusion, I think it was intended for you to like Anna as a character and I think she is a very good role model.

Overall, I thought this book was amazing I could not put it down and and enjoyed every word of it. I loved everything the author did I especially liked how she made some people seem so innocent throughout the book and then in the end they were actually the bad guys. There was nothing I didn’t like about this book. I would recommend this book to anybody who like mystery/crime books and likes to be left in suspense because this book is very suspenseful. Overall, this is one of my favorite books that I have read so far.
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Nov 02, 2011 Katie C rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: finished-irp-books

After Anna receives a letter from her Uncle Will asking her to spend the summer with him, she plans to go to Wisteria and spend her last summer before college getting to know her only relative. When Anna arrives in Wisteria she is faced with the shocking reality that her Uncle Will has been murdered. Anna quickly realizes that the rumors that her aunt is mentally ill are true, but Anna feels like its her responsibility to stay with Iris and figure out the mystery.“People fear anyone who differs...more After Anna receives a letter from her Uncle Will asking her to spend the summer with him, she plans to go to Wisteria and spend her last summer before college getting to know her only relative. When Anna arrives in Wisteria she is faced with the shocking reality that her Uncle Will has been murdered. Anna quickly realizes that the rumors that her aunt is mentally ill are true, but Anna feels like its her responsibility to stay with Iris and figure out the mystery.“People fear anyone who differs from what is considered normal, and in a small town the idea of normal can be as narrow as the streets.” Everyone in Wisteria assumes that Anna must be as crazy as her aunt.
As if her summer wasn’t crazy enough, Anna finds herself falling for Zack, the cute boy next door. She is confused whether or not she should trust Zack, she doesn’t want to believe it, but she thinks that he might now more about her uncles murder than he is telling her. Zach asks Anna, “Actually, I came because I have a last-minute invitation. My friend Erika Gill is having a big party tomorrow night, one of those all-out birthday bashes that girls like. Want to go?" Anna replies, "No. Sorry." Zach starts to respond, "Since it's a catered thing, at a restaurant, I'll pick you up at- what did you say?" Anna repeats, "I'm sorry. I can't do it." Zach in shock asks Anna, "You're busy?" Anna repeats herself, "I just can't do it.” This part of the book surprised me, I thought for sure that Anna would say yes when Zack asked her out, and the fact that she later on does accept it, makes you question their relationship even more. After Anna begins her investigation, and makes a connection between her birth mothers murder and her uncles, she is determined to get to the bottom of it in fear that she may be next.

I really enjoyed this book, I have read other murder mysteries by Elizabeth Chandler, and this is by far my favorite. When I first started reading this book, I was worried that I was going to be bored because I thought it was going to be just like her other books. I soon got hooked into the mystery of the murders, and found myself questioning whether or not Anna should trust Zack. This book was very well-written, the language was easy to understand. Parts of this story were easy to relate to, but the mystery behind the murders are definitely what intrigued me. I would definitely recommend this book, especially if you have read other Elizabeth Chandler books.

I would rate this book a 4, although it was not quite a 5, it was still a very good book. It was one of those books that made you keep wanting to read, and wondering what was going to happen next. I felt myself questioning who I should trust as I read, and couldn’t figure out who the murderer was until the very end. (less)

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Sep 06, 2011 Christina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: highly-reccomend

From the very first chapter, this book got me hooked.
The Back Door of Midnight was the very first Elizabeth Chandler book I read, and it made me become a fan of her books. And out of all the books I have read by her, this still remains my

The plot was interesting and totally unpredictable. Throughout the story, I was trying to guess who was responsible for the murder of her uncle and I was completely surprised by the true identity of the murderer. The characters, though slightly underdeveloped,...more

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Jan 11, 2011 Rachael rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When Anna O’Neill receives a letter from her Uncle Will, requesting that she visit, she doesn’t think much of it. She expects to spend the summer before college getting to know her only remaining family better, but instead, upon her arrival in Wisteria, she finds out that Uncle Will has been murdered. The police have no real leads, and her possibly psychic or just crazy Aunt Iris is no help at all. Anna can’t just let it be, especially when she finds out that her uncle’s murder may be connected...more When Anna O’Neill receives a letter from her Uncle Will, requesting that she visit, she doesn’t think much of it. She expects to spend the summer before college getting to know her only remaining family better, but instead, upon her arrival in Wisteria, she finds out that Uncle Will has been murdered. The police have no real leads, and her possibly psychic or just crazy Aunt Iris is no help at all. Anna can’t just let it be, especially when she finds out that her uncle’s murder may be connected to the murder of her own mother years earlier. But is Anna really prepared to delve deep into Wisteria’s families’ deadly secrets? Caught between strange psychic visions, frightening threats, and a cute boy with secrets of his own, Anna will have to solve these murders—before she becomes the next victim.

Chandler has written many other paranormal murder mysteries set in Wisteria, so one would think that Dark Secrets 3 would bore me. I am happy to say that despite the many similarities that The Back Door of Midnight shares with the stories in Dark Secrets 1 and Dark Secrets 2, boredom was the farthest thing from my mind while reading this story. I became quite easily immersed in Anna’s story and investigation and was not at all disappointed by the murder mystery presented by Chandler. Where I believe Dark Secrets 3 triumphs over the other Dark Secrets stories is in romance. In both Dark Secrets 1 and Dark Secrets 2, I was rather disconcerted by how the heroine found love by the last page because the romantic relationships were always inadequately developed. However, Anna’s relationship with Zack in Dark Secrets 3 is much more satisfying when it comes to fruition because they had a real connection throughout the whole story. Overall, this latest addition to the Dark Secrets stories is entertaining and a highly enjoyable read.

Fans of Dark Secrets 1 and Dark Secrets 2 will enjoy Dark Secrets 3, as will readers who also liked Dark Visions by L.J. Smith.

reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com (less)

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Apr 08, 2013 Katherine K. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In the novel, The Back Door of Midnight, by Elizabeth Chandler, the main character is a young girl named Anna O'Neill Kirkpatrick.The book begins with a peculiar and alarming dream that Anna is having and it pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the book...odd.When Anna wakes up she realizes shes at home with her adopted family, but is about to leave Baltimore to go spend the summer with her Uncle Will and Aunt Iris. She feels unsure about going, but feels obligated because her Uncle Will ha...more In the novel, The Back Door of Midnight, by Elizabeth Chandler, the main character is a young girl named Anna O'Neill Kirkpatrick.The book begins with a peculiar and alarming dream that Anna is having and it pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the book...odd.When Anna wakes up she realizes shes at home with her adopted family, but is about to leave Baltimore to go spend the summer with her Uncle Will and Aunt Iris. She feels unsure about going, but feels obligated because her Uncle Will had sent her a letter and said "Dear Anna, would you visit us this summer? The sooner the better.Aunt Iris is doing poorly, and there are things I must tell you about your mother and our family. I want to do while I am still clear-minded"(pg 3).This is important to Anna because she lost her mother when she was just a toddler, and she knows she has a lot of things to piece together.This is shown in the text when she says "With my brain crammed full of chemistry and calculous,world history, and lit, maybe it was time to learn something never asked on the SATs: Who i was"(pg 5).When she arrives in Wisteria, the town where her family is from, she is shocked to hear that her Uncle Will had recently passed away in a fire.She's left with her mentally unstable Aunt, the well-known reputation around town that her family are strange physics, and many questions.As if things couldn't get anymore unclear she finds herself falling for the cute boy-next-door, Zack; she's trying to get clarity from anyone in town that will give it to her, including him but she's unsure of who to trust.She begins to wonder if someone or something is against her family, and if she's next.

My favorite character in this book was Anna. I think the author wrote it purposely so that she would be likable and the reader would want to be on her side. Anna was a very strong character and had to deal with a lot all on her own.I think she was also my favorite character because she was the narrator so there was a lot of insight on her feelings and her reactions to the events in the story.

I really enjoyed this book and I would definitely recommend it to a friend! It was different from books I usually read, but it was suspenseful, kept me interested, and it had a lot of mystery.It would be a good read for someone who gets bored easily reading, because with this book they wouldn't! It created curiosity and encouraged the reader to continue reading to find out what happened next. Overall, this was an entertaining book and I would recommend it to anyone looking for something exciting to read!(less)

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Jul 14, 2011 Nina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites, something-akin-to-horror-thriller, supernatural

I loved this one as much as I loved the previous two Dark Secrets collections.

Anna O'Neill Kirkpatrick has come to Wisteria to visit her great Uncle at his request, on the grounds that he wished to tell her something about the O'Neill family, only to find that he had died several days before. Instead she finds herself in the company of her crazy great Aunt Iris, who according to the O'Neill family is either psychic or psychotic. Anna doesn't yet believe she's psychic. However the circumstances a...more

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Feb 16, 2011 Maria Gallo rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I absolutely love the romance in this book. I love how you don't know it Zack is using Anna or actually trying to help her up until the end. I thought it was interesting how instead of Anna's crazy aunt decided to help Anna instead of her daughter that ended up being even more crazy than her. This book had a lot of thought in the after world and in spirits people supposedly leave behind when they die. Aunt Iris had this ability to talk with dead people. But since it was a small town she lived in...more

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Jan 05, 2011 Cassidy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: elizabeth-chandler, favorites

Okay I can say that this is not my favorite story written by Elizabeth Chandler, even though I still loved it!! I dont kno how to completely explain how I felt about this book. But I dont feel that it was as original as her other books. I kept having moments where I thought of one of her other books, as if different moments were repeats from another book. I saw much of 'Kissed By an Angle' and 'Dont Tell' in this story. Not that I am complaining since I absolutely loved both of those books but I...more

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Jun 14, 2011 Lesly rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It is about a girl name Anna who goes to vist her uncle, when she got the letter that he sent. When she arrives, she finds out that he died. She doesn't think it was accident, she thinks it's a murder. She begins to do her own investigating about it. At the mean time she stays with her aunt, and began to experience unexplainable things.

This book is amazing. It has a good ending and it talks about friendship and family. With the main character finding out who killed her uncle and the truth behin...more

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Dec 19, 2011 Jessica Isbell rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The main character Anna O'Neill of the novel The Back Door of Midnight recieved a letter from her Uncle Will asking her to spend the summer with him and his sister Iris, he wanted to tell Anna about her family. She already knew things were weird till she realized she was physic like her Aunt Iris that was when it got creepy sorta. But that is for you to read and see for yourself. Also you can't forget about Zack Flemming, he live's next door to Aunt Iris and he helps Anna solve the mystery to he...more

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Apr 20, 2011 Alicia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Back Door of Midnight by Elizabeth Chandler is 320 pages long and is the third book in a series. In a life with physics and physcos, Anna must find out a boat load of mysteries while keeping secrets as well. With her mother and uncle dead, her physic aunt is creepy and not making any sense. Zack Fleming, a boy that Anna is falling for fast, has many more secrets then he lets on. Later on, she finds out that he is just using her to distract her from the truth. Also, Zack's mother seems have a...more

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Oct 10, 2012 Camila Castaneda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The book that i chose was the back door to midnight. The plot of this book is that Anna has to go visit her psychic aunt for the summer. When she arrives she find that her uncle is dead. She tries to figure out who killed him and why. In the process she falls in love with this boy named Zack. my favorite quote in the book was is "do you like to be petted, or do you just put up with it ?" I like this quote because Anna is talking to a goat, plus the guy that she thinks is cute is watching her. I...more

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Jan 05, 2011 Nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So I really like these Wysteria mysteries, but I realized that Chandler's writing it sort of... detached and doesn't really flow sometimes, especially with dialogue. But I love how you think you know who's guilty and you know the whole story, and it turns out you weren't even close. That's what makes these stories great and why I keep reading them. And the little bit of romance too. Although I didn't feel like I got to know Zach as much as I wanted to. I didn't really see why she liked him besid...more

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Feb 06, 2013 Tamara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My initial thoughts in this book was that it would be similar to the other books in the series, which was correct. But I couldn't help but be disappointed. I don't know whether I was comparing to the other books to much but I could get into this one as much. I felt that Anna and Zacks relationship was a bit to typical and I felt very let down. That being said I still enjoyed the book very much and will read again in due time. But if you haven't read any other of this series you can read this and...more

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Jan 13, 2012 Tanner F rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, realistic-fiction, mystery

The Back Door of Midnight, by Elizabeth Chandler, is about a teenager, Anna O’Neill. When Anna was a little girl she lived with her aunt and uncle after her mother was killed in a house robbery. Soon after the robbery she was adopted and moved to live with her new mother and siblings. Anna had still visited her Uncle Will and Aunt Iris in Wisteria every now and then. Although she hadn’t seen them in a wile when she got a letter in the mail from her Uncle Will. “Dear Anna, Would you visit us this...more The Back Door of Midnight, by Elizabeth Chandler, is about a teenager, Anna O’Neill. When Anna was a little girl she lived with her aunt and uncle after her mother was killed in a house robbery. Soon after the robbery she was adopted and moved to live with her new mother and siblings. Anna had still visited her Uncle Will and Aunt Iris in Wisteria every now and then. Although she hadn’t seen them in a wile when she got a letter in the mail from her Uncle Will. “Dear Anna, Would you visit us this summer? The sooner the better. Aunt Iris is doing poorly, and their are things I need to tell you about your mother and our family. I want to do so while I am still clear-minded. Uncle Will.” (Chandler 3). Anna decided that she would go and visit them so that she could hear what her uncle wanted to tell her about. When she got there she learned that her Uncle had just died a few days ago from a fire. Somebody had shoved him in the trunk of a car and then set the car on fire, and the police had know idea who it was. Anna’s neighbor Zack, a rich boy her age, tells her a little about the night her uncle died. He claims thats all that he knows but Anna thinks he knows more than he’s telling her. “You should talk with Sheriff McManus.” “I will talk to him,” I said as Zack headed for the door, “but I get the feeling you know something he doesn't.” (Chandler 33). She soon realizes that she might be psychic like her birth mother and aunt, she keeps having dreams that are connecting and teaching her about the night her Uncle Will had died. Then she starts looking at clues about the night of the fire and who could have done it, she learns that whoever did killed her uncle could be after her now. 
I have read a lot of books by Elizabeth Chandler and have liked them all. Most of her books though, have the same setting. Their is a mystery and the main character trying to figure out what happened. That kind of gave the ending away for me because I guessed what would happen based off of her other books. I think that if you like mysteries and some romance that you will like this book.
I gave this book a 4 out of 5. At a lot of points I didn’t want to put this book down because I wanted to know what would happen next. In conclusion, I thought that this was a very good book, if you like a book with a lot of mystery in it you might want to try this or other books by Elizabeth Chandler.  (less)

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Jan 26, 2013 Sadie added it · review of another edition

Shelves: series, young-adult, cutsie, mystery, original

There are different reasons for reading books, sometimes to simply appreciate the beauty of the writing, sometimes to learn something, sometimes to open your mind to new ideas... there are tons of reasons. My reason for reading this one was pretty simple, I needed an escape, all I was doing for weeks was revising and needed a book that I could read for a couple of minutes a day and feel relief, escape.

I wanted fluff. Complete and utter fluff. Nothing that would make me think too hard but also, n...more There are different reasons for reading books, sometimes to simply appreciate the beauty of the writing, sometimes to learn something, sometimes to open your mind to new ideas... there are tons of reasons. My reason for reading this one was pretty simple, I needed an escape, all I was doing for weeks was revising and needed a book that I could read for a couple of minutes a day and feel relief, escape.

I wanted fluff. Complete and utter fluff. Nothing that would make me think too hard but also, nothing stupid, sexist or damn annoying which would make me very, very angry. The Back Door of Midnight ticked all the boxes, Chandler is a great Young Adult author and I would definitely recommend this book if you're in dire need of escape or if you just enjoy a cute book because... that's just it: The Back Door of Midnight is a cute mystery with a slightly dark feel and a touch of romance thrown in for good measure.

Anna is a likeable protagonist who goes through a lot but is still able to work through her problems with a clear head. It was a little strange how little the death of Anna's uncle affected her but if Anna was a real person, I would totally be okay with talking to her and being friends (I have now decided I'm putting female protagonists into one of two categories when I read a book, either yes, we could be friends or no, she should just remain a fictional character forever). The romance is a little underdeveloped and the love interest, Zack, is a bit of a douche if I'm being perfectly honest.

However, the plot makes up for the slightly disappointing love story, it was fun to guess who the murderer was and how all the characters were connected. It was shocking when the killer was revealed! This could be because I really wasn't thinking too much when reading The Back Door of Midnight or because I haven't had much experience in reading mysteries but whatever the reasoning behind why I was shocked, I was shocked all the same.

If I had read this book at a different time I probably would've automatically disliked The Back Door of Midnight for the lack of character development and disappointing romance however not being completely invested in the characters made putting down the book more easy to do when I really needed to revise. You would think that it would be hard to pick up the book again for the same reason but I thoroughly enjoyed the plot and the overall feel of the book is pretty original; both fluffy and dark at the same time.

In one sentence? The Back Door of Midnight is an entertaining read.

More reviews and my music choice for The Back Door of Midnight can be found on my blog, Lyrics. :) (less)

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Jun 19, 2011 Whoa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's a short read but again, I felt like I read the same story over and over again with her other books. It basically the same idea but with different people and situations. The descriptions in this one was longer and I just had to skim through it because it was pointless.
And she got some really weird addiction to setting her stories in Wisteria, because it only adds to the unoriginality of it. The characters arent really fully developed and in 200 something pages, they have feelings for each ot...more

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Jul 27, 2011 Victoria rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-ya

I love Chandler's books. Absolutely devoured each one. Though, I have to say this one fell a little flat for me in certain areas.

The plot held up to my expectations. Nothing was what it seemed. I was shocked and scared while reading this story and that is what makes Chandler a great young-adult mystery writer. You never know what is going to happen next or who is guilty. You can try to guess all you want, but you won't figure it out.

The characters were memorable with realistic dialogue and emo...more

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Mar 20, 2011 Shannon (aka Readergirl) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the kind of story I really like. It had such an awesome mixture of paranormal, mystery, suspense, and romance in it. It held my attention from the very first page. I've always been a fan of Elizabeth Chandler's Dark Secrets stories, and this was a great addition to the list.

Anna was one of my favorite characters of Chandler's so far. She was so smart and resourceful. She's on her own throughout the story, and when she arrives at her aunt and uncle's house, she really just takes charge a...more

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Apr 01, 2011 Malynda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love Elizabeth Chandler. LOVE her. Her two Dark Secrets novels Don’t Tell and No Time to Die are two of my absolute favorite, and they are the books that really got me into reading many, many years ago. The mystery, the characters, the setting, and the romance are dead on in those books, and I have never had a complaint, so I was sure I would love The Back Door of Midnight. While I do like it, I don’t love it as I had hoped.

In typical Elizabeth Chandler Dark Secrets fashion, a teenage girl ret...more I love Elizabeth Chandler. LOVE her. Her two Dark Secrets novels Don’t Tell and No Time to Die are two of my absolute favorite, and they are the books that really got me into reading many, many years ago. The mystery, the characters, the setting, and the romance are dead on in those books, and I have never had a complaint, so I was sure I would love The Back Door of Midnight. While I do like it, I don’t love it as I had hoped.

In typical Elizabeth Chandler Dark Secrets fashion, a teenage girl returns to some childhood place to solve a tragedy/murder mystery close to her heart and connect with a cute teenage boy in the process. Anna comes from a family of psychics, so, naturally, she has the psychic gift, too. She receives a message from her Uncle Will to come stay with him and crazy Aunt Iris, because he has something important about the family to discuss with her. Before arriving to their house, Anna has a ‘dream’ involving a fire and her uncle. When she arrives to their house, she finds out from her aunt that her uncle died in a fire. Anna decides to stay with her aunt even though her aunt hears voices, talks to herself, and throws things around the house, among other things, and use her psychic abilities to find out the truth behind her uncle’s death. In the process, Anna meets the cute boy next door Zack who actually gives Anna many reasons not to trust him.

I really can’t pinpoint exactly why I don’t love this one; it’s just a feeling. The story didn’t really resonate with me. Maybe it has something to do with the psychic aspect of the story, which I found a little boring, and I don’t connect with that.

The characters are well developed as is the plot, and I don’t find anything wrong with this book as far as the writing is concerned (I love Elizabeth’s writing); it’s just about the lack of connection to the story and the characters. The character of Aunt Iris is great, though. That woman is stark raving mad, a complete lunatic. She freaked me out several times. The mystery is interesting, but unlike her other Dark Secrets novels that I’ve read, I figured out who the culprit is not even halfway through the book, so there was no surprise for me.

This is a good story, it just doesn’t hold up to her other Dark Secrets novels that I’ve read. (less)

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May 20, 2011 Briana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-personal-library, great-lesser-known-books

Excerpt from my review below. You can read my full, in-depth review here: http://thebookpixie.blogspot.com/2011...

"I read the first book in Chandler's Dark Secrets series, Legacy of Lies, in 2007 during the last half of my 8th grade year. I fell in love and went in search online for the titles of the others. My search quickly turned up the next three books in the series, which I read. There was also mention of a fifth book in the series, The Back Door of Midnight. I looked all over the place onl...more Excerpt from my review below. You can read my full, in-depth review here: http://thebookpixie.blogspot.com/2011...

"I read the first book in Chandler's Dark Secrets series, Legacy of Lies, in 2007 during the last half of my 8th grade year. I fell in love and went in search online for the titles of the others. My search quickly turned up the next three books in the series, which I read. There was also mention of a fifth book in the series, The Back Door of Midnight. I looked all over the place online. The book wasn't available anywhere and the publication dates spanned from the 80's to the 2020's. Someone had uploaded a cover photo to Amazon and I emailed them asking them about the book with no response. I decided the book must have been sucked into a black hole.

At the beginning of 2010, a miracle occurred and The Back Door of Midnight showed itself on Goodreads with a legitimate release date. And not just any release date but my 18th birthday! After waiting about 4 years for this book, I have finally had the chance to read it (Thanks Shannon. *huggles*)............................................................

The Back Door of Midnight is an alluring concoction of subtle paranormal elements and a captivating mystery. Chandler has this way of weaving in the supernatural so that it beneficially adds to the plot but doesn't overtake or consume it, allowing the mystery at hand to be the real star. While there were a couple of things I had figured out, there were always other questions that kept me guessing and twists that left me shocked. Also, the town of Wisteria contributes beautifully and acts as the perfect setting..............................................................

After it had been so long since having read the other books in this series, I admit that part of me was nervous that I wouldn't enjoy this one as much as I remembered enjoying the others. Well the worrying was senseless because The Back Door of Midnight just reminded me of how much I love these books and why. Though I gotta say, I think The Deep End of Fear remains my favorite. For those of you wondering, while these books have small connections tying them together, they don't have to be read in order and also stand alone quite well. That being said, I highly recommend the Dark Secrets books to, well, everyone and I know I'll re-read them all again in the future." (less)

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Dec 30, 2010 Meghan P rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The back door at midnight was much better than I expected. When I heard the book was about psychics I was worried the whole story would be about tarot cards and palm readings but the theme was not overdone and actually made the book better. The overall mystery in the book was really good and had me guessing until the end. None of the story seemed dragged out to long or rushed at all. Overall I felt this book was a fun easy read with a decent mystery to it.

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Feb 04, 2011 Brock Scales rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Back Door Of Midnight by: Elizabeth Chandler wasn't as good as the other Dark Secret novels. Anna who had a dream about a fire that her Uncle Will was in. When she got to his and Aunt Iris's house she discovered he died the same night of the dream. Her aunt shes crazy and thinks she talks to spirits even Will. Now Anna has to find out who killed Will and what family thing he need to tell her. It was good and I really liked it. This is a highly recommended young adult book from me. Hope you r...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Mireya rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 17, 2011 Ashley rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I’ve read a majority of Elizabeth Chandler’s work, and I truly love her writing style and her characters. So I was very, very excited to read this installment in the Dark Secrets series. But to be honest, it wasn’t anything extraordinary. I feel as though it was a rehash of the previous Dark Secrets novels. I knew who the killer was long before it was revealed, and that ruined the ending of the story for me.

Elizabeth Chandler still has her distinct writing style, and her unique way of building...more

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Dec 31, 2010 Catherine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adolescent-books

If I could I would give this book another 1/2 star. I wasn't too sure if I was going to like this book until about chapter six, but I ended up really liking it.

Chandler weaves a story with interesting characters. Right up until the end, I did not know what all the secrets were. I can usually figure out what is going to happen at the end of the book, but Chandler doesn't give away her secrets until she is ready to.

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Dec 22, 2010 Ashley rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: family, guilt, mystery-suspense, series, teen, paranormal

I was really excited to see that there was a new Dark Secrets novel, having been a big fan of the other books and this one didn't disappoint. I liked the story and the mystery and suspense that the Dark Secrets novels have and this one definitely followed that formula but the only thing that was missing was the romance. There was a romantic interest but there were complications and it was never really a developed relationship so I was a bit disappointed by that but other than that it was exactly

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Mar 30, 2012 Julia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anybody

The Back Door of Midnight starts of with Anna getting a letter from an uncle asking her to stay at his house. (view spoiler)

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Dec 27, 2010 Jess rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I thought this book was decent. I'd even have given it a 3.5 if possible. It did irritate me that the author kept using the word "manse" to describe how big Zach's house was. Who uses a word like that more than once? Also, doesnt it seem odd that her adopted mother never calls to check on her? Textng is one thing, but I still would have expected her to call at least once. I think Aunt Mollie is going to turn into Aunt Iris one day...she had the cats well-trained :)

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Jul 09, 2012 Christine rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I saw this book at our school book fair and it looked interesting. i bought it and fell in love with Elizabeth Chandlers work. after that i went to books a million and got her Kissed by an Angel trilogy (1-4). However after reading The Back Door of Mindnight i discovered it was the 3rd book in the series :(... hope you enjou her books too!!

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About Elizabeth Chandler

Elizabeth Chandler is a pseudonym for Mary-Claire Helldorfer. She currently lives in Baltimore, Maryland.

More about Elizabeth Chandler...

Books by Elizabeth Chandler

Kissed by an Angel (Kissed by an Angel, #1-3)

Legacy of Lies & Don't Tell (Dark Secrets, #1-2)

No Time to Die & The Deep End of Fear (Dark Secrets, #3-4)

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Quotes from The Back Door of Midnight

“I glanced up at him. "I love things that are beautiful when you don't expect them to be.” — 34 people liked it

“Fix yourself something to drink," she said. "I don't have any Mr. Pepper."
"You mean Dr. Pepper?"
"For the love of God!" She exploded. "People expect everything from a psychic! 'Doctor,' 'mister,' I was close enough. I didn't call it 'Mrs. Salt,' did I?” — 30 people liked it

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The Back Door of Midnight (Dark Secrets #5)

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