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Nightfall (Jack Nightingale #1)

by Stephen Leather (Goodreads Author)

3.87 of 5 stars 3.87 · rating details · 699 ratings · 115 reviews

‘You are going to Hell, Jack Nightingale.’ They are the words that ended Jack Nightingale’s career as a negotiator with the Metropolitan Police. But two years later, when Nightingale is a struggling Private Eye, the words come back to haunt him. Nightingale discovers that he was adopted at birth and that his real father, a confirmed Satanist, sold Nightingale’s soul to a d...more

Paperback, 441 pages

Published by Hodder & Stoughton (first published January 1st 2010)

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Jul 25, 2011 Michael rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Michael by: Brad

Shelves: thriller, horror, 2010

This book was a lot different than expected, the private detective dealing with the fact his soul was sold to a devil, made for a very weird story. I’ve heard Stephen Leather always does bizarre stories and while it was odd, I really did enjoy Nightfall. I was recommended this author by someone that doesn’t read much, so I was a little hesitant in reading it, but it turned out well. Looking forward to trying some more Stephen Leather.

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Dec 02, 2012 Kelly Maybedog Hawkins marked it as never

Shelves: why-focus-on-behavior

http://stephenleather.blogspot.co.uk/...

Quote from author: "One thing I have never been able to understand is why an organisation like the National Black Police Association is allowed to exist. It is by its very nature racist - hoping to promote the interests of a group solely on the basis of the colour of its members. A police officer can lose his job if he is found to be a member of the British National Party, which in the past excluded non-whites. But the NPBA, which is solely for non-white p...more http://stephenleather.blogspot.co.uk/...

Quote from author: "One thing I have never been able to understand is why an organisation like the National Black Police Association is allowed to exist. It is by its very nature racist - hoping to promote the interests of a group solely on the basis of the colour of its members. A police officer can lose his job if he is found to be a member of the British National Party, which in the past excluded non-whites. But the NPBA, which is solely for non-white police officers, is allowed to operate with impunity. Hardly seems fair, does it?"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfr...:

"Stephen Leather, who churns outs [sic] ebook and paperback thrillers, boasted at last month's Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival: 'As soon as my book is out I'm on Facebook and Twitter several times a day talking about it. I'll go on to several forums, the well-known forums, and post there under my name and under various other names and various other characters. You build up this whole network of characters who talk about your books and sometimes have conversations with yourself.'

Leather was not ashamed. He crowed like a prize cock and expected his fellow crime writers to applaud his cunning.

Jeremy Duns, a British thriller writer who exposes plagiarists in his spare time, found that Leather was nastier than that. When he wanted to fake an identity, Leather picked on Steve Roach, a minor writer who had made disobliging remarks about one of his books. Leather created Twitter "sockpuppet" accounts in the names of @Writerroach and @TheSteveRoach. Roach described on an Amazon forum how one account had '16,000 followers all reading "my" tweets about how much "I" loved SL's books'. He was nervous. He told Duns in a taped conversation that Leather was 'very powerful' and not a man to be crossed. Roach emailed Leather and begged to be left alone. Pleased that his cyber bullying campaign had worked, Leather graciously gave Roach control of the @Writerroach account he had created, to Roach's 'great relief'."

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Oct 09, 2012 Dayna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Nightfall ( ISBN 978-1612182292) is a 438-page paperback novel by Stephen Leather. The book is published by 47North and consists of seventy-seven chapters. Nightfall is a fast paced, action packed read, and it is a book that is hard to put down once you start reading it. This novel is the first in a trilogy and I am definitely looking forward to seeing the sequels to this book. The book is a thriller, with a main character named Jack Nightingale, a former police negotiator who later becomes a pr...more

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Apr 24, 2012 Jimmmunchel rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was told recently by a family member that I need to write something on Facebook besides my opinion on books that I have read...Well, not this time. The reason for staying on course is due to the credit of an author by the name of Stephen Leather. He has written a trilogy of horror/detective thrillers subtitled THE NIGHTENGALE TRILOGY..The first book is entitled NIGHTFALL.
Jack Nightengale has a job he is damn good at. He is a police negotiator working in his native England and his specialty is...more

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Jan 23, 2012 James rated it 5 of 5 stars

In the last year I have been introduced to the amazing works of Stephen Leather and his Dan Shepherd series. I loved them. They were great in every single way, and when I saw that he had branched out into a more supernatural genre I was eager to give it a go. I was however concerned as some people felt that he was out of his comfort zone with this one, but to be perfectly honest, I don't think he was at all.

In fact, this is as good if not - and I feel almost disloyal to his amazing Shepherd boo...more In the last year I have been introduced to the amazing works of Stephen Leather and his Dan Shepherd series. I loved them. They were great in every single way, and when I saw that he had branched out into a more supernatural genre I was eager to give it a go. I was however concerned as some people felt that he was out of his comfort zone with this one, but to be perfectly honest, I don't think he was at all.

In fact, this is as good if not - and I feel almost disloyal to his amazing Shepherd books - better than his previous books. I had no trouble at all with giving this Five Stars and indeed was a bit annoyed that you couldn't give six.

The plot was amazing. It was somehow an incorporation of thriller, supernatural and detective work all in one and the way that he made it so you didn't know where one began and the other ended... impressive. In fact, all the way through the book you are consistently questioning - something that Leather is so damn good at (in the Shepherd books he makes you question the real world, in this book he makes you question what's real and what's not) - yourself whether this supernatural world exists, or whether it is the mad idea of a crazy person that drives a detective story. Seriously, all the way through I was unsure whether I was reading a supernatural or thriller or detective. And I love that. It had me on my toes all the way through. Absolutely amazing.

Examples of this would be (view spoiler)(view spoiler) There are plenty more, but these two are the easiest to think of and are just a hundreth of what is in store for you. Amazing.

And the characters; what can I say? WOW. Nightingale is brilliant... so real, so intense so damned vivid. I can't really explain what I mean, but he is one of those characters that you just click with. Perfect. Then there is Jen, who is just right as a character. I hope she gets as much face time, if not more in the future books as she was just a joy to behold - I don't think I would laugh if someone said they had a crush on her, she is so real and tangible. And these two are just the main cast... the rest... to have a back up cast as good as this is just amazing, and lends so much credibility and kudos to your work I am seriously surprised this book has not had much more attention. Amazing; from Hoyle, to Chalmers, His blood father to blood mother and everyone in between. A*

Then you have writing. I often say that there are three styles of writing - 1: bad 2: average and unnoticeable and 3: amazing - and if anything this is the one part of the book that Leather lets himself down on. NO, I am not saying his writing is shit. It just doesn't blow me away. BUT, do not let this put you off this masterpiece. When I say the writing is not brilliant, I mean it is not some of the best writing ever. What it is, is right. It tells the story effortlessly, you don't notice it so it doesn't take anything away from the story, but it takes you from one point to the next and keeps you captivated throughout. For a book to get amazing writing from me, I have to finish the book and actually be consciously aware of how amazing the writing alone was. Still, I sound like I am slagging his writing. I AM NOT. It is perfect for the book. Please don't take it the wrong way.

Anyway, should you read? Without a frigging doubt. Leather is one of the most underrated and unappreciated authors that I can think of at the moment. Tell your friends, your neighbours, your barber, your damned enemies. But tell people. This is a book to read, and this author is a guy to watch out for. Do not do your self a disservice and not read this, because you will be missing out on an experience.

This book reminds me why I love to read so much.

Have Fun Reading.

[I do admit, this might sound like I am going over the top. But I can't think of any other way to separate this book from the rest in it's sheer awesomeness. It may not be my favourite book of all time, but is damned close] (less)

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Feb 15, 2010 D.M. rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: readers of trashy horror thrillers

Shelves: thrillers

Wanting to treat myself to a good thriller, I perused several titles and back cover blurbs until I decided upon 'Nightfall' by an author I had not read previously.

I was soon to discover that it would be the first and last time I'd read a title by this author and I couldn't wait to finish it, even though it picked up in the last quarter. In fact a sticker on the cover of this trade paperback declares, “Love this book or your money back”!

The plot sounds intriguing and reminiscent of the movie 'Fal...more Wanting to treat myself to a good thriller, I perused several titles and back cover blurbs until I decided upon 'Nightfall' by an author I had not read previously.

I was soon to discover that it would be the first and last time I'd read a title by this author and I couldn't wait to finish it, even though it picked up in the last quarter. In fact a sticker on the cover of this trade paperback declares, “Love this book or your money back”!

The plot sounds intriguing and reminiscent of the movie 'Fallen' and had the promise of being a page-turner:
Private detective Jack Nightingale inherits a mansion with a hidden library of occult books. He discovers he was adopted and his biological father has said that Jack's soul was sold at birth to a devil and will be collected on his 33rd birthday. Jack has to find a way to stop this, but first getting past the incredulity of it all. Much of the novel, consequently, was padded out with the characters discussing whether it was possible to have a soul and whether it was possible to make contract with a devil for one. This goes on and on all throughout the 441 pages until the final chapters.

I felt at times the author had some potential to have got this story more together somehow, more inspiringly written, but to this reader it was much like a fifties-styled penny dreadful. Here's a sample:

"Nightingale reached the front of the queue and handed a twenty-pound note to the cashier, a rotund woman in her fifties with blue-rinsed hair and green eye-shadow.”

A woman in her fifties in the second decade of the 21st century would be very unlikely to have blue-rinsed hair. This sort of hair style would have been about 50 years ago. Sloppy.

There is product placement that is liberally smattered throughout in the way of the main character's absolute and adored love of cigarettes (I found myself coughing with the smelliness of it all!) with, naturally, all the diatribe about how 'cigarettes can kill you'. The cigarettes are a bad prop and the product placement is ad-nauseum.

I feel the novel has been wrongly packaged; the cover showing one of those ubiquitous predominately black and shadowy with some occult symbols plastered on. This, I suppose, is what the contemporary 'crime' novel looks like on a bookstore shelf. And this is what I think the problem is – how the books are marketed. This particular novel – and those like this one – I feel could benefit from having some individualistic artwork done, maybe showing more about what you might be buying – like what they produced in those amazing gumshoe covers of the fifties.

And so with a book such this, more a horror/thriller title with lots of death and people offing themselves, it's more a 'romp' (if you could call lots of death and people offing themselves for literary convenience a romp) rather than anything that could be in all seriousness packaged similarly to all other crime/thriller novels. I am supposing that the book marketers are hoping to sell books such as these to regular buyers of crime fiction, and if the covers all look very similar and there's a sticker saying 'you'll love it' on it, there's a good chance that someone will pick it up.

I didn't find this novel a page-turner and found myself reluctant to continue it. To reiterate, so much of it was spent in rehash and shock demise – it was trashy. I don't know what other Stephen Leather novels are like but I won't be reading them.

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Apr 03, 2012 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jack Nightingale was a successful police negotiator until his last case ended in two dead bodies. He was unable to save the little girl who died first and was never charged with the death of her father, though truth be told, no one would have blamed him if he were responsible. Now working as a PI, Nightingale receives a strange call from a solicitor who claims that Jack has now inherited a large mansion from his recently deceased father. But Jack's parents have been dead for years. Turns out, Ja...more

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Oct 19, 2012 Mindoverdrive rated it 4 of 5 stars

Due to being into my crime-thrillers and also the more demonic, mystical, horror reading as my guilty pleasure reading this certainly gave a satisfying twist to most books which attempt to bridge a strong genre with another more creative and uncommon. Jack Nightingale as a character is brilliant; serious with a darker twist of humour and way too smart for his own good in the majority of cases, the side characters get good progression and the demons particularly are given great narrative for an e...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Monnie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"You're going to hell, Jack Nightingale!"

The former cop turned private investigator sees and hears that message often ever since he learned, at age 32, that his soul apparently was sold to the devil by his biological father, who gave him up for adoption immediately after his birth. Jack turns 33 in a matter of weeks, and he's learned that's the day the devil will come to get his (or her) due.

British author Stephen Leather has sold more than two million paperbacks and is one of the most success...more "You're going to hell, Jack Nightingale!"

The former cop turned private investigator sees and hears that message often ever since he learned, at age 32, that his soul apparently was sold to the devil by his biological father, who gave him up for adoption immediately after his birth. Jack turns 33 in a matter of weeks, and he's learned that's the day the devil will come to get his (or her) due.

British author Stephen Leather has sold more than two million paperbacks and is one of the most successful eBook publishers. I love his books featuring Dan "Spider" Shepherd and have read them all, so when I saw this one - the first of three Nightingale books so far - I grabbed it even before realizing the nature of the subject matter.

Why go from a very grounded rough-and-tough character like Shepherd to something more akin to the Twilight Zone? "I’ve always been a fan of occult stories, Leather explains on his website. "In my twenties I read all Dennis Wheatley’s novels and loved them, and one of my favourite movies of all time is Angel Heart with the awesome Mickey Rouke and Robert De Niro...What I really wanted to do was to write a thriller with an occult theme, but very much grounded in the real world. I didn’t want to do a vampire story along the lines of Twilight; I wanted a police story with a real investigation and it just so happens that the villain is a demon from Hell!"

And that, of course, may be a stretch at the very least or off-putting at the worst for some readers. Like many folks (including me), Nightingale believes to a degree in the forces of good and evil, but not actual entities that materialize out of the netherworld to go bump in the night - or more to the point, bump off a few humans who have failed to live up to their obligations.

The book follows Nightingale as he searches for his birth mother (and a possible sister); but each time he gets closer to someone who may know the truth, that someone turns up dead. Logically, he doesn't believe he'll die - and his soul will be captured - by forces that to him aren't real. But as his birthday draws closer, he's forced to accept the truth - and that means he's got precious little time to figure out a way to thwart the devil's deal that was done so many years before.

Since I don't particularly share Leather's interest in the occult (at least not to this extent), I suppose some parts of this book stretched the boundaries of credibility for me. But it's quite well written, and he's definitely accomplished his intended goal. I enjoyed it so much, in fact, that I've already downloaded the next two (Midnight and Nightmare.

Hey, the devil made me do it.
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May 06, 2012 Frishawn Rasheed rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book has so much to love when what one wants is "a thinking man's thriller." What that means for the reader is a mystery in which the author allows his reader to actively participate. By choosing this approach, Stephen Leather effectively bonds his audience to the characters, giving us a stake in the outcome of the book.

Jack Nightingale is a man that has had the well worn carpet that he thought was his life pulled out from under him in the most bizarre of ways and under unbelievable circums...more

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Apr 05, 2012 Wendy Hines rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jack Nightingale used to be a negotiator. He was very good at his job, convincing jumpers not to jump and kidnappers to let go of hostages. But one day, he couldn't convince a nine-year-old girl not to jump and the reason why she jumped caused Jack to flip out. It cost him his badge, but he has no regrets.

Now, he runs his own private investigative firm. The hours are crappy, he can barely keep the bills paid, but he is his own boss. When he meets a lawyer, he thinks for a new job, he is stunned...more

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Dec 21, 2012 M rated it 3 of 5 stars

And so the long-running debate I've been having with myself all year continues: bad writing and good story vs good writing and crap story - which do I prefer?

This book, for me, was poorly written. Not only were there innumerable references to the lead character's passion for smoking and cigarettes (really, if there was a 'Jack Nightingale smokes a ciggie' drinking game then we would all finish this book utterly trolleyed), but Basil Exposition popped on the very first page and never really left:...more

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Feb 06, 2013 Ubiquitousbastard rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, mystery, england, cops

Complaints first, as per usual. I'm pretty sure I even complain about five star books. I'm a dick. Anyway, what most took me out of the story, and most annoyed me would definitely be the religious side. I understand that the plot might require a tad of religious talk, but this went a little too far, and seemed too thought out to just be incidental. No, a book is not going to convert me to anything (except possibly a ridiculous fanclub...) so give up and tell the freaking story. Secondly, the boo...more

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Oct 03, 2012 F.R. rated it 3 of 5 stars

When I saw the tag-line “A Jack Nightingale Supernatural Thriller" on the cover of this book, I immediately snapped it up. Even though I’d never previously met Mr Nightingale, I instantly recognised this as a book I NEEDED to read. After all, I also write supernatural thrillers, and since that genre – or sub-genre – is normally filed under ‘thriller’ or ‘horror’ (in much the same way one might file ‘purple’ under either ‘red’ or ‘blue’), I was anxious to read the work of a writer who’d followed...more

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Mar 08, 2010 Linda rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was recommended this book by a member of the bookclub I attend. Stephen Leather is a popular British thriller writer and he has written another fast paced thriller which is more horror than pure suspense/thriller.

This book features former cop turned private investigator,Jack Nightingale, who discovers his true father (he was adopted at birth) has sold his soul to a demon who will take possesion on his next birthday.The plot follows his struggl;e to get out of the bargain his father made and th...more

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Feb 25, 2012 Lily rated it 4 of 5 stars

Guilty pleasure reading for sure, Nightfall makes a rather cliché situation work surprisingly well. There's no denying it falls into the Dan-Brown-style of novel - pulpy and with no pretensions to genius - but as long as you know what you're getting, it's enjoyable. The characters, no matter how Mary Sue-tastic they might be, are still generally likable and the fast-paced nature of the story keeps up momentum. Bonus points for, given the material, offering a positive note about 'modern' witchcra...more

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May 25, 2012 Natalie (Mindful Musings) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, demons, horror, urban-fantasy, from-publisher-finished-copy

In a Sentence: Nightfall had a decent story line and made for an interesting read, but I could have used a little more suspense.
My Thoughts
Nightfall was a book that I hadn't heard much about prior to picking it up, but apparently, Stephen Leather is a fairly popular thriller author in the U.K. When the book was pitched to me, it was the synopsis that immediately caught my attention. A race-against-the-clock to save a soul from the a demon? It sounded like an episode of Supernatural to me (back...more In a Sentence: Nightfall had a decent story line and made for an interesting read, but I could have used a little more suspense.
My Thoughts
Nightfall was a book that I hadn't heard much about prior to picking it up, but apparently, Stephen Leather is a fairly popular thriller author in the U.K. When the book was pitched to me, it was the synopsis that immediately caught my attention. A race-against-the-clock to save a soul from the a demon? It sounded like an episode of Supernatural to me (back when I was still watching the show, though I've been meaning to catch up on it...eventually). I decided to give it a go, even though I hadn't heard much about it from other book bloggers. But sometimes, it's those books that you've heard nothing about that end up being awesome, right? So I accepted the review request and started reading Nightfall during my last week of the school semester.

Nightfall didn't take long to grab my attention, especially considering that a major event happens within the first few chapters. The rest of the book is pretty similar in pace. While to me, it wasn't one of those books that would keep you up all night reading it, the plot moved pretty quickly, and I didn't feel like I was bogged down in the middle...which frequently seems to happen with books I read in this genre.

However, Nightfall's constant stream of dramatic events ended up being a double-edged sword. While it was hard for me to really get bored when big things kept happening every other chapter, I also got a little burned out on those "big" things about halfway through the book. It's kind of like the first time you go on a roller coaster...it's exciting and thrilling and loads of fun (to me, at least), but when you ride that same roller coaster for the tenth time, it's just not quite as good as it was the first time. You know where all of the drops and the sharp turns are, and there's not a lot left to surprise you, which is half the fun of the ride in the first place. This is kind of the way I felt about Nightfall by the end of the book.

I also wished that Nightfall had had more of a suspenseful atmosphere. While the resolution of the major plot line in Nightfall didn't happen until the end of the book, I felt like I knew the answers to a lot of Jack's questions already, even if he wasn't as sure as I was. The story was solid, but I guess I felt like it could have used a little more mystery or suspense to truly deserve the title of thriller.

For me personally, Nightfall was a decent, enjoyable read, but at the same time, it's probably not a book I will end up rereading in the future. From what I've heard, Nightfall is supposed to be the first book in a series about ex-cop Jack Nightingale, and while I'm not sure the sequels would be at the top of my to-read list, I wouldn't necessarily be opposed to checking them out either. For those of you who are fans of mysteries, especially ones with a touch of the occult and the supernatural, this might be something you'd really enjoy though!
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Sep 01, 2010 Peter Wilson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I thoroughly enjoyed this book which was very easy to read and definitely falls into the category of a real page turner. Which there were no real twists that I didn't expect and I was pretty certain of where and how the story would end, I would still highly recommend it and will most certainly be reading other books from the author

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Jul 05, 2012 Carycleo rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

Pacing problems and repetition were what kept this interesting take on the selling of souls as just a three star read. The protag kept rehashing, in his mind and in conversation, his skepticism about whether his soul had really been sold and would be taken in a matter of weeks on his birthday. The book felt padded out by this recurring rehashing, and that was annoying, like a tease that lasted the entire book. Through constant repetition, the ominous birthday sale was so hyped as the whole point...more

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Oct 21, 2012 Sharon rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am going to get right to the point, this wasn't the book for me. The blurb sounded right up my alley, but the writing style was not. The premise for the story is solid and interesting, and the technical aspect of the writing is top notch, but my problem was the pacing. It couldn't keep my interest. It took me two weeks to read because I just wasn't motivated to pick it up once I put it down. I wanted to DNF it, but I also wanted to know how it ended.

I am keeping this review short because the b...more

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Mar 31, 2012 Alison Kennedy rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was my first Stephen Leather book and recommended to me by a friend who knows I love books featuring libraries! Stephen Leather's writing style is very easy to read and helps keep the book pacy and engaging.

The premise of the book is an interesting one - an ex police negotiator turned private detective who inherits a mansion from his real father (I did find the fact that he never knew he was adopted, nor were there any records of it a bit dubious but what do I know about the thoroughness o...more

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Jul 23, 2012 David Teachout rated it 4 of 5 stars

The writing was simplistic and the author seemed just as fascinated with the protagonist's car as the character himself, constantly mentioning it as the reader would forget. Add in an utter obsession with noting the usage of CCTVs and there's a couple things that indicate a style which is almost annoying enough to ignore the story. However, the story is quite fun to read, if certainly depressing, but the subject matter makes anything but depressing to be impossible. A quick read, the story moves...more

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Jun 17, 2012 Bane of Kings rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror

Original Post: http://thefoundingfields.com/2012/06/...

“A creepy, bloody tale that will keep you up all night.” ~The Founding Fields

Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EcWjw....

I was first introduced to Stephen Leather when a publisher-dispatched copy of the third novel in the Jack Nightingale series, Nightmare, arrived on my doorstep sometime last month. It looked like a pretty interesting concept and I tried having a go at reading it without prior knowledge of the prequels, but was t...more

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Apr 06, 2012 Donna Tillman rated it 4 of 5 stars

I Purchased this book after reading an email recommendation for new books. I think the main reason I bought it was because of the price (cheap), and it caught me with its catch phrase " you're going to Hell, Jack Nightengale". Had to see what that was about. I was surprised that I liked the book very much... Loved Jack... A perfect private investigator, complemented nicely by his secretary. With the prospect of Hell possibly awaiting him on his next birthday, and his friends and family dropping...more

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Aug 31, 2012 ADignorantium rated it 4 of 5 stars

The genius of the Jack Nightingale novels is Stephen Leather's clever mixing of genres. Jack Nightingale is a former London Police force negotiator. A series of events leads to him leaving the force and becoming a private investigator. Jack is a very Sam Spade like character, tracking unfaithful husbands, and comforting their wives.
In Nightfall, Jack learns that he was adopted, and that his very wealthy birth father left him a mansion. There's a catch, however. And here's where the similariti...more

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Apr 20, 2013 Ashley Wright rated it 2 of 5 stars

I would give the story of Nightfall a solid 3/5 stars. The beginning of this book, before the supernatural elements are introduced, is honestly the best part. Jack Nightingale as a police negotiator is an engaging, fascinating character, and I would love to have seen that line continued.

The rest of the book is mediocre at best with a somewhat clever ending that I saw coming about two chapters before it happened. The story did hook me enough that I will read the rest of the series eventually, bu...more

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Jan 31, 2012 Jeanette rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: all-time-favourites

Got this book on kindle after a review in the Daily Mail of the 3rd Jack Nightingale thriller ; thought I'd start with the first.
So glad I did - loved this book, scared the bejesus out of me at some points ( devil type stuff always does) and often made me smile. The first chapter blew me away and it was consistently good from there on in. So much so I read the second half of the book in just one day ( wonder if anyone has been fed in this house? Have hardly budged) and minutes after finishing t...more

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Mar 22, 2012 Kate rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, 2012-reading-challenge, 2012-reads

I loved this book, it had the dark humor in parts like the movies Constantine and Dogma. I have a feeling Stephen Leather is going to become a favorite author of mine. Nightfall is the first book in a new trilogy, and I will eagerly be awaiting Nightingale's next adventure on the dark side!

Although, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone trying to quit smoking, as Nightingale smokes all the time, but if you're looking for a mystery with a supernatural, dark twist, then you definitely want to...more

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Apr 07, 2013 Katy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of male-oriented, fast-paced urban fantasy, dark yet humorous stories

Shelves: ebook

I actually finished this book over 12 hours ago, but then I crashed and went to sleep. So here's the review.

Book Info: Genre: Urban Fantasy/Occult Detective
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: Fans of fast-paced and darkly humorous urban fantasy
Trigger Warnings: murder, suicide, pedophilia

My Thoughts: After reading Once Bitten a couple years ago (review linked here where formatting allowed), I went through Stephen Leather's available books and added a number to my wishlist. When Midnight, the 2n...more

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Jun 21, 2012 Justin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: audio, own

Jack Nightingale was a cop, a negotiator to be specific. He becomes a private investigator after a series of strange and tragic events. Things get really weird for Jack when he finds out the parents he lost as a teenager had actually adopted him, and his real father has left him a huge mansion in the countryside. I should also mention that his biological father was an evil bastard who sold Jack’s soul to a demon, and only a few days remain till said demon comes to collect. Jack the level-headed...more

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Theo's Group: Finished	1	9	Oct 23, 2012 02:19pm
Theo's Group: Read first 5 or 6 chapters	6	10	Oct 17, 2012 12:43pm
Theo's Group: Starting early	5	12	Oct 13, 2012 07:06pm
Theo's Group: Yay or Nay	5	14	Oct 11, 2012 02:58pm

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About Stephen Leather

Stephen Leather was a journalist for more than ten years on newspapers such as The Times, the Daily Mail and the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong. Before that, he was employed as a biochemist for ICI, shovelled limestone in a quarry, worked as a baker, a petrol pump attendant, a barman, and worked for the Inland Revenue. He began writing full-time in 1992. His bestsellers have been translated...more

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Nightfall (Jack Nightingale #1)

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