About That Night

by Norah McClintock

In the depths of winter, a woman wanders off in the snow. She is a popular former teacher and wife of a local policeman. A full-blown search begins. Meanwhile, Derek is staying with his new girlfriend and her parents while his family is out of town. He can't believe his luck--Jordie is the hottest girl in school, and he's going out with her. When Ronan, school bad boy and Jordie's ex-boyfriend, shows up, Jordie decides that maybe Derek isn't the one after all. But before she can end it with him, Derek disappears. Did he run away? Or did something happen to him? Is there a connection between the two disappearances? As Jordie slowly starts unraveling the truth, she finds that nothing about that night is as it seems. When she finds Derek's body, suspicion falls on her. And then on Ronan. But Jordie knows she didn't kill Derek. And she is sure Ronan didn't. So who is responsible? And why was Derek marked for death?

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, Teen, Thriller, Canada

248 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2014

About the author

Norah McClintock’s fascinating mysteries are hard to put down. Her Chloe & Levesque series, Mike & Riel series, and Robyn Hunter series, all published by Scholastic Canada, have been popular with readers in many countries. Norah has also written several crime novels for reluctant readers in the Orca Soundings series from Orca Book Publishers,

Norah is a five-time winner of the Crime Writers of Canada's Arthur Ellis Award for Best Juvenile Crime Novel. Read Mistaken Identity, The Body in the Basement, Sins of the Father, Scared to Death, and Break and Enter to find out why! Norah's books have been translated into more than a dozen languages, and she has won numerous awards.

Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award - Juvenile
o 1996 – Mistaken Identity – Winner
o 1998 – The Body in the Basement – Winner
o 1999 – Sins of the Father – Winner
o 2002 – Scared to Death – Winner
o 2003 – Break and Enter – Winner

Red Maple Award
o 2004 – Hit and Run – Winner

Reviews

[K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trigger warnings: murder, bullying.

This was........boring, tbh. A woman wanders off into the depths of a Canadian winter. Nearby, a teenage boy has a fight with his girlfriend and walks off into the night. Essentially, it sounded like it should have been gripping and atmospheric and generally great.

Instead, what I got were cardboard cutout characters that I didn't care about. The protagonist was...a bitch, to be honest. The whole plot basically hinges around her dating a nice guy that she doesn't really like because her bad boy boyfriend broke up with her. Despite her boyfriend having disappeared, she spends half the book trying to track down a bracelet her ex gave her, and I. just. didn't. caaaaaaaaaaare.

So yeah. It wasn't BAD, per se. It was just...dull. And repetitive. And full of meh characters.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would have gotten four stars, except I could not stand the language. The mystery was great and I was not able to easily guess what would happen. I didn't really like the characters, but the writing was good. All in all, an enjoyable read.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gripping read that had me flipping the pages very quickly, because I just had to know what happened. The ending didn't have a definitive answer, but I know what I think happened. If you're looking for a quick and easy mystery, I'd say give this a read.

[Jules Goud · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am on the fence with this novel.

The crime aspect was done well, I thought that it was interesting how it played out. I liked the way that it was written as well.

However, Jordie tended to annoy me. It was all about her ex-boyfriend. What about Derek? The thing that I didn't like was that she never really seemed to mourn him. It was always about Ronan. She didn't really do anything for Derek, she did it for Ronan. I mean, Derek disappeared in her mind and it was like she didn't even give him a passing thought. I couldn't understand that. Even if she didn't love him, she should still mourn him. She didn't and I can't comprehend that.

Other than the whole Jordie thing, I quite enjoyed this novel. I would definitely read more of McClintock's work. It was a quick and interesting read!

[Saad · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the Maugham's are out of town, their son, Derek decides to stay behind. When a policeman's wife wanders off, everyone is at a loss for words. But everyone becomes even more tense when Derek himself is found missing and DEAD. When everyone accuses Derek's girlfriend's ex, Ronan, he gets arrested for murder. All is not as it seems, though. Ronan has been arrested twice on assault charges. And has spent time.

About That Night is a story of Forgiveness, Jealousy, and Greed.

[Nash · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hated Jodie and I still do. One minute he did it, next minute he didn't. Like make up your damn mind. It was slow in the beginning but then rushed at the end. Didn't care for this book too much.

[Maria B · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am so dissapointed. I really love crime books like this, the story itself was insteristing, but tell me why the ending wasnt clear? The ending left me on cliff hanger, and i never really knew if he was the really murderer or not. i need to do this for a school prject, and i chosse this book thinking it would be really intersiting. Yes it was interisting for me, a little dragged out and some really annoying moments, but the story itself i liked. I really REALLY hate that it doest confirm who is the actual murderer at the end. Did he actually do it or not? Like what is this bullshit? It needs to be clear. I need this to finish my project because i am doing a board to show like points and how everything is connected with red string, but i dont know if the main suspect did it or not? like what am i supposed to do? If you like getting left on cling hangers, get this book, but i personally absolutely HATE it. I thought books like these are always supposed to have endings?

[ophelia !!♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I personally found the description of the book captivating but was thoroughly disappointed by that ending.

As someone who loves their endings closed, that cliffhanger did not do me justice. I felt that the ending was quite rushed and didn't solve the main mystery of the book. Not to mention that Jodie and Ronan didn't even get back together or had that many scenes together. (I find this a problem as it's listed under the romance genre and is barely mentioned).

Overall not the best book but I'd recommend it if you're looking for a quick read

[Ryan · Rating 1 out of 5]

The absolute worst book I have ever read in my entire life. The plot had more holes than a slice of Swiss cheese. The ending felt like it was pulled out of the writers ass, there is absolutely no way you will be able to figure out the true killer and that is not a good thing. So so so dumb and jordy is the most annoying and frustrating protagonist. I was actively rooting for her death. If you want a book that makes you hate reading, this is the book for you

[Moon Petrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay. Some bits of the premise seemed a little implausible and the tone overall read more like adult than YA, along with some language that threw me off. (Would a teenager refer to a pizza *joint*?) But it kept me reading, and the solution was intriguing. It might be more enjoyable to readers who are more drawn to those brooding and uncommunicative male characters—it’s a little hard for me to get on board with that.

[Jadan Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I believe this was the most amazing book by Norah McClintock, I´ve read other books by her but by far this is a good book and the ending left off with a clift hanger but it was a good mystery book and I´m still wondering who was the person that killed Derek and for what reason. I really liked this book and I think it was good overall.

[Kaja Kaus · Rating 3 out of 5]

was mad at the main person most of the book due to her trying to actively ruin a murder investigation

[Trigger Warning Database]

Trigger & Content Warnings

Disappearance of a loved one
Murder
Bullying

[Avanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review based on ARC.

I'd never heard of Norah McClintock, but I should have. She writes YA mysteries and, if this one is any indication, they're fast, fun, and surprising!

About that Night is a book that mostly focuses on the disappearance of a popular teenage boy one cold night after Christmas. However, the same night that Derek disappears, a popular high school teacher Elise also disappears. Is it just an unlucky night, or are the two related? Elise is found relative quickly and her disappearance is explained relatively quickly. But Derek's lingering disappearance becomes the mystery of the story.

Jordie, Derek's girlfriend, and the reader know more than the cops for a majority of the story. There are little details to which we are privy, and yet it's not obvious. While Jordie is trying to solve the mystery and save the lives (or quality of lives) of the potentially innocent, so is the reader.

The pacing of the book is fast and energetic, constantly presenting a new theory, hitch, or clue for the reader to chew on. The characters, while not particularly likable, are relatable and feel like normal people in extraordinary circumstances.

The ultimate resolution.... well, you'll have to read it to find out. But I will say I ended the book and my first thought was "whoa." So I recommend to anyone looking for a quick mystery to pass a few hours. (And I note that I didn't think the fact that it's a YA detracted at all from the mystery.)

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

for me this book started out slow. the main focus character Jordie kind of got on my nerves at times, she was a bit annoying. the beginning was slow and kind of boring and i almost wanted to stop reading it but im glad i did. the ending of this book was the best part, and the story doesn't really come together till the end. the ending is where all the pieces fit together and everything makes sense. the ending for me was kind of like "oh wow" but it worked out and made sense. this book was a fast read but the slow beginning makes it seem like it goes on forever.

[Nikki in Niagara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my second book by McClintock but the first I've read of her teen crime novels for which she is famous. It's a well-written suspense which I enjoyed reading however it had an unsatisfying ending, ambiguous really leaving the reader neither here nor there. In fact, the crime aspect of the story has no ending. While I liked the characters and was interested in the read I ultimately was let down and frustrated by the lack of a conclusion. I will try another of her YA crimes though as she's written a lot and won several awards.

[Barbra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was an intriguing mystery about the death of a young man and his girlfriend who becomes a victim of grief, lies and suspicion. The story moved along at a good pace, and I definitely found myself wanting to keep reading to find out the truth. I was however disappointed with the ending.

[Maryann Wolverton · Rating 1 out of 5]

Predictable.

I gave this one star because the plot is very transparent, and the characters are shallow. Are people as dense as her characters? I hope not.

[Valary · Rating 3 out of 5]

two people die in a small Canadian town... secrets and lies, distrust and fear

Quick mystery

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

pretty good mystery novel--keeps you guessing--however, it's a few months since I read it, and I had to read the goodreads synopsis to refresh my memory--kind of forgettable.