Customer Reviews

Midnight on Mourn Street

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If Shirley Jackson were alive today and writing urban thrillers, she would be writing books like "Midnight on Mourn Street." There is no higher praise. Christopher Conlon, who proved himself a master of narrative poetry in his three previous books, brings the same formidable powers of language and observation to his first published novel.

Though "Midlnight on Mourn Street" is short, barely over 200 pages, Conlon takes his time building his plot, ratcheting up the suspense almost unbearably. We know that Reed Waters, a middle-aged man living a near-monastic life in DC's Logan Circle neighborhood, has a dreadful secret in his past. We know that Mauri Dyson, an alcoholic teenage runaway, knows his secret, seeks revenge, and has secrets of her own. How their lives collide--and the role that Will Bliss, a young black man and a misfit of a far more benign sort, plays in their lives--forms the plot of "Midnight on Mourn Street." It is a sharp, shocking tale of psychological horror that builds to an ending that is hopeful, unsettling and ineffably sad all at once. It is a breathtaking, masterful performance, and it would make a fantastic movie. (I'm already casting it in my head.)

A homeless teenage girl settles down for the night in a stranger's front yard. But he's not a stranger. She knows who he is. More importantly, she knows what he did. When he sees her in the rain, he invites her in.

She says her name is Mauri Stevens, but that's only the first lie she will tell to get what she wants. The man, Reed Waters, was responsible for a pivotal event in Mauri's life, and she has traveled a long way, looking for ... something.

Reed has no idea what he is in for.

Midnight on Mourn Street is the debut novel of editor / poet / writer Christopher Conlon, and it is a stunner. Not only because Conlon gives us just enough information in the beginning to create suspense that lasts even through the "slow" parts of the story -- while we wait for the other shoe to drop. But also because he creates characters who are so real that I was completely immersed in their lives.

When the climax erupted, two-thirds of the way in, I wondered what could possibly be left to tell. But, oh, there's plenty of Midnight on Mourn Street to go. Even though I read it in 2007, this short novel from Earthling Publications is destined to be one of the best books of 2008.

Midnight on Mourn Street succeeds partly because Conlon keeps the cast small, allowing the reader to get deeply involved with two very damaged individuals (though a third does show up to add tension and contrast, and a fourth's presence is felt throughout).

Conlon wonderfully expresses these characters' innermost thoughts and motivations. I was continually impressed by how he truly understood the deeper levels of how one person's actions can change the direction of another's life, while the first remains completely oblivious of this (and is, in fact, still totally immersed in the thoughts that led to the life-changing behavior in the first place).

Whether the way I described it makes sense or not, the way Conlon writes makes it all perfectly clear, though you'll just see Midnight on Mourn Street as an emotionally charged story told by a natural storyteller.

There are books we come across in our lives that touch us on various levels. Some astound us with colorful, metaphorical prose, and deep, dark imagery. Other books tend to hold us prisoner, in a constant page turning trance, resonating in our minds long after they are placed down.

Midnight On Mourn Street accomplishes both.

This is not only a brilliantly entertaining novel, but a deeply introspective search leading us to probe the boundries of our hearts, and as well as the streets where we live. Weaving Capote imagery, with George Clayton Johnson imagination, Mr. Christopher Conlon has truly composed an unforgettable tale, one that will stay with the reader for a long time.

Christopher Conlon is my surprise discovery of the year and "Midnight On Mourn Street" is the best book I've read all year. Being Conlon's first novel makes this accomplishment even more impressive. Conlon is well known in the poetry world and has some serious anthologies and tribute books under his belt (for Richard Matheson, etc.), but his fiction is top notch and really sets himself apart from nearly every other author working today. This is one of the finest debut novels I've ever read and I can't wait to see what else he writes.

Conlon has a wonderful way of dropping just enough mysterious crumbs of emotional and story value to keep you invested for the entire journey. His dialogue is so natural and perfect you simply lose yourself in the characters, feeling like a voyeur in the room, as vulnerable as the characters themselves. The author treats each character with respect and dignity, but never shies away from dealing with the difficult moments. You never feel cheated or that Conlon takes the easy way out. With such a specific and truthful vision, I sometimes wondered if this story was an autobiography or was told to him by a close friend. I realize it is just fiction, but if felt incredibly authentic. Not so much a horror novel as a dark, suspenseful drama.

When reading this book, I couldn't believe how emotional I was getting, not to mention the physical aspects. My chest felt tight, my throat was dry, and my anxiety level and worry for the characters were such that I found myself not being able to do anything but continue to read the book deep into the night when I should have been asleep hours earlier. This is one of those novels that not only earn my very highest recommendation, but one that I will revisit in the future. I've already ordered his new books, "A Matrix Of Angels" and "Lullaby For The Rain Girl". "Midnight On Mourn Street" is a memorable and heartbreaking experience.

OK, this thriller is not about parenting, but it does bring parenting and mentoring to mind. We all need people to look up to, but sometimes the models are tarnished beyond recognition. The mentor in this story is Reed Waters, an unlikely candidate to say the least. "Midnight on Mourn Street" is a thriller because it's fast paced with lots of twists and turns. I consider most thrillers plot-driven, but this one is an anomaly. In my opinion, it's character-driven. Conlon has the ability to make the reader emphathize with the most unlikely characters--characters that one would shy away from,or even be afraid of--in everyday life. Conlon's characters are realistic, painfully so. After reading "Midnight on Mourn Street," I feel like I should volunteer in a soup-kitchen or something.

Readers who have enjoyed Conlon's fiction in the poetry and short-story formats will find much of the same to admire in his latest, longest work.

The author's signature characterization - all the main players are psychologically scarred and damaged to various degrees - is present, along with a typically dark tone. But unlike much of Conlon's prior work, the bleak, meloncholy mood is occasionally lightened, and retribution is blended with redemption.

The characters' pasts bubble and roil beneath the surface of a story that plays out almost like a mystery. Conlon feeds his readers just enough historical information to peak their interest and maintain tension, expertly feeding out bits and pieces like so much fishing line before setting his hook.

For me the experience was marred by one ill-fitting main character who seemed somewhat ancillary and who dropped off the radar on arbitrary occasions. I was also disappointed in the conclusion.

That said, the trip is well worth taking. Conlon demonstrates a wonderful grasp of storytelling structure that is very real and deep, that highlights the scars of past injustices while at the same time marveling at the ability to heal, to rebound. The author designs characters who suffer under the increasing, vice-like pressure of a bitter past, and who try, with varying degrees of success, to piece together shattered lives. Conlon's writing is never light but always worth the heavy lifting.