I so loved Louise Hare’s Miss Aldridge Regrets (reviewed here) that I was thrilled when Becci Mansell at HQ sent me a copy of the follow up book Harlem After Midnight and I’m delighted to share my review of Harlem After Midnight today.

Harlem After Midnight will be published by Harper Collins imprint HQ on 16th September and is available for purchase through the links here.

Harlem After Midnight

1936, September 17th, 1am…

In the middle of Harlem, in the dead of night, a woman falls from a second storey window. In her hand, she holds a passport and the name written on it is Lena Aldridge…

Nine days earlier…

Lena arrived in Harlem less than two weeks ago, full of hope for her burgeoning romance with Will Goodman, the handsome musician she met on board the Queen Mary. Will has arranged for Lena to stay with friends of his, and this will give her the chance to find out if their relationship is going anywhere. But there is another reason she’s in Harlem – to find out what happened in 1908 to make her father flee to London.

As Lena’s investigations progress, not only does she realise her father lied to her, but the man she’s falling too fast and too hard for has secrets of his own. And those secrets have put Lena in terrible danger…

My Review of Harlem After Midnight

Lena has arrived in New York.

What an absolute pleasure to be back in the company of Lena Aldridge. Although you don’t need to have read the first book about her, Miss Aldridge Regrets, I think there’s more to gain from Harlem After Midnight if you have read it so that all references to Lena’s voyage to New York are easier to grasp. 

Darker than Miss Aldridge Regrets, although with fewer deaths, Harlem After Midnight feels like a natural progression that advances Lena’s present life and uncovers more of her past – both for Lena herself and the reader. I think what is so effective is that whilst some of the events, like Alfie’s reason for being in New York, are firmly rooted in the social era of the early 1900s, they are totally convincing and sadly all too relevant for today’s society too, making Harlem After Midnight historically immersive and thematically compelling. 

Louise Hare encompasses racism, feminism, religion, the patriarchy, family, sexism, manipulation and romance in a heady mix of superb writing that impacts the reader and educates without them even realising as they get caught up in the story and the developing relationship between Lena and Will. There’s a real feeling that this author understands humanity in all its failings and strengths and Louise Hare carries her reader with her entirely effectively.

I thought the characters were brilliantly drawn. As Lena’s first person narrative develops her personality, so she gradually uncovers the depth and nuances of Will et al – including New York in general and Harlem in particular, both areas being every bit as much a character as the people. The shifting sands of relationship between Will and Bel are fascinating to read about. I loved being immersed in the social hierarchy of class and colour, being taken into the clubs and hotels of New York and into the homes and lives of those like Claudette and Louis. There’s a fabulous appeal to the senses through the music, food and clothes of the era that is sumptuous and really brings the narrative alive.

I thought the pace was perfectly pitched. It feels surprisingly gentle for a while until the reader realises what clever plotting this is. Seeds of information, twists and details are all scattered through the story and drawn together into an emotional and satisfying ending, even though I hope the story doesn’t end here and that there will be future books about some of these characters. 

Beautifully written, Harlem After Midnight is a curious book. Whilst it engages and entertains so brilliantly, it seems to have even greater impact after it is finished and the reader reflects on it, because concepts of belonging, loyalty and self sacrifice only truly become obvious right at the end. I thoroughly enjoyed it and really recommend it.

About Louise Hare

Louise Hare is a London-based writer and has an MA in Creative Writing from Birkbeck, University of London. Originally from Warrington, the capital is the inspiration for much of her work, including This Lovely City, which began life after a trip into the deep level shelter below Clapham Common. This Lovely City was featured on the inaugural BBC TWO TV book club show, Between the Covers, and has received multiple accolades, securing Louise’s place as an author to watch.

Find out more by visiting Louise’s website, following her on Twitter @LouRHare, and finding Louise on Instagram and Facebook.