ARC Review: At Midnight Comes the Cry by Julia Spencer-Fleming

At Midnight Comes the Cry
Author: Julia Spencer-Fleming
Series: Clare Ferguson/Russ Van Alstyne Mysteries (Book 10)
Publication: Minotaur Books (November 18, 2025)

Description: New York Times bestseller Julia Spencer-Fleming returns to her beloved Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne mystery series

It’s Christmas time in Millers Kill, and Reverend Clare Fergusson and her husband Russ van Alstyne - newly resigned from his position as chief of police – plan to enjoy it with their baby boy. On their list: visiting Santa, decorating the tree, and attending the church Christmas pageant. But when a beloved holiday parade is crashed by white supremacists, Clare and Russ find themselves sucked into a parallel world of militias, machinations and murder.

Meanwhile, single mom and officer Hadley Knox has her hands full juggling her kids and her police work. She doesn’t want to worry about her former partner – and sometimes lover – Kevin Flynn, but when he takes leave from the Syracuse PD and disappears, she can’t help her growing panic that something has gone very wrong.

Novice lawyer Joy Zhào is keeping secrets from her superiors at the state Attorney General’s Office. She knows they wouldn’t condone her off-the-books investigation, but she’s convinced a threatening alt-right conspiracy is brewing – and catching the perpetrators could jump start her career.

NYS Forest Ranger Paul Terrance is looking for his uncle, a veteran of the park service gone inexplicably missing. He doesn’t think much of an ex-cop and out-of-town officer showing up in his patch of the woods, but he’s heard the disturbing rumors of dangerous men in the mountains.

In New York Times Julia Spencer-Fleming's latest novel, as Christmas approaches, these five people will discover their suspicions hang on a single twisting thread, leading to the forbidding High Peaks of the Adirondacks. As the December days shorten and the nights grow long, a disparate group of would-be heroes need to unwind a murderous plot before time runs out.

My Thoughts: The tenth book in the Clare Ferguson/Russ Van Alstyne mystery series begins at a Thanksgiving parade and winds its way through the Advent season as the pair gets involved with white supremacists. Newly resigned from his position as Millers Kill Chief of Police Russ is eager to spend time with his wife and 8-month-year-old son Ethan while thinking about what he wants for his future. Meanwhile, Clare is busy with the Christmas season at her church.

Neither Clare nor Russ expects to see white supremacists driving a decorated tractor at the Thanksgiving parade. Nor does Russ expect to need to break up the fight that ensues when one of the spectators takes exception. And Clare befriends the wife despite her radical views and befriends the wife of another supremacist when she meets her.

Meanwhile, Officer Hadley Knox is trying to manage her kids and grandfather while trying to find out what happened to Kevin Flynn who went off to the Syracuse police force and disappeared off the radar after taking part in an undercover operation. She enlists Russ to try to find Kevin who discovers that Kevin might have continued the undercover operation along with novice lawyer Joy Zhao. 

Clues lead to the Adirondacks where Forest Ranger Paul Terrance is searching for his missing uncle who is also a ranger. He, Russ and Hadley meet and search and discover more than they had expected.

All of these characters converge on the Adirondacks and discover plans for a terror attack that will take all their skills to stop. 

I enjoyed this story which managed to showcase a large cast of characters as they each make decisions for their future. I liked the way the various threads were woven together. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.