THE MIDNIGHT LULLABY by Cheryl Low – Review

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE MIDNIGHT LULLABY by Cheryl Low – ReviewThe MIdnight Lullaby by Cheryl Low
Published by Grinning Skull Press on July 3 2020
Genres: Adult, Horror
Pages: 136
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
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four-half-stars

The nitty-gritty: Cheryl Low delivers yet another bloody good horror story, complete with vengeful ghosts and buried family secrets.

Cheryl Low’s latest horror novella was a perfect distraction from real life, a combination of ghostly hauntings, twisted family secrets, mysteries and even an unexpected love story. All of these elements come together in a short, punchy story that starts innocently enough but soon turns into a violent, bloody tale of survival. If you are looking for a quick but absorbing read with some shocking twists, then look no further. 

Benedict Lyon is part of a famous family of spiritualists, led by matriarch Gloria Lyon. Growing up with siblings Elysium, Luis and Lucy, Benedict learns early on that he is not like the other Lyons. His mother, brothers and sister can all see ghosts, you see, but Benedict can’t. This is a sore spot for the family, particularly Gloria, a hard, unfeeling woman who rules with an iron fist. But despite his inability to participate in seances and perform exorcisms, Benedict has a big secret. Ever since he turned eighteen, Benedict has been haunted by a ghost named Emmeline, a ghost only he can see. Emmeline has been with him for ten years now, seemingly bound to him by an unearthly, invisible tether and unable to leave. Emmeline follows him wherever he goes, but even she isn’t able to tell Benedict why she’s there or how she died. It’s a mystery that he’s willing to let go of, though, because over the years the two of them have grown very close.

Emmeline’s presence has also created a boon of sorts for Benedict. With her help, Benedict has become a successful spiritualist himself, although he knows deep down he’s actually a fake, since Emmeline is the one who sees the other ghosts and tells him what they’re saying. 

When the story begins, Benedict and Emmeline have just completed a fairly stressful spirit cleansing, when Elysium shows up unexpectedly with the news of Gloria Lyon’s death. Benedict catches a flight home for the funeral, with Emmeline tagging along—well, it’s not like she has a choice. But once they arrive, strange things begin to happen. Gloria’s spirit seems to be haunting the house, with deadly results, and Emmeline’s emotions are running higher than ever. All Benedict wants to do is go home, but a dangerous presence won’t allow anyone to leave. 

Low sets up her mystery right away by introducing Benedict and Emmeline and their unusual relationship. Emmeline is a rather angry spirit and it took me a while to warm up to her. She clearly has some kind of trauma in her past that’s manifesting itself in her ghostly afterlife. For example, whenever she gets particularly emotional, bruises and wounds appear all over her body (and then disappear just as quickly). But despite the odd situation that Benedict and Emmeline find themselves in, I thought their relationship was actually sweet. And when the author reveals the shocking reason Emmeline is tied to Benedict, that relationship takes on a whole new meaning.

I loved the Lyon family dynamic, a family full of clashing, toxic personalities. Benedict is clearly the odd man out, even though his secret weapon—Emmeline—allows him to be on equal footing with his brothers and sister. This is a fairly large cast of characters for such a short story, though. In addition to the Lyon siblings, there are a handful of cousins and an uncle, not to mention Gloria Lyon’s household staff. Not all of the characters are as carefully developed as Benedict and Emmeline, but honestly, it didn’t really bother me much. The real focus of the story is on Benedict and Emmeline and the mystery behind Emmeline’s haunting.

Once the family gathers for the funeral, it doesn’t take long for the horrors to begin. This was a quick read and nearly impossible to put down. Like Cheryl Low’s The Infernal, there’s a feeling of doom and inevitability hanging over the story, and I honestly was not prepared for that ending. If you’re looking for a mix of gruesome horror and fast-paced mystery, you can’t go wrong with The Midnight Lullaby.

Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.

Posted July 14, 2020 by Tammy in 4 1/2 stars, Reviews / 35 Comments

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35 responses to “THE MIDNIGHT LULLABY by Cheryl Low – Review”

  4. todd

    You’ve got me thinking about the relationships between ghosts and people, wondering about the anger, the bruises, what draws them together, what keeps one around a house. I don’t read nearly enough of these sorts of stories, of ghosts and hauntings. Thanks for waking me up to this one.

    Reply
  15. verushka

    Horror gives me pause, but my gosh have you sold me on Benedict and Emmeline’s relationship — what an odd and creative core for this novella!

    Reply
  16. Lisa @ waytoofantasy

    This sounds like a great read! I love a vengeful ghost lol. Maybe because I always threaten people with becoming a vengeful ghost in the afterlife ahaha. 🙂 Great review, Tammy! Glad you enjoyed this one.

    Reply
  18. Annie

    aaagh, I really want to know WHY Emmeline is tied to Benedict! it’s only a novella so I guess I can find time in my busy schedule (of reading fanfic instead of my review copies *coughcough*) to fit this in so I can satisfy that curiosity. also I love the premise, we always see nasty vengeful spirits and there’s been a rare few (only one that I can recall right now, The Girl From The Well by Rin Chupeco) that has the helpful kinda ghosts (who may still be vengeful, but on your side at least!) so I’m keen for this one. give me more ghosts that you’d WANT tethered to you, plz, writers!

    Reply

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