Midnight on the Midway is another thrilling, sexy and suspenseful story from Morgan Brice. It’s part of the multi-author shared world Carnival of Mysteries but can be read as a standalone. Morgan does love leaving little Easter eggs in her stories though, so eagle-eyed fans might catch references to characters from some of her other books.

Drake is on a case as an agent of the Federal Bureau of Supernatural Investigation when he and Garrett have a great meet-cute and sparks fly. Both of them have some psychic abilities but are cautious about revealing too much to each other. Garrett is a veterinarian and he can sometimes get vibes from his patients so he knows how they are feeling. Drake has dreams that let him see a future that may or may not come true.

This story has a bit more sexy time than I remember from other of her books and I loved how patient Drake was with the very inexperienced Garrett. Although Garrett is in his mid-thirties, school and getting his veterinary practice set up didn’t leave him much time to form relationships.

Midnight on the Midway takes readers on quite a journey and kept my attention from start to finish so much that I read it all in one go.

Reviews for Morgan Brice

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Excerpt—in an escape room
The attendant left the room which was designed to look like a Victorian parlor, and they heard the door click shut behind him. Ominous music began to play, and after a few minutes, Drake picked up other sounds like chattering teeth, moans, and wails.

“They go all-out, don’t they?” He followed Garrett’s lead to handle the objects on shelves and tables, gently shifting them to disclose secrets.

“This place has a good reputation.” Garrett turned slowly to survey the room.

Drake resisted the temptation to dive in with his agent training and decided to let Garrett take the lead. “I’ve never done one of these. Where do we start?”

Garrett looked pleased to share his love of the adventures. “This one was rated spooky but not extreme. It’s not like one of those live haunted houses at the beach where actors follow you around and chase you. Some places do have characters, but this one doesn’t.”

“Have you done it before?”

Garrett shook his head. “Not this particular scenario. I did the UFO one here a couple of weeks ago with some friends from work. So I’m basing my expectations on that.”

“So we get to live out our inner Scooby Doo?”

“Pretty much. Trap doors may open, but you won’t fall through anything. Handle anything that’s loose and look for clues or codes. Gently tug on things to see if they move. If it opens, look inside. There will be doors to other rooms, so look for hidden openings as well as regular doors,” Garrett said. “It’s more fun if we work together, so don’t try to do it all on your own.”

Drake thought that working together on a project might feel awkward, or there could be a push-pull vying to be in charge. To his relief, Garrett proved to be competent and inquisitive without any one-upmanship.

They divided the room into search sections, moving clockwise so they eventually went over each other’s areas without getting in the way. Garrett found the first of several clues and seemed genuinely pleased when Drake found a secret door that opened to lead them into a long-abandoned dining room.

A sudden shriek raised the hackles on Drake’s neck. Garrett chuckled. “Gotta watch out for the sound effects. They’ll get you every time.”

Drake relaxed, chagrined, and reminded himself that this wasn’t the usual life-or-death stakes. As he searched behind paintings, checked under couch cushions, and peered inside the grandfather clock, Drake admired the clever set dressing and the ingenuity of the scriptwriter.

Real ghost hunts rarely went smoothly, and while the escape room was made to look like a creepy abandoned house, it lacked the smell of mildew, rodents, and disuse that came with the real thing.

“You’re pretty good at this.” Garrett bumped elbows with Drake. “I think you’ve got a knack for it.”

If you only knew.

Carnival of Mysteries Series

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