There’s been an accident: Frannie has hit a man with her car, and she needs their help. They bury the body, and they make a promise. They’ll never tell anyone.
But when the police come calling, the siblings’ lies start to spiral. They begin to doubt their trust in each other. Because what really happened that night?
And who will be the first to crack?
With the incredible twists and turns and a unique look at family relationships that McAllister has become known for, That Night is the ultimate summer thriller that asks: what would you do to protect your family? (Pub Date: Aug 18 2026)
I hadn't been aware of this release, and I think it's great that it's finally getting published by William Morrow, or it would have taken me long to realize this book existed.
3.5.
Though it is a release from 2021, meaning a lot of stuff happened that could have rendered the resources in the story obsolete, it was luckily safe. It's funny how five years can make a huge difference so there was at least one time I asked: why aren't you using your phone's automatic translation?? Though it already existed then, it wasn't so widespread so it was no wonder the characters wouldn't think to, but right now I'm sure they would. However, this was the only time the reality of when this was published hit me, and it wasn't any major plot obstacle, so it's all fine.
This was also written during the pandemic, when the author couldn't go herself to places she writes about, but I wouldn't have guessed it myself. Maybe someone more familiar with Verona. To be honest, sometimes all the details are a distraction I could live without.
I'm not sure why I'm talking about all that didn't influence the book, though. Maybe it's because this is a hard story to digest. They're three siblings, that became glued together because of a past tragedy that took the life of their youngest sister, and now the older two spoil and protect the little sister. This story will ask how far you'll protect the most important person to you, if it goes first to protecting your own safety.
As expected from McAllister, thus, we'll live through the bonds of this family. And in this case, a family that is aware of how toxic those bonds are but that had never thought that to be a bad thing until Joe and Cathy get a call from Frannie, their little sister, in the middle of the night, and they have to hide a body. Yes, the story will talk about how that event changes all their lives and what they had believed to be right until then.
My thing with this story is probably because I'm never going to be in such situation so it was hard to believe someone would really do all that. The situation only escalates, and yet they insist on their mistakes? Being in their mind felt claustrophobic, as though I didn't have enough breathing air or light to see beyond right and wrong.
We get some plot twists, as expected of the genre, but they aren't so big. I think we can more or less expect them—they made the most sense. So this was one thing I felt missing; I wanted to be surprised. And some facts the book treated as mysteries so it would have some more revelations, such as the reason the narrator in the present needs to meet with the character Jason, were in fact underwhelming. The author notes admit those meetings would never happen in such a form in real life, but I also don't understand why the plot needed them to in the book itself. Again, needless mysteries that made me roll my eyes.
But the story is good. The topics it raises are even better. I'm still here wondering if there's anyone other than myself I'd hide a body for in other to protect them. And if that person exists, is that really a good thing for me or for them?
If you need a well-paced book with dark themes, this is the choice for you.
Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
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