Having read most of John Saul's books, I would rank Midnight Voices very near the bottom of the list. It's a fairly predictable storyline, but it does mark a slight departure from Saul's typical portrayal of some adolescent facing unknown horrors pretty much on his/her own. That's not to say that this novel doesn't have adolescents in danger because it most certainly does, but I think Saul does a decent job of shifting perspective among several characters this time around.

When all is said and done, though, Midnight Voices just isn't all that scary or even engaging. While several of the characters experience dread and fear at the mere sight of the story's prominent location -- the old Rockwell apartment building in New York City -- the building really doesn't seem to convey a particularly strong atmosphere to the reader. There is nothing evil about the place -- the only evil comes in the form of the building's occupants.

The novel gets off to a great start, with one poor unfortunate husband and father proving that slightly less than perfect paranoia is far less than perfect awareness. He leaves behind a wife and two children who must now try to adjust to different kind of life -- one without a nice home and private schools. Enter Anthony Fleming, who quickly sweeps Caroline off her feet. Sure, the kids don't like moving in to the spooky old Rockwell building, but Caroline finds a new sense of peace and happiness in the marriage. Unfortunately, the kids don't adjust to their new life. Their neighbors in the Rockwell are weird, even for old people, and the only other teenager there is mysteriously sick all of the time. Nighttime is the worst, as both children are increasingly frightened by the sound of whispering voices inside their rooms. The Rockwell houses a deep, dark secret that ultimately puts the very lives of Caroline and her children at risk -- but will Caroline recognize the danger in time to save them?

There are two main problems with Midnight Voices. One, the book may have a creepy moment or two but overall the scare factor just isn't there. More importantly, I found the plot of the novel to be surprisingly weak -- I would say that the explanation for the goings on at the Rockwell falls well short of Saul's well-established standards.

I also just never came to care a great deal about any of the characters in the story, especially poor dumb Caroline. The old Saul magic just wasn't there this time around.