The Midnight Hour

At the White Caps Hotel in Cairns, Queensland, 8-year-old Richie Farrow mysteriously disappears from his locked room. Knowing the police will naturally suspect his parents, Richie’s mother, Sara, hires private investigators Ted Conkaffey and Amanda Pharrell to keep her informed of the police investigation. Both Ted and his pixie-sized, tattooed partner Amanda are haunted by false accusations in their own pasts. Is Sara Farrow being falsely accused or did she play a role in her son’s disappearance? With its exotic cane field and crocodile setting, this novel is a twisty, fast-paced mystery anchored by the memorable duo of Ted and Amanda.

What is about hotels and midnight? In the similarly-named true crime Gone at Midnight, author Jake Anderson investigates the true mysterious disappearance of Vancouver student Elisa Lam at the Cecil Hotel. While in Los Angeles for a vacation in January 2013, 21-year old Elisa Lam stayed at the Cecil. The hotel is notorious for the numerous killings and suicides that occurred there. Cecil's nude body was later found in the hotel’s rooftop water tank. Did the mentally ill Elisa accidentally drown? Commit suicide? Or was her body dumped there? Anderson uncovers conspiracy theories, paranormal activity – yes, he goes there! – before drawing his own conclusions in the chilling death of Elisa Lam.