Just after Midnight is a novel by American author, Catherine Ryan Hyde. The Bolinda audio version is performed by Kate Rudd (who speaks clearly, if sometimes a little stiffly). When Faith finds herself at a Dressage show with a volatile fourteen-year-old girl in her care, it serves several purposes: Faith has filed for divorce and is avoiding anywhere her husband might be looking for her; Sarah is grieving the sudden and recent loss of her mother. The girl’s father, from whom her grandmother, Constance, is trying to gain custody from, is unlikely to intuit their current location.

Sarah is grieving, too, the loss of her beloved black mare, Falkner’s Midnight Sun, sold by her father to John Wintermeier shortly after her mother’s death. Wintermeier intends to sell Midnight, and cautiously welcomes Sarah’s presence, as her close bond with the spirited mare makes her the ideal person to show the mare to prospective buyers. But for Sarah, it’s a double-edged sword: her proximity to Midnight ensures the mare’s best performance, but that may garner a sale, removing her access to the horse she loves more than anything in the world.

At the tail end of a summer of horse shows, Sarah reveals something to Faith about her mother’s death, something explosive. This, just as they learn that Midnight has been sold. And while Faith really has enough problems of her own, she is surprised to realise that she cares enough about this often-prickly teen to face a certain challenging situation she’s been avoiding.

Ryan Hyde is highly skilled at creating characters the reader will care about and be ready to invest in. There are no stereotypes or cardboard cut-outs here: everyone has some depth, even the less likeable ones. Sarah is a troubled teen for good reason, but still manages to make some mature and insightful observations; Faith shows more kindness and patience than might be expected of a stranger; but all exhibit very human flaws, for all their admirable qualities. Fans of this author’s work will not be disappointed: this is a brilliant read.