75 pages 2 hours read

Riley Sager

Middle of the Night

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2024

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Interlude 19-Chapter 36

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Interlude 19 Summary: “Saturday, July 16, 1994: 12:46 a.m.”

This interlude is narrated from the third-person perspective of Russ’s mother, Misty Chen. Misty was awake when Russ snuck into the kitchen and out of the house. She waits for Russ to sneak back inside, then finds the knife. Although she tries to convince herself that Russ would never harm anyone, she slips into her back yard and buries the knife in her garden so that no one can ever accuse Ruse of wrongdoing.

Chapter 31 Summary

This chapter returns to Ethan’s first-person perspective in the present as Russ is arrested. Ethan feels guilty for upending Russ’s life and thrusting Russ’s wife and child into these circumstances, but he also believes he did the right thing. Ethan doesn’t believe that Russ simply sliced the tent. He remains convinced that Russ bears at least partial responsibility for Billy’s death.

Ethan is standing on the sidewalk, pondering Billy’s case and Russ’s involvement, when Ashley runs out from her own house, calling Ethan’s name. She tells him that Henry has disappeared, and they begin a frantic search. Ethan’s trail cam reveals photos of Henry being dragged out from the tent by a dark figure. The footage reveals that, as he was being abducted, Henry was smart enough to turn in such a way that the trail cam captured his kidnapper’s face.

Related Titles

By Riley Sager

Study Guide

logo

Final Girls

Riley Sager

Final Girls: A Novel

Riley Sager

Study Guide

logo

Home Before Dark

Riley Sager

Home Before Dark

Riley Sager

Study Guide

logo

Lock Every Door

Riley Sager

Lock Every Door: A Novel

Riley Sager

Study Guide

logo

Survive the Night

Riley Sager

Survive the Night: A Novel

Riley Sager

Study Guide

logo

The House Across the Lake

Riley Sager

The House Across the Lake

Riley Sager

Study Guide

logo

The Last Time I Lied

Riley Sager

The Last Time I Lied: A Novel

Riley Sager

Study Guide

logo

The Only One Left

Riley Sager

The Only One Left

Riley Sager