Magnificent Midnight Rain by James Newman

Where do I begin to talk about a book that I thought was magnificent and that brought with it such colourful and personal memories of childhood. For a short time I rode with Kyle Mackey on this trusty bike "Burner" (mum and dad would not allow him a dog) and I felt his pain as the world of a young 12 year old boy collapsed and all his dearest and trusted friends betrayed him...where does a young mind go when trust and truth no longer exist?
One day in August of 77 Kyle Mackey witnessed an event that changed his life forever, the murder of Cassie Rourke and how was he to respond when the perpetrator of that murder was non other than the respected Sheriff Burt Baker. "Later, as I lay in the darkness not daring to close my eyes, I heard the high-pitched warble of a police siren peaking and fading somewhere across town. I wondered if it was him. Out there, doing his thing, roaming my town under the guise of upholding the law.

Kyle's brother Dan has gone to university, his mum drinks to forget the sad death of his father and the only person Kyle feels happy to confide in is deputy Sheriff Mike Linder "Linder was a big man but he possessed one of the kindest, gentlest faces I ever saw. His bright blue eyes seemed to sparkle with kindness.....That was the thing I like most about Mike Linder. He always spoke to me as if I were his equal, not just another dumb kid." However very soon as the story takes a shocking twist, Kyle finds himself adrift with no where to turn and no one to help in his quest for justice and as we ride with him on the back of "Burner" through the streets of Midnight we hold our breath in hope and anticipation that the murderer will be brought to account for his wicked deed.

I think for a "coming of age" story to be successful the tone of the book and the believability of the lead character must be beyond reproach. I totally believed in Kyle, I wept with him when events and situations seemed to be spiraling out of control, and I rode with him as he raced around town in his attempt to enlist support and uncover the evidence that would see Burt Baker entrapped and strangled by his own lies. This book is  a great achievement by the author James Newman. He has succeeded in writing a story of the highest quality, a story that will overwhelm you, a story that will make you smile, and a conclusion that will encourage you to applaud the resilience of young Kyle Mackey resident of Midnight North Carolina......