The Midnight Shift
The Korean Bestselling Cult Novel
Published on 14. August 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
304 pages
978-1-5266-7982-6 (ISBN)
Description
A bestseller in Korea, a biting, fast-paced vampire murder mystery exploring queer love and the consequences of loneliness.
When four isolated elderly people die back-to-back at the same hospital by jumping out of the sixth-floor window, Su-Yeon doesn't understand why she's the only one at her precinct that seems to care. But her colleagues at the police force dismiss the case as a series of unfortunate suicides due to the patients' loneliness. But Su-Yeon doesn't have the privilege of looking away: her dearest friend, Grandma Eun-Shim, lives on the sixth floor, and Su-Yeon is terrified that something will happen to her next.
As Su-Yeon begins her investigation alone, she runs into a mysterious woman named Violette at the crime scene. Violette claims to be a vampire hunter, searching for her ex-lover, Lily, and is insistent that a vampire is behind the mysterious deaths. Su-Yeon is skeptical at first, but when a fifth victim jumps from the window, her investigation reveals the body was completely drained of blood. Desperate to discover the cause of the deaths, Su-Yeon considers Violette's explanation-that something supernatural is involved.
The Midnight Shift is a gripping mystery, overflowing with commentary about societal isolation and loneliness, the sharp knife of grief, and the effects of marginalization, perfect for readers of Cursed Bunny; Woman, Eating; and A Certain Hunger.
When four isolated elderly people die back-to-back at the same hospital by jumping out of the sixth-floor window, Su-Yeon doesn't understand why she's the only one at her precinct that seems to care. But her colleagues at the police force dismiss the case as a series of unfortunate suicides due to the patients' loneliness. But Su-Yeon doesn't have the privilege of looking away: her dearest friend, Grandma Eun-Shim, lives on the sixth floor, and Su-Yeon is terrified that something will happen to her next.
As Su-Yeon begins her investigation alone, she runs into a mysterious woman named Violette at the crime scene. Violette claims to be a vampire hunter, searching for her ex-lover, Lily, and is insistent that a vampire is behind the mysterious deaths. Su-Yeon is skeptical at first, but when a fifth victim jumps from the window, her investigation reveals the body was completely drained of blood. Desperate to discover the cause of the deaths, Su-Yeon considers Violette's explanation-that something supernatural is involved.
The Midnight Shift is a gripping mystery, overflowing with commentary about societal isolation and loneliness, the sharp knife of grief, and the effects of marginalization, perfect for readers of Cursed Bunny; Woman, Eating; and A Certain Hunger.
Reviews / Votes
Delightfully strange . . . Delves into the causes of human loneliness as methodically as a detective sifting clues . . . The characters' emotional turmoil builds up so slowly that it is almost imperceptible, until it erupts in startling ways. * The Washington Post * Skillfully translated . . . Cheon's novel is more than a queer paranormal mystery . . . it's an eerie and bleak portrait of societal loneliness, isolation, and marginalization. * firstCLUE * [A]n intricate vampire mystery . . . Skillfully toggles between three heroines, building impressive emotional depth through their interwoven narration. The darkly romantic flashbacks to 1980s France-highlighting Violette's formative experiences with Lily, a charismatic vampire-are particularly mesmerizing, echoing classic gothic tales with a fresh, queer twist . . . [Seon-Ran's] nuanced exploration of loneliness and isolation resonates. K-drama fans, especially those drawn to moody supernatural thrillers and complex, character-driven plots, will eagerly devour this genre-blurring tale. * Publishers Weekly * A fast-moving mystery. * Booklist * There's a deftly pulled-through thread about loneliness and some interesting philosophical riffing about a vampire's justifications for murder. * Kirkus Reviews * A page-turning blend of gothic fantasy and murder mystery. * Buzz Magazine * Brings an entirely new flavor to the genre-noir-style, slow burn thriller. * United by Pop * Cheon transforms the familiar into a resonating meditation. * Booklist * So compelling. The supernatural slips into the everyday . . . grief, love, and the slow ache of isolation feel as haunting as any fanged figure. * Mochi Magazine * Translated with verve by Gene Png . . . Cheon Seon-Ran brings new blood to a centuries-old tale. Let the feeding frenzy begin. * Washington Independent Review of Books * [A] nuanced, compassionate meditation on loneliness, family, loyalty, and love . . . The intimacy between Violette and Lily - two lonely souls briefly finding companionship - fizzes with unspent desire. * Locus Magazine *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (UK-trade)
Dimensions
Height: 213 mm
Width: 135 mm
Thickness: 26 mm
Weight
322 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5266-7982-6 (9781526679826)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
08/2025
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
€14.49
Available for download
Persons
Cheon Seon-Ran is the award-winning author of several novels and short-story collections. She has a master's degree in creative writing from Dankook University and lives in Seoul.
Gene Png is a literary translator and illustrator based in Seoul. She was awarded the Grand Prize in Poetry at the 53rd The Korea Times' Modern Korean Literature Translation Awards and is a mentee of Anton Hur (translator of I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokbokki).
Gene Png is a literary translator and illustrator based in Seoul. She was awarded the Grand Prize in Poetry at the 53rd The Korea Times' Modern Korean Literature Translation Awards and is a mentee of Anton Hur (translator of I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokbokki).