Ruth is a preacher's daughter in small town Louisiana, where trouble is brewing when a beaten skull is discovered in the swamp. Long in love with Everett, Ruth has many secrets including her fantasies of leaving Bottom Springs and falling madly in love with a handsome man. Oh, and she's got lots of ideas in her head from reading purloined copies of Twilight as a teenager- needless to say it's a book that would not be tolerated in her evangelic household and town.  And are there vampires? What's the source of the true evil? 

The story of Midnight is the Darkest Hour begins quickly and Ruth narrates so well what it feels like to be a lonely teenager in a strict home with little affection. But soon, more terrors are found in the swamp and Ruth feels obligated to find answers before the authorities. I think Winstead does a great job moving this story along at a steady and engaging pace, and while the end didn't surprise me I loved how she got us there. 

Read this if you love isolated Southern settings, Twilight (or you did love it long ago), and a wicked fun thriller that plays with the edge between reality and superstition. I thought this was delightfully fun and that it played with dark themes in a humorous way. The audiobook narration captures the Southern affectation so well, I think my only complaint is when I couldn't tell if the narrator said "evangelism" or "a vandalism." ;)