How ‘Middle of the Night’ by Riley Sager Got Made

In this edition of Endnotes, we take a look at bestselling author Riley Sager’s Middle of the Night (Dutton, June). PW gave the thriller a starred review, saying, “This standout work of psychological suspense confirms that Sager has few equals when it comes to merging creepiness and compassion.”

Here’s how the book came together.

Riley Sager, Author

“Being a suburbanite myself, I knew it was inevitable
that I’d write a thriller set in the suburbs. I just needed the right idea to come along. I’ve been with the same amazing team at Dutton for so long that by now we’re a well-oiled machine. It’s also a very collaborative process.”

Michelle Brower, Founding Partner, Trellis Literary Management

“I both gasped and cried at different points in the manuscript. It’s not every day that a thriller can make you teary eyed, but the story took some turns that I absolutely wasn’t expecting. The editor and I read at the same time, so we immediately got on the phone and had a book club of two.”

Maya Ziv, VP and Editorial Director, Dutton

“Riley always delivers polished first drafts, and when starting his manuscripts I feel so lucky that this is my job—to be one of the first to read Riley Sager’s new book. After my first read we agreed on a plot strand that needed some more thinking, which he went off and reworked, and by the next draft the new element felt like it had always been there. Working with Riley is
the best.”

Christopher Lin, VP and Director of Art/Design, Dutton

“Every new Riley Sager novel is an exciting
design challenge for me and my team. We strive to make all his covers as unique and trendsetting as his voice. Bold, dramatic typography paired with chilling, unexpected imagery are hallmarks of Riley’s continually evolving visual brand, and we designed over 50 covers before landing on this fantastic collaboration with Spanish American artist Alberto Ortega.”