• “An evocative debut novel…”

    THE NEW YORK TIMES

  • "Midnight in Memphis is the real deal, and Thomas Dann is a real find. This is a twisty, well-wrought whodunit set in the Memphis of 60 years ago, driven by savory characters and the enticing, sometimes lurid, mysteries that always seemed to lurk beneath the surface of the old South."

    — SCOTT TUROW
    New York Times bestselling author of Presumed Innocent

  • "Dann debuts with a captivating historical thriller … to highlight the racial tensions of the early civil rights era, and his prose is a cut above similar fare… This is an accomplished first effort."

    PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY

  • "Thomas Dann's Midnight in Memphis is a terrific debut novel that will richly reward your attention and introduce you to a new and promising talent."

    — THOMAS PERRY
    Edgar Award winning author of The Butcher’s Boy

  • “In an era still grappling with political polarization and the weaponization of fear, Midnight in Memphis reminds us that justice is not merely about punishment, but about truth, accountability, and the courage to confront what divides us.”

    SOUTHERN REVIEW OF BOOKS

  • "Thomas Dann’s debut reveals a writer with serious chops. Midnight in Memphis offers gripping, hard-boiled mid-century noir that reaches as far as the big river that forms its backbone. Dann knows his history, from Indigenous cultures to civil rights struggles, and delivers a compelling tale of justice and reckoning."

    — BOYCE UPHOLT
    Willie Morris Award winning author of The Great River

CRITICAL ACCLAIM

Praise from leading reviewers and literary outlets.

“An evocative debut novel…”

The New York Times

“Dann debuts with a captivating historical thriller… to highlight the racial tensions of the early civil rights era, and his prose is a cut above similar fare… This is an accomplished first effort.”

Publisher’s Weekly

“Crime fiction with real atmosphere... A gripping debut.”

Washington City Paper

“Midnight in Memphis succeeds on all levels. Its character work is finely tuned, and the central mystery of the novel… keeps the pages turning.”

Memphis Magazine

“In an era still grappling with political polarization and the weaponization of fear, Midnight in Memphis reminds us that justice is not merely about punishment, but about truth, accountability, and the courage to confront what divides us.”

Southern Review of Books

“When Memphis native Tom Dann set out to write his first novel, he uncovered the soul of a city. Midnight in Memphis…marks the start of a literary journey rooted in the Bluff City’s past and a fresh voice in Southern fiction that feels both hauntingly historical and urgently relevant.”

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PRAISE FROM FELLOW AUTHORS

Writers the author admires on a debut worth noticing.

“Midnight in Memphis is the real deal and Thomas Dann is a real find.

This is a twisty, well-wrought whodunit set in the Memphis of 60 years ago, driven by savory characters and the enticing, sometimes lurid, mysteries that always seemed to lurk beneath the surface of the old South.”

— Scott Turow

New York Times bestselling author of Presumed Innocent

“Thomas Dann has conjured a unique place at a tense moment as a city is haunted by its recent past and distant history. Fans of Raymond Chandler and Raymond Khoury alike will drink Midnight in Memphis from the rim to the dregs.”

— Preston Lauterbach

Author of The Chitlin' Circuit,
a Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe and NPR best book of the year

“Midnight in Memphis is first-rate Southern Noir. Memphis PD Detective Burdett Vance and his partner, Officer Eustace Johnson, are a perfectly matched team.

If Thomas Dann doesn’t make this into a series, I’m gonna come looking for him!”

— Chris Kelsey

Pencraft Award winning author of Where the Hurt Is

“Thomas Dann's Midnight in Memphis is a terrific debut novel that will richly reward your attention and introduce you to a new and promising talent.”

— Thomas Perry

Edgar Award winning author of The Butcher’s Boy

“Thomas Dann’s debut reveals a writer with serious chops.

Midnight in Memphis offers gripping, hard-boiled mid-century noir that reaches as far as the big river that forms its backbone. Dann knows his history, from Indigenous cultures to civil rights struggles, and delivers a compelling tale of justice and reckoning.”

— Boyce Upholt

Willie Morris Award winning author of The Great River

For all media inquiries, please email my publicist:

Beryl Dann
beryl.dann@gmail.com