The Night That Finds Us All

By John Hornor Jacobs
** Publication Date 7 October 2025 **
​4 stars


I finished this book in record time for me. Like literally the same day. That’s how crazy good I thought it was. What a page turner. Couldn’t wait to see what happened next. 


Samantha Vineyard is a sailor. Owner of her own boat, she runs charters. At least she did. Until the boat was forced into dry dock for major repairs. Which Samantha currently can’t afford. Samantha is also an alcoholic when she’s on land. Or she is now with her boat in dry dock.


So when her old sailing pal Loick contacts her to be the chief engineer on a boat destined for the UK, she can’t turn down the pay. Loick stoically announces that the boat is haunted. He also says that is just to drum up interest in the boat. Samantha laughs it off. And then she meets the Blackwatch. 


This boat has a history, and the longer that “Vines” is on the boat, the more she starts to believe the haunted aspect. Strange things start happening. Voices are heard. Strange shadows appear. Maybe the boat isn’t so innocent after all.


Great novel. Perfect for spooky season. Jacobs definitely catches the attention of the reader and keeps you wondering what’s next through the novel. I spent the entire day glued to it. Blew my mind the kind of absolute craziness going on. It wasn’t a terribly long novel which suited me just fine. Sometimes it’s better to get to the good stuff and see what happens, than drag the book out for extra pages. 


For the horror, suspense crowd, I think it’s a must read.