Kindle
$12.99
Available instantly
Audible Logo Audiobook
$0.00
with membership trial
Hardcover
$29.97
Paperback
$19.99
Buy used:
$19.99
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime
FREE delivery Sunday, May 19 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or fastest delivery Saturday, May 18. Order within 5 hrs 56 mins
Used: Acceptable | Details
Sold by -OnTimeBooks-
Fulfilled by Amazon
Condition: Used: Acceptable
Comment: Shipped fast and reliably through the Amazon Prime program! Book may contain some writing, highlighting, and or cover damage.

Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is a service we offer sellers that lets them store their products in Amazon's fulfillment centers, and we directly pack, ship, and provide customer service for these products. Something we hope you'll especially enjoy: FBA items qualify for FREE Shipping and Amazon Prime.

If you're a seller, Fulfillment by Amazon can help you grow your business. Learn more about the program.

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

F. Paul Wilson
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Midnight Mass Paperback – November 1, 2005

by F. Paul Wilson (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 321 ratings
See all formats and editions

Vampires have always lived in Eastern Europe. But with the fall of the Soviet Union, they began to spread across the continent, then the world, turning whole populations into vampires--or human cattle. Having overrun India, the far East, and the great cities of North and South America, the forces of Night are now spreading into the countryside to consolidate their conquest.
In a town on the New Jersey shore, the vampires have just arrived, along with their human henchmen, the cowboys, who round up human cattle for the overlords in return for the promise of eternal life---later. For the vampires wish only a few of their own kind to rule, and feed. The rest of humanity are to be helpless herds, the source of the blood of life.
Falsely accused of abuse, Father Dan is drunk in a basement waiting for the end. His superior has betrayed the local Catholic congregation and become a vampire. Sister Carolyn has become a formidable killer of cowboys and vampires. Dan's niece, escaped from the conquest of New York, has made her way south to find him. Brought together by Rabbi Zev Wolpin, who is shaken by the vampires' fear of the cross and holy water, they plan their resistance. Against all odds, they discover that there just might be a way for humanity to really fight back. But first they will have to kill the vampire king of New York.

Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    416 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Tor Books
  4. Publication date
    November 1, 2005
  5. Dimensions
    4 x 1.25 x 6.75 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0765346346
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0765346346
  8. See all details
Next page
The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Though Wilson intentionally invokes well-known vampire clichés--the repellant power of the cross, grisly death by sun exposure, etc.--he also works crafty new angles on his theme.” ―Publishers Weekly

“This one starts big . . . Far-out, fresh, and gripping. And better than the movie.” ―Kirkus Reviews

“In Wilson’s creepy, terrifying thriller, vampires are rapidly taking over the planet. . . Wilson makes his vampires truly frightening and the eerie atmosphere of the book not unlike that of the movie 28 Days Later. The undead might have every advantage, but the likable, compelling mortals in this gripping read aren’t giving up easily.
” ―Booklist

“Wilson, creator of literary icon Repairman Jack, poses a number of intriguing questions about faith and the supernatural, but refuses to get too bogged down in philosophy. Instead, we are propelled into the compelling plot of a desperate bid to reverse what appears to be a hopeless situation . . .The stakes here are high, and there are no guarantees on who will survive. Isn't it about time you went to Mass?” ―Vampirella Magazine

“If you're a lover of horror fiction, vampires, and early Stephen King novels, take note: Midnight Mass is the best thing to come along in years.” ―Rocky Mountain News

About the Author

F. Paul Wilson is the New York Times bestselling author of horror, adventure, medical thrillers, science fiction, and virtually everything in between. His books include the Repairman Jack novels, including Ground Zero, The Tomb, and Fatal Error; the Adversary cycle, including The Keep; and a young adult series featuring the teenage Jack. Wilson has won the Prometheus Award, the Bram Stoker Award, the Inkpot Award from the San Diego ComiCon, and the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Horror Writers of America, among other honors. He lives in Wall, New Jersey.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tor Books (November 1, 2005)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 416 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0765346346
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0765346346
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4 x 1.25 x 6.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 321 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
F. Paul Wilson

F. Paul Wilson

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

I was born toward the end of the Jurassic Period and raised in New Jersey where I misspent my youth playing with matches, poring over Uncle Scrooge and E.C. comics, reading Lovecraft, Matheson, Bradbury, and Heinlein, listening to Chuck Berry and Alan Freed, and watching Soupy Sales and horror movies. I sold my first story in the Cretaceous Period and have been writing ever since. (Even that dinosaur-killer asteroid couldn't stop me.)

I've written in just about every genre - science fiction, fantasy, horror, young adult, a children's Christmas book (with a monster, of course), medical thrillers, political thrillers, even a religious thriller (long before that DaVinci thing). So far I've got about 55 books and 100 or so short stories under my name in 24 languages.

I guess I'm best known for the Repairman Jack series which ran 23 novels. Jack is out to pasture now, but I may bring him back if the right story comes along.

THE KEEP, THE TOMB, HARBINGERS, BY THE SWORD, and NIGHTWORLD all appeared on the New York Times Bestsellers List. WHEELS WITHIN WHEELS won the first Prometheus Award in 1979; THE TOMB received the Porgie Award from The West Coast Review of Books. My novelette "Aftershock" received the 1999 Bram Stoker Award for short fiction. DYDEETOWN WORLD was on the young adult recommended reading lists of the American Library Association and the New York Public Library, among others (God knows why). I received the prestigious Inkpot Award from San Diego ComiCon and the Pioneer Award from the RT Booklovers Convention. I'm listed in the 50th anniversary edition of Who's Who in America. (That plus $3 will buy you a coffee at Starbuck's.)

My novel THE KEEP was made into a visually striking but otherwise incomprehensible movie (screenplay and direction by Michael Mann) from Paramount in 1983. My original teleplay "Glim-Glim" first aired on Monsters. An adaptation of my short story "Menage a Trois" was part of the pilot for The Hunger series that debuted on Showtime in July 1997.

And then there's the epic saga of the Repairman Jack film. After 20 years in development hell with half a dozen writers and at least a dozen scripts, Beacon Films has decided that "Repairman Jack" might be better suited for TV than theatrical films. (We'll see how that works out.)

I've done a few collaborations too: with Steve Spruill on NIGHTKILL, A NECESSARY END with Sarah Pinborough, THE PROTEUS CURE with Tracy Carbone, and the Nocturnia series with Thomas Moneleone. Back in the 1990s, Matthew J. Costello and I did world design, characters, and story arcs for Sci-Fi Channel's FTL NewsFeed, a daily newscast set 150 years in the future. An FTL NewsFeed was the first program broadcast by the new channel when it launched in September 1992. We took over scripting the Newsfeeds (the equivalent of a 4-1/2 hour movie per year) in 1994 and continued until its cancellation in December 1996.

We did script and design for MATHQUEST WITH ALADDIN (Disney Interactive - 1997) with voices by Robin Williams and Jonathan Winters, and the same for The Interactive DARK HALF for Orion Pictures, based on the Stephen King novel, but this project was orphaned when MGM bought Orion. (It's officially vaporware now.) We did two novels together (MIRAGE and DNA WARS) and even wrote a stageplay, "Syzygy," which opened in St. Augustine, Florida, in March, 2000.

I'm tired of talking about myself, so I'll close by saying that I live and work at the Jersey Shore where I'm usually pounding away on a new novel and haunting eBay for strange clocks and Daddy Warbucks memorabilia. (No, we don't have a cat.)

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
321 global ratings
MIDNIGHT MASS
5 Stars
MIDNIGHT MASS
They make an unlikely fifth column: a disgraced priest, a bomb-making nun, a cross-wearing rabbi, and a lesbian atheist. But desperate times call for desperate alliances, and these are most certainly desperate times. You see, the undead have pretty much won. They've taken Europe, the Mid East, and most of Asia. They crossed the ocean and turned the US government. They've consolidated their hold on the East Coast and are honing their plans for the rest of the country. The survivors exist in fear and isolation, with no one to rally to. Until Father Joe Cahill decides to take back his old desecrated church and say mass again. Just once.Publisher's Note:This full-length novel is over 400 pages long and set in the same world as the F. Paul Wilson novella of the same title that was published by Pulphouse over a decade ago. Lavishly illustrated by Harry O. Morris with dustjacket, endpaper, and interior artwork, and limited to just 448 copies, this Limited Edition won't last long!From the Author's Note:"Midnight Mass was born out of my dissatisfaction with the tortured romantic aesthetes who have been passing lately for vampires. Stephen King gave us the real deal in 'Salem's Lot, but what gives since then? I wanted to get back to roots--go retro, if you will--and write about the soulless, merciless, parasitic creatures we all knew and loved."
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

R. Thomas
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!
Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2023
Verified Purchase
Great story about vampires! Well written, as usual.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Disciple of Poseidon
5.0 out of 5 stars Great vampire tale with sharp teeth
Reviewed in the United States on June 16, 2010
Verified Purchase
Synopsis, Vampires have taken over most of the world and are now knocking on the door of the United States. They have cleared out most NYC and are starting for New Jersey. These are not your lame, tragic, emo lovelorn vampires from Catherine Harris or Stephanie Meyer, oh no these are cunning, cruel, vicious killers with no thoughts other than their own power and their next meal. These vamps take over territory through fear, killing and collaborators,(called Vichy after the French Nazi collaborators)who are allured by the promise of their master's to turn them. Those standing in there way, a defrocked priest, a former nun, a rabbi and the priest's kick ass lesbian niece. Hounded by day by the human traitors, hunted by night by the vampires or there feral brethren. This book is like a cross between Richard Matheson's I am Legend and the movie Red Dawn. The resistance movement against the vamps led by the priest is very exciting and you find yourself drawn in to rooting for them in the fight. I recommend this novel to fans of 'salem's Lot, The Stand, hell just any good horror/apocalyptic book fans in general. This is my first Paul Wilson book and wont be my last. exciting from beginning to end!
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Mr D.
4.0 out of 5 stars A Vampire Novel
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2004
Verified Purchase
The first time I ever read F. Paul Wilson, in the early eighties, it was the quasi Vampire novel, The Keep. Although the antagonist of that book wasn't truly a Vampire, The Keep read like a vampire novel.(and a very good one at that)
Well Wilson decided he would write another Vampire novel and Midnight Mass is the result of that endeavor. Now Wilson thinks there aren't any redeeming qualities in Vampires, citing the fact that some authors romanticize even glorify the bloodsuckers in their recitals. With that in mind Wilson has written a book about Vampires as the merciless, venal, malevolent creatures they are supposed to be.
MIDNIGHT MASS
Plot
They came out of the East, starting shortly after the fall of the Iron Curtain. They were unstoppable overrunning country after country killing millions, no billions or converting people into nocturnal monsters. Now they were entrenched in the East coast of America. They had a method, convert the religious and secular leadership, convert them and make resistance seem hopeless, they had a plan, transform all humans at first to a point of saturation, then using them only as food or breeding, harvesting at will. The Vampires also had allies, they left some of the lowlives and dreck alive to watch over them and seek out new victims during daylight, this unholy vanguard are called the "cowboys but, the Vampires the have a vulnerability.
The Story
The Vampires certainly seem invincible but in a small New Jersey town an unlikely cadre of citizens are fighting back, a pinprick at first but gradually a ripple. Meet Father Joe - a disgraced priest, Sister Carole - a one woman vigilante, Rabbi Zev - a rabbi with a cross, and Lacey - the feisty niece of Father Joe. Together and with the help of the congregation, they take back Father Joe's church, St Anthony, which the vampires, and cowboys, had taken over and made into a grisly, macabre, killing Temple.
In addition cowboys are being killed and displayed upside down from trees or telephone poles and even a couple Vampires including one of the strongest has been dispatched
In the overall plan of the Vampires, this little rebellion seems insignificant but they thrive on fear and no dissension can be tolerated, so help is sent from New York Vampire headquarters to stem the unrest.
Conclusion
I'll admit I'm a little ambivalent about Midnight Mass. F. Paul Wilson is one of probably my three or four favorite authors. I have read every book he has written including the inscrutable end of the Adversary series, Nightworld - which is mysteriously not in publication - so I tend to be favorably inclined toward the good doctor but I do have some issues with this book.
Good
The Wilson writing style is still there, so the story is very accessible and understandable. His writing is also fluid and a pleasure to read. There are no unnecessary use of large words which the average Joe would have to look up. The story as a whole flows well and is fast paced. The book itself, at three hundred and thirty-two pages is short in this day and age of word processing and there are no dead or boring chapters.
Bad
Where I thought the book fell short was the premise of the book itself. I found it a little incredulous why or how legions of malevolent creatures would descend on the West from the East, as Gengis Khan or Tamerlane did centuries prior, merely because of the collapse of the Soviet Empire.
There was no explanation of how this event precipitated such an invasion nor of what was keeping them from doing so sooner. It was like they were hibernating or metamophosing. Any reasonable explanation would have been welcome.
Another thing I didn't like was, the Vampires were ruthless, yet their servants, the cowboys, from whom they depended on for daytime protection, seemed less than efficient, in some cases screw ups.
Overall
First, this is a good book and if you can discount my aversion to origin of the plot, I think you might like Midnight Mass. No it's not a classic but it is enjoyable, nonetheless, for fans of tongue in cheek horror plus a sequel may be forthcoming. I found the book to be innovative and the Vampires vulnerability well thought out. I enjoyed this book quite a bit, therefore it is deserving of a Final Rating of low four stars / high three stars rounded to four stars because of the author.
13 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Shawn Holman
3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting enough but doesn't really grab me
Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2013
Verified Purchase
The story is interesting and has kind of a new, interesting premise of how vampires take over. But it's just OK. I like it but I'm also having a hard time finishing because it's just not grabbing for some reason.
Helpful
 Report
Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Intense
Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2022
Verified Purchase
A very good plot and it kept me on my toes. The undead are spreading like a pandemic as they move from Eastern Europe to the East Coast of the United States. Some of the humans have sold their souls and help these vile creatures round up other humans. They love to wreak havoc and go after the leaders first. But there are three people who stand up to them and boost the morale of the survivors who have been living in isolation and terror. The story ends as if there will be a sequel. The good humans had wind and losses and I was rooting for them all the way.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Dorian
5.0 out of 5 stars Wilson is a genius
Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2022
Verified Purchase
Wilson writes such great characters and immediately pulls you into the story. He deploys seamless plot development and satisfying meaningful endings. This is a departure for him being a vampire story, but his skill makes it highly enjoyable to read.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Jirlt
5.0 out of 5 stars FANTASTIC
Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2021
Verified Purchase
Best vampire novel I've read in a long time. Mr Wilson had my attention throughout the entire book. Loved all of the characters and the plot twists and turns. It is a must read if you are a fan of a good vampire novel. F Paul Wilson fans will be surprised at how well done the story line is.
5 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Beamer
4.0 out of 5 stars It's very readable
Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2009
Verified Purchase
Wilson begins this book by acknowledging that he wanted to achieve the kind of vampire tale King once told. This comparison ends up hurting him. Wilson is no King. Not many authors are. King creates worlds that people live in. Most other authors, Wilson included, create plots that characters are lead down. There's a distinct difference.

That said, Wilson tends to create some of the better plots. They can be a bit thin, as can the characters, but they're entertaining and well told. Sure, the dialogue is often something no one would ever say (you won't notice this if it isn't pointed out), the editing is once again kind of weak in a Wilson book (I have yet to read one where I haven't noticed a quotation left unclosed), and the back of the book calls the main character Dan instead of Joe (how'd that happen?)

But you'll enjoy the book. If you enjoy vampires in the grittier, unsexy 70s way, or if you enjoy Wilson, you'll enjoy this book. It's neither the best (nor grittiest) gritty vampire book, nor is it the caliber that most Repairman Jack books are. But it's entertaining, and isn't that the point?

It's not original (heck, it rips off one of the better recent gritty vampire movies.) The characters feel strained, as if Wilson tried too hard to make them interesting and instead made them forced. But it's quick. And you'll like it enough to investigate more Wilson.
4 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

T.Bear
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it.
Reviewed in Canada on December 10, 2021
Verified Purchase
Great story. Kind of reminds me of the movie Daybreakers but other than that I liked it a lot.
Report
Tony Hobbs
5.0 out of 5 stars What an adventure ride
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 12, 2009
Verified Purchase
First let me start by suggesting that something was missing - Jack. I know, but if it works for Clive Cussler it would have worked brilliantly here. Clive Cussler fans will know what I mean, he adds himself in a page, I was not expecting to see FPW, but I was half expecting to see Jack or at least his name mentioned as the book was partly set in New york. But that is a minor thing.
FPW sticks to vampire lore very well, garlic, steaks (not the red meat type!), crosses and daylight etc etc. But he introduces a brilliantly novel way of killing many of them in one go. I am not spoiling it.
There is a great story, it was easy to follow, of revenge in the book and a twist, also quite sad and touching in places. He doesn't pull many punches in how brutal the vampires and their "cowboy" slaves are, some is quite hard hitting.
There is scope for a follow up, so that is a hint there Mr Wilson, a sequel please. Though with a rank of 550,000 in Amazon's UK book sales that may not happen, that is a shame... Mind you that is a lot better ranking than my mums book, Cats' Tails from Amazonia (OK - I know, sneaky!!).
I highly recommend this book to any vampire lover or any FPW fan. As good as any book he has written. Mr Wilson, you have a wonderful talent, thank you for sharing it with us.
2 people found this helpful
 Report
S.Barlow
4.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable vampire take.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 17, 2021
Verified Purchase
I enjoyed the story. It moved at a steady pace and was a different take on making vampires attractive like Twilight.
The characters were believable and the 2 main woman are really strong.
The ending left me a little confused as it's finished quite abruptly - not sure if there is a sequel.
2 people found this helpful
 Report
H. A.
5.0 out of 5 stars Great vampire tale
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 13, 2014
Verified Purchase
First written as a short story which was stunning-Where the fight against the vampires was restricted to a local parish.A disgraced priest teams up with a rabbi to defeat the blood sucking horde lead by a renegade priest.This book incorporates another short story about a vampire hunting nun to produce a much longer story about humans at war with an increasingly powerful global corporation of very nasty vampires.The book is hugely entertaining and a real page turner.The protagonists are well rounded characters with flaws and self doubts and are not one dimensional.The vampires are truly nasty and not the vapid ,beautiful,creatures found in some modern tales of the undead.Great read -Well worth the price on kindle.
2 people found this helpful
 Report
Terence Clark
5.0 out of 5 stars Good Listen
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 9, 2022
Verified Purchase
Just a back to basics vampire tail. very listenable.
Report