Laura McHughReviews

Interesting enough while reading, though pretty forgettable overall.

WHAT’S DONE IN DARKNESS is a gripping dark mystery that made me super uneasy! I love that Laura McHugh sets her atmospheric thrillers in small towns around the Midwest, in Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, and now Arkansas — technically a Southern state, but close enough for me.

The main character is Sarah/Sarabeth, a young woman who has endured A LOT. As a teen her parents joined a fringe religious group and moved the family to a remote farm in Arkansas. She is stifled by the strict rules and dreams of escaping. Just before her 18th birthday, she’s abducted by a masked man, but found a week later. This horrific experience ends up being her ticket out, but she won’t easily shake the trauma. The police have no leads, and her case eventually fades to the background.

Fast-forward five years, and Sarah is still dealing with scars from the past, but doing her best to move on. She’s contacted by investigator Nick Farrow who’s working on another missing persons case similar to her own and needs her help. Of course that means going back to the family farmstead to face her past, but is she ready for what might be revealed?

Sarah’s story is gut wrenching and really put me on edge. Chapters alternate between Sarah in the present and Sarabeth in the past, so readers can experience what she went through. I was engrossed in the mystery and the many dark secrets that were gradually revealed.

WHAT’S DONE IN DARKNESS is another gritty, fast-paced, and enjoyable thriller from Laura McHugh. The situations of unreported missing girls from the hollers presented in this book are probably more common than we think. Eye-opening!

So, Nick Farrow’s character. I pictured him looking and acting like Detective Colin Zabel from Mare of Easttown. (Have you seen that show? If not, you must watch.)

I love the mention of Lambert’s Cafe! I’ve never been there, but I see the billboards when we drive to the Ozarks — “Home of the throwed rolls!” That’s so funny. I always wonder why someone would want rolls thrown at them in a restaurant.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.½

Solid Slow Burn Mystery Will Be Jarring For Some. While never a fan of content/ trigger warnings printed in books (I prefer them on the author's website or in reviews like this, either way separate from the book at hand and easily findable with a modicum of research), let me say up front that if you have severe issues with child sexual abuse or child neglect... this may not be the best book for you. Same with violence against women generally, addiction, stripping, etc.

That dispensed with, this was a remarkable tale of generations of women trying to leave a dying small rural town... and failing miserably, only for the cycle to repeat with their own daughters ad nauseum. It is a slow burn missing woman tale where we do get both the current timeline of one of the women being missing and the older timeline of what her life was up to the very moment she became missing. Both parts of the tale carry the same dull, dismal, depressing stylings throughout, even as both sets of women actively rebel against their situations and try their damnedest to be the women that break the cycle.

For anyone who has ever spent time in a run down house or trailer, you know this life quite well. You've probably lived a version of it - hopefully *without* the abuse, though this is admittedly far more common than it should be in such situations. Which makes the story that much more "real"... and yet also that much more depressing, to a point, as many read fiction as a way to *escape* their current "real" world bonds.

The time switches could be a bit jarring - they are labeled, but the label is somewhat easily missed - and the inconclusive ending, with several questions still lingering, could put some off. Personally, I felt this particular ending made the tale that much more "real" and worked for the story told to that point, particularly in the final build up to the reveal. So it is absolutely a "your mileage may vary", and unless you are just 100% opposed to such endings... do yourself a favor and read this book and see what you think of it yourself.

Overall truly a great and all-too-real (sadly) story, and very well told. Very much recommended. With the warnings noted in this review.

The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh .

A well written and suspenseful novel and a coming of age story dealing with the mystery of two women one who is murdered and the other who disappeared and both a generation apart.
The story about the two women is told in alternation chapters in two different time frames and yet this works very well for this book and the author keeps the story flowing with enough suspense to keep the reader interested and turning those pages.

This is a debut novel by Laura McHugh and it is very well written with all the elements of suspense, mystery and southern gothic tone of a seasoned writer.
I enjoyed the stroy and the secrets that unravelled as the tale unfolded. The characters are cleverly written and the plot is well paced and edgy.

An enjoyable read and I will look forward to other books from this author.

My thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Interesting mystery/thriller. Engaging enough to keep my interest and there were a few things towards the end that surprised me. The characters were distinct. I also liked that the past and present timelines were in chunks instead of flip flopping back and forth each chapter.

Some of it fell apart for me. I never felt conflicted about the bad guy-- he was always evil, in my book. So I never felt that the protagonist was truly that conflicted, or her father. And in the end, I was restless for justice and retribution.

Disturbing, dark, and haunting mystery thriller.

For over six years since Grace Crow disappeared, her cousins Amelia and Kylee have wondered what happened to her. Living in a small, depressing go nowhere town, Beaumont, Missouri, hasn't made their loss less unbearable and their aunt, Grace's mother, still holds a vigil every year as they wait to find answers. Grace had been desperate to flee Beaumont by leaving home to go to college, but she never made it out of the place. Now Amelia and Kylee plan their escape, but there are still way too many questions. Then, human remains are discovered. Could they finally get some closure?

This was somewhat depressing as a bleak drama and the claustrophobia and desperation of life in Beaumont really created the perfect atmosphere for the plot to unfold. The characters were all quite interesting, some good and some horrid with others walking that fine line between. Some I liked and others I detested (especially Norman). The story is told in a then and now line with shifting points of view between Grace in the past and Amelia and Kylee in the present. I was lucky enough to be able to listen to the audiobook (narrated by the excellent Jorjeana Marie) while also following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. She did an amazing job voicing the characters and that definitely enhanced my appreciation of the book.

I liked this novel but be prepared for triggers such as pedophilia. I enjoyed the writing quality and was really absorbed as the secrets and revelations came to light. The only part I did not care for, and what really affected my overall rating, was the conclusion. It was unexpected, yes, and I just did not like the way it ended. I would have rather seen many other resolutions and I especially do not like ambiguity in a mystery, but I'll leave it here.

Although not a YA genre book, I was drawn to the story because the main characters were teenagers. They tried to solve the disappearance of their cousin and babysitter, who disappeared years-before while they were asleep upstairs in their bedroom. I liked the story's premise; plus, the adequate lists of suspects and the way those suspect characters were woven into the plotline. At times uncomfortable aspects were presented, yet those added to the overall suspense. I highly recommend this skillfully written novel to readers who like amateur sleuths they can root for, along with a few plot twists in the tale.

The Wolf Wants in by Laura McHugh is a mystery story that is told through the narration of two characters, both women and both residents of the small town in Kansas that has declined into apathy from drugs, alcohol and crime. Sadie Keller is determined to find out how her brother died even though it was registered as a “natural” death and eighteen-year-old Henley Pettit wants to escape the town and her family reputation’s for being behind most of the crimes being committed.

When bones are found in the nearby woods neither woman realizes that time is running out both for Sadie to discover the truth and Henley to make her escape. Family loyalty and dangerous secrets abound in this book as the characters deal with their grief, frustration and suspicions. Using the Opioid crisis as a backbone to the story, the author delivers a solid rural crime story.

While The Wolf Wants in is an effective mystery, I found that I wasn’t as emotionally drawn in as I would have hoped. The story is dark and gritty but somehow the characters didn’t gel for me. This is the second book by this author that I have read and I can see I will be reading more by her in the future. My slight hesitations regarding this book could very well be from my being so emotionally invested in the previous book that I read.½

Laura McHugh has just released her new book - Safe and Sound. I really enjoyed her debut novel, The Weight of Water. (my review) And I really enjoyed Safe and Sound as well.
McHugh again does a brilliant job of building the setting. Beaumont Missouri is a small town that the younger residents can't wait to leave. There's a heaviness to the town, dusty, dirty and worn with nothing to redeem it. Some folks get out - with a sigh of relief. Some stay. And some go missing...

Sisters Amelia and Kylee's older cousin Grace, is one of the missing. The girls are determined once again to try and find out what happened to her. Someone has to know something. And yes, omeone does indeed know something...

McHugh's prose are dark and gritty. There are moments where the sun shines through, letting hope in. And times where the 'wrong' comes to visit.

The plotting was excellent - with a finale that I couldn't predict. The ending was apt and right - I wish I knew what happened after the last page. An excellent read for me.

The first half was pretty good although it's easy to figure out whats going on. The second half every chapter gets more unbelievable and ridiculous than the one before.

Safe and Sound by Laura McHugh is a very highly recommended mystery following two sisters trying to find out the truth behind their older cousin's disappearance from their home in Beaumont, Missouri.

Amelia(Mimi) and Kylee were found safe upstairs in their bedroom when their teenage cousin Grace, who was babysitting them, disappeared. The sisters are now getting ready to leave the dead-end small town of Beaumont after high school graduation, just as Grace always told them to do. When the remains of a young woman are found on a piece of property outside of town, the sisters immediately wonder if it is Grace. There was so much blood found in the kitchen that night... As the girls begin to look into the identity of the body found they must continue to survive in a town that is cruel to young women and hope.

The narrative is told in the present day through chapters from the point-of-view of Amelia and Kylee while alternating chapters have the events from the past unfolding through Grace's point-of-view. This was a very effective plot device which serves to keep tensions high in both time periods. Readers know Grace disappears and is presumed dead due to the amount of blood at the scene. Seeing Grace grow up and her absolute devotion to her younger cousins establishes the close bond between the cousins. They were really as close as sisters.

Grace, Amelia, and Kylee are all believable, fully realized characters and you will want the best for them even while Grace is experiencing horrors of abuse by an uncle. There are so many layers of secrets lurking in both their families and with their friends. Additionally, the setting is a major character. Beaumont is a hard-scrabble, dead-end town where the best job is at the meat packing plant and it seems everyone is just barely scraping by.
The writing is absolutely wonderful, both descriptive and emotional. I marked several quotes, including one from an elderly former teacher, Mrs. Mummer: "When you're dying, Amelia, you remember your regrets. They crop up like stones in the river when the water gets low. Try to have as few as possible." For such a dark and desperate story there was one discussion that had me laughing, as it will others who know the Missouri/Kansas rivalry. (Condensing the discussion: What do you think it'll it be like? Living someplace else? / Probably something like when Dorothy lands in Oz. / Great. Maybe we'll get hearts and brains and courage. / That's only if you're from Kansas. We're from Missouri. We'll be lucky to get a can of Bud Light and a bootstrap.)

The final denouement was shocking and surprising, but also felt a bit incomplete. 4.5 Thanks to Random House for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2024/04/safe-and-sound.html½

This was another excellent mystery/thriller/family drama from Laura McHugh. I loved the dual timelines of Grace in the past and Kylee & Amelia in the present, trying to figure out what happened to her. Some of Grace's chapters were very hard to read - the abuse she suffered was so awful. I would have liked an epilogue to give some closure to the characters. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

Make no mistake, Laura McHugh understands dysfunctional family dynamics, and spinning tales that move back and forth in time, better than any current author. Beginning with her Thriller Award-winning debut, THE WEIGHT OF BLOOD, and now with SAFE AND SOUND, she has solidified that status. This story revolves around sisters Amelia and Kylee and their cousin Grace and the no-future town of Beaumont, Missouri. Six years earlier, Grace went missing, presumably abducted and likely murdered. The sisters, who want nothing more that to leave the dead-end town, first set out to uncover what happened to Grace, and find her, dead or alive. As the story shifts between Grace before the abduction and the sisters after, dark family secrets boil to the surface. Who took Grace? An itinerant stranger, or someone close to home? How far would the killer go to cover the crime? As the sisters peel back the layers, they find themselves in a dangerous spiral, unsure who to trust, and who to fear. This one you will put down until the final page.

DP Lyle, award-winning author of the Jake Longly and Cain/Harper thriller series

This was okay, as far as mysteries go, although one has to really work hard to suspend disbelief at some of the plot devices. I found the protagonist a little too self-righteously emo for liking. But overall, it kept my interest long enough to finish the book. I did like what the book had to say about the unreliability of eyewitnesses and memory.

Audiobook, via Audible. Good performance by Sarah Scott.

Good mystery. Flows well. Wish there was a little more closure in the ending. Would read again

A routine mystery without any logical red herrings. Still a painless read that did an okay job of flipping between two time periods-now and then.

Intriguing

It took me a few chapters to realize the story was switching between current time and the past, and then I started putting the pieces together and had a pretty good idea how the story would unfold. There were a few unexpected twists, but I enjoyed having the pieces put together. I like it when a book wraps up all the loose ends and doesn't leave you wondering what happened to so and so. There's not much else I feel I can say w/o giving away the plot and story, but it doesn't take long to figure out what's coming.

I loved everything about this book. I have been to the Ozarks, and Laura's descriptions of the heat was spot on, for sure.

It was a slow burn for me...

until Lucy and Daniel cleaned out the trailer.

How in the hell did it not click she was cleaning up her friend's murder scene and helping somebody get away with that murder?

Hello? Any comments about that? Your uncle assigned you the task of cleaning up the crime scene of your friend's murder, helping ensure it won't be solved.

It's the story of an overly religious family and how as a result of some of their beliefs deprived their children of what is perceived as a normal childhood. The story opens with the character of Sarabeth, at 17. She's working at her family’s roadside farm stand and trying to process the news from her parents that she finds disturbing. They had earlier promised that she would be free to make her own choices about her life when she turned 18...but she is told she is now to be married. Sarabeth will never be in control of her own life and readers soon learn why. Sarabeth's family has not always adopted this hard line nor have they always followed the teachings of the Holy Rock church, which takes everything literally with no wiggle room whatso ever. No more movies, cable television, the internet or public schools. Sarabeth and her siblings are literally prisoners without bars. Just prior to her eighteenth birthday, she is brutally accosted, abducted, imprisoned, and then finally, dressed in only a bloody slip, released. Her abductor is never caught. Five years later, living in the city, Sarah...she no longer goes by Sarabeth... is trying to survive. Employed at an animal shelter, she is barely coping until one day she receives a phone call from an investigator wanting to interview her about what happened to her five years before. Another girl has gone missing, and the officer believes that this new case and Sarah’s cold one, are related. Reluctantly, Sarah agrees and, thus, sets out on a journey to rediscover her roots and the malignancy that grows within. It's a compelling and dark, dark read that is steeped in secrets, some benign and others, deadly.½

This was my second try at reading this one. It just didn't grab me the first time but the audio book that I was able to get from the library helped me get into it and stay involved.

It was a lot slower than I had thought it would be. And the mystery bits weren't as mysterious or intense as I had hoped. But even with that said, I felt for most of the characters - particularly the women. I think the author did a great job of writing Lila and Lucy and I liked that she set their POVs apart by making them first person, rather than the third person everyone else was done in.

I do wish the book had been a bit more intense but I liked the darkness of it. I'd give another book by this author a shot and would recommend it to my friends who like darker themed books.

*I received the ebook from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review. I have a more detailed review on C-Spot Reviews.

What’s Done in Darkness sounds like either a sex or serial killer novel doesn’t it? We’ll partially it is, at least to some degree. Sex definitely plays a strong role in the story, but nothing graphic and mostly implied. It’s a tale of abduction, or is it? It is by all means a story of religious extremism and corruption.

This is overall an interesting read, it will surprise you at times. When you think you have figured out who the villain is, think again! Excellent word craft leaves far too many possible culprits! Read this story, it’s a bit different!

Arden's twin sister disappeared when she was eight years old. The last memory she has is of a golden car driving away with sisters in it. Not long after that the family packed up their belongings and moved away from Keokuk. Now almost 20 years have passed and she is back home in. Her father is dead and she has inherited Arrowood, the old family house. For Arden is it strange to be back home, the town isn't as prosperous as it was before and her old home holds bittersweet memories. But, Ben and Lauren, old friends of her are still living in the town and perhaps she will finally find the answer to what happened to her sisters all those years ago.

This is a book that I hoped would like. I have a weakness for mystery books and two long-lost twin sisters pique my interest. I was pleasantly surprised with not only liking the book but loving it. Laura McHugh has written an incredibly compelling book that was hard to put down. The one that "I will only read a chapter turns into one hour or twp of reading). I was actually quite sad when the book ended, even though it ended perfectly. It was more like I had come to like Arden, Lauren, Ben, and Josh so much that I wanted to spend some more time with them.

The mystery is intriguing, are Arden's memories correct, she was only eight and she was a bit sick the day her sisters disappeared. Are the girls dead? Or did someone just take them? Could someone close by having taken them? Someone that is still living in the town? The questions are many and the book will, in the end, reveal the truth of what happened 20 years ago.

I like that Laura McHugh didn't add a love triangle into the story. I was a bit worried when Lauren met Ben and then Josh showed up that it would turn into a sappy love triangle. I hate it when that happens. Everything turned out just perfect, and I think one of the reasons I so enjoyed the book was the fact that the characters were so well-written. They felt normal with faults, even Courtney, the girl from Arden's childhood who could have been written as a jealous overbearing bitch that would do anything to hang on to Ben felt OK as a character.

The book was intense, sad and thrilling to read. I loved every minute of it!

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!

It was a pretty good mystery, but the book could have been written a bit better.