The Weight of Blood
Laura McHugh, 2014
In the small Ozark town of Henbane, everyone knows everyone and outsiders are not easily accepted. Even Lucy - who's father's family has lived in the town for generations - doesn't completely fit in, thanks to her exotic mother who everyone still believes was a witch, despite her disappearance when Lucy was a baby. When one of Lucy's friends - a mentally-handicapped girl named Cheri who went missing a year before - turns up murdered, Lucy refuses to let the matter lie, especially when she begins to suspect that the murder may be linked to her own mother's disappearance. But secrets run deep in this small town, and some people are willing to do anything to keep those secrets from getting out.
This was an excellent murder mystery. Even though the reader learns part of the mystery fairly early in the book, it's still thrilling to discover the rest of the secrets, and even to see how Lucy will find out the parts that we already know. I thought that the characters were all really well-written. Lucy is a great character, and surprisingly deep despite her age. And I loved the way the author chose to have one character redeem himself in the end (I won't say more than that, because it's more fun to be surprised by it). Even the horrible characters were really interesting in the way they were written.
I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for more books by this author. She has a similar style of writing as Gillian Flynn, and I hope she is able to get some of the success that Flynn has had over the past few years. I think McHugh has great talent as a writer and if she can come up with more ideas like this one, I think she will do well.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy.
This was an excellent murder mystery. Even though the reader learns part of the mystery fairly early in the book, it's still thrilling to discover the rest of the secrets, and even to see how Lucy will find out the parts that we already know. I thought that the characters were all really well-written. Lucy is a great character, and surprisingly deep despite her age. And I loved the way the author chose to have one character redeem himself in the end (I won't say more than that, because it's more fun to be surprised by it). Even the horrible characters were really interesting in the way they were written.
I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for more books by this author. She has a similar style of writing as Gillian Flynn, and I hope she is able to get some of the success that Flynn has had over the past few years. I think McHugh has great talent as a writer and if she can come up with more ideas like this one, I think she will do well.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy.
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