Everyone else in town seems to have already forgotten but Lucy just cannot let it go. Her friend Cheri disappeared over a year ago but then recently her dissembled body was discovered in a tree along the riverside. After Lucy discovers a necklace that she once gave Cheri, she is determined to figure out where Cheri was during the missing year and who killed her.
No one in town has forgotten Lucy's mother. The bewitching Lila was new to Henbane, deep in the Ozark Mountains. Folks were sure she was a witch. But Lila fell in love, married and gave birth to beautiful daughter before disappearing forever.
The two mysteries are intertwined as Lucy delves into the dangerous clues and searches for answers for her friend and ultimately finds the disturbing truth regarding her mother, as well.
The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh is a haunting and mysterious debut. Her words clearly paint the back-woods town where people keep each other's secrets and it's difficult to know who to trust. As Lucy uncovers hidden secrets and criminal activities of those she loves--her family, her blood--the reader is pulled into the intrigue and risk.
McHugh populates her town with characters who make a realistic blend of good and bad choices. They are each distinct in their personalities and come alive as very authentic and substantial beings.
As a reader, a knot formed in my stomach as I read further and further and worried about Lucy as she got closer to the truth. The build-up to the climax is intense. It's spooky and wicked and unsettling--a perfect thriller.
There is some language in the book and scenes of violence.
The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh was published by Spiegel & Grau in March 2014.
**I received a complimentary copy of The Weight of Blood in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. No compensation was received.**
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1 comment:
Excellent review Cindi. I found this book so good, so didn't want to put it down.
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