Laura McHugh

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.… (more)

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.… (more)

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.… (more)