When the Stars Go Dark - Paula McLain

When the Stars Go Dark

By Paula McLain

  • Release Date: 2021-04-13
  • Genre: Mysteries & Thrillers
Score: 4
4
From 833 Ratings

Description

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • GOOD MORNING AMERICA BUZZ PICK • “A total departure for the author of The Paris Wife, McLain’s emotionally intense and exceptionally well-written thriller entwines its fictional crime with real cases.”—People (Book of the Week)

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY MARIE CLAIRE • “The kind of heart-pounding conclusion that thriller fans crave . . . In the end, a book full of darkness lands with a message of hope.”—The New York Times Book Review

“This mystery will keep you guessing, and stay with you long after you finish. Dive in.”—Daily Skimm

Anna Hart is a seasoned missing persons detective in San Francisco with far too much knowledge of the darkest side of human nature. When tragedy strikes her personal life, Anna, desperate and numb, flees to the Northern California village of Mendocino to grieve. She lived there as a child with her beloved foster parents, and now she believes it might be the only place left for her. Yet the day she arrives, she learns that a local teenage girl has gone missing.

The crime feels frighteningly reminiscent of the most crucial time in Anna’s childhood, when the unsolved murder of a young girl touched Mendocino and changed the community forever. As past and present collide, Anna realizes that she has been led to this moment. The most difficult lessons of her life have given her insight into how victims come into contact with violent predators. As Anna becomes obsessed with saving the missing girl, she must accept that true courage means getting out of her own way and learning to let others in.

Weaving together actual cases of missing persons, trauma theory, and a hint of the metaphysical, this propulsive and deeply affecting novel tells a story of fate, necessary redemption, and what it takes, when the worst happens, to reclaim our lives—and our faith in one another.

Reviews

  • Wow. Just...wow.

    5
    By Aliyah A
    I've seen other titles by this author, but this is the first of her books that I've read. I wasn't sure I was going to like it at first, but after a few chapters I couldn't put it down. She has a beautiful style of writing, and seamlessly threads the past into present day. I also absolutely loved the mystical thread running throughout the book. We know so little about ourselves, and almost nothing about that which we cannot see. I had goosebumps reading the conclusion and the ending was satisfying, desperately sad, and yet, still hopeful. This book is definitely worth a read!
  • Beautiful

    5
    By bobatron 420
    I couldn’t put it down. Ms. McLain so accurately encapsulates what it feels like to be still effected by childhood trauma and the vulnerability of healing from it
  • Disjointed

    2
    By Jdfaz
    The story does not flow. Many characters don’t feel connected to the story and the way the investigation unfolds is scattered and unrealistic.
  • Don’t let this pass you by

    5
    By NewtonFan
    Gripping, haunting, tense with such deeply and brilliantly drawn characters. Despite the difficult subject matter this carefully crafted and cleverly structured book is a wonderful read.
  • Almost put it down

    4
    By Jenobeno
    Got through chapter 3 and was confused and bored. Well happy I picked this story back up. Well worth the read
  • Really great

    5
    By loganessmoma
    This was a wonderful book. There were times I could see where we were going but the journey had such feeling. Really enjoyed this book.
  • Hauntingly beautiful

    5
    By Lore Palli
    What I thought would be a quick, trashy thriller turned out to be so much more. Filled with beautiful prose, I couldn’t help myself falling in love with how she writes and with her main character, Anna. I couldn’t stop reading and yet wasn’t ready for the story to end. Felt myself savoring her words to the end and am excited to see what else she’s written.
  • Absolutely beautiful

    5
    By HappyElf4747
    The author brings the characters to life from the first few sentences. Complex characters, complex lives and a finally woven story pulled me in from beginning to end.
  • When the stars go dark

    5
    By USA481
    So emotional and real. It was hard to put down.
  • When the Stars Go Dark

    3
    By Silverswan2
    I would forget the first part of the book as characters kept flooding the pages. I did love the protagonist!

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