“A novel of both great sadness and great beauty; a gripping story drenched in the exquisite allure of the natural world.”
NO MAJOR SPOILERS
Just finished When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain.
Leaving the subjects of her last two novels, Hemingway’s wives, the author turns to a book inspired by actual events.
Anna Hart is a detective who specializes in missing and abducted children. When a major catastrophe occurs in her household, she leaves her family behind and heads for Mendocino, the town where she grew up. Upon her arrival she learns about a missing teenager named Cameron who is the adopted daughter of a former movie star and her husband.
The event hasn’t been made public yet due to the parents wishing to keep it private, hoping she has just run away and will return on her own. Anne’s old friend Will, who is the local sheriff, fills her in on the details. Things remain quiet until two other missing girls are reported. Feeling the cases may be connected, Anne convinces Cameron’s mom to allow them to go public with the info. This catapults the story into an intense hunt for missing children and a serial kidnapper on the loose.
The book is well thought out, and in her Author’s note she explains her motivation to write the book.
The author is an excellent writer and the book does not disappoint.
Reviewed by:
Richard Franco
Added 23rd July 2021
