The Weight of Blood

by Laura McHugh

This is a gripping debut psychological crime novel about family lies and dark secrets in an isolated community as a series of women go missing. People still whisper about Lucy Dane's mother who vanished years ago from the town of Henbane, deep in the Ozark mountains. When one of Lucy's friends is found murdered, Lucy feels haunted by the two lost women: by the mother she never knew, and the friend she couldn't protect. But her search for answers, in a place where secrets are easily concealed, leads her to a chilling discovery. And with this revelation, she must grapple with the meaning of family, the secrets we keep, and the lengths we will go to protect the ones we love.

• ISBN10: 081299521X
• ISBN13: 9780812995213
• Publish Date: 11 March 2014 (first published 1 January 2014)
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Spiegel & Grau
• Format: eBook
• Language: English

Reviews

[Whitney @ First Impressions Reviews]

First Impressions

Perhaps it is my obsession with Dateline, but I have a sick affinity with novels that involve women in peril. After reading the synopsis of The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh I felt it fit the bill.

I thought the novel would be a cut and dry whodunit. While the "whodunit" part was easily revealed, it was the why that caught me off guard. Without giving it away, the motivate was disturbing, with a sexual premise one hopes never to encounter.

Impressions While Reading

While both parts were well written, I looked forward to Lila's portion more than Lucy's. It became tiresome listening to Lucy's backstory as it felt regurgitated from her mother's point of view. Lila's background and transactions with Carl and Crete were far more interesting and added increasing depth to their characters.

The one thing that bothered me was Lucy turning into Nancy Drew. She discovered clues that were easily missed by the police which she just happens to come across. This precocious "I know more than the adults" annoys me. These developments should be left to the likes of Lemony Snicket and the Baudelaire children. In this case, Lucy's quest to discover what happened to her mother went hand in hand with Cheri's disappearance and subsequent murder. Therefore, she must be given a free pass.

Impressions on Narration

I also listened to part of this on audio. Having several narrators was enjoyable and gave a unique voice to Lila and Lucy. This integrated the two time periods nicely and created a seamless story.

Final Impressions

As odd as it may sound, the best way to describe The Weight of Blood is a plot involving human trafficking and a question of paternity. It is different, but Laura McHugh manages to pull it off fluidly without any misstep. Thus, The Weight of Blood is a well-executed novel and worth the read.