Thrillers & Suspense
![Laura McHugh - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B00E91RTAK.jpg)
What's Done in Darkness: A Novel
Abducted as a teenager, a woman must now confront her past and untangle the truth of what really happened to her in this dark thriller from the author of The Wolf Wants In.
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: St. Louis Post-Dispatch,Self • "Compulsively, propulsively readable."-Laura Lippman, bestselling author of Lady in the Lake
Seventeen-year-old Sarabeth has become increasingly rebellious since her parents found God and moved their family to a remote Arkansas farmstead where she's forced to wear long dresses, follow strict rules, and grow her hair down to her waist. She's all but given up on escaping the farm when a masked man appears one stifling summer morning and snatches her out of the cornfield.
A week after her abduction, she's found alongside a highway in a bloodstained dress-alive-but her family treats her like she's tainted, and there's little hope of finding her captor, who kept Sarabeth blindfolded in the dark the entire time, never uttering a word. One good thing arises from the horrific ordeal: a chance to leave the Ozarks and start a new life.
Five years later, Sarabeth is struggling to keep her past buried when investigator Nick Farrow calls. Convinced that her case is connected to the strikingly similar disappearance of another young girl, Farrow wants Sarabeth's help, and he'll do whatever it takes to get it, even if that means dragging her back to the last place she wants to go-the hills and hollers of home, to face her estranged family and all her deepest fears.
In this riveting novel from Laura McHugh, blood ties and buried secrets draw a young woman back into the nightmare of her past to save a missing girl, unaware of what awaits her in the darkness.
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: St. Louis Post-Dispatch,Self • "Compulsively, propulsively readable."-Laura Lippman, bestselling author of Lady in the Lake
Seventeen-year-old Sarabeth has become increasingly rebellious since her parents found God and moved their family to a remote Arkansas farmstead where she's forced to wear long dresses, follow strict rules, and grow her hair down to her waist. She's all but given up on escaping the farm when a masked man appears one stifling summer morning and snatches her out of the cornfield.
A week after her abduction, she's found alongside a highway in a bloodstained dress-alive-but her family treats her like she's tainted, and there's little hope of finding her captor, who kept Sarabeth blindfolded in the dark the entire time, never uttering a word. One good thing arises from the horrific ordeal: a chance to leave the Ozarks and start a new life.
Five years later, Sarabeth is struggling to keep her past buried when investigator Nick Farrow calls. Convinced that her case is connected to the strikingly similar disappearance of another young girl, Farrow wants Sarabeth's help, and he'll do whatever it takes to get it, even if that means dragging her back to the last place she wants to go-the hills and hollers of home, to face her estranged family and all her deepest fears.
In this riveting novel from Laura McHugh, blood ties and buried secrets draw a young woman back into the nightmare of her past to save a missing girl, unaware of what awaits her in the darkness.
Editorial Reviews
"Laura McHugh's psychological thrillers are characterized by their deeply wrought characters, objectively harrowing situations, and their shared setting in the Midwest and Ozarks. In What's Done in Darkness, a woman revisits her abduction as a teenager when more information comes to light."-Oprah Daily
"What really sets McHugh apart, though, is that her social novels are seasoned with gothic horror. Each of them has kept me reading late into the night and left me chilled by their revelations. The mountains and hollows of Arkansas are gorgeous, but there be monsters in those hills."-Los Angeles Times
"[McHugh is] a sharp observer of the nuanced dynamics that make the Heartland tick, particularly in its shadier corners, and her female characters are rich and full of life-even when they're the victims of horrific evils."-Elle
"Laura McHugh has been reinventing the rural noir to tell women's stories, and her latest is a harrowing venture into a deeply religious community hidden in the Ozarks."-CrimeReads
"Laura McHugh is already on everyone's short list of crime writers to watch for, someone who just goes from strength to strength. Compulsively, propulsively readable, it never loses sight of what's really at stake for its characters-or its readers."-Laura Lippman, bestselling author of Lady in the Lake
"What's Done in Darkness is a beautifully paced story of a young woman's courage to confront, both psychologically and by novel's end literally, an evil that might again entrap her."-Ron Rash, bestselling author of Serena
"It's hard to find a truly original thriller these days, one that's populated with unique characters and a plot that feels fresh. But with What's Done in Darkness, Laura McHugh has managed a new spin on the genre. A riveting, poignant, and propulsive read."-Amy Engel, bestselling author of The Familiar Dark
"In her latest spine-chilling thriller, McHugh weaves a dark and delicious spell. Seamless, expressive writing, a voice like a crystal clear lake, a...
"What really sets McHugh apart, though, is that her social novels are seasoned with gothic horror. Each of them has kept me reading late into the night and left me chilled by their revelations. The mountains and hollows of Arkansas are gorgeous, but there be monsters in those hills."-Los Angeles Times
"[McHugh is] a sharp observer of the nuanced dynamics that make the Heartland tick, particularly in its shadier corners, and her female characters are rich and full of life-even when they're the victims of horrific evils."-Elle
"Laura McHugh has been reinventing the rural noir to tell women's stories, and her latest is a harrowing venture into a deeply religious community hidden in the Ozarks."-CrimeReads
"Laura McHugh is already on everyone's short list of crime writers to watch for, someone who just goes from strength to strength. Compulsively, propulsively readable, it never loses sight of what's really at stake for its characters-or its readers."-Laura Lippman, bestselling author of Lady in the Lake
"What's Done in Darkness is a beautifully paced story of a young woman's courage to confront, both psychologically and by novel's end literally, an evil that might again entrap her."-Ron Rash, bestselling author of Serena
"It's hard to find a truly original thriller these days, one that's populated with unique characters and a plot that feels fresh. But with What's Done in Darkness, Laura McHugh has managed a new spin on the genre. A riveting, poignant, and propulsive read."-Amy Engel, bestselling author of The Familiar Dark
"In her latest spine-chilling thriller, McHugh weaves a dark and delicious spell. Seamless, expressive writing, a voice like a crystal clear lake, a...
Readers Top Reviews
rohojonesBliss
I thought this novel was well written. It is unfortunate that some young people get caught up in this life style.
Carole R. Laffeyr
I read this book in two sittings! As it switches back and forth betwen the past and the present it keeps you wanting to read the next chapter.
stiz2003Carole R.
Captivating story of an over religious family and how the children are brain washed and deprived of a normal childhood. I had no clue of the ending. She had me interested from the beginning to the end. A good read for me but we all have different tastes. My only complaint would be what happened to the younger sister? She just vanished with no mention of her.
Carissa Janesstiz
I had a hard time getting into this one because the topic made me a little squirmy. Religion is used for the reason for a lot of things, and not of the time those reasons don't make sense. However, the deeper I got into this novel, the more I had to know what happened. I loved the twists and turns this book took, and you could feel the evilness slithering around in the characters waiting for it's chance.
CynthiaAllison Wi
Interesting enough to keep reading, but fairly predictable and ordinary when it came the ending. Kind of reads like young adult book.
Short Excerpt Teaser
Chapter 1
SARAH, NOW
Sarabeth. Three syllables, hushed, like a secret whispered in my ear, my skin prickling as though I had felt his breath through the phone. The man was still talking, but it was all static after Sarabeth. No one called me that anymore. It was an old name. A dead name. I had been Sarah for nearly five years, and those who knew my real name never had cause to utter it, because they no longer spoke to me.
There was a pause while the man waited for me to respond. "Hello?" he said. "Are you there?"
I pressed my free hand flat against the cool metal desktop and tried to anchor myself in the present. My cluttered office at the animal shelter. The brightly colored sticky notes framing my monitor, reminding me of upcoming foster appointments. The mournful wail of a bloodhound in the exam room down the hall. I forced air into my constricted lungs, the stinging scent of bleach and urine filtering in as the kennels were sprayed down.
"I'm sorry," I said, my voice snagging in my throat. "I couldn't hear you."
"I'm Nick Farrow with the Missouri Highway Patrol, Missing Persons Unit. I need to speak with you about your case."
I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry. Why would the Missouri state police be calling me now? I'd been found in Missouri, not far from the Arkansas line, but the Clayton County Sheriff's Department back in Wisteria had been in charge of the case, and after making a mess of it, they'd done their best to bury it and move on.
"Did something happen?" I asked. "Has something new come up?"
"Not exactly," he said. "Not in regard to your case specifically. But there's a missing person case that bears some resemblance to yours. I'd like to ask you a few questions."
"I'm sorry," I said. "It was a long time ago. I've already given all the information I had."
I sensed skepticism in his silence and wasn't surprised. I knew it was difficult to believe that I'd been held captive for more than a week yet didn't know who'd taken me or where I'd been. People had their own ideas about what had happened to Sarabeth Shepherd, the seventeen-year-old girl who'd vanished from her family's farm in rural Arkansas and reappeared in a bloodstained slip along Highway 65, bound and blindfolded, with a dubious story about how she ended up there. I thought of that Sarabeth as a different person altogether, the girl from the newspaper headlines.
"I understand," Farrow said in a gentle Good Cop voice, his tone implying I am on your side. I knew from experience that if you didn't give Good Cop what he wanted, it was only a matter of time before Bad Cop stepped in. Did you run away, Sarabeth? Did you cause these injuries yourself? Cut off your own hair? Did you make it all up for attention?
"I still want to talk to you," Farrow continued. "I know it's been a while, but some things have changed since then."
The bloodhound's cries grew louder as Melissa, my boss, led him past my office toward the outdoor runs. The dog twisted and squirmed, fighting the leash. We'd found him tied to the fence when we arrived to open the shelter an hour ago, his ears lumpy with ticks. It was all too common for people to dump animals overnight, to avoid the intake fee or the paperwork or the discomfort of looking someone in the eye while they relinquished a pet. Last August, we'd found a litter of twelve black kittens sealed in a plastic storage tub in the parking lot. All but one had perished in the heat before we got to them. Melissa named the survivor Sunny and bottle-fed her around the clock for days, but she didn't make it.
"What's changed?" I asked.
"We've got new tools, technologically speaking," he said. "I'm sure you've seen it in the news. Software that can link crimes. Genealogical databases that can help identify criminals from cold cases. There's a chance we could find the person who took you."
He dangled that vague possibility as though it would entice me. I had left my old life behind on the farm, like the snakes that shed their skins in the fields, a process necessary for survival. A piece of me was still there in Arkansas, but I was gone. No one in my new life knew who I was, what had happened to me, and I wanted to keep it that way.
"You said this was about another case."
"Yes," he said. "A sixteen-year-old girl went missing from a small town near the Bootheel. No trace of her since, no sightings, nothing. I'm checking for any possible connection to previous abductions, and I need your help. An hour of your time."
"Do you think she might have run away?"
There was a sound like paper shuffling. A muted sigh. I wondered if he remembered the ...
SARAH, NOW
Sarabeth. Three syllables, hushed, like a secret whispered in my ear, my skin prickling as though I had felt his breath through the phone. The man was still talking, but it was all static after Sarabeth. No one called me that anymore. It was an old name. A dead name. I had been Sarah for nearly five years, and those who knew my real name never had cause to utter it, because they no longer spoke to me.
There was a pause while the man waited for me to respond. "Hello?" he said. "Are you there?"
I pressed my free hand flat against the cool metal desktop and tried to anchor myself in the present. My cluttered office at the animal shelter. The brightly colored sticky notes framing my monitor, reminding me of upcoming foster appointments. The mournful wail of a bloodhound in the exam room down the hall. I forced air into my constricted lungs, the stinging scent of bleach and urine filtering in as the kennels were sprayed down.
"I'm sorry," I said, my voice snagging in my throat. "I couldn't hear you."
"I'm Nick Farrow with the Missouri Highway Patrol, Missing Persons Unit. I need to speak with you about your case."
I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry. Why would the Missouri state police be calling me now? I'd been found in Missouri, not far from the Arkansas line, but the Clayton County Sheriff's Department back in Wisteria had been in charge of the case, and after making a mess of it, they'd done their best to bury it and move on.
"Did something happen?" I asked. "Has something new come up?"
"Not exactly," he said. "Not in regard to your case specifically. But there's a missing person case that bears some resemblance to yours. I'd like to ask you a few questions."
"I'm sorry," I said. "It was a long time ago. I've already given all the information I had."
I sensed skepticism in his silence and wasn't surprised. I knew it was difficult to believe that I'd been held captive for more than a week yet didn't know who'd taken me or where I'd been. People had their own ideas about what had happened to Sarabeth Shepherd, the seventeen-year-old girl who'd vanished from her family's farm in rural Arkansas and reappeared in a bloodstained slip along Highway 65, bound and blindfolded, with a dubious story about how she ended up there. I thought of that Sarabeth as a different person altogether, the girl from the newspaper headlines.
"I understand," Farrow said in a gentle Good Cop voice, his tone implying I am on your side. I knew from experience that if you didn't give Good Cop what he wanted, it was only a matter of time before Bad Cop stepped in. Did you run away, Sarabeth? Did you cause these injuries yourself? Cut off your own hair? Did you make it all up for attention?
"I still want to talk to you," Farrow continued. "I know it's been a while, but some things have changed since then."
The bloodhound's cries grew louder as Melissa, my boss, led him past my office toward the outdoor runs. The dog twisted and squirmed, fighting the leash. We'd found him tied to the fence when we arrived to open the shelter an hour ago, his ears lumpy with ticks. It was all too common for people to dump animals overnight, to avoid the intake fee or the paperwork or the discomfort of looking someone in the eye while they relinquished a pet. Last August, we'd found a litter of twelve black kittens sealed in a plastic storage tub in the parking lot. All but one had perished in the heat before we got to them. Melissa named the survivor Sunny and bottle-fed her around the clock for days, but she didn't make it.
"What's changed?" I asked.
"We've got new tools, technologically speaking," he said. "I'm sure you've seen it in the news. Software that can link crimes. Genealogical databases that can help identify criminals from cold cases. There's a chance we could find the person who took you."
He dangled that vague possibility as though it would entice me. I had left my old life behind on the farm, like the snakes that shed their skins in the fields, a process necessary for survival. A piece of me was still there in Arkansas, but I was gone. No one in my new life knew who I was, what had happened to me, and I wanted to keep it that way.
"You said this was about another case."
"Yes," he said. "A sixteen-year-old girl went missing from a small town near the Bootheel. No trace of her since, no sightings, nothing. I'm checking for any possible connection to previous abductions, and I need your help. An hour of your time."
"Do you think she might have run away?"
There was a sound like paper shuffling. A muted sigh. I wondered if he remembered the ...
