The Weight of Blood

A Novel

By: Laura McHugh

Narrated by: Dorothy Dillingham Blue, Shannon McManus, Sofia Willingham

For fans of Gillian Flynn, Scott Smith, and Daniel Woodrell comes a gripping, suspenseful novel about two mysterious disappearances a generation apart.

INTERNATIONAL THRILLER WRITERS AWARD WINNER AND BARRY AWARD NOMINEE FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY BOOKPAGE

The town of Henbane sits deep in the Ozark Mountains. Folks there still whisper about Lucy Dane’s mother, a bewitching stranger who appeared long enough to marry Carl Dane and then vanished when Lucy was just a child. Now on the brink of adulthood, Lucy experiences another loss when her friend Cheri disappears and is then found murdered, her body placed on display for all to see. Lucy’s family has deep roots in the Ozarks, part of a community that is fiercely protective of its own. Yet despite her close ties to the land, and despite her family’s influence, Lucy—darkly beautiful as her mother was—is always thought of by those around her as her mother’s daughter. When Cheri disappears, Lucy is haunted by the two lost girls—the mother she never knew and the friend she couldn’t save—and sets out with the help of a local boy, Daniel, to uncover the mystery behind Cheri’s death.

What Lucy discovers is a secret that pervades the secluded Missouri hills, and beyond that horrific revelation is a more personal one concerning what happened to her mother more than a decade earlier.

The Weight of Blood is an urgent look at the dark side of a bucolic landscape beyond the arm of the law, where a person can easily disappear without a trace. Laura McHugh proves herself a masterly storyteller who has created a harsh and tangled terrain as alive and unforgettable as the characters who inhabit it. Her mesmerizing debut is a compelling exploration of the meaning of family: the sacrifices we make, the secrets we keep, and the lengths to which we will go to protect the ones we love.

©2014 Laura McHugh (P)2014 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“[An] expertly crafted thriller.”—Entertainment Weekly, “The Must List”

“With her riveting debut, The Weight of Blood, Laura McHugh makes a strong bid at cementing a new tradition of regional crime fiction while keeping tourism low in the Ozarks. . . . [A] powerful sense of place is the anchor of The Weight of Blood. The well-drawn townspeople and oppressive, dread-soaked atmosphere sprout from the soil of Henbane. . . . The prose is strong, with evocative paint strokes in all the right places. McHugh is an artful, efficient writer who tells her story in vicious blows. . . . McHugh has crafted a sharp, haunting tale of blood in the Ozarks, as substantial as it is pleasurable to read.”—Los Angeles Times

“Laura McHugh’s atmospheric debut, The Weight of Blood . . . conjures a menacingly beautiful Ozark setting and a nest of poisonous family secrets reminiscent of Daniel Woodrell’s Winter’s Bone.”—Vogue

No Gillian Flynn

I've seen comparisons between this book and those written by Gillian Flynn. In my estimation there is simply no comparison. Except the references to Missouri. It was OK, but the story was not tight,and some characters seemed to dissolve from the narrative with no resolution. If someone really wants to get a sense of sourthern Missouri and the culture of the Ozarks they should read Daniel Woodrell. There is no one who captures it better.

Hoped for southern gothic got Nancy Drew instead

I listend to it all the way through so it kept me in my seat painting hours which is what I needed to accomplish but the description had me hoping for more of a Southern Gothic flavor with the Ozarks and the dark family history. The ingredients were all there: the characters, the setting, the backstories... but it's not in the writing. I didn't feel any sense of atmosphere or dread. I Wasn't looking for horror but I can't explain without sounding like a pretentious jerk. It just didn't feel as 'dark' as I was hoping for considering the selling points in the description and title.

Distinctive story well told, but ending is iffy

A bit spoilery - Proving that Chris Bohjalian isn't the only one who can write well about the forced prostitution of women. A decent thriller with plenty of atmosphere, but I felt the ending pulled its punch and the villain (who is obvious and there is no twist; he is who he is) gets no real punishment. As a matter of fact, the slavery of young women appears to just go on. And not just the girls who are sold for sex, many of the women in town are equally in bonds and cannot stop what's happening. One thing that bugged me was that the two narrators who take the alternate perspectives of Lucy and Lila sounded too much alike. If I let my attention wander I sometimes couldn't tell which was which. Really, would it be so hard to find another woman who doesn't sound like a little girl?

not what I expected but still enjoyed

This is definitely not what I expected this book to be, that being said it was a really good thriller and I did actually enjoy it to the end. A bit predictable but overall really good.

Great writing, depressing tale (some spoilers)

3.5 stars.
It was actually quite a good read. Having different chapters come from different players' perspectives, both past and present, worked quite well to unfold the story. The actors representing each voice were excellent. The characters are multi-faceted, even the ones whose actions (or inactions) are heinous.

What prevents me from recommending The Weight of Blood is how depressing it is. Put aside the human trafficking, which is depicted realistically enough to be truly disturbing. Still, the life of every woman in the book is mired in hopelessness of varying degrees. Some ray of hope is offered at the conclusion, but I was too disheartened to grasp it as I finished the book. But I guess this is the sign of a well written book, to have me so emotionally involved.

Edit: After reading another review, I found the true recent news item that likely inspired this book. Now I'm even more depressed. (less)

Loved it !!

What made the experience of listening to The Weight of Blood the most enjoyable?

I could not put it down

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Feeling

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

The name of the book says it all

Any additional comments?

Loved it!!!! Couldn't put it down

Slow to go

Any additional comments?

I guess it takes me 29% of the beginning to engage. This book was so slow it took me a while to realize that Lila and Lucy were the main characters. I did enjoy how the author summarized the dark trafficking plot in a light way. Would I read it again? No. Would you have to remind me about the details should it come up in a book club? Yes. Not a terrible read so it gets an average 3-stars all around. If you like the plot to unfold one character at a time, narrated by each character, then this is for you. It is worth a credit. Won't be a Hollywood movie though.

Darkness of the Ozarks Perfect for Noir

For a debut, Laura McHugh magnificently brings the Ozark landscape to life, creating a character in itself. The story wouldn't be the same without the backdrop of a place perfect for secrets, chilling in its claustrophobia, and weighing heavy with bodies. The narrators work well for the characters, the tangled plot unravels in a surprising way, and the setting brims with details of a world unknown to me, something that I crave in books. I eagerly await McHugh's next novel.

Hard to follow/ Spoiler Alert

I have loved her other books but literally I was 3/4 of the way through before I realized that the grown Lucy was the baby Lucy 😂🤷🏼‍♀️. There should have been year/dates at the character shift to emphasize the flashback. Granted I was painting my house and a little distracted but how
Could I miss this?

Good short suspense thriller

It was a interesting story with a few unexpected twists. I loved learning with Lucy who her mother was and why some of the characters rough outer shell was formed.