The Weight of Blood

A Novel

By: Laura McHugh

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

Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

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

Weighty Hype Unfulfilled

Lila came to Henbane under duplicitous circumstances, disappearing from a seemingly happy life. Present day daughter Lucy searches for clues to her friend's murder and mother's past. The characters in this backwoods, gritty story are well drawn out and McHugh's writing style is fluid and easy. The first 3/4 of the book kept my attention and enjoyed the narrator for Lila (Shanon McManus?). Lucy's story was mildly immature and didn't care for the narrator's voice. While waiting for the final big reveal, the book ended. Oops, hate it when that happens. Found this entertaining, but cannot hold a candle to "Winter's Bone".

Suspenseful coming-of-age story

Where does The Weight of Blood rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This was a very good audiobook, definitely a "page turner". I liked the use of (3) narrators, although I wish the voices had been a little more distinctive. It was difficult to discern which narrator was speaking. Fortunately, the book chapters are labeled by each narrators name. Otherwise, I would have struggled to know who was telling the story.

What other book might you compare The Weight of Blood to and why?

This story reminded me very much of "Ruby Red Heart in the Cold Blue Sea". Very similar story ( teenage girl loses mother early in life under mysterious circumstances ). If you liked this, check out RRH....

This is set in my neck of the woods

What did you love best about The Weight of Blood?

I loved most that I grew up and still live in this area, recognizing and feeling a part of the places mentioned in this book

What did you like best about this story?

The author pulled me into the story, it was authentic for this area. Her descriptions were so well done I could see the characters, their faces, their mannerisms.

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

The narrator was distinctive, easily understood, and spoke with the correct accents or in my way of thinking - no accent.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I practically did. I listened until bedtime, forgoing TV and was back listening first thing in the morning.

Any additional comments?

I hope this author write more books, hopefully set in the same location. I can assure you I will buy and listen to them.

Loved this story!!!!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Weight of Blood to be better than the print version?

This was a very unique story with an outstanding plot. I loved the geographical references and how they influenced the character build up. Simply put, an overall great story. I especially loved that the book was narrated using 3 different people to give voice to each character independently.

Interesting but left me feeling a bit let down

This story was well-written and the narration was very good. I enjoyed the characters and the setting was very engaging and interesting. It moved a bit slow in places and I just felt let down by the ending, as if there should have been more closure for the characters. It was a decent read but I would be far more inclined to recommend Gone Girl.

Winter's Bone & Gone Girl--NOT!

Okay, so the protagonist is a young girl living in the Ozarks. Long ago, her mother disappeared without explanation. Don't buy the hype -- while mildly entertaining, the quality of the writing, the sophistication of the plot (including way too much "young romance"), and the depth of character development compare poorly with Woodrell and Flynn. Not a BAD read, but setting up the listener to expect another Winter's Bone or Gone Girl didn't do McHugh any favors.

Good Mystery; Just a Little Juvenile

I enjoyed the narration of this book, the voices were easy to listen to and understand with good pacing. It took me some time, however, to sort out who was who in the beginning and after about two hours when I finally figured out what was going on, I went back and listened to many parts to solidify what I had missed when I was trying to place what was happening in the story. After that, the book was very good as the teen-age (19 year old) protagonist was working to solve two mysteries, the death of her friend and then the death of her mother. The mystery became involved and suspenseful keeping me interested and impressed with the author's ability to create such an intricate tale. Unfortunately, I felt the ending was a bit disappointing but will leave that up to you to decide. This book could be for a teen or young adult audience but works for adults too. If there was a 3.8, I would have given that but there isn't and the storyline was not quite good enough to make a 4 for me.

Enjoyble read!

Would you listen to The Weight of Blood again? Why?

Yes! I finished QUICK because once I got about halfway through, I couldn't put it down!!!

Suspenseful story line

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

I liked the parallel stories of the women. It took me a little bit to realize what was going on, and figuring it out was fun. I love a surprise.

What did you like best about this story?

Character development of Lucy, Lila and the other women.

Which scene was your favorite?

When Lucy is told about her mother by Bertie.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

no

Any additional comments?

Great drive time story telling.

enjoyed this fiction

well written and well delivered. I enjoyed listening to this book and it held my interest as being suspenseful with good character development.