The Wolf Wants In

A Novel

By: Laura McHugh

Narrated by: Suzanne Elise Freeman, Tara Turnbull

“Calling all fans of Sharp Objects and the third season of True Detective: You need to read Laura McHugh.”—Refinery29

“A perfect thriller . . . a thoughtful commentary on America’s opioid crisis and an utterly satisfying mystery.”—Janelle Brown, New York Times bestselling author of Watch Me Disappear

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY LIBRARY JOURNAL

Sadie Keller is determined to find out how her brother died, even if no one else thinks it’s worth investigating. Untimely deaths are all too common in rural Blackwater, Kansas, where crime and overdoses are on the rise, and the small-town police force is consumed with the recent discovery of a child’s skull in the woods. Sadie is on her own, delving into the dark corners of a life her brother kept hidden and unearthing more questions than answers.

Eighteen-year-old Henley Pettit knows more than she’d like to about the seedy side of Blackwater, and she’s desperate to escape before she’s irreparably entangled in her family’s crimes. She dreams of disappearing and leaving her old life behind, but shedding the past is never easy, and getting out of town will be far more dangerous than she ever imagined.

As more bones are found in the woods, time is running out for Sadie to uncover the truth and for Henley to make her escape. Both women are torn between family loyalties and the weight of the secrets they carry, knowing full well that while some secrets are hard to live with, others will get you killed.

Like Laura McHugh’s previous award-winning thrillers, The Weight of Blood and Arrowood, The Wolf Wants In is an atmospheric, beautifully told novel that barrels toward a twisting, chilling end and keeps us turning the page to find out how these small-town secrets will unravel—and who will survive.

Praise for The Wolf Wants In

“The Wolf Wants In perfectly balances gripping suspense with stunning, lyrical prose—a rare combination, but one that seems to be McHugh’s signature gift. Atmospheric and chilling, this novel takes place in the twisted, destructive wake of the opioid crisis as one woman struggles for justice and another for redemption. A truly thrilling read.”—Jill Orr, author of the Riley Ellison mysteries

Good story line

This was a great stroy thought it did take me a few times to finish it. I would recommend it.

Refreshing Story, Touching, Nuanced Performance

Memorable characters throughout, realistic and sensuous description. McHugh shares a world with us, teaches us how to take pleasure in it, is generous with ever more detailed slices of it. As a listener, Sadie’s frustrations and curiosities become mine. Through her we live out a rogue detective fantasy. McHugh’s intimate portrait of Henley becomes deliciously illuminated as the story unfolds. We get to be part of the story, also part voyeur. The dual narrations capture the atmospheres, impart each characters’ respective precarities and unique worldviews. The Wolf Wants In strikes its own balance. This mysterious journey satisfies, does not let its satisfactions lull us into forgetful complacency, but manages, skillfully, to leave us with some of its longings

Good Story

This is much better than Arrowwood and as good as The Weight of Blood. Both narrators did a good job. I enjoyed it very much.

Poor Narration

I thoroughly enjoyed the story, as I have all other Laura McHugh novels, but the narration really put me off. The voice of Sadie sounded weak and whining while Henley was almost incomprehensible and inaudible. Sadie was a strong character in the book, pressing forward with her investigation, with very little support from family or law enforcement, but the plaintive voice was off-putting and incongruous. When Henley began to speak, I had to crank up the volume and rewind several times to catch the words she swallowed in her poorly enunciated, quiet speech. Next to a good story, the narration is paramount for a successful audio book. The narration in this book fell short and made the book difficult to fully enjoy.

Under-rated!!

I did not want to stop listening to this. I love a good small town well paced mystery and this was definitely that. The only thing that was difficult to deal with was one of the narrators. She was just way way too proper bless her heart once u get used to it it gets better but they really should have picked someone else to perform that part. Otherwise this is a good one that really sucked me in!