When the Stars Go Dark

A Novel

By: Paula McLain

Narrated by: Marin Ireland

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • GOOD MORNING AMERICA BUZZ PICK • “A total departure for the author of The Paris Wife, McLain’s emotionally intense and exceptionally well-written thriller entwines its fictional crime with real cases.”—People (Book of the Week)

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY MARIE CLAIRE • “The kind of heart-pounding conclusion that thriller fans crave . . . In the end, a book full of darkness lands with a message of hope.”—The New York Times Book Review

“This mystery will keep you guessing, and stay with you long after you finish. Dive in.”—Daily Skimm

Anna Hart is a seasoned missing persons detective in San Francisco with far too much knowledge of the darkest side of human nature. When tragedy strikes her personal life, Anna, desperate and numb, flees to the Northern California village of Mendocino to grieve. She lived there as a child with her beloved foster parents, and now she believes it might be the only place left for her. Yet the day she arrives, she learns that a local teenage girl has gone missing.

The crime feels frighteningly reminiscent of the most crucial time in Anna’s childhood, when the unsolved murder of a young girl touched Mendocino and changed the community forever. As past and present collide, Anna realizes that she has been led to this moment. The most difficult lessons of her life have given her insight into how victims come into contact with violent predators. As Anna becomes obsessed with saving the missing girl, she must accept that true courage means getting out of her own way and learning to let others in.

Weaving together actual cases of missing persons, trauma theory, and a hint of the metaphysical, this propulsive and deeply affecting novel tells a story of fate, necessary redemption, and what it takes, when the worst happens, to reclaim our lives—and our faith in one another.

Looking to read another mystery

I hope that Ms McLain writes another, maybe with the same characters
Thoroughly enjoyed the story the plot the characters and the reader
* * * * *
One of the better reads

Slow Build up

I struggled to finish this book. I felt like it didn't really get good until the last few chapters. The overall story line was good yet felt like it was too drawn out.

Absolutely STAGGERING.

This is a stunning work. Paula McLain writes beautifully and with such keen insight into the heart and mind of trauma survivors ... it is just breathtaking. Because of the nature of the story which I don’t want to spoil in this review, there are a few elements of trauma going on- childhood abandonment, sexual abuse, domestic violence, and different characters are struggling and she gracefully weaves their points of view and narratives through the plot. All while a thrilling case needs to be solved and is building throughout- and the mystery is rising... an excellent read, and excellent narration!

Exceptional performance, profoundly personal tale

McLain''s voice is is unlike anything I've read in fiction. You know very quickly that Anna Hart is speaking from the lived experience of the author. Her descriptions of abandonment, being shuffled from one foster family to the next, and her finding love eventually in the home of Hap and Eden come straight from the soul of someone who has lived that life, not imagined it.

The mystery within the mystery is another surprising twist - once the abduction is resolved we move on to the real problem.

Marin Ireland's voice acting is worthy of an Oscar. The conversations between Tally and Anna demonstrate her skill in conjuring from the page these contrasting characters with distinctive accents and cadences in a completely believable way. Bravo!

A good book

Truly enjoyed the book and the performance was very pleasant. I definitely recommend this book.