The beginning was a little confusing but once I got to know all the characters I found the book to be a great read and it was hard to put down.  The subject matter is real and not a pleasant on.  I also liked how the author showed the affects this subject matter has on the law enforcement individuals who work these types of cases.  Well done!

This was an absolute pleasure to read. I could not put it down. I can't wait to read more from this author!

It took me a while to slip beneath the skin of missing person detective Anna Hart, but once I did she has yet to leave. When the Stars Go Dark follows Anna as she seeks solace and the whereabouts of Cameron, a youth that recently disappeared, in the Mendocino area. A trip not only to Anna's hometown, but an unexpected step into the past . . . revisiting familiar places and faces, old pain, faded friendships, and unfinished love.

I really appreciate that Paula McLain included actual places and events into the story, something I enjoy introducing into my own work. I also like the self-discovery and psychological aspects . . . both in the role of perpetrator and the damage/ healing cycle for the innocent, unfortunate in their path.

I am a huge fan of King because in his stories I can usually quickly identify the villain and assess the dangers. A much scarier story to me is one like this, where the monster has a very human face and cleverly cloaks itself in deceit.

One of Anna Hart's biggest epiphanies . . . to hunt down dark-hearted predators is almost as harrowing as bravely facing our own starless realities.

I sincerely thank NetGalley and Ballantine Books for allowing me to read an advance copy of When the Stars Go Dark for an honest review.

This is a departure from her historical novels, so readers who expect the same experience won’t find it. However, it was very well written and surprising. The beginning was somewhat difficult to follow with the non linear timeline, but made sense in the end.

I had been putting this off, I worried it was too heavy and it was a little but it was good. Some parts dragged a little but I still enjoyed it! Thank you for the opportunity to read this!

After living through a personal tragedy, Anna finds herself in Mendocino - the closest place she's ever had to call home. Anna has a history of trauma and grief that make her adept as a detective but also restrict her from truly forgiving herself and trusting others. While in Mendocino, Anna becomes involved in solving several kidnappings of young girls. In doing so, she not only confronts her mistakes as a parent and mother but also must learn to let go of the trauma she experienced in childhood. A book about redemption, grief, and tragedy. This book is a mystery/thriller that reads like literary fiction as it is very character-driven. It covers very dark themes and has a very ethereal feel to it (at night I felt spooked reading it). The ending is satisfying and plausible without being too superficial. Thank you #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this #ARC.

It’s slower paced police crime novel, but I was hooked right away. 
I enjoyed the inclusion of the real life murder of Polly Klaas. Brought real easy to the story, but also true tragedy. 
I also liked learning about Anna’s backstory and how she got involved with finding missing people as her career. 
I feel like there were some repetitive tropes in this novel. A detective with a drinking problem. A detective that lost their spouse because of their work. A detective that gets too caught up in solving the crime. A detective whose personal trauma gets in the way of their job. 
Mostly, it worked.
It’s a riveting mystery that’s beautifully written.

Loved the Paris Wife by this author so was happy to read another from her.  This mystery-thriller isn't quite like real life historical fiction as Paris Wife, but there are several references to the Polly Klass kidnapping in California where this novel takes place.  

The main character Ann, a detective from San Francisco, is escaping from her life and tragic events and returns to Mendocino where she grew up in a foster family.  She runs into an old friend and quickly gets drawn into the search to find a missing teenage girl.   Anna specialized in finding missing girls in SF, so this case is what she is drawn to and has a heart for.  

There are several back and forths of storylines and events that sometimes got confusing, but overall it seems to work, but just pay attention.  A satisfying conclusion to both the events in Ann's life and the case that she is investigating.

After personal tragedy hits Anna she tries to grieve in peace only to be roped into one of the best mysteries of the year. To go from more fluffy writing to this incredible story Paula McLain deserves the highest of compliments. What a fantastic foray into mystery.

Anna Hart, a troubled, missing persons detective,,is determined to find a missing teenage girl in Mendocino,California. Anna's own traumatic  past allows her to understand this girl and she develops the insight  that may help save her life. .Most of the characters have something in their past to hide and all must be revealed before the satisfying conclusion.

First of all, this title hooked me from the beginning. I just have to say that. But, also, and more importantly, the writing itself pulled me in, and I found myself entranced by the main female protagonist. It's also nice to read a story that's set in a different time period (the early nineties in this case), so cell phones were not available as a plot device. There's also a dog sidekick (yes!) and TONS of heartbreaking emotion. I loved it!

This is a story that clutches at your heart and won’t let go.  I knew from the start this one was going to be painful, and it was.  So painful to watch Anna Hart, a San Francisco missing persons detective, try to come to grip with the recent tragedy in her life while reconciling the traumas of her early life.  She has fled to Mendocino, the only place she ever felt safe and at home to lick her wounds.  Once there, she is thrown into the case of another missing local teen.  She is compelled to help her childhood friend, Sheriff Will Flood, solve the case and can’t help comparing it to the case of their missing childhood friend who was murdered twenty years ago.

There was so much beauty in reading about Anna and her now-deceased foster parents who gave her something good in her life.  Now she has come back to Mendocino to heal, and their spirits are speaking to her daily.  The downside is that this is a dark story about child kidnapping, torture, and abuse.  It is written to coincide with the Polly Klaas kidnapping in 1993, which I found upsetting.

I must admit I guessed who the bad guy was early on, but it did not distract from my enjoyment of the story. Yes, a dark, twisty tale, but also one of forgiveness and letting go.  I thank the publisher, Ballantine Books, and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book.  I gave it four stars.

WoW! What a book! Amazing!! 
Paula really did a fantastic job of keeping my attention held. 
The story was just mind blowing. I loved the the detective side this story told.

Anna Hart is escaping tragedy by visiting her hometown in Mendocino. Anna is police offer who seems to be on some unconfirmed break. In Mendocino, she tries to help out a childhood friend Will  locate a missing child. We learn about Anna's childhood, her sources of guilt and the circumstances of her current tragedy as she races the clock to try to save the child.

In “When the Stars Go Dark” by Paula McLain we meet Anna Hart, a detective who specializes in missing persons.  Something tragic has happened in her personal life and as she deals with its consequences, she heads back to the only place she ever felt loved.   But she soon finds herself faced with a past that too closely resembles her present and an old friend that needs her help finding a missing girl.  As her obsession takes over Anna must trust what she has learned and dig deep to get the outcome she needs.

A great mixture of actual missing person cases and what it takes to come back from an unthinkable tragedy.  I received a copy of this book through Net Galley and this is my honest review.

Loved the characters and this was beautifully written.  I liked the touches of the real life case of Polly Klaas.  I will definitely be checking out more from this author!

I received an ARC from Netgallery in exchange for an honest review. 
First off, this book has triggers like sexual abuse, neglect and rape.  This is my first book by Paula McLain and it will not be the last. We learned from the prologue that Anna is a detective who works on missing person’s cases and she’s obsessed with her job, however after a recent tragedy she decided to return to Mendocino. When she arrives, she gets entangled in the search of a teenage girl, she tries not to get involved but for some reason she feels drawn to this case.
This book was very emotional and like a mentioned at the beginning, there are triggers for this book but it is worth the read, you will not be disappointed.

This book blew me away! I was unable to but it down. Perfect, dazzlingly, very well written. The details the author described throughout the book was so amazing. The  characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming  Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming  Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

3.5 stars 

I was immediately drawn in by the backdrop for this piece, as I am a California native and was born just a few months before Polly Klaas. Her experiences - and those of her family and young girls like her - were terrifying cornerstones of my childhood and the young lives of my friends and their families, too. 

While the setting really worked for me, I very much struggled to connect with the main character, and to a large extent, the plot. The pacing felt slow throughout the first 2/3, and I kept looking for a foothold; I wanted to feel more invested. 

I would recommend this to someone who is also drawn to the period/theme, but it wasn't as riveting as I was expecting overall.

I haven't read anything by this author before but I believe I will do that now.  This book is a mystery/suspense book set back in the 90's and if I have one complaint, that is it.  I wish this book had been set in recent time so the detectives could have made use of current technology.

However, it was a good book with reference to real missing person cases during that time that added a level of truthfulness to the book.  It could happen anywhere, anytime and any place.

I thought the characters were well developed and each carried their own problems that were revealed over the course of the book.  I didn't know who the culprit was until it was revealed which was nice, I hadn't already guessed who it was.  In looking back after the reveal there weren't many clues either.

The hardest part of the book was the abuse on the victims but it was there for storyline purposes and wasn't more than was necessary.  Over all I thought it was a good book.