Thank you Netgalley for this book!

I read The Paris Wife by Paula McLain awhile ago but remember liking it quite a bit. The plot is entirely different, historical fiction set in Paris in the early 1900s, about Ernest Hemingway and his wife, Hadley. When I read that she had written a thriller, I was intrigued. Little did I know that this book was also historical fiction based on actual people, this time Polly Klaas. Most Americans will remember her kidnapping. She was taken from her bedroom in front of two friends by a stranger and subsequently murdered. Her story was national headlines for awhile. This story follows fictional girls who go missing around the same time.

From Goodreads: Anna Hart is a seasoned missing persons detective in San Francisco with far too much knowledge of the darkest side of human nature. When overwhelming 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 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 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. 

Anna is flawed, struggling with both her past and her present, which makes her a great main character. She’s captivating and troubled. The layers of her trauma are pulled back slowly, some not revealed until much later in the book, which keeps the reader guessing. I’m not a big historical fiction fan, but McLain has knocked it out of the park twice for me. I’ll definitely be reading more of her work.

I loved McLain’s earlier two books, so my expectations for her newest were high. And for the most part, she delivers. 

The writing is gorgeous, and it's most definitely a page turner. Was I as engaged by the characters as the previous two? No. But definitely a great read!

Thanks to Net Galley for the book in exchange for an honest review.

When the Stars go Dark is a phenomenal mystery read. For anyone who likes true crime this is it. It’s a fictional tale of a girl gone missing. With a Detective and a Sheriff on the case will they find the missing girl and the answers they seek? Get ready to sink your teeth in to this one.

A beautifully written story set at the time of the Polly Klaas abduction that evokes that time without seeming at all set in the past. A detective who has investigated one too many crimes against children and who has not recovered from some unnamed trauma of her own flees her family to return to Mendocino, where years ago a girl disappeared - and where another young woman has gone missing. She throws herself into the search. It could all be a worn-out plot line if the author wasn't so talented at establishing characters and a sense of place. Those who enjoy a well-turned phrase along with their pacey mystery are in for a treat.

Every once in a while I’ll stumble upon a book that just fractures my heart (in a good way). This book is that book. It easily slid into my ‘top five favorite books of this year’ list. Thank you to Random House Publishing Group for my copy! 
Anna is one of my all time favorite characters, I loved her! And I can be really picky with 
characters. From the very first few pages I was invested. Anna’s pain and grief radiated out of the words dried in ink and I felt for her so much. Even though I hadn’t gone through what she had or lost what she had, I related to her. I loved her compassion and dedication to finding the missing girls despite her own personal tragedies. 
I did suspect who the killer might be but I was still surprised especially with the revelations that came to light. I really loved how the book ended but it did leave me with a feeling of sadness especially with who the killer was. It was just heartbreaking. This author’s writing is beautiful. I loved the imagery and metaphors, the flow and the storyline was the perfect pace. I actually felt sad to finish the book because I loved it so much. I wanted to see more of Anna’s journey. 
I definitely definitely recommend this book. By far, one of the best books I’ve ever read. I can’t even explain completely why it affected me so much but it did. 

“𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘶𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥?”
“𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳.”

When the Stars Go Dark, by Paula McLain is a beautifully written story about pain and healing.  Anna Hart is a missing persons detective who gives her all to her profession. She leaves her home following a family tragedy and returns to Mendocino, CA where she spent some memorable years in foster care with Hap and Eden, to recalibrate and take a break.  A poster of a missing girl captures her attention and before long she is once again on the hunt.  Bit by bit her own difficult childhood is revealed and you can understand her inability to let these cases go.  Both a psychological thriller and historical fiction, as a real missing person case is woven into the story.

This is the third book I’ve read by Ms McLain. The story takes place in Mendocino, CA, and is as atmospheric as described, an absolutely beautiful and special place.  The storyline is familiar, but McLain’s descriptive writing makes this book stand out from other police procedural books.  Recommended.

Paula McClain has long been a good writer and one I read often. This one didn’t disappoint. 
This one was a different departure to what she usually writes but equally as good as this was about a child abduction. 
It had a gripping  fast paced plot and I’s another winner for her
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book

Anna Hart needs to get away, as far away as she can from her tragedy, her marriage, her work as a missing person detective, her life.  She drives to Mendocino, CA where she spent the majority of her childhood in foster care to be alone. But instead of getting what she desires the most, upon arrival she is drawn into a local missing child investigation that feels much too close to home for comfort. When it turns out two other girls in the vicinity are also reported missing, Anna must face all her past and present demons if she wants to bring a predator to justice. 

I’ve read a few other books by McLain but this was a bit different in that it wasn’t historical fiction following the life of a real person. Instead it was about a fictional detective set during the time of a true life child abduction in 1993. 

It was a very griping and at points unsettling book as it deals with child abductions, abuse and the monsters that are capable of such heinous crimes. It’s not the normal crime fiction I tend to read so I enjoyed that about the book as it got me out of my comfort zone. I would recommend this to anyone who loves this genre as it’s fast paced and hard to put down.  (Disclaimer: I did figure out the twist quite early but it still remained an enjoyable read as I remained interested in Anna’s storyline the most.)

I’m not sure what I was expecting... I have 2 other books by this author that I haven’t read yet but knew them to be historical fiction. And this book could also be considered historical fiction but to me it had an entirely different feel. The psychological nature of the subject matter (childhood trauma, abuse, obsession) made it seem more like a thriller. McLain slowly builds the tension, giving you bits and pieces of the characters’ histories, drawing you into the web of interconnected stories and struggles. Over the course of the novel, I felt I was truly becoming immersed just as the main character Anna was. To me, this book checked off so many things for me. I feel like I could recommend this to so many different people.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and ,of course, NetGalley for the ARC of When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain (Publication date April 13, 2021).  It was a story of several child abductions and sexual assaults happening in the same area in California and during the same timeframe of the 1990's. It felt like the story and the writing style were almost fighting against each other.  The crime story should have had an on the edge of your seat feel to it with the pages flying by.  The writing style was beautiful but had a calming effect to it when reading it.  Unfortunately I never had the tense page-turning experience while reading this crime novel.  It may have been me, not in the mood to read, or whatever but I struggled to keep picking the book back up and continue reading it.  It was just missing something for me. The last several chapters were much better and written with an urgency. I truly wanted to know what happened to our heroine, Anna and the characters surrounding her.  Once I read the notes, I felt a bit ashamed I hadn't enjoyed the book more.  The author revealed this was the most personal story she has ever written because she was a victim of childhood sexual abuse.  I only wish the notes would have been  placed before the story because I feel like I would have read it from a different perspective and given it a more glowing review.

This book kept me very interested right from the beginning and am thrilled that I received an early copy from Ballantine and Netgalley.  

Anna is a detective who works on missing persons cases and is a bit obsessed about her work. After tragedy strikes at home, Anna decides to return to Mendocino where she used to live.

Anna at this point is broken and battered. She needs time to heal and recover but she decides to help with the missing person case of a girl named Cameron. The police chief is her childhood friend, Will.

This book takes you on a great ride in the journey to find Cameron who is assumed to be kidnapped. A long the way, Anna is touched by many people and her healing begins.  I loved the storyline and the background but did feel like in places Anna got too caught up in trying to find the poetry in every situation.

This is just the type of literary mystery that I am always searching for: a detective with a current personal crisis, the backstory of which is gradually revealed (even better, it has to do with her experiences/emotions about motherhood, which I have loved in books like Persons Unknown and The Dark Lake) and a self-destructive streak, a return to her hometown where she confronts both a cold case from her past and a current investigation, an atmospheric setting, and a procedural story that's also all about psychologically well-developed characters. The inspiration from the story came from a real kidnapping and research into early trauma theory and how the advent of the internet changed the investigation of missing persons cases, and with this, it's a book that I think would also interest people who enjoy true-crime/historical podcasts like In the Dark. Beyond being a propulsive story, it has interesting underlying themes to consider and discuss, including the psychology of trauma and how it can affect the subconscious and also life outcomes. It's also got just the right amount of supernatural vibes to make things extra interesting too, along the lines of The Gates of Evangeline or The Broken Girls.

Anna Hart is a detective in San Francisco in 1993, who specializes in missing person cases, especially those involving children. Her job takes her to dark an painful places since kidnapping, sexual abuse and emotional trauma are woven through all her assignments. Additionally she was a foster child herself, with much unresolved psychological baggage. As the novel opens, Anna is leaving home at the request of her husband, after a horrible accident where one of their children is killed. She is totally absorbed by her job, and distracted by her mission to rescue troubled kids, to the point where she has completely forgotten how to be a wife and mother. She has the patterns of a workaholic, but in an emotionally draining job. 
She has nowhere to go except back where she was raised by caring foster parents after a very rocky start in life. 
She goes “home,” to Mendocino, CA, where she quickly, but inadvertently, becomes involved in the case of a missing teen girl. And so begins the soul-wrenching evolution of Anna as she sorts through her past, including remembering and using survival  training by her foster father, Hap. She remembered much of the town, and the surrounding landscape of woods and water, which feature prominently in the story. The authors description of the area was so realistic that the reader could smell the swampy ferns, visualize the rocky cliffs and the pounding surf, and sense the danger of being lost in the woods. Anna renewed old friendships, particularly with the town sheriff, Will., who was struggling to find the local lost teen, as well as struggling with the failure of his marriage.  Simultaneously there were also two other young girls missing in the area, including the true case of Polly Klaas, who was kidnapped from her home. Were the cases linked? Was it coincidence? Is there a connection with the current cases, and the unsolved murder of a young woman in Mendocino many years ago? Anna escapes her current family trauma by plunging headlong into all these issues. 
The writer skillfully focuses on the physical missing person cases, but the real story is the damaged psyche of Anna - her pain, fear, skill, loneliness, and her unresolved childhood trauma. Each aspect of Anna’s character was developed so that the reader could feel the damage, and the quest for healing. All of this took place in a small town setting in beautiful coastal California. 
The book had excellent character development of both the major and minor characters. It delved into the secrets people keep, the habits and patterns families repeat over generations, and delicate psychological state of people who appear strong, and yet are anything but. A local psychic was a colorful character who played a significant part in helping Anna face, understand, and resolve some personal issues. The reader is drawn into Anna’s life and I found myself cheering her on, both as a detective, but also as a person struggling to make sense of her past. 
The conclusion was particularly well written, where many loose ends converged to an unexpected and yet satisfying ending. 
It was interesting to look back almost 30 years at the real Polly Klaas kidnapping case, and realize how far detective work has come - from piecemeal, to an organized nationwide network. In 1993, technology was in its infancy, and now  missing person cases are aided by instant alerts. The work done by the detectives and the Klaas family and friends influenced police work on missing person cases even today. The emotional trauma to those involved remains the same, however. 
I hate to use the overworked phrase, “I couldn’t put it down,” but that’s exactly the way it was. I am a fan of thrillers and requested this book as an ARC from Netgalley.  I had not read this author before, but now plan to search out and read all her other books. When the Stars Go Dark is an outstanding psychological thriller.

Thank you NetGalley for the blessing of this Advanced Read! I loved this book. It really felt like a story unfolding before me. The female protagonist would educate and reveal to you bit by bit so that you the reader could arm yourself for whatever came next. For those liking investigative mysteries this is a must read.

Full disclosure, I loved The Paris Wife by Paula McLain, so when I saw that this book was available for early review, I jumped at the chance. Disappointment may be too strong of a word for my first impression. It wasn't anything like my beloved "Paris Wife" and as I read on I discovered that that was ok. The connection that was made to the Polly Klaas kidnapping in this book was brilliant. Being a new mom of a baby girl, I remember being glued to my television when any updates were given in that case. This author knows how to make a reader feel everything that is happening.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy of this book. This book is amazing and I know readers will love it!

I have read The Paris Wife and Circling the Sun by Paula McClain and I was interested when I saw this available on NetGalley. I received an e arc  and am happy to recommend When the Stars go Dark. Anna Hart is a missing persons investigator in San Francisco.  After a tragic accident she returns to Mendocino, Ca, her childhood hometown.  Even though she is coping with the aftermath of a horrible accident and trying to keep a low profile, she is drawn to another missing persons case in Mendocino.  She also remembers another case from her childhood that was never solved.  During the same time period in 1993 the Polly Klaas kidnapping is brought into the storyline.  
This was a page turner in the best sense and the story develops very well.  I highly recommend When the Stars go Dark..
And thank you to #netgalley, #randomhousepublishinggroup-ballentinebooks#PaulaMcClain

First this book should have a few trigger warnings about child sexual abuse but it was not explicit. That said, it was well written and the description of central California was lovely. . The detective, Anna Hart, is flawed as a result of her own childhood trauma but that is also what makes her an amazing missing persons detective. It was set in the 1990's with real cases and very little of our current technology. 
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC of this book. I'm glad I read it even with the triggers, which Paula McLain explains in the notes at the end.

I've not read Paul McLain's previous work, so this is my first step into her literary world. I found the plot fairly predictable (emotionally scarred detective involved in a non-official capacity to assist small-town law enforcement in finding the perpetrator of missing young women). The conclusion produces limited shock value and the quasi-resolution leaves room for further volumes in a series.

However, there are redeeming qualities to this book! As a male reader I found the woman's voice and perspective captivating. This is not a mystery/thriller in the mode of a John Sandford or Jonathan Kellerman. For better or worse, McLain does not rely on gory crime depictions or lurid intimate details to carry her reader forward. She offers plenty of dialogue for the main character and dabbles with semi-romantic moments.

The strength of the book, however, lies in the author's understanding of trauma and its effects upon those who have been so traumatized. Her main character offers an excellent foil to invite the reader to consider how unresolved  trauma cripples its victims. The dialogue, while at times pedantic, offers helpful insight and makes this book worth the read!

I already have seven reviews scheduled for next year releases, and I'm finding it hard to write reviews that far ahead of time, so I'm going ahead with this one.

The first chapter had me a little at a loss with the MC's situation, but it wasn't long before my immersion in the book was complete.

from description:From the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Wife comes an atmospheric novel of intertwined destinies and heart-wrenching suspense: A detective hiding away from the world. A series of disappearances that reach into her past. Can solving them help her heal?

 As a missing persons detective, Anna Hart has been part of some somber outcomes, then a personal tragedy becomes the breaking point.  Anna retreats to Mendocino, where Hap and Eden, her foster parents, helped her recover from childhood trauma.

She becomes involved with the case of a missing girl that reminds her and others of a case from years earlier.  The theme of "missing" is covered in many ways:  missing persons cases, missing information, missing people we have cared about, missing a sense of home and belonging .  Paula McLain's beautiful prose leads the reader through the past as well as the present, and even makes reference to the real life case of Polly Klass.  

A mystery with twists and turns, a study of trauma and resilience, When the Stars Go Dark is an absorbing read.

NetGalley/Random House
Psychological Mystery.  April, 2021.  Print length:  384 pages.