Holy smokes- I loved this book! The idea of extreme religious groups really intrigues me so I was looking forward to reading this one. Sarahbeth (now Sarah) was kidnapped as a teenager but let free after a week. We find Sarah 5 years later dealing with the trauma of her kidnapping. As Sarah tries to go through her daily motions, enter Farrow. Farrow is a law enforcement officer who wants Sarah to help him try to solve some linked cases that he believes are related to hers. What will Sarah discover about her kidnapping and past as she delves back into her old life & her old town?

This is a slow-burn type of mystery/thriller but once that twist hit at the end it was well worth the slow burn.

Thank you to NetGalley, Laura McHugh, and Penguin Random House for this E-arc in exchange for my honest review!

Pick this gem of a book up anywhere books are sold! ☺️ (4.25/5 stars)

A quick read with some predictable twists and turns. The buildup to the who dunnit dragged on whereas the ending was quite rushed. Overall it was an okay read.



Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, Random House and Net Galley, for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Laura McHugh keeps getting better and better. What's Done in Darkness is the story of missing girls in Appalachia country. It's a page-turner, for sure, and she had me guessing right up to the final chapters. Told in alternating chapters of Sarabeth and Sarah, it tells the story of a woman taken captive and held for a week when she was young— Sarabeth. Sarah, her adult persona, has spent years recovering from the ordeal but has now has been asked to help police look for two missing girls who disappeared much the way she did.

McHugh knows this part of America innately and captures all the nuances of that life: the good, the bad, and the dark. The very dark. Her attention to detail is remarkable and pulls readers directly into the story. If you have a weekend for a quick, dark thriller, this will keep you on the edge of your seat.

I have read all of Laura McHugh's book and was so excited to see another from her! This has more of the Ozark Noir that I loved in THE WEIGHT OF BLOOD, plus more family secrets, and an uber religious cult-like church reminiscent of GODSHOT. I tore through this in two sittings. Highly recommend for anyone that loves a page-turning mystery.

This was going along just fine, I was into it, and then there are a couple of reveal/twists and I'm like "WHAT?!" with a gasp. She took it in a direction I didn't expect and I am HERE.FOR.IT.

Absolutely captivating. Laura McHugh can really set a scene, and she kept me in suspense the entire time. At several points, I was certain that I knew who Sarah's captor was — and each time I was wrong.

What's Done in Darkness is the perfect blend of dark and twisty that will keep you reading late into the night.

17 year old Sarabeth has seen her world completely turned upside down. Her father found religion and decided the family needed to leave everything behind to move to a farm outside of town so they could be closer to God. Sarabeth finds the expectations and constraints of life in Wisteria, Arkansas to be overbearing as it is, but then she finds out her parents are planning her marriage. Burdened with these thoughts, Sarabeth sets up their roadside produce stand for customers, but the customer that arrives has other plans. Sarabeth is found a week later abandoned by the roadside, and the police and her community have more questions than Sarabeth has answers.

Told in alternating chapters between the days before Sarabeth's abduction, and five years after the abduction, when she is now known as Sarah, this fast paced novel will have you turning pages at record speed. Being a native of Southwest Missouri, I found that the novel was well researched and resonating with me as being an authentic representation of the area. This was a five star read for me, but be prepared because you won't want to put it down.

I received this book courtesy of the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was hooked right from the start by this intelligent, atmospheric and insightful psychological thriller, a dark and disturbing tale of religious fundamentalism. Sarahbeth is the 17-year-old daughter of fanatically religious parents who is abducted and kept prisoner for a week but surprisingly and unexpectedly is not outwardly harmed or molested and is returned home. However, already rebellious and unhappy she takes the opportunity to escape her repressive family and community. Some years later her ordeal is revived when she hears of other girls going missing and determines to find the strength to explore exactly what happened to her and maybe what has happened to these others. It’s a gritty and painful story, and the reader soon realises that the godly and god-fearing community she comes from is only a veneer for the evil that lies beneath. The suspense is cleverly maintained throughout and the ending took me by surprise, and although it is perhaps a little too neat and contrived, it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of this excellently written novel.

TWO-CENT TUESDAY

Below are a few somewhat brief $.02 opinions about books I've read or listened to recently but don't have the time, inclination, or opportunity to review in full. Their appearance often here has little to do with merit. Many of these titles I enjoyed as much or more than those that got the full court press. I hope you'll consider one or two for your own TBR stack if they strike your fancy whether they struck mine or not.

Although I generally try to slip some books in here that I wasn't too thrilled with, that isn't the case this week. Whether I read a physical copy or listened to an audiobook, each of these titles was a winner. Some were known authors I knew were unlikely to let me down, a couple were shots in the dark based on my gut that paid off tremendously.

What's Done in Darkness, by Laura McHugh

Since I fell in love with her debut, The Weight of Blood, McHugh has become a must-read author. Her latest continues her hot streak. In this one, 17-year-old Sarabeth's abduction is less than believable since she had been rebelling against her strictly religious parents when she was allegedly taken and then released a week later. Despite her torment, the abduction does give her the chance to finally escape the Ozarks.

Five years later, FBI Agent Nick Farrow calls, asking for Sarabeth's help. Another girl has gone missing under circumstances Farrow thinks may be related to Sarabeth's abduction and her memories may help the case.

Reluctantly, Sarabeth agrees to help, and delving into her own kidnapping releases memories and a past full of evil just waiting to be uncovered. McHugh is a wonderful writer who tells a great story. When those two elements come together, an intriguing read results, even if one might not be into some of the plot arcs (i.e., religion). It really doesn't matter, I'll read anything McHugh writes. If you've not read her work, I highly recommend it.

What's Done in Darkness by Laura McHugh is a thriller about Sarabeth, a woman that was abducted when she was seventeen-years-old. Her family was religious and extremely strict, so many people assumed that she ran away to get away from their rules. However, five years later, a similar kidnapping occurs, and an investigator calls to try to get her help. I enjoyed this book; it is well-written and kept me very interested in the outcome. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

Could not put this book down! Absolutely loved this story! Highly recommend! Looking forward to reading more by this author!

4.5*
Do you have plans this weekend? No? Good! Because once you start this book you will not be able to put it down.

Sarabeth’s life was turned upside down when her family gave up everything from their lifestyle to their possessions and joined a very conservative church on the outskirts of small town Arkansas.

Sarabeth’s siblings all took to the new lifestyle. Homeschooled. The girls in long plain looking dresses. No internet, tv or cell phones. Of course she is rebellious. She wants her old life back. Her friends…the mall. When she finds out that her mother has picked a groom for her and she is to be married by her 18th birthday, all her plans to escape now become urgent.

But before Sarabeth’s has a chance to leave…she is abducted. Held captive for a week in a dark room chained to a wall. Then just as suddenly dumped by the side of the road. Will anyone believe what happened? Or will her family think this was just a stunt to leave the family and church?

This was a taught psychological thriller that gripped me right from the beginning. I found myself flying through it wanting to solve the mystery behind Sarabeth’s disappearance.

My only negative was the ending wrapped up a bit too quickly with a couple loose ends, otherwise I would have given this amazing thriller all five stars.

Highly recommend! Will be looking forward to more from this very talented author.

Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing.

4.5 Stars — WHAT'S DONE IN DARKNESS is a gripping dark mystery that made me super uneasy! I love that Laura McHugh sets her atmospheric thrillers in small towns around the Midwest, in Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, and now Arkansas — technically a Southern state, but close enough for me.

The main character is Sarah/Sarabeth, a young woman who has endured A LOT. As a teen her parents joined a fringe religious group and moved the family to a remote farm in Arkansas. She is stifled by the strict rules and dreams of escaping. Just before her 18th birthday, she's abducted by a masked man, but found a week later. This horrific experience ends up being her ticket out, but she won't easily shake the trauma. The police have no leads, and her case eventually fades to the background.

Fast-forward five years, and Sarah is still dealing with scars from the past, but doing her best to move on. She's contacted by investigator Nick Farrow who's working on another missing persons case similar to her own and needs her help. Of course that means going back to the family farmstead to face her past, but is she ready for what might be revealed?

Sarah's story is gut wrenching and really put me on edge. Chapters alternate between Sarah in the present and Sarabeth in the past, so readers can experience what she went through. I was engrossed in the mystery and the many dark secrets that were gradually revealed.

WHAT'S DONE IN DARKNESS is another gritty, fast-paced, and enjoyable thriller from Laura McHugh. The situations of unreported missing girls from the hollers presented in this book are probably more common than we think. Eye-opening!

I was instantly interested in the book from the first pages I read. I find cult-y religious people fascinating. That weaved with a cold case abduction was thrilling. I liked the main character which is rare for me when female characters. I liked the main male character as well. I wish he was more in it. I liked all the side characters and their interesting and different back stories and how they all fitted into the story to enhance it. I liked the idea of the girls not missed and how religion can be sized to justify anything.it flowed nicely and was captivating throughout. I love when books alternate between past and future, it feels like you get more of the main character. There are many interesting characters that I wished we got more from.

Laura McHugh again exposes a dark underside of rural Midwestern-Southern life in this compelling psychological thriller. Sarah, then Sarabeth, was determined to flee from her crackpot fundamentalist family even before she was abducted as a teen. Years later, she’s drawn into the investigation of another missing girl, which opens many old wounds. McHugh hasn’t written a series before, but I’d really like to see Sarah again. Reviewed in print and online for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on June 20.

What's Done in Darkness definitely needs to be added to your summer TBR! This is the story of Sarabeth, a teenager living deep in the Ozarks of Arkansas dreaming of leaving behind her strict religious family when she is abducted and her life is forever changed. This is also the story of Sara, five years after her abduction Sarabeth has moved away and is trying to leave her old life and identity behind. Sara is pulled back home when other girls have gone missing and a detective hopes solving the mystery of Sara's disappearance will help find others.
There are so many things I loved about this book. First, the plot is perfectly paced. As readers, we are pulled back in forth in time to understand the entirety of Sara's story. The book is under 300 pages and never did I feel a lull in the story. In fact, by the end I was wishing I had even more to read.
I think what makes this book unique, and not just another thriller, is the nuance and respect paid to McHugh's characters. As someone who lives in Missouri, and has lived in Northern Arkansas I am quite familiar with they types of people that appear in this story. It is easy to turn people into stereotypes and tropes, and McHugh never does this. It is not that the characters all become likable, but they do feel real, and that is what makes them terrifying.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for my advanced review copy!

Sarabeth was kidnapped and held captive at 17. Five years later, Sarah lives a quite, anonymous life, but has not fully recovered from her trauma. To complicate matters, Sarah spent her teenage years in strict religious cult. Before her abduction she became rebellious and had begun to plan her escape. After returned, she was able to leave, but was largely rejected by her family.

Five years later, more religious, home schooled girls have gone missing and a state trooper thinks Sarah can provide the key their return.

The book alternates between Sarabeth as a teenager and Sarah in the present as an adult. I couldn't put the book down, it is tense from start to finish. I think the fact that Sarabeth was not born into the cult makes the story unique. It is not difficult for her to decide to leave. While she loves her younger sister, she sees through the hypocrisy of her parents and sect members. While searching for the missing girls she is forced to confront her past and her family and of course she grows in the process.

My wish is that the book was longer and we delved further into the cult.

Laura McHugh has made a career of writing literary mysteries set in atmospheric locations, but with What’s Done in Darkness she stakes her claim as the queen of rural noir. What’s Done in Darkness is a tightly-coiled narrative with the venomous bite of a rattlesnake. By distilling the action down to its emotional core, McHugh gifts readers with a gem of a novel that resonates profoundly and lingers in the mind long after the final page is turned.

What’s Done in Darkness begins on the day that seventeen-year-old Sarabeth Shepherd is abducted from a roadside farm-stand in rural Arkansas. This first chapter oozes with ambience and unease. Readers will be impressed that such a brief chapter conveys so much valuable information – all in exquisitely crafted prose – before culminating in a cliffhanger ending that requires the reader continue.

From here, the narrative begins its alternating structure of present-day action interrupted by scenes from the past. In the present Sarah now works at an animal rescue. She has dropped the “beth” from her name in an effort to leave behind her traumatic past. It is not very long before readers learn that Sarabeth was found on the roadside, left for dead, one week after her abduction. She’s been “free” for five years, but Sarah has never fully dealt with the scars of that week in captivity. She thought by fleeing the Ozarks she could start over, but then Nick Farrow finds her.

Nick is investigating a series of abductions that are eerily similar to Sarah’s experience; he is hoping that she will answer a few questions that might benefit the investigations. What starts as a conversation eventual leads to Sarah returning to her hometown, unprepared to face the truths that still cause her nightmares. Sarabeth’s ultra-religious family, and the community in which they live, have secrets that hide in the darkness, ready to consume Sarah (and others) once again.

Laura McHugh pulls no punches with documenting the aftereffects of trauma and the differing paths to recovery. Her prose is hypnotic, lulling readers into a sense of security, yet always aware there is danger lingering beyond each page turn. Sarah’s bond with her sister roots the story in family, even as readers get the sense that this community is full of fractured households. When the foundation is built on secrets, any revelation can lead to the destruction of the whole.

What’s Done in Darkness is only about 250 pages, so the quick reading time allows for immersion far beyond what is commonly found. Readers get to know Sarah (and Sarabeth) on such an intimate level, that at times the desire to just give her a hug is overwhelming. She is not a character that will be forgotten anytime soon.

There is little doubt that What’s Done is Darkness deserves to be the book that makes Laura McHugh a household name, but she has released a string of exceptional works that readers can now explore as they wait for her next masterpiece.

The latest book from Laura McHugh is set in the back country of Arkansas where her parents moved Sarabeth, her sister and brothers to a very conservative religious church and farming community, leaving behind a suburban home, books, television, clothes, friends, relatives, their former lives. Now their existence was the church. The girls were to learn to be obedient and to become good wives and mothers.

Sarabeth fought this plan, rebelling against her parents and intending, one day, to leave and go her own way. But, before that plan could even gel started,, she was taken one day, from her family’s farmstand. Missing for a week, then suddenly reappearing by the side of a road, most in the community seemed to doubt anything had happened to her.

This did lead to a way out of the community, but not a way out of the constant anxiety, fear of strangers, need for but fear of answers about what happened to her. Then she receives the most unlikely of requests which leads her back to the back country seeking answers, some for others, some for herself.

As always, McHugh writes well, whether it’s descriptive prose of the countryside or the people, or thrilling descriptions of the action. I highly recommend this book along with her prior catalog.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

What’s Done in Darkness by Laura McHugh was an excellent read. The first line grabbed my attention and I couldn’t wait to see what happened next.

Sarah was kidnapped as a teenager, but nobody believed her. She left her family and home and moved to the city to start a new life where nobody knew who she was. Fast forward several years and another girl is missing. Sarah teams up with Detective Farrow to find the girl... what happens in the course of the next few days will keep you on the edge of your seat... just one more chapter-ing until you reach the end.

If you’re a fan of books with a cult like environment you will love this one.... my only complaint is that I would have liked an epilogue.... or maybe a sequel!