‘The Weight of Blood’ by Laura McHugh

Atmospheric and creepy, this Ozarks literary thriller is full of suspense and intrigue. The first half of the book is narrated by mother and daughter. Later a voice is given to several of the townspeople. Lucy does not remember her mother Lila, who disappeared when Lucy was a baby. If her mother was killed, her body was never found. When Lucy’s friend Cheri’s mutilated body is found near the town a year after her disappearance, Lucy and her friend Daniel set out to solve both mysteries. Happily she has lots of freedom due to a mostly absent father but she soon gets over her head in a web of deceit and cover-ups in a town where everyone is related and secrets are hiding everywhere. The author does a good job of capturing the kind of place where blood ties are trump and strangers are not welcome. Danger lurks in a place where violent men are protected and women vanish without a trace. A riveting debut novel to sink into whether you are curled up in a winter storm or basking on a tropical beach.