When the Stars Go Dark: A Novel
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- Create Date：2021-04-28 22:35:18
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Paula McLain
- ISBN：B08F4FT48X
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Summary
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？
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。
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。
Reviews
Sandy
，
This is really 3 -1/2 stars for me but I am rounding up！ I did enjoy this book quite a bit。 The opening story sets a palpable grief on the main character that carries through the entire story。You know she has suffered a catastrophic loss that leads her to go her home town where she helps investigate a few missing girls。 The main problem with the story for me is how much it jumps around between the current time and the main characters childhood。 The last hundred pages flew by though as I had to f This is really 3 -1/2 stars for me but I am rounding up！ I did enjoy this book quite a bit。 The opening story sets a palpable grief on the main character that carries through the entire story。You know she has suffered a catastrophic loss that leads her to go her home town where she helps investigate a few missing girls。 The main problem with the story for me is how much it jumps around between the current time and the main characters childhood。 The last hundred pages flew by though as I had to figure out what happens to the girls and to find out the exact nature of the catastrophic event。 This is not a happy go lucky feel good novel but it is enjoyable。 A few favorite quotes。。“Books can be incredibly personal to people， even holy。”“Nature demands our respect， Anna。 It has a brutal side for sure， but if you can learn its language， there’s peace to be found， and comfort too。 The best kind of medicine I know。”“The world needs an army of Wandas—strong， sarcastic， unafraid women who say what they think and act straightforwardly， without apology or permission。 Women who roar instead of flinch。” 。。。more
Carla Terry
，
Pretty good mystery/thriller First of all I enjoyed this book。 There were some things that bothered me。 If the protagonist’s mom was an addict， she wouldn’t have left any money in the coffee can in the kitchen。 Second of all， when you make bread， you don’t put it in the oven after you knead it。 It has to rise first。 But other than those things， I enjoyed the story。
Andrea
，
This book was amazing。 I was hooked from the beginning！ ❤️
Patty
，
Got this as an add-on in my April Book Of The Month box。 This is different than anything I’ve read and I really liked it。 It would make for a good movie！
Sarah Prescott
，
Hauntingly descriptive with pulse-pounding twists and a vulnerable yet highly intuitive protagonist， Paula McLain writes about a very chilling topic with the elegance and ease of a pro。When the Stars Go Dark is the first novel I've read by the author but it definitely won't be the last。 The book combines psychological suspense with a little mysticism， creating an intriguing angle for the overall story which pulled me in immediately。 I loved the setting， based in northern California and enjoyed f Hauntingly descriptive with pulse-pounding twists and a vulnerable yet highly intuitive protagonist， Paula McLain writes about a very chilling topic with the elegance and ease of a pro。When the Stars Go Dark is the first novel I've read by the author but it definitely won't be the last。 The book combines psychological suspense with a little mysticism， creating an intriguing angle for the overall story which pulled me in immediately。 I loved the setting， based in northern California and enjoyed following Anna and the wide cast of characters around the small town of Mendocino。 Anna Hart， orphaned as a child and passed through the foster system which， only better prepared her for a career as a detective， committed to finding murdered and missing children。 After reading her author's note， I learned that McLain， along with her two sisters， grew up in a series of foster homes。 McLain’s biological mother disappeared when she was 4， and her father spent time in and out of prison。 During the 14 years she spent in foster care， McLain endured sexual abuse。 Detective Anna Hart， the protagonist in “When the Stars Go Dark，” is also a survivor of abandonment， the foster-care system and sexual abuse。 Anna uses her trauma as a tool to help in her police work of tracking down the predators who brutalize children。This is an atmospheric， slow burning suspense novel which I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend to readers。 。。。more
Wendy G
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This Paula McLain book reads like a Lisa Scottoline or Karin Slaughter type suspense/mystery and I really liked it。 As with Scottoline and Slaughter， I hope McLain writes another in this genre with recurring characters Anna and Will。 Right from the start， McLain makes the reader want to know what happened to Anna's baby and join her on her self discovery through her flashbacks。 The author really makes you feel connected to these characters she created and how early childhood abuse can affect peo This Paula McLain book reads like a Lisa Scottoline or Karin Slaughter type suspense/mystery and I really liked it。 As with Scottoline and Slaughter， I hope McLain writes another in this genre with recurring characters Anna and Will。 Right from the start， McLain makes the reader want to know what happened to Anna's baby and join her on her self discovery through her flashbacks。 The author really makes you feel connected to these characters she created and how early childhood abuse can affect people over their lifetimes。 She even mentions the real life abduction of Polly Klaas， which fits into the story perfectly。 What I learned reading the author's note really cemented this one for me。 If there is one thing this story was missing， it's the Hector situation， I would have liked to have read about how that played out。 。。。more
Ms。 Gayle
，
McClain gives voice to the emotions that resonate after trauma through this crime fiction narrative， which for the reader is real。 McClain slowly empowers and ultimately emboldens her characters in the final showdown， because she is a fierce believer in creating situations which FEEL real for the reader and create powerful RESPONSES in the reader。 You feel what a VICTIM of traumatic circumstances must FEEL。 McCLain then， in this dark story， a kidnapping story based on a real kidnapping in that s McClain gives voice to the emotions that resonate after trauma through this crime fiction narrative， which for the reader is real。 McClain slowly empowers and ultimately emboldens her characters in the final showdown， because she is a fierce believer in creating situations which FEEL real for the reader and create powerful RESPONSES in the reader。 You feel what a VICTIM of traumatic circumstances must FEEL。 McCLain then， in this dark story， a kidnapping story based on a real kidnapping in that same region， enlightens readers with a powerful triumphant message。 RESILIENCE。 Her female protagonist Anna COPES with her sorrow over her daughter's abduction and loss， and through the evolution of this simmering story， LEARNS the many attributes， which are universal attributes， we must armor ourselves with to exist day to day after any hardship experienced。 McClain use of details， like the inclusion of the statue atop the Masonic Temple （ Father Time and a female ）， which holds a secret mythical story dating back to the 1800's， lends another lovely mythical quality to her engaging， psychological story of this Californian forested region。 She writes deftly covering alot of emotional ground。 It certainly seems in her careful research of this one， she wanted readers to proceed brick by brick， until the ultimate gripping resolution！ 。。。more
Nancy Mack
，
Wow。 What a good story。 What honest characters。 Excellent writing。 I loved every bit of this book。
Linda
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This is one of the best books that I have read in a very long time。 Anna Hart is a police detective who specializes in finding missing persons。 The book deals a lot with young girls who have gone missing and some who have turned out murdered。 Anna has gone back to her childhood town to seek some quiet in her life。 She’s dealing with lots of personal issues。 She finds her self in the middle of another case and cannot pull away。 I have read several of Paula McLain’s books。 She does an excellent jo This is one of the best books that I have read in a very long time。 Anna Hart is a police detective who specializes in finding missing persons。 The book deals a lot with young girls who have gone missing and some who have turned out murdered。 Anna has gone back to her childhood town to seek some quiet in her life。 She’s dealing with lots of personal issues。 She finds her self in the middle of another case and cannot pull away。 I have read several of Paula McLain’s books。 She does an excellent job of pulling you into the story。 The characters are alive and believable。 This book is intense so be prepared！ 。。。more
jessica
，
rounding up because， even though this was probably closer to 3 stars in terms of overall reading experience， i really enjoy when crime fiction includes real life cases。 i find it absolutely fascinating。 i have never heard of polly klaas， but it was apparently a pretty big story in the 90s。 but while i thought the actual crime/mystery components and plot really interesting， the writing and MC fell very flat for me。 i just wasnt connecting with the narrative style and anna wasnt particularly enjoy rounding up because， even though this was probably closer to 3 stars in terms of overall reading experience， i really enjoy when crime fiction includes real life cases。 i find it absolutely fascinating。 i have never heard of polly klaas， but it was apparently a pretty big story in the 90s。 but while i thought the actual crime/mystery components and plot really interesting， the writing and MC fell very flat for me。 i just wasnt connecting with the narrative style and anna wasnt particularly enjoyable to read about。 but the pacing is fast， so that （plus the content） helped me stick with it。 so while i appreciate that this story introduced me to a true crime case that i hadnt previously known about， this book isnt really one that i will be thinking about or remember for years to come。 ↠ 3。5 stars 。。。more
Laura
，
Anna Hart has suffered a deep loss， setting her adrift in a sea of her own making。 Leaving her husband alone with his grief， she flees to Mendocino。 The small town is set idyllically on the ocean where she lived with the only foster family that actually cared for her。 Sadly， it was also the place that one of her friends disappeared from and was never found。Tragically， history has repeated itself。 This time， more than one young girl has gone missing。 Armed with a law enforcement badge as well as Anna Hart has suffered a deep loss， setting her adrift in a sea of her own making。 Leaving her husband alone with his grief， she flees to Mendocino。 The small town is set idyllically on the ocean where she lived with the only foster family that actually cared for her。 Sadly， it was also the place that one of her friends disappeared from and was never found。Tragically， history has repeated itself。 This time， more than one young girl has gone missing。 Armed with a law enforcement badge as well as her successful career saving children that have been abused Anna joins the local sheriff in the searches。 She must face her fears， as well as overcome her personal demons。 The underlying anguish of Anna is palpable。 Perhaps it is why she is determined to help the missing girls。 Maybe she will feel redemption if just one of them is not murdered。The characters come to life on the pages， along with the emotions the author artfully brings to the story。 Often fiction is based upon facts。 When the Stars Go Dark， while a work of fiction， weaves in the heartbreakingly true story of the kidnapping of Polly Klaas。 Be sure to read the Author’s Note at the end of the novel as she writes about it as well as touching on her journey in the foster care system and being a survivor of child abuse。 The setting is based on a town that exists。 The year is 1993， before cell phones， DNA and the internet became the norm。This is the first book I have read by Paula McLain。 She is a New York Times bestselling author of several novels as well as a memoir and two collections of poetry。 I am certain When the Stars Go Dark will become a bestseller as well。 I highly recommend it because the plot is page turning and the prose is often to be savored。 Put it on the top of your list of must reads。 If you are a fan of Jodi Picoult， you will love Paula McLain as they both have the same depth and powerful emotion threaded throughout their novels。DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review。 Copyright © 2021 Laura Hartman 。。。more
BookstagramETC
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https://booklistqueen。com/reading-lat。。。Known for her historical fiction （The Paris Wife， Circling the Sun）， Paula McLain successfully tries her hand at the mystery & thriller genre。 When the Stars Go Dark is a character study of a cop haunted by her own traumas who sees herself in the victims。 Instead of page-turning action， you get a slow atmospheric build-up similar to Liz Moore’s Long Bright River。 https://booklistqueen。com/reading-lat。。。Known for her historical fiction （The Paris Wife， Circling the Sun）， Paula McLain successfully tries her hand at the mystery & thriller genre。 When the Stars Go Dark is a character study of a cop haunted by her own traumas who sees herself in the victims。 Instead of page-turning action， you get a slow atmospheric build-up similar to Liz Moore’s Long Bright River。 。。。more
Diane Yannick
，
When an author like Paula McClain is successful in one genre （historical fiction， I’m guessing it takes some courage to switch to a detective story。 I think she did a very good job of creating a suspenseful， character-driven story that I was anxious to keep reading。 From what I know about the author’s life， she based her main character， Anna Hunt， on her early life of abandonment and foster homes。 Anna had one loving foster home which most likely changed her future。 I loved the unexpected descri When an author like Paula McClain is successful in one genre （historical fiction， I’m guessing it takes some courage to switch to a detective story。 I think she did a very good job of creating a suspenseful， character-driven story that I was anxious to keep reading。 From what I know about the author’s life， she based her main character， Anna Hunt， on her early life of abandonment and foster homes。 Anna had one loving foster home which most likely changed her future。 I loved the unexpected descriptions like， 。。。”the energetic grace in his body was half man/ half golden retriever。” Yep I can see that。I’m guessing we all have voids in our lives but some， like Anna， have deep chasms。 Is it possible to fill those spaces with a career that helps others in ways you were never helped？ Is it possible for that career choice to become an obsession？ Although she chose to leave her fractured family to help others， she eventually must face her demons。 Does that self-enforced space really help？There were a few too many missing abused children for me。 I especially didn’t like real life Polly Klaas being added to the mix。 There were also a few unnecessary cliches。 But I’ll end with a quote that I found meaningful: “What is all the suffering if not to see how alike we are， and not alone。 Where will the mercy come from if not from us？” 。。。more
Missy
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4。5 stars
Susanne Strong
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Review posted on blog: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend。。。Taut， Terrifying and Realistic。 So darn good， scary， and realistic， it gave me heart palpitations！ If this isn’t on your TBR Add It Now！ The Year is 1993: The Place is Mendocino， California。A Detective with a troubled past returns to the place she once called home: Mendocino and the place where Cameron， a local teenage girl has been abducted。 Detective Anna Hart is a missing person detective in San Francisco。 Now she’s in the right Review posted on blog: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend。。。Taut， Terrifying and Realistic。 So darn good， scary， and realistic， it gave me heart palpitations！ If this isn’t on your TBR Add It Now！ The Year is 1993: The Place is Mendocino， California。A Detective with a troubled past returns to the place she once called home: Mendocino and the place where Cameron， a local teenage girl has been abducted。 Detective Anna Hart is a missing person detective in San Francisco。 Now she’s in the right place at the right time and can assist Will， the Sheriff of Mendocino， who also happens to be an old friend， in the search for the missing girl。 Cameron is not the first， nor will she be the last girl to be taken from the surrounding area。 The story opens with the abduction of Polly Klaas which took center stage in real life and in “When the Stars Go Dark。” Somehow， Paula McClain was able to weave fact and fiction together both beautifully and tragically。 As the investigation continues， tensions mount， and hearts break。 Here， the timeline flips back and forth between past and present。 That is， Anna Hart’s past and present， as Anna’s past has a lot to do with her current line of work and the demons she faces every day。 The time period this novel takes place in has a major impact on the way this story is told as well as the outcome of it。 Brilliantly plotted， taut， and extremely suspenseful， this slow-burn mystery suspense was both hard to listen to and hard to put down。The worst part for me in listening to this was simply knowing that children are abducted and assaulted every day。 I listened to the audiobook version of this which was narrated by the stupendous Marin Ireland。 If you are looking for an extremely important and relevant mystery/suspense to read and enjoy， I highly recommend “When Stars Go Dark” by Paula McLain。Thank you to my local library for loaning me a copy。Published on Goodreads， Twitter， and Instagram。 。。。more
Rosemary Dreyer
，
3 3/4 Stars: An intense novel about child abductions and murders， with the race to solve the crime。 What I liked: the insights into trying to piece together an abduction and what happens when a body is later found; the complex characters; the mystery; the use of a psychic。 What I didn’t like: the writing， at times， felt garbled and hiccuping; it was hard to track the plot at certain times， like the author was trying to do too much; the seeming resolution at the end。 I like this author and will r 3 3/4 Stars: An intense novel about child abductions and murders， with the race to solve the crime。 What I liked: the insights into trying to piece together an abduction and what happens when a body is later found; the complex characters; the mystery; the use of a psychic。 What I didn’t like: the writing， at times， felt garbled and hiccuping; it was hard to track the plot at certain times， like the author was trying to do too much; the seeming resolution at the end。 I like this author and will read more by her， but this one wasn’t a star。 。。。more
Kimberly Young
，
When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain was a dark and interesting read。 Anna Hart is a missing persons detective in San Fransisco。 When we meet her， it is 1993 and she has left her husband after a tragedy （we aren't privy to exactly what） and is headed back to Mendocino where she grew up。 She had a very rough early childhood and then was taken in as a foster by Hap and Eden。 Hap and Eden were a loving and wonderful older couple。 Both have passed on and Anna has bittersweet memories of her time i When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain was a dark and interesting read。 Anna Hart is a missing persons detective in San Fransisco。 When we meet her， it is 1993 and she has left her husband after a tragedy （we aren't privy to exactly what） and is headed back to Mendocino where she grew up。 She had a very rough early childhood and then was taken in as a foster by Hap and Eden。 Hap and Eden were a loving and wonderful older couple。 Both have passed on and Anna has bittersweet memories of her time in Mendocino。 Once Anna arrives she hears of a missing teenaged girl， Cameron Curtis， daughter of a famous actress。 Anna shows up at a search party and runs into a childhood friend， Will， who is now the sheriff。 Anna offers her services and Will takes her up on it。 This leads Anna into the darkest corners of her heart and childhood。 There are similarities between the missing girl and Anna's own past。 There are also other missing girls around the area thay may be related。 The character of Anna was so fully developed that I feel like I am one of her close friends。 Her scary childhood and other parts of her past are slowly revealed and that gives a more complete picture of what is going on。 This book is beautifully written and flows nicely。 It is not a fast paced book but the enjoyment I had was from the journey。 I now want to find the author's previous books and read them。 This has been one of the best books I've read so far this year。 Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Kathy E。
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Meh。
Aggie
，
I loved The Paris Wife and was excited to read this new book by Paula McLain。The main character Anna is a missing children detective who is struggling with hardship in her personal life。 She escapes to her childhood hometown and quickly gets absorbed with a local missing girl case。 There’s mystery regarding the case， as well as Anna’s current and past tragedies interwoven together。 Although the story started a little slow for me， it quickly drew me in about halfway through and I really loved the I loved The Paris Wife and was excited to read this new book by Paula McLain。The main character Anna is a missing children detective who is struggling with hardship in her personal life。 She escapes to her childhood hometown and quickly gets absorbed with a local missing girl case。 There’s mystery regarding the case， as well as Anna’s current and past tragedies interwoven together。 Although the story started a little slow for me， it quickly drew me in about halfway through and I really loved the ending and how it pulled the storyline together。Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me an advanced copy of this book for review。 。。。more
Nadine
，
This is a very intense whodunit。 I had to take a break for a day to shake off the mood it caused， but picked it right up again。 It has a very different feeling than Ms。 McCain's previous historical novels， so be forewarned。The character and plot development is top notch。 The writing flows effortlessly。 The themes of child danger and abuse are disturbing， and probably should be。 I like that it was set before the era of ubiquitous cell phones everywhere。 That fact contributed to the main character This is a very intense whodunit。 I had to take a break for a day to shake off the mood it caused， but picked it right up again。 It has a very different feeling than Ms。 McCain's previous historical novels， so be forewarned。The character and plot development is top notch。 The writing flows effortlessly。 The themes of child danger and abuse are disturbing， and probably should be。 I like that it was set before the era of ubiquitous cell phones everywhere。 That fact contributed to the main character's sense of isolation。Very well done。 。。。more
Susan
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Fleeing personal tragedy， Anna Hart returns to Mendocino， where she spent the happiest years of her childhood--as a foster child to Eden and Hap。 But her last years there were marred by the death of Eden and murder of Jenny， a childhood friend。 After's Hap's disappearance and presumed death， Anna planned never to go back to Mendocino。 Her first day there， she sees a flier for a missing girl， Cameron。 Another childhood friend， Will， is the lead on the investigation and she is immediately sucked i Fleeing personal tragedy， Anna Hart returns to Mendocino， where she spent the happiest years of her childhood--as a foster child to Eden and Hap。 But her last years there were marred by the death of Eden and murder of Jenny， a childhood friend。 After's Hap's disappearance and presumed death， Anna planned never to go back to Mendocino。 Her first day there， she sees a flier for a missing girl， Cameron。 Another childhood friend， Will， is the lead on the investigation and she is immediately sucked in。 For the past several years she has looked for missing people in San Francisco， so it's impossible for her not to get involved， particularly as she feels an immediate connection to Cameron。Is Cameron's disappearance linked to the disappearances of other girls in the area？ Is there a connection to Jenny's murder decades earlier？ Can Anna and Will outrun the kidnaper？This summary does not do justice to this stunning suspense novel。 It is beautifully written and executed with characters the reader cares deeply about and a setting that is a crucial part of the novel。 I will flex a little and admit I figured out who the villain was， but there were still enough twists to keep me guessing。 #WhenTheStarsGoDark #NetGalley 。。。more
Brianna
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Whoa， what a gread story I just read。 I suggest you join NovelStar’s writing competition， you might be their next big star。
Mary Drayer
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GREAT writing！ A mystery， a thriller， an incredible journey through sexual assault， childhood memories， and just a good storyline。。。。 Enjoy。
Leigh-Anne
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This book was just too slow for me in some parts。 Very well researched and interesting storyline I just was not gripped by the story and didn’t feel the suspense I normally enjoy from this genre。
Denise Cormaney
，
I read this because A。 I’ve read her other novels （all historical fiction） and really enjoyed them， and B。 several book people I follow got advance copies and raved about it。 I didn’t pay too close attention to the details of the story before I picked it up。Had I known what it was about， I likely wouldn’t have read it。 The subject matter is dark （the abduction and abuse of young girls）。 There are no horrific details here， nothing that feels exploitative or sensationalized， but even without gory I read this because A。 I’ve read her other novels （all historical fiction） and really enjoyed them， and B。 several book people I follow got advance copies and raved about it。 I didn’t pay too close attention to the details of the story before I picked it up。Had I known what it was about， I likely wouldn’t have read it。 The subject matter is dark （the abduction and abuse of young girls）。 There are no horrific details here， nothing that feels exploitative or sensationalized， but even without gory details， the impact of this story is intense。 I tend to be a sensitive reader when it comes to this kind of thing。All that said， I read it and I’m giving it four stars。 McLain is a talented writer， and she’s given us her most personal novel yet。 In the author’s note she shares her connection to the main character: she too was abandoned by both parents and raised in foster care。 Her deep understanding of trauma and its lasting impact comes through these pages。 It’s a good book！ Just know going in that it’s not a light read。 。。。more
Tania
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4。5 stars。 This is my first book by Paula McLain， but it won't be my last。 If you are looking for a fast-paced thriller， this is not it。 When the Stars Go Dark is a beautifully written story focusing on the victims of abduction， and why some of these girls were chosen。 Anna， a missing persons detective， who has her own past as a foster child to deal with， really gets us to "see" these kidnapped girls。 The setting and the focus on nature， further enhances the pensive mood of the novel。 Don't skip 4。5 stars。 This is my first book by Paula McLain， but it won't be my last。 If you are looking for a fast-paced thriller， this is not it。 When the Stars Go Dark is a beautifully written story focusing on the victims of abduction， and why some of these girls were chosen。 Anna， a missing persons detective， who has her own past as a foster child to deal with， really gets us to "see" these kidnapped girls。 The setting and the focus on nature， further enhances the pensive mood of the novel。 Don't skip the afterword， as it explains so many elements of the story， especially how the author managed to create the damaged girls so vividly。 This was the first time I ever cried in an epilogue。 If you enjoy books by Tana French， Kate Atkinson and Rene Denfield， I recommend that you add this to you reading list。The Story: A San Francisco homicide detective traumatized by personal tragedy and the many horrors she's encountered returns to Mendocino， once her childhood sanctuary， only to be drawn into the case of a missing girl and the unresolved mysteries of her own past。 。。。more
Kirundo
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It was a nice and well paced novel， I just had to snicker once。。。 on the Autor's note in the end when she said she always wanted to write a historical novel。。。 featuring in th 90s！！！ FFS that's not THAT long ago to call it historical :O It was a nice and well paced novel， I just had to snicker once。。。 on the Autor's note in the end when she said she always wanted to write a historical novel。。。 featuring in th 90s！！！ FFS that's not THAT long ago to call it historical :O 。。。more
Neelam Babul
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When the stars go dark revolves around Anna Hart who is investigating the disappearance of a young girl who is daughter of a retired actress and philandering father。 Anna is dedicated to finding young Cameron before time runs out。 Anna herself comes with a lot of past trauma and tragic history that has led her to this path she's forging on。 As she gets deeper and deeper into the case， she realizes that she needs to open up as well and face her demons。 In order to save an innocent victim， Anna ha When the stars go dark revolves around Anna Hart who is investigating the disappearance of a young girl who is daughter of a retired actress and philandering father。 Anna is dedicated to finding young Cameron before time runs out。 Anna herself comes with a lot of past trauma and tragic history that has led her to this path she's forging on。 As she gets deeper and deeper into the case， she realizes that she needs to open up as well and face her demons。 In order to save an innocent victim， Anna has to come to terms with her past and acknowledge that she herself needs to heal as well。 What I loved about the story is that there was less focus on police procedure and legal formalities。 Most of the story was centered on interactions between characters and their feelings or emotions。 A profoundly impressive story。 。。。more
Shannon Brookfield
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This is my first book by Paula McLain and it will not be my last。 I could not put it down。 Her writing is beautiful and her ability to write about and describe the effects of trauma was so accurate and well done。
Elisa
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