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.
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Mysterious. Haunting.
How have I not read this earlier? I’m at a loss for words for this book. There are a lot of emotions going through me right now, and I can’t seem to get the story out of my mind. I’m even recommending this book to friends who enjoy mysteries. It’s impossible not to fall in love with When the Stars Go Dark , especially with a title like that. The title is what captured my attention first, followed by the cover; you cannot help but be curious about the story behind it. I was. When The Stars Go Dark is unique, unlike any of the other mysteries I have read in the past, with so many unexpected twists and turns from the start to the end. I stayed up way past midnight to read it, and I wanted to see how it would end if they found the killer; I was rooting for them to find the murderer. This isn’t a book you will be able to put down; one more chapter will turn into five more. I couldn’t get enough.
When The Stars Go Dark is the first book that I have read by Paula McLain , but the moment that I read the first page, I knew that I was going to love this book. However, I didn’t expect how much I would love the story and the characters. Anna was troubled but my favorite character in the book. Despite what was happening in her life and why she left, it didn’t stop her from doing her job. Anna was determined to find Cameron alive. I cannot even begin to imagine what Cameron must have gone through. When they found the other missing girl murdered, I was afraid it might be too late for Cameron. I was hoping that I was wrong. I cannot begin to picture what a parent goes through when their missing child is found dead. I hoped that at least Cameron would be returned to her family alive.
I hadn’t heard about Polly Klaas and had no idea that she was kidnapped at a knife point in real life, not until the author’s note at the end. I cannot even imagine being taken at knifepoint at slumber and having her friend watch it happen in front of their eyes. How do you get over something that horrifying? I loved how the whole town came together to try and find her. I can tell how much research the author did. The case details were so vivid for all the girls; it was as if I saw it happening in front of my eyes. There were details within the book that was hard for me to read. The killer was most surprising; he came nowhere near who I thought was responsible. These are the types that I love in mysteries, where they keep you guessing until the end. I would highly recommend When The Stars Go Dark to any mystery lovers.
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