Reviews with content warning for Confinement - When the Stars Go Dark

Somehow this book is both literary and reads like a procedural. Not one to normally be a fan of something dubbed as literary, I dove into this one on the recommendation of Elizabeth who is the book buyer for Fabled Bookshop, and man am I glad I trusted her! This book covers such hard topics surrounding foster care, adoption, kidnapping, sexual assault, grief, and guilt. Set in 1993 we are free from the trappings of the internet and cell phones and that plays so well into this case as it unfolds and how Anna's how history unfolds as well. The aspect of nature being healing I related to so well and the writing was so atmospheric that I felt totally transported.

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lorinew1's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

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savvyshannon's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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bookscoffeehayley's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Thank you to Random House, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

CW: child death, death of a parent, grief, mentions of sexual assault of children, child neglect, and overdose

When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain hits shelves Tuesday, 4/13 and I highly recommend it to crime/mystery/thriller fans!

This was the first of McLain’s books that I've read. I've had The Paris Wife sitting on my shelf for YEARS but for some reason haven’t picked it up yet. That’s changing
soon! Paula McLain’s writing style is completely captivating. It pulled me in faster and deeper than I expected it to! I’ve read my fair share of crime novels and thrillers, but I’m not sure I've read one where the author writes their characters with such heart.

I was so enthralled with this story. We follow Detective Anna Hart as she tries to bring home missing-teen Cameron Cruise. While searching for Cameron, Anna tries to grapple and heal from her own childhood trauma and how it has impacted her entire life. We also see Anna try to heal from recent trauma that we slowly learn about over the course of the novel.

A few aspects of Anna’s childhood resonated with my own and based on McLain’s author’s note, some of those aspects were autobiographical. So often in thrillers childhood trauma is presented for shock value but in this book, it is handled with care and acceptance. There were many moments as Anna faced her past and begun to heal, I was taking McLain’s words and working through my own past.

I loved that this story was set in 1993, before the heavy usage of the internet and before, as McLain states in her author’s note, “CSI had laypeople thinking they could solve a murder with their laptop.” I chucked at that. It added such a tense feeling in the search for information which really aided the atmosphere of the novel.

I really enjoyed this book and think it will be a hit! I'd categorize it as a perfect blend of crime drama/thriller/historical fiction and think fans of both Kristin Hannah and Gillian Flynn will enjoy!

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thebakerbookworm's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

3.0

I know Paula McLain for her historical fiction novels and was surprised to see that this was a mystery/thriller. Though set in 1993, it still seemed more mystery than history. However, after reading the Author's Note at the end, I realized Ms. McLain had interwoven a real kidnapping case into her story—I just hadn't recognized it as a true story while reading. I think this added a touch of reality that is usually missing from these kinds of books, and I appreciated that.

As for the story itself, it's more of a mystery than a thriller, even though the chapters are short. I suspected two characters for the kidnapper and one of them was correct. The ending reveal did feel a bit rushed to me though. When Anna finds the clue that leads her to the kidnapper, it seems to come out of the blue and it's not something the reader could have picked up on earlier. Also, the mystery of Anna's immediate past, what drove her to Mendocino, felt lacking to me. Yes, it was tragic, but not the kind of detail that needed to be hidden for the whole novel. I think there could have been more insight into Anna's character, and more development, if this knowledge was revealed much earlier in the story. As it is, it was hard to fully understand Anna's motivations, even though the story is written from her perspective, because we were missing this detail from her past.

That being said, I did appreciate the development given to secondary characters, particularly Emily. Her story was heartbreaking, but I loved the subtle strength she grew for the sake of her daughter. Also Cricket the dog was a lovely addition.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC.

Read if you like: nature essays, true crime, haunted heroines.

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