Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
It was heading towards 3 or 4 stars until the ending, which felt last minute and somehow also predictable. It felt like the author didn't have enough confidence in the first 75% of the book and started adding plot twists too late, that didn't fit with the overall feel of the book. A lot of foreshadowing led nowhere. It was a not-gimmicky*, enjoyable read until it wasn't.
*First person narrators, in chronological order and without any setting/time/character switching hold a special place in my heart. Just tell your story, yo.
*First person narrators, in chronological order and without any setting/time/character switching hold a special place in my heart. Just tell your story, yo.
3.5 stars.
I like gothic mysteries set in old crumbling houses in small towns. Wished I'd saved this book for October, as it would make a perfect chilly fall read.
I like gothic mysteries set in old crumbling houses in small towns. Wished I'd saved this book for October, as it would make a perfect chilly fall read.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Author [a:Laura McHugh|7177796|Laura McHugh|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1384806286p2/7177796.jpg] initially caught my attention because an announcement for her book release mentioned that she went to the same Midwestern liberal arts school that I did (shout out to Truman State University). The prospect of thrillers with familiar settings was, well, thrilling, so I decided to give her books a try. [b:Arrowood|28007948|Arrowood|Laura McHugh|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1462302769s/28007948.jpg|48127139] did not disappoint.
Characters that seem like caricatures gradually develop into more complex people with a mix of expected and unexpected motives. The main character's long-standing melancholy seemed a bit unrealistic, but there's still plenty of depth to make her story interesting, and the story carries a bit of mystery throughout that builds to some exciting action at the end. I loved that familiar (to me) establishments like Hy-Vee and Flying J got worked into the setting, and I can definitely imagine the Arrowood house being on a small Midwestern town's holiday tour of homes. I look forward to future books by Laura McHugh!
Characters that seem like caricatures gradually develop into more complex people with a mix of expected and unexpected motives. The main character's long-standing melancholy seemed a bit unrealistic, but there's still plenty of depth to make her story interesting, and the story carries a bit of mystery throughout that builds to some exciting action at the end. I loved that familiar (to me) establishments like Hy-Vee and Flying J got worked into the setting, and I can definitely imagine the Arrowood house being on a small Midwestern town's holiday tour of homes. I look forward to future books by Laura McHugh!
Excellent psychological mystery, with interesting, nuanced characters and a compelling plot. It's got definite nods toward gothic lit, with the neglected old house and the secret room , and the author wrings every last drop out of the themes of nostalgia and the fallibity of memory, which are all things that interest me. The recurring water motif and the way the house itself seems to be leading the main character toward the solution are also nicely done.
If I had a complaint, it's that some parts did seem to move awfully slowly, which was exacerbated by the fact that I was listening to the audiobook version, so no skimming for me. The reader also had a curious habit of occasionally over-enunciating, making a few bits sound stilted and unnatural, but overall it was a solid recording and a very good story.
If I had a complaint, it's that some parts did seem to move awfully slowly, which was exacerbated by the fact that I was listening to the audiobook version, so no skimming for me. The reader also had a curious habit of occasionally over-enunciating, making a few bits sound stilted and unnatural, but overall it was a solid recording and a very good story.
I thoroughly enjoyed the pace of this book. The sense of mystery and fuzzy memories reminded me a bit of We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, and that's what I liked about it. It's such a simple thing: to want to find out what happened. You keep turning every page because there's a tiny clue in each chapter at discovering more. The plot was well crafted. The supporting characters may have been a bit bare, but they were all that they needed to be. The book moved fairly quickly, which I appreciate. The book delivers on its promise of solving the mystery, and it does so in a gorgeous, engaging, exciting, thoughtful way. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoyed We Were Liars or Dark Places by Gillian Flynn.
This was just an all-around solid mystery read. From the story line to the characters, Arrowood plays out like a Dateline mystery. When Arden Arrowood returns to her family home after the death of her father, memories begin to resurface about the disappearance of her twin sisters twenty years before. The image of a gold car driving away with her sisters inside is seared into her mind, but her recollection is thrown into doubt by new new evidence from Midwest Mysteries blogger Josh Kyle. Together can they figure out what really happened to the Arrowood twins all those years ago? This one kept me guessing until the very end, and even then though I wasn't sure I wanted to know the truth, I was rooting for Arden to find closure. I look forward to reading more from McHugh.
I've had this on my Kindle for ages and was waiting for it to come up in my book club's monthly book draw. I am glad that, years later, I've finally read it. I LOVED it.
This is a gothic-thriller type book with my perfect house candy - a Second Empire style mansion, and the main character is as obsessed with historic architecture as I. I felt that as a thriller it was successful - McHugh didn't withold information for so long that I got frustrated, which is always a problem for me with suspenseful books.
There are slight supernatural elements here, and I really enjoyed the way McHugh handled them - there was a possibility of woowoo, but not a confirmation of woowoo. That kept it pretty grounded for me, as I am a skeptic who loves fantasy and the supernatural, but can never quite believe its real.
Laura McHugh succeeds in creating vibrant atmospheres, and her characters are vivid. I really enjoy her grasp of setting up a good mystery and atmosphere, balanced with characters who are crippled by past trauma. I'm always into books where shitty parents stay shitty - that was a theme in this book and [b:The Weight of Blood|18209468|The Weight of Blood|Laura McHugh|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1395611141l/18209468._SY75_.jpg|25630270] and I am here for it.
She wrote in the afterword that she had more of a plan for the plot in this one and that her first book came more organically to her - I thought this was the stronger of the two.
This is a gothic-thriller type book with my perfect house candy - a Second Empire style mansion, and the main character is as obsessed with historic architecture as I. I felt that as a thriller it was successful - McHugh didn't withold information for so long that I got frustrated, which is always a problem for me with suspenseful books.
There are slight supernatural elements here, and I really enjoyed the way McHugh handled them - there was a possibility of woowoo, but not a confirmation of woowoo. That kept it pretty grounded for me, as I am a skeptic who loves fantasy and the supernatural, but can never quite believe its real.
Laura McHugh succeeds in creating vibrant atmospheres, and her characters are vivid. I really enjoy her grasp of setting up a good mystery and atmosphere, balanced with characters who are crippled by past trauma. I'm always into books where shitty parents stay shitty - that was a theme in this book and [b:The Weight of Blood|18209468|The Weight of Blood|Laura McHugh|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1395611141l/18209468._SY75_.jpg|25630270] and I am here for it.
She wrote in the afterword that she had more of a plan for the plot in this one and that her first book came more organically to her - I thought this was the stronger of the two.
I'm so glad I pestered the library to get this book. It was haunting and sad all while maintaining the air of mystery. The ending was a little jumbled and it felt like it could have been a little longer to let things unravel.