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Laura McHugh
167 ratings | 32 reviews | avg rating:4.93

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Laura’s Bookshelves

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Laura McHugh

Goodreads Author


Born
in Fort Madison, Iowa, The United States
Website

Twitter
LauraSMcHugh

Genre
Thriller, Suspense, Mystery

Member Since
February 2007


Laura McHugh's debut novel, The Weight of Blood, won an International Thriller Writers Award for Best First Novel, a Silver Falchion Award for Best First Novel: Literary Suspense, and the Missouri Author Award for Fiction. It was also nominated for an Alex Award, Barry Award, and GoodReads Choice Award (Best Mystery and Best Debut). Arrowood was an international bestseller and a finalist for the International Thriller Writers Award for Best Hardcover Novel, and The Wolf Wants In was one of Library Journal's Best Books of the Year. McHugh's latest novel, What's Done in Darkness, was one of Oprah Daily's Best Beach Reads of 2021, a Self Magazine Best Book of the Year, and Harlan Coben's pick for Best Summer Thriller on the Today Show.

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Popular Answered Questions

Hi Laura, I very much enjoyed The Weight of Blood. I see that you are working on a new book. Can you give us fans any details on the synopsis? Just to tide us over!! Kristina
Laura McHugh Sure! Thank you for reading TWOB--I'm so glad you liked it! The pub date for the next book isn't set yet, though it should be in 2015. The working tit…moreSure! Thank you for reading TWOB--I'm so glad you liked it! The pub date for the next book isn't set yet, though it should be in 2015. The working title is Arrowood.

When she was six years old, Arden witnessed the kidnapping of her two little sisters from the front yard of their grand old home on the bluffs of the Mississippi River. The fractured Arrowood family moved away, and Arden never fully recovered from the loss of her sisters, who were never found. Twenty years later, she is back in the old family home, faced with evidence that she might have been wrong about what she saw on that terrible day long ago. If she can't trust her own memory, what else was she wrong about? What really happened to the Arrowood twins?

The book is similar in tone to TWOB, dark and suspenseful, and is set in the crumbling grandeur of a small Iowa town on the banks of the Mississippi River. I hope you will enjoy it!(less)
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The Weight of Blood was fantastic! I work in a book store, and recommend it all the time when people are looking for a good, dark, mystery thriller! Can't wait for your next book, will it see the light of day in 2015?
Laura McHugh Justin, thank you so much!! I'm grateful to you for recommending the book! Arrowood is scheduled for 2016. :) …moreJustin, thank you so much!! I'm grateful to you for recommending the book! Arrowood is scheduled for 2016. :) (less)
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Combine Editions

Average rating: 3.75 · 41,420 ratings · 5,453 reviews · 8 distinct works • Similar authors
The Weight of Blood
3.76 avg rating — 23,132 ratings — published 2014 — 2 editions
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Arrowood
3.76 avg rating — 8,404 ratings — published 2016 — 2 editions
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What's Done in Darkness
3.82 avg rating — 4,408 ratings — published 2021 — 5 editions
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The Wolf Wants In
3.64 avg rating — 2,815 ratings — published 2019 — 7 editions
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Safe and Sound
3.71 avg rating — 2,531 ratings — published 2024 — 4 editions
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City Baker's Guide to Count...
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3.78 avg rating — 122 ratings
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The Weight of Blood
4.25 avg rating — 8 ratings
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Il peso del sangue
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More books by Laura McHugh…

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Laura McHugh's Blog

Giveaway!! Hardcover copies of What's Done in Darkness

My new thriller WHAT'S DONE IN DARKNESS pubs 6/22, and there is currently a Goodreads giveaway for finished hardcover copies! (This giveaway is US only, but if you're outside the US, there will be a giveaway of digital copies soon--add to your "want to read" list to be notified.) :)

Whats Done in Darkness by Laura McHugh

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https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...

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Quotes by Laura McHugh  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“You grow up feeling the weight of blood, of family. There's no forsaking kin. But you can't help when kin forsakes you or when strangers come to be family.”
― Laura McHugh, The Weight of Blood
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“...my mom always telling me that a man with clean nails hides his dirt on the inside.”
― Laura McHugh, The Weight of Blood
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“I took in the thick night air, the sweet smell of honeysuckle, the chirping of frogs, to impress the moment in the folds of my memory, preserve it like a flower between pages of a book. To remember: This is how it feels to be happy.”
― Laura McHugh, The Weight of Blood
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Topics Mentioning This Author

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The Next Best Boo...: Dionisia's 2013 Reading List 20 209 Jan 01, 2014 01:00PM  
The Seasonal Read...: This topic has been closed to new comments. Winter Challenge 2013: Completed Tasks (Do Not Delete Posts) 2478 651 Feb 28, 2014 09:00PM  
The Life of a Boo...: ButterflyCager's 14 in '14 Challenge 69 102 Mar 20, 2014 07:15PM  

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Laura’s Groups

168870 Booklover Catlady Publicity - VIP Reviewers Group — 175 members — last activity Jun 01, 2018 08:29PM
This group is for those reading and reviewing books via my publicity company - Booklover Catlady Publicity. All my valued reviewers are considered VIP ...more
245555 Suspenseful Clues and Thrilling Reviews — 2693 members — last activity Aug 17, 2025 03:38PM
An online book club hosted by Chelsea @ The Suspense Is Thrilling Me and Sam @ Clues and Reviews for readers to discuss their current reads and monthl ...more
88212 A Good Thriller — 21463 members — last activity 6 minutes ago
Action packed gripping, exciting and tense thrillers, mysteries, that's what we like reading. So many great authors out there to read. Let's share our ...more

Laura’s Friend Comments

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message 2: by Laura
Sep 05, 2014 04:24PM

Laura Jennifer wrote: "Thank you for accepting my friend request! I am reading your novel, The Weight of Blood, and I can't say enough good things about it and I am not even halfway through. :-)"

Thank you, Jennifer! I'm happy to hear that you like it so far! Thank you for reading the book and for taking the time to message me. :)


message 1: by Jennifer
Sep 05, 2014 12:37PM

Jennifer Thank you for accepting my friend request! I am reading your novel, The Weight of Blood, and I can't say enough good things about it and I am not even halfway through. :-)


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