When the Stars Go Dark

by Paula McLain

Anna Hart is a missing persons detective in San Francisco. 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 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 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.

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Wife comes a 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?

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Historical Fiction, Crime

370 pages, Hardcover

First published April 13, 2021

About the author

Paula McLain is the author of the New York Times and internationally bestselling novels, The Paris Wife, Circling the Sun and Love and Ruin. Her latest instant bestseller is, When the Stars Go Dark. Her forthcoming novel is Skylark, on shelves 1/6/26. She received an MFA in poetry from the University of Michigan in 1996, and is also the author of two collections of poetry, the memoir Like Family: Growing Up in Other People's Houses, and the debut novel, A Ticket to Ride. Her work has has appeared in The New York Times, Real Simple, Town & Country, The Guardian, Huffington Post, Good Housekeeping, and elsewhere. She lives with her family in Cleveland, Ohio.

Reviews

[Regina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m going to do something I never do…

... which is to suggest you read the publisher’s synopsis before starting When the Stars Go Dark. I’ve read it multiple times since finishing the novel and am marveling at how well it gives readers a glimpse at the plot and tone without giving anything away.

But since I’d be quite the lazy reviewer if that’s all I told you, here’s the down and dirty on Paula McLain’s latest:

- If you don’t read the synopsis, it might take you until the 10-15% mark to grasp what’s going on and settle into the story.

- This is a literary mystery, which means it’s a fictional whodunnit that sometimes uses big words and flowery imagery.

- The setting is small town Northern California in 1993 amidst a search for a kidnapped young girl.

- While fictional, real-life crimes like the abduction of Polly Klaas are prominently woven through the story.

- Trigger warnings are clearly necessary for the abuse and murder of children, but the depictions on the page are not detailed.

- The ending, for me, is a bit of a pfffttt. (Though I did stay up way past my bedtime to get to it.)

When the Stars Go Dark is likely to be a very successful novel, but I’m not sure it will reach the heights of popularity that McLain’s The Paris Wife or even Circling the Sun did. I’m just getting so tired of reading about horrific things happening to kids. Aren’t you?

My thanks go to the author and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to review an advance copy via NetGalley.

Blog: www.confettibookshelf.com

[Lisa of Troy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Anna Hart is a police detective reeling from a personal tragedy when she goes back to her hometown to heal. When she arrives, she is confronted by a missing teen which brings up memories of the past. Will Anna be able to find the missing teen? What happened all those years ago?

As someone who has seen every single episode of Law and Order SVU and a HUGE mystery fan (Riley Sager SUPERFAN!!!!), I thought that this book would be right up my alley; however, I think this book needs some serious rewrites. I was bored which is always a bad sign for a thriller.

1) This book was not laid out well for a mystery/thriller. The paragraphs were far too long and had extremely long sentences. When the action gets going, you want short dialogue so you can start flipping the pages like a crazy person and feel like you are running yourself, heart racing, adrenaline coursing through your veins, and you HAVE to know how the story ends. However, the book had these very long paragraphs, and it just didn't work.
2) This book was confusing because there were so many different flashbacks that it was difficult to keep track of what crime or disappearance was being described. Additionally, it would have been really helpful to have the flashback listed with a heading and the person involved. I have read quite a few flashback/changing perspective books, and they don't bother me, but this book was written in a way where it just wasn't clear.
3) There were WAY too many characters. The book would mention someone, and I would say, "Who is that?" That happened three times. It was really kind of sad. It was also difficult to connect with the characters because we didn't really get to know them very well as they seemed to show up and blip out very quickly.
4) The very first page mentions, "live Muni." I have no idea what this is, and I even punched it into Google. Still don't know what this is.

Overall, I thought that the plot was interesting but the layout really took away from the storytelling. Personally, the story would have been more effective if the story was told in a more linear fashion, and the past relayed in dialogue. I would love to give this author another chance and read another one of her works because I do think that the bones of her book were solid and the plot was compelling.

*Thank you, NetGalley, for a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest opinion.

2024 Reading Schedule
Jan Middlemarch
Feb The Grapes of Wrath
Mar Oliver Twist
Apr Madame Bovary
May A Clockwork Orange
Jun Possession
Jul The Folk of the Faraway Tree Collection
Aug Crime and Punishment
Sep Heart of Darkness
Oct Moby-Dick
Nov Far From the Madding Crowd
Dec A Tale of Two Cities

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[JanB · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
“Every 73 seconds someone in America becomes the victim of sexual assault. Every nine minutes one of those victims is a child. 82% of victims under the age of eighteen are female. The effects of sexual violence can be long lasting and profound.”

The story opens in 1993, the year the real- life Polly Klaas was taken from her home at knifepoint. The case drew nationwide attention before cell phones, national data bases, Amber alerts, and crowdsourcing was available to help solve crimes. There was a rash of abductions of girls in the vicinity during this time frame.

It is against this backdrop that Anna, reeling from a personal tragedy, arrives in her hometown of Mendocino, CA. Her childhood friend, Will, who is now the town sheriff, enlists her help in the investigation of a missing teenage girl.

Anna is an expert in missing children, a detective who has made it her life’s work to save and find justice for young victims. Her own life has been filled with trauma, and she is obsessed in finding redemption through helping children.

Anna is a complex person and, through her, the reader learns a lot about trauma, healing, the suffering of families, the psychological profiles of victims and predators, and the lasting psychological damage to survivors. Factual details are woven into the narrative. Fans of true crime, like me, will find these sections most insightful. As the mother of a daughter, and Nana to three very young granddaughters, it’s not always comfortable reading, but it’s imperative that I educate myself.

There are many dimensions and themes in this story, all blended seamlessly: of the importance of community, of pain and loss, but also healing, forgiveness and peace. This is a character-driven slow burn, one that forces the reader to slow down to savor the writing. It takes a bit of patience in the beginning.

The natural world in the woods and forest, cliffs and beaches surrounding Mendocino play an important part of the story. Anna’s foster father taught her much, and she draws on those instincts when it’s a matter of life and death. I’m not usually one for descriptive writing, but in this case found the descriptions beautiful and atmospheric.

This was another terrific buddy read with my friend Marialyce, one we both found very insightful. We’ve both read and enjoyed the author’s historical fiction books, and with this book, she has proven herself capable of crossing genres into mystery/thrillers. We both appreciated the afterword, where we learn this story was inspired by events in the author’s life.

Note that despite such a dark subject, there are no graphic descriptions of abuse or violence toward children in these pages. (Minor spoiler alert, but important for animal lovers to know: the dog does not die!)

* I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
* Publication date April 13, 2121 by Ballantine Books

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven’t read so lyrical words written in full of intensity in such a powerful, moving, thought provoking tone! I literally find myself trapped inside the mind of heroine and I didn’t want to leave there even it hurt me a lot!

Inner poet of Ms. McLane created a tormented but a decent fighter, remarkable heroine: Anna Hart who is specialized to find missing people, dedicated San Francisco detective. After tragedy hit harder, for gathering the shattering life pieces,she decides to go to back to small hometown Mendocino where she grew with her foster parents who help her become the person she is today!

But as like her unfinished business about a missing girl who traumatized her for years, another 15 years old Polly Klaas : missing girl case occurs at the very same place, showing quite resemblances with the past missing girl case that haunted her.

Anna is so exhausted, broken, hurt and she knows deep in heart this case will be more overwhelming that she can get through but she cannot disappoint the broken hearted mother who is looking for her lost girl.

She eventually teams up with town’s sheriff Will who is also close childhood friend of hers, to conduct their investigation. With the help intuition and experienced instincts of Anna, they are few steps ahead of FBI to solve the crime. With the growing interest of media attention to the case, both childhood friends dig out more gruesome facts, getting closer to the final revelation.

After reading the disturbing statistical facts the author shared about sexual assaults of young women, the story disturbs you more and you start to look from the different angle to those brutal realities of life!

I honestly have a little hard time at the beginning of the book even though I enjoyed the unique writing style of the author. Especially getting lost in heroine’s struggling emotional thoughts filled with pain and grief was a little slow burn and compelling start to a dark, heart wrenching crime story. I liked those parts but they also depressed me a lot. I wanted to feel the excitement of starting a new action packed mystery which is dragging you to the different streets of criminal worlds but as soon as the investigation process starts and Anna suited up to work with Will, the rhythm of the story increased higher, hooking me up, I didn’t want to put it down!

Overall: the author is brilliant and she proved us she can choose to write different genres and she can nail all of them! This book is more meaningful project because there are so many parallel things from her real life with the character she created and she is a quite great researcher. So I’m proudly giving my four dark, gruesome, intense, well- crafted four stars!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/ Ballantine for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

[MarilynW · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the Stars Go Dark
by Paula McLain, Marin Ireland (Narrator)

Anna Hart, a San Francisco missing persons detective, has been banished from her home by her husband. We know that her child died in an accident, she feels grief and guilt, and she's not dealing with the aftermath at all. And she won't go to counseling, she just wants to bury herself in her work, block out anything else at all. Her husband and her boss are having none of that and now she's in the village of Mendocino, the location of her last foster home and her first real home after years of uncertainty, as a child.

When Anna was fifteen, one of the three teens she hung out with was murdered. Now, twenty years later, Anna arrives at Mendocino to find that there is a missing girl. Missing children are an obsession of Anna's so she dives right into the search, learning of more missing girls. It's as if the recent tragedy of her own child can be wiped from her mind by her obsession with missing people cases. It's obvious Anna is missing balance in her life and she's running as fast as she can towards being even more unbalanced.

The real life Polly Klaas case plays a part in this story since it is set at the time that Polly was taken. At first, I wasn't sure how I felt about a real tragedy being mixed into a novel but I think it was well done and enhanced my enjoyment of the story. What I didn't care for was that we see everything through Anna's eyes but we aren't allowed to know what tragedy befell her child until the very end of the book. I don't enjoy a main character knowing major events but that knowledge being held back from the reader. Having to go through an entire book with such an important bit of the story kept back allowed me to just numb myself to the eventual reveal. I do know I'll be reading more by this author especially since she writes historical fiction, a favorite genre of mine.

Pub April 13th 2021 by Random House Audio

[Will Byrnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A town like this feels so safe and apart from the outside world. You start to wonder if it’s dangerous.”
“The fairy tale of it, you mean?”
“Right. False security. You stop looking over your shoulder, because the picture feels real. Nothing bad can happen when there’s a moat around the whole town, right? Battlements. Guards at the gate. But the dragon shows up anyway.”

--------------------------------------

“These are my obsessions,” Paula McLain said. “How do we survive the unsurvivable? How do we climb off the table as a victim? How did we get there in the first place?” - from the NY Times Personal article

San Francisco Detective Anna Louise Hart has problems of her own. Something terrible has happened to her child. Her husband is not eager to see her. Needing to get away, she heads north to a place she sees as a refuge of sorts, Mendocino, the place where, after a succession of bad experiences, she had finally been taken in as a foster by a warm, supportive couple. Memories abound, marked by the presence of an enigmatic sculpture in the middle of town.

Above the roofline of the Masonic Hall and against a gauzy sky, the figures of Time and the Maiden stand sharp and white, the most iconic thing in the village. A bearded, elderly figure with wings and a scythe, braiding the hair of a girl standing before him. Her head bowed over a book resting on a broken column, an acacia branch in one of her hands, an urn in the other, and an hourglass near her feet—each object an enigmatic symbol in a larger puzzle. The whole carving like a mystery in plain sight.

Time and the Maiden - image from Serendipity Patchwork

Almost immediately I knew the story had to be set in Mendocino—a small coastal town in Northern California where I spent time in my twenties—and that the time frame of the narrative had to be pre-DNA, pre-cellphone, before the Internet had exploded and CSI had lay people thinking they could solve a murder with their laptop. - from the Author’s Note

Hart’s work in San Francisco had centered on finding lost children. She was in a special unit for this. It’s the sort of work that leads one to sacrifice other aspects of one’s life. I pictured a missing persons expert obsessed with trying to save a missing girl and also struggling to make peace with her past. And straight away, after renting an off-the-grid cabin several miles outside of town, reconnecting with an old friend who is now the sheriff, saying Hi to some other folks and places from her days there as a kid, a local girl, the daughter of a famous actress, vanishes. Having some expertise in the field, Anna offers to help, and the game is afoot.


Paula McLain - image from Writers Write

…when she started digging into the research, she realized that there had been real-life abductions in California at that time — including the kidnapping of 12-year-old Polly Klaas from her Petaluma bedroom. McLain weaves Klaas’s tragic story into the novel, reminding the reader of yet another young woman who never had a chance to shine. - from the NY Times Personal interview

In addition to Polly, McLain incorporated into her story several real-world disappeared girls, as points of reference. She does not go into their characters much beyond rough descriptions. But this does let us know that the fictional tale she presents has a very real flesh-and-blood basis, the time she portrays presenting more peril than usual. And she does not stop there in paralleling the real and the created.

Sexual abuse of children is a focus, as is coping with being in the foster care system. These are experiences with which McLain is painfully familiar. In the Times article noted in EXTRA STUFF, Why I Took a Vow of Celibacy, she writes about her abuse as a foster kid.

Some nights nothing happened. Other nights I would wake to a shape in the doorway, the husband’s inky silhouette. And then I would disappear inside myself, barely breathing, frozen. I vanished so expertly that I wasn’t actually in my body any longer as he peeled me away from my sister. I didn’t make a sound.

It would have been easy to make this a total downer of a story, but McLain points out some of the bright sides as well. Anna recalls with great love the supportive foster family she had lived with in Mendocino, and shows how a community can come together to try to help each other, in this case reflecting the real-world effort made to find Polly Klaas when she was abducted.

McLain’s descriptions border on the transcendental at times, both lyrically beautiful, and evocative of underlying story content. They reminded me of the poetic magnificence (as well as the issues taken on) of Rene Denfeld. So, it seemed fitting that in the acknowledgments, Denfeld is listed among authors whose work inspired her.

Above the cloud line, an eerie yellow sphere is rising. It’s the moon, gigantic and overstuffed, the color of lemonade. I can’t stop watching it roll higher and higher, saturated with brightness, like a wound. Or like a door lit entirely by pain.

Uh oh. The eeriness of the environment resonates throughout the novel, but it is also clear that Anna has an appreciation for nature, a feeling of connection, gaining a sense of comfort from it, even though it can seem very dark at times.

Firs and pines and Sitka spruce thicken around me, pushing in from all directions, black-tipped fairy-tale trees that knit shadows out of nothing, night out of day—as if they’ve stolen all the light and hidden it somewhere. God, but I’ve missed them.

And building on nature’s challenge, she sees hope in people’s ability to contend with extreme and persistent difficulties.

“Krummholz” is the word for this kind of vegetation I remember from one of Hap’s [her beloved foster father] lessons, a German term that means “bent wood.” Over many decades, hard weather has sculpted the trees into grotesque shapes. The salt-rich north wind kills the tips of the branches, forcing them to dip and twist, swooping toward the ground instead of the sky. They’re a living diagram of adaptation, of nature’s intelligence and resilience. They shouldn’t be able to keep growing this way, and yet they do.

She adds some lovely noir content and cadences, the sort one might expect from a female continental op, substituting a chemical solution for the usual flask, or lower desk drawer fifth. I zipped myself into a dress I couldn’t feel, so high on Ativan it could have been made of knives. Fairy tales come in for several mentions, not in a comforting way. There be monsters here.


Maps from the book

The story is intriguing and keeps one eager to read more. What happened with Cameron, the primary missing girl, an adoptee? Was she abducted? Had she been lured away? Had she been abused? Given the number of girls gone missing, is there a serial killer working the area? Clues are followed, each bit leading to new suspicions, whether dead-ending or propelling the investigation. There is tension between the investigating partners, as one might expect. The book clicks along at a good pace, and delivers the goods.

There were some elements that interfered at times, though. Anna comes on a seemingly stray pooch who becomes a valued ally. Except it seemed that the dog was in and out, here, then not here, as if the notion of a canine companion appealed (the dog is given the name of McLain’s real-life furry friend), but did not seem fully integrated into the story. More a device than a character. In another instance Anna is going about the business of investigating a possible abduction or worse, with several local suspects, and this San Francisco detective is NOT PACKING! This is like the monster movie scene in which the small child runs back toward the room where the creature was last seen to retrieve a cherished stuffy. Really? If you’re gonna do that, at least offer up a satisfactory preparatory explanation. Did I miss this somewhere? A flashlight goes dark at a critical moment – puh-leez! And a character appears at a particularly opportune moment to offer crucial assistance. Sure, whatever.

But don’t let the occasional eye-roll distract from the overall wonderfulness of the book. In addition to keeping your blood pressure at an unhealthy level, McLain offers up some real-world payload in educating us about the plague of sexual abuse of children, particularly the potential perils of foster care, and how the afflicted are damaged in more than just physical ways. She points out the sometimes complex nature of abductions, and how pain can travel down through generations. You will never think of the bat signal the same way again. The stars may certainly go dark for those on the receiving end of these societal horrors, but in both keeping us entranced and filling us with new intel and perspectives, Paula McLain shines very brightly indeed.

You know, we don’t always understand what we’re living inside of, or how it will matter. We can guess all we want and prepare, too, but we never know how it’s going to turn out.

Review posted – April 9, 2021

Publication dates
----------Hardcover - April 13, 2021
----------Trade paperback - April 5, 2022

I received a digital ARE from Ballantine Books through NetGalley in return for an honest review.



This review has been cross-posted on my site, Coot’s Reviews. Stop by and say Hi!

=============================EXTRA STUFF

Links to the author’s personal, FB, and Instagram pages

From the bio on McLain’s site:

Paula McLain was born in Fresno, California in 1965. After being abandoned by both parents, she and her two sisters became wards of the California Court System, moving in and out of various foster homes for the next fourteen years. When she aged out of the system, she supported herself by working as a nurses aid in a convalescent hospital, a pizza delivery girl, an auto-plant worker, a cocktail waitress–before discovering she could (and very much wanted to) write. She received her MFA in poetry from the University of Michigan in 1996. She is the author of The Paris Wife…an international bestseller…She is also the author of two collections of poetry; a memoir, Like Family, Growing up in Other People’s Houses; and a first novel, A Ticket to Ride. She lives with her family in Cleveland.

Interview
-----NY Times – April 3, 2021 - Paula McLain Wrote a Thriller — and This Time, It’s Personal by Elisabeth Egan

Items of Interest from the author
----- There is a list of links to other writing on her site
-----NY Times – 3/12/2021 - Why I Took a Vow of Celibacy

Items of Interest
-----Book Club Kit
-----Rainer Maria Rilke - I Am Much Too Alone in This World, Yet Not Alone - A line from this poem turns up in Chapter 22
-----The Reid Technique - of police interrogation -noted in Chapter 24
-----The Polly Klaas Foundation

Songs/Music
-----Bob Seger - Against the Wind - In chapter 34, Anna hears this on her car radio
-----The Little Mermaid - Under the Sea referenced in chapter 46

[megs_bookrack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wracked with grief after a personal tragedy, Missing Persons Detective, Anna Hart, flees from her regular life in San Francisco in order to give herself time to heal.

She returns to Mendocino, in Northern California, where she grew up with her loving foster parents.



Once there, she rents a modest cabin and actually ends up taking in a new canine companion, who she names, Cricket.

Obviously, Cricket's presence enhanced my enjoyment of the story 10-fold.
((Just kidding, kind of, not really...))



Anna also reunites with her childhood friend, Will, who happens to be the local Sheriff.

Knowing how successful Anna has been in her career, Will enlists her help with assisting him finding a teenage girl, Cameron, who has recently gone missing.



This new investigation is a good distraction from Anna's own tragedy, but her involvement means more to her than that. She quickly becomes engrossed in the case.

Having survived very significant childhood trauma herself, Anna has dedicated her life to helping other children and survivors. As stressful as it can often be, it's her calling.



We watch the investigation unfold, as Will and Anna work together to try to find out what happened to Cameron. Maybe they can get to her before it's too late.

They end up tying her case to that of other missing girls in the area and the intensity definitely begins to build from there.



This is a great story; it's subtle, dark and heart-wrenching.

It reminded me of Rene Denfeld's, The Child Finder and I mean that as a heavy compliment.



It's quite nuanced, more than your average book in this genre, which I appreciated so much. McLain packed a lot in.

I loved the investigatory elements and learning more about Anna's background as a character; how her early life lead her to the point where she is at in this story.



Overall, there's good action, a compelling mystery, layered, well-established characters and a satisfying conclusion.

There were some areas where the pace felt a little slow for me, but that didn't overshadow any of the other fantastic elements.



Thank you so much to the publisher, Ballantine Books, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review.

I appreciate the opportunity and hope this author writes more in this genre!

[Mischenko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anna's an experienced detective specializing in cases involving missing people--specifically children. After suffering a family tragedy in San Francisco, Anna leaves for the coastal community of Mendocino, where she grew up, to deal with her emotions and get back on her feet. She’s coping with trauma from recent events and her childhood and hopes to find a way to heal so she can return to her family. While in Mendocino, she partners with an old friend and decides to take on a case involving a missing young girl. This could be exactly what Anna needs to break free and finally heal from her traumatic past.

This is my first read by Paula McLain, and it didn’t disappoint. She created an interesting heroine who appears to have a broken interior, and you can feel her pain. Anna's extremely complex, passionate about her work, and practically obsessive at times. During earlier chapters, I kept asking myself: what happened to her? Emotions were strongest for me during flashbacks of her past relationship with Hap. It's her past that fully engaged and connected me with this story. This book explores how past traumas have the power to follow you through life, but it also includes themes of family, forgiveness, community, and hope. It was interesting to read the author's note and discover that some of the complexities of Anna’s character connect with the author’s past as well.

Thriller, mystery, crime, suspense—call it what you will, but for me, this book had a little bit of everything. This wasn’t a nail-biting thriller for me but more of a slower-paced, compelling suspense/mystery that forced me to continue turning the pages. The gradual progression was almost too slow for me, but it was perfectly balanced with Anna’s past thanks to anecdotal snippets the author wove into the story. Several happenings and mysteries kept me guessing until the end. Waiting for Anna’s story was frustrating, but it's what made this story more of a page-turner for me.

This book is written beautifully with lyrical prose that pulled me in from the very first page. The descriptions are wonderful, creating an atmospheric story that makes you want to experience the beauties of Mendocino yourself. Certain content might be difficult for some readers because it involves crimes against children, but I don't consider it too disturbing. Don’t get me wrong--these crimes are every parent’s nightmare, but they aren't highly detailed, and they're short-lived. It actually compelled me to get online and learn more about the true crimes that took place.

The slower parts in the story led me to believe it might get too drawn out, but overall, this turned out to be a good read. I'm thrilled that the whodunit wasn't easy to figure out. I'll definitely be checking out some of Paula McLain's older books in the future.

4****

I'd like to thank NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for sharing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

You can also see this review@www.readrantrockandroll.com

[Lindsay L · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars!

“Mothers and fathers are supposed to stay.”

A slow burning, beautifully written, haunting and highly atmospheric mystery.

Anna is a detective who specializes in missing persons. She lives and breathes for her job and has an indescribable connection to the victims she is searching for. Anna is drawn to her childhood hometown where she finds herself aiding the local police force in the case of a young teen who has disappeared.

This book was phenomenal! Unique, messy and mysterious characters. Thick, palpable, remote small town atmosphere. Intriguing, slow building and addictive mystery.

I loved Anna! She was so strong and determined, yet vulnerable facing her personal inner struggles. I truly enjoyed following her journey and really hope to spend more time with her (crossing my fingers this may become a series)!

The writing was exquisite! I was completely consumed by the beautiful prose and heart wrenching storyline. There are some heavy topics covered within the pages of this story. Several times, I stopped to fully absorb the sentences I was reading. Very powerful and thought provoking topics surrounding adoption and a child’s sense of belonging and personal identity.

I loved this book and highly recommend it. A definite favourite for 2021. I’m thrilled to report it lived up to the hype!

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for my review copy!

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 It's been quite a while since I have read a book that I didn't want to put down and I almost passed on this novel. I very much enjoyed this authors past historical novels and the thought of a thriller written by her caused me much doubt. But, I guess it's true, or at least in this case, if one is a good writer they can write anything, and do it well.

I loved the character Anna North, a detective whose job is finding missing children. After a horrific incident in her personal life, she escapes to the last place she was happy. Mendocino, where she lived with her now deceased adoptive parents. The town is little changed, in fact she is surprised to find an old childhood friend is now the chief of police. Plus, fate has thrown her another challenge. A 15 year old girl is missing and this brings her into her own past and entangles her into a case in which she cannot look away.

I think what I found so intriguing about this novel were all the psychological elements explored. Killer, victims, people's paste and various connections. How ones past affects how one behaves in the present. Triggers, memories, abusive or challenging childhoods. This book is also very well written, with many surprises and a quick but measured pace. There is also a psychic that I was quite taken with, a wise woman she was indeed. This also takes place before the internet but it's coming and the part it would play in crime solving in the near future is foreshadowed by a real case most will have heard.

Terrific, immersive read.

ARC from Edelweiss.

[Elyse Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

No Spoilers!!!

Paula McLain fans will recognize her luscious writing ...it’s gorgeous.
Her descriptions are irresistible, and photogenically tantalizing.

Unlike Paula’s past work:
—Historical Fiction—
She brings us a heartfelt mysterious crime novel...mixed with fiction stories of missing girls - placing the time period alongside the true crime story of Polly Hannah Klass.

Anna Hart, protagonist, had my heart. We don’t understand her full story right away — other than we know her husband asked her to leave.
Anna’s entire life was heavy with loss. The dark abyss of her work-[detective]-connected to everything in her own personal life.

After driving about 5 miles, the road turned from asphalt to packed dirt and gravel. Firs and pines and Sitka spruce trees -a trapping cabin — a cedar cottage—
“It looks like a place where a hermit might live, like an island in the trees, a cave to disappear in. It’s perfect”.
Anna Hart was moving into a tiny threadbare cabin in the woods of Mendocino.... an area she was very familiar with.
She graduated from Mendocino High in the year of 1972, the year that 15-year-old Jenny Ledford disappeared.

We will be introduced to the community of characters from the days Anna lived in Mendocino. Learn about Anna’s growing life —

Present day 1993. The same year of the Polly Klass tragedy.

Convicted killers, torturers, psychopaths, sociopaths, pedophiles, sexual sadists——trying to understand the criminal mind in a systemized way —their criminal psyche— how and why they selected certain victims,
what their triggers were,
their violent fantasies—
how those brutal killers thought and what they felt around all aspects of what they’d done—
the depth of their fixation on their warped minds—was so disturbing to Anna—the crimes began to feel like sick plots in a movie—not real life.
Anna got so involved in her cases—caring so much for the victims— trying to understand their side of the story, but never getting the whole picture.....
Anna’s dedication made her an excellent detective, ( she lived and breathed her cases), but it was also ruining her personal life.
She had nightmares constantly, and woke up in the middle of the night feeling as if her whole body was buzzing, set on high alert. Anna was never not thinking about a case— trying to crack an interview, or tease out a complex lead, or canvassing witnesses in her mind. She had no control over her obsessiveness.

“The Mendocino Woodlands stretches over seven hundred square acres of reserve land, and is as black in the current storm as an uncharted planet”.
Anna knew the territory— if a young girl was lost in those woods—Anna believed she could find her.
The obsession of Anna trying to save missing girls was tied to her past —she was trying find solace- experience inner peace—forgive herself from her own grief, loss, and guilt.

Paula McLain shared in her acknowledgments that she didn’t sleep well for weeks and months when she was researching the Polly Klass case and others.
Thinking about the profound suffering of the victims and their families crept into her dreams.
Boy...
I remember the Polly Klass case like yesterday myself. I remember seeing her father, Marc Klass on the news. I remember when he started the ‘Polly Klass Foundation’, a nonprofit organization that continues to work with thousands of families, law-enforcement officers, and volunteer workers to help find missing children.
From time to time I get Amber Alert messages on my iPhone. Always sad. I always think of Polly Klass.... ( always).
I can still see her beautiful smiling face in my mind today.

Paula McCain shared something very personal in her acknowledgments— about ‘why’ she was drawn to write this book—this particular story.... ( my heart ached with love for Paula - but I rather not share the details),
Instead I’ll share an excerpt from her that I paused, reflected, and related to:
“I believe that our sorrow connects us, yes, and that it can also be the source of our power as well as our empathy”.

“To the fern forest, dripping with fog, to the bluffs above the roaring Pacific, to the cabin in the deep dark woods, and into the very heart of this book”.....
“When The Stars Go Dark”, is the most intimate and personal book Paula McLain has written.

Blessings Paula. Thank you!!!

And.... thank you, Netgalley, and Random House Publishing Group

[Farrah · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐ for this book that took the usual police procedural standard and flipped it on it's head.

The detective involved in the case of a missing teenager doesn't bother much with looking for evidence.
Instead she focuses on understanding the victim, using feelings and hunches, to determine why the predator chose her and where they could have taken her.
I'm not sure how successful of a detective she'd be in real life but it made for one heck of an enjoyable book! 😅

-------------------------------------------------------------------

I wonder why publishers choose to cut the pages of some books so that they line up like this ^^√^√
It'd be weird if that made me uncomfortable yet strangely compelled to constantly run my finger over their edges while reading, right?? Good thing I don't do that..... 😳🤥

[jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Beata · Rating 4 out of 5]

A psychological thriller that felt real and gave me some shivers. One of those books which have intriguing plot and well-developed main character that does not seem immature or naive.
A thank-you to my GR Friends who have directed me towards this thriller and whose reviews provided background for me.
OverDrive, thank you!

[Canadian Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Circling the Sun by McLain. This is a totally different genre- a mystery.
Anna has just gone through a tragedy - but we aren’t told until the end. She makes her way back to the town she grew up in, Mendocino, the only family home she considered as such after having been in and out of foster homes.
She’s now a cop. And there is a missing teen very similar to her younger self. Unpaid and on leave, she decides to assist with the local sheriff who she grew up with.

It was a disturbing read - abductions always are- and it never rang hollow. I just felt there were too many characters and I would have to pause to recall who was who.
I didn’t connect with the character as we never got to know her story until the end.

The connection with nature really was the essence of this story. And a dog. Well, that just sealed the deal.
A good read with some good twists overall.
3.8 -4⭐️

[Debra - can't post any comments on site today grrr · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Because everyone wants to be looked for, whether they realize it or not."

1993

Anna Hart, a seasoned missing persons detective, flees San Francisco after a horrific tragedy affects her personally. She returns to Mendocino where she lived as a child with her foster parents. When she arrives, she learns that a local teenager has gone missing. She teams up with the town's sheriff, Will, who just happens to be a childhood friend of hers. Together they look for the missing girl, uncover some truths and slowly, very slowly, readers learn what brought Anna back to Mendocino.

I typically do not enjoy slow burns but this one captivated me from the start. Missing persons/missing teens, trauma, pain, are all laid bare in this novel. The characters are well rounded, flawed, damaged and undeniable real. They are facing and enduring trauma and heartache. Their pain is palpable.

This is a beautifully written and researched book. Paula McLain depicts an investigation which occurs before many advances in forensics and use of the internet. Her characters go with his/her "gut" and good old fashioned detective skills. The author shows the stress on the investigations, the families, and the community. The book also ended in a way which had me hoping and crossing my fingers that I would see both Anna, Cricket, and Will again.

This book is a reminder that we do not live in a fairy tale world and horrible things happen. We cannot turn a blind eye and hope that if we do not acknowledge those things that they do not exist.

Here are some FACTS:

1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys are sexually abused before the age of 18.

Nearly 70% of all reported sexual assaults (including assaults on adults) occur to children ages 17 and under.

More than 20% of children are sexually abused before the age of 8.

More than 1 in 3 women and nearly 1 in 4 men have experienced sexual violence involving physical contact at some point in their lives.

***** facts taken from this website https://sexualabuse.org.nz/resources/... and https://www.doorwaysva.org/our-work/e...

Thank you to Random House Publishing group - Ballantine and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

A powerful and thought provoking book.

Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com

[Susan's Reviews]

I DNFed this one. Many of the victims are very young children.
I was already in a slump, and this just made me sadder, so I decided not to continue with it.

I was also not enjoying the lyrical writing style right before the revelation about the little girl's death. There was something a bit off-putting about that for me. When I start getting irritated by the writing style, I usually abandon ship and rarely come aboard again!

One chapter in, and I was done. Not even going to rate this one, because I didn't read enough of it - just skimmed parts of it and a bit of the ending. Regret and despair are things all of us face at some point in our lives. Self-forgiveness and acceptance - and the passage of a whole lot of time - help you to move on and find a semblance of peace. That psychic at the end of the story was a comfort to Anna, but I believe there are very few true psychics in this world. I don't rule the possibility out, because I try to stay open-minded, but I have only ever met one psychic whose words came back to haunt me decades later. He was spot on, may he rest in peace.

I returned this book to the library pronto so that someone else could enjoy it, since I wasn't.

[Terrie Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

"When the Stars Go Dark" by Paula McLain was a character driven surprise for me!

The year is 1993. It's the year Polly Klaas is abducted from her home in Petaluma, CA.

Anna Hart is a detective with the San Francisco Police Department who specializes in missing children. When an unexpected tragedy impacts her personal life, she flees to her hometown of Mendocino, CA. She has no one and nowhere else to go. A cabin in the woods seems like the perfect answer for managing her grief.

Shortly after arriving Anna hears about a local teenage girl who has gone missing. It's reminiscent of a friend whose disappearance in Mendocino during Anna's youth that broke the town apart. Anna is drawn to help. Is this why she's here now? Can she help this community and herself heal by searching for this missing teen?

This is the second book I've read from this author. The exquisitely written, 'The Paris Wife' was the first book and it remains one of my favorites. I had no plans to read this one, even though it has hints of HF, it's a Thriller and a genre I struggle with. Based on many positive GR reviews and having time to squeeze in an audiobook, I began to listen.

Paula McClain has proven her ability to cross over into another genre. This story held my interest from the first chapter! The writing is beautifully lyrical and I was mesmerized by the pictures created before me as I listened.

The characters are flawed, broken, defensive, belligerent, fully fleshed out and human in every way. I felt so much emotion for all of them, even the ones I didn't like. There were bad people and terrible things that happen in this story, but the reader doesn't see this awfulness. Instead the author chose to focus on the positive side of resolution in this story. I love that about this book!

Listening to narrator, Marin Ireland, was an amazing treat! She brought Anna to life and her voicing of every character and gender was realistic and did not skip a beat in this story!

There is an afterword from the author that is memorable and heart wrenching. Ms. McLain tells of personal reasons for writing this book. I love this author for her gift of storytelling, now I love her even more and admire her for disclosing a part of herself.

A character driven, slow-burn story that holds your interest. A lead character that is experiencing a personal family issue yet is able to carry on and use her skills to help find a missing child. A strong female lead character! Yes, please! And, thank you, Ms. McLain!

I'm glad I didn't give this one a pass because of the genre. Stepping outside of my normal genres led to a great surprise read!

I highly recommend!

[Susanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paula McLain draws the spotlight upon her main character, Detective Anna Hart. Wife, mother, and friend.

But when those stars do go dark for her, Anna realizes that she has truly lost her way. With no other recourse, she leaves San Francisco unwillingly to seek solace in the one place that reflects tiny roots from her past.

Anna has driven hours to arrive in Mendocino in Northern California. Her eyes shift from the new to the old familiar. She rents a cabin in the woods that boasts little in the way of amenities. Anna has no idea just how long her stay will be and how long it will take for her to rise to the surface. Her heart exists only in the darkness. And in that darkness is where she will cocoon.

But the woods begin to call out to her. Anna starts hiking to the point of exhaution. And each day her mind takes in the familiarity of the trails. She takes a trip into town to restock supplies and comes upon an old friend. Will Flood has become the sheriff after his father's retirement. She and Will knew each other as children.

Will shares with Anna his latest case of an abducted teenage girl. It brings back memories of a friend of their's who went missing years ago. Anna weighs the cost of involvement here, but recovering lost/abducted children is her line of work in Project Searchlight. Without hesitation, Anna wishes to remain anonymous, but she offers to assist Will who gladly accepts.

When the Stars Go Dark will spread out in a panorama of snapshots involving the families, friends, and the teams of police and FBI that it takes to work the case of an abducted individual. And in doing so, it will awaken suppressed memories that belong to Anna herself. McLain will slowly draw back the curtain revealing more and more about Anna and her past. Her dedication to her work will force her to set aside her own trauma. At least for a while......

When the Stars Go Dark is a fine depiction of the stamina and perserverance embedded in the human heart. Through the character of Anna, we'll come to find that the rawness of tragedy forms as a beacon of relatability seen in the eyes of those who share its aftermath. I would hope that Paula McLain may consider bringing back Anna in a future offering. Multi-faceted individuals are the keepers.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Random House (Ballantine Books) and to Paula McLain for the opportunity.

[Libby · Rating 4 out of 5]

“If you think about it, most of us have very little choice about what we’re going to become or who we’re going to love, or what place on earth chooses us, becoming home.

All we can do is go when we’re called, and pray we’ll still be taken in.”

Anna Hart hasn’t been back to Mendocino in seventeen years. Now, looking for a place of refuge, she is returning to the place she used to call home. Her foster parents Hap and Eden are dead, but memories of them are as vivid as if they were still alive. As a forest ranger, Hap took Anna into the woods and taught her survival skills. For the ten-year-old Anna, traumatized by recent and past events, this was a lifesaver. She learned how to savor the beauty of nature and quieten her quicksilver mind. Hap was a good communicator and knew how to connect with Anna. Hap wanted Anna to be able to recognize danger when she saw it, either in the woods or in people. When speaking about people, Hap said, “They’ll either earn your trust or they won’t.” From that statement alone, Anna pegged him as a truth-teller, an important step in building trust.

Anna’s work centered on crimes against children. Called Project Searchlight and located in the Bay Area, she searched for runaways and abducted children as well as those caught up in sex trafficking or victimized by their family members. It was grueling, but Anna felt like it was the most important work she’d ever done. It has taken a toll on her marriage and her personal life. She has left her husband for the moment, in the shadows of a tragic event that is only alluded to, a specter that has razed her soul, and sent her running.

Anna reconnects with an old friend. Will Flood, now the town sheriff, is working on the case of a missing girl. Cameron Curtis went missing from her home, leaving behind few clues. Cameron's mother is a famous actress, which may complicate matters. Since this is right up Anna’s alley, Will enlists her help. Anna also notices a poster of another missing girl in the sheriff’s office, Polly Hannah Klaas, kidnapped at knifepoint, just the day before. Are the two cases connected? All the while, Anna is remembering Jenny Ford, another young girl from Mendocino. Jenny had been just a few years older than Anna when she went missing.

This is the first book I’ve read by Paula McLain, who has previously written historical fiction and a memoir. According to Elisabeth Egan, writing in the New York Times, in writing a thriller, McLain faces her demons. Her mother left McLain when she was only 4 years old and her father was in and out of jail. In the story, Anna’s life mimics McLain’s. Anna just got to be a bit older and was caretaking two younger half-siblings. There are other heartbreaking similarities that I will leave the reader to discover.

The writing is just right descriptive, not too much and not too little. The timeline is chronological but Anna’s memories are a big part of the story. It is easily understood. The setting along the Pacific Coast is beautifully rendered. McLain’s delineation of Hap and Eden is wonderful. I was so glad that Anna found a haven with them. I felt dissatisfied with Anna’s working relationship with Will Flood. Anna knows a great deal more about the woundedness of abused children than Will, but the dialog between them at times feels contrived to give the reader information. It makes Will look inept, although to give him credit, he is forceful when he thinks Anna has overstepped her bounds.

As the author explains in her notes, the kidnapping of Polly Klaas on October 1, 1993, was a true event. McLain writes, “I confess I didn’t sleep well in the weeks and months I researched Polly’s case and others. The profound suffering of the victims and their families crept into my dreams--and onto the page. It began to feel imperative that I tell their stories as bluntly and factually as possible, as a way to honor their lives and dignify their deaths and disappearances.” I believe that Mclain’s writing is tender and sensitive to those who are caught in the maelstrom of such horrific events.

Link to Elisabeth Egan's New York Times article:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/03/bo...

[Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, Random House/Ballantine, for the gifted book.

You know those books you adore from the very first paragraph? When the Stars Go Dark was that for me. First of all, I’m already a fan of this author. Love and Ruin is a story I’ll never forget, and now Stars is, too. Paula McClain’s writing is flawless, but it’s not just that. From the start she shows us the heart and complexity of her characters, by their interactions with those around them, with their innermost thoughts. She brings us into the character’s story in such an intimate way.

Anna Hart is a detective who works to find missing children, and we learn in the very first chapter that something tragic has happened in her family for which she blames herself. She leaves home and for most of the remainder of the book, the reader waits for Anna to let us in and share what happened that day. I was totally ok with waiting because my heart was filled with the journey Anna took us on, and this journey was not pretty. She travels back to Mendocino, a place she lived during a happy (rare) time in her childhood, and while there, she reconnects with old friends, one who is now a sheriff, and there’s a high profile missing teen case. Anna begins to consult and become more involved because it’s expertise after all.

This book is so much more than I could begin to tell you here. When the Stars Go Dark is a literary mystery with a touch of psychological thriller elements due to the profiling Anna does. There’s a lovable dog, friendship, and even a tiny bit of hope sprinkled in even though this is a dark story about every parent’s worst nightmare, child abduction. Paula McClain researched this topic, and it was all so well done, I convinced myself that she had been a detective in another life. Instead, what I found is that the author has an authentic connection to children in foster care because of her own experiences in the system.

When the Stars Go Dark receives my highest recommendation and definitely one of my favorites this year. It’s so much more than a thriller.

My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader

[Theresa Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK IS FABULOUS.

I love when I read a novel told from the perspective of someone who works in law enforcement and I find the narrator so convincing that I wonder if the author had a career as a detective before becoming a novelist. When the Stars Go Dark is much better written than many books in the genre. The characters and their histories are believably complex and wonderful.

Detective Anna Hart is recovering physically and mentally from a horrible tragedy and returns to the small town where she was raised by foster parents, thinking this will get her away from her job and troubled marriage to help her recover. Instead, she finds herself doing the same work she’s actually paid to do, only now she’s volunteering to help her friend from high school, Will, who is now the town sheriff.

Soon after Anna returns to Mendocino, she learns about a 15-year-old girl who is missing. Cameron is the adopted daughter of a retired but still famous actress and her husband. Other girls in the area have gone missing in the area as well, but their ages and stories are a little different. Still, there might be some connection.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book and for introducing me to a new-to-me author. This novel RELEASES APRIL 13, 2021.

[Marialyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is an undeniable hole in one’s heart that is never filled when your child is lost. No matter how it happens from illness, from neglect, from being taken as is this book’s theme, the damage done to families and the kidnapped child never goes away.

Anna Hart and Will Flood, childhood friends, are on the trail of a young adopted girl who was taken from her actress mother and successful father.  Anna herself a survivor of an abusive childhood, understands only too well the pain the girl, Cameron, is and has gone through for Anna recalls her earlier life with her mother and two other children. Anna, however, was recused by a kind and loving couple who taught her many lessons of life and survival, and so she ends up in a profession that while she fears it, becomes her obsession. Anna has been hiding her thoughts away about a tragedy that happened in her small-town years ago, that she never quite recovered from. Returning to this small town, the memories slowly return and as Anna volunteers to help Will, the town sheriff, with a missing girl case, she finds that resilience and stamina buried inside herself so well taught by her foster father.


As the pieces come together, we see into the trauma and the family crisis so many children go through and how many a predator sees the children he targets as lonely, misunderstood, and fearful. The police and Anna delve deeper into this case tie it in the ongoing Polly Klaas case, a famous case that occurred in 1993, and others and determine through hard work and clues that a serial killer is on the loose.

This story takes place before the advent before of DNA and the cooperation of states to a mass data source. There are naturally suspects but as the team gets closer to the truth, the real perpetrator is one that shocks Anna and the team.
I appreciated how the author took us deep into the psyche of children being abandoned and maltreated. She had a most close affinity to the suffering of the children having been herself a victim of abandonment. She does devote quite a bit of the book to speaking of this horrendous happening and how children are affected both mentally and physically, and hopefully in writing of Anna, she has found a way to allay somewhat her hurt about her own tragedy.

Bottom line is we have an extremely serious dilemma in this country with missing and abandoned children. Some are shuttled to foster care and as was in the author’s case go through a plethora of homes until they are let out of the system. Child predators know who to target as they lead these children into lives of depravity and horror. This story certainly focused its eye on that pivotal issue and the issue of how hard it is to find these children.


Thank you to Paula McLain, Ballantine Books, and Netgalley for a copy of this story due out on April 13, 2021
http://www.pollyklaas.org/about/polly...

Jan and I were anxious to read this book because we had liked this author's previous books. This was a departure for Paula McLain as she is not previous to now been a thriller author. However, we found much to like about this story, and once again felt the pain that some children bear at being left and abandoned by their parents. It is a hurt that never leaves them, and for many it is the basis on which they build their lives. The stars do indeed go dark, as well as the world when children are both abandoned and taken by the evilness that pervades this world.

[Ceecee · Rating 4 out of 5]

4+ stars

After a personal tragedy Detective Anna Hart is asked by her husband Brendan to leave home in order to give him the thinking space he needs. She heads to Mendocino, Northern California where she had been happily fostered as a girl by Hap and Eden Strater. She meets up with Sheriff Will Flood an old friend and quickly immerses herself in the case of Cameron Curtis, 15, who is missing. The net spreads wide in this investigation and has similarities with other missing girl cases. The year is 1993 so predates much that forces can use in present day investigations.

This is a well written novel with some beautiful descriptions, you can visualise the people and places, hear the yipping coyote, see the twisted krummholz of the trees and hear the roar of the ocean. The characterisation is very strong especially of Anna. She is fascinatingly complex and flawed as we learn through the interweaving narrative of past and present. The baggage she carries until the successful placement with the Straters is one she will always carry and is a driving force behind her work in missing persons. She does have lone wolf maverick tendencies but her intuition often leads to breaks in cases. Mendocino is vividly captured, it’s full of ghosts, signs, memories and clues which Anna has to listen to in this collision between the past and present. The plot unfolds extremely well, the writing is smooth and fluid, it goes pretty deep in places examining backgrounds that are disturbing and sad. What emerges is an intense, dark and very powerful novel, it’s heartbreaking in places as you view the families of the abducted and witness their trauma. It also looks at the impact on those that uphold the law and how they hold it together during distressing investigations which is a good angle in the storytelling. The setting in Northern California allows for some very atmospheric and suspenseful scenes.

Overall, this is a shocking tale with disturbing elements but the quality of the writing means it’s handled as sensitively as possible. I like the inclusion of the real life case of Polly Klaas which features prominently. I definitely want to read more by Paula McLain.

With thanks to NetGalley and One World Publications, Point Blank for the arc in return for an honest review.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A terrific story, but a dark one involving missing teenage girls.

When the Stars Go Dark is a mix of missing person investigation (Det. Anna), mystery, and true crime. The story is inspired by the kidnapping and murder of Polly Klaas of Petaluma, California in 1993. I have to admit I was enjoying the suspense a lot more when I thought it's all fiction, but once I found out about Klaas it got real. This led to online searches and it saddens me. Nonetheless, this book is beautifully written and is one good storytelling.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marin Ireland perfectly narrates “When the Stars Go Dark” by Paula McLain. This is an atmospheric story that is moody and foreboding with a noir cadence and feeling. It’s labeled as a thriller, which it is, but it’s more than that. It’s a story of a detective who confronts her dark past while attempting to avoid her tragic current family situation.

Anna Hart is a gifted missing person detective. As the story opens, we learn that something bad just happened in her marriage and family, and it involves her child. But we don’t know what it is and what Anna is running from. She’s drawn to her hometown of Mendocino CA when a young girl goes missing. Anna was a foster child who was placed with beloved foster parents. As the story unfolds, we learn of how Anna got into the foster system, and the guilt that followed her.

At the same time as this young girl goes missing in her hometown, the notorious and true Polly Klaas goes missing in a nearby town. McLain knits the true crime story of Polly Klaas’s abduction with this fictional missing child case. McLain writes so honestly that you feel, as a reader, that you are experiencing the horrendous anguish of the parents and law enforcement agents. Child abduction is a painful subject and McLain treats it with sympathy and empathy, without resorting to gratuitous violence and maudlin scenes. She writes it straight, which provides the story with authenticity.

In McLain’s Author’s Note, she provides information about her own life that made this novel very emotional and touching for her (and for the readers). Also, she gave a personal interview to the New York Times in which she tells of her own childhood in the foster care system. The resultant “purging” of emotional baggage on pen and paper is this amazing story. I highly recommend the novel and the audio.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve not been a big fan of McLain’s historical fiction, but figured I’d give her new mystery a chance. This one worked much better for me. I think it helped that Anna is totally fictional and McLain wasn’t trying to channel real people.
Anna is a detective that specializes in finding missing children. Something has happened in her personal life which has led to her separation from her husband. When she returns to her “home town” of Mendocino, she becomes involved in the case of a missing 15 year old. Anna was a well developed character. She had a traumatic childhood, losing her mother at an early age and growing up in foster care. She was, at least, blessed with great foster parents who gave her love and taught her a lot about nature and survival. In fact, the chapters that harken back to her time with her foster parents were some of the best. She is drawn to the missing girl, as she also had trauma in her early years.
The book has short chapters, which keeps the book moving at a brisk speed. The story takes place in 1993, and it was a bit of a shock to remember what it was like to manage without cellphones, Internet, DNA testing. I liked how McLain interweaves the actual abduction case of Polly Klass into the story. She also uses conversations between Anna and Will, the sheriff, to help the reader learn a lot about abductions, sexual abuse and trauma. This is a deeper than usual mystery.
I had no idea who was behind the abductions. McLain plotted out a believable ending with good old intuition leading to the bad guy.
Make sure to listen/read the Author’s Note, which truly surprised me.
Marin Ireland was the narrator and does her normal, great job.

[Allison Faught · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a tricky one to rate.
There’s some elements, given their sensitivity, that are tough to put a star on because of how horrid it is. In so many words-how can I call this a ‘great’ book when there were so many awful situations (some being real life happenings)? I will, however, call it an important read.
“Every 73 seconds someone in America becomes the victim of a sexual assault. Every 9 minutes one of those victims is a child.”
Have you ever heard something so alarming and devastating?
McLain did a wonderful job showing her readers the subtle signals children give when they have been/are being abused. I think it’s important to notice and acknowledge those signals.
This book was probably one of the most heartbreaking stories I’ve read. I have two little girls (2 and 4 months) and I can’t even fathom the pain and grief I would have to endure if I were one of these mothers in this book.
The Author’s Note at the end was so honest that I give McLain a lot of credit for being so open about her past trauma(s).
This is an emotional read to say the least.

I decided to give this 4 stars, because although I thought it was such a powerful story that leaves you feeling heartbroken, it also leaves you feeling inspired and thankful.
I went into this book expecting a thriller when really the most ‘thrilling’ parts were about the last 10% of the book. I felt at times the story could drag on and my mind started wandering. There were also so many characters that I had a hard time keeping track of who was who.
All in all, I would recommend this book if you can handle such heavy topics.

[Marilyn (not getting notifications) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook of When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain. Marin Ireland brilliantly narrated the audiobook. Her performance was masterfully pleasing. It was with a bit of curiosity that I decided to listen to When the Stars Go Dark. I was familiar with Paula McLain, the writer of historical fiction, but not familiar with the writer Paula McLain of crime fiction. Paula McLain proved to be quite impressive with her first attempt at this genre. Her plot development and elements of surprise and suspense were executed brilliantly. If I had not known better, I would have thought she had been successfully writing this genre for a long time, rather than this being her first attempt. Her indisputable success in writing this believable and suspenseful psychological thriller, might have hinged upon her drawing from her own personal history of abandonment and her own experience in the Foster care system. Regardless, Paula McLain nailed it! This beautifully written crime thriller combined a twisty plot and an intelligent yet vulnerable female protagonist who was flawed yet compelling at the same time. Elements of sadness, friendships, relationships, secrets, trauma, obsessions, family, abandonment, and sexual abuse were all present within the novel and helped to make this book one of the best crime fiction books I have read in a long time.

Anna Hart, female detective, responsible for finding missing persons, was also a wife and mother. Her work was all consuming and demanding. When tragedy hit her own personal life, Anna was forced to leave her family, at least temporarily. She returned to the town where she had spent her childhood. Anna knew that Mendocino was the only place that would allow her to try and escape from the hurt and guilt she was feeling. She hoped that in Mendocino, she could deal with her grief and find a way to move on. Anna had mixed feelings about returning to Mendocino. She had happy memories of her childhood that she could conjure up but also very sad and troublesome memories as well. Upon her arrival, Anna saw a poster with a picture of a missing teenage girl. The look on the girl’s face was haunting. Anna realized almost immediately that she had to help find this girl. There was something about this girl that reminded Anna of herself. Anna used all her expertise to help find this girl. As Anna became totally consumed in this case, the people and places she came into contact with while searching and gathering clues in this case, brought Anna closer to finding the missing teenager and helping herself.

The plot for When the Stars Go Dark was full of twists and turns. I was completely invested in the story from the very beginning. The ending was a complete surprise. I liked how the chapters alternated between past and present. I truly hope Paula McLain either writes a sequel to this book or another crime fiction book in the near future. I highly recommend this book.