The Book
‘A tour de force of literary suspense. It pulled me under and left me gasping.' Christina Baker Kline, author of The Exiles
‘Visceral and hauntingly suspenseful.' Aimee Molloy, author of The Perfect Mother
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Wife
A detective hiding away from the world. A disappearance that reaches into her past.
Anna Hart is a seasoned missing persons detective living in San Francisco. When unspeakable tragedy strikes, she turns to the Californian village of Mendocino to grieve. Seeking comfort in the chocolate-box village she grew up in, Anna instead arrives to news that a local girl has gone missing.
The crime feels frighteningly reminiscent of a crucial time in Anna's childhood, when an unsolved murder changed the community forever. As past and present collide, Anna is forced to confront the darkest side of human nature.
Additional Information
| Subject | Fiction |
|---|---|
| Pages | 384 |
| Imprint | Point Blank |
Reviews
'A powerhouse of a novel that is guaranteed to keep the reader up all night. When the Stars Go Dark is a beautifully written, sharply observed literary thriller with an extraordinary, unforgettable heroine and a twisty plot with a surprise ending. An unconventional, unflinching look at the long shadow cast by trauma and the resilience it takes to survive. This is a novel of both great sadness and great beauty; a gripping story drenched in the exquisite allure of the natural world.'
'With this breathtaking novel, Paula McLain proves she can do anything. Exquisitely written, immersive, and atmospheric, When the Stars Go Dark is a tour de force of literary suspense. It pulled me under and left me gasping.'
'When the Stars Go Dark is a fantastically propulsive and deeply atmospheric novel that grabs you from the very first page. It's visceral and hauntingly suspenseful. Paula McLain has proven to be a masterful storyteller no matter the genre.'
'Paula McLain, already established as the master of the historical novel, now explodes into crime fiction with a richly satisfying, tremendously moving mystery - haunting, poignant, lyrical, urgent, unique, unforgettable.'
'I loved Paula McLain's When the Stars Go Dark, which is the beautifully written and positively profound story of Detective Anna Hart... The twisty plot keeps the pages flying, and McLain's lyrical and poetic prose reveals insight after insight about the human heart, making this riveting read not only an engrossing psychological thriller, but crime fiction of the highest order.'
'Lyrical and beautiful, When the Stars go Dark is a riveting deep dive into trauma, survival and obsession. With her deeply flawed and utterly compelling heroine, elegant prose and layered, twisting story, Paula McLain has penned an extraordinary novel of literary suspense, as gripping as it is unique and unforgettable.'
'Stunning... McLain matches poetic prose with deep characterisations as she shines a light on the kindness in her characters' souls. Fans of literary suspense won't be able to put this one down.'
