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For fans of Gillian Flynn, Scott Smith, and Daniel Woodrell comes a gripping, suspenseful novel about two mysterious disappearances a generation apart.INTERNATIONAL THRILLER WRITERS AWARD WINNER AND BARRY AWARD NOMINEE FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL�� NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY�BOOKPAGE � The town of Henbane sits deep in the Ozark Mountains. Folks there still whisper about Lucy Dane�s mother, a bewitching stranger who appeared long enough to marry Carl Dane and then vanished when Lucy was just a child. Now on the brink of adulthood, Lucy experiences another loss when her friend Cheri disappears and is then found murdered, her body placed on display for all to see. Lucy�s family has deep roots in the Ozarks, part of a community that is fiercely protective of its own. Yet despite her close ties to the land, and despite her family�s influence, Lucy�darkly beautiful as her mother was�is always thought of by those around her as her mother�s daughter. When Cheri disappears, Lucy is haunted by the two lost girls�the mother she never knew and the friend she couldn�t save�and sets out with the help of a local boy, Daniel, to uncover the mystery behind Cheri�s death. � What Lucy discovers is a secret that pervades the secluded Missouri hills, and beyond that horrific revelation is a more personal one concerning what happened to her mother more than a decade earlier. � The Weight of Blood is an urgent look at the dark side of a bucolic landscape beyond the arm of the law, where a person can easily disappear without a trace. Laura McHugh proves herself a masterly storyteller who has created a harsh and tangled terrain as alive and unforgettable as the characters who inhabit it. Her mesmerizing debut is a compelling exploration of the meaning of family: the sacrifices we make, the secrets we keep, and the lengths to which we will go to protect the ones we love. �Look for special features inside. Join the Random House Reader�s Circle for author chats and more. ��[An] expertly crafted thriller.��Entertainment Weekly, �The Must List� � �Haunting . . . [a] riveting debut.��Los Angeles Times � �Laura McHugh�s atmospheric debut . . . conjures a menacingly beautiful Ozark setting and a nest of poisonous family secrets reminiscent of Daniel Woodrell�s Winter�s Bone.��Vogue � �Fantastic . . . a mile-a-minute thriller.��The Dallas Morning News � �Gripping . . . Her prose will not only keep readers turning the pages but also paints a real and believable portrait of the connections, alliances, and sacrifices that underpin rural, small-town life. . . . Strongly recommended for readers who enjoy thrillers by authors such as Laura Lippman and Tana French.��Library Journal (starred review) � �The sinister tone builds relentlessly.��The Plain Dealer � �Rich in character and atmosphere . . . This is one you won�t want to miss.��Karin Slaughter � �Daniel Woodrell better watch his back. . . . Weight of Blood is a tense, taut novel and a truly remarkable debut. . . . A suspenseful thrill ride that satisfies in all the right ways.��BookPageFrom the Trade Paperback edition.