Synopses & Reviews
In a small town suffering from the opioid crisis woman confronts a dark secret about her brother's shocking death — a gripping novel of suspense for fans of Sharp Objects and S-Town.
Sadie Keller is determined to find out how her brother died, even if no one else thinks it's worth investigating. Untimely deaths are all too common in rural Blackwater, Kansas, where crime and overdoses are on the rise, and the small-town police force is consumed with the recent discovery of a child's skull in the woods. Sadie is on her own, delving into the dark corners of a life her brother kept hidden and unearthing more questions than answers.
Eighteen-year-old Henley Pettit knows more than she'd like to about the seedy side of Blackwater, and she's desperate to escape before she's irreparably entangled in her family's crimes. She dreams of disappearing and leaving her old life behind, but shedding the past is never easy, and getting out of town will be far more dangerous than she ever imagined.
As more bones are found in the woods, time is running out for Sadie to uncover the truth and for Henley to make her escape. Both women are torn between family loyalties and the weight of the secrets they carry, knowing full well that while some secrets are hard to live with, others will get you killed.
Like Laura McHugh's previous award-winning thrillers, The Weight of Blood and Arrowood, The Wolf Wants In is an atmospheric, beautifully told novel that barrels toward a twisting, chilling end and keeps us turning the page to find out how these small-town secrets will unravel — and who will survive.
Review
"The Wolf Wants In tells the story of a place, and a class of people, often overlooked in fiction. Set in rural Kansas, the novel tackles opioid addiction, murder, poverty, and family loyalty, and McHugh deftly balances the darkness of her subject matter with the hopeful beauty of her writing. Three books in and McHugh keeps getting better and better." Amy Engel, author of The Roanoke Girls
Review
"If you're looking for a writer who understands Midwestern life from the grand scales of economic and social contracts down to its tiniest customs and stoic beauty, look no further. Laura McHugh is the queen of the haunted heartland. Every scene simmers with hope and dread, making it impossible to rest until I knew these characters' fates. An absolute must-read." Mindy Mejia, author of Leave No Trace
Review
"In a small, dead-end Kansas community devastated by the opioid epidemic, two young women grapple with dark family secrets. . . . Readers will become invested in the struggles of the well-drawn lead protagonists; the stoic and resourceful Henley will especially remind Daniel Woodrell fans of Ree Dolly, the heroine of Winter's Bone. Inspired by the still-unresolved sudden death of McHugh's brother, this third novel is atmospheric grit lit with emotional depth." Kirkus Reviews
About the Author
Laura McHugh is the internationally bestselling author of The Weight of Blood, winner of an International Thriller Writers Award and a Silver Falchion Award for best first novel, and Arrowood, an International Thriller Writers Award finalist for best novel. McHugh lives in Missouri with her husband and daughters.
Laura McHugh on PowellsBooks.Blog
When I made my way through the local book club circuit after the publication of my first novel,
The Weight of Blood, one topic came up again and again. People would remark that I seemed so normal, so nice...
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