Women writing grit lit, I just love it. This book is a slow burn, building and giving you palpitations to keep reading. Poverty and overwhelming drug use are all over the location setting. Good people are dotted here and there, but too many people quick to seek their own revenge. Great story.

Story was always at arm's length.

I couldn't connect with this book. It was either overly descriptive or lacking descriptions, a lot of physical layouts but little character insight. The characters behaved oddly and didn't immediately jump to obvious conclusions. Maybe that's why it was so hard for me to fall into the story.

This was a good read. Two stories are connected by two different characters a few months apart. Who is responsible for the death of Sadie Keller's brother Shane? The police don't seem to care. But his shady wife can't wait to sell off all his things and freeze out his family. Henley Pettit wants our of this backwater town. She is in a relationship that cannot work out. She is going nowhere. And she knows things she shouldn't related to Shane's death. I liked how the two characters' stories intertwined, and I liked how the story ended. Read it and see!

Thank you for the early copy from NetGalley.

This book was so great. Truly unputdownable and it kept me up all night reading.

Any and everyone who has ever lived in or near a small rural town will recognize this cast of characters. A perfect story of how a hard life can teach you the skills to survive yet still leave you unable to escape without leaving everyone you love behind. Laura McHugh built a very realistic small town in Kansas and populated it with broken souls. The story is engrossing and you'll hold your breath as the end comes racing in, twisting just enough to have you looking back for that clue you had to have missed.

The rural town of Blackwater, Kansas is in crisis: with few job prospects, the kids will do anything to get out and those who don't usually meet an untimely end at the bottom of a pill bottle.

Sadie Keller refuses to believe her brother Shane, only in his thirties, died of natural causes. Crystle, Shane's wife of one year, doesn't seem too devastated over her husband's death and isn't interested in looking further into his death.

The town is consumed by the discovery of the remains of a missing child and her father, previously thought to have been a child abduction. Sadie is on her own to uncover the truth about Shane's final days.

At the same time, eighteen-year-old Henley Pettit is desperate to leave Blackwater. Her mom has relapsed again, she suspects her uncles are involved in several crimes, and now she needs to escape the suffocating affection of Jason Sullivan, son of the town's wealthiest resident.

Alternating between the stories of Sadie and Henley, The Wolf Wants In is a slow burn mystery that reveals family secrets and connections in its own time. While some pieces of the mystery are predictable, the fates of Sadie and Henley eventually become woven together for an overall unexpected conclusion!

The is a complex story of relationships and grief. written from a voice that is raw with honesty and clarity. Life must be lived and death never leaves, Each character comes alive, flawed, lonely, grieving something trying to adjust and correct, this is a great story. I plan to recommend it to my book club.
Thank you for the opportunity to read for fair review.

While I enjoyed the story being told from two points of view but found it difficult to keep up with the shifts in the timeline. There's a lot of jumping back & forth so if you don't pay close attention, you may find yourself having to reread sections in order to figure out when & where you are in the story.

It’s time for another round-up of Pickett’s Picks! For the Fall 2019 Edition, I’ve compiled an intriguing (if I do say so myself) baker’s dozen of debut novels, brand new books from favorite authors, must-read crossover releases, and at least one eye candy cover (can you guess which one?). These are the books that I’m most looking forward to reading and sharing with students at Ridley High School during the upcoming semester.

The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh
This series-starter from bestselling author Renée Ahdieh is described as a combination sumptuous, sultry romance and decadent, thrilling mystery, set in 19th century New Orleans where vampires hide in plain sight.

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
This is the highly anticipated adult debut by the author of my personal favorites Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom! It promises to be a mesmerizing tale of power, privilege, and dark magic set among the Ivy League elite. Oh, and secret societies, too!

Gravemaidens by Kelly Coon
An honor, a tradition … a death sentence? Sixteen-year-old Kammani, a healer’s apprentice, must try to cure the ruler of a walled city-state in order to save her beautiful little sister, who has been chosen as one of three sacred maidens to join him in the afterlife. Gravemaidens is the opening installment in a debut fantasy duology … and I just really love that cover!

10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston
Did you know that the rom-com is back? Well, it’s back! And Ashley Elston is right on trend with 10 Blind Dates. After an unexpected breakup, 17-year-old Sophie lets members of her eccentric extended family set her up on ten blind dates during Christmas vacation. I fell head over heels for Ashley Elston’s remarkable The Lying Woods, and I’m ready for a date with her newest novel!

The Tenth Girl by Sara Faring
In 1978, to avoid becoming a desaparecido like her mother, eighteen-year-old Mavi takes a teaching job at the Vaccaro School, an isolated finishing school at the southern tip of South America that is rumored to be haunted. Simmering in Patagonian myth, The Tenth Girl is a gothic psychological thriller with a haunting twist. Gothic. Psychological. Thriller!

Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles
Del has had a crush on Kiera Westing since kindergarten. And now, during their junior year, she’s finally available. So when Kiera volunteers for an opportunity at their church, Del’s right behind her. But as he plots and plans, he neglects to ask the most important question: What does Kiera want? Once he gets the girl, it’ll all sort itself out. Right? The incredibly versatile Lamar Giles spotlights the consequences of social pressure, confronts toxic masculinity, and explores the complexity of what it means to be a “real man.” Turns out, it’s not so pure and simple…

Two Dead by Van Jensen and Nate Powell
A stunning crime noir graphic novel exploring the intertwining threads of crime, conspiracy, racism, and insanity in the post-World War II Deep South. I love reading graphic novels, but it’s been a neglected category amongst Pickett’s Picks … until now!

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett
No one speaks of the grace year. It’s forbidden. In Garner County, girls are banished for their sixteenth year, to release their magic into the wild so they can return purified and ready for marriage. But not all of them will make it home alive. This speculative thriller in the vein of The Handmaid’s Tale is squarely in my wheelhouse!

The Wolf Wants In by Laura McHugh
In a small town ravaged by the opioid crisis, a woman confronts a dark secret about her brother’s shocking death. Like Laura McHugh’s previous thriller, The Weight of Blood [insert heart emoji], her latest atmospheric novel barrels toward a twisting, chilling conclusion as small-town secrets unravel. Sadly, this novel was inspired by the unresolved sudden death of the author’s own brother.

The Miracle & Tragedy of the Dionne Quintuplets by Sarah Miller
In this masterful work of narrative nonfiction, Sarah Miller examines the lives of five identical sisters (weighing a total of just 13 pounds when they were born in 1934) who were forced to endure the most publicized childhood in history — and how they survived their turbulent teenage years to forge identities of their own. Nonfiction, like graphic novels, has been a neglected category amongst Pickett’s Picks, so this is a welcome addition.

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
The author of the much-beloved The Night Circus returns! Grad student Zachary Rawlins discovers a mysterious book containing loyal acolytes, captive lovers, key seekers, and (surprisingly) the story of his own childhood. Following enigmatic clues, he is led to a doorway opening on a time-worn underground library and a strange new world where he will find his true purpose.

Crying Laughing by Lance Rubin
The author of Denton Little’s Deathdate gives us a tragicomic story of Winnie Friedman, a girl who’s caught up in a spiral bad dates, bad news, and bad stand-up comedy routines. But finding the humor in high school is exactly what Winnie needs to see her through. I laughed out loud with Denton Little, and I’m looking forward to a more lighthearted read to balance out my picks.

The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys
Master storyteller Ruta Sepetys shines light into one of history’s darkest corners in this epic, heart-wrenching novel about identity, unforgettable love, repercussions of war, and the hidden violence of silence, all inspired by the true post-WWII struggles of Spain.

This was a page turner for me. It was a little depressing but very realistic. I enjoyed both women’s stories but was more partial to Henley as she desperately needs to escape her mother and her hometown. The characters were very relatable and I am sure most readers will agree.
Many thanks to Random House Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

The idea behind this book was interesting, however, I found the combination of it being told from different characters perspectives and different times confusing.

First line: A bitter wind sheared through the darkness, biting into my exposed flesh and lashing my hair across my face.

Summary: Sadie Keller is determined to find out what happened to her brother on the night he died. She does not believe the story told to her by his wife, Crystle. But the police do not believe that there is enough evidence to allow them to look deeper into the events.

Henley is hoping to escape from her small Kansas town. Her family are involved in some dangerous activities and she wants to leave before she is sucked into them.

My Thoughts: I loved the author’s previous book Arrowood. It was thrilling. This was sold to be a thriller but it really fell flat. I was hoping for more but it took almost 60% of the book to get to the more interesting pieces. The beginning was about the town, its people and the life in small town Kansas.

I liked the characters but they needed something more. We got glimpses into Sadie’s past with her brother. I would have liked more of that. Henley seemed like a filler character. She did reveal some information that lead to big reveal but her story was blah.

FYI: Read Arrowood!

i absolutely love books about small towns, since i’m from an extremely small town as well and can relate.
family secrets told from 2 different sides of the family involved in this story and it couldn’t have been better, despite the lack of more details and wanting so bad to know a little more about each character... this book had potential to be 5 stars but i have to say 3.5 star rating on this one. this is my first book read by this author and i can’t wait to to read some more!

4.5 stars. Blackwater, a small, dead-end town in Kansas, somewhere near Kansas City — a town hit hard by the opioid crisis and filled with broken marriages and dark secrets — forms the backdrop of this powerful novel. The story alternates both in time and narration between two characters: Sadie, who is investigating what she believes to be the mysterious death of her brother, and Henley, an 18-year-old who desperately wants to get away from her crime-ridden family.

McHugh does an excellent job of developing the characters of both Sadie and Henley, and it is this development that forms the backbone of the novel. Their stories compliment each other, with each character playing off the other, to form a compelling and richly-woven tale.

True, this is a mystery, with some detective work involved and with plenty of twists and turns, but it is McHugh’s ability to let the reader delve into the persona of her characters that makes this novel a thought-provoking read. I felt as though I really knew the inner workings of these characters, as well as the town in which they grew up and from which they desperately want to escape. Having grown up in Kansas City myself, I was completely absorbed by the characters and their surroundings. All in all, I loved the overall atmosphere that McHugh created, albeit a somewhat depressing one, and I highly recommend this novel. I definitely look forward to reading other of her works.

This is the heartbreaking story of America and it's drug problem. While many people will review this book and talk about the family relationships, Sadie's search for the truth stood out to me more than anything. It's about grief and the search for answers. Why did her brother hide his problem?

There is a larger mystery - with bones and bodies being found - and this is the story of families in a small town. Laura McHugh is able to create that tension that radiates in all small towns. The want to leave. The want to be better. The pull to stay and just give in.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A few years ago, my family and I were visiting Kansas City and I wanted to go by Rainy Day Books, a wonderful independent bookstore. They were having an author talk and book signing that night for Laura McHugh and her first novel The Weight of Blood. I hadn't read the book and didn't know anything about it, but decided it would be fun to go. I'm so thankful that we attended that night because Laura McHugh has quickly gained a spot on my favorite authors shelf.

The Wolf Wants In is a suspenseful read that will keep you turning pages as you try to determine what factors are at play in the rural town of Blackwater, Kansas. Sadie Keller just isn't satisfied that her brother died of natural causes. His untimely death just doesn't ring true to Sadie. While police try to tell Sadie everyone grieves differently, there seems to be something off about the way her sister-in-law is acting. As Sadie digs deeper, the questions just keep stacking up and the answers aren't coming. 18 year old Henley Pettit just wants to escape the small town. Henley thought her mother Misty had finally conquered her drug addiction, but Misty hasn't been home in days and Henley is beginning to worry. Then a child's skull is found in the woods and the story keeps twisting and turning as the plot thickens.

I could not read this book fast enough. Laura McHugh does a great job of truly drawing you into the story and her pacing is phenomenal. I truly enjoyed this book and it was a five star read for me.

I received this book courtesy of Spiegel and Grau through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Wolf Wants In
A Novel

by Laura McHugh

Random House Publishing Group – Random House

Spiegel & Grau

Literary Fiction , Mystery & Thrillers

Pub Date 06 Aug 2019

I am reviewing a copy of The Wolf Wants In through Random House Publishing Group and Netgalley:

Sadie Keller is determined to find out how her brother died, despite the fact that no one else thinks it’s worth investigating. Untimely deaths happen far to often 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 the skull if a child in the woods. Sadie is on her own, delving into the dark corners of a life her brother kept hidden and getting more questions than answers.

Henley Petit is only eighteen but she knows more than she should about the seedy
Side of Blackwater and she becomes determined to leave before she becomes entangled in her families crimes. She wants to disappear and leave 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 secrets they carry. They both know full well that some secrets can

I give The Wolf Wants In five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

In Blackwater Kansas the drug epidemic has hit hard, devastating the small, midwestern town.
Sadie and Becca Keller have just lost their brother Shane, his unexpected death to a probable heart attack linked to drug use.
His wife Crystle, whose relatives, the Pettit family, are known to deal in illegal drugs, is not acting like a grieving widow. The sisters don't believe Shane was involved in any substance abuse and are resolved to find out how he really died.
Meanwhile, eighteen year old Henley Pettit dreams of fleeing town, leaving her notorious kin behind, and starting a new life for herself.
When the skull of a young girl is found in the woods, and then more bones, a double murder is suspected, and the two families may be connected to it.
This atmospheric mystery/thriller is emotional and expressive. A thoughtful, pensive and passionate story with characters that will stay in your heart.
McHugh is an author you must add to your reading list.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group for the e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

“It couldn’t have been an accident. He must have known something was coming, that he might not survive, and he wanted us to discover the truth, whatever it was.”

The Wolf Wants In by Laura McHugh is about a small town in Kansas who are affected by the opioid crisis and the people who are trying to make sense of the deaths that have occurred. The main characters are Sadie Keller and Henley Pettit and the time is present and past.

Sadie’s brother, Shane is dead due to either a heart attack or an addiction to opioids. Sadie cannot believe this and decides that she will find out the truth. Also, around this time her old friend’s daughter Macey and her ex-husband are missing. When Sadie begins her discovery of the truth of Shane’s death, a lot of secrets are unraveled and it’s quite a ride. At first, I was confused about why Henley’s narration was included but it all makes sense and I strongly believe that it made the story even better.

I was interested in reading this book because I have enjoyed McHugh’s last book and was excited about what her next book would be. McHugh’s writing is beautiful and these characters felt acutely real. As someone who is not a big fan of thrillers, this was a wonderful book and I recommend everyone to read this book.

*I received an advance review copy of The Wolf Wants In from the publisher through NetGalley; all opinions are my own.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for granting my wish.

A sister who wants answers. A teenager that wants to break the addiction cycle in her family.

Upon finishing this book, I read an online review which states that the book is very personal to the author. I wish that I could have connected more with this story because the topic was very relevant. I didn't really see the thriller label as being very strong here.


Goodreads review published 03/08/19
Publication date 06/08/19