I am so happy that I was granted a copy of this. The Weight of Blood was one of my favorites of the last few years so I was excited to get this one. It took me a while to get into the rhythum of the story as it is told through two different characters and the time line is staggered. But once it got going I devoured it. While not quite up to McHugh’s debut , it is still really enjoyable.

Another wonderful book to add to McHugh's canon. The Wolf Wants In delves into the opioid epidemic ravaging the United States, even small towns like Blackwater in the Midwest. While not a "beach read," this book will hook readers from all genres with its mysterious characters, clever plot turns, and realistic setting.

Being a Midwesterner myself, the setting is very well done. McHugh adds in details that most of us in the area know (and silently judge), which adds credibility to her plot.

The ending achieves what her previous books do, too. Readers will understand the nuances and mysteries of the beginning and middle by the time the book ends, a satisfying end to an otherwise flummoxing puzzle, The Wolf Wants In is unsolvable until the end... and in the best way possible.

A highly recommended read for any mystery and suspense reader, especially those who want a very realistic depiction of an actual, everyday issue.

I ARC received via NetGalley and in exchange for an honest review.

This had some great twists and turns. It deal with how two women try to find justice and redemption.

Sadie is trying to find out how her brother Shane died when she goes talk to Detective Kendrick about her brother she doesn't have time to go over it but decide to tell her that her brother died of natural causes because of the prescriptions found at the scenes that deal with heart disease even though their father died of heart attack she didn't know her brother was having heart problems but she doesn't believe it as she digs deeper in her brother life find more questions than answers.

Henley is a eighteen years old and desperate to escape from her family who are entangled in crimes.

When a child skull is found and opioid crisis to deal with the police doesn't have time to help Sadie so it up to her to find answers while Henley and Sadie torn between secrets and the truth.

Another great book by Laura McHugh. I enjoyed the pace of the mystery and her descriptions are spot on. Thank you to NetGally for the ARC.

Thank -you, dear publisher for granting my wish to read this book. I really enjoyed all the viewpoints of the different characters, and how they all intertwined in a small town. There was a lot of suspense, twists and turns, and a few shocking moments. Just when you thought you knew what was coming next, you were wrong and your jaw dropped. Definitely. a page turning thriller with some gut wrenching moments, especially for Henley. Her life is very visceral and dangerous. I also felt for Sadie and all she went through with her brother and her friend Heather and the murder of her daughter.

3.5 stars

This is not the type of book you read when you are looking for something light and easy. It's a pretty depressing read which isn't surprising because it deals with tough issues like grief, addiction, and divorce to name a few. It's almost like the town constantly has a cloud over it and the only way to get some sun is to hitch a ride out of there. So much sadness and pain. Life isn't all sunshine and roses though and this book does a good job in reflecting that reality.

The story takes place in the rural community of Blackwater, Kansas and alternates between the characters of Sadie and Henley. Sadie is grieving the death of her brother and also looking for answers. Henley is eighteen years old and knows the only way she can have a decent future is if she gets away from her family and her godforsaken hometown. But with so many secrets hidden in this town, these two women might never get what they want.

While I liked both of the female main characters, I was drawn more towards Henley and her story. Henley's relationship with her mother was pretty heartbreaking and you could really identify with her longing to seek out a better life. In my opinion she was the heart of the story.

I can't quite put my finger on it but there seemed to be something missing in this story and that's the reason it didn't reach great status and sits just at good level. I guess I was left with a feeling of wanting more, even if I'm not really sure what that is in this case. The only small criticism I can really articulate is I thought the character of Jason was not fully developed.

Overall, a solid read and I do think there is potential for many readers to be able to connect with certain characters or storylines. As grim as the story can be, it is more true to life than many other novels out there.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. This is literally the definition of a slow burn. While it is very well written and the narrative and the characters are very well-crafted, there is not much in the way of thrills or suspense. You come to care a lot about the characters in the world they inhabit but you don’t really care about who done it or why. So you have to be more in a literary fiction mood for it, which I hadn’t been, but I still acknowledge it’s a very good book

McHugh fuels her tale with the sort of stark bleakness that charged Springsteen’s Nebraska album. Blackwater is a country town somewhere outside of Kansas City and the teens don’t know what they want but they want out. It’s a desolate country filled with opioid addicts, debt lenders, broken marriages, and broken people.

Told through narrative voices of a woman Sadie and a teenage girl whose paths meander near each other. Sadie’s brother died from a seeming heart attack but she’s suspicious of his wife and her kin who are of the backwoods sort. The brother’s possessions are being divvied up and sold off and there never was any autopsy. Henley is from a broken home, no father, and her mom on a good week has stayed off the drugs. On a bad week, Missy is off making like a bad version of Matt Dillon in Drugstore Cowboy. Henley has dreams but knows she’s never escaping and not even a romantic fling with the town’s rich kid will get her out of dead end poverty.

This is a powerful novel about these two characters and the small desperate world they struggle through. If you ever want to see rich complex characters developed, you’ll find it here. The only negative is that it’s a bit depressing and there’s only a tiny glimmer of hope, but maybe that tiny glimmer is all you need to spark something better.

Many thanks to the publisher for providing a copy for review.

Another excellent read from the author. Every book she writes is superb in its uniqueness. Enough mystery and twists and turns to keep the reader interested. This is a book which I would recommend to all.

Sadie Keller hasn’t moved far away from her hometown of Blackwater, Kansas, just a few miles down the road. She’s still coming to grips with the untimely death of her brother, from what his wife and police say was likely a heart attack. But with no autopsy performed and the suspicious behavior of her sister-in-law, Sadie doesn’t believe her brother-in-law died from natural causes. With little to no help from the local police, Sadie begins her own investigation into her brother’s death. Meanwhile Henley Petit dreams of leaving her seedy hometown forever, but what price will she pay to make that dream come true? With the discovery of human remains in the woods, the price for the truth will cost she and her family more than she can imagine. Told in alternating chapters between Henley and Sadie, this book will hook you from the first page. McHugh is an amazing writer with an ability to make readers see and feel her protagonists fear and grief

I really enjoyed this book and will continue to read books by Laura McHugh! I hope she writes faster!