The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh

By Sunshine
Reviewed for Minding Spot

Folks still whisper about Lucy Dane's mother, a bewitching young stranger who vanished years ago from the town of Henbane, deep in the Ozark Mountains. When one of Lucy's friends, slow-witted Cheri, is found murdered, Lucy feels haunted by the two lost girls-the mother she never knew and the friend she couldn't protect.  Lucy's search for answers, in this landscape where secrets are easily concealed, leads her to a discovery even more chilling than she imagined.  And with that revelation, she must grapple with 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.  (taken from the back of the book)

I was caught up in this story's drama and mystery in the very first chapter.  The characters were brought to life with vivid descriptions and I found myself pulled into their story and somewhat connected to these interesting, mysterious people.  I thoroughly enjoyed the way the story transitioned often between characters and two generations.  This definitely kept me interested and I couldn't read it fast enough.  I needed to know what happened next!  There was not a single paragraph of this story that I found boring or unnecessary to the plot.  I truly think this story would be a great beginning to a series about the Dane family.