A small town that's suspicious of outsiders. Two disappearances, a generation apart. Family secrets. These are all the elements that combine with compelling characters to make a great literary suspense novel. We have the Dane family, who have lived in the Ozark Mountain town of Henbane for generations. However, 16 year-old Lucy Dane is still treated like an outsider and people still talk about her mother, who up and disappeared years ago. When one of Lucy's few friends is found murdered, Lucy feels that she has to get to the bottom of both disappearances. However, when she starts making discoveries about her friend, and then about her mother, she starts to learn disturbing truths about the people around her.
I enjoyed this book, although I felt like could predict some of what was going to happen. However, curiosity and investment in the characters kept me reading. The author has a descriptive writing style that clearly paints the setting and makes you feel like you're there with the characters. There is a feeling of dread that permeates the entire book, so even though you want Lucy to discover the truth, you're afraid of what she's going to learn. I also worried for her; while some of the people in the town seem like they like her, I wondered if they would harm her to protect their secrets.
This is the author's debut novel, and I'll be curious to see what she writes next.
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