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 re-read this book in anticipation of a book group discussion, and it was interesting to discover how much I remembered about it, and some of the details that surprised me. I was especially struck by how the author carefully creates an underlying tone to much of the story, so you get a real sense of unease in parts. 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.
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