Book Review: "What's Done In Darkness" By Laura McHugh

 

Bloody Brilliant! Laura McHugh has written a splendid piece in What's Done in Darkness that will be coming out this June. In this situation we have a young woman (Sarabeth) fleeing for her life after being kidnapped by a masked man in a cornfield after having it out with her strict parents who have suddenly become holy rollers. They believe she's becoming more rebellious and she's not all that keen on being forced to dress up like Little House on the Prairie gals. It's a no-win situation on this farmstead. As if this wasn't enough the fact that a similar case happened five years later also pops up on the radar. Imagine this scenario- a week after her abduction- she was found alongside the highway? Talk about freaky but wait there's more. She's found with a blood stained dress. WTH? To make matters worse her parents find little hope of uncovering her captor! She's treated like dirt-tainted material- after being kept in darkness by a captor who never said a word. Everything suddenly changes course when Nick Farrow contacts her five years later to discuss her case and that of this other missing girl. What happens next is a whirlwind of dramatic events and horrific allegations of child abuse, a puppy mill of accusations, and worse-pregnant young girls being forced to give up their own children. Oh, wait there's so much more as several of the parents who appear in this story like Destiny's mother -Tina- aren't as innocent as they claim. Surely, this isn't some type of cult? RIGHT?.... I can't speak a word but suffice to say there's so much heartbreak and squalor present. It's so sad to see these girls being mistreated and suffering with everyone turning a blind eye for the sake of two individuals who are nearly getting away with murder. Suffice to say the KARMA train isn't far off and it's steam rolling ahead. Faster with each new plot twist. Soon they'll all run out of time and thankfully with the help of some good people like Farrow the justice will be served. OMG! This was so good I was on the edge of my seat. Every aspect had you poking and prodding for answers and waiting for the next shoe to drop. The modus operandi was so darn good. Where there's a will there's a way and I'm so glad this ended with a win for the good guys! The Rock of Faith Ministries seems to be quite active and has their hands full of young girls who all claim to be in need of God's saving grace. These young women were labeled as 'difficult' and problematic individuals that needed to be rescued. They were painted as 'self harming' and a danger to themselves and others. Nothing could be further from the truth. Remember this my friends: Not all women are crazy! It's those like the Blackburns that try to convince others but reality is much different than fiction. This is a must read for 2021! Thank you to Laura, the pub, NetGalley, and Amazon Kindle for this ARC in exchange for this honest review. This was a 'Granted Wish' and I'm lucky to have read this early addition.