Hush, My Darling by Leigh Kenny

 

I've been super excited to review Hush, My Darling by my long lost Irish twin, Leigh Kenny, not only because I love her but because I love this book! 

Megan is taking a solo trip through Ireland, her father's homeland, and finds herself a bit lost amongst the Wicklow Mountains. She's rescued by some local men, and things get real creeptastic from there. While her and her rental car are nursed back to health, Megan is introduced to a strange array of members of the Brogan family. The more time passes, the more things feel off.

If you're in need of a read that builds a sense of dread in the most perfect way, bump Hush, My Darling to the top of your list! I don't think I could have read it at a better time. I love books that throw some action in your face right off the bat as much as the next person, but there was something so refreshing about being completely engulfed in a story that reveals tiny secrets to you piece by piece at the perfect pace. You know those books where you feel like you've read 75% of the way through and nothing happens, and the payoff at the end may or may not be worth it? This is not that. It's also not a book that's going to give you blood and guts in the first few pages. It's a book that builds upon a very real fear a little at a time, bringing you along on Megan's journey until the very end.

You're not going to get ghosts, zombies, or demons. You're going to get people, which may be the scariest creatures of all. And it's all delivered in a way that makes you feel as though you or someone you know could be Megan. When do you realize you've made the wrong choice? Can you trust your instincts? Do you really know who is safe and who is dangerous based off a first impression? Sometimes it's so easy to read these books that contain entirely plausible events and make judgments about the characters' actions. "I'd never do that," or "I'd know right away." But would you? Let's hope you're not like Megan, and you never have to find out.

I'll also note the importance of reading Leigh's author notes, which speak about the very real and very dark history of the Wicklow Mountains. There are many Megans out there, and I hope their families find peace.