Laura McHugh is an American author, best known for her suspenseful and mysterious novels. She was born in Fort Madison, Iowa, and spent her childhood in both her birthplace and the Ozark mountains of southern Missouri. Growing up, she was surrounded by a rich culture and folk wisdom that would later influence her writing. McHugh's parents had modest jobs, with her father repairing shoes and her mother working at the Waffle House.
After graduating from Truman State University with an undergraduate degree in English, McHugh went on to receive a master’s degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Missouri. She also received a degree in computer science from the same university. McHugh worked as a software developer for ten years before being laid off, which ultimately led her to pursue her long-held dream of becoming a writer. She began by writing short stories, and when one of her stories was accepted, her husband encouraged her to take the opportunity to write the book she had always wanted to write. McHugh agreed and spent a year writing her first draft, which she then revised and sent out to various publishers. To her surprise, things began to happen faster than she had anticipated, and she quickly found herself with a published novel.
McHugh's debut novel, "The Weight of Blood," was an instant success, winning several awards, including the International Thriller Writers Award for Best First Novel, a Silver Falchion Award for Best First Novel: Literary Suspense, and the Missouri Author Award for Fiction. The novel was also nominated for an Alex Award, Barry Award, and GoodReads Choice Award for Best Mystery and Best Debut. Her subsequent novels, "Arrowood," "The Wolf Wants In," and "What's Done in Darkness," have all been critically acclaimed and bestsellers, with "What's Done in Darkness" being named one of the best thrillers to read in the summer of 2021 by Harlan Coben on the Today Show. McHugh's work has been nominated for an Alex Award, a Barry Award, a GoodReads Choice Award, and a Pushcart Prize. She currently resides in Columbia, Missouri, with her husband, two daughters, and one big dog.