I liked it. It definitely kept me interested. I did not love the twist at the end and felt like it all wrapped up too quickly without enough explanation, but other than that it was pretty good. I will probably read more from this author in the future, of the three that I've read of hers, I liked this one the most.

If you have followed my blog for a while you will know that I love mysteries. I went through a big mystery/thriller phase a while back and then took a break and read more historical fiction/romance but lately I’ve been reading more thrillers and I was super excited to see this book from Mary Kubica in my review queue.

One of my favorite shows on ID Discovery Channel was Disappeared and all I could think of when I was watching the show was, people just don’t disappear, someone knows something. And when I saw that this was practically the tagline for this book, I was super excited to read it! I haven’t read anything by Kubica before but I certainly know the name so I couldn’t wait to dive into this one.

If you are a thriller/mystery reader you will most likely have this one on your radar. Kubica has written some well loved and popular thrillers many of which have been best sellers so I felt confident that this book would be solid with a seasoned writer like Kubica. If you are looking for a fast paced read this spring, look no further! This one was excellent!

Summary
People don’t just disappear without a trace…

Shelby Tebow is the first to go missing. Not long after, Meredith Dickey and her six-year-old daughter, Delilah, vanish just blocks away from where Shelby was last seen, striking fear into their once-peaceful community. Are these incidents connected? After an elusive search that yields more questions than answers, the case eventually goes cold.

Now, eleven years later, Delilah shockingly returns. Everyone wants to know what happened to her, but no one is prepared for what they’ll find…

In this smart and chilling thriller, master of suspense and New York Times bestselling author Mary Kubica takes domestic secrets to a whole new level, showing that some people will stop at nothing to keep the truth buried. (summary from Goodreads)

Review
Since this was my first book by this author, I had high expectations because she is well known and produced some best sellers so obviously I had high hopes and I anticipated that this book would be a fast read. It was absolutely a fast read and met all my expectations. I picked it up over the weekend and was instantly sucked in before I even got through the first thirty pages! I found myself staying up late just to read ‘one more chapter’. It was a great book and I couldn’t have been more thrilled to say I loved it! Kubica is a great writer and her style was snappy and engaging not to mention strong.

I mean it wasn’t a flawless story but overall I loved it. I struggled a bit with the alternating storylines. It was a little distracting for me and I did need to pay attention to what was going on, but for me it was more of a stylistic preference and didn’t make me love the story less, I just felt like I had to be on my toes and be aware of the shifting in the storylines. There were also parts that felt a little clunky but it wasn’t a huge deal, big picture—-the writing was solid, there were just parts of the story that felt slightly cumbersome but not enough for me to drop my rating if that makes sense.

This one is also a little on the dark side. I didn’t expect that but for me it made the story better. I loved how it sucked you in and the LIES! The lies and hidden truths in this book are great. I really enjoyed picking apart things in this one. I think that this book will appeal to anyone who loves thrillers. And obviously if you are a Kubica fan, then this book is no doubt on your radar! It’s well done, fast paced, and interesting. I couldn’t put it down all weekend and for that reason it gets 4.5 big stars from me!

Book Info and Rating
Format352 pages, Hardcover

Expected publicationMay 18, 2021 by Park Row

ISBN9780778389446 (ISBN10: 0778389448)

Free review copy provided by publisher, Park Row, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Genre: thriller, mystery, suspense

Oh mannnnn this book!!

I could not put it down! The writing style was easy to follow and I HAD to know how all the people connected in the end

Many of the twists took me by surprise--I will say I did *start* to suspect the ending, but then it kept going and continued to take me by surprise.

I loved The Other Mrs. by Kubica and Local Woman Missing was no different!

So at first I wasn’t sure if I’d enjoy this, but I was completely wrong! The story weaves through the past & present with different narrators giving you their perspective of the events that have taken place.
I’m usually wrong about guessing who did it, but this book I had absolutely no idea the entire time. Then at the end I was shocked! Such a good ending, this is definitely a page turner that keeps you on your toes!

DNF: Though I would love to say that I enjoyed this title - I just couldn't get into the writing. I did see that my library system purchased the audio book format so I will give it another try then. Thank you to NetGalley for providing the Advanced Reader Copy.

This was my first Kubica but I was left wanting more and ultimately rated this two stars. I thought the ending was way rushed and random, the plot was confusing at times and introduced too many characters/storylines/lackluster twists. It was a quick read, though, and I did enjoy the multiple POVs, learning about doulas and alternating timelines (though confusing at times).. Thanks for the advanced copy!

I lived Local Woman Missing! It’s twisty and immediately grips you, and it’s giving me all the same feelings I had when I read my first book by this author. The past and present storyline and twisty storyline keeps me guessing—my favorite kind of thriller.

Many thanks to kccpr, publisher and Netgalley for the gifted copy

I loved this story that kept me on my toes, trying to figure out how these disappearances might be tied together. A new mother goes out for a jog one night and does not come home. A second woman in the same neighbourhood and her six year old daughter also disappear. When they find a body, everyone is on edge. What is the connection, or is there one? Is there a serial killer in the area?

Local Woman Missing hooked me right from the start and had me gripped to the end. The story opens with Delilah’s terrifying captivity and breathtaking escape and return home to her father and brother. From there, the story is told from various POVs and some of them are in the past, taking you back 11 years. The voice of Delila's brother, now 15 to her 17. His POV has her speaking to her and sharing his feelings, it really gripped my emotion. This is an intriguing, suspenseful, compelling, fast-paced, gripping story that is very well written. Considering how many narrators and the two timelines, I was not ever confused, that takes talent. Not only the characters were likeable, and there were some creepy folks around, but that added suspense as well as give me the false sense that I knew who was responsible. The character development built up as the story went on and it had me connecting to them easily. The way that the story came together in the end was absolutely perfect and those final twists had me shaking my head in satisfaction. I definitely recommend this one to those who enjoy thrillers, suspense, and mystery.

I'm going to go with a "it's me, not you" for this book. I found it slow, boring, and I didn't want to pick it up. I plowed through 54% and gave up without wanting to know the "who-dun-it," because honestly, I just didn't care. Although they might meet up in the end, Bea and Kate's story line did absolutely nothing for me except annoy me.

Thanks, NetGalley!

Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica is a uniquely told mystery because it is told in reverse, but you still don't know all the facts making it very compelling. There are some big twist that will make you change your whole theory of what is going on. The writing was good with just enough description to let you visualize what is going on. The narrative is told at three different times by four different people in the story, at first this is a little dizzying, but then starts to fit in to place. The way the story is told makes it brilliant, if it was told the normal way it would still be good but they way it is told makes you question and doubt everything. This is my first Mary Kubica and I was blown away I have heard her name mentioned in mystery but didn't expect to be this blown away and frankly jealous that I did not think of this brilliant way to tell a story. The finale is heart ponding and the villain gets what they deserved. This book does have LGTBQ characters. There are trigger warnings of extreme child abuse that could ruin this book for some. I would like to thank Netgalley and Harlequin trade publishing for giving me an advanced reader's copy of Local Woman Missing. Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica is published on may 18th 2021.

The Plot: A girl escapes people that have been torturing her for 11 years, the girl is famous of a sort for missing. The novel jumps back 11 years to the day of the missing girl, and we know she is not the only one missing the mom and another local woman are missing as well. Then the novel jumps back even further to 11 years and 3 months, where the mom receives a threatening text message saying I know what you did years ago, you will be punished.

What I Liked: The plot and the way it is told add so much tension. The past will change you perception of the future, it was really cool how that was done. I liked the psychological aspect to the book on the toll of reintroduction of a girl missing takes on her and the family, having Leo, the younger brother of the missing girl be the narrator was great as we get in his head. I did like there was a lesbian couple that no one batted an eye at and trusted there kids with. The finale was tense you already know who the villain now you want to find out if they get caught or they do more destructive things. I was very satisfied with the ending and the turn of events.

What I Disliked: There was one plot twist about a cheating husband, an accusation, then we find one girl had an affair I was bummed that it wasn't tied into the husband, and that the husband having an affair just went away in the story, I kind wanted to know if it was true, or the accuser was just paranoid. I liked having the perspective of Leo a young 14 year old, but he has some lines about love and sex that felt more like a 40 year old that has been through the ringer not a 14 year old virgin.

Recommendation: Read local Woman missing it is a really smart mystery, that takes the reader for a ride shows you all the suspects and slowly fill in the details of the past and the present. Be warned of the trigger warning for extreme child abuse and entrapment. If I had to compare the narrative style to another book I would say it was closest to The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins, as close as it is the two are very different and this book doesn't have a perspective that you can not trust.
I rated Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica 5 out of 5 stars. I will definitely be reading more Mary Kubica in the future.

Wow! This was such a well paced novel. Every second was heart pounding and intense, and I felt the panic that the characters did. Every-time I put the book down to go about my day, I kept on thinking about it. The characters are well developed, and complex. Just overall a really wonderful thriller. A must read for Mary Kubica fans.

Thank you to Netgalley for an eARC copy of Local Woman Missing!

My new favorite book by this author!
Great suspense layered with plot twists, characters you can envision and care about, and a fast pace that made me look forward to picking this book up every night.
Told from a few POVs - Meredith, one of the main characters, her son, Leo, and next-door neighbor, Kate, and goes back and forth between the setup of the local women missing from eleven years earlier to present day (through Leo.) The story displays how easily one wrong move, one poor decision, one split second, can derail and spiral a person's life, along with everyone who loves them or relies on them.
I loved this quick read, and it moves to the top of my favorite book by Mary Kubica. Great book!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of this page-turner.

Another winner from Mary! She always keeps me guessing and LOCAL WOMAN MISSING is no different. I Just loved it!

Another amazing book from Mary Kubica! A woman goes missing while out for a run and the husband becomes the prime suspect. Things get more complicated when a mother and her daughter vanish. Are these two events related? This is a fast paced thriller with great atmospheric writing. From the first chapter I was hooked with this one. The ending is so well done! I don’t want to give too much away because it’s a thriller. You definitely need to pick this one up!

There are a lot of twists and turns in this story of two missing women and a girl. My niggle is that the plot twist came out of nowhere, with no hints to back it up and provide the reader with that aha moment, so it didn't come across as credible as it might have. Kubica is great at representing the messy, ambivalent, guilt-ridden emotions of human nature. I definitely like her work. I just wish she had led up to her climax more ambiguously, so that her red herring didn't come across so clunky. I do recommend her for her storytelling talent. I was fortunate to receive a digital copy from the publisher Park Row through NetGalley.

I really wanted to love this book. there was certainly enough in here to keep me turning page after page. A missing woman who turns up dead and a missing mother and daughter, the latter of which turns up alive 11 years later having lived through hell in a blacked out basement.

Told from a variety of perspectives both in the past and the present, the truth about what really happens to Shelby Trebow as well as Meredith and Delilah Dickey join together in an unexpected twist. Although the ending ties together in a pretty bow, something about it feels a little unsatisfactory. Which is kind of my overarching feeling about the book as a whole. Local Woman Missing is no doubt was well written and had enough content to keep the pace ticking over, but it just didn't get there quick enough for me.

There was plenty of character depth which was great and I just know that Kubica fans will LOVE this, but it just felt a little meh for me.

Well, I feel conflicted on how about this one. I really enjoyed the opening and the changing timeline between past and present. We spend some time in the past with the neighbor Kate who lives by Josh and is watching the events of his missing wife and child affect him so deeply, and some from Meredith's point of view. In the present we have the left behind child of Josh and Meredith of Leo and Delilah as she is locked away in a dark basement wondering how long she's been there. We also have the first woman who went missing to consider, Shelby, and how her disappearance affected everyone and cast suspicion on the husband.

I wanted to become really invested in solving the mystery, but I think it got way too convoluted and unbelievable by the end. I really don't want to say much because it will give away what happens, but know this one does not follow a linear timeline and follows multiple characters. I've read and loved other Kubica books, so I'm thinking this one wasn't for me.

Mary Kubica has been writing excellent mysteries steadily ever since her debut of “The Good Girl” back in 2014. Kubica, who is often compared to Gillian Flynn, is one of the few authors who lives up to the comparison. She writes tightly scripted plots with endings that pack a surprise every time. Like Flynn, she lives in the Chicago area, and like Flynn, she has a talent for the technicality of mystery writing, but also infuses her stories with so much humanity.

Her characters breathe on the page, never tripping into the absurd, as often happens in mysteries these days. “Local Woman Missing” begins with two heart-stopping chapters. In the first, a woman sneaks out of her home at night for an illicit liaison, and then disappears completely. In the second chapter, a child is trapped in the filthy basement of a home, fed irregularly from a dog bowl. She manages to escape when her kidnappers give her a spoon that she sharpens into a shiv.

The book is fairly un-putdownable from then on, with Kubica agilely switching point of view and time period between the present, when the girl is rescued, and eleven years ago, when the child went missing along with the local woman. The very thought of the child living in a local basement is agonizing—imagining that she might be within shouting distance of someone who could save her is painful. Of course, it draws an easy comparison to Emma Donoghue’s “Room” (2010) and the idea of how such a child, raised in isolation, could ever recover from such a trauma.

Not surprisingly, the theme of the fragility of children runs throughout, accentuated further by a character who is a doula. Her inner monologue about giving the mother autonomy and choices sets a high standard of care in the mind of the reader, making it all the more devastating when women’s and children’s bodies are regarded without love and respect. An uncaring pelvic exam takes on a horror-like quality when the woman is not treated as a whole being, becoming one of the more harrowing scenes in a particularly grisly novel.

Kubica also examines the nature of neighbors and community. Most of the characters live within blocks of each other, their proximity sometimes a comfort and other times an uneasy proximity. The couple who managed to keep a child in their basement for eleven years reiterates that you never really know what goes on behind closed doors. In “Local Woman Missing,” no one is really the same outside their house as they are in it. (Kelly Roark)

“Local Woman Missing”
By Mary Kubica
Park Row, 352 pages

This book had me guessing the whole time! It was captivating and I couldn’t put it down! Great story again my Mary Kubica! Never disappoints!! So many twists and turns and constant guessing! You won’t be disappointed! Just released so get your copy now!

Well, this was a doozie, in a good way. There was a lot going on here, at least it felt like it from the audio, and the timeline jumps around a bit so I kind of wished I had followed along with the hard copy but I got it straightened out soon enough. If you keep it boiled down to the fact that Shelby has gone missing, and then Meredith and her 6 yr old daughter go missing soon after, the rest works itself around that, timeline jumping and all. It does have a twist towards the end that was a little odd for the story, but I think was necessary to wrap it up, and I enjoyed it nonetheless.

This was fast paced, and I could not put it down once I got started. I read it in one day because I had to know how this was going to end, which is always a sign of a fantastic thriller imo. I still need to read a few of her backlist books and plan on doing that soon.

Thank you to NetGalley and Park Row for the digital copy to review. PS, the audiobook is amazing and I highly recommend it that way.