Local Woman Missing: A Novel of Domestic Suspense

Product Information

This is a complicated, twisty thriller to figure out, I certainly did not see how the mysteries would be resolved or who was responsible for the missing women and child.

In this thrilling and carefully plotted domestic mystery, this community and these families must unravel the secrets of the chilling events from many years ago …

Book Excerpt

All the adults in this story are flawed. I felt for the children who needed their people to stand up for them, to see past their adult worries and exhaustion so they could see what their children were telling them without words. One of my favorite characters is Leo and I was left wanting to know how he fares later in life. I'm glad we get a bit of an epilogue at the end of the book. Characters and narrations were amazing. Especially Delilah and Leo’s POVs were my favorites. Delilah’s darkest day in the basement, her survival story and Leo’s inner fight, brokenness, his suffer to be magnet of bullies and outcast of his school truly broke my heart. I wished I could hug those kids and lied them everything is gonna be okay for giving temporary relief. The one person who may have all the answers is the daughter Delilah, suddenly reappearing eleven years later. So where has she been all this time? Can she, will she, answer the looming question regarding what happened to she and her mother? I know how betrayal and disillusionment feel, when someone who could give you the world refuses even a tiny piece of it.” There are three different groups of characters to keep straight, family units and couples. I liked the diversity of the characters and their different points of view.

I still think this was a very good read and Mary Kubica fans and many lovers of thrillers would enjoy this book. Local Woman Missing is about two missing women who went missing from an affluent neighborhood 11 years ago. In the present, a teenage girl who has escaped from captivity has a startling connection to the missing women. This story gripped me from start to finish — I was hanging on every word feeling a strong sense of unease and tension. The mystery is intense, fast-paced, anxiety-filled and something that I felt extremely invested in throughout. The writing was outstanding! I cared for each of the characters and the situations they found themselves in. My mind was whirling with trying to piece the parts of this engrossing story together.

This book is told through changing timelines and surprisingly it works and is easy to follow. The timeline switched to eleven years prior when the women go missing to present day. There are four points of views. One is Delilah, who has been held captive for eleven years and her subsequent escape. Then there is, Leo (Delilah's brother,) Meredith (Delilah's mother) and Kate (a neighbour of Delilah's.) If you are looking for a twisty ride that will keep you guessing, look no more. The latest thriller by Mary Kubica had me reading way past my bedtime. Told through multiple POVs, we learn about a missing woman and a missing mother and daughter. From perspectives, both past and present, suspects are introduced and motives are revealed. The book is fast paced and suspenseful with a constant underlying feeling of foreboding and dread. The ending seemed slightly rushed and a little implausible, but I still enjoyed the read. There is a trigger warning of child abuse. I would also recommend that all mothers to be wait to read this after delivery. There are plenty of secrets in this neighborhood, and plenty of suspects to choose from, and Mary Kubica uses them expertly to misdirect us. Final score. If you’re looking for a thriller that you’ll want to read in one sitting, you could do much worse. And if you’re looking for Local Woman Missing, you can find the audiobook on the Hoopla library app. ;) Narrated by Kate, Meredith, and Leo, I found all characters boring. Leo was more interesting than the other two, but I never understood the purpose of having him serve as a narrator. If narrated by other characters, this could have been more interesting. I would have loved to have read the point of view of the villain and the little girl. Also, Shelby's character had so many underdeveloped angles that would have made for fascinating reading. Instead, we got boring, boring, and what’s the point.

And the ending, all tied up in a pretty bow, with a character who has been severely traumatized for YEARS (given the location, that it had been going on for years without detection was laughably ridiculous) goes on to live a completely normal and happy life as if nothing had happened. The first 80% was decent but a little boring. I wasn’t fully enthralled, but I was interested in knowing what was really going on. It was a solid 4-star read, and then I got to the twists. With each twist, my star rating went down. Cork family's plea for support as dad fights for life in hospital and autistic son left in agony at CUHThe theme of motherhood is woven deep within this story. I thought the author did a phenomenal job portraying the struggles and successes of the women within this story. Very well developed characters overall! Ik I am late, lots of good things have already been said about this book. I on other hand am a bit disappointed.