4 Must Be Willing Stars
* * * * Spoiler Free
I hadn't read Mary Kubica before but I knew her fans were devoted, so when I saw Local Woman Missing, I snapped it up right away. I also only read the blurb and took on my mystery/thriller mindset, meaning I would be willing to go wherever Mary wanted to take me.

I dove in hard and from the start I was there with all of these characters. The tease of what was to first to come was there but still hidden. Then we were front and center knee-deep in the ugly, living it through the characters the ugly was happening to...We got to feel all of the emotions from those who felt lost, ignored, or terrified.

The story is told in the present and the past, linking the actions so that all of the questions seem to be answered. It is important to pay attention because it is the layers of information that are dropped in bits and pieces that will smack you later.

The first part was intense and worked full speed. The profile of the son and his insights were the best and made you feel for him so much. It is the feeling of not equal, not as important as what was lost made me hurt for him. The latter part didn't capture me as much as the first part but answered all the questions or in my case, confirmed my "Nancy Drew" instincts. A good sign was I wanted to know more about how the characters were doing after it was all over.

Now when I'll see Mary Kubica's name for a new release, my little fingers will go click click

Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

I’ve been a fan of Mary Kubica since I read The Good Girl (and have pretty much read everything else she has written- Pretty Baby, Don’t You Cry, Every Last Lie and The Other Mrs.)

What I Liked:

That cover (and title!)

At the first of the book- when you are reading about Delilah. Pulse pounding!

How this book will make you question what goes on behind your neighbors doors… and how well you really know the people in the neighborhood.



Bottom line: Solid read. It took a few twists that I was not expecting- still liked it, though!



*This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.*

This thriller has such a great amount of twists and turns. I could not put this book down. I had to know who the murderer was and what happened to Delilah. It is so sad to see what can happen when a family member is missing.
I love how the author handles all of these horrible situations. I received a copy of this book from Harlequin for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

This is a book that grabs you from word 1 and never lets you relax until the end! Chapter by chapter
is narrated by primary characters and each sends you off in another direction! Another thriller by Kubica !!

Mary Kubica does it again. In Local Woman Missing, she weaves a tale that kept me guessing until the end. In a sleep suburbs of Chicago, people start to go missing. First Shelby, then Meredith and her daughter Delilah. 11 years later, Delilah returns and as her family & community uncovers what happened to her and where she has been all these years, they're not prepared for the truths they find.

Written from alternating points of view and two timelines (present day and 11 years ago), we embark on a fast-paced journey full of suspense and secrets. Kubica is a masterful storyteller and this newest novel kept me engaged and reading way into the night to find out what happened.

Triggers: Bullying, Violence, Infidelity, Kidnapping and Abuse

"Local Woman Missing" is the first book I've read by Kubica and it did not disappoint. I loved the twisty storyline and the multiple characters who were suspect from the start. I wasn't sure how well the plot would flow with multiple characters narrating, both in the present and past, while also not including Delilah as a narrator, who was the focus from the start. I ended up loving the back and forth narration, especially Leo's voice as the only voice from the present. I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed all of the readers as well. This book kept me on the edge of my seat, with twists throughout and reveals I didn't see coming. A must read for fans of suspenseful thrillers.

🕵️‍♀️ 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 / 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝗪 🕵️‍♀️⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
Title: #localwomanmissing⁣
Author: @marykubica⁣
Pub Date: 5/18/21⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
Type: #physicalbook⁣⁣
Genre: #mystery #thriller⁣
Must Read rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫⁣⁣
⁣
People don’t just disappear without a trace…⁣
⁣
My thoughts:⁣
⁣
-This is Mary Kubica at the top of her game. Local Woman Missing absolutely FLOORED me and I am still thinking about it for days after. From page one, I was completely hooked. This book is so fast paced with a TON of layers and I drank it up in 2 sittings. This is definitely my favorite book by her so far, so if you're a big fan of her writing, you MUST read this one.⁣
⁣
-Chapter 1 was so chilling and seriously haunts my dreams. While the experience of Delilah (and Gus) is written in graphic nature, it's only a small part of the actual storyline. I was worried that the entire book would focus on their struggles and hardships in captivity which were almost too difficult to read, so I appreciated that Kubica used that to tee up the book, but that it wasn't the full focus.⁣
⁣
-If you love multiple POV's and popcorn timelines in your books, you'll adore this. It was written in a manner that made it impossible to read "just one more chapter." I couldn't flip the pages fast enough. And O-M-G ... the plot twist? I legit didnt see it coming. I also AUDIBLY gasped which is also another telltale sign of an amazing book!⁣
⁣
-Want to let readers know that while this is a super thrilling and chilling novel, it's also dark and can be deeply unsettling in certain places. I happen to be a fan of books like this, but I would be remiss if I didn't mention that there could be triggers like birth complications, miscarriage, domestic violence, references to sexual abuse, rape, postpartum depression, etc.

I liked this book even though some of the events at the end were pretty far fetched. It’s told in multiple timelines so can get confusing if not paying attention. A quick read with well developed characters and a sinister plot. I was completely surprised by the murderer!

WARNING: If you can’t sleep-in, don’t start reading this at night. Oh my goodness! I needed to have seen this warning before I started the book. I wasn’t sure I could stop reading. I sure wasn’t getting sleepy.

I’m discovering that I love almost all of the Harlequin thrillers that I’ve read, and this one didn’t disappoint me.

Two women and a six year old girl disappeared eleven years ago without a trace. Now, the girl has escaped her captors and reappeared. Everyone is so happy, but things don’t seem right to her younger brother, Leo. He is suspicious of her.

Because his sister has been held captive in horrible living conditions, she has not advanced socially, or educationally. To say she has a problem fitting back into life with her dad and Leo would be putting in mildly. But as I mentioned, Leo is constantly on guard and watching her every move. Some might think that for 11 years his dad’s life seemed to revolve around what was missing in his family and not that he still had, Leo. Was Leo now jealous of the attention that his sister was still taking away from himself?

My thoughts were darting from this idea to that as the story unfolded. The various timelines and the chapters presented by different characters kept me on my toes. And facts weren’t always what they appeared. After all, the chapters reflect what they saw and experienced.

Eventually, I didn’t feel the need to read the book every second of the day. It slowed to an interesting pace that always drew me back to the story, but didn’t demand my attention.

My Concerns
While I’m not sure what I expected, the ending didn’t work for me. If felt too rushed. And some of it felt a bit tied in knots, and one part felt too neatly tied in a bow. In other words, it felt too rushed and part of the mystery was hard to believe and the other ended too neatly.

Final Thoughts
Without a doubt I would recommend this book. My concerns are small and I’m guessing they may not bother most.

My thanks to Harlequin and NetGalley for the ability to read an ARC and write a review without stipulations.

Secrets and lies will tear you apart. They will eat you up inside. They’ll turn you into someone you barely recognize. And they’ll get people hurt.

When Delilah returns after disappearing 11 years ago, it forces secrets out into the open and turns a cold case white hot again. Eventually the truth will come out, and no one can stop it.

Go. Read. This. Book. I love a good mystery/thriller, and this one had me HOOKED from the first page. I went through a series of possible suspects in my head, and every single guess was WRONG. I had no idea what was going on (in the best way!) until the very end, and even then I had to sit and stare at a wall for a minute while I processed what had happened.

Local Woman Missing is so well-written, so well-constructed, that you have just enough information to keep you entirely intrigued while also keeping you entirely in the dark. I really struggled to put this one down, and highly recommend that you don’t. Shirk all other responsibilities until you’ve finished this one because, I promise, you won’t regret it.

Thank you so much to Harlequin Trade Publishing and Netgalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review!

Local Woman Missing is a very fast paced book that grabs your attention from page one and never lets up .

The ending was unexpected and made the book so that you could not put it down. I loved the ending; didn't even come close to what I was expecting.

Its a small town and there are 3 people missing, two women and a child.

But that's not all that is happening at the same time!!

I don't want to give the plot away ; suffice to say pick up your copy today and put Local Woman Missing at the top of your pile !!

Mary Kubica never disappoints!!

Thanks to NetGalley and HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada) for a truly suspenseful read.

Local woman missing is my first book by Mary Kubica. I’ve heard only good things about this author so I was very excited to give one of her books a try. The twisted tale of Delilah, Meredith, and Kate kept me on the edge of my seat. We flip from present time to 11 years in the past trying to figure out who kidnapped Delilah and what happened with Meredith and Shelby. A twist came every five pages it felt like and I couldn’t figure out what happened.
Some of the passages were a bit overly detailed but the secrets of our main characters kept everything moving along. I highly recommend this book but Be prepared to get nothing done because you want to figure out who did it.

Stayed up way too late to finish Local Woman Missing and was NOT sorry! An excellent story woven between different points of view. The pace was perfect and the ending? *chef's kiss* Will be purchasing for the library's collection.

When a woman goes missing, her husband and newborn are left behind. Then a local woman and her daughter have gone missing. What is happening in this small-town neighbourhood? Can the missing women be connected somehow?
When a girl who they think is the missing daughter returns after eleven years, the case takes on a whole new direction. What will they find when they dig deeper into the mystery of the missing women and child?

This novel by Mary Kubica chilled me right to the bone. The suspense and mystery kept me turning pages long into the night. As the story unfolded, I was trying to put the pieces of this intricate puzzle together. The story is told from many viewpoints and goes forward and back in time throughout, which just added to the suspense. If you are looking for a thriller that will leave you breathless, then this is the one for you. My thanks to Harlequin, Mary Kubica and Netgalley for an advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own and are totally unbiased.

Thank you Netgalley, HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada) Park Row and Mary Kubica for free e-ARC in return of my honest review.

I have to say, I love Mary Kubica - I read all her books and was super excited to be approved for her new book. It starts with a young mother, late at night, pretending to go running and meeting her lover. They never meet that night. This disappearance started whole chain of events that ruin a few lives and families in order to protect just one.

The twists are surprising and unexpected. Plot-wise the story is mind blowing. The narration, however, wasn’t my cup of tea. Told from multiple perspectives and different time frames, at times I felt lost and confused. Also I couldn’t get attached to any if the characters - they seem hollow and void. I find myself dragging through it.

However, my perception should not stop you from reaching out to this new book or any other of Mary Kubica - she is outstanding.
I am looking forward to read her new work!

Thanks so much to Park Row Books and NetGalley for the complimentary copy for my honest review!

Just when I thought I had read a Mary Kubica book I didn’t like she proves me completely wrong. I thought I had this book all figured out. I thought I knew exactly who the bad person was due to the author placing certain wording throughout the book but I was so wrong. I couldn’t believe what I was reading once I got to the ending, it completely blew my mind with all of the plot twists. Be prepared for a wild ride when you read this book.

The only cons I found with this book was the timeline at the beginning, I was super confused on what was going on and when it was taking place. The other con for me was all of the characters introduced at the beginning. I was getting confused trying to keep track of who was who but just like the timeline as you read more into the book it all starts to make sense.

A community is shattered when not one, but two women and one child go missing.

"It was ten days ago that Bea and I first woke to the news. LOCAL WOMAN MISSING." So when a second woman, Meredith, and her 6 year old daughter, Delilah, also go missing, many start to wonder, "What if there's a serial kidnapper on the loose?"

My heart broke for Delilah being held against her will in a dark basement for 11 long years, as well as her father and younger brother who didn't know where she was all that time. This mystery/thriller was suspenseful throughout and held my attention as I tried to puzzle out the answers to these questions: Was Meredith's death really a suicide? Who held Delilah and why? And, how did Shelby die? The conclusion was shocking and surprising, albeit a bit over the top in some ways lowering my rating from 4 to 3.5 stars.

The author's debut, The Good Girl (4 stars), remains my favorite.

3.5 stars

I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I was so excited to get my hands on this book. I really enjoyed this one. It was definitely a page turner and I love a book with a multiple character POV. By the time I was a 1/4 way done I was super invested in this one. The main reason I’m not giving this one 5 stars is that the ending was a little too far out there for me personally. I still definitely recommend checking this one out. Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve been a huge fan of Mary Kubica ever since I read her first book of The Good Girl. And wow, she did not disappoint with Local Woman Missing! I was hooked from the very first chapter of Part One with Delilah’s POV.

The book goes back and forth in between 3 different timelines and 4 POVs. I never had any problem following along or distinguishing between the characters. Mary has a way of giving the reader the perfect amounts of information to keep you on the edge of your seat and flipping through the pages as fast as possible. Or at least that’s what I experienced.

I don’t want to go into any details because... spoilers, but suffice it to say that the twists knocked my socks off. I was so entangled in each of these characters and didn’t want to put my book down for regular life to intervene.

This story is heartbreaking and shocking and one that will stay with me for some time. As always, I can’t wait to see what Mary comes up with next.

*Thank you so much to Park Row / Harlequin and NetGalley for the advance copy!*

Mary Kubica never disappoints! Local Woman Missing is SO good. This already has a place on my top thriller list of 2021.

Not long after Shelby Tebow goes missing, Meredith and her daughter Delilah also disappear. Are the two cases connected? Who could have taken them? Fast forward 11 years and Delilah returns. Can she help solve her own disappearance?

I was immediately hooked from page one. I loved the multiple POVs and alternating timelines. They are so well done, kept me questioning everything and built suspense until a literal OMG ending I did not see coming!

And let’s talk about the characters. Kubica had me so invested in each of their lives (Leo!) and I loved all the the intricate relationships between them and how this contributed to the growing tension and mystery.

Thriller lovers, this is a must read !

Thank you to @netgalley and @harpercollinsca for the eARC for review.