Local Woman Missing is one twisty, intense thriller. There is certainly a lot going on and a lot to keep up with. We have multiple points of view, most of them unreliable, which just adds a few more twists. We also get some time jumps with the story bouncing from past to present and back again, and there's really no warning about when and where we're going. In a lot of cases, I would be complaining about that, but Mary Kubica makes it work for this story and these characters. The plotting is impressive right up to the end, which let me down a bit. With everything that happened, I guess I wanted more from the conclusion. That's not to say it's a bad ending; it just wasn't all that I hoped for. Nevertheless, this story had a grip on me all the way through. There are some parts that are more emotional and some that are flat out disturbing, so that's something to keep in mind if you're squeamish. This is one the most tension-filled thrillers I've read in a good while, and it's not one I'll soon forget.

Another fast-paced thriller from Kubica, this time full of missing women, a girl kept hostage and the families that are destroyed by all the lies. So many threads to pull together with plenty of red herrings. Sure to be a summer hit.

This has got to be her best novel yet! A thrilling novel of abduction with a complicated web of characters. The story jumps between timelines and characters creating many cliffhangers and red herrings. I loved the intensity of this one and I was on the edge of my seat as she threw me curveball after curveball. If you are a fan of Kubica already or she is a new to you author, add this one to your list!

Shelby Tebow is the first to go missing, leaving behind her newborn baby and husband. Not long after, Meredith Dickey and her six-year-old daughter, Delilah, vanish. Eleven years later, Delilah returns, and no one is ready for what happened.

I was pretty confused initially, and it took a bit for things to click into place, but once they did, I was on the edge of my seat and couldn't read fast enough. This is an intense read that had me guessing every single character! Local Woman Missing is told in multiple POVs and timelines, and all of them are well done.

My only complaint is with the ending. I found this to be a bit unsatisfying and hard to believe, but overall the book is excellent.

I admit when I first picked up this book and started reading I got confused. There are time jumps, narratives from multiple people, and an overload of information. However by midway through I started sorting out the information and was hooked on uncovering the truth.

This book is intense. Just when I thought I figured things out it would take another twist or turn. When I finally got t the end I was an emotional wreck and very stunned. Nothing turned out how I thought it would.

I want to write so much more but in doing so I would spoil the book. What I can say is this book may start out slow and confusing but stick with it because as you move forward you will begin to put pieces together and it's interesting how it all plays out.

I won't say this is a great book but it's definitely a twisted and intense read.

Local Woman Missing
Mary Kubica
May 18, 2021

In Kubica’s novel, years come and go according to character texts. Meredith Dickey is the protagonist. She lives in a pleasant old town subherb. Their house is an antique and beautifully made but when she and her husband Josh move in they need to rehab it. Now they have two children, Delilah age 6 and Leo a young 4 years old. Meredith teaches yoga at a local studio part time. It gives her exercise as well as a paycheck. Her main job is private doulah. She started slow but now has expanded her clients to several mothers due in the coming months. Most generally the women prefer she works from the hospital whether with their OB Doc or with their Midwife. She enjoys the time she helps new moms bring their child into the world. Recently she has a new patient, Shelby Tebow. She and her husband have recently moved into town. The OB that was available was not a first choice but she was well into her pregnancy. Shelby had done some on-line research and heard good things about Meredith Dickey. She called, set up an appointment and hoped the meeting would go well. The fee was high and her husband, Jason did not agree with her choice. Regardless, Shelby signed the paperwork, gave her the deposit and the commitment was done. Meredith found that Shelby did not want Jason at the birth, just one of the odd occurrences that took place before the baby was born.
In the neighborhood we also find an old friend of Meredith’s. She and her husband spent college and post grad days together. Their daughter was Delilah’s bestie. It was nice to have her friend across the street. Next door we find a married couple also good friends with the Dickeys. The women were in the process of bringing their home back to the original period. Kate is a veterinarian and Bea an artist who worked from her studio next to the house.
It all seemed quite pleasant however in the prologue we find that Shelby used to run at night. It was the only time she had available. Jason was home to listen for the baby. He never understood her running at such a late hour but this was her time and she refused to give it up.
This is just a cross section of the characters in the novel. From beginning to end we find a strange occurrence to three of the main characters. I will not divulge further info. Local Woman Missing is quite typical of Kubica’s suspense books. Just when the reader feels they have solved the mystery, facts change, then the plot shows a different light.
Local Woman MIssing by Mary Kubica will be published on May 18, 2021 by Park Row Books in arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A. I appreciate their allowing me to read and review Kubica’s latest narrative. I was engrossed by this enigma; such a puzzle to resolve. If you have read her works before you know she gives us a great thriller. If this is your first and are a suspense lover as I am, please treat yourself to her latest title, Local Woman Missing . By all means enjoy!

Local Woman Missing is the best Mary Kubica thriller since her debut! A tangled web of two women, both murdered, and one missing girl and all the families that are affected and--who is responsible for it all. The twist--who did the killings--is one I didn't see coming, and I thought Kubica"s way one action leads to another and another was so well done. I will definitely be recommending this one not just to Kubica fans, but for those looking for an intense and well-written domestic thriller as well.

A gripping mystery that kept me up all night reading. Kubica never disappoints, and fans of mystery thrillers will be happy to tear through this one. It's certainly going on our displays and being recommended to everyone looking for a suspense fix!

This book started a tad on the emotional side. It was heart wrenching and I questioned if my heart could handle it. But I persevered through sheer desire to see the outcome.

This is my 3rd book by Mary Kubica and while I enjoyed The Good Girl and The Other Mrs., Local Woman Missing blew way past those two.

The story is spaced 11 years apart with multiple POVs. It might sound like a bit much but I liked seeing the different sides to the story. The transitions were nice and smooth, with characters that were likeable, seemed reliable which made it all the harder to figure the mysteries out. This was a captivating read, I finished in just over a day. There were many twists and turns that kept me on my toes. The plot was intricate with attention to detail evident, kinda like a jigsaw puzzle where the pieces finally all fit together. I struggled to put this book down.

Local Woman Missing is a finely crafted book that hit all the marks for me in terms of an addictive, mystery/suspense filled thrilled that tugs at the heartstrings with a twist I did not see coming at all. Thank you Park Row Books for a digital arc in exchange for a honest review.

Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica sounded intriguing enough when I first heard about it, but I’ll give a warning that as far as psychological thrillers go, this was a bit darker than I’d usually read. It was most definitely *not* a fuzzy, comedic whodunnit. I have been seeing it pop up on social media and in reader emails as we approach publication date with advance praise for the hook factor, but also many comments about it being “dark.”

I almost closed the book within the first chapter. I didn’t like where I thought it was heading but was assured by someone else who read it to keep going. It starts dark, but didn’t stay there in as much as a psychological thriller can. If you read the summary, it involves a missing child and that always makes it iffy for me. This story is, however, twisty. It’s not slow, per se, but not hurried – a lot of detail, but entrancing. As the story unwinds, the mystery doesn’t and I’ll admit that until one key pivotal moment, I sat there going “but what does this have to do with what happened?” It’ll keep you on your toes! There are a ton of content warnings I could give and I don’t think it’s going to be everyone’s cup of tea and that’s okay – it will definitely work for some and be a bit too much for others. (You can head to Goodreads or StoryGraph for some of the highlights on the content warnings.) It’s got a lot going on – this neighbourhood has secrets – and there are some graphic, skin crawling scenes – ick. If that’s not your jam, give it a pass for sure. If you like an intense chilling thriller, pick it up – once I got past my own reservations, I needed to see it through to the end because it really sucked me in!

My thanks to the publisher for the complimentary digital ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was a well-written and extremely complex suspense thriller dealing with some very emotional issues, including child abduction, child abuse, relationship issues and, of course, secrets that kill. The time frame jumps sporadically from past to present and there are four narrators, including a missing child, a young child at home, a midwife named Meredith and her neighbor Kate. I was confused at first because of the complicated points of view and timelines, but I quickly got pulled into the story and ended up enjoying it immensely. In fact, I got so invested that it was hard to put the book down in the last few days of my reading it. The story is about a small town with two woman and a child suddenly missing. Supposedly a safe place, the town is no longer considered safe and there is a lot of speculation about what happened to Shelby Tebow, Meredith and six year old Delilah. There was a lot of backstory to this book, and since I don’t want to spoil it for anyone, I will just say that the background information is important to the understanding of the story, so I had to pay careful attention to it. I discovered the secrets and mysteries as I read as the clues were very nuanced and I was not able to figure things out. I will say that there were a lot of coincidences that weren’t quite believable, but they did not take away from my enjoyment of the story. At the end, I wanted more. I wanted to know more about the missing child, more about the neighbor, more about Meredith’s family and their future together. This was an engrossing book, but it did have some disturbing scenes in it that are not for the faint of heart. Fans of thrillers with some really intense scenes will enjoy this book.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

I have been in a bit of a reading slump lately so I was SO excited to get this ARC! I have been looking forward to this novel coming out for a while, so I’m absolutely thrilled to get the opportunity to read and review it prior to release.

This book honestly had me guessing until the end. This is the second Mary Kubica novel I’ve read (The Other Mrs being the first), and I can’t quite understand how she is able to keep the reader so well entertained and engrossed.. without giving away enough clues that enable you to figure out the entire story. I typically pride myself on guessing and knowing where a thriller/mystery will go and I can honestly say with Local Woman Missing, Kubica GOES THERE. Without spoilers, Kubica tidies the story up so quickly and neatly it’s impressive.

Local Woman Missing is a great read-it-in-a-sitting (or two) novel that will leave thriller lovers satisfied and wanting Kubica’s next novel...STAT.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, Harper Collins Canada for this ARC!

4.5 rounded up!

This book was all kinds of twisty, with time jumps, different points of view, and layers upon layers of occurrences.
In spite of all of that, it was incredibly easy to follow. I will say that it helped to read the chapter headings (I usually skip them for the most part) because it helped keep everything straight both for who was speaking and when.
In fact, it’s a little difficult to write this review, because there were some seemingly disparate parts to the story – at times it felt like there were two different plot lines going on at the same time.
It’s not a spoiler to state that it all becomes clearer the further into the book that you go. So, stick with it.
I actually found Leo to be the most interesting character. I liked how his story was presented, and I thought that in some ways, he was the most astute out of all of them.
I especially appreciated his view of memories, and how they can be skewed by other people’s recollections or become supplanted by other’s versions of them. We’ve had that conversation in my family quite often.
For example, every time we get together with family, different members add their own perspectives to the memories that we talk about. Those then become the full memories, even though they’re not entirely from one person.
There were a few times that I thought the red herrings were a bit heavy handed and a few more that didn’t seem to fit. Or rather, they seemed to be completely separate from the main issues.
Things like Marty’s part in the whole thing and Leo’s childhood were interesting, but seemed thrown in to muddy the plot, not for any real points.
I also am unsure if the perpetrator was fully built to be plausible. I will say that it totally took me surprise, so maybe that is a good thing. It certainly made a few other choices of the author to become clearer.
If I’m talking in riddles, it’s because I don’t want to give the plot away. Missing persons are tricky, and when they show back up in one way or another, they can cause great turmoil.
How’s that for cryptic?
All in all, I would recommend this book. As I said, be sure to read the chapter headings so you can keep it all clear.

This was a book about every mother’s nightmare, and it definitely hooked me. I didn’t want to put it down until I found out what really happened.

The book opens with new mother Shelby Tebow going missing after going on a late run through her suburban neighborhood. Soon after, though, her case is overshadowed by the disappearance of Meredith Dickey and her 6-year-old daughter, Delilah. Eleven years later, Delilah returns, but secrets start to be exposed and no one is ready for what they learn.

This was a fast-paced thriller where you didn’t know what really happened in the past and which of the narrators and characters you could trust. I liked reading from the perspective of different narrators -- especially Meredith’s chapters -- as I thought that it not only really moved the story along but also added more depth to the story.

The ending itself -- without giving anything away -- did feel rushed and extremely unrealistic (in more than one way) -- but at least it continued the suspense all the way through.

Even so, I’ll still be keeping my eyes open for more books from this author.

Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin - Park Row for providing me with a copy of This was a book about every mother’s nightmare, and it definitely hooked me. I didn’t want to put it down until I found out what really happened.

The book opens with new mother Shelby Tebow going missing after going on a late run through her suburban neighborhood. Soon after, though, her case is overshadowed by the disappearance of Meredith Dickey and her 6-year-old daughter, Delilah. Eleven years later, Delilah returns, but secrets start to be exposed and no one is ready for what they learn.

This was a fast-paced thriller where you didn’t know what really happened in the past and which of the narrators and characters you could trust. I liked reading from the perspective of different narrators -- especially Meredith’s chapters -- as I thought that it not only really moved the story along but also added more depth to the story.

The ending itself -- without giving anything away -- did feel rushed and extremely unrealistic (in more than one way) -- but at least it continued the suspense all the way through.

Even so, I’ll still be keeping my eyes open for more books from this author.

Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin - Park Row for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. It has not influenced my opinion.

**This review will be published to the links below on its publication date.

It started with a local missing woman, but there’s always more to the story.

Eleven years ago, Shelby Tebow went missing on a dark night. Soon after, Meredith Dickey and her daughter, Delilah, vanished...seemingly without a trace. They were all from the same area.

Now, eleven years later, Delilah has escaped captivity and returns home. Emotionally scarred and malnourished, she understandably has a hard time adjusting.

What actually happened to Delilah on the day she went missing? What happened to the other local missing women?

This is an engrossing thriller, told from multiple POVs and alternating timelines. Despite some difficult content, author Mary Kubica kept me intrigued and on my toes as I tried to piece together the plot. The characters are richly portrayed with many emotions and perspectives.

There’s a sense of unease as the tension intensifies, and I didn’t expect how everything would come together. I always appreciate that in a novel. As for the ending, it’s a little out there and seems unlikely. However, it didn’t ruin the book for me, and I appreciate the originality even if I would have preferred something a bit more realistic to match the rest of the plot.

Another solid addition to Kubica’s work, and I would recommend this one to those looking for a suspenseful and gripping read.

Thank you to Park Row for inviting me to participate in the blog tour for this book, and providing me a widget through NetGalley. The novel will be published on: 5/18/21.

Review will also be posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com on 5/11/21.

This was my first Mary Kubica book and it won't be my last. Local Woman Missing was an exceptional thriller that kept me guessing until the very end.

First Shelby goes missing. Then Meredith and her six year old daughter, Delilah. Are their cases connected? What happens to those they leave behind?

I struggled the first several pages getting used to the writing style but the mystery and intrigue sucked me in. This book is written from several perspectives however they were easy to keep straight which is always a plus with multiple voices. I usually figure plots out pretty easily but I could never figure out how it all connected and who had done it or what the final outcome would be until the end. Thrillers are a dime a dozen these days and many fall flat and rely on a certain trope so Local Woman Missing was a breath of fresh air. I truly didn't want to put this one down and I was very satisfied with the outcome and ending.

Multilayered and full of surprises, Local Woman Missing will keep you on the edge of your seat. Told in alternating timelines & points of view, you are actively engaged in the mysterious deaths of 2 local women and a child that is presumed dead. All three are from the same part of town, but there doesn’t seem to be anything linking them, or is there? When a girl reappears after 11 years missing, DNA shows she is the missing child. She is quickly reunited with her Dad & brother (her Mom was one of the local women found dead). As pieces from the past start to catch up with the nights of the disappearances, you question everything you thought you knew about several of the characters. I found this book very hard to put down. I couldn’t wait to uncover a new piece of information ! Get ready for a suspense-filled journey! Thanks to #Netgalley, and Park Row Publishers for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was another great book by Kubica. From page one I was invested on what happened to Meredith and Delilah. I had my own guesses on how their disappearance was related to Shelby's, but ended up being completely wrong in the end. It has quite the surprise ending.

If you ask me, Mary Kubica wrote the rulebook on how to write an enticing thriller! Local Woman Missing keeps you guessing from the start. Trust me, once you start this book you will NOT want to put it down.

Five stars for this incredibly suspenseful thriller - you will NOT see this ending coming! Read it in a day on vacation and could not stop thinking about this plot and the characters.