3.5 stars, rounded up
This author's books are rather hit or miss for me, and after the last one (The Other Mrs.,) I was happy that her latest offering is fast-paced and a captivating read.

Stories about missing people are my absolute favorites. This one has a large cast of characters and timelines, so at first it is a bit puzzling and difficult to keep who/when straight. We have one initial missing woman, then a young girl who escapes from being held captive. Another missing woman. There are points of view from multiple people, and so it did take me a while to sort out what was going on. Once I did, the book moved along quickly as I was very interested to see what had happened to the missing people.

There are some excellent twists that I didn't see coming, however some of them were just not believable and kind of bordered on the absurd. I get it, it's difficult to come up with a plausible explanation for events like these, but suffice it to say that you'll have to suspend a bit of disbelief to have any sort of buy in for some things that occur, particularly at the end. That's not to say that the book isn't gripping, because it definitely has some edge-of-the-seat suspense!

For the most part though, I was pretty entertained by this book and after I figured out the characters and the timelines, I was invested in the plot and finding out what happened. It's a solid thriller and worth reading.

11 years ago… a woman with a baby waits for her husband to come home. It’s late but she heads out for a “run” – or so she tells her husband. She is actually cheating on him (but to be “fair”, it seems he is also cheating on her). Now… Delilah lives in a dark basement. She doesn’t know how old she is or how long she’s been there, but she knows she’s outgrown her shoes and clothes. There is nothing in the basement except a toilet, Delilah, and Gus, who came some time after Delilah had been there a while. 11 years ago (May)… we follow Kate (Delilah’s neighbour), as Delilah’s dad knocks on the door on a rainy night, not knowing where his 6-year old little girl, Delilah, is or his wife, Meredith. 11 years ago (March)… we follow Meredith, Delilah’s mom, a doula, and yoga instructor, as she wonders where the threatening texts she’s been receiving are coming from…

Those are snapshots from the start of the book. The book does go back and forth in time, and switches perspective (each chapter tells you the time and whose perspective it is, so it’s easy to follow), but it pulled me in immediately and kept me wanting to read! I didn’t want to put down the book, though there are a couple of parts that had me nervous: reading at night at home by myself, not wanting to turn the lights out for bed! Some great twists in this one, and it had me scared a couple of times. Adds up to 5 stars from me.

4 complex stars

The first disappearance is Shelby Tebow, a new mom, who goes for a run late at night and never returns. Then Meredith and her daughter disappear. What on earth is going on in this town?

There are multiple narrators and timelines in this one, each giving clues if you pay careful attention! I enjoyed Meredith’s storyline and more about her work as a doula. There’s another storyline with Meredith’s neighbors trying to solve the crimes on their own.

At one point, Meredith’s daughter reappears after being gone for 11 years! She’s been deeply traumatized.

Secrets and lies abound in this one! I enjoyed the first 80% or so of this one, but the ending was out of the blue to me and definitely took away from my enjoyment. I’m still trying to “buy” the ending. It didn’t fit for me. I still enjoyed the ride of this one though!

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it did not disappoint! What a binge-worthy psychological thriller this was!

I was hooked immediately by such an intriguing and captivating plot. I throughly enjoyed the multiple POVs and alternating timelines that were so well done and used perfectly to continually build the suspense.

The last quarter of the book was a wild ride and just started exploding with shocking twists and turns that I definitely did not see coming!

Without doubt, you need to pre-order this one!

Mary Kubica is becoming an auto-buy author for me and I cannot wait to continue reading all of her books!

4.5 Stars rounded up to 5!

Wow. This book was absolutely incredible. I loved the dual timelines and reading multiple point of views. This book felt so real to me. I felt like I wasn't even reading, but instead watching a very intense tv show. The writing was genius and everything flowed together so smoothly.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read Local Woman Missing

"Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive!" (Sir Walter Scott, 1808)

An abducted girl ... a suicidal mother ... a missing local woman ... a creepy OBGYN ... a jealous wife.... an abusive husband

Told in multiple POVs, Ms Kubica weaves a web of deceit and mystery that had me guessing and second guessing myself the whole time, and I didn’t really even come close to figuring things out !

There are some heavy topics in this book, not for the light at heart . A child kidnapped and kept in captivity for 11 years - the first chapter was difficult to read and I have to be honest, I skipped parts of it. All the child birthing stuff ( not that there was a lot of it, just too much for me)- not things I enjoy reading about or watching really . But otherwise, this was a hard book to put down !

Book rating : 4.5 ⭐️

A woman goes missing in a close-knit neighborhood. Then a second woman and her six-year-old daughter go missing. This story is full of twists and turns. It is so well-written that I could barely put it down. I highly recommend this terrific mystery! Thank you, Netgalley, for the privilege of reading it.

Fantastic audiobook by 5 different narrators! I loved this thriller - it was impossible to put down! Mary Kubica is an excellent writer as well as a storyteller and that certainly adds another dimension to the characters and the suspense. I can’t wait for May 18 so other people in my life can read this and I can talk about it with people!
Thanks NetGalley and Libro.FM and Harlequin Audio for the early copy.

Local Woman Missing started out swinging right off the bat; there was an immediate action and I was invested in the story right away. If you enjoy books that are fast-paced, this is a great choice. I definitely needed to know how this story ended and how all the pieces fit together.

One local woman goes missing, and then soon after another woman goes missing along with her young daughter, Delilah. No one knows if the two cases are connected, but it seems suspicious in such a small community. Eleven years later, Delilah is suddenly found and everyone believes they know what happened to her, but they don’t know the whole story. Can they trust everything she says about her kidnapping and the circumstances of her confinement? While her father believes everything that she says, her younger brother isn’t so sure.

The story switches through multiple narratives throughout the novel, while also switching between the past and the present. This was a little disorienting at times, especially in the beginning. A lot of character names were thrown at the reader and the sudden shift in time took a little getting used to.

Overall I rated this book 4 stars because I thought it was well-written and I was glad I didn’t guess the ending. I did knock off one star because I did feel like the ending was a bit too tidy; it did rely on a lot of coincidences and I can see how some would find it a bit unrealistic. If you are looking for an interesting thriller, this is a good one!

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the chance to review this title!

My Review:
From the very first page to the very last page this book had me on pins and needles the whole time. I was totally hooked. I could not put it down for the life of me. I loved it and will shout that to the moon and back. This was my very first book by this author and she sure did not disappoint. I will definitely be reading more of her books in the future. In fact after I finished this book I went on Amazon and bought a few more of her books. I can’t wait to start them.

I want to start off by saying that this book could definitely be made into a movie and was hands down my favorite read of the year so far. It had everything that I loved. Great characters, great plot, and a shocking ending. What more can you ask for in a book? I loved every single one of the characters in this book. All the characters worked so well together to make this book come together so nicely. There was not one character that was out of place or that I felt was wrong for this book. Everyone who knows me knows I love a good child kidnapping book especially the ones where they are found many years later. There are so many questions I have when they come back and I loved the way this book addressed them all. Now on to that shocking of an ending. I love dark and twisty endings and let me tell you this one had a real big whopper of one. I never would’ve guessed it in a million years. This was definitely my favorite ending in a book and that is saying a lot coming from me. I am so happy I chose to read this.

Lastly, the characters, plot, and the ending of this book made this an easy and fast read. I would definitely recommend this book and happily give it 5 Hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Mary Kubica’s new suspense thriller opens with marital infidelity then moves to the horrors experienced by an abducted child. All this happens against a backdrop of a cozy Illinois suburb where neighbors share wine on porches and keep an eye on young children. But not all is what it seems. Eleven years ago, Shelby Tebow, the wife half of the cheating couple, fails to return from a late-night jog. Meredith Dickey and her six-year-old daughter Delilah also go missing soon after Shelby disappears. Has to be a serial killer, right? Fast forward to eleven years later and Delilah has escaped her brutal kidnappers and Meredith’s husband, Josh, is stunned to learn his daughter is alive. From this point Kubica opens a deluge of twists and turns of what exactly happened eleven years ago. Despite minor quibbles that the local cops seem incapable of connecting the dots, Local Woman Missing is a great page-turner that kept me up past normal bedtime.

This was an engaging read that kept me wondering what would happen. Mary Kubica does a good job with pacing and slowly revealing characters and story. With the dual timeline and multiple views, it kept my interest throughout.
My criticism lies in questioning the actions some characters took and whether this could really happen. The hiding of a child for eleven years (with a life partner in the picture) was hard for me to believe. However, I know this is fiction and I did thoroughly enjoy the journey and questions it raised.

Wow! Another thriller by author Mary Kubica. I'm glad I was offered the opportunity to read and review Local Woman Missing by NetGalley. This is sure to be the "can't put it down" book of the year. It starts with two kids being held captive in a dark basement - for years. The girl, Delilah, manages to escape and is returned home to her family, who have been in a sort of prison of their own and hope she can shed some light on the death of her mother. I have to say Local Woman Missing will certainly keep you on your toes, I never saw several of the story twists coming and had no idea how the story was going to end until it did. Lots of great plot twists. This is sure to be one a favorite book for the summer.

Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica

Eleven years ago, two women and a six year old girl went missing. Now the girl is back, having escaped her captors. But things don't feel right to her younger brother, Leo. His life has always revolved around his sister, when she was with them and after she went missing. She's been a ghost in his family of two, ever since his mother and sister have been gone. His father is always thinking about her, forgetting that he has a son right there with him, wanting his father's attention, too. So when Delilah comes back, Leo is apprehensive, doesn't trust this strange, feral girl who could be his sister but doesn't fit who he remembers, at all. 

The story gives us several timelines and they aren't in any sort of order. We go from present to various past dates while changing points of views of Delilah, Leo, his mom, and a neighbor. The narrators are resentful, unreliable, hurt, scared, tired, confused. The atmosphere is often terrifying and I felt the fears of the characters, caught in situations that were inescapable. So much of this book was so right, so chilling and foreboding. I was transfixed by what was happening but didn't want to see the end result that I knew would not be good. 

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.

The story did fall short towards the end. The reveal and resolution just don't go well with the feel of the rest of the story. It seems so different compared to all that leads up to the end of the book. I did leave the story wanting to stay with some of the characters, I cared about them, despite somewhat clunky parts of the book. This was a very enjoyable read and it's going to say with me for a long time. 

Thank you to HARLEQUIN/Park Row and NetGalley for this ARC.

Mary Kubica once again weaves a story full of tense moments, multiple mysteries, and storylines that converge into an ending you didn’t quite see coming. Starting with a found woman’s body, every character at some point seems to be the guilty person. Kubica knows how to get into the mind of each character like no other. This page turner did not disappoint.

This was my very first book by Mary Kubica and it’s definitely made me want to go back and read all her other books. Local Woman Missing is perfect for True Crime lovers, even though this is a fictional mystery, there were quite a few incidents that mirrored true stories.

The story takes place post in the present and eleven years ago. Set in a small suburb, eleven years ago Shelby Tebow, a young mother goes missing. Less than two weeks later, Meredith Dickey and her daughter Delilah also go missing. It’s been eleven years and Delilah is back. But her return brings more questions than it answers leaving those close to the missing struggling to comprehend what happened all those years ago. The dual timeline really adds to the story and helps to increase the character development within the story.

We have quite a few narrators including perspectives from Shelby, Delilah, and Meredith’s perspectives. We also get a glimpse into the mind of the Dickey’s neighbors who help search for the missing woman/girl, so long ago. I don’t always enjoy so many narrators, as if they’re not written well than it’s easy to get lost, but Kubica does a really great job of giving distinct voices to each of the characters and the chapters are titled with the narrators name, which helps the reader to easily stay on top of who is speaking.

My favorite things about mysteries include puzzles that are neatly put together throughout the story. Kubica does a fabulous job of setting up the plot of the story and sprinkling in clues without making anything to predictable. The story also illustrates how many little secrets and lies people keep and the impact they have on those around them. All these little secrets create such a tangle little web which will keep you turning the page.

The mix of suspense and puzzles within this story were perfect for keeping the reader on their toes. If you love a good puzzle with multiple points of view, than you’ll need to pick this one up on May 18th when it hits shelves.


Local Woman Missing comes out May 18, 2021. Thank you to Park Row & Harlequin for my advanced copy for my honest review. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof_books.

First Shelby Tebow goes missing. A new mom, Shelby's husband is quickly suspected in her disappearance. Then Meredith Dickey and her young daughter, Delilah--who live just blocks from Shelby--vanish. The rest of the neighborhood, including couple Bea and Kate, are terrified. Are the cases related? An investigation is launched, with few results. Then, eleven years later, Delilah is found, bringing back memories of all the incidents, especially for her father Josh and brother Leo. Everyone wants answers, but Delilah is too traumatized to provide them. Besides, the secrets unearthed with Delilah's return may be too much for everyone.

"I don't know how old I am. I don't know how long they've been keeping me here."

This was a captivating page-turner that I read in three breathless sittings. It's undeniably compelling and sucks you in from the beginning. It starts with Delilah's point of view, shocking and terrifying, and sort of never lets you go. Her voice and story are hard to forget. Among other narrators, we hear from Meredith, eleven years ago, and then Kate and Leo in the present. Working out how the various families and characters are interconnected is part of the challenge and honestly, I was truly shocked at various points in the story. How exactly these missing women and Delilah are tied together is incredibly dark and twisty.

I was completely into this book for most of the story and thought I was looking at 4.5+ star read. It started to dissolve a bit at the end, as things (including some characters) went a little crazy. Now, some of the twists were truly awesome and breathtaking. I think--in that way--this is one of Kubica's best in a while. I did have one MAJOR issue with the book, though, near and dear to my heart, but it's a huge spoiler, and I don't feel comfortable discussing it here. Feel free to message me, though, if you'd like to hear my thoughts!

Overall, if I can look past that issue (I'm still iffy), this is an addictive thriller filled with some truly shocking plot twists. It keeps you guessing the entire time, and its complex and layered plot is different and exciting. 4 stars (for now).

Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica is a quick thriller. Gripping from the first few pages! Shelby Tebow is the first to go missing followed by Meredith and her 6 year old daughter, Delilah. The incidents have very little in common, but there are strange connections the women had. 11 years pass without any solid answers, and then Delilah is found, running for her life. Tormented by her years in captivity, Delilah provides little help in unlocking the mystery of what happened 11 years ago. So what really happened?

Told from multiple perspectives and timelines, this novel is difficult to put into words without giving too much away. Mary Kubica has proved once again that she can weave together a solid edge of your seat thriller that will keep you engaged from start to finish.

I cruised through this book! I just needed to know how these seemingly different story lines would come together in the end. I really enjoyed the various perspectives that Kubica used to tell the story. The points of view were from some bystander characters, which provided a reading with an outside perspective of main characters. I appreciated the ability to see various perspectives, but understand the main characters through the eyes of others. I am rather new to Mary Kubica novels, but I am definitely here for them now!

Thank you to Mary Kubica, Park Row Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is my first Mary Kubica - and based on this, I don't see myself rushing to pick up another... The reviews on Goodreads make it sound like this is one of her best - it has some of the highest ratings anyway - but I simply could not find my way into it.

It started promising but then extremely quickly went dark - very dark. Like "page after page after page of child abuse" dark. I don't do well with that, and wasnt expecting it. I skimmed quite a bit to get past that, figuring things would pick up after i got past it but when I finally did I found a story that I never managed to feel connected with or to, and the lack of connection combined with the rough beginning led me to call this one an ill-fit and stop reading.

Not every book is for every reader, nor is every writer - and apparently this is just not for me.

Omg this was so good. Not sure what I expected but I went in blind to and I'm so glad I did.
Thanks for this Arc. Can't wait to read more form this author.