4.25⭐

Featuring ~ multiple 1st person POV, dual timeline with "many years earlier" in the 3rd person, co-workers, office environment, abduction, survival, some violence

Our narrators are co-workers Deborah, Adrian, Yvonne and Merriel.

Chapter 1 gets to the nitty gritty as we read about Deborah being held captive. And let me just tell you she's a smart captive and seems to have her head on straight even though she's losing tremendously. Except...(view spoiler)

The multiple narrators really worked well for this as it kept up, not only the suspense of who the abductor is, but the intensity of Deborah and Izzy trying their best to escape. And we had the added chapters with the twins that kept us guessing how they would weave into the story. I did go back and forth with my thoughts of who it could be and I did figure it out, but I was pleased with how it all played out.

I do have to say is there were some long paragraphs with lots of monologue and little dialogue, which made for some slowness. Also, there wasn't any police work ~ I guess since she's been missing for a few weeks they're not still trying to find her? I'd like my disappearance to be investigated until my bones are recovered please.

Can someone please tell me what the point of (view spoiler)

Side note ~ why is the title Local Girl Missing and not Local Woman Missing?

Overall, a great psychological thriller that makes me hope I'd be as fierce as Deborah if I was ever held captive. I'd for sure read this authors work again.

Pulse pounding, fast paced thriller that will take my breath away, gripping you til the last page. The twists and turns and this mess with your head, the dual timeline makes the narrative so enthralling. I loved this book so much and can't wait for @jabakerauthor to release more books if there as thrilling as this. @bookandtonic

An office of workers has to try to move on after one of them goes missing. The worker's HR person, Ruth is tasked with improving moral with after work get togethers. She is failing as all seem to resent her efforts and worry about their own safety. The story is told from the perspective of Yvonne, Adrian and the woman who has disappeared after leaving work, Deborah. These three lives each have their own problems. It seems that every worker has a past that is traumatic and could be the psychopath who is holding Deborah prisoner. Deborah has to find a way out of her situation, it's dire she is going to die if not.. You need to figure out who did what when all employees are possible suspects with mental issues.
I hope I never work in an office with so many employees with so many different mental issues. It a bit slow and drags at times. I didn't figure out the who until close to the reveal. I found it a bit depressing and was glad to finish it. Thank you NetGalley and publishers Boldwood for this eARC this is my personal opinion.

It took me a bit to get into it, but I liked it. I felt, in the beginning, to switch perspectives too quickly. However, they built suspense, and I was surprised by the ending.

When Deborah goes missing it is her colleagues speculation as to where she could be and whether she is dead or alive. But while Deborah is being held captive she realises it’s not always a stranger you need to be wary of.

This novel is told through different characters' points of view, allowing the narrative to be fast-paced and filled with tension. I found myself constantly changing my mind about who the villain was and this novel left me guessing until the very end.

A fantastic novel that I flew through and any reader will love.

Local Girl Missing by J A Baker
When local woman Deborah goes missing, her colleagues Adrian, Yvonne and Merriel are all shocked. Gossip around the office begins to swirl – what could have happened to Deborah? Is she dead or alive? And who could be responsible for her disappearance?
Everyone is terrified that they could be next except the one person with all the answers. The last person people expect.
Because Deborah is being held captive by a monster, a psychopath. But not a stranger; it's someone she knows all too well.
Well, what can I say? Another fabulous thriller by Judith. Local Girl Missing is complex, dramatic and evocative; it's also distressing in parts. It is compelling, and you are encompassed in the plot from the first page.
An intricate combination of characters with a melange of personalities whose perspectives are portrayed in intermixed chapters.
If you fancy a gripping thriller, you can't do better than a story by J A Baker; I have read them all and look forward to seeing what comes next.
I want to thank publishers Boldwood Books, author J A Baker and Rachels Random Resources for a copy to read and review.

Each chapter is told from a different person's point of view and through each chapter we get to know that person individually and their story. I bit my nails to the quick all the way through this the tension is unbelievable and I had no idea who the perpetrator was. It's about colleagues and when one of them disappears they have no idea if she is dead or alive. We have no idea who took her but it may be a lot closer to home than you think. I loved how the author wrote this so you are unsure of who is good or who is evil, it keeps you engaged and guessing to the end. I changed my mind about 100 times of who I thought it was and I was wrong all along. I didn't relate to any of the characters but that didn't matter because the plot is so well developed and implemented. A great physcological thriller and I bet you can't guess who dunnit!

Local Girl Missing is such a brilliant thriller told using a very unique perspective to develop the story and the impact.
Most thrillers are told from a police procedural perspective with a small amount of insight into a few loved ones. Local Girl Missing develops the plot with a dual setting approach.
We are told the events of the kidnapping through the eyes of Deborah, the victim, and this is how the reader learns about what is happening to her. This perspective really gives a terrifying insight into her ordeal and is such a clever way to develop the story.
Dispersed between Deborah’s point of view are chapters from three of her work colleagues. This is a perspectives we rarely see in books. That wider impact of someone’s disappearance from their everyday lives, including work, is rarely explored and it was such a clever device.
There is also a past narrative running through the book which added to the build up of suspense and tension as I tried to piece together all the different aspects. Little tidbits (and some red herrings) are scattered throughout all the narratives and it all builds to an unexpected, and superb ending.
Local Girl Missing is such a unique take on an abduction mystery and is a tense and gripping novel. Highly recommended.

How well do you ever really know your coworkers? This book tells the story of a woman, Deborah who goes missing, from the point of view of a few of her coworkers. I found the story to be easy to figure out and none of the characters were really likable.

The premise behind the book Local Girl Missing had me intrigued. One of my favorite troupes is captivity, specifically when someone is held captive beyond their control. So, knowing Local Girl Missing was about exactly that, I dove right in with high expectations.

The book starts out with a bang. I’m talking diving head first into a freezing ocean, swimming your hardest to reach the surface while trying to get warm. Exciting. Whirlwind. Exhilarating. All of those words describe how I was feeling when I started reading.

The story is fast paced and told from multiple POV. Normally I like this style of writing because it allows you to view the happenings from everyone involved. However, in my opinion there were too many characters involved. It almost made the story a little jumpy.

The amount of mystery is enough to keep you guessing. I honestly thought I had this one figured out, but I was thrown for a loop that I was not expecting!

Great book. kept me on my toes with a nice element of suspense and mystery.

I read this book in two sittings, that said it caught my interest right from the first page. Local Girl Missing is about just that a local girl missing. Deborah wakes up not knowing where she is or what has happened to her. All she knows is that she is tied and gagged.

This is a character driven story, all colleagues of Deborah's. They all work in an office setting, and each have their own baggage, abusive relationships, childhoods that left a lot to be desired etc.

Each chapter is told in a different character's point of view. Adrien, the only male in the group has a woman stalking him. Yvonne and Merriel tell us about their childhoods. All the while Deborah is desperately trying to figure out why she was taken. She knows who her abductor is, someone she had thought she knew and trusted. Soon there is another woman abducted and between the two of them they try to escape.

This story had a lot of anger amongst the characters, each for different reasons. I loved it. It kept my attention and hard as I tried, I could not figure out the bad guy, or woman in this case. A story that keeps you thinking long after you turn the last page, thinking, ahh I knew who the abductor was all along!

I think if you want to read a psychological thriller that is a bit different, then you should read this one. I give it 4.5 stars!

I received a copy of the book for review purposes only.

First, I want to thank J.A. Baker, Boldwood Books, NetGalley, and Rachel’s Random Resources for providing me with this book so I can bring you this review.

WOW!!!! WOW!! WOW!!! Local Girl Missing by J.A. Baker is my favorite book of 2022 and deserves way more than 5 stars!! Why do I think that you ask?! J.A. Writes her storyline like you are a fly on the wall watching Deborah being held hostage. Many scenes were so intense. If you are a fan of missing persons and true crime this is the book for you.

I was hooked right away from the prologue! From then on I was addicted!

J.A. You are an incredible storyteller! This was the first time I ever read any of your books and you just blew me away. You did an incredible job pulling out all the thoughts, feelings, and emotions Deborah was feeling when she was being captive. Your eye for detail with the descriptions made me feel like I was there. I must admit there were a few times when I couldn’t read it as my heart hurt too much for Deborah.

I loved the mystery of who in the world took Deborah and why were they torturing her this way?!

Local girl Missing had a lot going on. I did enjoy this read. i found it a little hard to keep up with all the crazy characters. The plot had a lot of different people with issues. Deborah goes missing and her coworkers all seem like they could’ve done it but who did it.

A very different kind of thriller - but no less enjoyable for that!

When their colleague goes missing, it leaves the rest of the office feeling very uncomfortable. Is it personal to their workplace? Will one of them be next? And what happened to Deborah? Is she being held somewhere or will her body be found one of those days? What they don't know is that it's all closer to home than they think . . .

I'm used to reading detective thrillers where the crime has already been committed and the police are investigating, trying to work out what happened and who is responsible. With this novel, the reader actually knows what's going on but there are options as to who the guilty party is. I had my suspicions, but never enough to declare that I knew 'whodunnit'! While very different, this is as creepy and scary as any other thriller that I've read, perhaps more so and I was rooting for the captives all the way through. A fantastically gripping read and one which kept me glued to the pages until the very end. Highly recommended to all those who like to give their brain a bit of a workout, and an easy and well deserved five stars.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

I’m afraid this wasn’t for me, there was too much ongoing violence. I know in this type of book there will be some but it was too graphic for me. It was difficult to work out who was the culprit as there were so many in the office that seemed likely candidates. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Local Girl Missing by J A Baker.
When local woman Deborah goes missing, her colleagues Adrian, Yvonne and Merriel are all left in shock. Gossip around the office begins to swirl – what could have happened to Deborah? Is she dead or alive? And who could be responsible for her disappearance?
Everyone is terrified that they could be next…except the one person who has all the answers. The last person people expect.
Because Deborah is being held captive by a monster, a psychopath. But not a stranger… it’s someone she knows all too well…
I really did enjoy this book. Gripping read. 5*.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

The premise of this book sounded fabulous which is what led me to request advanced access. Deborah goes missing and we follow multiple POVs between Deborah herself, her coworkers and the past.

Sadly I just didn’t enjoy this book very much. I am not usually put off by unrealistic books - in fact that’s what makes them fun and an escape from real life but this was truly just too much. There was not a single employee at that company without a deep-seated issue or mental health problem. I imagine the author did this to add to the mystery- which was another point of contention for me, the author just tried WAY too hard to drag on the mystery of who the abductor was that it had the opposite effect, I found it annoying and was glad when it was revealed so I could stop rolling my eyes at every misleading hint given. It also seemed like a lot of the individual characters’ storylines had nothing to do with the overall plot and could have been left out.

Enjoyed this dark and creepy thriller. Great writing style by JA Baker! I loved all the characters and they kept me totally invested in the story.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

Gossip spreads around the office, when Deborah disappears. Her colleagues are terrified of who could be next. But Deborah knows her captor, and they’re a psychopath.

I found this book to be really confusing. There were a lot of characters I was trying to piece together. There is a lot of back and forth and told in different perspectives.

The title made me think it was a little girl that goes missing. But it’s a woman. I didn’t expect the book to have so many different characters, and that the plot was a little wishy washy for me. I thought it was about a girl who goes missing and that’s it. But there’s so many different parts to it.

This book just didn’t pull me in as much as I wanted it to.


Thank you Boldwood Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review

Local Girl Missing is available December 7.

A slow-paced, dark, and disquieting read that explores what happens when a local woman goes missing through the interactions and introspection of her work colleagues and the individual herself who describes her living nightmare in graphic and disturbing detail. Most of the characters are unlikeable and unreliable narrators. Although this adds to the atmospheric quality of the story and intensifies the psychological suspense, it is hard to empathise with anyone other than the missing woman. It's not an easy or particularly engaging read, but it does have believably flawed and complex characters and a few plot twists.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.