Local Woman Missing: A Novel of Domestic Suspense

Loved this book so much! I couldn’t put it down. I definitely didn’t see that coming. One of the best thrillers I have read.

When a small-town doula and her six-year-old daughter go missing, the local community organizes search parties. Meredith’s husband, Josh, is frantic with worry. The neighbors, a couple named Kate and Bea, who often socialized with Meredith and Josh, pitch in to help however they can. Little Leo, Meredith’s and Josh’s toddler son, doesn’t understand where his mommy and big sister went. Adding to the anxiety everyone is feeling, is the knowledge that another woman from the immediate area went missing just weeks before. This other woman turns out to be a client of Meredith’s, whom she helped during a difficult birth. Meredith’s car is spotted at a rundown motel. Police on the investigation find Meredith’s body in one of the motel rooms. Her death was an apparent suicide. She leaves a note to Josh saying he’ll never find Delilah. Meanwhile, miles away, a small girl is kept in a basement. Her abductors torment her by denying her enough water, food, medical care, and even sunlight. The girl’s only consolation is she is trapped with another child, a boy named Gus. After years of abuse, the kids plot an escape. The girl’s emergence from captivity is a catalyst for events that make an unknown killer very nervous. This novel is a complex mystery involving five point-of-view characters, subplots, red herrings, and twists and including a dual timeline in the past and present. I thought the author, Mary Kubica did a masterful job in building suspense. Unfortunately, not all the twists in the plot are believable. I can’t be more specific without revealing spoilers. For the first three-fourths of the book, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough and was willing to suspend disbelief. The ending, however, was a let-down because several new plot wrinkles were added at the very last minute, which made me feel unfairly tricked. My rating is a 3.5 because I enjoyed most of the book. Overall, this is a fast summer read that does keep you guessing, even if your guesses turn out wrong.

The book was an excellent value. It came as new. No marks, no dog ears, nothing. Never read. The story is amazing. From the moment you start reading, you know this author knows exactly how to get a reader's attention. You don't want to put it down. I read a lot and I am so impressed with her writing style, the thrilling way she rights that engulfs you from the very beginning. No fluff, just straight into the good stuff. I will buy more of her books. Excellent seller. Highly recommended!

Local Woman Missing was a solid, suspenseful read that kept me intrigued from the very beginning. The pacing was strong, and there were several clever twists that kept the story moving and added an eerie edge. While I enjoyed the overall plot, one of the major reveals didn’t hit as hard for me—it felt a little underwhelming, especially given how much I liked the character involved. That said, the emotional complexity of the story still made the ending impactful. Overall, it’s an engaging thriller with plenty of tension and surprises. Definitely worth a read for fans of twisty, character-driven mysteries.

Wow—this book was a wild ride! It was packed with twists and turns, and I truly did not see the ending coming at all. I was both surprised and shocked, which made the whole experience even more satisfying. I stayed entertained throughout the entire book. While the storyline did get confusing at times, the use of different narrators really helped keep everything straight in my head. The multiple perspectives added depth and made the audiobook especially engaging. Overall, Local Woman Missing was a very interesting and suspenseful read that kept me hooked from start to finish. I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves twisty thrillers.

Delilah and Gus are two young children kidnapped by strangers. Gus was playing ball alone in the park when the man and woman used their big red dog to snatch him. Gus was 12 at the time. Delilah escapes her captors, but Gus is recaptured. The twists and turns in the book had me glued to my kindle. The ending absolutely blew my mind This was my first of Ms. Kubica's books but certainly not my last.

A well paced book that kept me intrigued the whole book. This book makes me want to read more in this genre.

Dark & twisted thriller that is hard to put the book down! Crazy to think things like this happen in real life.