Name: Local Woman Missing
Author: Mary Kubica
ISBN: 9780778311669

Book Details


Author Mary Kubica
Country	Canada
Language	English
Published	May 18, 2021
ISBN	9780778311669
Pages	352

Genre:

Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Crime

Story Setting:

A Suburban Neighborhood, Chicago, Illinois

What To Expect:

Small Town, Dark Secrets, Missing Persons, Domestic Suspense

Readability:

Suspenseful, Gripping, Layered

Book Review

A Multi-Layered Thriller That Grips You from the Start

Mary Kubica’s Local Woman Missing opens with a classic suspense hook—people don’t just disappear without a trace, and yet they do. First, Shelby Tebow goes missing, followed by Meredith Dickey and her six-year-old daughter, Delilah. The heart of the book revolves around this chilling question: What connects these disappearances?

Fast forward eleven years, and suddenly, Delilah returns. Her reappearance is a shock, but it’s not the resolution everyone is hoping for—it’s the beginning of even darker revelations. The narrative pulls you into a series of twists and turns, spanning multiple timelines and perspectives. As the tension mounts, Kubica expertly builds an unsettling atmosphere where trust is scarce, and the truth is buried under layers of fear and lies.

Character Depth and Emotional Resonance

Kubica delivers complex and flawed characters, making them feel achingly real. One standout is Leo, the younger brother of Delilah, who has lived in his sister’s shadow, even after she disappeared. His pain is palpable—he is a boy craving attention and validation from a father too focused on the lost daughter to notice the son who’s right in front of him. The bond—or lack thereof—between Leo and Delilah is emotionally charged, and you can’t help but feel for him as he grapples with the conflicting emotions of wanting his sister back but not trusting the person who returns.

Then there’s Meredith, a devoted mother and a doula, whose character offers a window into the themes of motherhood that are woven throughout the book. Her relationship with her children, her desire to protect them, and her growing fear as danger closes in provide much of the novel’s emotional weight. Kubica does an excellent job showing how the adults in this story—flawed, overburdened, and scared—often fail the children they love.

Pacing and Kubica’s Writing Style

Kubica’s writing style is captivating, and the book’s structure—shifting between timelines and narrators—adds to its suspenseful pace. The short, sharp chapters keep you hooked, as the tension steadily builds with each passing page. The alternating perspectives between the past and present, along with different points of view, create a rich tapestry of interconnected stories. However, there are moments where the timelines can feel disorienting, but this disjointedness serves the story’s complexity and keeps you on your toes.

That said, some readers might find the final reveal a bit too far-fetched. While the earlier sections of the book masterfully build suspense and dread, the last act takes a turn that might feel jarring or overly dramatic. It’s a twist that doesn’t quite live up to the strong foundation the rest of the novel lays down, which may leave you feeling like the resolution doesn’t fit the mood of the story. It’s like cooking a perfect dish, only to have the seasoning thrown off at the end.

Final Thoughts

Local Woman Missing is an addictive, suspense-filled read that will keep you turning the pages late into the night. The character-driven plot and Kubica’s knack for crafting unsettling, emotional tension are the novel’s strongest assets. Even if the ending feels a bit out of place, the journey to get there is well worth the ride. If you’re a fan of domestic thrillers with a psychological edge, this one should definitely be on your reading list.

All in all, Local Woman Missing is a compelling domestic thriller with haunting emotional layers that linger long after the final page.