Where Are They?

I needed a good thriller, a true page-turner, and Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica did not disappoint. Told through multiple points of view, this story kept me guessing from beginning to end.

Meredith is a doula, which, if you’re like me and didn’t know, is someone who provides support throughout pregnancy, labor, and childbirth. Lately, she’s been receiving unsettling, anonymous messages while working with a newer client, Shelby. At the same time, Shelby’s husband, Jason, has become increasingly suspicious of her late-night disappearances. Then one night, Shelby doesn’t come home, and Jason quickly becomes the prime suspect in her disappearance.

Meredith also has her own concerns. After Shelby’s difficult delivery, she’s expected to testify against the doctor involved, leaving her to wonder if the threatening messages she’s been receiving are somehow connected.

One evening, Meredith and her husband, Josh, meet up with their neighbors and friends, Kate and Bea. Meredith and Bea decide to stay out for drinks and dancing, while Josh and Kate head home so Josh can relieve the babysitter watching their children, Delilah and Leo. The next morning, Meredith wakes up to discover her life has changed forever. Shelby isn’t the only woman who’s missing—Meredith and six-year-old Delilah have vanished as well.

Eleven years later, Delilah suddenly reappears. She’s undernourished, scarred, and barely recognizable after escaping from her captor. As she struggles to adjust to the home and family she barely remembers, it becomes clear that not everything about her return adds up.

Mary Kubica slowly peels back the layers of the mystery, revealing twists I genuinely didn’t see coming. Where was Delilah all those years? Who took her? What really happened to Meredith and Shelby? If you enjoy psychological thrillers with multiple perspectives, shocking reveals, and plenty of suspense, Local Woman Missing is one I definitely recommend.

Favorite Quotes – “The absence of a no should never mean yes.”

“Being unbiased is important. Every woman is not me.”

“The truth will set you free.”