Mary Kubica is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of many suspense novels, including THE GOOD GIRL, PRETTY BABY, DON’T YOU CRY, EVERY LAST LIE, WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT, THE OTHER MRS., LOCAL WOMAN MISSING and JUST THE NICEST COUPLE.
A former high school history teacher, Mary holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in History and American Literature. She lives outside of Chicago with her husband and two children.
Her first novel THE GOOD GIRL was an Indie Next pick in August of 2014, received a Strand Critics Nomination for Best First Novel and was a nominee in the Goodreads Choice Awards in Debut Goodreads Author and in Mystery & Thriller for 2014.
LOCAL WOMAN MISSING was an Indie Next pick in May of 2021, a nominee in the Goodreads Choice Awards in Mystery & Thriller for 2021, and a finalist for an Audie Award.
Mary’s novels have been selected as Amazon Best Books of the Month and have been LibraryReads selections. They’ve been translated into over thirty languages and have sold over five million copies worldwide. She’s been described as “a helluva storyteller,” (Kirkus Reviews) and “a writer of vice-like control,” (Chicago Tribune), and her novels have been praised as “hypnotic” (People) and “thrilling and illuminating” (Los Angeles Times). She is currently working on her next novel.
Official summary from Mary Kubica’s website…
People Don’t Just Disappear Without a Trace…
Shelby Tebow is the first to go missing. Not long after, Meredith Dickey and her six-year-old daughter, Delilah, vanish just blocks away from where Shelby was last seen, striking fear into their once-peaceful community. Are these incidents connected? After an elusive search that yields more questions than answers, the case eventually goes cold.
Now, eleven years later, Delilah shockingly returns. Everyone wants to know what happened to her, but no one is prepared for what they’ll find…
In this smart and chilling thriller, master of suspense and New York Times bestselling author Mary Kubica takes domestic secrets to a whole new level, showing that some people will stop at nothing to keep the truth buried.
PRAISE
“[A] daringly plotted, emotionally eviscerating psychological thriller.”
~ Publishers Weekly
“Complex, richly atmospheric and thoroughly riveting, LOCAL WOMAN MISSING is a thoughtful look at how even the most innocuous secrets between happy couples and beloved friends in tightly knit neighborhoods can sometimes turn so unexpectedly and terrifyingly deadly.”
~ Kimberly McCreight / New York Times bestselling author of Reconstructing Amelia and A Good Marriage
“Dark and twisty, with all the white-knuckle tension and jaw-dropping surprises readers have come to expect from Mary Kubica.”
~ Riley Sager / New York Times bestselling author of Home Before Dark
“I’m shamelessly addicted to Mary Kubica’s juicy, unpredictable reads, as much for her well-rounded, fully human, flawed characters as her sizzling plots—and she just keeps getting better. LOCAL WOMAN MISSING is a propulsive journey through a winding maze of secrets, leading to a jaw-dropping twist that I never saw coming. Loved every minute.”
~ Joshilyn Jackson / New York Times bestselling author of Never Have I Ever
“Impossible-to-see-it-coming…. [Kubica] takes readers to a whole new level of deceit and irony.”
~ Booklist
“The twists, turns, and an unpredictable ending make it irresistible.”
~ Library Journal
“A pitch-perfect domestic thriller from the always-reliable Mary Kubica… Don’t miss this unforgettable story about what strong women have to do in desperate circumstances.”
~ Apple Books
I heard mixed reviews on this one, so I decided to find out for myself. I had to make a list of characters, because the time hops, different voices, and perspectives were a little challenging for me to process. This story is based in an upper middle class suburb outside of Chicago. There is a lot going on and a lot of different players. To bring some order to the plot, I also made a list of questions regarding the plot I wanted to answer by the end of the book. I got most of them answered, and some weren’t really important to answer by the end.
I was okay with the ending. I would have given the book 3.5 stars, if possible. It absolutely kept my attention, but the very unrealistic nature of a lot of the circumstances in the story made it lose some appeal for me. It does serve its purpose as a thriller, and I will read additional books by this author. I liked the fact that I didn’t even almost guess the ending.
- Josh Dickey – Married to Meredith, father to Delilah and Leo
- Meredith Dickey – second to go missing with Delilah, Married to Josh, Delilah and Leo’s mother, doula, didn’t show up to work unbeknownst to Josh for a few weeks, planned to testify in court against Dr. Feingold for malpractice when delivering Shelby and Josh’s baby, Grace
- Delilah Dickey – second to go missing with Meredith, kidnapped and lived in a dark basement for 11 years
- Leo Dickey – Delilah’s younger brother, one of the first person voices in the book, angry and resentful when Delilah comes home, 4 years old when Meredith and Delilah go missing
- Gus – trapped in the basement with Delilah
- Kate – Bea’s partner, Josh and Meredith’s neighbor, vet
- Bea – Kate’s partner, Josh and Meredith’s neighbor, musician, has recording studio in the garage, born leader
- Shelby Tebow – first to go missing, cheating on her husband with Sam, Meredith was Shelby’s doula
- Jason Tebow – Shelby’s husband, cheating on his wife, insurance agent, wanted to play NFL football but didn’t due to knee injury, seems like a huge jerk all-round
- Grace Tebow – Shelby and Jason’s baby girl, an infant when Shelby disappears, sustains brain trauma due to Dr. Feingold using forceps during birth
- Dr. Feingold – Jason tells Kate and Bea that this was Shelby’s only enemy, doesn’t have good bedside manner, Meredith planned to testify against him in Tebows’ malpractice suit
- Charlotte – neighbor in late 50s who lives alone with her husband and watched kids in the neighborhood, keeps Delilah and Leo when they are young
- Janette – midwife that Meredith works with
- Cassandra and Marty – neighbors, Marty and Meredith dated in college and she lost her virginity to him
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Check out Mary Kubica’s interview regarding Local Woman Missing
Pretty Colors Unabridged 