Tag: Suspense

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What I’m Reading: Local Woman Missing — Mary Kubica

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

Buy Local Woman Missing HERE

Follow Mary Kubica on Instagram

Check out Mary Kubica’s interview regarding Local Woman Missing

Mary Kubica’s Website

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What I’m Reading: The Housemaid — by Sarah A. Denzil

Sarah A. Denzil is a million copy bestselling author of psychological suspense novels. Her books include number one bestseller Silent Child, which was a Goodreads Choice semi-finalist in 2017. Her books have been published in several different languages and have appeared on the Wall Street Journal bestseller list.

Sarah lives in Yorkshire with her husband and cats, enjoying the scenic countryside and rather unpredictable weather. She loves to write moody, psychological fiction with plenty of twists and turns.

Amazon’s review…

The latest dark and twisty thriller by the million-copy best-selling author of Silent Child.

Housemaid wanted.

Skills required: discretion, and the willingness to go the extra mile.

It seems like the perfect job. Great wages, accommodation provided and all located within the walls of Highwood Hall, a stunning stately home owned by the Howard family. Not many little girls dream of becoming a maid, but this is an opportunity for me to get back on my feet. And for me to revisit my past….

But I soon realise I’ve made a mistake. The strict housekeeper, Mrs Huxley, watches my every move, emerging from the shadows when least expected. Lord Howard’s son, Alex, takes an interest in me, and as a former addict, I find myself drawn to him because I know he’s bad for me. There’s a general atmosphere of unease at Highwood Hall, from the narrow tunnels laced throughout the sprawling house, to the abandoned north wing, rumoured to be haunted. It’s easy to imagine the secrets hidden within these walls, like the secrets I hold close.

On my first day, I receive a mysterious package. I open up the pretty gift box to find a miniature doll version of me trapped inside a dollhouse. In this scene I’m dead, lying in a pool of red paint at the bottom of the perfectly recreated staircase. Someone sent this threatening diorama to me, but who even knows I work at the hall? And what do they want?

I know only one truth: my perfect job is turning into my perfect nightmare.

©2021 Sarah Denzil (P)2021 Audible, Ltd

This is the novel by Sarah A. Denzil. There is another by the same name that is also on my list, but I got this audiobook free, so decided to give it a shot. It is also around eight hours long, which is fairly doable in a day of work, so I didn’t have much to lose.

This is one of the only books I haven’t read a review for before starting, and I have to say I’m glad. Emily’s mom worked at the same house before she “abandoned” her as an infant. Emily, an ex-addict, needed a job after being incarcerated for a year prior to residing at the estate and the house likes to employ girls who have been troubled and need a second chance. Translation: The house likes to employ girls who have no loved ones and will not be missed by anyone outside of the house’s control.

The book starts off with Emily, who I find sad and a little desperate from the beginning. She ends up being attracted to the heir of the estate, Alex, and inevitably leaps off into a weird affair with him, that seems more like a power play by Alex than anything else. This is like Fifty Shades of Gray without the sex. She seems like a masochist to just go along with whatever he says or does, but she is desperate for work and, as he often points out, he is ultimately her boss.

I got very confused in several parts of the book. I couldn’t tell if it was Emily or her mother’s voice telling the story, or which story they were telling, several times throughout. Overall, it had some very unexpected twists and turns and ended well in my perspective, so I do recommend it.

Emily – narrator. Dark hair. Olive skin. protagonist. the maid and ex-jailbird. In a weird, very unhealthy relationship with Alex. Co-dependent. Needs external validation. Needs A LOT of very quality counseling and somewhere to go for holidays. Self-proclaimed slow learner. Only met her dad once. No family.

Aunt Josephine- Emily aunt

David – Emily’s father

Mrs. Huxley – head housekeeper and Emily’s supervisor. Not nice. Judgy.

Lord Bertie Howard- the estate king. Alex’s dad. Seems like a jerk. Questionable business man.

Lady Laura Howard – dead at the time of the story, Lord Bertie’s late wife and Lottie and Alex’s mother, married to Lord Bertie in the early 1990s. Only daughter of Margot and Robert.

Chloe – Emily’s predecessor, the maid that came before her and whose position she fills at the estate

Margot (husband, Robert) – Lord Bertie’s mother-in-law. Her daughter (Alex and Lottie’s mom) tried to hang herself, then ultimately met her death by falling down the stairs. Former actress. Blames Bertie for Laura’s death

Ade – gardner. Plant lover. Lives in a cottage in the village. There’s an attraction between him and Emily. Dark brown eyes.

Pavoll – cook

Rosheen – more seasoned housekeeper. Emily’s roommate and work mentor. Red, copperish hair. Delightful. Beautiful. Light. Having an affair with Lord Bertie.

Lottie – heir to the estate. Condescending, spoiled,but unaware of both and fairly pleasant otherwise.

Alex Howard- heir to the estate. 100% douchebag. Control freak. Probably handsome but also completely psychotic. Aren’t they all… needs A LOT of anti-psychotic meds after inpatient care. Nothing behind the eyes, as Ade says. Entitled and arrogant.

Buy The Housemaid here…

Sarah Denzil’s website

Sarah Denzil’s Instagram

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What I’m Reading: The Girl on the Train

I think I put off reading this one because of the hype that surrounded it when it first came out in 2015. Then there was the first movie adaptation in 2016, followed by a 2021 Indian Hindi-language version directed by Ribhu Dasgupta and produced by Reliance Entertainment. I don’t generally like or watch movie adaptations of the books I read because I am more creative and accurate with my imaginative perspectives of the settings and characters than Hollywood (also, Bollywood, in this case, I guess). I am going to watch both versions for this one after I finish reading, though. It was a really great psychological page-turner, if not a little confusing at times, due mostly to Megan and Rachel’s hazy mental states. Paula Hawkins may have done it on purpose.

Full disclosure: This book opened some doors and shut some doors for me personally. Alcoholism and addiction are things that have brushed my life very closely and have changed the absolute course of my life in some respects. I have never read a first-person view that so accurately depicts the aftermath of an addictive episode; the guilt, the desperate attempts to remember, the embarrassment that comes in waves, the depression that goes hand in hand with addiction and binging. Rachel is the catalyst that makes me begin to examine some of my own drinking habits and reevaluate whether or not alcohol is even something I want in my life at all. It also helps me understand some of those who have experienced similar circumstances and humanizes them for me better than I can on my own.

Buy The Girl on the Train Here

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What I’m Reading: The Wife Between Us

Nellie – bride-to-be, former college sorority girl, blonde, preschool teacher

Samantha – Nellie’s roommate, fellow preschool teacher

Richard – Nellie’s fiancee, strong, security, allows Nellie to sleep, overcome insomnia, blue eyes, built like a wiry runner, professionally accomplished

Vanessa – Richard’s ex-wife – sales associate at Sak’s on third floor designer floor, 5’6″, smaller than size 4, living with Aunt Charlotte, Lives in NYC

Aunt Charlotte – Vanessa’s mother’s older sister, artist, no children,

Do not skip the epilogue. It is super important, and an absolutely intriguing twist that I would never see coming. I may need to read this one a second time through after all discoveries are made.

This book confirms my belief that I’m better off single. I’m kidding, kind of… The characters and plot highlight the disgusting underbelly of what humans are capable of doing to other humans. I honestly think every love struck teen and twenty-something needs to read this to kind of bring them back to ground level and show them that maybe they should spend ten years traveling and getting to know themselves before settling down… Also, money is a lot but it isn’t everything. I do recommend. If you are cynical, it will make you more so, and I am totally okay with being more cynical.

Buy the book here…