#Blogtour The Girl with the Emerald Flag by Kathleen McGurl

 It’s a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour The Girl with the Emerald Flag by Kathleen McGurl.

About the Author

Kathleen McGurl lives near the coast in Christchurch, England. She writes dual timeline novels in which a historical mystery is uncovered and resolved in the present day. She is married to an Irishman and has two adult sons. She enjoys travelling, especially in her motorhome around Europe and has of course visited Ireland many times. Follow @KathMcGurl on Twitter, Visit kathleenmcgurl.com

About the book

A country rebelling – It’s 1916 and, as war rages in Europe, Gráinne leaves her job in a department store to join Countess Markiewicz’s revolutionary efforts. It is a decision which will change her life forever. A rebellion is brewing, and as Dublin’s streets become a battleground, Gráinne soon discovers the personal cost of fighting for what you believe in…

A forgotten sacrifice – Decades on, student Nicky is recovering from a break-up when a research project leads her to her great-grandmother’s experiences in revolutionary Ireland. When Nicky finds a long-forgotten handkerchief amongst her great-grandmother’s things, it leads to the revelation of a heartbreaking story of tragedy and courage, and those who sacrificed everything for their country.

Inspired by a heartbreaking true story, this emotional historical novel will sweep you away to the Emerald Isle. Perfect for fans of Jean Grainger, Sandy Taylor and Fiona Valpy.

Review

Nicky is searching for her identity and is very much in the process of discovering herself. It’s probably a little bit of a standard rebellion the way she talks about and feels about her mother. She feels judged, and under constant supervision and criticism. The two of them clash a lot. In the midst of this coming-of-age and acknowledgement of self, Nicky goes on a journey.

The kind of journey that changes your views of the world, the past and even your own loved ones. Nicky uses her grandmother as a font of knowledge to research a rebellion that unbeknownst to her has impacted the life of her grandmother, and also the history of her family.

Gráinne, a young woman also on the cusp of discovering what she wants in life and who she is, is living in the midst of World War I, and is also heavily involved in the plans to change the political status quo in Ireland. A part of the historical path that to this day still shapes the fragility of a relationship built on a history of death and oppression.

I really enjoy watching an author grow, both in skills and in exploration of genre. Although this is still trademark past and present connects, this story shows the growth as it tackles an enormous historical event in Irish history. It was told without the shadow of the usual political perspective or the fury on both sides, instead the author takes it down to the level of people and their personal experience and perspective.

I think, if this is any indication, that the author will take it up a notch, and I am looking forward to it.

Buy The Girl with the Emerald Flag at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour All That’s Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien

It’s a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour All That’s Left unsaid by Tracey Lien.

About the Author

Tracey Lien was born and raised in southwestern Sydney, Australia. She earned her MFA at the University of Kansas and was previously a reporter for the Los Angeles Times. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. All That’s Left Unsaid is her first novel.

About the book

They claim they saw nothing. She knows they’re lying. 1996 – Cabramatta, Sydney ‘Just let him go.’

Those are words Ky Tran will forever regret. The words she spoke when her parents called to ask if they should let her younger brother Denny out to celebrate his high school graduation with friends. That night, Denny – optimistic, guileless Denny – is brutally murdered inside a busy restaurant in the Sydney suburb of Cabramatta, a refugee enclave facing violent crime, and an indifferent police force.

Returning home for the funeral, Ky learns that the police are stumped by her brother’s case. Even though several people were present at Denny’s murder, each bystander claims to have seen nothing, and they are all staying silent.

Determined to uncover the truth, Ky tracks down and questions the witnesses herself. But what she learns goes beyond what happened that fateful night. The silence has always been there, threaded through the generations, and Ky begins to expose the complex traumas weighing on those present the night Denny died. As she peels back the layers of the place that shaped her, she must confront more than the reasons her brother is dead. And once those truths have finally been spoken, how can any of them move on?

Review

Ky doesn’t realise her advice to give her baby brother a little freedom ultimately ends up being one of a few elements that leads to his death. Coping with his tragic death is one thing but trying to understand why the people who watched it happen are unwilling to help bring his killer to justice, is quite another. She can’t let it go.

It’s a spectacular read – nuanced and layered. When you strip away everything and are left with just the crime there is the bystander effect, the string of decisions and coincidences that lead to the event, and the emotional minefield and destruction that is left behind after a violent death.

What surrounds the event is a poignant blueprint of life as a refugee in a society that relegates you to the bottom step, because of race and heritage. The magnitude of the impact of generational trauma and PTSD on those who have lived through it, and the children born to those who have experienced it.

Those experiences determine self-imposed rules, fears, anxiety and in this case even the look away and accept the fate or hand you have been dealt with by life attitude.

I enjoyed the story surrounding the core, and to be fair the actual death is probably the least important element of the premise, which is tragic in itself. A riveting read.

Buy All That’s Left Unsaid at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher‏: ‎HQ pub date 15 Sept. 2022. Buy at Amazon com. Buy via Harper Collins.

Blogtour The Halfways by Nilopar Uddin

It’s my turn on the BlogTour The Halfways by Nilopar Uddin.

About the Author

Nilopar Uddin was born in Shropshire to Syleti parents, who like the fictional family in The Halfways owned and ran an Indian restaurant in Wales. Every summer her family would travel for their holidays to Bangladesh to visit extended family, and this affection for the country has continued into adulthood; in 2009 she spent some months in Dhaka volunteering for BRAC, one of the largest NGOs in the world.

About the book

Nasrin and Sabrina are two sisters, who on the face of things live successful and enviable lives in London and New York. When their father, Shamsur suddenly dies, they rush to be with their mother at the family home and restaurant in Wales, and reluctantly step back into the stifling world of their childhood.

When Shamsur’s will is read, a devastating secret is revealed that challenges all that people thought and loved about him. It also profoundly changes the lives and identities of the sisters, and creates an irreparable family rift…

Review

The death of a loved one can often mean you get a glimpse into all of their secrets after their death. The kind they sit on and then let you deal with, because they no longer have to and in death you can’t hear the reactions. When Shamsur dies his daughters, Nasrin and Sabrina, are confronted with decades old secrets and the intricate cover-up, which has left terrible scars and caused emotional turmoil. The face of their family will never look the same again.

Personally I thought the choice to include a lot of the words and phrases in the story in the origin language was both a bold choice, there are plenty of readers who find things like that a stumbling block, and one that lent an essence of atmosphere to the story. An air of authenticity, which pulls the reader into the very important cultural aspect of this family saga. Glossary at the front will probably solve any grumbles.

Towards the end in the last few chapters the author manages to create this very visceral connection to the vulnerability of one of the characters – a connection that is a common denominator in all cultures. The small gestures of reassurance, the internal fear of abandonment, but above all the invisible woven emotional web of familial ties.

The difficulty of balancing dual nationalities, cultures and identities is really driven home in this story. The Western values clash with the heritage and culture, old and new generations try to bridge these gaps in different ways or not at all. Often this happens in countries where colonialism is the foundation upon which society has been built.

It’s a nuanced read, and the author tells the tale through multiple narrators in a way that brings empathy, passion and the cold hard truth of the aftermath of decisions made in the echo chamber of restricted and power hungry societies. Looking forward to more by this author.

The Halfways at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎HQ pub date 7 July 2022. Buy at Amazon com. Buy via Harper Collins.

#BlogTour The Replacement by Melanie Golding

 It’s a pleasure to review this unexpected little gem and take part in the BlogTour The Replacement by Melanie Golding.

‘Weaving together the trademark folklore inspiration that readers loved in Little Darlings, with the procedural narrative force of a brilliant mystery, this is the excellent and unnerving new novel from Melanie Golding.’

About the Author

Melanie Golding has a master’s in creative writing from Bath Spa University. She has taught writing in prisons and institutions for young offenders, as well as music in a school for boys with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. Her novel Little Darlings has been optioned for film. A full-time, registered childminder, Golding splits her time between her childminding duties and her writing. 

Follow @mk_golding on Twitter and @melaniegoldingauthor on Instagram

About the book

When a small child is found wandering alone, the local shopkeepers call the authorities immediately. Twenty minutes later, the girl’s mother turns up, panicked and distraught. It doesn’t take long to clear things up, and mother and daughter are soon reunited and sent on their way.

Miles away, the body of a man is discovered, floating in a bathtub, but the most surprising discovery of all is that he isn’t dead. Despite his injuries, he is very much alive.

Two seemingly unrelated events. But as DS Harper begins to investigate, disturbing truths start to come to light that connect the man to the mother and child, and suddenly it’s not clear where the danger truly lies. Harper must find out, and quickly. Because someone, or something, is closing in and she needs to uncover the truth before it’s too late…

Review

This wasn’t at all what I was expecting. It hooked me, reeled me in, and I loved it.

What kind of mother just leaves her toddler? A desperate one or one that changes her mind and comes back ten minutes later, by which time the police and social are involved. It takes some convincing, but eventually mother and daughter are reunited and allowed to leave.

Elsewhere DS Harper is investigating another crime, which at first glance is completely unrelated, until a connection is made between mother, child and man. A simple mystery and possible crime, becomes a taut psychological read with added element, which absolutely makes the story.

I think this is definitely becoming a trademark style of Golding, the way crime and human nature is merged with folklore and myths to create the kind of read that never quite lets you go. Merging the emotional fragility, the underlying violence, the unconditional love and the instinct for survival with the shimmer of belief we carry in our core – the result is a great story.

This is an author to watch, there is natural knack for creating tension, weaving threads and compelling storytelling.

Buy The Replacement at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎HQ pub date 11 Nov. 2021. Buy at Amazon com. At Harper Collins.

#BlogTour The Woman in the Woods by Lisa Hall

 It’s my turn on the BlogTour The Woman in the Woods by Lisa Hall.

About the Author

Lisa loves words, reading and everything there is to love about books. She has dreamed of being a writer since she was a little girl – either that or a librarian – and after years of talking about it, was finally brave enough to put pen to paper (and let people actually read it). 

Lisa lives in a small village in Kent, surrounded by her towering TBR pile, a rather large brood of children, dogs, chickens and ponies and her long-suffering husband. She is also rather partial to eating cheese and drinking wine. Readers can follow @LisaHallAuthor on Twitter, Visit lisahallauthor.co.uk

About the book

She’s out there. Waiting for you. – When Allie moves to a quaint old cottage with her husband, it’s their dream home. Nestled in the village of Pluckley, it seems a perfect haven in which to raise their two children. But Pluckley has a reputation. It’s known as England’s most haunted village. And not long after the birth of their new son, Allie begins to notice strange things…   

 What’s the flash of white she sees moving quickly through the woods to the back of their house? And what’s the strange scratching noise from the chimney?

 As Allie discovers more about the history of their new home, she uncovers a story of witchcraft and superstition, which casts a long shadow into the present day. And not everything is as it seems. Her family might well be in danger, but it’s a danger none of them could have foreseen…

Bestseller Lisa Hall’s The Woman in the Woods is full of creeping unease and nerve-wracking tension, and will have readers on the edge of their seats…

Review

Allie has moved into a old place with a dire history she is as yet unaware of. She has a husband who is a bit of a workaholic and two young children – one of which is a new baby. She is tired, stressed and a little fed-up with people interfering with her life in general. Out of every corner the question of how she is coping is being forced upon her. 

Popping Co-codamol while you’re breastfeeding  also isn’t the done thing and certainly wouldn’t be prescribed by health professionals to a nursing mother due to the codeine, but perhaps that is indicative of the downwards spiral Allie is heading towards. The question is whether she is being pushed in that direction by malevolent forces or is there something in the world around her with nefarious intentions?

I thought this was a cracking read, especially because Hall takes you in multiple directions and as a reader you quite willingly follow where she leads you, only to be confronted with something else entirely. I have to say this story made me angry – a lot. Angry for Allie and the way she was treated. Angry at Allie for not telling people to get stuffed. 

The author delivers a great plot with an important message, and yet in the end the reader is also left with questions. Is the solution really that simple or is it just a temporary plaster? 

Buy The Woman in the Woods at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎HQ; pub date 30 Sept. 2021. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour Pug Actually by Matt Dunn

It’s a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour Pug Actually by Matt Dunn. 

‘With over 400,000 copies sold in e-book, Matt Dunn’s Pug Actually, is the heartwarming, hilarious, and strikingly perceptive story of the high and lows of modern relationships as seen through the eyes of a wise pug named Doug.’

About the Author

Matt Dunn is the author of numerous romantic comedy novels, including the bestselling The Ex-Boyfriend’s Handbook and A Day at the Office. he’s also written about life, love, and relationships for various publications including The Times, Guardian, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Company, Elle, and The Sun. Follow @mattdunnwrites on Twitter

About the book

Loyal rescue pug Doug wants his adoring owner Julie to find unconditional love and happiness – and he knows she won’t find either in the arms of Luke, her married boss and lover. Julie, reluctant to end things with Luke, fears that if she chooses to be alone, she will end up like her eccentric cat-owning neighbour. It’s a prospect that horrifies Doug too.

Hopeful to help Julie move on – Doug looks to match-make Julie and Tom, a newly divorced V-E-T, who is perfect for her (despite his questionable occupation). There’s just one problem: Julie and Tom can’t stand each other.

Doug doesn’t quite understand the quirks and complexities of human relationships, but he won’t let that get in the way of his mission to bring Tom and Julie together. After all, being a ‘rescue’ works both ways…

Review 

Doug doesn’t see himself as a rescue dog – in his mind he is the one in charge of his owner’s happiness. If something is making her sad then it has to go, hence his dislike of her boyfriend. Doug wants him gone, and he is willing to stalk, threaten and intimidate if necessary.

It suits Doug just fine when the humans around him, get on board with his ( it’s always his brilliant idea of course) suggestion to introduce Julie to the perfect man – the person she doesn’t knows she is missing yet.

I have to admit this had me chuckling within the first few pages. The stand-off chapter is absolutely hilarious and so is Doug. He’s like a little old man combined with an agony aunt, and all the dog traits to boot. The narration is so human-like and on point that it’s easy to forget there is a four legged canine at the end of the voice.

I’m guessing I won’t be the only one that hopes this isn’t the last time we hear from Doug, and would love to see him on screen. Dunn writes and creates with a certain ease, that it’s easy to forget you’re in the middle of a fictional scenario.

Buy Pug Actually at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎HQ Digital; pub date 14 Oct. 2021. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour We Are Not Like Them by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza

It’s a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour We Are Not Like Them by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza .
‘Told from alternating perspectives, an evocative and riveting novel about the lifelong bond between two women, one Black and one white, whose friendship is indelibly altered by a tragic event—a powerful and poignant exploration of race in America today and its devastating impact on ordinary lives.’

About the Author/s

Christine Pride is a writer, editor, and longtime publishing veteran. She’s held editorial posts at many different trade imprints, including Doubleday, Broadway, Crown, Hyperion, and Simon & Schuster. As an editor, Christine has published a range of books, with a special emphasis on inspirational stories and memoirs, including numerous New York Times bestsellers. As a freelance editorial consultant, she does select editing and proposal/content development, as well as teaching and coaching, and pens a regular column—“Race Matters”—for Cup of Jo. She lives in New York City. Follow @cpride on Twitter, Visit christinepride.com

Jo Piazza is an award-winning journalist, editor and podcast host. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, Marie Claire, Glamour, and other notable publications. She is also the author of Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win, How to Be Married, The Knockoff, Fitness Junkie, and If Nuns Ruled the World. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and two small children. Follow @JoPiazza on Twitter, Listen to under-the-influence-with-jo-piazza

About the book

Jen and Riley have been best friends since kindergarten. As adults, they remain as close as sisters, though their lives have taken different directions. Jen married young, and after years of trying, is finally pregnant. Riley pursued her childhood dream of becoming a television journalist and is poised to become one of the first Black female anchors of the top news channel in their hometown of Philadelphia.

But the deep bond they share is severely tested when Jen’s husband, a city police officer, is involved in the shooting of an unarmed Black teenager. Six months pregnant, Jen is in freefall as her future, her husband’s freedom, and her friendship with Riley are thrown into uncertainty. Covering this career-making story, Riley wrestles with the implications of this tragic incident for her Black community, her ambitions, and her relationship with her lifelong friend.

Like Tayari Jones’s An American Marriage and Jodi Picoult’s Small Great Things, We Are Not Like Them explores complex questions of race and how they pervade and shape our most intimate spaces in a deeply divided world. But at its heart, it’s a story of enduring friendship—a love that defies the odds even as it faces its most difficult challenges. 

Review

On the surface Riley and Jen are best friends – sisters from different families. Their incredible bond threatens to be severed when Jen’s husband is involved in shooting – the shooting of an unarmed young black teenager. As a journalist Riley finds herself in the middle of the incident, as a black woman she finds herself at the opposite side of the dispute – against her friend and her husband.

There is no doubt there is a disparity between white people and black people, which is influenced by a system built on colonialism, and the differences are driven by systemic racism in said system. There is a lack of comprehension by white people when it comes to understanding white privilege. 

I understand why minorities, marginalised groups and black people find this frustrating and believe it isn’t their job to explain or help those who don’t understand why it is a privilege. The reality however is that without someone pointing out why it exists and how it influences lives, careers, academic paths, choices and every single situation – there will be no real change.

White mothers don’t have to teach their white children, but specifically boys and men, to act in a certain way in order to hopefully not generate a stereotypical response from the authorities and often the public in general. Don’t be furtive, listen and obey, don’t reach for your pockets or move quickly. All things a black mother will say to her son in an attempt to keep him safe, because the reality is the likelihood of a black male being racially profiled, stereotyped and singled out are outrageously high.

It’s a book and dialogue that is needed to move forward and change a system that isn’t equal – a worldview that is dismissed, ridiculed and rationalised by those on the longer end of the stick. An important exploration of a friendship that is based on one person submitting to the status quo and the other being completely unaware of what life is really like for her friend.

It’s definitely a book that will generate discussion, which is good. It’s also one I wouldn’t hesitate to buy for people who really need to read it.

Buy We Are Not Like Them at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎HQ pub date 5 Oct. 2021. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour Secrets to the Grave by Steve Frech

 It’s a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour Secrets to the Grave by Steve Frech.

About the Author

Steve Frech lives in Los Angeles. His novels, Dark Hollows, Nightingale House, and Deadly Games were Amazon best sellers. His next novel, Secrets to the Grave (Book #1 in the Detective Meredith Somerset series), will be published by HQ & Harper Collins in September of 2021. 

In addition to writing, his award-nominated podcast, ‘Random Awesomeness’, has been developed for television by the Emmy-winning team at ‘Thank You, Brain! Productions’. He is also the co-creator of ‘Sports? with Jessiemae Peluso’ for Comedy Central. He is a frustrated fan of the Chicago Bears, finds cooking to be very cathartic, and is amazing at pub trivia. Follow @stevefrech on Twitter

About the book

The woman recoiled as she rolled the body onto its back. Deep bruises encircled the neck, but the most unsettling feature was the eyes, which stared lifelessly upwards. That was the moment the woman began screaming.

When a teenage girl is found dead on a quiet suburban street, Detective Meredith Somerset is haunted by flashbacks to the day her little sister vanished—the day Meredith should have been watching her. But with a murder to solve, she doesn’t have time for painful memories to cloud her judgement.

The victim is shoeless, the only clue to her identity a small silver medallion hidden in her grass-stained sock. Did she run from her killer across the smooth lawns of Willow Lane? And if so, how did no one in the surrounding houses see or hear a thing?

Meredith needs answers, or she’ll never shake the image of her sister’s face begging her for help. But Willow Lane has more than one mystery behind its doors—and to find the killer, Meredith must venture into a community that’s determined to keep its secrets hidden at any cost…

Review

The body of a young girl is found in the middle of a street and nobody saw a thing – allegedly. Detective Somerset goes door to door on Willow Lane, but the result is a big zero, although there are plenty of suspicions raised by odd behaviour, and perhaps because the chances of no person seeing anything is pretty slim.

Meredith is still haunted by the disappearance of her sister. Is it possible that this young girl stumbled onto something she shouldn’t have?  Meredith’s finds her own past is the best motivator when it comes to injustice and solving this mystery. Almost like survivor’s guilt pushing her to solve this crime, because she is unable to find the solution to her own personal mystery.

I think it’s fair to say that Willow Lane is a street with many secrets behind closed doors and a lot of people willing to go to extreme lengths to keep them hidden. This fast-paced crime read is a constant merry-go-round of secrets, half-truths and downright lies. 

Buy Secrets to the Grave at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: HQ Digital pub date 22 Sept. 2021. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour The Last Daughter by Nicola Cornick

 It’s a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour The Last Daughter by Nicola Cornick

About the Author 

Nicola Cornick is a historian and author who works as a volunteer researcher and guide for the National Trust in one of the most beautiful 17th century houses in England. She writes dual time novels that illustrate her love of history, mystery and the supernatural. Her books have appeared in over twenty five languages, sold over half a million copies worldwide and been described as “perfect for Outlander fans.” Nicola also works as a consultant for TV and radio.

Follow @NicolaCornick on Twitter, on Goodreads, on Instagram, on Facebook, Visit nicolacornick.com

About the book

A secret hidden in the past. A family bound by a dark legacy… Ever since her sister disappeared eleven years ago, Serena Warren has been running from a ghost, haunted by what she can’t remember about that night.

When Caitlin’s body is discovered, Serena returns to her grandfather’s house, nestled beside the ruins of Minster Lovell Hall in Oxfordshire, determined to uncover the truth. But in returning to the place of her childhood summers, Serena stands poised at the brink of a startling discovery – one that will tie her family to a centuries-old secret…

Taking readers from the present day to the Wars of the Roses in the 1400s, and with an enthralling mystery at its heart, The Last Daughter is a spellbinding novel about family secrets, perfect for fans of Lucinda Riley, Barbara Erskine and Kate Morton. 

Review

Serena is reluctant to return to the place where she lost the most important person in her life. The uncertainty has now become a certainty – her sister Caitlin is dead. The remains found close to their old ancestral home. She still struggles to remember what happened on the day her sister disappeared, perhaps because she is afraid she played a part in it.

We leave the mystery and crime scenario of this dual timeline story and meet the characters of the second timeline. The timelines are linked via Minster Lovell Hall and the Lovell family, who in turn play their part in the contentious struggle for power and the War of the Roses.

Cornick is definitely evolving when it comes to her craft, this is by far the best I have read by her yet. it is a captivating combination of historical fiction, crime, magical realism and is topped off by a sci-fi element. It might sound like a lot of genres to mix, but it absolutely works – the storytelling and weaving in and out is done really well.

It also doesn’t hurt that the story is linked to one of the most controversial mysteries in British history, which delivers plenty of fodder for a great read. 

Buy The Last Daughter at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎HQ pub date 8 July 2021. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica

 It’s my turn on the BlogTour Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica.

About the Author

Mary Kubica is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of many novels. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in History and American Literature. Mary lives outside of Chicago with her husband and two children. 

Follow @MaryKubica on Twitter, on Goodreads, on Amazon, Visit marykubica.com, on Facebook at MaryKubica

About the book

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. 

Review

Wow, that’s messed up – typical Kubica though.

Shelby isn’t exactly going where she said she was going when she disappeared. Then not long after another woman and her six-year-old child also vanish. Are the events connected and if so what the heck is going on? Where are Delilah and her mother Meredith?

This dual timeline story goes from the past – before the disappearances, and eleven years into the future when one of them reappears out of the blue. The loved ones have difficulty accepting the return. The victim isn’t the same person she was before she vanished.

It’s a dark domestic thriller that is a bit like a maze with many corridors leading to the conclusion, although there are plenty of red herrings. To be fair I felt as if some of the questions were left unanswered, not all of the threads were tied off neatly. Just a bit frustrating (wonders if I should email the author and ask where xyz is?).

At times it seems as if everyone gets lost in the many different threads, both the readers and the author. As if the it ends up somewhere completely unexpected and not entirely planned. It doesn’t change the fact it’s a good read though.

Buy Local Woman Missing at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎HQ pub date 18 May 2021. Buy at Amazon com. At Waterstones.