Local Woman Missing is a highly engrossing suspense novel that explores the disappearance of two seemingly unrelated people and the toll it takes on family and neighbors over a decade later. A cleverly engineered plot that provides several surprising twists makes this story a winner for me.

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Let’s begin with a summary of Local Woman Missing. I’ll do my best not to include spoilers, but I make no promises.

Eleven years ago, new mother Shelby Tebow vanished during the night while jogging. A couple of weeks later, Meredith Dickey and her six-year-old daughter, Delilah, also disappeared in the same area where Shelby was running. Shelby left a seemingly guilty husband behind, while Meredith and Delilah left behind a heartbroken husband/father and young son/brother.

Within a few days, Meredith is found dead in a hotel from an apparent suicide. She left a note saying Delilah was ok, but “you’ll never find her.” Her husband, Josh, told police that she had been very out of sorts for the last few weeks, and so it was assumed she just snapped. Josh never stopped looking for his little girl.

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In a present-day scene, Delilah is in a dark, unfinished basement where she has been kept by a crazy couple for the last eleven years. She’s filthy and emaciated because her kidnappers only give her enough care to keep her alive (barely). Something triggers her to finally escape, so she stabs the man in the neck with a shiv made from a spoon and races out of the house to freedom.

She is pursued by the crazy couple but manages to elude them. A woman walking her dog comes across her, is shocked when she hears Delilah’s name, and brings her to the police and, ultimately, home.

Her younger brother, Leo, narrates some scenes, and through his eyes we learn how awkward the reunion is and how psychologically damaged Delilah is (as we all would be if we were kept and neglected in a pitch-dark basement for eleven years). She spends her first night at home not in her soft, warm bed, but cowering in the basement.

The story frequently switches between past and present. The scenes from the past inform readers about Meredith’s neighbors, relationships, and doula business. We also learn about her connection to Shelby. And, ultimately, the flashbacks reveal what really happened to Shelby and Meredith.

Local Woman Missing has a lot going on – mistaken identity, an imaginary fellow victim, the monster next door, adultery, and lies of omission – and I was surprised and delighted by how well the author kept all the moving parts organized and progressing forward. Because there is so much going on, readers are treated to a host of satisfying red herrings and plot twists. My kind of suspense novel!

I recommend Local Woman Missing to anyone who likes a good mystery that’s full of surprises and suspense. But I must warn you that the child abuse content is rather disturbing.

If you’ve read Local Woman Missing, what did you think?

And for other great suspense novels, check out:

Love, Mom

All the Dangerous Things

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