Local woman missing
About the book
You’ll never find her. Don’t even try.
When a local mother and her six-year-old daughter, Delilah, suddenly vanish, their close-knit suburban community is rocked by fear and suspicion. How could such a terrible thing have happened in their small town?
Then, eleven years later, Delilah shockingly reappears. Everyone wants to know what really happened to her. But there are secrets hidden deep in the past – and when the truth about those missing years begins to surface, no one is prepared for what they’re about to find out.
About the author
Mary Kubica is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of THE GOOD GIRL and PRETTY BABY. She 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 and enjoys photography, gardening and caring for the animals at a local shelter.
My take
The story begins with a disturbing narration of a girl and a boy imprisoned in someone's basement, and how the girl escapes to freedom.
The story then spans back and forth over a period of eleven years, when Delilah, a six year old girl disappeared along with her mother, Meredith.
The small town is shocked by their disturbance, especially after a recent incidence of disappearance of another woman, Shelby. Meredith's husband Josh, tries everything possible to try and find his wife and daughter, even as his four year old son Leo struggles to come to terms with the reality. Their next door neighbours and good friends, Kate and Bea, join in the search, and Kate begins her own private sleuthing as she begins uncovering more and more secrets.
The story is narrated across different timelines and through multiple POVs. So we read the story from the POV of Delilah - the girl who escapes the basement, Meredith - eleven years back, before her disappearance, Kate - eleven years back, after Meredith's disappearance and Leo - present day, after Delilah's return.
There are lots of twists and turns. The emotions of each and every individual are well picturized. The agony of a husband who loses his wife and daughter in the blink of an eye, the son who feels neglected by his father who has himself drowned in the sorrow of his tragedy, a woman compassionate enough to step in the shoes of another one and feel her pain, the emotional and psychological trauma faced by a child who is abused.
The flow of the story is good. The build up of the suspense is also nice. However, the ending is a bit disappointing and seems slightly unrealistic and far-fetched. It feels like too many coincidences forcefully clubbed to create the confusion.
But overall, I enjoyed the read. I rate it 4 stars.
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