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Local Girl Missing, Claire Douglas’ second offering, is a heart racing read. It is a novel that successfully intertwines friendship, secrecy, lies and jealously in a complex tale for readers to unravel. This is one fans of the thriller/psychological mystery genre will be sure to enjoy. I just loved the seaside town setting here. Having lived in one myself, I know that cold and empty feeling they have out of season, when all the tourists have gone home and half the town shops close until next summer. Claire Douglas takes this and adds in a whole load of suspects who would want to hurt Sophie and a narrator with a few psychological problems of her own, to send our brains spinning into overdrive trying to work out what happened all those years ago. I found I didn't want to get too attached to any of the characters as I really didn't know who to trust! I found it very easy to visualise the area and the people that Claire was writing about and for that reason I think it would make a brilliant tv drama, it's just the sort of plot that keeps you gripped and on the edge of your seat so I think it would translate well to the small screen. Found this book to be an excellent read and I will definitely be recommending this book to my friends. I didn’t want to put it down. Every chapter revealed another hidden secret that had my mind racing with anticipation to the next chapter.” Now: Journalist Jenna Halliday visits the close-knit community of Stafferbury to persuade Olivia to talk and solve the mystery of the girls’ disappearance. But Olivia won’t speak. It's atmospheric, dark and at times spooky and perfect for a lazy Sunday read or a sunny afternoon in the garden.
Hello,’ she smiles, and I realize I’m standing right next to her and that I’m staring. But she doesn’t look perturbed. She must be used to people gawping at her. If anything, she looks relieved that someone has bothered to stop. Claire Douglas first caught my attention last year, when I read her debut novel The Sisters, as part of my book club’s theme on ‘twins’. Douglas has done it again with her gripping new release, a psychological mystery titled Local Girl Missing. His eyes scan my face and I get the sense that he’s trying to place me, that I remind him of someone. ‘Definitely not. Some people might say I’m a piss artist, but I don’t think that counts,’ he grins. He has a soft Scottish accent, more pronounced than Beatrice’s. He sounds like David Tennant. Wow,’ I can’t help but say as my eyes sweep the hallway. A vase of fresh daisies sits on an antique console table next to a small glass ashtray which is overflowing with bunches of keys. The leopard-print pumps she wore yesterday sit neatly next to the radiator. ‘This place is amazing. Whose is it?’ Well, now you know me,’ she says kindly. ‘Come along, I can introduce you to some new people. They’re an interesting bunch.’
Summary
This book touches on mental health issues, which may serve as a trigger warning for some readers. But I felt the author did well to describe how Abi dealt with her sisters death, from the paranoia to the survivors guilt complex.
I’m fairly new to Bath so I don’t know many people.’ The words pop out of my mouth before I’ve even considered saying them. My Experience: I started reading Local Girl Missing on 5/30/17 and finished it on 6/5/17. This book is the best mystery I have read so far! I love everything about it. This book is so good that often I could not tear my eyes away. The story is very fascinating and it captures my attention completely. I love the ending and I couldn’t guess the outcome. I love the organization of this novel and how the mystery unravels little by little. When I saw this was sold as 'for fans of The Girl on the Train' on the cover, I was dubious. Numerous thrillers have lured me in with similarly dressed promotions, only for me to discover that either the statement is completely false, or the book is nothing more than a sub-par imitation. Imagine my surprise, when this book turns out to be deserving of its accolade!
Humming with anxiety and friction, The Sisters keep readers guessing as to who is doing what to whom until the very end…[A] gripping psychological debut’ SHELF AWARENESS The characters were amazing, especially those of Abi and Bea. You can’t help but feel for Abi at the start of the novel. I found myself worrying for her before I had even found out what happened between her and Lucy. She just seemed so vulnerable and lost. Then you have the enigmatic Bea. Vibrant and outgoing but she just seems too ready to accept Abi – who is to all extents and purposes a total stranger – into her life. The whole cast were well drawn and fascinating, each coming into their own just when the time was right and surprising me in ways that I never would have imagined. I really had a great time reading this book and I highly recommend it. Well done Claire Douglas, you're a very talented lady!
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