Francesca’s friend Sophie disappears one night in the seaside town where they grew up.

Now 19 years later, a body has been found, and Francesca is persuaded by Sophie’s brother Daniel to return and try to find out the truth.

The story is narrated by Frankie now, and by Sophie’s 1997 diary, which reads more like that of a 14 year old rather than a 21 year old university graduate, and it becomes clear that there are secrets that Sophie and Frankie shared.

Unfortunately, the whole story was very predictable as the baddie can be seen coming from a mile off. I guessed the broad plot straight away, there were a few unexpected twists, but in all, it wasn’t for me. The writing was quite poor compared to her last book.

I was really looking forward to this after reading Claire's first book The Sisters but this was no comparison.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin UK – Michael Joseph for the opportunity to read this book.

This is an a story which flits between 1997 and present day, chronicling the friendship of Sophie and Frankie. The story begins when Frankie receives a phone call from Daniel, Sophie's brother telling her a body has been washed up and is his missing sister. What follows is the unravelling of what exactly happened on the pier in 1997. Tense and full of suspense this is a well written thriller.

Having read the sisters last year, I was very excited to start reading this one, whilst the ending was somewhat predictable, it was thoroughly enjoyable.

Brilliant plot
Suspense is kept with some very good twists
Great holiday read

Very enjoyable psychological thriller which is creepy, haunting and atmospheric. You know when starting this book that there is much more going on behind the scenes and that the truth will be revealed slowly and painstakingly, as is usual for Claire Douglas novels.

The book is about a teenage girl from a small English seaside town who went missing and was presumed drowned, and the (now grown up) best friend Frankie who is reluctantly enticed back to her childhood setting when there is some disturbing news. The book is written from the view points of both this character and the dead girl Sophie, using clips from a 1997 diary. One or both of them might be considered an unreliable narrator (I can't say more), and other characters tell lies and give misleading information so it is genuinely difficult to pick out the red herrings from the truth. Also, Frankie seems somewhat unstable and is not a particularly likeable character, but neither are many of the supporting cast. Still, an enjoyable and worthwhile read with an unexpected twist at the end.

This is the second book by Claire Douglas that I have read and each time she delivers a well written, intriguing story. Once started, the book is unput downable. The plot stretches the imagination a bit, but the characters are well drawn making the book a joy to read.

Got 50% of the way through and it was very very slow and the suspense did not build. Seemed rather derivative of the genre. 2 stars.

LOCAL GIRL MISSING is a story of a girl going missing and the subsequent events years later.this is told from 2 viewpoints, the girl who is missing through her memories and also her best friend in present day. I found this book to be so good I could not resist picking my kindle up to read, the story flowed smoothly and quickly, this kept me hooked until the last page!
Well done Claire Douglas, I would recommend this book to all who enjoy mystery, crime type books! Cannot wait to read another one of your books! Definite 5 stars!

I had read the previous authors novel so was keen to read this. I felt this novel took a few chapters to get going, but once it did I was completely drawn in. I enjoyed the narration, which was told from two best friends alternating perspectives. I feel this really added to the enjoyment of the novel. The conclusion did come as a surprise to me and was very clever and well thought out.
The excellent descriptions made the book atmospheric and dark, almost frightening at times as you are unsure as a reader who can be trusted and what is actually real.
I really hope a third novel is on the way.

A well structured thriller which leaves you doubting everyone and everything, this book explores the effects of a disappearance and potential murder on the residents of a small seaside town. It demonstrates that even after twenty years the past can still catch up with you, and that such secrets can never stay hidden. With a somewhat unreliable narrator and an exciting series of plot twists, this is a thriller to put straight onto your reading pile.

*Full review available on the blog*

I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was well written and the characters really drew me in. I loved how the chapters went from present day to the past and were told from different view points. It kept me guessing until the end.

A tense psychological thriller that had me gripped from the first page. Very well written with a compelling storyline. I enjoyed the format of alternating chapters between the past and present, as it added to the tense atmosphere. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys thrillers. You won't be disappointed.

Suspenseful and gripping phycological drama, full of secrets and twist.

Was so looking forward to reading this book but I found it a let down and the characters unbelievable. I just could not connect with the main character, Frankie. The ending was guessed pretty early on which wouldn't matter but I found the story line tedious

This book was fairly enjoyable, it passed the time and I was invested in how it ended. Saying that, I found the characters to be quite unlikeable and the plot just seemed to get a little too unbelievable for my liking. It didn't blow me away but it was an okay read.

I was kindly sent a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was quite a good easy read. The story is told from two different viewpoints. We hear from a present day Frankie who is having a conversation with an imaginary Sophie. The other viewpoint is that of Sophie.in the form of her diary.

This was a good story that kept me interested. I did find the crime reveal a little predictable, however that didn’t actually detract from my enjoyment. The writing was good and I felt that the two main characters had very distinct voices.

Fascinating book. Clever, intriguing, well executed. Very satisfying denouement.

Loved. Loved. I didn't guess the ending, the main character is very much an unreliable narrator. I really should have known what to expect because of the author and her novel "sisters" this one did not disappoint at all.

I was sent a copy of this book from the publishers in return for my independent honest review. Wow this is psychological fiction at its best.
21 years ago, Sophie goes missing, presumed dead, however as no body had been found this could not be confirmed. A body has been located and identified as Sophie, however there is nothing to disprove this wasn't a drowning accident. Her brother Daniel is not convinced and contacts Sophies best friend Frankie to help him uncover the truth.
This progresses by alternating chapters between the past,from Sophie's accounts leading up to her death and diary entries with Frankie as she returns to her home town. Mysterious spooky things keep happening to Frankie, someone is trying to frighten her off.
Beautifully written with many 'Red Herrings' to throw you off track. Several of the characters could be the perpetrators!. I found myself holding my breath at times I was so emmersed. This is slow burning to start albeit gripping, However as the story progresses wow does it notch up the tension. Totally unexpected ending and I'm a hardened psychological thriller buff. Important to note!!!! Do not read the authors notes until you have finished the book!
A must read for any fans of thrillers at their best. Cannot wait to read note by this author. 5*plus

I enjoyed this book and like the writing style of Claire Douglas. Frankie/Francesca and Sophie were best friends since primary school until the day she went missing in strange circumstances when she was 21 leaving behind just one trainer stranded on the pier in her home town. After 18 years Frankie gets a call from Sophie's brother to say that her body has been found washed-up in the sea where she used to live. Frankie returns to Oldcliffe to find out what happened.

The chapters alternate between Frankie in the present and Sophie before she went missing.. it feels that many people have secrets which adds to the suspense of the book. I suspected many different people before we reach the incredible conclusion. There are many twists and turns and I highly recommend it.