9780062681621
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Local Girl Missing audiobook

  • By: Claire Douglas
  • Narrator: Hannah Murray
  • Length: 10 hours 24 minutes
  • Publisher: HarperAudio
  • Publish date: July 04, 2017
  • Language: English
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Local Girl Missing Audiobook Summary

From the bestselling author of The Sisters comes this twisty, haunting thriller about two best friends, corrosive jealousy, and dark secrets–perfect for fans of The Widow and Luckiest Girl Alive.

Someone knows where she is…

The old Victorian pier was a thing of beauty until it was allowed to decay. It was where the youth of Oldcliffe-on-Sea would go to hang out. It’s also where twenty-one-year-old Sophie Collier disappeared eighteen years ago.

Francesca Howe, known as Frankie, was Sophie’s best friend, and even now she is haunted by the mystery of what happened to her. When Frankie gets a call from Sophie’s brother, Daniel, informing her that human remains have been found washed up nearby, she immediately wonders if it could be Sophie, and returns to her old hometown to try and find closure. Now an editor at a local newspaper, Daniel believes that Sophie was terrified of someone and that her death was the result of foul play rather than “death by misadventure,” as the police claim.

Daniel arranges a holiday rental for Frankie that overlooks the pier where Sophie disappeared. In the middle of winter and out of season, Frankie feels isolated and unnerved, especially when she is out on the pier late one night and catches a glimpse of a woman who looks like Sophie. Is the pier really haunted, as they joked all those years ago? Could she really be seeing her friend’s ghost? And what actually happened to her best friend all those years ago?

Harrowing, electrifying, and thoroughly compelling, Local Girl Missing showcases once again bestselling author Claire Douglas’ extraordinary storytelling talent.

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Local Girl Missing Audiobook Narrator

Hannah Murray is the narrator of Local Girl Missing audiobook that was written by Claire Douglas

About the Author(s) of Local Girl Missing

Claire Douglas is the author of Local Girl Missing

Local Girl Missing Full Details

Narrator Hannah Murray
Length 10 hours 24 minutes
Author Claire Douglas
Publisher HarperAudio
Release date July 04, 2017
ISBN 9780062681621

Additional info

The publisher of the Local Girl Missing is HarperAudio. The imprint is HarperAudio. It is supplied by HarperAudio. The ISBN-13 is 9780062681621.

Global Availability

This book is only available in the United States.

Goodreads Reviews

Miriam

April 16, 2017

I bought "Local Girl Missing" in Tesco for £2 when you purchased a daily newspaper and I have to say it was an excellent deal! I'd heard a lot about this book from online book clubs and was really looking forward to reading it. It's atmospheric, dark and at times spooky and perfect for a lazy Sunday read or a sunny afternoon in the garden.The story is told in the first person alternating between two best friends Francesca in the present time and the missing girl Sophie back in 1997 relating both of their accounts surrounding the mysterious disappearance of Sophie.I did unfortunately work out most of the plot by half way through but this didn't stop me from enjoying the book and following the outcome. I was actually quite tearful at the end as I had endeared to Sophie and had a lot of empathy for her. I wasn't taken with any of the other characters but I don't think it mattered it certainly didn't stop me from enjoying the story any the less. It's well written, easy to follow and although a slow burner keeps you turning the pages until the ending when everything finally comes together.I haven't read anything by the author Claire Douglas before but I'd be happy to read more by her in the future and will probably read her previous debut novel 'The Sisters' sometime too. 4 stars.

Julie

October 19, 2017

Local Girl Missing by Claire Douglas is a 2017 Harper publication. Eerie and tense-Sophie and Frankie were best friends during their teenage years, until romantic entanglements came between them, but they eventually reconciled, and were trying to resume their friendship, but, one night, Sophie disappeared from the old Victorian, 'Oldcliffe-on-the-Sea', pier. Her body was never recovered…. Until now. When Frankie gets the call from Sophie’s brother, Daniel, that his sister's remains have been found, he asks Frankie to come home and help him find out what happened to her all those years ago. But, once Frankie arrives, settling into the often frigid apartment overlooking the same pier from which Sophie vanished, she begins to imagine she sees Sophie’s ghost. As she and Daniel begin to dig into the past, Frankie finds herself the recipient of chilling notes, often pushed under her apartment door, taunting and threatening her. Old friends and enemies all contribute a piece of the puzzle, and as revelations mount, motives become highly suspect. I never knew who to believe or trust in this novel. The story shifts gear several times before the conclusion. That and the dual time line kept me off guard, so that I was never able to find a balance. I have waited nearly a week to write this review, because I’m still trying to formulate my thoughts on this book. On one hand the atmosphere is very creepy, with a possible supernatural element, and the uneasiness settled in for the duration, increasing as the story developed. On the other hand, I had a hard time with the final twist, finding it a little far fetched, even though I did appreciate the irony of the situation. The only other downside was just a coincidence. I’d just finished reading a book with a similar set up, so I considered putting this one aside for a while because of that, but then the story veered away from that theme and took on a whole new set of connotations, so I decided to stick with it. Although there were a few small blips, at the end of the day, the book provided a few good chills, was cleverly paced, with plenty of atmosphere and twists, and a surprise ending. So, after thinking it over, and waffling back and forth, a little, I think this one deserves four stars.

Jasmine

June 05, 2017

About: Local Girl Missing is a psychological thriller written by Claire Douglas. It will be published on 7/4/17 by Harper Paperbacks, an imprint of Harper Collins, 352 pages. The genres are fiction, psychological thriller, suspense, and mystery.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.In this book, readers will follow alternating point of views between Francesca (Frankie) Howe and Sophie (Soph) Collier, best friends for the longest time. They both live in Oldcliffe-on-Sea, a small town near Bristol. Frankie, an only child, came from a well-to-do family where her parents own a hotel in town. Sophie lives with her mom and older brother. They ran away from an ugly past. Frankie has beauty, money, and attention. Sophie likes to curl up in bed with her novels. As Frankie and Sophie’s friendship blooms, they tend to fall for the same guy. There was a mystery surrounding a guy named Jason. Then almost two decades later, parts of Sophie’s remains has surfaced and Sophie’s older brother Daniel invited Frankie back to town to solve the mystery of Sophie’s death. This novel is told in alternating point of views with Frankie in the present day and Sophie in the past leading up to her gone missing. Sophie is communicating to readers through her diary entries.This thriller is beautifully written. I love the alternating point of views because it doesn’t leave me in the dark as to what is going on. I don’t fully know the details until the big reveal at the end, but I know enough to want to read more. I like how so many people can be a suspects and I love that I couldn’t guess who it was. All the characters are great players in this book. There is a lot going on and I enjoyed following the characters throughout and connecting the dots. I love a book with an epilogue and this book has it. I highly recommend everyone to read this book!Pro: suspense, alternating POV, mystery, adrenaline rush, couldn’t put down, page turner, fast paced, well-written, family, epilogueCon: noneI rate it 5 stars!***Disclaimer: Many thanks to the author Claire Douglas, publisher Harper, and Edelweiss for the opportunity to read and review. Please assure that my opinions are honest.xoxo, Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com for a detailed review

Louise

July 25, 2016

Twenty one year old Sophie Collier had vanished. The only thing she left behind was a trainer on an old pier. Her friend Francesca was broken hearted.A body has now been found and Francesca has come back to the seaside town she's tried to forget.Francesca wishes she had not returned as everywhere she goes there are ghosts from her past.Will the truth about what happened to Sophie finally be solved?I loved this book.I would like to thank Net Galley, Penguin UK -Michael Joseph and the author Clare Douglas for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Zoe

July 03, 2017

Full review to follow shortly closer to publication!

Joanne

July 14, 2016

I read The Sisters by Claire Douglas last year and while I enjoyed it I hadn't found much to rave about in it....unlike Local Girl Missing which I have just this moment finished and thought it was stunning!Told in two timeframes, we first meet Francesca when she has a phone call to say that her best friend, who went missing 18 years ago, has been round-up body has been washed ashore. She is devastated and goes back home to be with Sophie's brother Daniel while they await an official identification. Then we swing back in time 18 years to Sophie, who has arrived back home after studying at uni and is back working and socialising with best friend Frankie. Back in the present, we know from the start that Frankie is hiding a secret that she shared with Sophie but someone else seems ready to taunt Frankie with it now she's back home. But as we get to uncover some uncomfortable home truths in both stories, will Sophie's killer be brought to justice? 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.I've read a lot of books with similar themes recently but this one definitely stood out for me. I think that it benefits from the "Broadchurch" effect as that's what it reminded me of. Not the story but because the setting of a small seaside holiday town, out of season and full of interesting characters with secrets to keep, really turns this into a first rate dark and atmospheric psychological suspense. Highly recommended.I received a copy of this book via netgalley in return for an unbiased review.

Laura

July 11, 2016

I can't work out if I love the ending or hate it. I really enjoyed reading this book, it was twisty and unpredictable and had me on tenterhooks the whole time. Yet the ending was unexpected but felt a little implausible? Plus the explanation needs you to suspend disbelief....Yet I still really liked reading this and thoroughly enjoyed the writing style. Can't wait for the next novel from Claire!

Tracy

July 19, 2016

A gripping page-turner about revenge, secrets and love. Narrated by Sophie who died 18 years previously and Frankie the best friend who has returned to find out what really happened to Sophie, this is full of twists and turns and red herrings. Kept me guessing throughout.

Magdalena aka A Bookaholic Swede

June 15, 2019

In Local Girl Missing, you can read about how Francesca returns to Oldcliffe-on-Sea after learning through a conversation with a childhood friend that a body has been found washed up at the pier where her best friend Sophie disappeared eighteen years ago. Parallelly in the book do we also learn what happened to Sophie through her diary notes. Both the present-day story and childhood notes are interesting to follow.The best psychological thrillers are those that confuse, make one doubt what is going on and distrust the main character and all other characters of course. They are hopefully also page-turners, preferably with short chapters that turn" just one more chapter" into a binge reading marathon with the book done around midnight or later.Local Girl Missing has all these elements. Perhaps not so many surprising twists, but the book definitely has the paranoid feeling that makes you think something is wrong thanks to all the things that happen to Francesca. If it's something I like it's when you start to question the main character, is she really so innocent, is she mad or is someone really out to get her? And, what really happened to Sophie Coller eighteen years earlier?Claire Douglas has written an excellent psychological thriller, it only took me one day to finish it thanks to the interesting and addictive story and I look forward to reading her other books.Thanks to Louise Bäckelin Förlag for the review copy!

Mandy

August 28, 2017

a bit slow for a while but the ending pushed it to a 4 star!

Joseph

August 07, 2016

I've just finished reading this book and all I can say is WOW!! It's just brilliant!! "I've been running from my past. Now the past has caught up with me." Francesca (Frankie) Bloom is a successful businesswoman working in the hotel industry in London. One day she receives a call that drags her right back to the very past she tried so hard to forget. She's informed that after eighteen years missing, her best friend Sophie's body was recovered from the sea by the seaside town of Oldcliffe-On-Sea, where they used to live as youngsters.With tears in her eyes and memories flooding her mind, Frankie rushes to Oldcliffe to help Daniel, Sophie's brother, identify her best friend's remains and to find the answers to the questions that have haunted her ever since that tragic night when Sophie went missing, leaving behind a shell-shocked town and just a lonely trainer perched on the old derelict pier. "I knew her. And she wasn't herself before she died... Something was wrong." What had happened to Sophie? Who or what had lured her to the old pier that night? Frankie and Daniel are determined to find out but it's soon apparent that someone is not happy with their enquiries. Someone wants to stop them and scare Frankie away. And the locals seem to know more than they are letting on. But why? Will they ever find out what really happened to Sophie? Was it just an unfortunate accident? Suicide? ... Or murder? And what secret did Sophie and Frankie share? What had they done? I was simply captivated by this book. The writing is very mature and the plot is creative, ingenious and very atmospheric with great vivid descriptions. I could visualise the seafront at Oldcliffe with its cafes and hotels, the tourists on the promenade enjoying the views. I could almost feel the rush of sea water as waves crashed on the seawalls. And I could clearly imagine the old mysterious pier shrouded by fog and battered by wind, rain and the waves. Chapters alternate between Frankie's and Sophie's povs. Frankie's chapters are set in the present when she returns to Oldcliffe. She's riddled by grief and guilt and finds herself frequently 'talking' to Sophie in her head. Sophie's chapters are from 1997 as she is 'writing' in her diary about her life and relationships.If there ever was one book that keeps you guessing till the end... This is it! I was immediately suspicious of one character, but then as the story progressed I realised that there were indeed MANY potential suspects. All characters seem shifty and to be hiding something. By the end I was totally and completely taken by surprise by the turn of events. I was NEVER expecting that finale...ever and I think it's very clever and original!I really had a great time reading this book and I highly recommend it. Well done Claire Douglas, you're a very talented lady!With huge thanks to Penguin UK, Michael Joseph for approving my request to read and review this book through Netgalley.​

⊱Sonja•●❤️

September 02, 2018

Francesca und Sophie wachsen zusammen auf und werden beste Freundinnen. Sie teilen alle Geheimnisse und werden langsam erwachsen. Doch dann eines Tages verschwindet Sophie spurlos. Am alten Pier bleibt nur ein Turnschuh von ihr zurück. Hat Sophie sich das Leben genommen? Eine Leiche wird nie entdeckt, und auch sonst gibt es keine Spuren oder Hinweise auf Sophies Verbleib. Achtzehn Jahre später wird dann doch eine Leiche angespült... Ist es Sophie? Francesca kehrt von London in ihre alte Heimat zurück, um endlich Antworten zu finden. Was ist damals wirklich geschehen?Mein Leseeindruck:Die Geschichte wird aus zwei verschiedenen Blickwinkeln erzählt. Einmal erfahren wir alles aus Francescas heutiger Sicht, was mir sehr gut gefallen hat. So lernen wir sie sehr gut kennen - einschließlich ihrer Gedanken und Gefühle. Abwechselnd gibt es aber dann auch die Tagebucheinträge von Sophie vor über achtzehn Jahren, so dass wir Leser genau erfahren, was damals geschehen ist. Diese Erzählweise hat mir sehr gut gefallen, denn so baut sich die ganze Geschichte Stück für Stück auf. Wir erfahren parallel, was heute und was damals geschehen ist und wie sich nun langsam alles miteinander verknüpft. Die Atmosphäre des Buches ist dabei sehr düster und sehr geheimnisvoll und irgendwie bedrückend. Ich habe das Buch am liebsten im hellen Sonnenschein gelesen, sonst hätte es mich vielleicht sogar gegruselt. Die Auflösung hat mich überrascht; dieses Ende habe ich nicht kommen sehen. Dennoch konnte mich die Auflösung überzeugen; es passte alles zusammen. Genau so sollte ein Thriller sein!

Sara

March 21, 2019

Claire Douglas is rapidly becoming one of my favourite authors. Loved this. Listened to it on audio, and the narrators were great.

Sibel

August 02, 2016

A gripping page-turner with a gasp-worthy twist! :)

Amanda -

September 09, 2016

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.Local Girl Missing is a story split in two distinct time frames. Twenty years ago, Sophie Collier, a young woman of twenty one, with her whole life ahead of her, vanishes after leaving a local club. The only indication of her final whereabouts is a single sports shoe, believed to be Sophie’s, caught on a derelict seaside pier. It tears many close to Sophie apart, from her lover Leon, to devoted brother Daniel, to Frankie, Sophie’s best friend. Twenty years later, old wounds surface when human remains believed to be Sophie’s, emerge near the waters of the seaside town of Oldcliffe. Frankie, now a successful businesswoman in London, vowed never to return to Oldcliffe. A call from Daniel, Sophie’s brother, changes Frankie’s feelings and she returns to Oldcliffe on a mission to piece together the truth as to what really happened to Sophie.Local Girl Missing is a book that has an immediate impact on the reader from the very beginning, delivering both a chilling and intriguing opening scene. I soon settled into this book and was subsequently taken on a thrilling ride throughout the novel. Local Girl Missing is best described as an unsettling, unpredictable and unputdownable read. This could be down to the style of narrative structure. Douglas cleverly divides her narrative between present day, with Frankie conversing with her friend, the missing Sophie. She then splits the other half of the narrative and devotes it to Sophie’s story from the past in 1997. Although I enjoyed both narratives, which alternate and drip feed information relating to Sophie’s fate, I really connected to Sophie’s 1997 story thread. I feel this is due to the setting that Douglas works hard to create for her readers. Being of similar age to Sophie and Frankie in 1997, I could easily relate to their lives and also living near a similar seaside town myself, I could put myself directly into their shoes. The highlight of this book has definitely got to be the setting. I could easily picture the derelict pier of Oldcliffe and imagine the treacherous sea in which Sophie disappears. Douglas also excels at depicting her setting in Oldcliffe in the present day, her location setting descriptions are highly atmospheric. There were also many instances while reading Local Girl Missing where I got clear chills down my spine. As well as the setting, Douglas also displays strength in her creation of a whole host of characters. Each character is carefully formed and they all present themselves as somehow connected to Sophie’s fate or as potential suspects. To me, this is always a sign of a good thriller novel. I had no idea who was involved in Sophie’s final moments and if they were at all, I questioned if it was just a terrible accident or suicide. Douglas saves the best for last, blowing any of my theories out of the water, delivering a thrilling climax. It was definitely worth the wait to get the epilogue.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. *4.5 starsThis review also appears on my blog: https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com...

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