The good girl

In this tale of a kidnapping gone wrong, Mia, the black-sheep daughter of prominent Chicago judge James Dennett, impulsively decides to go home with Colin, a young man she meets in a bar. The one-night stand quickly turns into a nightmare when Colin forces her into his car in the middle of the night, and Mia learns he's been sent to abduct her for ransom. But just before the drop-off point, Colin, for reasons unknown, decides not to hand her over to the man who has hired him and instead takes her to a remote cabin in Minnesota. Back at home, Mia's mother, Eve, cannot understand why James doesn't seem to take the news of his daughter's disappearance as seriously as she does. Gabe, the detective assigned to the case, wonders the same thing. The narrative unfolds in four different perspectives from Mia, Eve, Gabe, and Colin, in alternating chapters which are also structured as before and after. The organization can prove puzzling, but Kubica's debut thriller builds suspense steadily and will have readers guessing what's really going on until the final pages.--Vnuk, Rebecca Copyright 2010 Booklist

At the outset of Kubica's powerful debut, free-spirited 24-year-old Mia Dennett, an art teacher at an alternative high school and a member of a well-heeled, well-connected Chicago family, goes missing. As puzzling as Mia's presumed kidnapping initially appears, things turn infinitely stranger after her eventual return, seemingly with no memory of what happened to her or, indeed, of her identity as Mia. Key characters share the narrative in chapters labeled either "Before" or "After," allowing the reader to join shattered mother Eve and sympathetic Det. Gabe Hoffman on their treacherous journey to solve the mystery and truly save Mia. Almost nothing turns out as expected, which, along with the novel's structure and deep Midwestern roots, will encourage comparisons to Gone Girl. Unlike that dazzling duel between what prove to be a pair of sociopaths, this Girl has heart-which makes it all the more devastating when the author breaks it. Agent: Rachael Dillon Fried, Greenburger Associates. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Mia, the daughter of a prominent judge, has vanished. Her mother and a detective, working together, do everything possible to find her. When she is eventually recovered, Mia remembers little of what happened to her. She calls herself Chloe instead of Mia. Is she suffering amnesia as a result of post--traumatic stress disorder? So, what did happen? Three main characters narrate their versions of the story, from before and after. One narrator, the kidnapper who was hired to seize Mia as part of an extortion plot, justifies his actions in hiding Mia as protecting her. -Kubica's carefully constructed, character-driven plot propels the reader through a kidnapping, a recovery, and some difficult family dynamics. VERDICT Similar in tone to William Landay's acclaimed Defending Jacob, this excellent debut is compulsively readable and highly recommended for anyone who loves a mystery, a suspense tale, or a psychological puzzle. This could also be recommended for those who enjoy suspense, but don't care for graphic depictions of violence or sexual intimacy: these elements are mentioned, but not detailed. [Previewed in Kristi -Chadwick's Mystery Spotlight feature, "Pushing Boundaries," LJ 4/15/14.-Ed.]-Elizabeth Masterson, Mecklenburg Cty. Jail Lib., Charlotte, NC (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kubicas psychological thriller centers on the abduction of a young teacher.Mia Dennett comes from massive wealth, and that made her a juicy target. Chicago Police Detective Gabe Hoffman is assigned to lead the official search and finds himself increasingly attracted to Mias mother, a beautiful British woman in her early 60s. The story alternates between the past and present and is told through the voices of three of the participants: Mias mother, Eve; her abductor, Colin; and Gabe, the detective. Mia, who was freed after months of living in the Minnesota woods with her captor, has a type of amnesia that, her psychiatrist says, allows her to block out parts of what happened to her. Gabe is still trying to track down the truth about her captivity, while Eve is working to regain the daughter she believes is underneath Mias apparent apathy and confusion. Meanwhile, readers follow along with the abduction itself in Colins words and discover an odd but burgeoning bond developing between captor and captive in the harsh and unforgiving climate. Although Kubica has chosen to recount her tale in the present tense, which adds an odd stiffness to her otherwise very readable prose, she makes the characters engaging and moves the story along at a good clip. If the novel lacks credibility in any one area, its that the Chicago PD, one of the busiest law enforcement agencies in the world, would have the luxury of assigning one detective to a single case for months on end, even if the abductee was the daughter of an influential member of the judiciary.The proliferation of older characters like Eve will be a pleasant and unexpected find for the many readers who understand that life over 55 can still be interesting. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

In this tale of a kidnapping gone wrong, Mia, the black-sheep daughter of prominent Chicago judge James Dennett, impulsively decides to go home with Colin, a young man she meets in a bar. The one-night stand quickly turns into a nightmare when Colin forces her into his car in the middle of the night, and Mia learns he's been sent to abduct her for ransom. But just before the drop-off point, Colin, for reasons unknown, decides not to hand her over to the man who has hired him and instead takes her to a remote cabin in Minnesota. Back at home, Mia's mother, Eve, cannot understand why James doesn't seem to take the news of his daughter's disappearance as seriously as she does. Gabe, the detective assigned to the case, wonders the same thing. The narrative unfolds in four different perspectives—from Mia, Eve, Gabe, and Colin, in alternating chapters—which are also structured as "before" and "after." The organization can prove puzzling, but Kubica's debut thriller builds suspense steadily and will have readers guessing what's really going on until the final pages. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

Mia, the daughter of a prominent judge, has vanished. Her mother and a detective, working together, do everything possible to find her. When she is eventually recovered, Mia remembers little of what happened to her. She calls herself Chloe instead of Mia. Is she suffering amnesia as a result of post-traumatic stress disorder? So, what did happen? Three main characters narrate their versions of the story, from before and after. One narrator, the kidnapper who was hired to seize Mia as part of an extortion plot, justifies his actions in hiding Mia as protecting her. Kubica's carefully constructed, character-driven plot propels the reader through a kidnapping, a recovery, and some difficult family dynamics. VERDICT Similar in tone to William Landay's acclaimed Defending Jacob, this excellent debut is compulsively readable and highly recommended for anyone who loves a mystery, a suspense tale, or a psychological puzzle. This could also be recommended for those who enjoy suspense, but don't care for graphic depictions of violence or sexual intimacy: these elements are mentioned, but not detailed. [Previewed in Kristi Chadwick's Mystery Spotlight feature, "Pushing Boundaries," LJ 4/15/14.—Ed.]—Elizabeth Masterson, Mecklenburg Cty. Jail Lib., Charlotte, NC

At the outset of Kubica's powerful debut, free-spirited 24-year-old Mia Dennett, an art teacher at an alternative high school and a member of a well-heeled, well-connected Chicago family, goes missing. As puzzling as Mia's presumed kidnapping initially appears, things turn infinitely stranger after her eventual return, seemingly with no memory of what happened to her or, indeed, of her identity as Mia. Key characters share the narrative in chapters labeled either "Before" or "After," allowing the reader to join shattered mother Eve and sympathetic Det. Gabe Hoffman on their treacherous journey to solve the mystery and truly save Mia. Almost nothing turns out as expected, which, along with the novel's structure and deep Midwestern roots, will encourage comparisons to Gone Girl. Unlike that dazzling duel between what prove to be a pair of sociopaths, this Girl has heart—which makes it all the more devastating when the author breaks it. Agent: Rachael Dillon Fried, Greenburger Associates. (Aug.)