Not That I Could Tell by Jessica Strawser

Clues to describe this book: small town life, friendship, mysterious past, toxic relationships

Review: Not That I Could Tell by Jessica Strawser was my March BOTM pick. This mystery novel follows a group of neighborly friends who have a backyard get together on Saturday night, but come Monday morning, one of them goes missing. No one can make sense of the disappearance. As the police are investigating the case, the neighbors are forced to realize how well they know each other as well as face their own issues. I felt that the book was a bit too slow at first and I was having difficulty maintaining interest. After half way through the book, it started to pick up a bit and the ending was interesting though not as suspenseful as I thought it would be. The novel is told by third person narration but through multiple perspectives. My favorite character is Izzy. I genuinely felt bad for the situation she was in and liked how realistic she resolved her situation in the end. One character I didn’t care for at all is Clara, which is unfortunate since she is an important main character. She felt so bland and didn’t really add anything extra to the story. The story kind of reminded me of Desperate Housewives. It wasn’t as heavy or suspenseful as I anticipated it to be. Overall, I would recommend this book if you’re looking for something in between a contemporary and light mystery. The book releases on today (Tue 3/27/18).