After a group of women meet one Saturday night for a much needed “girl’s night out”, a break from their daily lives—children, other family obligations, housework, etc.--one of the group disappears. This book covers the reactions of the group, who all live in the same neighborhood and close to one another, to this news. In particular, the book focuses on Clara, a young mother like the missing woman, Kristin, and Izzy, the newest member of the group, who stands out because of this newness and because, unlike the others, she has no husband or children. The book also delves into the missing woman’s husband, Paul, reactions to this event. In the book, each person reacts a little bit differently. As time goes on and the woman does not return, and the local police find no trace of her or her children, the story fades somewhat from local news, though the small group still puzzles over the event, as well as why Kristin took off as well as where she and the children might be. As the story progresses, the reader becomes privy to a myriad of secrets each character harbors, which play a major role in their initial reactions and subsequent actions/conclusions.

This was an interesting story and a bit different. However, from the get-go, I had figured out what was going on and how it would end, so there was really no big surprise for me. I found it interesting to learn about the small group and how they all lived and reacted to a neighborhood mystery that touched them all. In addition, the author did include some interesting, though not terribly earth shattering, secrets. My big problem with the book was that it dragged on and on. Some of the past incidents revealed were definitely integral to the story, but some, no so much. For example, the past incident where one of Clara’s co-workers was killed by an ex-boyfriend was interesting, but really had no real part or bearing on the story, so I found myself wondering why the author even included this vignette. I personally felt the book could have been about 50-60 pages shorter, still been about the same and probably would not have dragged as much. In addition, there was no real suspense, at least not for me, as I had figured out what was going on early on. I also do not think the author developed the characters in a way that led to the conclusion. One character I found especially irritating was Izzy. Throughout the book, she is depicted as a crazy, obsessive (at least to herself) love-sick woman, enamored by a man she could never have. This is a grown woman, totally consumed by a man who is married to someone else. Get over it and grow up. Perhaps, rather than silently lusting after and loving this guy, Izzy should have made some moves to get things going with him before he married. In addition, she became totally alienated toward her family because of this obsession. I do not know how close she was to them before this or how much contact she had had with them, but it seemed that she let this man and her obsessive love for him wipe everything else in her life out. Perhaps some counseling or even the recognition that she needed counseling could have helped me like her more in the story—but that seemed not to be an option and she kept pining after him and let this love rule her whole life. The book was not bad, though I would not say it was good either. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

My rating: 3.5 stars

After having read and enjoyed Jessica Strawser’s debut novel Almost Missed You early last year, I was excited when I heard she would have a second book out. I remember pulling an “all-nighter” for her first book, as it was such a gripping read that I couldn’t bring myself to put it down. Not surprising then that I went into her second book Not That I Could Tell with high expectations, which in hindsight, I probably shouldn’t have. While I wouldn’t say that I was disappointed, since I did like the story overall and the characters were well-developed as well as realistically written, I do have to say that I definitely enjoyed Strawser’s first book way more. Similar to her first book, this one also starts off with a mysterious disappearance, this time it is Kristin Kirkland, a devoted mother of twins who is in the midst of a divorce from her doctor husband Paul – she and her twins go missing after a girls’ night out with her friends, other women from the neighborhood. From there, the rest of the story is spent trying to figure out what happened to Kristin and why – we get to hear from each of the women who were at the gathering that night and in the process, we also learn their stories and eventually, the secrets they were also hiding. Unlike Strawser’s first book, which was a suspenseful and gripping read for me, this one by comparisons fell a bit flat – the suspense factor was nearly nonexistent and there wasn’t a big “twist” that made my jaw drop like her first one did. Sure, I was curious as to what happened with Kristin but I felt like for much of the book, the “mystery” of Kristin’s disappearance ended up taking a back seat to everything else that was going on in the neighborhood itself and all the issues that the other characters had to deal with in their lives. In terms of plot, this one was very much a slow-burn, with not much action happening for most of the story – it’s not until the last third of the book or so that the story gained some traction, but even then it wasn’t that big of a leap. To me, this book leaned more heavily on the women’s fiction side than mystery / suspense – not necessarily a bad thing of course, it’s just that I was expecting it to be in the same vein as Almost Missed You (which leaned more heavily on mystery/suspense aspect), which obviously it was not.

Even though I didn’t find this book as compelling as Strawser’s previous one, I did enjoy the characters quite a bit and appreciated the different angle she took with their development. The focus of much of the narrative was on Kristin’s neighbors Clara and Izzy and how they had to juggle coping with their friend’s disappearance while at the same time working through their own issues – both characters were realistically drawn and interestingly enough, I was able to relate to both of them in many aspects, even though their lives were so different. This was a story where I did end up connecting with the characters, albeit not as much on an emotional level but rather more empathetically in that I’ve had to deal with some similar issues in the past, to varying degrees. What really kept me turning the pages though was the writing, which was fantastic! This was an area that Strawser absolutely delivered on and something I’ve come to expect from her books.

Despite this book not drawing me in as much due to its slower pace, it was still a good story and one that I can definitely recommend as long as the understanding is there not to expect a tautly-written suspense thriller. Personally, I appreciated the more underlying messages the story brought out about important issues such as domestic abuse and its impact as well as the attitudes and reactions from society. I also really liked the way the aspects of motherhood, friendship, relationships in its various forms, etc. were handled in the story – slightly different perspectives that made the characters quite a bit more interesting than those in similar stories. Jessica Strawser is one author whose works I will definitely continue to read!

Received ARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley

One night, several neighborhood women in a quiet suburban community gather around a backyard bonfire and get tipsy together, as groups of suburban women who enjoy wine are wont to do. The next day, however, one of the women, along with her twin children, is missing. She and her husband were going through a divorce, but he seems to be genuinely worried about where she's gone. The families in the surrounding houses are all increasingly nervous as the missing woman's husband takes up residence in the now-empty home, especially as he seems to be moving on rather quickly to the one eligible bachelorette in the neighborhood.

I kept waiting for some kind of big reveal at the end, but this novel honestly played out more or less as I expected. There are a lot of teases and subtle misdirects, but the interstitial bits of italicized text in the book that seem to be from an anonymous narrator are pretty unsubtle hints as to what has actually happened to the missing woman.

Though I found the "mystery" aspect of this book disappointing, I did really enjoy getting to know the characters and the setting, Yellow Springs, which reminded me a lot of a planned community whose library I used to work in - tight-knit families, a liberal, hippy-ish preschool, a lesbian couple with an adorable kid, and the single protagonist, who is struggling with serious internal conflict after her sister marries her best friend. If you're hoping for a head-spinning plot twist, that's not what you'll get here - but if you're a fan of interesting assemblages of characters and their interpersonal dynamics, this is definitely a book for you.

3.5 stars_The pace was sooooo slow ! I really enjoyed the story and the ending pushed it close to a 4 stars for me, but I wasn't really into it the whole time. I did enjoy the characters, the backstories, the fact that they were all neighbors and treated each other like family. I do recommend this book but keep it mind this is not a fast paced thriller. There was only one chapter in the whole book that I was biting my nails out of stress!

This book was an easy read and moved along nicely. The set up was interesting. The morning after a group of neighbors in a small Ohio town drink a little too much around the fire pit, Kristin and her twin pre schoolers vanish without a trace. The rest of the book jumps between a few of the women in the neighborhood who are trying to figure out what happened to their friend.

I enjoyed the story, but I did find the ending a bit anti-climactic. This felt very similar to Sally Hepworth's The Family Next Door or Liane Moriarty's Truly Madly Guilty. If you enjoyed those books, this is the perfect read alike,

I loved this book! It keeps you guessing what will happen next. I love the setting of a small town in Ohio, a quiet neighborhood with families and friends. What started out as a girl's night out by a backyard fire pit ended with one of the girls and her kids missing the next day. The story plot goes through the characters and their stories of what happened the night before. The ending had quite the surprise that I was not expecting! I would highly recommend this book!

This was my first time reading a novel by Jessica Strawser and I jumped in with both feet at the promise of an exciting mystery/thriller. While I enjoyed this book, I was very underwhelmed by the "thriller" aspect and I would have been far less disappointed if this book was correctly categorized as realistic fiction. This plot focuses almost solely on the relationships between the characters. One of the more interesting things about this book is the more I read the more I really felt that I knew these women and how they think. I kept turning the page waiting for the book to get exciting, at the end when the mystery was solved I was left with a feeling of wanting more. To put it simply, good not great.

The neighborhood women get together for a girls night. They all drink too much and enjoy a no kids evening. After the evening is over, one of the mothers disappears along with her children. Was she kidnapped, did she run, what exactly happened?

This is a very unique plot. The reader is kept guessing most of the way through it. Kristin could be in an abusive relationship. Maybe this is why she left. Maybe she was kidnapped. Maybe she just picked up and took her kids and said enough. All the women are questioned by the police. And none of them have a clue.

I was captivated by Kristin’s plight. However, this has a lot of domesticity in it, fixing of lunches, household chores, etc… I skimmed several places. Really didn’t have much to do with the story. It also did not take away from it either. Just was not something I was very interested in. But, the mystery behind Kristin’s disappearance kept me glued into this tale.

This novel has great characters which really add to story and I applaud the author for a creating a distinctive and uncommon plot!

I received this novel from Netgalley and the publisher for a honest review.

3.5 stars for Not That I Could Tell. While it was an interesting story, I was bothered by a few things, most of all I felt let down by the explanation when it was finally unveiled.

This book had a lot of good characters. Some were quirky, some (like Paul) were a little smarmy for my taste and some were the type I'd befriend. I especially liked the main detective. :-)

Not having read this author's first novel I had no expectations going in and did find myself reading faster, wanting to find out what happened, but the ending didn't seem to fit, in my opinion.

If you like women's fiction and a good cast of characters, this is for you. Thanks to the publishers, author and Netgalley for the early read.

Here's a book that under a lot of circumstances, I might never have read. I've seen it categorized as "women's fiction" and although the lead characters are women, that categorization is much too narrow. It's very suspenseful and presents an interesting twist on f a few well used plot techniques. The characters are all unique, and I think the author did a great job keeping them from falling into stereotypes. In the small group of friends, there's the same-sex couple, the single woman, the happily married stay-at-home mom with a dark secret, and the woman who is the center of the plot, but not the story... (trying to write without spoilers). Any one or all of these characters could have been written in a very stereotypical model, but they weren't. That, along with the plot, kept me reading. I will say, half way through I was sure I had figured out the twist, and I was wrong... I'm glad I read it and I'll look for more from the author, this is the first of hers I've read.

This is a character driven book about a group of women that live in a neighborhood. Once day one of the women disappears with her twins and the secrets start to come out.

I didn't feel a connection to any of the characters or the plot for that matter. I really thought that I would enjoy this book greatly but it all fell flat for me and the ending didn't help.

I would recommend this book is you want a book that is mostly women's contemporary fiction with a side of mystery.

I haven’t read Jessica Strawser’s debut novel but after reading this I will be reading it soon. This book kept me engaged throughout. I liked the writing and flow of the book. The story starts the morning after the women in the neighbourhood have had a late night bonfire and wine evening. After most of them imbibe a bit too much the events of the prior evening are a little foggy. It is soon realized that their neighbour, Kristin, and her preschool twin children are missing. All had seemed fine with Kristin that evening so the question becomes -did Kristin leave voluntarily or was she forced? Clara and Izzy are the two most central figures in the book. I loved both characters. Clara is a busy stay at home wife and mother of small children and Izzy is single and has recently moved to the neighbourhood. I found Clara very relatable and Izzy’s story heart breaking. Paul, Kristin’s estranged husband, adds more to the intrigue by moving back into their family home after their disappearance. Is he complicit in Kristin’s disappearance or a concerned husband? Some of the twists at the end of the book I saw coming but some I did not. I really enjoyed this book!

3.5

Several neighbor women connect one night to sit outside and drink some wine. The next day, one of them disappears with her two children. This happens right up front and the rest of the novel is based on understanding how each of the women left behinds tries to interpret the disappearance through her own beliefs and past experiences.

After reading the overview, I thought I had a pretty good idea on how this story was going to go down. Initially, when it wasn't going my way. I was a bit put off. But in the long run, I liked the author's version much better. We get to spend time with each of the women individually and collectively as they process their own thoughts and interact with each other. I thought the story came to a very interesting conclusion. All in all, I found this to be an enjoyable read.

From St. Martin's press via Netgally.

This was too much of a slow start for me. I finally gave up 21% of the way through. When it takes me two weeks to get into a book, and I still can’t get into the story it’s time to cut my losses. Don’t let my review dissuade you from trying it out. Most people really liked it. It just wasn’t for me.

Thank you Netgalley for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

Predictable plot twists and one highly implausible twist took away from what could have been a really great read.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the advanced ebook copy in exchange for my honest review!

I always love the domestic dramas/thrillers that take place in the seemingly perfect and idyllic neighborhoods. As someone that grew up in a suburb that had a reputation for white picket fences and beautiful homes, I can't wait to see how the authors approach this genre and setting. NOT THAT I COULD TELL by Jessica Stawser starts with an innocent girls' night for the neighborhood moms and ends with a police investigation.

On a Saturday night, some of the moms in the neighborhood gather around a fire pit to enjoy a girls' night. With wine and baby monitors with them, they get to enjoy a kid-free night. They begin drinking and enjoying each others' company, but as the drinking increases they begin to dive into personal conversations and secrets.

The next morning they're all feeling the hangovers and not remembering what happened the night before. They soon discover that Kristin and her twins are missing. Despite her impending divorce, she gave no hint that she was planning on leaving the small Ohio town. The investigation quickly goes from media frenzy to a cold case and the rest of the neighborhood begins to question how much they truly know about each other.

As I previously said, these types of domestic dramas and thrillers are a genre that I really enjoy. You never know what's happening behind the closed doors of your neighbors and they never truly know what happens in your home. Was it the husband? Where did Kristin go? The other women all have their own crises happening simultaneously which makes for a lot of drama.

If you're a fan of domestic dramas, then I would highly recommend picking this one up! The examination of the relationships and manipulation that can plague some friendships was so well developed and I will say that the ending was incredibly satisfying!

I give this one a solid 4/5 stars!

One saturday night, a group of neighborhood women get together sitting around a backyard fire pit. With lots of wine and laughter, it's a rare treat to be kid-free. On monday, one of the woman along with her 2 young children have disappeared.

Not That I Could Tell is a slow burner suspense. What happened to Kristin and the twins? Did her estranged husband do something to her and his kids? The story kept me intrigued but I was a little disappointed with the ending. There was build up but no big surprise ending. Kind of a let down for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of Jessica Strawser's "Not That I Could Tell" in exchange of an honest review.

I received a free copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I truly enjoyed this book a lot. I expected a neighborhood mystery and I got so much more ... at times I was wondering if I am back at Wisteria Lane (gosh I miss that show) .. because it had all the drama, all the relationships, and all variations of different characters that I loved.

The different types of characters that experience this drama and all deal with it in a very different way are all in their own way relateable and very realistic.
What I truly loved about this book is that the author does not force an opinion down my throat or gives me one "good person" to relate to the most. I love when I feel conflicted because two people get into an argument about something and I can relate to both. This book totally took me there.
I also really enjoyed how the topic of potential abuse was weaved into the story line and looked at from different angles.

Overall, I could barely put this book down, it is very well written and an easy, quick read. And even though suspicions about the ending seem to be very predictable, it wasn't at all on a level that would have bothered me and a few details still surprised me.

3.5 stars. Izzy is an absolute idiot but I do have sympathy for her. I liked the rest of the female characters very much. Nice ending.

A young mother and her twin children living in a small neighborly suburb suddenly disappear. Kristin’s soon to be ex-husband Paul is the obvious suspect but things aren’t necessarily as they appear and there are 300 more pages to read. Each of Kristin’s neighbor friends has a story of their own to tell and their thoughts, secrets and truths unfold as the investigation into Kristin’s disappearance builds and changes. What appeared to be a cut-and-dried case is not so clear after-all and my theory kept changing. What a clever page-turner with some great character dynamics and a few twisties that sucked me in and kept me guessing through to the end.