This book is somewhat reminiscent of Gone Girl - missing wife, husband is a suspect. But there’s lots of interesting and quirky characters that each have their own storylines that tie everyone together.

I received an advanced copy of this title for review. All opinions are my own.
A close-knit group of neighborhood ladies gather for a Saturday night together. But, on Monday Kristin and her twins are missing. None of the other ladies can figure out why. Has she left on her own? Does her soon to be ex husband have anything to do with her disappearance? The ladies try to piece things together along with the local detective. As they talk with one another, they come to realize that they didn't really know Kristin as well as they thought they did. Paul, the ex husband is suspicious, but no one really knows him well enough either. Then stories circulate that Paul was violent. At the same time, he befriends the newest single neighbor, Izzy. Should she be worried? Should the others warn her? Is she in danger? Will Kristin and the kids be found? Are they OK? Will they ever come home? Does anyone know where they could be?

My Review of “Not That I Can Tell” by Jessica Strawser

Can you imagine having a girl’s night out around the Fire Pit in a neighbor’s backyard, and not realizing, that come the morning, one of the women and her children are gone? In this mystery and fiction novel, “Not That I Could Tell” by Jessica Strawser ,the reader is left wondering what has happened and why?

Jessica Strawser describes her characters as complicated and complex. Each one of the characters in this story have their own problems, secrets, and a crisis of their own. The story takes place in a “quirky” small town in Ohio. The missing mother Kristin and her twin children are gone. Kristen had been in the process of a divorce. The hostess of the gathering the night before Clara, and the other women can provide no information of what happened the night before. It just seems that Kristin has left without a trace.

The first person the police often look into is the husband. Kristin’s ex-husband Paul is a prominent doctor. As the Police look into the investigation, it becomes, he said, she said.

In this novel there are some twists and turns. There are some clues, but not all the pieces of this puzzle seem to fit. This is an intriguing and captivating story,

I appreciate that the author brings up the significant topics of spousal abuse, and the problems of getting help. The author discusses the importance of family, neighbors, and a support system as well as forgiving, love and hope. I would recommend this story for those readers who enjoy a mystery. I received an Advanced Reading Copy for my honest review.

It’s hard for me to classify this book. The best way that I would describe it would be woman’s fiction with some mystery, there really isn’t the element of imminent threat that would be found in a thriller. There has been a lot of buzz about this book and I was anxious to read it. I don’t think it lived up to my expectations but it was still a good read.

We have a group of women neighbors who are out in their adjoining backyards one evening enjoying the fact that their baby monitors reach the area and also being able to kick back, have a little wine and get to know each other better. The next morning one of the women, Kristin, has disappeared along with her twin children. The police are actually alerted when Kristin’s soon to be ex-husband, Paul, has come to the house to find them gone.

When the neighbors are questioned there is very little that they can remember, they just know that they had a nice time, a little wine and went home. None of them, “not that I could tell” knew any more about the situation.

The chapters are highlighted sometimes by an unknown woman talking about her needs and situation, sometimes with other anecdotes that help us learn more about the story. The novel is told primarily in two voices. Clara is the mother of two and it was her yard where the women had their get together. She shares what she knows with the police. Clara has an almost too good to be true husband and had been really enjoying the atmosphere in the neighborhood. She is saddened by the disappearance of her neighbor and feels the changes especially closely because her children played with Kristin’s twins.

Izzy is the other narrator. She is a woman who has moved to Yellow Springs to have a fresh start away from her family. Her sister has recently married her long time best friend, Josh, whom Izzy secretly loved more than just as a friend. She feels the need for her own space and has recently purchased a home in the neighborhood which she is refurbishing. She has a job at a radio station doing a morning wake up show called “Fresh Squeezed” which has become very popular. She isn’t particularly happy in the job, especially with her co workers. She was glad to meet the women in her neighborhood and felt they would become good friends. She also doesn’t remember anything much from the evening that Kristin was last seen. I felt that the story flowed well and the characters were well described.

So I was ready to give this book a 3 because I pretty much figured out what was going on and the reason why Kristin disappeared. It wasn’t until the very last 10 or so pages that there was something that surprised me greatly and that caused the bump up to 4 stars. I would recommend this as an easy to read novel which also touches upon the subject of familial abuse and women’s rights. I can’t say more without revealing the plot.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publishers through NetGalley, thank you.
I will post to Amazon upon publication of the book.

Great book! Looking forward to reading more by this author! Highly recommend!

3.5 stars.

Kristin is a social, friendly mom whom everyone loves, yet no one seems to know. After an ordinary weekend with her friends, Kristin and her twin children disappear, and the entire neighborhood is left asking why. Told in third-person, the novel focuses primarily on Kristin’s neighbors Izzy, a single woman who recently moved to Yellow Springs to escape her baggage, and Clara, a mom with troubling memories who also happens to be Kristin’s closest friend. Also in the mix is Paul, Kristin’s soon-to-be ex-husband, who appears to be distraught over the disappearance of his family. Is he hiding something, though? Does Paul know more than he’s letting on?

Jessica Strawser’s “Not That I Could Tell” is a novel that had the potential to be a great work of suspense. The characters have excellent depth, and the details surrounding the disappearing of Kristin and her kids could certainly keep her readers guessing. Unfortunately, Strawser chose to give us insider information that removed any questions or doubts from my mind. Interspersed between sections about Izzy and Clara, there are first-person sentiments—almost written as diary entries—from Kristin in which she describes her thoughts, her relationship with Paul, and her plans. For me, I felt that this weakened the story tremendously. I didn’t question what kind of man Paul was because I already knew. I didn’t question what happened to Kristin because I already knew. There was no true mystery to the book, for it had already been spoiled for us. I think that the exclusion of these sections would have allowed for a much stronger thriller element. I think that by making that change, even the twist at the end would have been more impressive.

Aside from this rather fundamental part of the novel, I thought that the individual plotlines were intriguing. Izzy’s character hooked me instantly. Her complicated relationship with her sister and brother-in-law was tragic, which made it all the more engaging. I enjoyed her character development throughout the months outlined in the story. Initially, she is a broken woman who doesn’t know how to handle the mess she is in. Because of this, she becomes prey to the neighborhood predator. After experiencing what she does, though, she finally finds to ability to become someone who is independent and ready to move on.

Clara’s character was also a favorite of mine. She has a lovely family, but she’s more than just a wife and mother. She’s worked in the world of editing, and she becomes a sort of inspiration to young girl in town anxious to create her own newspaper. She’s also a person who has witnessed the danger of domestic abuse, and she was irrevocably changed because of it. Her past experience allows her to be a strong source of support to other characters in the novel.

Though the novel had its issues, I still enjoyed reading “Not That I Could Tell.” I thought that the pacing was good—at no point did I feel the need read ahead because I was bored or to re-read a section because too much happened too fast. I wouldn’t call it a true suspense novel; I would probably call it modern-day domestic fiction. You’ll be entertained while you follow these characters’ lives, but you won’t be on the edge of your seat.

A cozy-type mystery with attention brought to domestic violence. It was a thriller about suburban women, their lies and their secrets. The characters were well-defined and the pacing fast. There was a twisty ending, which was a surprise but In actuality was absurd.

This book sucked me in from the synopsis that I read about it before even starting. The premise of this one could hook anyone!

The story is about a neighborhood mom who goes missing with her two kids the night after the ladies in the neighborhood have had a bonfire in which everyone drank a little too much and do not remember many details of the night.

I did feel that at times in the middle it seemed kind of slow and dragged on but at the end it picked back up.

I did enjoy the ending as it wrapped the story in a neat little bow and didn't leave you with any unanswered questions.

I really enjoyed Not That I Could Tell by Jessica Strawser, it was a solid 4.5 stars. I was truly captivated right from the start and was unable to put it down until the sun was peeking in my windows. Warning to readers- do not start, Not That I Could Tell just prior to bed unless you can afford to lose sleep.

Not That I Could Tell is about a group of six neighborhood women who meet one evening to break in the new patio and fire pit over drinks while getting to escape the kids for a few glorious hours. The women go home to their homes drunk and happy not knowing that one of them will be missing come Monday along with her four year old twins.

Izzy is the newest neighbor on the street, she is single with no kids and works as a producer for a morning radio show which she doesn’t enjoy and gets in the way of her cultivating a romantic relationship due to the early morning hours.

Clara is a happily married, stay at home mother of two children as well as the owner of the home that the women met at on Saturday night.

Natalie lives behind Clara and enlists her help several days a week to help with her precocious 12 year old daughter, Hallie. Natalie’s husband is in the military so for the most part she is a single parent going it alone while attending night school and working as a waitress.

Rhoda and Randi are a lesbian couple with a new baby who own a new age boutique in the town they live.

Kristin is the woman who has not been seen or heard of since leaving Clara’s backyard and returning to home next door. Where are her twins? Did they go on their own accord? Or did something ominous happen?

I really enjoyed Jessica Strawser’s second novel and will most certainly be picking up a copy of, Almost Missed You. I really enjoyed her writing style and character development. I felt most of the characters were relatable and understandable in their actions and thought process while going through the storyline. I really felt a connection with Clara; Stawser really captured the feelings and difficulties of being a SAHM. I loved the twists and turns that each chapter took. The ephemera at the beginning was a great touch and added another element to the book. The ending was a home run!

***Will review on Amazon and Barnes & Nobel on March 27, 2018.

This book was supposed to center around a missing mom and her two children, and although that was a focus, it also seemed to veer off into the lives of the woman's neighborhood. I liked this book, for the most part, but to be perfectly honest, I did skip a couple pages here and there, which I rarely do. I don't have anything negative to say about the book, only that it wasn't exactly what I anticipated. (That is not always a bad thing, though). I think this will sell, and sell fast.

In a small town in Ohio, a young mother disappears with her two small children. She doesn't appear to have been abducted and there are no signs that she *isn't* alive. But days and weeks pass and she doesn't make contact. Her friends and soon-to-be-ex-husband are left wondering where she could be and if something terrible has befallen her and the kids.

At first this seemed like it might be a Megan Miranda-type thriller (which I love!) but it was more like a cozy mystery with several Angela Lansburys, if you know what I mean. Once I settled into that, it was more enjoyable and realistic.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-arc to review.

Publisher Description
When a group of neighborhood women gathers, wine in hand, around a fire pit where their backyards meet one Saturday night, most of them are just ecstatic to have discovered that their baby monitors reach that far. It’s a rare kid-free night, and they’re giddy with it. They drink too much, and the conversation turns personal.
By Monday morning, one of them is gone.
My Thoughts
When a woman and her children vanish from their house, no one is above suspicion. Certainly not her soon to be ex-husband Paul and what about the neighborhood women who swear they had no inkling that Kristen would pack up and leave her home. Everyone appears concerned and yet with no note and no apparent warning from Kristen, every facet of these character's lives will be examined in order to uncover the truth. Did Kristen choose to abandon her seemingly perfect life or have Kristen and the children been kidnapped or murdered?
The story makes you question what goes on in your friends and neighbor's houses as well as how well you really know the people around you. All the characters were well written, though some played a larger role than others in the story. My two favorites were Clara, Kristen's best friend, and Hallie a young neighbor determined to unravel this mystery.
The author's writing style held my attention and made this a fast-paced read. The twist at the end was well done and when I turned the last page I had answers to many of my questions. Thank you, Jessica Strawser, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the digital ARC to read and review. I was happy to learn that this is the author's second book, so I will be able to read more of her work while I wait to see what comes next.

Unfortunately, I was very disappointed in this one as the reviews I had read were 4 and 5 star reviews. I don't necessarily feel that this was a "bad' book as the writing itself kept my interest. It was more the plot in general that was a little unbelievable and at some points a little too nonsensical that would lead me to rate this book as just about average. The story is supposed to center on the missing neighbor, Kristen and her twins and what exactly happened to them that they basically disappeared into thin air, but all along you are sort of not really concerned about what happened to them. The author really had not built up any empathy on our part to the missing characters and you sort are left to wander around in the melodrama of Kristen's neighbor's lives. I am teetering on the two star rating but there were some parts that really pushed you forward to finish the book.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for the chance to read and give an honest review.

A group of neighborhood women enjoy a late night out without kids sharing wine and secrets having a good time.The next morning though one of them disappears with her kids and all of them are left wondering if Kristen ran off or if her ex-husband had .something to do with their disappearance. Each of the women deal with Kristen’s disappearance in their own way and with more secrets revealed they all question if they ever knew their neighbor at all

This is my first book by Jessica Strawser and I thoroughly enjoyed it . It was not much of a mystery but had a compelling storyline with great characters that are easily identifiable. I highly recommend it and cannot wait to read her earlier book Almost Missed You

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.

After reading other reviews I thought I may not get into this story. I’m glad I ignored acre2 if the bad reviews. This story was a great page turner. Mystery filled with so many questions, all with family/friend drama intertwined. It’s not the most original story, but it flows so nicely, you must continue reading. I look forward to reading more by Jessica Strawser.

I really loved this book. It is a great story about secrets and lies, friendship, domestic violence and how that effects everyone, not just the person being abused. Such great quirky characters , each with their own stories to tell and secrets they are keeping. Awesome twist at the end that I really was not expecting. Nice to see the lengths people are willing to go to to help their friends in need. Read this book, it was so good ! You will be glad you did !

What a great story about how well we know those around us! Full of twists and turns, I really enjoyed the way that Strawser kept me guessing about what truly happened to Kristin and her twins. After a fun girls night in a quiet neighborhood in Yellow Springs, one of the women in the neighborhood and her two twins are missing. Noticed by her soon to be ex-husband, the whole neighborhood is drawn into where Kristin has gone and what has happened to her. Told through alternating viewpoints, the story focuses on Kristin, her neighbors Clara and Izzy, as well as other people who live in their close knit community. When Kristin's soon to be ex husband Paul, a well known doctor, moves into their home, things get even more complicated as she bonds with one of the neighbors. Full of action and intriguing situations, this story kept my interest and was a quick read. I love that I didn't figure it all out before the end and I look forward to the next novel by Stawser! Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was initially intrigued with the idea of this book, but it fell flat for me. I just didn’t get pulled in as much as I had hoped to. I’m normally a fast reader, but this one took me over two weeks to finish.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy reading this book. I skipped through the middle of it and read the ending. Although it ended with a surprise, I found the book dragged on and I didn't think Paul's character was believable. Sorry.....

This was a quick read with a surprising ending. I enjoyed the plot line and thought the writing style was easy enough to follow.
I will be looking out for this author again.
Thank you for my ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.