This was a wonderful book. It is a mystery as to what happened to Kristin. After a neighbor party, one of there own goes missing. Paul and Kristin recently filed for divorce and the finalization is taking a bit long. On Monday, Paul can't get a hold of Kristin and she didn't show up at work. Paul moves back into his and Kristin's house hoping she will come back. Is Paul innocent? Did he make her and they twins "disappear"?

The characters in this book are so well written. Clara is my favorite. She is a stay at home mom and lives next door to Kristin. Izzy is a young, single, new neighbor that is a little sad and lonely. Natalie and her daughter, Hallie are just waiting for their husband/father to return from deployment. Randi and Rhoda are a delightful, earthy, couple with a new infant daughter. These women gather have a little too much to drink so they didn't notice if there was anything to see at Kristin's house.

I really enjoyed the way Kristin is telling her story a bit a time. I didn't know how it would turn out until the end. Is she okay, is she dead? You really have to wait to see. Clara having experienced the result of domestic violence against a co-worker is all the more worried as to what happened. The neighbors are all team Kristin with the exception of Izzy who gives Paul the benefit of the doubt.

I highly recommend this book!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGally and St. Martin's Press

Enjoying the idea of getting together for talk and wine while their baby monitors are on hand, introduces the story of a fun opportunity for neighbors to get to know each other and relax. All was well until the next morning when one of their group is gone, shocking and worrisome. Get to know the neighbors mainly through the eyes of Clara and Izzy, both with their pasts influencing their take on the disappearance of their neighbor Kristen and her twins as well as dealing with the husband Paul, Lots of questions keeping popping up, where did she go, why did she go, is she safe, is she hurt, what part does Paul play in Kristen's disappearance? How will Clara and Izzy deal with the problem and will the case be resolved? Good character development., good story, and a non-stop read.

After reading Almost Missed You, I was excited to read another work by Jessica Strawser.

Not That I Could Tell: A Novel had the perfect balance of emotion and suspense to keep me turning the pages.

This novel centers around three characters:

Kristin who's the soon-to-be ex-wife of a doctor. She has twins and she seems to be happy with her independence. She's someone who has always helped around the neighborhood but suddenly goes missing with her kids without an explanation.

Clara is Kristin's friend. She throws a gathering in her backyard for her female neighbors, not realizing that one of them will disappear soon after. Clara has her own secrets which she doesn't like revisiting but she won't be able to avoid it when the police come knocking on her door.

Izzy is the new addition to the Yellow Springs crowd. She's trying to overcome her broken heart while trying to avoid her sibling and her new husband.

I like the idea of Not That I Could Tell. Women gathering by a firepit, having fun, drinking a little too much alcohol and sharing personal secrets. Then, next thing you know, one of them is gone. The women in attendance all are trying to remember some piece of information to shed light on their friend's disappearance. Did they miss a clue? Did they really know the real Kristin? Is the husband the culprit?

I won't tell you the answers but I can honestly recommend this book. It was entertaining with well-developed characters who pulled all my strings and it was able to raise a couple of good points (don't wait too long to tell someone how you feel about them and listen to your instincts).

Best part, I thought the ending was just great!

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by ST. Martin's Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Told from the viewpoints of a couple of neighbours, both having in their pasts violent traumatic events or personal tragic relationships of different sorts, and with an occasional narrative from the missing woman (which gives nothing away, of course), this novel was a page turner. The characters were warm and real. The ending had a nice twist that I did not suspect at all.

I did find it strange that the neighbours got on so well. There's none of that inevitable slyness or gossiping that seems to arise in groups. Can't say I missed it, though.

No overt sexual content- also a relief.

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary of NOT THAT I COULD TELL by Jessica Strawser in exchange for my honest review.***

4 STARS

Kristin is the perfect mom and the perfect doctor’s wife. Now she’s perfectly missing throwing the neighborhood into chaos. Her closest friend and neighbor, Clara, wonders whether she ever knew the woman next door. Across the street Izzy, the only single woman on the block, finds herself drawn to Kristin’s ex Paul, even as he becomes a possible suspect.

NOT THAT I COULD TELL gripped me in the first chapter and didn’t let until the last page. Told in Izzy’s and Clara’s third person points of view, interspersed with chapters in italics that appear to be Kristin’s readers learn that the good doctor isn’t nearly as good as he seems. Izzy and Clara are multidimensional, flawed narrators. My favorite character twelve-year-old Hallie, the budding journalist/Harriet the Spy.

Strawser kept the story moving at medium pace, until the heart thumping last chapters. Although the plot was somewhat predictable and I guessed the twist, I thoroughly enjoyed reading NOT THAT I COULD TELL and recommend it.

** spoiler alert ** What an entertaining book that drew me in from the start. How much do you really know about your neighbors and what is going on behind closed doors even when you are friends with your neighbors.

This was a great book that I had to know what happened.

I honestly did not see the ending coming. I don't think I am naive but I had no clue that there would be a meeting between the neighbors.

I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All Opinions are my Own.

This was very interesting and I look forward to more from this author.

The premise of this novel was better than the execution. I found the character development on the shallow side and the story was dragged out., but I was engaged enough to read to the end -- and I'm glad I did because it was a great ending.

The story itself would get three stars but because of the important topic that is dealt with in a unique way, I'm upping that by another star.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the e-review edition of this book.

Squinting to see the road ahead of me, I cautiously drove down the icy, winter road toward my parents' home to pick up my son. Ahead, I could see something in the road. White, rustling, out of place. It moved enough that I thought perhaps it was an animal. No, not just an animal---a kitten. There was a kitten in the middle of the road. I decided to drive closer to help. (If I'm anything to a kitten it's Florence Nightingale.)

Yet, as I drove closer, I could see that it wasn't a kitten at all. It was merely an open napkin, rustling in the wind. My headlights, the wind, and my faulty night vision had me seeing a kitten where there was nothing but a culinary accessory. It didn't need my help at all. Not that I could tell.

***

Life often hands us scenarios that are all together different in appearance than actual substance.

Such is also the case with Kristin Kirkland, wife of popular ob-gyn Dr. Paul Kirkland of Yellow Springs, Ohio. After a night with neighborhood wives, drinking wine and christening a new fire pit, Kristin disappears without a trace, her two twins with her.

The other women---as well as Paul---are left to wonder where Kristin went, why she left, and how they were completely unaware just hours before she vanished.

Note: There is no way for me to adequately discuss this book without some spoilers. Be advised.

The book itself centers around the five women who were at the fire pit the night before Kristin disappeared. Clara, a former editor turned stay-at-home-mom, is the mother of two young children: Thomas and Maddie; her damn near perfect husband is Benny, an accountant. Izzy, a twenty-something who's new to the neighborhood and reeling over her sister's recent marriage to her best friend Josh. Randi and Rhoda, two moms of recently born Adele. And finally, Natalie, the wife of a military husband on leave, is the mother of Hallie, a precocious twelve year old.

All were there and all remember nothing. Not a thing. Nothing was said about her leaving, but---then again---none of them remember much, either.

Paul is obviously the first to be suspected. He and Kristin were in the midst of a divorce, and his being a respected doctor makes it hard for anyone to think him to blame.

The central plot follows mostly Clara and Izzy with sub plots of the other women as their events weave into their own. However, this book offers a very powerful springboard for a discussion of domestic violence and abuse. One of the characters has a previous experience, long before the night at the fire pit, that colors her perception of almost all of the happenings after Kristin's disappearance.

While I was not blown away by the book itself---the plot, the characters, the arc---I do think this will be a powerful book, much akin to Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty, for a discussion on domestic violence and vigilant awareness by others for others. I also feel that it would make a great film (ideally not on the Lifetime Channel).

As for me, I'm looking for much more depth in my novels, and I didn't find the characterization went as far as I'd hoped. I did occasionally spot a nuance I enjoyed, like this:  "She turned to the bookcases, where the less loved plus animals lined the top shelf, some looking perpetually eager and others downright forlorn. Even stuffed animals could be divided into realists and hopeless optimists."

While not all authors are going to create characters that are real for every reader, I did appreciate Strawser's inclusion of several spots like that above. We all definitely had a caste system for our stuffed animals, and those who claim otherwise are lying.

Overall, this was worth reading, even if it was more surface-level than I usually prefer. It's a quick read for traveling or book clubs, and---as stated---is the perfect springboard for very serious, necessary discussions about safety and looking out for one another. Sometimes a concern may turn out to just be a napkin, but it's always safer to find out for sure.

This is a fantastic book. A woman named Kristen and her children suddenly vanish after a night with their neighbors, and no one is the wiser. The investigation, and the book, focuses on the neighbors she left behind. Each of them react differently to Kristen’s disappearance, and they each see Kristen a little differently. When Kristen’s ex-husband moves back into her house, her former friends and neighbors find out a even more.

The book is beautifully written and plotted, and the characters are fascinating. I loved this book and highly recommend it. Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC for my Kindle.
A little romance, a lot of suspense, and some surprises. I really thought I had it all figured out, but I didn't see it coming.

Not that I could tell was a very enjoyable read for me. I thought there would be more mystery involved with Kristin's disappearance, but I still liked it. The characters were realistic as well as the setting. I would recommend this book to a friend and will read this author in the future!

This book took forever to get nowhere. I stuck with it thinking it would finally get interesting but after half way I gave it up.

Kristin and her twins disappear overnight from a safe, middle-class neighborhood. Someone may know what happened to her, but no one is talking. Paul, her OB-GYN husband, is immediately suspected for foul play, but he insists that they were gone when he arrived at the house. Hallie, the precocious teen who wants to write a neighborhood newspaper, may know more than she thinks, but no one will listen to her. Izzy, the radio show producer who lives across the street, is dealing with a broken heart and resentment against her sister, and she doesn’t know what to think. The one whom everyone says knew Kristin best, Clara the next-door neighbor, says she knows nothing and the last time she saw her was at the fire pit the night before. So, what happened to Kristin? There are a lot of twists and turns before the reader finds out, but this book is definitely worth the time to read it! It is thought-provoking with a touch of cynicism that will make you wonder if your priorities are in order.

Not bad, but most of the characters were annoying, especially Izzy. I had a hard time getting into the story because of how irritating she was. Mystery was a bit of a letdown but overall it was decent, just not amazing.

What an amazing plot twist at the end!! Sure - there are some slower parts here and there (I'm not a big fan of Izzy) but overall it was a great read. I would have loved to see more of baby "Radele" and her moms throughout the book as I loved their characters.

Really great book. Suspenseful story with relatable characters. Didn't see the ending coming which makes it even better. Highly recommend. Thank you netgalley and publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When the women of the neighborhood wake up after a girls night of wine and kid free time Kristin and her twins are gone and no one knows why. As the police get involved theories start to fly including that her Ob-Gyn husband is abusive. The lives of all the women are changed as they deal with the aftermath and how their pasts figure in to it.

4.5 stars

A group of neighborhood women gather to drink wine and talk. What could go wrong? Their baby monitors can be heard, and they aren't driving. Why not kick back and have a couple of drinks? Of course, with drinking, comes loose lips and several wake up the next day wishing she would not have shared what she did - confessions ranging from one woman being in love with her sister's husband to another not liking the size of her breasts. The ladies wake up fuzzy and hungover the next morning and while attempting to nurse their hangovers learn that one, Kristen, of them is missing along with her twins. What happened? Everything was great the night before, where could she be? Did she leave of her own free will or was there foul play involved? Was money an issue? Why has her ex-husband moved back into their home when he previously moved out and has his own apartment?

Kristen, the missing mother, always appeared to have been on top of everything. She never forgot the names of the other Mothers at the pre-school, she worked, was married to a doctor and she was always so polished and put together. Even while going through a divorce form her husband, Paul, she appears unfazed and composed. Kristen's disappearance has sparked many questions in the community and as the police investigate, they don't seem to find any answers.

Clara, lives next door and Kristen's disappearance has stirred up memories and thoughts from the past when she lost someone. Izzy, another neighbor, confessed being in love with her sister's husband during the women's night of drinking. He was her best friend and she always dreamed that they would end up together but then he fell in love with her younger sister. Now that they are married and having a baby, Izzy is a mess and distancing herself from her family while getting closer to a "person of interest".

As this case goes from an active investigation to a cold case, the women are left to deal with their frustrations, family issues, and outlook on life. I've been reading a lot of books lately that ask the question "how well do you know those in your lives?" This question serves as an interesting premise and story set up. Everyone has secrets. Everyone has things that they do not want others to know, which is probably why we all love learning about other's secrets.

This book grabbed my attention from page one. I thought it was well thought out, perfectly paced and intriguing. This book may never be considered the best book ever written, but it sure is enjoyable and provides the reader a chance to escape their lives and delve into the lives of others. This book is billed as being "women's fiction" but seriously, this really is a book for everyone. It touches on themes such as domestic violence, love, friendship, secrets and lies. Hard to put down, thoughtful and compelling. This book does not disappoint.

Thank you to St. Martin's press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

After devouring Almost Missed You earlier this year, I knew Jessica Strawser’s writing talent was strong. So I was thrilled to hear about her sophomore novel, Not That I Could Tell. I added it to my TBR as soon as I received it! While Almost Missed You was about a woman whose husband disappeared with their child and their best friend got involved, this novel is about a woman who goes off the grid with her children, and the whole neighborhood gets involved.

Not That I Could Tell has a Desperate Housewives feel and reminds me of Sally Hepworth’s The Family Next Door in some ways. Both Clara and Izzy are sympathetic characters and I found myself worrying about them throughout the story. The writing in this novel is so well done that I kept forgetting I was reading a book. Jessica skillfully takes her readers into the town of Yellow Springs for a front row seat to all the action and excitement going on. She also keeps us guessing until the very end as to what happened to Kristin. Kristin’s narrative is interspersed throughout the novel, but a lot of what she says is vague. It reminded me of how Mary Alice would narrate Desperate Housewives. Eventually what she says starts to make sense though.

The dialogue and character interactions are genuine and realistic and everything is very easy to visualize. Jessica Strawser is a force to reckon with and I look forward to future novels from her.

In case this becomes a movie, here are some casting ideas:
Clara: Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Izzy: Tatiana Maslany
Paul: Cam Gigandet
Benny: Ryan Eggold
Detective Bryant: Benjamin Walker
Hallie: Grace Kaufman