Not That I Could Tell
Not That I Could Tell by Jessica Strawser was my Book of the Month selection this month. The official release date is not until March 27 and I have already completed this book. I have to admit that I do get this thrill in being able to read a book before it is officially released. I love staying on top of what the trends are in what is being released. As someone who wants to have a published novel I often write this kind of thing off as research. Legitimately it is good to know where the market is currently at. But I love having an official excuse to be reading and buying newer books.
I actually quite enjoyed the first four seasons of Desperate Housewives. Reading this book felt reminiscent of the domestic drama that occurred on Wisteria Lane. Also having been a fan of the book Big Little Lies and its HBO adaptation I found that it had a similar type of plot.
I found the book to be enjoyable and an easy read. This was my "break" book after having completed my first review with Twin Cities Geek and bringing my critical eye to a friend's manuscript. I love reading books in a more critical light which is why I have this blog and my reading journal. However sometimes I try to remind myself of the experience of just lying in bed on a Saturday morning and escaping into a story.
I live in a cool urban apartment. With no desire to maintain a house or to be too far from the city a mystery in a more suburban setting is escapist. The issue of having a missing person did not shy away from the real issue of domestic abuse. However feeling like I needed to know about the why and how a woman in the neighborhood was missing is escapist away from the mundane details of everyday life. It is so much more exciting to feel like I am somehow involved in the world of trying to solve this mystery than it is to have shopping lists and household chores be the only things going on with my day.
Yet while I am trying to suspend reality my critic's hat came on in the end. I will not give away spoilers but I was not a fan of the ending. While it did have some level of satisfaction with it I did feel like it came out of nowhere. I know part of reading mystery is piecing possible solutions together as I read and not knowing the outcome until the end. I do not know all the rules of mysteries however I do know that there should be potential hints at the outcome in the very end. Other than Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlow books I have yet to find a mystery that I feel is legitimately strong all around. I must also confess that I do not mind dark and dismal endings. Hope is not a bad thing but it should not feel forced if it is going to work.
But I really enjoyed the process of reading this book. And if I felt entertained it already passed my most basic test on if a book is worth it!
I actually quite enjoyed the first four seasons of Desperate Housewives. Reading this book felt reminiscent of the domestic drama that occurred on Wisteria Lane. Also having been a fan of the book Big Little Lies and its HBO adaptation I found that it had a similar type of plot.
I found the book to be enjoyable and an easy read. This was my "break" book after having completed my first review with Twin Cities Geek and bringing my critical eye to a friend's manuscript. I love reading books in a more critical light which is why I have this blog and my reading journal. However sometimes I try to remind myself of the experience of just lying in bed on a Saturday morning and escaping into a story.
I live in a cool urban apartment. With no desire to maintain a house or to be too far from the city a mystery in a more suburban setting is escapist. The issue of having a missing person did not shy away from the real issue of domestic abuse. However feeling like I needed to know about the why and how a woman in the neighborhood was missing is escapist away from the mundane details of everyday life. It is so much more exciting to feel like I am somehow involved in the world of trying to solve this mystery than it is to have shopping lists and household chores be the only things going on with my day.
Yet while I am trying to suspend reality my critic's hat came on in the end. I will not give away spoilers but I was not a fan of the ending. While it did have some level of satisfaction with it I did feel like it came out of nowhere. I know part of reading mystery is piecing possible solutions together as I read and not knowing the outcome until the end. I do not know all the rules of mysteries however I do know that there should be potential hints at the outcome in the very end. Other than Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlow books I have yet to find a mystery that I feel is legitimately strong all around. I must also confess that I do not mind dark and dismal endings. Hope is not a bad thing but it should not feel forced if it is going to work.
But I really enjoyed the process of reading this book. And if I felt entertained it already passed my most basic test on if a book is worth it!
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