Week in Review: March Mystery Madness

March came in like a lion in the Northeast. I hope my friends in that part of the country are safe and warm. Here in the Midwest, we experienced spring-like temperature and sunny skies. I am grateful for this little tease of better weather to come.

Thursday was the official start of March Mystery Madness - a  BookTube and GoodReads reading challenge that coordinates perfectly with my recent obsession with psychological thrillers.

While I don't plan to pressure myself to complete the full challenge or to read solely books in the genre during the month of March, I do have a running list of possible books and even managed to read (almost) two this week.


The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware was the first book I finished for the challenge. Since I read this immediately after The Woman in the Window, I couldn't help but compare the two.

I liked both books. I enjoy an unreliable narrator. It holds my attention and keeps me guessing throughout the story. And inevitably, I am always surprised by the twist at the end.

I did find myself skimming the middle portion of this book. By this point, I knew the protagonist was suffering from PTSD ... I knew she was self-medicating with prescription pills and alcohol ... I knew she doubted herself. I was ready to move on to the climax.

BUT... the climax was worth slogging through the middle. And in the end, I rated the book a solid four stars.

I am about three-quarters through Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. I must confess, I am pleasantly surprised.

Originally I thought this book was going to be a light read: chick lit fluff that I could easily skim, enjoy, but remain unimpressed. I'm not sure where I manufactured such an inaccurate image.

I am loving this book.

I think the author does a fantastic job of developing the characters - especially the gossipy kindergarten moms of this quaint, upscale town.

But even more than that, I am fascinated by the author's style of writing. To create suspense (which in turn causes me to read "just one more chapter" long after I promised myself I would go to bed) .... she includes snippets of police testimony at the end of each chapter.

Now... we don't know the details of the police investigation. We just know that someone was killed at a school function, and everyone present has a different perspective of the people involved.

At this point in the book, I can easily see why four or five different characters could be the victim - and I can understand a plausible motive for four or five characters for committing the crime. I anticipate finishing the book today - and rating it five stars. And I will definitely add more titles by this author to the TBR list.

I'm not sure which book I will read next ... but if you are interested in learning the other titles on my March Mystery Madness list, here is my weekly video.