March was another not so great month of reading. It was a stressful month, and I had a hard time concentrating on books. I also started a lot of books that I didn't finish. So I only finished four books this month. 

Four Stars

Secrets of a Marine's Wife: A True Story of Marriage, Obsession, and Murder by Shanna Hogan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I listened to this book while I worked on making over our guest bathroom. I hadn't remembered seeing this story in the news when it happened. It ended up being quite the sad true crime story of a young woman moving across the country with her new husband, trying to find a community on the Marine base where they are posted, having an affair with a neighbor and eventually being killed. The author did a good job covering the search for the girl, as well as laying the groundwork for how she could have ended up in such a tragic situation. And the parts of the book about the trial were pretty hard to believe.

Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ve been in a book slump for ages and this might have been the book that finally pulled me out of it. Marin and Derek seem to have it all together, but then their son is kidnapped right before Christmas. More than a year later the case is cold, and Marin and Derek each have plenty of secrets. This was a fast read and I loved seeing how the author pulled all the storylines together.

Three Stars

Our American Friend by Anna Pitoniak
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Elusive First Lady Lara Caine invites Sofia, a former reporter to write her biography. The Caines are obviously based on the Trumps. Lara Caine is Soviet-born, never publicly questions her husband’s politics, but tells Sofie she wants the record on her set straight, so she wants Sofie to write her biography. As Sofie digs into Caine’s early life she uncovers all sorts of secrets that still have ramifications in present time. The book started a little slow, but picked up toward the end.

Two Stars

Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This book wasn't good, and I only finished it because it was all I had with my while I was out of town. The premise sounded good. A woman wants to divorce her husband because he beats her. But at the time, that wasn't allowed and the woman loses her court case and is forced to continue living with her abusive husband. At the same time, her indentured servant accuses her of being a witch just as the witch trials are heating up. The second half of the book was interesting, but the first half, which focused on the divorce trial was so boring and could have been a lot shorter to lay the foundation for what we need for the second half.