What Happened At the Dang Picnic?

Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty

(no spoilers) I need to admit something. This feels impossible to believe but… this is my very first Liane Moriarty book! Yes, I know, I said it, and it is true. I can hear you lovey JoyMasters’ mutual GASP!

Why that statement is important, is I assume the book must be written according to a formula that has spelled success for this New York Times bestselling author.  The stories chapters go back and forth between an extraordinary event and the current day (before and after the event). And there is a cliffhanger, well a middle hanger in the book.

The story centers around a BBQ, an important, life-altering BBQ. But we don’t know what happens at the BBQ for the first 200+ pages. So with that said, it took patience, lots of patience to keep reading thru the clues and tangled innuendos for the BBQ reveal.

The story reveals itself like an onion gets pealed. Layer by layer, we learn the backstories of the complex cast of characters. Modern days suburbia – rocky marriages, an X stripper neighbor, a hoarder mother, fertility problems and dead neighbor. You know all the ordinary stuff from culdesac life. 

I admired the quality of character development and appreciated the detail of the story.

This is a good beach read. The chapters are short so it’s easy to put down and pick up right where you left off. If you are looking for a lightish read – a Chic-lit story – between sand castles and sunscreen applications, or at night before bed – where you don’t have to think too too deeply, this book is for you.

The Joy Of It: What you expect happens at the BBQ is not what happens.

Wanna know what happened at the BBQ?