Title: Lady in the Lake
Author: Laura Lippman
Published: July 2019, William Morrow
Format: ARC Paperback, 340 pages
Source: Publisher via TLC Book Tours
Summary:
The revered New York Times
bestselling author returns with a novel set in 1960s Baltimore that
combines modern psychological insights with elements of classic noir,
about a middle-aged housewife turned aspiring reporter who pursues the
murder of a forgotten young woman.
In 1966, Baltimore is a city
of secrets that everyone seems to know–everyone, that is, except
Madeline “Maddie” Schwartz. Last year, she was a happy, even pampered
housewife. This year, she’s bolted from her marriage of almost twenty
years, determined to make good on her youthful ambitions to live a
passionate, meaningful life.
Maddie wants to matter, to leave her
mark on a swiftly changing world. Drawing on her own secrets, she helps
Baltimore police find a murdered girl–assistance that leads to a job
at the city’s afternoon newspaper, the Star. Working at the
newspaper offers Maddie the opportunity to make her name, and she has
found just the story to do it: a missing woman whose body was discovered
in the fountain of a city park lake.
Cleo Sherwood was a young
African-American woman who liked to have a good time. No one seems to
know or care why she was killed except Maddie–and the dead woman
herself. Maddie’s going to find the truth about Cleo’s life and death.
Cleo’s ghost, privy to Maddie’s poking and prying, wants to be left
alone.
Maddie’s investigation brings her into contact with people
that used to be on the periphery of her life–a jewelry store clerk, a
waitress, a rising star on the Baltimore Orioles, a patrol cop, a
hardened female reporter, a lonely man in a movie theater. But for all
her ambition and drive, Maddie often fails to see the people right in
front of her. Her inability to look beyond her own needs will lead to
tragedy and turmoil for all sorts of people–including the man who
shares her bed, a black police officer who cares for Maddie more than
she knows.
My thoughts: Laura Lippman is still a rather new-to-me author, having only read a couple of her books, yet she is one that I know I want to read more of, so it was a no-brainer to jump on this blog tour. It’s a bit different from the other two books I read of hers but still quite enjoyable.
I loved the different voices used to tell this story, though I will say, it does make it a bit hard to keep track of who is narrating at different times. But they all have something to contribute to the story and I thought it was well done. Just about everyone Maddie meets ends up narrating a chapter and each character has something to add to the overall story, helping to move it forward. While it might seem superfluous, I assure you it is not.
This is a slow-burning story and as such, it’s the type of book that isn’t to be rushed but one that needs to be taken in slowly so that you get all the nuances and details that are offered. It’s not about the action but rather more about the characters’ perspectives and what they end up discovering.
Maddie was determined to make her mark and that she did. She was not content to just to a housewife any longer, so she left her husband and started working at the newspaper office. I loved the glimpses into the newspaper industry back in the 1960’s – so different than how things work now, with everything being able to be released immediately online.
This is an original, engaging mystery that kept my attention throughout. I definitely recommend this if you are looking for something a little different than the same-old thriller that seems to be out there. Plus, this book has a surprising twist at the end that is sure to throw you for a loop – it definitely shocked me! While I know this book is different than Laura’s other books, I am certainly looking forward to reading more of her work…and soon!
About the author: Since Laura Lippman’s debut
in 1997, she has been recognized as a distinctive voice in mystery
fiction and named one of the “essential” crime writers of the last 100
years. Her books have won most of the major awards in her field and been
translated into more than twenty languages. She lives in Baltimore and
New Orleans with her family.
Authors Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Purchase Links: HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Be sure to check out all the other stops on the blog tour and follow the tour on Twitter (hashtags: #TLCBookTours & #ladyinthelake).
I really like it when an author takes a chance and goes down a different road, it throws me for a loop and I never know where they are taking us, and that makes a book really fun for me. Thank you for being on this tour! Sara @ TLC Book Tours
Lippman is an author I've really been wanting to read and this one sounds intriguing. I'll definitely have to get this one next time I'm feeling like a thriller but don't want the same old same old.
I've only read one other Laura Lippman book. This one sounds good!