SOON TO BE A SERIES FROM APPLE TV!A New York Times BestsellerThe 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 … 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: Cleo Sherwood, a missing woman whose body was discovered in the fountain of a city park lake.
If Cleo were white, every reporter in Baltimore would be clamoring to tell her story. Instead, her mysterious death receives only cursory mention in the daily newspapers, and no one cares when Maddie starts poking around in a young Black woman’s life—except for Cleo’s ghost, who is determined to keep her secrets and her dignity. Cleo scolds the ambitious Maddie: You’re interested in my death, not my life. They’re not the same thing.
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 Ferdie, the man who shares her bed, a police officer who is risking far more than Maddie can understand.
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It drags in a few places, but a good story.
Laura Lippman is a masterful writer, she delivered a thought-provoking, highly enjoyable, standout murder mystery with Lady in the Lake. This book was so much more than a murder mystery though. It was also an exploration of gender and racial issues during 1960s. The story is told in multiple POVs. We have two main ones: Cleo, an African-American woman, who was found dead in the lake, and Maddie, a newly divorced Jewish woman, who takes interest in Cleo’s story and wants to investigate the murder. At first glance, Cleo and Maddie are very different, they come from different words, but they both struggle against the gender expectations of the era and are not satisfied with the narrow roles they were assigned to fulfill as women.
We also have multiple chapters told from minor characters’ POVs, that added interesting layers to the story. It can be tricky to have so many POVs in the book, but Laura Lippman made it work perfectly. The book is a slow-burn but it’s still very engaging, I was never bored by the story. Also, there are some great twists toward the end that surprised me and made my reading experience even better. If you are looking for a clever, well-written murder mystery, don’t miss Lady in the Lake.
Set in Baltimore, MD in the mid-1960s, Lady in the Lake is an excellent historical who-done-it. The mystery which appears routine is actually deeply buried, the people are well-drawn and the background in Baltimore is picturesque. This very volatile period in our nation’s history is well presented – racial tension, the suppression of both blacks and women at home, on the job, and educationally, the day-to-day trappings of the local press, and the extreme bias of police coverage and protection. The slowly building rumbles of discontent are authentic for the time and emphasized, for me, just how far we have come, and how far we still need to go.
I found it very interesting that Laura Lippman basically re-wrote this novel to expand the part played by the press in Lady of the Lake, to honor friends lost in the mass shooting on June 28, 2018, at the Capital Gazette newsroom in Parole, MD, where 5 newspersons were killed. Newspapers are our most authentic window on the world. Television and internet news is often just flash-teasers of undocumented rumors. If you want to know what really happened, go to your newspaper’s website.
Laura Lippman is an author I follow. I am happy to recommend this novel to friends and family.
I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Laura Lippman, and William Morrow publishers. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work.
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for my fair and honest review.
I love suspense/thrillers but this one wasn’t one of my favorites. For me there was two much jumping back and forward between characters and found it hard to follow. Overall the storyline was a good one, just didnt work for me as much as I would have liked for it too.