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Lady in the Lake
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 jewelery 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.'
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 jewelery 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.'
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 23, 2019
5222 people are currently reading
50192 people want to read
About the author
Laura Lippman
124books6,168followersSince Laura Lippman’s debut, she has been recognized as a distinctive voice in mystery fiction and named one of the “essential� crime writers of the last 100 years. Stephen King called her “special, even extraordinary,� and Gillian Flynn wrote, “She is simply a brilliant novelist.� Her books have won most of the major awards in her field and been translated into more than twenty-five languages. She lives in Baltimore and New Orleans with her teenager.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,982 reviews
October 18, 2024
There’s an unpopular review below. I’m so curious about the Apple TV+ adaptation starring Natalie Portman. I hope the multi-POV situation is fixed in the series and I can enjoy it more than the book.
There were too many points of view (POVs) flying over my head, and I began to get confused. A thriller story shouldn’t be told from more than three perspectives, right? I had trouble connecting with the characters—they seemed distant, awkward, and unlikable, making it hard to empathize with them. Where were the mind-bending, nerve-wracking thriller elements? Did the writer save them for another book and use the leftovers for this one-star novel?
I usually enjoy Laura Lippman’s books, with her slow-burn style that hints at something ominous and creepy about to happen, leading to a twist. If this book had been published as fiction rather than a thriller, I could understand the multi-perspective storytelling. (At least she didn’t add the postman giving letters to Maddy, the truck driver passing through the radio station, or Maddy’s favorite milkman’s POVs. Honestly, I wouldn’t have been surprised to see their narrations in the book too.)
Here is my solution to give this book a full five stars:
1. Kill the heroine.
2. Find a better heroine.
3. Change all the characteristics the heroine had.
4. Edit 50 pages to speed up the pacing.
5. Get rid of at least two POVs to ease my confused brain cells.
Or, alternatively, turn this book into a different genre. The slow-burn storytelling, depictions of 1960s Baltimore, and discussions of religious and racial discrimination and gender equality issues, along with the ever-present small-town gossip, are the best parts of the book. If Maddy’s character were removed and the story continued with the other characters, this could be considered a great piece of historical fiction.
But an unlikable heroine, too slow a pace, and too many different POVs made me lose interest. I wanted to give up and write “DNF� in big, bold letters and put the book down, but I kept going and fantasized about a thousand different ways to kill Maddy. (Did I mention I hate the guts of the heroine? Of course, at least 10 times, right? So how can you expect me to love her story?)
In my opinion, let’s stick to the detailed and educated historical descriptions of 1960s Baltimore, decrease the number of POVs, speed up the pace, and add more chilling parts about the lady in the water. And VOILA, we would have an incredible, lovable book with great potential.
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There were too many points of view (POVs) flying over my head, and I began to get confused. A thriller story shouldn’t be told from more than three perspectives, right? I had trouble connecting with the characters—they seemed distant, awkward, and unlikable, making it hard to empathize with them. Where were the mind-bending, nerve-wracking thriller elements? Did the writer save them for another book and use the leftovers for this one-star novel?
I usually enjoy Laura Lippman’s books, with her slow-burn style that hints at something ominous and creepy about to happen, leading to a twist. If this book had been published as fiction rather than a thriller, I could understand the multi-perspective storytelling. (At least she didn’t add the postman giving letters to Maddy, the truck driver passing through the radio station, or Maddy’s favorite milkman’s POVs. Honestly, I wouldn’t have been surprised to see their narrations in the book too.)
Here is my solution to give this book a full five stars:
1. Kill the heroine.
2. Find a better heroine.
3. Change all the characteristics the heroine had.
4. Edit 50 pages to speed up the pacing.
5. Get rid of at least two POVs to ease my confused brain cells.
Or, alternatively, turn this book into a different genre. The slow-burn storytelling, depictions of 1960s Baltimore, and discussions of religious and racial discrimination and gender equality issues, along with the ever-present small-town gossip, are the best parts of the book. If Maddy’s character were removed and the story continued with the other characters, this could be considered a great piece of historical fiction.
But an unlikable heroine, too slow a pace, and too many different POVs made me lose interest. I wanted to give up and write “DNF� in big, bold letters and put the book down, but I kept going and fantasized about a thousand different ways to kill Maddy. (Did I mention I hate the guts of the heroine? Of course, at least 10 times, right? So how can you expect me to love her story?)
In my opinion, let’s stick to the detailed and educated historical descriptions of 1960s Baltimore, decrease the number of POVs, speed up the pace, and add more chilling parts about the lady in the water. And VOILA, we would have an incredible, lovable book with great potential.
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July 7, 2019
Cold, Dark, and Distant
Lady in the Lake is a mystery about a want-to-be journalist who inserts herself into murder investigations in 1960's Baltimore.
Maddie Schwartz, married to Milton for 18 years and mother to 16-year-old Seth, decides she needs to do more. She makes a drastic change and leaves Milton and Seth to start over. She lucks her way into a job at a newspaper and goes to extremes to move up on the ladder. In order to succeed, she will cross boundaries and put herself into dangerous situations all to get the story--even if it means hurting those she is closest to.
This is one of those books that I had to constantly coax myself into reading. Once I had it in my hands, I was fine but when I put it down I was reluctant to go back to it. I enjoyed the historical elements and Lippman’s portrayal of Baltimore in the 1960s, but I had a hard time connecting to Maddie. I appreciated her drive, but her character lacked emotion and seemed almost robotic. I honestly didn’t care what happened to her, which is why I could never fully immerse myself in the narrative. She left me feeling cold.
I also struggled with the narrative structure, as there were multiple chapters told from the POV of side characters, including a dead girl, a waitress, a psychic, a cop, etc. These are the people who touched Maddie’s new life, but they are not the main players. In order to better understand Maddie, I was more interested in hearing the thoughts of her lover, her son, ex-husband, mother, etc. Instead, we get narratives about the people who make up Baltimore. I found their stories more interesting than Maddy’s and was sad when I realized I would only get short glimpses of their characters, never to see them again. I wanted to hear more about them and less about Maddie.
This wasn't a complete fail, as I enjoyed reading about the racial tensions, religious divides, gender dynamics, and class differences in 19060's Baltimore. The plot is compelling, but the MC is lacking. Perhaps, I would have enjoyed it more had the story been told from a different voice.
I won an ARC of this book from a GoodReads giveaway!
Lady in the Lake is a mystery about a want-to-be journalist who inserts herself into murder investigations in 1960's Baltimore.
Maddie Schwartz, married to Milton for 18 years and mother to 16-year-old Seth, decides she needs to do more. She makes a drastic change and leaves Milton and Seth to start over. She lucks her way into a job at a newspaper and goes to extremes to move up on the ladder. In order to succeed, she will cross boundaries and put herself into dangerous situations all to get the story--even if it means hurting those she is closest to.
This is one of those books that I had to constantly coax myself into reading. Once I had it in my hands, I was fine but when I put it down I was reluctant to go back to it. I enjoyed the historical elements and Lippman’s portrayal of Baltimore in the 1960s, but I had a hard time connecting to Maddie. I appreciated her drive, but her character lacked emotion and seemed almost robotic. I honestly didn’t care what happened to her, which is why I could never fully immerse myself in the narrative. She left me feeling cold.
I also struggled with the narrative structure, as there were multiple chapters told from the POV of side characters, including a dead girl, a waitress, a psychic, a cop, etc. These are the people who touched Maddie’s new life, but they are not the main players. In order to better understand Maddie, I was more interested in hearing the thoughts of her lover, her son, ex-husband, mother, etc. Instead, we get narratives about the people who make up Baltimore. I found their stories more interesting than Maddy’s and was sad when I realized I would only get short glimpses of their characters, never to see them again. I wanted to hear more about them and less about Maddie.
This wasn't a complete fail, as I enjoyed reading about the racial tensions, religious divides, gender dynamics, and class differences in 19060's Baltimore. The plot is compelling, but the MC is lacking. Perhaps, I would have enjoyed it more had the story been told from a different voice.
I won an ARC of this book from a GoodReads giveaway!
July 4, 2019
4.5 stars, rounded up
I’ve read almost all of Laura Lippman’s books. This one is a departure from her typical style. For starters, it takes place in the past, the sixties to be precise. It also involves a ghost. Yet, it’s still a mystery at heart.
Maddie Schwatz is recently separated and looking finally to become something other than a wife and mother. Through a fluke, she finds the body of a missing 11 year old girl. Playing off that and what follows, she manages to get a job at a newspaper. As the story goes on, she becomes interested in the murder of a young black woman whose body was found in the Druid Hill Park fountain.
Each chapter is told from a different viewpoint, including the ghost’s. And I mean, a lot of different POVs. If that bothers you, you won’t like this book, especially because we are given everyone’s background and thoughts. It reminded me a little of Olive Kitteridge, the way each character moves the story forward.
As always, Baltimore is as much a character in the book as any of the people. Maybe because I lived there for decades, I’m always fascinated by how I know exactly the neighborhoods and locations Lippman is describing and what a great job she does doing it. And the language. Oh, she’s got the language. Does any other city say “a police� when referring to a policeman?
Lippman also totally nails the times. When Tessie Fine laments that as an 11 year old girl, she’s told she can’t be a rabbi or even a cantor, it took me right back to the times I was told all the things I couldn’t be. “They gave me the same speech about modesty, tzniut. If I had a dollar for every time someone quoted “all is vanity� to me, I could buy five new bras,one for each school day. Modesty is for people who aren’t lucky enough to have things about which to be conceited.�
I truly enjoyed this book, although the format is one that would normally bother me. It’s all down to the writing, characters and the plot. Lippman does a great job of nailing all three.
In a weird stroke of luck, I had searched google looking for a picture of the fountain, only to discover the story is based on a true event, right down to the nickname given the deceased. Actually, both murders are based on real cases, and Lippman acknowledges this in her author’s Note.
My thanks to netgalley and Faber & Faber for an advance copy of this book.
I’ve read almost all of Laura Lippman’s books. This one is a departure from her typical style. For starters, it takes place in the past, the sixties to be precise. It also involves a ghost. Yet, it’s still a mystery at heart.
Maddie Schwatz is recently separated and looking finally to become something other than a wife and mother. Through a fluke, she finds the body of a missing 11 year old girl. Playing off that and what follows, she manages to get a job at a newspaper. As the story goes on, she becomes interested in the murder of a young black woman whose body was found in the Druid Hill Park fountain.
Each chapter is told from a different viewpoint, including the ghost’s. And I mean, a lot of different POVs. If that bothers you, you won’t like this book, especially because we are given everyone’s background and thoughts. It reminded me a little of Olive Kitteridge, the way each character moves the story forward.
As always, Baltimore is as much a character in the book as any of the people. Maybe because I lived there for decades, I’m always fascinated by how I know exactly the neighborhoods and locations Lippman is describing and what a great job she does doing it. And the language. Oh, she’s got the language. Does any other city say “a police� when referring to a policeman?
Lippman also totally nails the times. When Tessie Fine laments that as an 11 year old girl, she’s told she can’t be a rabbi or even a cantor, it took me right back to the times I was told all the things I couldn’t be. “They gave me the same speech about modesty, tzniut. If I had a dollar for every time someone quoted “all is vanity� to me, I could buy five new bras,one for each school day. Modesty is for people who aren’t lucky enough to have things about which to be conceited.�
I truly enjoyed this book, although the format is one that would normally bother me. It’s all down to the writing, characters and the plot. Lippman does a great job of nailing all three.
In a weird stroke of luck, I had searched google looking for a picture of the fountain, only to discover the story is based on a true event, right down to the nickname given the deceased. Actually, both murders are based on real cases, and Lippman acknowledges this in her author’s Note.
My thanks to netgalley and Faber & Faber for an advance copy of this book.
September 5, 2019
FIVE HARD-BOILED NOIR STARS
Welcome to the 60's! woo-hoo-hoo-wooooh.🎶🎵🎶GOOD MORNING, BALTIMORE!
Thank GOD, this novel has restored my faith in the literary mystery thriller genre! HOORAY!
As we all know by now... the 60's were a turbulent, exciting time of change in our country. Racial tensions, the feminist movement, and freedom of the press were spotlighted every night on local televisions across the nation. How sad that not much has changed some fifty years later.
Okay, forget for a moment about politics and history, this is a FAB-U-LOUS novel by the uber talented ! There are mysteries to solve, stereotypes to crush and a spunky main character named Maddie that is willing and able to accept the charge.
Maddie is not what you expect as a young intrepid reporter. Nope! She is a pampered, good Jewish housewife who bolted from her marriage one day and left all the suburban comforts behind to pursue her own brand of happiness. Some people would call her selfish, she flat out doesn't care anymore. Maddie wants to leave her mark on the world and she eventually succeeds. She doesn't know where to begin after jumping the old traditional ship, but she's resourceful, brave and has a few secrets of her own. She also possesses an innate understanding of love, men, women and what drives people to do things.
Aside from Maddie, our other main character is a ghost- yes! Cleo Sherwood, a young African American woman whose body was found in a Baltimore park's fountain. Maddie accidentally discovered Cleo's body and now feels responsible for finding out what really happened to Cleo. She wants to write about Cleo's life/death/family. The ghost of Cleo is annoyed and not happy with Maddie. Hmmmm wonder why? She wants Maddie to leave her alone and although she is dead, she is a forceful, strong character that had me completely riveted.
Aside from Cleo, there is another murder--this time a smart and sassy little girl is mysteriously killed. Maddie helps to solve this crime in a chilling, genius--albeit, dangerously, naive manner. Both of the murders mentioned in are true crimes from Baltimore history.
The last few pages of this novel are deliciously satisfying.
Lippman has impeccably intertwined fact with fiction in such an original work of art, I'm left absolutely tongue-tied in describing this to you....aaagghh! Lippman presents the novel in an unique, easy flowing structure that I was charmed by. So many points of view--spelled out in a clear, NOT CONFUSING manner. The POV's help showcase the mood, the attitudes, the historical importance of Baltimore in the 1960's. I LOVED IT. Sorry (not sorry) to GUSH!
I can't recommend the audio book highly enough! It truly adds so many layers to the written word. Lippman reflects the authentic speech, dialogue and thoughts of the characters and in turn, the star actress of the year, Susan Bennett, acts out every chapter in exquisitely nuanced perfection. GIVE THIS WOMAN ALL THE OSCARS (AUDIE's?) Truly, one of the best audio books I've EVER had the pleasure to listen to... and you guys know I listen to tons of them. This would make a great movie!
Welcome to the 60's! woo-hoo-hoo-wooooh.🎶🎵🎶GOOD MORNING, BALTIMORE!
Thank GOD, this novel has restored my faith in the literary mystery thriller genre! HOORAY!
As we all know by now... the 60's were a turbulent, exciting time of change in our country. Racial tensions, the feminist movement, and freedom of the press were spotlighted every night on local televisions across the nation. How sad that not much has changed some fifty years later.
Okay, forget for a moment about politics and history, this is a FAB-U-LOUS novel by the uber talented ! There are mysteries to solve, stereotypes to crush and a spunky main character named Maddie that is willing and able to accept the charge.
Maddie is not what you expect as a young intrepid reporter. Nope! She is a pampered, good Jewish housewife who bolted from her marriage one day and left all the suburban comforts behind to pursue her own brand of happiness. Some people would call her selfish, she flat out doesn't care anymore. Maddie wants to leave her mark on the world and she eventually succeeds. She doesn't know where to begin after jumping the old traditional ship, but she's resourceful, brave and has a few secrets of her own. She also possesses an innate understanding of love, men, women and what drives people to do things.
Aside from Maddie, our other main character is a ghost- yes! Cleo Sherwood, a young African American woman whose body was found in a Baltimore park's fountain. Maddie accidentally discovered Cleo's body and now feels responsible for finding out what really happened to Cleo. She wants to write about Cleo's life/death/family. The ghost of Cleo is annoyed and not happy with Maddie. Hmmmm wonder why? She wants Maddie to leave her alone and although she is dead, she is a forceful, strong character that had me completely riveted.
Aside from Cleo, there is another murder--this time a smart and sassy little girl is mysteriously killed. Maddie helps to solve this crime in a chilling, genius--albeit, dangerously, naive manner. Both of the murders mentioned in are true crimes from Baltimore history.
The last few pages of this novel are deliciously satisfying.
Lippman has impeccably intertwined fact with fiction in such an original work of art, I'm left absolutely tongue-tied in describing this to you....aaagghh! Lippman presents the novel in an unique, easy flowing structure that I was charmed by. So many points of view--spelled out in a clear, NOT CONFUSING manner. The POV's help showcase the mood, the attitudes, the historical importance of Baltimore in the 1960's. I LOVED IT. Sorry (not sorry) to GUSH!
I can't recommend the audio book highly enough! It truly adds so many layers to the written word. Lippman reflects the authentic speech, dialogue and thoughts of the characters and in turn, the star actress of the year, Susan Bennett, acts out every chapter in exquisitely nuanced perfection. GIVE THIS WOMAN ALL THE OSCARS (AUDIE's?) Truly, one of the best audio books I've EVER had the pleasure to listen to... and you guys know I listen to tons of them. This would make a great movie!
June 10, 2024
I need to read more novels by Laura Lippman. In her newest, “Lady in the Lake�, Lippman, who always writes novels inspired by true crime, bases her story on two murders that happened in Baltimore in the 1960’s. In her NPR interview she is clear that she doesn’t base her novels on facts of the crime, just the crime itself. She was 10 years old when 11 year-old Esther Lebowitz went missing, and then her body was found a few days later. This impacted a young Lippman, who couldn’t fathom a girl her age could be murdered. Because Lippman wanted to write a novel in the 1960’s genre and one based in Baltimore, she chose to reflect the murder of Shirley Parker. Ms Parker was black, and at the time, murders of black people didn’t warrant major media coverage. Lippman not only based her story on these crimes, but she wanted to reflect how race was portrayed in the media. In reality, these two murders had no connection to each other. They didn’t happen in the same year. In her novel, she connects them with her main character, Maddie Schwartz.
“Lady in the Lake� is character driven. I’m a big fan of this method. Each chapter is based upon one of the character’s observations and thoughts. Maddie is not written in first person, while the other character chapters are first person accounts. At the start of the novel, Maddie is 37, married with a son, and perceived to be a successful housewife. Maddie is yearning though; she wants to be relevant and use her mind, not just be a mother and wife.
Her ambition moves her to leave her husband and son, and move into a small apartment in a questionable neighborhood. She begins an affair with a black police officer and finds a low level job at a newspaper. Lippman deftly adds racism, sexism, and the Baltimore political climate into her novel based in the mid 1960’s. Such details add to her richly developed story.
Maddie infiltrates herself into two murders that happen while she is separated from her husband. The first is a 10 year old white girl who disappears and is found dead which becomes a media uproar Next, is a black woman who is found in a fountain and whose death is barely noted. Maddie is incensed that no one cares about this young woman. As a mother herself, she finds it horrible that no one is interested in the death of this young woman, just because she is black.
Yes, the story is structured around the mysteries of these two deaths. The main themes though, are the political, race, gender, and media issues of that time. This is a fabulous read as a mystery, but also as a bit of historical fiction as a social snap shot of American culture in the mid sixties.
“Lady in the Lake� is character driven. I’m a big fan of this method. Each chapter is based upon one of the character’s observations and thoughts. Maddie is not written in first person, while the other character chapters are first person accounts. At the start of the novel, Maddie is 37, married with a son, and perceived to be a successful housewife. Maddie is yearning though; she wants to be relevant and use her mind, not just be a mother and wife.
Her ambition moves her to leave her husband and son, and move into a small apartment in a questionable neighborhood. She begins an affair with a black police officer and finds a low level job at a newspaper. Lippman deftly adds racism, sexism, and the Baltimore political climate into her novel based in the mid 1960’s. Such details add to her richly developed story.
Maddie infiltrates herself into two murders that happen while she is separated from her husband. The first is a 10 year old white girl who disappears and is found dead which becomes a media uproar Next, is a black woman who is found in a fountain and whose death is barely noted. Maddie is incensed that no one cares about this young woman. As a mother herself, she finds it horrible that no one is interested in the death of this young woman, just because she is black.
Yes, the story is structured around the mysteries of these two deaths. The main themes though, are the political, race, gender, and media issues of that time. This is a fabulous read as a mystery, but also as a bit of historical fiction as a social snap shot of American culture in the mid sixties.
January 6, 2021
Well, this was a truly unique way to tell a mystery. Bonus: Catching me off guard with part of the conclusion? I.AM.HERE.FOR.IT. 👏
The year is 1966 in Baltimore, Maryland. Maddie Schwartz has just left her husband and her comfortable monetary life, and is starting over. After finding the body of a missing girl, Maddie decides that she should try her hand at being a reporter.
The folks at the newspaper, The Star, are not as eager to help her with her new career goals, but give her a non-reporting job. When she gets word of a body being found in the fountain of a lake, she questions why The Star isn’t reporting it. The victim is a Black woman, and The Star doesn’t report on those types of things. That’s for the newspaper, Afro, to cover.
Maddie decides to take matters into her own hands, and starts investigating to find out who might have murdered this woman.
I’ve said this quite a bit in 2020, but I love old school timelines before technology made solving crimes easier. The book touches on racism, interracial relationships, and poverty...while slowly ramping up the suspense.
That said, this is a slow burn.
And, you know how I mentioned the unique way the story is told? I know for a fact it will not work for everyone. There are countless POVs. Almost every alternating chapter is told from someone new...but someone who was a part of the previous chapter. That could be a waitress, an on-air news reporter, a cop, a movie theater patron, the ghost of the dead woman, etc. Some of them are pertinent to the story. Some are probably not. Regardless, I found all perspectives intriguing, and appreciated the unlikely and original approach to tying one part of the story to the next.
As for the ending, I was not prepared for one part at all. It had never even crossed my mind. I thought that was pretty clever. The denouement, as a whole,might be a tad bit more ambiguous than I’d like, but still works.
This was my first Laura Lippmann novel, and I am definitely looking forward to reading more.
Review also posted at:
The year is 1966 in Baltimore, Maryland. Maddie Schwartz has just left her husband and her comfortable monetary life, and is starting over. After finding the body of a missing girl, Maddie decides that she should try her hand at being a reporter.
The folks at the newspaper, The Star, are not as eager to help her with her new career goals, but give her a non-reporting job. When she gets word of a body being found in the fountain of a lake, she questions why The Star isn’t reporting it. The victim is a Black woman, and The Star doesn’t report on those types of things. That’s for the newspaper, Afro, to cover.
Maddie decides to take matters into her own hands, and starts investigating to find out who might have murdered this woman.
I’ve said this quite a bit in 2020, but I love old school timelines before technology made solving crimes easier. The book touches on racism, interracial relationships, and poverty...while slowly ramping up the suspense.
That said, this is a slow burn.
And, you know how I mentioned the unique way the story is told? I know for a fact it will not work for everyone. There are countless POVs. Almost every alternating chapter is told from someone new...but someone who was a part of the previous chapter. That could be a waitress, an on-air news reporter, a cop, a movie theater patron, the ghost of the dead woman, etc. Some of them are pertinent to the story. Some are probably not. Regardless, I found all perspectives intriguing, and appreciated the unlikely and original approach to tying one part of the story to the next.
As for the ending, I was not prepared for one part at all. It had never even crossed my mind. I thought that was pretty clever. The denouement, as a whole,might be a tad bit more ambiguous than I’d like, but still works.
This was my first Laura Lippmann novel, and I am definitely looking forward to reading more.
Review also posted at:
February 19, 2022
2.5 stars.
A mysterious and unique story exploring a woman’s determination to break boundaries and expectations in the 1960’s.
There is a lot packed into this novel! Several heavy topics are explored within this era � race, class, women’s rights, etc. I enjoyed the newsroom/reporter aspect. The mystery kept me intrigued until the end that had some interesting surprises.
There are a lot of perspective changes. I appreciate how the author kept the narratives fresh and surprising, but in all honesty, I found myself lost within the details. The multiple characters, narrative perspectives and storylines were tedious to keep track of and therefore hard to feel invested in. The story’s focus became lost in the shuffle and I found it dragged at times. The main character wasn’t likeable and failed to tie the multiple narratives together for me. This book offers a lot to think about but it failed to truly pull me in.
Thank you to the publisher for my review copy! Thank you to my lovely local library for the audio loan!
Audio rating: 3 stars. The audio narration was good. Neither enhanced or took away from my enjoyment.
A mysterious and unique story exploring a woman’s determination to break boundaries and expectations in the 1960’s.
There is a lot packed into this novel! Several heavy topics are explored within this era � race, class, women’s rights, etc. I enjoyed the newsroom/reporter aspect. The mystery kept me intrigued until the end that had some interesting surprises.
There are a lot of perspective changes. I appreciate how the author kept the narratives fresh and surprising, but in all honesty, I found myself lost within the details. The multiple characters, narrative perspectives and storylines were tedious to keep track of and therefore hard to feel invested in. The story’s focus became lost in the shuffle and I found it dragged at times. The main character wasn’t likeable and failed to tie the multiple narratives together for me. This book offers a lot to think about but it failed to truly pull me in.
Thank you to the publisher for my review copy! Thank you to my lovely local library for the audio loan!
Audio rating: 3 stars. The audio narration was good. Neither enhanced or took away from my enjoyment.
November 18, 2020
EXCERPT: Alive, I was Cleo Sherwood. Dead, I became the Lady in the Lake, a nasty broken thing, dragged from the fountain after steeping there for months, through the cold winter, then that fitful, bratty spring, almost into summer proper. Face gone, much of my flesh gone.
And no one cared until you came along, gave me that stupid nickname, began rattling doorknobs and pestering people, going places you weren't supposed to go. No one outside my family was supposed to care. I was a careless girl who went out on a date with the wrong person and was never seen again. You come in at the end of my story and turned it into your beginning. Why'd you have to go and do that, Madeline Schwartz? Why couldn't you stay in your beautiful house and your good-enough marriage, and let me be at the bottom of the fountain? I was safe there.
Everybody was safer when I was there.
ABOUT 'LADY IN THE LAKE': Cleo Sherwood disappeared eight months ago. Aside from her parents and the two sons she left behind, no one seems to have noticed. It isn't hard to understand why: it's 1964 and neither the police, the public nor the papers care much when Negro women go missing.
Maddie Schwartz - recently separated from her husband, working her first job as an assistant at the Baltimore Sun- wants one thing: a byline. When she hears about an unidentified body that's been pulled out of the fountain in Druid Hill Park, Maddie thinks she is about to uncover a story that will finally get her name in print. What she can't imagine is how much trouble she will cause by chasing a story that no-one wants her to tell.
MY THOUGHTS: I ended up liking Lady in the Lake a lot more by the end than I did at the start. This is a book that is impossible to categorise; there are just so many facets to it. But they all meld seamlessly together to paint a portrait of life in the 1960s, a time when I was becoming a teenager, a time of great social change. Maddie is merely the vehicle for this story of the changing role of women in society, and the initial tentative steps towards racial equality, as is the death of Chloe (Eunetta) Sherwood. Don't go into this book expecting a murder mystery; you will be disappointed. It is more of a social commentary.
I have to say that I didn't much like the character of Maddie. She is cold, aloof, and selfish, and not inclined to think things through. Yet, I can also empathise with her. She had a dream and she followed it. We also find out more about her earlier life towards the end of the book and the events that shaped her.
Even though her 'dream job' of journalist left a lot to be desired - women didn't get promoted and she still had to answer to men who were much like her husband - she stuck with it and stuck by her principles. While she grows as a person, and becomes more politically aware, she is still rather careless of the feelings of those around her. Her ambition is paramount. She is not a woman to whom relationships mean much, and she doesn't appear to have friends. So, no, I didn't much like Maddie, but I did have a little sneaking admiration for her here and there.
The ending of Lady in the Lake is interesting, and entirely unexpected.
The author's notes at the end of the book are illuminating. While the two murders are inspired by two cases from 1969, the author has created her own version of these, and set them amongst real events from some years earlier.
While Lady in the Lake didn't bowl me over, and I am not about to recommend it widely, it is an interesting and thought provoking read made up of a blend of historical fiction, politics, human rights and mystery.
⭐⭐�.7
#LadyInTheLake #NetGalley
THE AUTHOR: Since her debut in 1997, New York Times bestseller Laura Lippman has been recognized as one of the most gifted and versatile crime novelists working today. Her series novels, stand-alones and short stories have all won major awards, including the Edgar and the Anthony, and her work is published in more than 20 countries. A former Baltimore Sun journalist, she has written for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, O, The Oprah Magazine, Real Simple, Glamour and Longreads. "Simply one of our best novelists, period," the Washington Post said upon the publication of the ground-breaking What the Dead Know. She lives in Baltimore and New Orleans with her family. (Amazon)
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Faber and Faber via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Lady in the Lake by Laura Lippman for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my ŷ.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage
And no one cared until you came along, gave me that stupid nickname, began rattling doorknobs and pestering people, going places you weren't supposed to go. No one outside my family was supposed to care. I was a careless girl who went out on a date with the wrong person and was never seen again. You come in at the end of my story and turned it into your beginning. Why'd you have to go and do that, Madeline Schwartz? Why couldn't you stay in your beautiful house and your good-enough marriage, and let me be at the bottom of the fountain? I was safe there.
Everybody was safer when I was there.
ABOUT 'LADY IN THE LAKE': Cleo Sherwood disappeared eight months ago. Aside from her parents and the two sons she left behind, no one seems to have noticed. It isn't hard to understand why: it's 1964 and neither the police, the public nor the papers care much when Negro women go missing.
Maddie Schwartz - recently separated from her husband, working her first job as an assistant at the Baltimore Sun- wants one thing: a byline. When she hears about an unidentified body that's been pulled out of the fountain in Druid Hill Park, Maddie thinks she is about to uncover a story that will finally get her name in print. What she can't imagine is how much trouble she will cause by chasing a story that no-one wants her to tell.
MY THOUGHTS: I ended up liking Lady in the Lake a lot more by the end than I did at the start. This is a book that is impossible to categorise; there are just so many facets to it. But they all meld seamlessly together to paint a portrait of life in the 1960s, a time when I was becoming a teenager, a time of great social change. Maddie is merely the vehicle for this story of the changing role of women in society, and the initial tentative steps towards racial equality, as is the death of Chloe (Eunetta) Sherwood. Don't go into this book expecting a murder mystery; you will be disappointed. It is more of a social commentary.
I have to say that I didn't much like the character of Maddie. She is cold, aloof, and selfish, and not inclined to think things through. Yet, I can also empathise with her. She had a dream and she followed it. We also find out more about her earlier life towards the end of the book and the events that shaped her.
Even though her 'dream job' of journalist left a lot to be desired - women didn't get promoted and she still had to answer to men who were much like her husband - she stuck with it and stuck by her principles. While she grows as a person, and becomes more politically aware, she is still rather careless of the feelings of those around her. Her ambition is paramount. She is not a woman to whom relationships mean much, and she doesn't appear to have friends. So, no, I didn't much like Maddie, but I did have a little sneaking admiration for her here and there.
The ending of Lady in the Lake is interesting, and entirely unexpected.
The author's notes at the end of the book are illuminating. While the two murders are inspired by two cases from 1969, the author has created her own version of these, and set them amongst real events from some years earlier.
While Lady in the Lake didn't bowl me over, and I am not about to recommend it widely, it is an interesting and thought provoking read made up of a blend of historical fiction, politics, human rights and mystery.
⭐⭐�.7
#LadyInTheLake #NetGalley
THE AUTHOR: Since her debut in 1997, New York Times bestseller Laura Lippman has been recognized as one of the most gifted and versatile crime novelists working today. Her series novels, stand-alones and short stories have all won major awards, including the Edgar and the Anthony, and her work is published in more than 20 countries. A former Baltimore Sun journalist, she has written for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, O, The Oprah Magazine, Real Simple, Glamour and Longreads. "Simply one of our best novelists, period," the Washington Post said upon the publication of the ground-breaking What the Dead Know. She lives in Baltimore and New Orleans with her family. (Amazon)
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Faber and Faber via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Lady in the Lake by Laura Lippman for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my ŷ.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage
August 8, 2024
The story opens in 1966, when thirty-seven year old Maddie Morgenstern Schwartz is a beautiful Jewish housewife with an attorney husband named Milton, a teenage son called Seth, and a lovely home in a toney Baltimore neighborhood.
Many women of Maddie's generation would be happy with this life, but Maddie has ambitions for a career, so she moves out to follow her dreams.
Living in a small apartment - and barely making ends meet - Maddie decides to report her diamond ring stolen for the insurance money. This acquaints Maddie with an attractive black cop named Ferdie, with whom she embarks on a TORRID affair.
Given the racially charged times, Maddie and Ferdie's relationship is confined to Maddie's apartment save one 'date' at an Orioles game, where the duo pretend to be strangers making conversation.
While Maddie is struggling financially, an 11-year-old girl named Tessie Fine goes missing from Maddie's former Baltimore neighborhood. Maddie joins the search and stumbles on Tessie's body near her old high school make-out spot.
Afterwards, Maddie strikes up a correspondence with the prime suspect in Tessie's death, who's in jail, and unearths a clue about the crime. Maddie parlays this correspondence into a job at the Baltimore Star, assisting the consumer helpline columnist.
Maddie yearns to be a real reporter, however, and hits on a story that might be her way in. The body of a young black woman, Cleo Sherwood - who's been missing for many months - has been found in a lake in a Baltimore park. The only newspaper that features the story is the Baltimore Afro American, and the circumstances of Cleo's death remain unresolved. No one knows if it was an accident, a suicide, or a murder.....and no one is investigating.
Maddie sees this as an opportunity. She wants to look into Cleo's death and write a story, but the Star's editor says no one wants to read about the death of a black woman - especially a black woman like Cleo, who worked in a nightclub and had a dubious reputation. Nevertheless, Maddie persists. She speaks to Cleo's parents, the Sherwoods; visits the psychic the Sherwoods' consulted about their missing daughter; and goes to the nightclub where Cleo worked. This irks the nightclub owner, a criminal in the prostitute and drug business. Maddie also discovers the identity of the rich married man Cleo was seeing, and intrudes into his life. Maddie's actions are beyond foolhardy, but she seems oblivious.
Most of the book is narrated by two characters: Maddie and Cleo's ghost. Maddie's narrative ranges from her youth to her adulthood, and she reveals a life-altering secret from her past. In Cleo's sections, the woman addresses Maddie directly, and brags about her own good looks.....her green eyes and straight nose and enticing figure.
Cleo also talks about her beautiful clothes, her children, her parents, her aspirations, her need for a rich man; and her annoyance at Maddie's inquiries into her death.
Additional commentators include a journalist; a bartender; a waitress; a young boy; a young girl; a baseball player; an African-American policewoman; and more.
As the story unfolds, we get a feel for the racist segregated Baltimore of the mid-twentieth century, where women and people of color struggled to get ahead. Black police officers, for example, didn't get patrol cars or radios, and had to use call boxes to communicate with the police station.
And women journalists were almost non-existent.
We also get a peek at Maddie's Jewish culture, with her kosher home; dual sets of dishes, versions of choreset (a Passover food) and chopped liver; Jewish mother 😊; and the eruv (wire boundary) that encloses some Jewish communities for religious reasons.
By the end we know what happened to Cleo Sherwood, what happened to Tessie Fine, and a lot more. 😲
I admire Maddie for having the strength to defy the old-fashioned traditions of her community and family, and to strive for a fulfilling career. I also applaud Cleo's determination to improve conditions for herself and her sons. In fact most of the characters (except for the out and out criminals) demonstrate admirable qualities as they deal with the everyday problems of life.
I'd recommend the book to fans of literary mysteries and historical novels.
You can follow my reviews at
August 11, 2019
My first Laura Lippman review was a big success! I loved it! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Set in 1960s Baltimore, Marie Schwartz is reflecting on her once happy life as a housewife. That was only one year ago. Now she’s walked away from her marriage and is looking for true happiness.
Maddie wants to make her mark, and she helps the police find a girl who was murdered, which then leads her to a job at the local newspaper.
Her first story? About a missing woman whose body was found in a local lake. It turns out she’s the only one who seems to care why Cleo. Sherwood was murdered. Maddie begins her investigation.
Maddie’s story is about so much more than an unsolved mystery. It’s about the push and pull between genders, racial tensions, class, and religion. The story is told from multiple points of view panning around Maddie and her investigation. There’s also a ghost. The sense of time and place is so strong and steadfast, I was easily transported.
Overall, I found this an interesting historical mystery. I loved the crime aspects, the writing is strong, and the premise is consuming!
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog:
Set in 1960s Baltimore, Marie Schwartz is reflecting on her once happy life as a housewife. That was only one year ago. Now she’s walked away from her marriage and is looking for true happiness.
Maddie wants to make her mark, and she helps the police find a girl who was murdered, which then leads her to a job at the local newspaper.
Her first story? About a missing woman whose body was found in a local lake. It turns out she’s the only one who seems to care why Cleo. Sherwood was murdered. Maddie begins her investigation.
Maddie’s story is about so much more than an unsolved mystery. It’s about the push and pull between genders, racial tensions, class, and religion. The story is told from multiple points of view panning around Maddie and her investigation. There’s also a ghost. The sense of time and place is so strong and steadfast, I was easily transported.
Overall, I found this an interesting historical mystery. I loved the crime aspects, the writing is strong, and the premise is consuming!
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog:
June 14, 2019
I've been wanting to read a book by this author for awhile now and the synopsis for this one sounded good. so I finally took the plunge. While this book can be classified as historical fiction, it also fits in the mystery and women's fiction genres. I ended up really enjoying this novel and look forward to reading other books by Laura Lippman.
It's 1966 and Madeline "Maddie" Schwartz. lives in Baltimore with her husband and teenage son. It might seem like she has it all but she wants more than just playing the role of dutiful housewife. In search of living a more meaningful life, she leaves her husband and eventually finds work at a local newspaper. She is on the low end of the totem pole there but she thinks the right story will get her some attention. Maddie is particularly interested in finding out what exactly happened to Cleo Sherwood, a young African American woman who was found dead in the fountain of a city park lake. However her eagerness to find out the truth could come at an awful price for some.
I was surprised at how many different things the story was able to touch on such as race, religion, women in the workforce, the newspaper industry, and politics to name a few. For me what really drove the story was the mystery of Cleo Sherwood more so than the Maddie "finding herself" storyline. While Maddie's perspective was predominately featured, other characters, including Cleo gave their spin on events throughout the book. For the most part I liked this method of telling the story especially as it really demonstrated how Maddie's actions affected other people. However, a few characters really had nothing much to do with advancing the plot so even though the appearances were brief, they just felt unnecessary.
This is the type of book in which there is a little bit of something for everyone and what each reader takes away from it might be different. Definitely recommend especially if the 1960s Baltimore setting peaks your interest like it did for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review!
It's 1966 and Madeline "Maddie" Schwartz. lives in Baltimore with her husband and teenage son. It might seem like she has it all but she wants more than just playing the role of dutiful housewife. In search of living a more meaningful life, she leaves her husband and eventually finds work at a local newspaper. She is on the low end of the totem pole there but she thinks the right story will get her some attention. Maddie is particularly interested in finding out what exactly happened to Cleo Sherwood, a young African American woman who was found dead in the fountain of a city park lake. However her eagerness to find out the truth could come at an awful price for some.
I was surprised at how many different things the story was able to touch on such as race, religion, women in the workforce, the newspaper industry, and politics to name a few. For me what really drove the story was the mystery of Cleo Sherwood more so than the Maddie "finding herself" storyline. While Maddie's perspective was predominately featured, other characters, including Cleo gave their spin on events throughout the book. For the most part I liked this method of telling the story especially as it really demonstrated how Maddie's actions affected other people. However, a few characters really had nothing much to do with advancing the plot so even though the appearances were brief, they just felt unnecessary.
This is the type of book in which there is a little bit of something for everyone and what each reader takes away from it might be different. Definitely recommend especially if the 1960s Baltimore setting peaks your interest like it did for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review!
June 2, 2019
Unfortunately, I didn’t like this. It started off promising, the voice of the Lady in the Lake beginning the story. Then we get the voice of Maddie, the housewife who has ambitions beyond being a married woman. Then we have another voice, then another, then another, then another.....get the picture? My interest was waning. There were two murders but I couldn't have cared less about how or who or what happened. I read the whole book but I didn’t like the story nor the characters, & definitely not how the book was written. Some will like this but,I for one, did not.
*Thank you to ŷ and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
*Thank you to ŷ and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 27, 2019
LaurA Lippman swept me away to 1960s Baltimore with this atmospheric and riveting tale. This book perfectly wove together mystery, historical fiction, and women’s fiction. maddie is a 1960s housewife who after 18 years of marriage decide she wants more to life than just being a wife. While I didn’t always agree with Maddie’s methods, I completely understood her plightt. Maddie leaves her husband finds herself a job at a newspaper and is determined to be the best reporter ever. She will do what it takes, climb over people, and stomp on their loyalties.
The structure and vibe of the story was unique and well executed. Not only did we get the point of view of Maddie but that of so many others. Including a ghost, a police officer, a baseball player, a psychic, and so much more. I loved the little vignettes sprinkled throughout the story about seemingly inconsequential characters. I thought it really added to and propel the story along. Even though this was more of a slow burn I was completely compelled from first page to last. The descriptive writing and dialogue gave me such an incredible sense of time and place. There is a lot packed into this novel, a mystery, women’s rights, race relations, religious implications, and politics. I think Miss Lippman did a marvelous job of bringing it all together and keeping it fresh and interesting. If you are a fan of the 1960s, Mystery, or women’s fiction I’d definitely recommend adding this one to your summer TBR!
*** Big thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book ***
The structure and vibe of the story was unique and well executed. Not only did we get the point of view of Maddie but that of so many others. Including a ghost, a police officer, a baseball player, a psychic, and so much more. I loved the little vignettes sprinkled throughout the story about seemingly inconsequential characters. I thought it really added to and propel the story along. Even though this was more of a slow burn I was completely compelled from first page to last. The descriptive writing and dialogue gave me such an incredible sense of time and place. There is a lot packed into this novel, a mystery, women’s rights, race relations, religious implications, and politics. I think Miss Lippman did a marvelous job of bringing it all together and keeping it fresh and interesting. If you are a fan of the 1960s, Mystery, or women’s fiction I’d definitely recommend adding this one to your summer TBR!
*** Big thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book ***
August 14, 2019
This was... not what I expected. I listened to the audiobook and there were too many perspectives for me to keep everything/everyone straight. Also there was just something about the writing style that really rubbed me wrong and tbh this clearly was just very much not for me
July 22, 2019
4 very enthusiastic stars!!! This was my first book of Laura Lippman's and it definitely won't be my last. I can't think of anything I didn't like about this book.
It's Baltimore in 1966 and Maddie Schwartz has decided she is done playing by the rules and wants to start living her life. She leaves her husband and moves to an apartment downtown. She finds herself in the middle of a police investigation and from that point on she gains a focus of what she wants to do with her life. She begins working for the Star, one of Baltimore's newspapers and immediately decides that she is not going to settle for being someone's assistant. She wants her own column and she does almost anything she can (sometimes consequences be damned!) to research a murder that no one seems to care about. A young, black woman was found dead in a nearby lake. The community has moved on from this, but Maddie refuses to let go. It is through this investigation that we follow Maddie, and many other POV from the various people she meets by way of her investigation.
I can see why some people had trouble with the way this book was laid out. We hear from almost everyone Maddie encounters (even if for only a brief chapter), which in my opinion, helps flesh out the story even more than if we had read it all from Maddie's perspective. I thought it was also a good avenue into the insight of the time and place - not only did we see the world through Maddie's eyes, we saw it through different races, socioeconomic backgrounds, professions, genders, etc. So this aspect of the book was a total win for me.
I also found the story extremely interesting and inspiring. Was Maddie my favorite character in the world? No. But who cares? She had a dream and she chased it. I highly recommend giving this a chance it you have any interest in newsroom/reporting, mystery, the 60's, or women's fiction.
I want to thank Netgalley, Faber & Faber and Laura Lippman for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book. I was particularly touched by Ms. Lippman's author's note.
Review Date: 7/21/19
Publication Date: 7/23/19
It's Baltimore in 1966 and Maddie Schwartz has decided she is done playing by the rules and wants to start living her life. She leaves her husband and moves to an apartment downtown. She finds herself in the middle of a police investigation and from that point on she gains a focus of what she wants to do with her life. She begins working for the Star, one of Baltimore's newspapers and immediately decides that she is not going to settle for being someone's assistant. She wants her own column and she does almost anything she can (sometimes consequences be damned!) to research a murder that no one seems to care about. A young, black woman was found dead in a nearby lake. The community has moved on from this, but Maddie refuses to let go. It is through this investigation that we follow Maddie, and many other POV from the various people she meets by way of her investigation.
I can see why some people had trouble with the way this book was laid out. We hear from almost everyone Maddie encounters (even if for only a brief chapter), which in my opinion, helps flesh out the story even more than if we had read it all from Maddie's perspective. I thought it was also a good avenue into the insight of the time and place - not only did we see the world through Maddie's eyes, we saw it through different races, socioeconomic backgrounds, professions, genders, etc. So this aspect of the book was a total win for me.
I also found the story extremely interesting and inspiring. Was Maddie my favorite character in the world? No. But who cares? She had a dream and she chased it. I highly recommend giving this a chance it you have any interest in newsroom/reporting, mystery, the 60's, or women's fiction.
I want to thank Netgalley, Faber & Faber and Laura Lippman for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book. I was particularly touched by Ms. Lippman's author's note.
Review Date: 7/21/19
Publication Date: 7/23/19
August 5, 2019
4.5 stars
I love the 1960’s as a setting in a novel and this was no exception. It’s 1960s Baltimore, women’s roles are changing and racial tensions are high. The author nails time and place expertly and makes them come to life.
Maddie Schwartz wants more than her privileged life as the housewife of a successful businessman and mother to her teenage son. She decides to leaves her family and start over. This is a risky choice for an author as it doesn’t make Maddie the most likable of characters. However, even though I would make different choices than Maddie, I grew to understand her.
After finding the body of a murdered 11-year-old girl, Maddie pursues a career as a crime reporter at a local newspaper where she learns of a missing young black woman. She decides to pursue leads and do some investigating on her own. The juxtaposition of the public and police interest in the murder of the young white girl vs their complete disinterest in the black woman highlights the injustices of the times. But make no mistake, this is not a book written solely to highlight a hot button social issue, it’s a well-written book that happens to have a social issue within its pages. The difference is important as I tend to detest ‘big important issue books�.
Each chapter is told from a different POV, including that of the missing black woman. I loved this unique format. Like a puzzle with interlocking pieces, we are given information from all the supporting characters who are connected to the crimes.
Lippman herself worked as a reporter and this book was inspired by true events that happened in Baltimore in 1969, which accounts for the authenticity of the story.
I love Laura Lippman’s writing style which is smart and engaging. I loved last year’s and will be anxiously awaiting next year’s release.
� Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
I love the 1960’s as a setting in a novel and this was no exception. It’s 1960s Baltimore, women’s roles are changing and racial tensions are high. The author nails time and place expertly and makes them come to life.
Maddie Schwartz wants more than her privileged life as the housewife of a successful businessman and mother to her teenage son. She decides to leaves her family and start over. This is a risky choice for an author as it doesn’t make Maddie the most likable of characters. However, even though I would make different choices than Maddie, I grew to understand her.
After finding the body of a murdered 11-year-old girl, Maddie pursues a career as a crime reporter at a local newspaper where she learns of a missing young black woman. She decides to pursue leads and do some investigating on her own. The juxtaposition of the public and police interest in the murder of the young white girl vs their complete disinterest in the black woman highlights the injustices of the times. But make no mistake, this is not a book written solely to highlight a hot button social issue, it’s a well-written book that happens to have a social issue within its pages. The difference is important as I tend to detest ‘big important issue books�.
Each chapter is told from a different POV, including that of the missing black woman. I loved this unique format. Like a puzzle with interlocking pieces, we are given information from all the supporting characters who are connected to the crimes.
Lippman herself worked as a reporter and this book was inspired by true events that happened in Baltimore in 1969, which accounts for the authenticity of the story.
I love Laura Lippman’s writing style which is smart and engaging. I loved last year’s and will be anxiously awaiting next year’s release.
� Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
September 10, 2020
Baltimore 1966 � a/k/a “The good ole days.� (For some people.)
Madeline Schwartz has been a wife and mother for almost two decades when she suddenly decides to turn her back on the boring comforts of the upper middle class. It isn’t easy for a woman in her late �30s to start over, but she begins pulling together a new life, including a secret relationship with an African-American cop. When Maddie discovers the body of a murder victim she manages to eventually leverage that into an entry level job at one of the local newspapers. She wants to become a real reporter, and when the body of Cleo Sherwood is found in a lake Maddie begins to research Cleo’s life and death even though everyone tells her that nobody cares about the story of a black party girl who met a bad end.
What Laura Lippman has written here is a character driven crime novel that smoothly shifts through a variety of viewpoints. Not only do we get the ghostly voice of Cleo who expresses dismay at how Maddie’s investigation is only stirring up trouble, but there are many short first-person interludes from the different people that Maddie interacts with. Sometimes these encounters make a big impact on her, like a dinner party with an old high school friend, and sometimes it’s a person that Maddie barely registers, like a waitress who serves her lunch. All of these characters have their own stories going on, and some of them are important to Maddie’s and some have no direct bearing on her at all. When you put them all together you get vivid picture of a bygone era as well as the full story of what happened to Cleo.
Lippman trusts the reader to remember what they’ve read in these parts so that very often we don’t see key events, and you have to infer what’s happened based on what we know about these other characters. It’s a tricky thing to pull off, but it all fits the tone and structure of the book so that the reader comes to feel like just one of these flies on the wall that knows far more about Maddie’s business than she realizes.
The center of all this is Maddie, and again Lippman delivers with a detailed story about a complex woman whose old secrets put her on a path that she is now desperately trying to change. Her courage and determination are admirable, and yet there’s also a sense of entitlement to Maddie. Yes, she’s a woman struggling against sexism, but she also blithely assumes she can do a job that she’s had no experience or training for. She’s also willing to do some shady things to get what she wants, and she has little regard what damage she might do other people. Sometimes she comes across as the sympathetic hero of the story, but there are points where she seems like the villain of it. I didn’t always like Maddie, but I was always interested in her.
This also acts as kind of low key tribute to the newspaper business even if watching the sausage get made isn’t always pretty, and Lippman, a former journalist herself, ends the book with a moving tribute to the five employees of the Capital Gazette who were killed during a mass shooting at their office.
Top notch writing, great character work, and a unique structure all make for one compelling book.
Madeline Schwartz has been a wife and mother for almost two decades when she suddenly decides to turn her back on the boring comforts of the upper middle class. It isn’t easy for a woman in her late �30s to start over, but she begins pulling together a new life, including a secret relationship with an African-American cop. When Maddie discovers the body of a murder victim she manages to eventually leverage that into an entry level job at one of the local newspapers. She wants to become a real reporter, and when the body of Cleo Sherwood is found in a lake Maddie begins to research Cleo’s life and death even though everyone tells her that nobody cares about the story of a black party girl who met a bad end.
What Laura Lippman has written here is a character driven crime novel that smoothly shifts through a variety of viewpoints. Not only do we get the ghostly voice of Cleo who expresses dismay at how Maddie’s investigation is only stirring up trouble, but there are many short first-person interludes from the different people that Maddie interacts with. Sometimes these encounters make a big impact on her, like a dinner party with an old high school friend, and sometimes it’s a person that Maddie barely registers, like a waitress who serves her lunch. All of these characters have their own stories going on, and some of them are important to Maddie’s and some have no direct bearing on her at all. When you put them all together you get vivid picture of a bygone era as well as the full story of what happened to Cleo.
Lippman trusts the reader to remember what they’ve read in these parts so that very often we don’t see key events, and you have to infer what’s happened based on what we know about these other characters. It’s a tricky thing to pull off, but it all fits the tone and structure of the book so that the reader comes to feel like just one of these flies on the wall that knows far more about Maddie’s business than she realizes.
The center of all this is Maddie, and again Lippman delivers with a detailed story about a complex woman whose old secrets put her on a path that she is now desperately trying to change. Her courage and determination are admirable, and yet there’s also a sense of entitlement to Maddie. Yes, she’s a woman struggling against sexism, but she also blithely assumes she can do a job that she’s had no experience or training for. She’s also willing to do some shady things to get what she wants, and she has little regard what damage she might do other people. Sometimes she comes across as the sympathetic hero of the story, but there are points where she seems like the villain of it. I didn’t always like Maddie, but I was always interested in her.
This also acts as kind of low key tribute to the newspaper business even if watching the sausage get made isn’t always pretty, and Lippman, a former journalist herself, ends the book with a moving tribute to the five employees of the Capital Gazette who were killed during a mass shooting at their office.
Top notch writing, great character work, and a unique structure all make for one compelling book.
August 9, 2019
Favorite Quotes:
It was like that first great work of art that transfixes you, that novel that stays with you the rest of your life, even if you go on to read much better ones.
Within a year, she was engaged to Milton Schwartz, big and hairy and older, twenty-two to her eighteen, his first year of law school already behind him. I went to their wedding. It was like watching Alice Faye run away with King Kong.
The detectives, who seemed to find everything about her mildly hilarious, had shrugged, told her that motives were for Perry Mason.
Another blue-eyed brunette would indicate that she was just a type, whereas a wispy blonde would suggest that he would never quite get over her, that she would be with him forever, sort of like chickenpox.
My Review:
Baltimore in 1966 � a completely unfamiliar locale and a lifetime away; I was a child in the sixties so I have only a vague awareness of some of the events and icons mentioned. And I should not fail to mention that laws and societal expectations were vastly more limiting, confining, and even dangerous for women and minorities.
While reading and even upon reaching the last page, I was conflicted in how to assess and rate this uniquely constructed, captivating, and complicated opus. It was like an oddly choreographed symphony consisting of numerous instruments and movements that couldn’t be fully appreciated or heard until assimilated and meshed together. Only in those final pages did the separate notes weave together to reveal the clarity and understanding of how brilliantly contrived the entirety had been.
I kid you not, while compelling and original, this wasn’t an easy read as the myriad POV and meaty storylines were robust and somewhat labor-intensive to hold together. The ingeniously diabolical Laura Lippman led me on a merry chase, and while somewhat addled and even exasperated at times my interest never flagged as the intensely captivating breadcrumbs and mysterious undercurrents constantly tickled my gray matter. It was mesmerizing and well-worthy of a 5-Star rating.
It was like that first great work of art that transfixes you, that novel that stays with you the rest of your life, even if you go on to read much better ones.
Within a year, she was engaged to Milton Schwartz, big and hairy and older, twenty-two to her eighteen, his first year of law school already behind him. I went to their wedding. It was like watching Alice Faye run away with King Kong.
The detectives, who seemed to find everything about her mildly hilarious, had shrugged, told her that motives were for Perry Mason.
Another blue-eyed brunette would indicate that she was just a type, whereas a wispy blonde would suggest that he would never quite get over her, that she would be with him forever, sort of like chickenpox.
My Review:
Baltimore in 1966 � a completely unfamiliar locale and a lifetime away; I was a child in the sixties so I have only a vague awareness of some of the events and icons mentioned. And I should not fail to mention that laws and societal expectations were vastly more limiting, confining, and even dangerous for women and minorities.
While reading and even upon reaching the last page, I was conflicted in how to assess and rate this uniquely constructed, captivating, and complicated opus. It was like an oddly choreographed symphony consisting of numerous instruments and movements that couldn’t be fully appreciated or heard until assimilated and meshed together. Only in those final pages did the separate notes weave together to reveal the clarity and understanding of how brilliantly contrived the entirety had been.
I kid you not, while compelling and original, this wasn’t an easy read as the myriad POV and meaty storylines were robust and somewhat labor-intensive to hold together. The ingeniously diabolical Laura Lippman led me on a merry chase, and while somewhat addled and even exasperated at times my interest never flagged as the intensely captivating breadcrumbs and mysterious undercurrents constantly tickled my gray matter. It was mesmerizing and well-worthy of a 5-Star rating.
August 8, 2019
I enjoyed Laura Lippman’s first novel, Baltimore Blue. I enjoyed Laura Lippman’s second novel, Charm City, but I worried that she might become a formula novelist. You know the one whose book you could open and by the time you have finished chapter three you could predict what was going to happen and by the end of the book have your predictions affirmed.
Thankfully I can say Lippman is not a “formula writer.� She is a skilled mystery writer who sets forth developed characters facing complex situations. Nowhere is this better illustrated than in her latest novel, The Lady in the Lake.
Set in Baltimore in the 60s, we follow the entwined lives of two very different women. Madeline Schwartz is newly separated from her husband, living in a Baltimore City apartment, unemployed, and searching for a meaning to her life. Cleo Sherwood is dead. In life Cleo, a young beautiful black woman, was an unmarried mother of two young boys, who searched for happiness, a good man, and a better life. Her body has been found in a fountain in a city park. Because she is black, there is little effort to find her killer.
Madeline meanwhile, has had a bit of luck and lands a job as an aide to the help column on the major Baltimore newspaper. Facing the constraints of 60s racism and sexism, Madeline struggles to succeed. Madeline digs into the Sherwood case against the advice of others. Cleo’s ghost watches in agony as Madeline inserts herself in the case. Yes - you read that correctly. Cleo’s ghost offers her thoughts about this situation. Seeing trouble ahead Cleo wishes Madeline would give up, would leave her family alone, would let her alone. Madeline throws herself full force into the case, ignoring warnings, betraying trusts, using people, putting her needs first. Madeline’s efforts result is a gut wrenching double twist you won’t see coming.
The novel is enhanced by the perspective offered by newspaper staffers, Baltimore police, family members, bartenders, waitresses, even a Baltimore Oriole.
You will remember The Lady in the Lake and you will ruminate over the ending. I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley. #NetGalley #TheLadyintheLake
Thankfully I can say Lippman is not a “formula writer.� She is a skilled mystery writer who sets forth developed characters facing complex situations. Nowhere is this better illustrated than in her latest novel, The Lady in the Lake.
Set in Baltimore in the 60s, we follow the entwined lives of two very different women. Madeline Schwartz is newly separated from her husband, living in a Baltimore City apartment, unemployed, and searching for a meaning to her life. Cleo Sherwood is dead. In life Cleo, a young beautiful black woman, was an unmarried mother of two young boys, who searched for happiness, a good man, and a better life. Her body has been found in a fountain in a city park. Because she is black, there is little effort to find her killer.
Madeline meanwhile, has had a bit of luck and lands a job as an aide to the help column on the major Baltimore newspaper. Facing the constraints of 60s racism and sexism, Madeline struggles to succeed. Madeline digs into the Sherwood case against the advice of others. Cleo’s ghost watches in agony as Madeline inserts herself in the case. Yes - you read that correctly. Cleo’s ghost offers her thoughts about this situation. Seeing trouble ahead Cleo wishes Madeline would give up, would leave her family alone, would let her alone. Madeline throws herself full force into the case, ignoring warnings, betraying trusts, using people, putting her needs first. Madeline’s efforts result is a gut wrenching double twist you won’t see coming.
The novel is enhanced by the perspective offered by newspaper staffers, Baltimore police, family members, bartenders, waitresses, even a Baltimore Oriole.
You will remember The Lady in the Lake and you will ruminate over the ending. I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley. #NetGalley #TheLadyintheLake
February 1, 2022
This was my first read by Laura Lippmann & my experience wasn’t the best I thought the characters were unliveable & it was too here $ there the pacing was slow & wasn’t much suspense.
Maddie Schwartz was married to Milton for 18 years& had a son Seth who was 16 but she was unhappy & made a decision to leave her son with the cad of a husband Milton & start a more satisfying life , She moves to the wrong side of Baltimore.& sells her ring to get money but� guess what she joins in the investigation of a murdered little girl Tessie Fine she is a journalist so she can be a help.
We also find out some background on Maddie & her mother who were at war with each other throughout it was interesting being Jewish in 1966 things were a lot different to what they are now & no wonder she walked out on Nilton he had a lady on his arm at every moment he was rich but a cad of a man then there’s Seth her son I couldn’t understand how a mother could just walk out of her sons life? Who does that? to me this was okay but not as good as I expected.
Maddie Schwartz was married to Milton for 18 years& had a son Seth who was 16 but she was unhappy & made a decision to leave her son with the cad of a husband Milton & start a more satisfying life , She moves to the wrong side of Baltimore.& sells her ring to get money but� guess what she joins in the investigation of a murdered little girl Tessie Fine she is a journalist so she can be a help.
We also find out some background on Maddie & her mother who were at war with each other throughout it was interesting being Jewish in 1966 things were a lot different to what they are now & no wonder she walked out on Nilton he had a lady on his arm at every moment he was rich but a cad of a man then there’s Seth her son I couldn’t understand how a mother could just walk out of her sons life? Who does that? to me this was okay but not as good as I expected.
July 25, 2019
Whew, Lady in the Lake was a dizzying ride!
The basics of the plot do have a lot of potential--the "lady in the lake" and her killer have to be identified, and recently separated Maddie Schwartz is on the case. However, the rotating cast of narrators made my head spin.
Nearly every minor character Maddie meets ends up narrating a chapter. These narrators are often one-dimensional, and they tend to ramble, sending the storyline off on tangents that aren't central to the narrative.
It's 1966, and Maddie is a white Jewish woman who is regularly sleeping with a black police officer. Why don't we hear a lot more from him? I'd love to cut most of the minor narrators in exchange for more insight into his perspective.
Lady in the Lake would be a lot more cohesive with fewer narrators and significant cuts to the manuscript. (It's roughly 350 pages, but it could easily be cut to 250.) Three stars--the premise is interesting, but the execution has its flaws.
Thanks to NetGalley and Faber and Faber for providing me with a DRC of this novel.
The basics of the plot do have a lot of potential--the "lady in the lake" and her killer have to be identified, and recently separated Maddie Schwartz is on the case. However, the rotating cast of narrators made my head spin.
Nearly every minor character Maddie meets ends up narrating a chapter. These narrators are often one-dimensional, and they tend to ramble, sending the storyline off on tangents that aren't central to the narrative.
It's 1966, and Maddie is a white Jewish woman who is regularly sleeping with a black police officer. Why don't we hear a lot more from him? I'd love to cut most of the minor narrators in exchange for more insight into his perspective.
Lady in the Lake would be a lot more cohesive with fewer narrators and significant cuts to the manuscript. (It's roughly 350 pages, but it could easily be cut to 250.) Three stars--the premise is interesting, but the execution has its flaws.
Thanks to NetGalley and Faber and Faber for providing me with a DRC of this novel.
August 28, 2019
Too much going on here in this noir fusion thriller by Lippman. There are points of view galore going on here, a reminiscing ghost who haunts both the reader and the main character, and a somewhat selfish yet bland protagonist I simply couldn't connect with.
July 25, 2019
4 surprise stars
This was such a surprising book! I loved the way that Laura Lippman wrote this with so many different voices. Here’s one example: there would be a scene of two characters talking at a diner and the next voice we would hear would be from the waitress. I thought this was so clever and a great way to make the story multi-dimensional. There’s a baseball player, a ghost, and a policeman just to name a few of the voices that contribute to the overall story.
Set in the mid-1960s Baltimore, the main character is Maddie Schwartz. She has a way of sticking her nose in and sets her sights on becoming a reporter. It doesn’t matter that she’s been a housewife and has just left her husband and son. A series of coincidences give her some writing material and she’s off tracking down the latest dirt that she can dig up. There are racial, class, and religious tensions all bubbling up at this time in Baltimore. One of the places Maddie goes digging is figuring out what happened to a young murdered African American woman, Cleo Sherwood.
Maddie grows in the story and that was important as otherwise she came across as self-absorbed and not really caring about what happened to those around her. I went into this one completely blind and loved it! I’ve read a few other Laura Lippman books, but she is a prolific writer. It’s good to know that I can reliably turn to her for a great read!
Thank you to NetGalley, Laura Lippman, and Faber & Faber, Ltd. for an early copy of the book to read.
This was such a surprising book! I loved the way that Laura Lippman wrote this with so many different voices. Here’s one example: there would be a scene of two characters talking at a diner and the next voice we would hear would be from the waitress. I thought this was so clever and a great way to make the story multi-dimensional. There’s a baseball player, a ghost, and a policeman just to name a few of the voices that contribute to the overall story.
Set in the mid-1960s Baltimore, the main character is Maddie Schwartz. She has a way of sticking her nose in and sets her sights on becoming a reporter. It doesn’t matter that she’s been a housewife and has just left her husband and son. A series of coincidences give her some writing material and she’s off tracking down the latest dirt that she can dig up. There are racial, class, and religious tensions all bubbling up at this time in Baltimore. One of the places Maddie goes digging is figuring out what happened to a young murdered African American woman, Cleo Sherwood.
Maddie grows in the story and that was important as otherwise she came across as self-absorbed and not really caring about what happened to those around her. I went into this one completely blind and loved it! I’ve read a few other Laura Lippman books, but she is a prolific writer. It’s good to know that I can reliably turn to her for a great read!
Thank you to NetGalley, Laura Lippman, and Faber & Faber, Ltd. for an early copy of the book to read.
July 10, 2019
Maddie Schwartz has been a housewife for almost twenty years. She thought she'd resigned herself to this life as soon as she married Milton and became a mother to their son Seth.
It's a guest from her past at a small dinner party that reminds Maddie of her ambitions and she leaves Milton to begin a life of her own. She assumed Seth would want to live with her and she's hurt when he decides to stay and finish high school at home with his father.
When young Tessie Fine goes missing near Maddie's new Baltimore neighborhood, Maddie and another young woman form their own search party and as she follows streets that remind her of her past, she finds the body of the young girl.
This leads to a job at the afternoon newspaper the Star, where Maddie hopes to work her way up and eventually have her own byline. Unfortunately she's relegated to sorting and answering questions from the public for a help column.
Maddie believes her big break is the case of missing woman Cleo Sherwood, whose body is found in the fountain of a park lake. She works on her own time to learn more about Cleo's life and discover how she died.
But what if there's something Cleo doesn't want Maddie to uncover?
Lady in the Lake is a slow burning noir novel that uncovers the secrets of Maddie Schwartz's past and present while she works a case no one else seems to care about. Maddie understands what it's like to have secrets and yearn for a fresh start, just like Cleo; learning Cleo's secrets will be the key to solving her death.
During her investigation, Maddie comes in contact with a string of people, both related and unrelated to case, who each have a brief chance to narrate the story to share a truth with readers. The resounding voice that returns continuously is that of the ghost of Cleo Sherwood herself and she wants Maddie to stop searching for answers. What is it that Cleo doesn't want Maddie to uncover?
Maddie's determination stems from her own selfish ambition and causes her to miss clues that ultimately lead to devastating consequences for herself and those connected with her investigation.
Lippman's writing is subtle; her stories are not about action but the character perspectives that move the story to its eventual conclusion. I was never on the edge of my seat but I was compelled to follow Maddie around the streets of Baltimore to see what she would find.
I had a couple of theories on Cleo's death and just when the least dramatic one seemed to tie up Maddie's investigation, Lippman threw in a curveball that ultimately solves the mystery while giving us more questions than answers! While that certainly could've been more frustrating than satisfying, I appreciate that the ending has me considering the possibilities long after I've finished reading.
Mixing noir with hints of hard-boiled fiction, Lady in the Lake gives readers unlikeable but entertaining characters surrounding a mystery loosely based on actual events of the time period.
If you love a slow burn mystery with noir and detective fiction vibes, Lady in the Lake is worthy of adding to your TBR stack.
Thanks to William Morrow for sending me an advance copy and ŷ for hosting the giveaway! Lady in the Lake is scheduled for release on July 23, 2019.
For more reviews, visit
It's a guest from her past at a small dinner party that reminds Maddie of her ambitions and she leaves Milton to begin a life of her own. She assumed Seth would want to live with her and she's hurt when he decides to stay and finish high school at home with his father.
When young Tessie Fine goes missing near Maddie's new Baltimore neighborhood, Maddie and another young woman form their own search party and as she follows streets that remind her of her past, she finds the body of the young girl.
This leads to a job at the afternoon newspaper the Star, where Maddie hopes to work her way up and eventually have her own byline. Unfortunately she's relegated to sorting and answering questions from the public for a help column.
Maddie believes her big break is the case of missing woman Cleo Sherwood, whose body is found in the fountain of a park lake. She works on her own time to learn more about Cleo's life and discover how she died.
But what if there's something Cleo doesn't want Maddie to uncover?
Lady in the Lake is a slow burning noir novel that uncovers the secrets of Maddie Schwartz's past and present while she works a case no one else seems to care about. Maddie understands what it's like to have secrets and yearn for a fresh start, just like Cleo; learning Cleo's secrets will be the key to solving her death.
During her investigation, Maddie comes in contact with a string of people, both related and unrelated to case, who each have a brief chance to narrate the story to share a truth with readers. The resounding voice that returns continuously is that of the ghost of Cleo Sherwood herself and she wants Maddie to stop searching for answers. What is it that Cleo doesn't want Maddie to uncover?
Maddie's determination stems from her own selfish ambition and causes her to miss clues that ultimately lead to devastating consequences for herself and those connected with her investigation.
Lippman's writing is subtle; her stories are not about action but the character perspectives that move the story to its eventual conclusion. I was never on the edge of my seat but I was compelled to follow Maddie around the streets of Baltimore to see what she would find.
I had a couple of theories on Cleo's death and just when the least dramatic one seemed to tie up Maddie's investigation, Lippman threw in a curveball that ultimately solves the mystery while giving us more questions than answers! While that certainly could've been more frustrating than satisfying, I appreciate that the ending has me considering the possibilities long after I've finished reading.
Mixing noir with hints of hard-boiled fiction, Lady in the Lake gives readers unlikeable but entertaining characters surrounding a mystery loosely based on actual events of the time period.
If you love a slow burn mystery with noir and detective fiction vibes, Lady in the Lake is worthy of adding to your TBR stack.
Thanks to William Morrow for sending me an advance copy and ŷ for hosting the giveaway! Lady in the Lake is scheduled for release on July 23, 2019.
For more reviews, visit
August 25, 2024
Actual rating is 3.5 stars.
This book takes place in Baltimore during the 1960's. We follow a woman in her thirties who realizes that she feels unfulfilled in her married life. Meanwhile a black woman's body was found in the lake and it seems like no one cares. The unfulfilled woman makes it her mission to do something about it.
This book has been made into a limited television series starring Natalie Portman. I like to step out of my area every now and then. I feel like if a book was converted to a series there must be something there. And for the most part there is something here. There were parts that I loved and some not so much. I loved the mix of genres and the setting of the novel. There is a mix of noir and historical fiction with a touch of change in the country as it becomes more free spirited in its way. You get a sense of this with the setting of Baltimore but the main character is also a portrayal of these aspects. As for the main character I have mixed feelings about her and I believe this was the author's intent as once again it symbolizes that era of time. I liked that she wanted to find herself but there were times I thought she was a little too much into herself. The highlight for me is the main story and the mystery. There is a touch of supernatural to this also. The author really incorporated different genres into this novel. Now for the negative unfortunately. We have many points of view that detracted from the story. These different points of view came from ancillary characters that added nothing to the story. If the main character passed someone on the street we would get several pages from this passed character. Why? I believe the author was trying to add to the overall atmosphere but it was a miss for me.
This was my first book from this author and I definitely read another one from her. It was an ambitious book. With it being that way unfortunately some aspects did not land. But there was definitely more hits than misses and I was intrigued by the book throughout. I will watch the series now too.
This book takes place in Baltimore during the 1960's. We follow a woman in her thirties who realizes that she feels unfulfilled in her married life. Meanwhile a black woman's body was found in the lake and it seems like no one cares. The unfulfilled woman makes it her mission to do something about it.
This book has been made into a limited television series starring Natalie Portman. I like to step out of my area every now and then. I feel like if a book was converted to a series there must be something there. And for the most part there is something here. There were parts that I loved and some not so much. I loved the mix of genres and the setting of the novel. There is a mix of noir and historical fiction with a touch of change in the country as it becomes more free spirited in its way. You get a sense of this with the setting of Baltimore but the main character is also a portrayal of these aspects. As for the main character I have mixed feelings about her and I believe this was the author's intent as once again it symbolizes that era of time. I liked that she wanted to find herself but there were times I thought she was a little too much into herself. The highlight for me is the main story and the mystery. There is a touch of supernatural to this also. The author really incorporated different genres into this novel. Now for the negative unfortunately. We have many points of view that detracted from the story. These different points of view came from ancillary characters that added nothing to the story. If the main character passed someone on the street we would get several pages from this passed character. Why? I believe the author was trying to add to the overall atmosphere but it was a miss for me.
This was my first book from this author and I definitely read another one from her. It was an ambitious book. With it being that way unfortunately some aspects did not land. But there was definitely more hits than misses and I was intrigued by the book throughout. I will watch the series now too.
October 3, 2020
I see by the comparatively low rating that others found fault with this pseudo mystery. Apparently Lippman is sufficiently well-established to experiment; here, she does so enthusiastically.
The basics: in 1965 Baltimore, an attractive Black woman's body is found in the lake, a white child is murdered and dumped in a ditch. Meanwhile, Maddie Schwartz, 38, is having a midlife crisis. She leaves her husband, begins a recreational-sex relationship with a Black policeman, and tries to convince the newspaper to make her a reporter. She focusses on the Lady in the Lake, chasing shady characters, interrogating the grieving family, and generally getting nowhere. All of this amidst the racial unrest of the sixties.
A fine setup, an engaging portrayal of 1965 society, and a broad field of interesting characters. So here's the experiment: everybody, even the hotdog vendor at the ballpark, the hairdresser, and the junior accountant at a plumbing supply get a chapter in their POV. Each of these characters is well-developed with complex family relationships, life-troubles, crushed hopes, lofty goals, and personal demons. And each is completely irrelevant to the story, inserted only because Maddie bought a hotdog, had her hair styled, or passed by the window of the plumbing supply. It's reading for the sake of reading, not unpleasant, but irritating if you care about the story. Which I kept losing as I plodded through all the tertiary characters' life stories.
Finally, the story resolves with a spray of misery and a decent twist, though unfortunately a twist that makes the truth mundane, rather than exciting. Too be fair, the cover bills it as 'A Novel,' inviting the reader (as I did) to infer a mystery from the title, the dramatic image, and the teaser about a body in the lake.
The basics: in 1965 Baltimore, an attractive Black woman's body is found in the lake, a white child is murdered and dumped in a ditch. Meanwhile, Maddie Schwartz, 38, is having a midlife crisis. She leaves her husband, begins a recreational-sex relationship with a Black policeman, and tries to convince the newspaper to make her a reporter. She focusses on the Lady in the Lake, chasing shady characters, interrogating the grieving family, and generally getting nowhere. All of this amidst the racial unrest of the sixties.
A fine setup, an engaging portrayal of 1965 society, and a broad field of interesting characters. So here's the experiment: everybody, even the hotdog vendor at the ballpark, the hairdresser, and the junior accountant at a plumbing supply get a chapter in their POV. Each of these characters is well-developed with complex family relationships, life-troubles, crushed hopes, lofty goals, and personal demons. And each is completely irrelevant to the story, inserted only because Maddie bought a hotdog, had her hair styled, or passed by the window of the plumbing supply. It's reading for the sake of reading, not unpleasant, but irritating if you care about the story. Which I kept losing as I plodded through all the tertiary characters' life stories.
Finally, the story resolves with a spray of misery and a decent twist, though unfortunately a twist that makes the truth mundane, rather than exciting. Too be fair, the cover bills it as 'A Novel,' inviting the reader (as I did) to infer a mystery from the title, the dramatic image, and the teaser about a body in the lake.
November 30, 2019
This was an engaging murder mystery, which I picked up after seeing a rave review from Stephen King.
The story is set in Baltimore in the 1960s, and our heroine is Maddie Schwartz. After being married for nearly 20 years, Maddie realizes she no longer loves her husband and decides to leave him. She moves into her own apartment, starts dating a police officer, and gets an entry-level job at a city newspaper. Soon she finds herself involved in the case of a murdered woman whose body was found in a lake.
More stuff happens, of course, but those are the basics of the plot. However, before reading this book it may help to know that each chapter is told from a different person's perspective, so you'll want to be mindful of the brief title at the beginning of each section that describes who is talking.
The thing I most enjoyed about this novel were the passages related to the newspaper. My former career was in journalism, and I got a kick out of the scenes with the editors and other reporters, and watching Maddie learn her way around a newsroom. The murder case itself is interesting, and I was caught up in trying to solve the mystery. Technically there are two murders in the book, and it was clever how the author tied everything together.
I enjoyed "Lady in the Lake" so much that I'm looking forward to reading more of Laura Lippman's novels. She's quite prolific, so I've got lots of good reading ahead of me.
Meaningful Passage
I was incredibly moved by the Author's Note at the end of the book, explaining why she dedicated this novel to the victims of the Capital Gazette shooting in Annapolis, Maryland:
The story is set in Baltimore in the 1960s, and our heroine is Maddie Schwartz. After being married for nearly 20 years, Maddie realizes she no longer loves her husband and decides to leave him. She moves into her own apartment, starts dating a police officer, and gets an entry-level job at a city newspaper. Soon she finds herself involved in the case of a murdered woman whose body was found in a lake.
More stuff happens, of course, but those are the basics of the plot. However, before reading this book it may help to know that each chapter is told from a different person's perspective, so you'll want to be mindful of the brief title at the beginning of each section that describes who is talking.
The thing I most enjoyed about this novel were the passages related to the newspaper. My former career was in journalism, and I got a kick out of the scenes with the editors and other reporters, and watching Maddie learn her way around a newsroom. The murder case itself is interesting, and I was caught up in trying to solve the mystery. Technically there are two murders in the book, and it was clever how the author tied everything together.
I enjoyed "Lady in the Lake" so much that I'm looking forward to reading more of Laura Lippman's novels. She's quite prolific, so I've got lots of good reading ahead of me.
Meaningful Passage
I was incredibly moved by the Author's Note at the end of the book, explaining why she dedicated this novel to the victims of the Capital Gazette shooting in Annapolis, Maryland:
When I started this book in February 2017, I had no idea that it was going to become a newspaper novel; in some ways, Maddie Schwartz surprised me as much as she surprised her longtime husband. I had no desire to write a newspaper novel, but I soon found myself caught up in trying to imagine and re-create the world my father had known when he took a job in 1965 at what was then called the Sun ...
The first draft of this book was submitted on June 27, 2018. The next day, I headed to my mother's home on the Delaware shore with my young daughter, stopping about an hour into the trip to tell her we had eaten lunch and should be there within the next two hours. She asked me if I had run into traffic near Annapolis. No, I said, why would I? "There was a shooting." When I learned that it was at the newspaper, I knew it was all too likely that my friend Rob Hiassen was one of the victims. So while I usually take time here to thank everyone who helped me, I hope my friends and the people in my publishing life will understand that I want this book to end with a roll call of names of people who died that day. This one is for Rob Hiassen, Gerald Fischman, John McNamara, Rebecca Smith, and Wendi Winters, and their loved ones.
August 7, 2019
I enjoyed Laura Lippman’s first novel, Baltimore Blue. I enjoyed Laura Lippman’s second novel, Charm City, but I worried that she might become a formula novelist. You know the one whose book you could open and by the time you have finished chapter three you could predict what was going to happen and by the end of the book have your predictions affirmed.
Thankfully I can say Lippman is not a “formula writer.� She is a skilled mystery writer who sets forth developed characters facing complex situations. Nowhere is this better illustrated than in her latest novel, The Lady in the Lake.
Set in Baltimore in the 60s, we follow the entwined lives of two very different women. Madeline Schwartz is newly separated from her husband, living in a Baltimore City apartment, unemployed, and searching for a meaning to her life. Cleo Sherwood is dead. In life Cleo, a young beautiful black woman, was an unmarried mother of two young boys, who searched for happiness, a good man, and a better life. Her body has been found in a fountain in a city park. Because she is black, there is little effort to find her killer.
Madeline meanwhile, has had a bit of luck and lands a job as an aide to the help column on the major Baltimore newspaper. Facing the constraints of 60s racism and sexism, Madeline struggles to succeed. Madeline digs into the Sherwood case against the advice of others. Cleo’s ghost watches in agony as Madeline inserts herself in the case. Yes - you read that correctly. Cleo’s ghost offers her thoughts about this situation. Seeing trouble ahead Cleo wishes Madeline would give up, would leave her family alone, would let her alone. Madeline throws herself full force into the case, ignoring warnings, betraying trusts, using people, putting her needs first. Madeline’s efforts result is a gut wrenching double twist you won’t see coming.
The novel is enhanced by the perspective offered by newspaper staffers, Baltimore police, family members, bartenders, waitresses, even a Baltimore Oriole.
You will remember The Lady in the Lake and you will ruminate over the ending. I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley. #NetGalley #TheLadyintheLake
Thankfully I can say Lippman is not a “formula writer.� She is a skilled mystery writer who sets forth developed characters facing complex situations. Nowhere is this better illustrated than in her latest novel, The Lady in the Lake.
Set in Baltimore in the 60s, we follow the entwined lives of two very different women. Madeline Schwartz is newly separated from her husband, living in a Baltimore City apartment, unemployed, and searching for a meaning to her life. Cleo Sherwood is dead. In life Cleo, a young beautiful black woman, was an unmarried mother of two young boys, who searched for happiness, a good man, and a better life. Her body has been found in a fountain in a city park. Because she is black, there is little effort to find her killer.
Madeline meanwhile, has had a bit of luck and lands a job as an aide to the help column on the major Baltimore newspaper. Facing the constraints of 60s racism and sexism, Madeline struggles to succeed. Madeline digs into the Sherwood case against the advice of others. Cleo’s ghost watches in agony as Madeline inserts herself in the case. Yes - you read that correctly. Cleo’s ghost offers her thoughts about this situation. Seeing trouble ahead Cleo wishes Madeline would give up, would leave her family alone, would let her alone. Madeline throws herself full force into the case, ignoring warnings, betraying trusts, using people, putting her needs first. Madeline’s efforts result is a gut wrenching double twist you won’t see coming.
The novel is enhanced by the perspective offered by newspaper staffers, Baltimore police, family members, bartenders, waitresses, even a Baltimore Oriole.
You will remember The Lady in the Lake and you will ruminate over the ending. I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley. #NetGalley #TheLadyintheLake
February 7, 2020
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Have y’all read Laura Lippman yet????
After discovering her last year with Sunburn I knew I wanted more and immediately requested the library to purchase this after being denied the ARC. I didn’t know anything about The Lady in the Lake going in aside from the author (and also that I hated the cover, but I’ll bitch about face covers on a review for another book). The story here is about a couple of murders. Bored upper-middleclass housewife Maddie Schwartz has left her husband after nearly twenty years in hopes of finding herself. When a local child goes missing, Maddie has what we’ll call a “hunch� about the whereabouts of where her murdered body can be found. She uses that as a way to sort of strong-arm her way into a position at the Baltimore Star and hopes to crack another case � that of a young African-American woman whose badly decomposed body was found in a city park fountain.
The Lady in the Lake reads a bit like a true crime novel, and for good reason. You see, the inspiration behind this book comes from real life events . . . .
Everyone � and I’m talking EV.ER.Y.ONE. � introduced narrates a portion of the story (including the dead woman) and Lippman doesn’t spoon feed the reader so some conclusions have to be deduced on your own. On top of that, Maddie isn't a real likable gal the majority of the time as she is 100% selfish and self-centered. If that’s not your idea of a good time, you should probably skip this one. But if you are a fan of not only crime stories, but ones that deal with real-life issues of the 1960s including race relations and women’s lib, this should definitely go on your TBR.
Have y’all read Laura Lippman yet????
After discovering her last year with Sunburn I knew I wanted more and immediately requested the library to purchase this after being denied the ARC. I didn’t know anything about The Lady in the Lake going in aside from the author (and also that I hated the cover, but I’ll bitch about face covers on a review for another book). The story here is about a couple of murders. Bored upper-middleclass housewife Maddie Schwartz has left her husband after nearly twenty years in hopes of finding herself. When a local child goes missing, Maddie has what we’ll call a “hunch� about the whereabouts of where her murdered body can be found. She uses that as a way to sort of strong-arm her way into a position at the Baltimore Star and hopes to crack another case � that of a young African-American woman whose badly decomposed body was found in a city park fountain.
The Lady in the Lake reads a bit like a true crime novel, and for good reason. You see, the inspiration behind this book comes from real life events . . . .
Everyone � and I’m talking EV.ER.Y.ONE. � introduced narrates a portion of the story (including the dead woman) and Lippman doesn’t spoon feed the reader so some conclusions have to be deduced on your own. On top of that, Maddie isn't a real likable gal the majority of the time as she is 100% selfish and self-centered. If that’s not your idea of a good time, you should probably skip this one. But if you are a fan of not only crime stories, but ones that deal with real-life issues of the 1960s including race relations and women’s lib, this should definitely go on your TBR.
July 27, 2019
Well I almost gave this 5 full stars. Until the last 30 or 40 pages, I would have. And be warned before I truly begin the reaction. It could go long.
Lippman, you are a sister in and under the skin to me. Not only are you peer in age and "eyes" but you have the most excellent ability to grab the core. And you REMEMBER how it was. Oh, I'm sure 100,000's of other women do too- but are not able to express it AS IT WAS and as it IS- for those who are selfish enough to want a CAREER. If you are under 65, you probably will not understand that last sentence.
First the language. It's 5 star. She has the cadence, the context, the minutia, the outfits colloquialisms, the parlance of interview or flirting or just neighboring within 1966. I must be in a dream that someone actually knows how it was. And how women who were star lookers really were. Maddie is it. Laura Lippman got it perfect. And her prose flows with the counterpoint and connective gaps superbly too. All that switching and you only notice it about 4 or 5 times when the character is NOT the "other" one in the conversation or placement you just finished. MASTERFUL. Rarely do I read an author who can do this, despite 100's and 100's of them trying constantly this switching narrators epidemic. Maybe 4 or 5 other authors I can think of have capacity to bridge the switching without losing the tension and continuity of/for the plot.
Do I like Maddie, the main character who is forging a "new life" at 37? NO. In fact I nearly ditched the book at the beginning. I picked up the pieces myself for too many Maddies in very real life as a room Mother or 100 other functions. And also had too many of their offspring (some I got too attached to having around so much and often) either eating or staying over (one time the Mom did not return for over 2 weeks and did not communicate with her daughter either- I just saw this girl/woman this last year, she will be 50 this fall) for me to read about her "full life" plans. Or the methods for her plans to be a CAREER SOMEONE. One who is NOT a nurse or a teacher. LOL!
Well, the mysteries (who did the killing deed) are duo in this book. Two murders are being fact and placement chased by our perky tiny-waisted newspaper copy underling who has recently emancipated herself. The one that has all the men's eyes eternally following her when she isn't looking. But she is looking.
Who will like this book? I'd have to go too long to explain the "can't put it down" factor. Some who hate reading sex scenes might not be pleased. But the language is not foul in any sense- and it's placed in solid 1966 dual morality. "Me Too" meant something entirely different and toxic masculinity was advertisement catnip. That worked.
She knows what people were thinking about then. Also what they read, watched on tv- how they evaluated clothes. And "stuff". Yes, some people didn't even have telephones in their house/ rental. And she also gets the politics of then and of "now" (2019). Fully Lippman is not the author living in a coastal bubble of affront and victim hood that runs constantly in fiction print now. For this age and every age she gets the working pleb. Lippman understands how the service populace and union people (loved her old lady politico/ cop/ labor reporter character and the waitress "eyes") have evolved. I realize so many of you will most likely not know what I'm posting about at all. I'd be willing to bet she is a "deplorable", but one of those deplorables who never mentions it in company aloud or answers the poll questioners the other (opposite) way to further mess their minds. Regardless, her politico races in this Baltimore book hold full "understanding" for association (related to her inquisitions). They are exactly the same in Chicago- so I know that she knows. Also about how all that century or two long corruption goes down under "different" names and faces. And how neighborhoods change and what happens to homeowner equity. Baltimore is a Chicago with warmer/ kinder weather (oh yes, despite the humidity) and on a quarter or a sixth of the scale for people and mean. Biggest difference is the number of occupants because Baltimore's can know one another (by name if not personally) almost across the boards if either a mover or shaker. Happenstance too, if only a real "player"- the pecking order is entirely similar.
What kept me from giving the book a full 5 was the Cleo reveal. I LOVED that character, far more than Maddie. Although all her narrative sections were written in italics, which I dislike intensely. It's very difficult for me to read. My eyes are not going to outlast me.
Well, if you know who Lakey from "The Group" is- you might get about 200 other asides in this one too. Very subtle and extremely there for the "change" of the late 1960's.
Even today, there are remnants of Maddie's around me (usually they have perfectly coiffed light hair now and botox lineless faces). Women who don't like and refuse to help other women (only for chit-chat) and just know they can in some ways, control and /or master the man met or known universal. In order to opt the situation for themselves. It is something, oftentimes, that the young females of today, with all their hook ups and experience aftermaths of hook ups, hardly know anything at all about in comparison.
I was surprised that Lippman gave that ending. I know she wants to keep her audience. AND SHE WILL. But really- in actual life it would have been BAD for Maddie asking too many questions in the wrong places. She wasn't a fraction as savvy as she thought she was.
Lippman, you are a sister in and under the skin to me. Not only are you peer in age and "eyes" but you have the most excellent ability to grab the core. And you REMEMBER how it was. Oh, I'm sure 100,000's of other women do too- but are not able to express it AS IT WAS and as it IS- for those who are selfish enough to want a CAREER. If you are under 65, you probably will not understand that last sentence.
First the language. It's 5 star. She has the cadence, the context, the minutia, the outfits colloquialisms, the parlance of interview or flirting or just neighboring within 1966. I must be in a dream that someone actually knows how it was. And how women who were star lookers really were. Maddie is it. Laura Lippman got it perfect. And her prose flows with the counterpoint and connective gaps superbly too. All that switching and you only notice it about 4 or 5 times when the character is NOT the "other" one in the conversation or placement you just finished. MASTERFUL. Rarely do I read an author who can do this, despite 100's and 100's of them trying constantly this switching narrators epidemic. Maybe 4 or 5 other authors I can think of have capacity to bridge the switching without losing the tension and continuity of/for the plot.
Do I like Maddie, the main character who is forging a "new life" at 37? NO. In fact I nearly ditched the book at the beginning. I picked up the pieces myself for too many Maddies in very real life as a room Mother or 100 other functions. And also had too many of their offspring (some I got too attached to having around so much and often) either eating or staying over (one time the Mom did not return for over 2 weeks and did not communicate with her daughter either- I just saw this girl/woman this last year, she will be 50 this fall) for me to read about her "full life" plans. Or the methods for her plans to be a CAREER SOMEONE. One who is NOT a nurse or a teacher. LOL!
Well, the mysteries (who did the killing deed) are duo in this book. Two murders are being fact and placement chased by our perky tiny-waisted newspaper copy underling who has recently emancipated herself. The one that has all the men's eyes eternally following her when she isn't looking. But she is looking.
Who will like this book? I'd have to go too long to explain the "can't put it down" factor. Some who hate reading sex scenes might not be pleased. But the language is not foul in any sense- and it's placed in solid 1966 dual morality. "Me Too" meant something entirely different and toxic masculinity was advertisement catnip. That worked.
She knows what people were thinking about then. Also what they read, watched on tv- how they evaluated clothes. And "stuff". Yes, some people didn't even have telephones in their house/ rental. And she also gets the politics of then and of "now" (2019). Fully Lippman is not the author living in a coastal bubble of affront and victim hood that runs constantly in fiction print now. For this age and every age she gets the working pleb. Lippman understands how the service populace and union people (loved her old lady politico/ cop/ labor reporter character and the waitress "eyes") have evolved. I realize so many of you will most likely not know what I'm posting about at all. I'd be willing to bet she is a "deplorable", but one of those deplorables who never mentions it in company aloud or answers the poll questioners the other (opposite) way to further mess their minds. Regardless, her politico races in this Baltimore book hold full "understanding" for association (related to her inquisitions). They are exactly the same in Chicago- so I know that she knows. Also about how all that century or two long corruption goes down under "different" names and faces. And how neighborhoods change and what happens to homeowner equity. Baltimore is a Chicago with warmer/ kinder weather (oh yes, despite the humidity) and on a quarter or a sixth of the scale for people and mean. Biggest difference is the number of occupants because Baltimore's can know one another (by name if not personally) almost across the boards if either a mover or shaker. Happenstance too, if only a real "player"- the pecking order is entirely similar.
What kept me from giving the book a full 5 was the Cleo reveal. I LOVED that character, far more than Maddie. Although all her narrative sections were written in italics, which I dislike intensely. It's very difficult for me to read. My eyes are not going to outlast me.
Well, if you know who Lakey from "The Group" is- you might get about 200 other asides in this one too. Very subtle and extremely there for the "change" of the late 1960's.
Even today, there are remnants of Maddie's around me (usually they have perfectly coiffed light hair now and botox lineless faces). Women who don't like and refuse to help other women (only for chit-chat) and just know they can in some ways, control and /or master the man met or known universal. In order to opt the situation for themselves. It is something, oftentimes, that the young females of today, with all their hook ups and experience aftermaths of hook ups, hardly know anything at all about in comparison.
I was surprised that Lippman gave that ending. I know she wants to keep her audience. AND SHE WILL. But really- in actual life it would have been BAD for Maddie asking too many questions in the wrong places. She wasn't a fraction as savvy as she thought she was.
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