I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

As a Jewish girl from the DMV no longer in her first bloom of youth, I always feel like I know Lippman’s characters, and I see Maddie Morgenstern Schwartz in my grandmother and her friends. The plot itself was certainly engaging, but the realness of the characters, the setting, the time flushed it out fully and brought the novel from a four to a five. Outstanding

Brilliant historical fiction read!!
Right from the beginning Cleo, the victim’s narrative is SO hauntingly written, she just comes to life off the pages making you fear for what happened to her. Laura Lippman takes us on a journey back in time, 1965, so vividly written I could imagine being there, when some things were simpler and some so much more complicated. Maddi leaves her husband, whom she’s fallen out of love with, in search of a fresh start. Along her journey in search of herself, she gets caught up in two very different murder investigations. So many characters, so intricately woven into the plot, never taking away from, but most definitely enhancing the story line. I loved the ending and the wrapping up of everyone involved. Definitely my favorite Laura Lippman to date.

This book fails as a mystery novel, a thriller, a romance, and a character study. At the end of the story--how did I make it that far?--the titular lady of the lake comments about the feckless, self involved protagonist that "Cleo Sherwood had said that Maddie ruined lives." I feel like the author ruined a week of my life. Not recommended.