Not only was I lucky enough to read Lady in the Lake through @netgalley but I also had the opportunity to see @lauramlippman on tour this evening. I have recently discovered Lippman's books and can't say enough good things. Her latest, Lady in the Lake is set in Baltimore in 1966 and focuses on Maddie Schwartz, who has recently left her husband and is ready to reinvent herself as a new woman. While trying to become a newspaper reporter, Maddie becomes wrapped up in two murders - that of an African American young woman whose body is found in a fountain, and a young girl killed on her way home from school. One of my favorite aspects of Lippman's novels is the ever-present background character of Baltimore itself - the city's charm (and its darker side) always shine through the pages. I'm so looking forward to reading more from this lovely author.

Maddie Schwartz decides after 18 years of marriage to leave her husband and find herself. She rekindles her love of writing and hopes to become a reporter at a Baltimore newspaper. Knowing she is entering the field late and is a woman, she needs to be crafty to get ahead. She inserts herself into two local missing persons cases which opens the door for her. The book is set in the mid 1960s and does a good job in showing where the country was in terms of race relations, religious beliefs, and gender equality. We ultimately learn that Maddie, a white, Jewish woman, ends up having more in common with Cleo, the black “Lady in the Lake,” than we’d imagined. A good solid read from a fine author. Many thanks to NetGalley, Faber & Faber and Laura Lippman for the advance copy.

This stylish, atmospheric noir mystery is set in Baltimore during the 1960's
Thirty seven year old Madeleine "Maddie" Schwartz is living the good life as a housewife until a visit from someone in her past helps her decide to leave her husband and lifestyle behind.
Wanting to count for something, she begins a menial job at a newspaper, trying to work her way up to a star reporter.
When Cleo Sherwood, a young African American woman reported missing months ago is found dead, floating in a fountain, no one really cares except her family.
But Maddie is determined to find out what happened to her. With exasperating persistence and a burning ambition to succeed, she embroils herself in the investigation, sometimes at a cost to herself or others.
The writing was excellent as usual from the author, and I really liked that interspersed in the narrative were accounts from supporting character that gave another dimension to it.
But I never genuinely identified with any of them, or had strong feelings about what happened to them. This caused a disconnect between me and the story so I couldn't fully appreciate it.
And though I will read anything the author writes, this one was not my favorite.
Thank you for the e-ARC provided by Harper Collins Publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Rounding up from 3.5 stars to 4 stars.

Baltimore in the 1960s is a place of racial tensions and gender inequality. Maddie Schwartz is tired of being a housewife and begins to realize that she isn’t living the life she has dreamed of. After she leaves her husband and their comfortable home, she lands a job with a local newspaper. Maddie is determined to become a real journalist, even though her age and gender are against her. In order to prove herself, she begins to investigate the murder of a black woman. A murder that no one else seems to care about.

The story is told from multiple perspectives and, with unexpected detours and multiple mysteries, Lady in the Lake is an intriguing story. It is well-written and sensitive subjects such as race relations, women’s rights, politics, and religion are presented in a thought-provoking way. I definitely recommend this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Maddie just wants more for herself.

Lady in the Lake is set in the 1960s in Baltimore where Maddie Schwartz is a nice, married Jewish woman in her mid thirties. Everything has gone according to the plan set for Maddie by her parents, her culture, and her husband. The problem, however, is that the plan was never hers; Maddie is bored with her own life. She doesn't really know what she wants but she is very clear on what she doesn't want - her current life.

Leaving her husband, son, and home means that Maddie must fend for herself. Meanwhile in Baltimore a little girl has disappeared and community members, including Maddie, participate in a search. Dismissed because she is a woman, Maddie and another continue the search a little bit farther afield where Maddie used to go to make out with boys. There they discover the child's body and Maddie's humdrum existence changes forever. Another disappearance, this time of an adult African American woman, receives much less attention but Maddie now has a life course that causes her to investigate the mystery.

Lippman masters the multiple narrator technique. Some of the narrators are major players in the novel while others are bit players there to enhance different aspects of a character's personality. In the hands of a less skilled author, these multiple point of view would be jarring; here they flow and add nuances to this tightly woven tale.

The overtly sexist and racist attitudes of many characters and institutions are on full display here. Their presence adds authenticity to this very well-done novel.
#LadyintheLake #NetGalley

This book is a hard one to review as it was a good book but it just wasn't what i'd been expecting. I went into this wanting to read a thriller but this is a historical fiction with a mystery element, it's definitely not what I would call a thriller.

This book is set in 1960's Baltimore following housewife Maddie who after 18 years of marriage decides she needs a change in her life. She moves out on her own and eventually manages to find a job for herself working at a local newspaper. She's determined to become a proper journalist but her age and sex mean no-one takes her too seriously so she sets out to discover the story surrounding Cleo Sherwood's death, a case that no-one else is interested in investigating.

One interesting thing about this book is that each chapter is told from a different viewpoint, so we have Maddie's chapters but in between her's there is always a chapter from someone else in the novel that we've come across. I actually liked this aspect as it's not something that i've read before but I definitely think this is something that will divide readers as these characters chapters are often unrelated to the main story.

This was a different read for me, and despite it not being exactly what I was after, I did find myself enjoying it for the most part. This was actually my first book by this author but I feel like i'll probably pick up more from her in the future.

Excellent psychological thriller! It moved at a fast pace with twists and turns throughout! Well-developed characters and plot. Highly recommend!

It's 1966 Baltimore and Madeline "Maddie" Schwartz is tired of being a pampered housewife and mother so she abandons her family and starts a new life. Maddie wants to leave her mark and ends up helping Baltimore police find a missing girl, Tessie Lane, dead. That event leads Maddie to a job at the city's afternoon newspaper, the Star. Working as an assistant for the newspaper's advice columnist leads Maddie to another story: a missing black woman whose body was discovered in the fountain of a city park lake.

The victim, Cleo Sherwood, had liked to have a good time and no one seems to know or care why she was killed except Maddie. Maddie's snooping leads her to meet a wide variety of people and learn a lot about herself and her city.

I received an eARC via Netgalley and Faber and Faber with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

“Alive, I was Cleo Sherwood. Dead, I became the Lady in the Lake, a nasty broken thing.”

Maddie is feeling unfulfilled in her life as a full-time wife and mother of one. It’s 1965, when women can dream of careers—and Maddie is a good dreamer. She leaves her husband of twenty years to become a reporter at the Baltimore Sun. Stuck with fluff pieces, she dreams of breaking a big story. She finds that story in Cleo Sherwood.

The Lady in the Lake is an almost perfect sixties adaptation of a forties crime noir. Instead of a good man in a hat, it’s feminist Maddie finding truths that are best kept hidden. Like classic noir, most of the characters are unsympathetic. The pacing is slower than modern thrillers. If both of those traits are fine with you, you will enjoy this “modern” update. 4 stars!

Thanks to Faber & Faber and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley, William Morrow, and Laura Lippman for the opportunity to read her latest mystery. I'm a huge fan of this author and this work, while different, will not disappoint her many fans.

Maddie Swartz has been married for 20 years, been well-taken care of, and has an older teenage son. She considered herself mostly happy. Then a chance dinner guest who happened to be an old boyfriend made her see that she wasn't living the passionate life she used to dream about. So she leaves her husband and son and starts a new life. She helps police find a missing girl and uses that to break into the newspaper business. Maddie is desperate to be able to write a story of her own and she thinks she finds the perfect one when a woman is found dead in a fountain. She begins investigating on her own to find out all she can about the victim, Cleo.

The story takes place in the 1960s in Baltimore, so the race issues are at heart of this story. The best part of this book was the writing style, even though it took me a bit of time to get used to. You hear points of view from people Maddie meets along the way, each of their voices adding to the story timeline. Don't forget to read the author's note at the end for a poignant note to the story.

Rating: 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 CLEVER stars

What a trippy mystery that takes you on a ride in the Way Back machine to Baltimore circa 1964. This is the first Laura Lippman book that I’ve read. After reading other reviews, I understand this this book doesn’t follow her typical style. That being said, I loved the style of this book! I was intrigued when hearing from many of the bit players and observers in the story. The multiple points of view, some only a page or two in length, added to the complexity of the book. The reader has to decide whether the conclusions of the observer were accurate, and where those observations might fit in the puzzle.

The book contains a murder mystery; a wonderful snapshot of life in Baltimore in the 1960’s, especially focusing on the newspaper industry at that time; and occasionally narration by a ghost.

Maddie Schwartz chooses to leave her successful husband and their steady life in the upper-class Jewish society of Baltimore when her only son is a junior in high school. She is bored with her life, and wants to carve out something that is just her own. She wants to be a reporter, but that is a job usually reserved for men. If a woman does break into reporting, she is usually much younger than the mid-thirtyish Maddie.

Maddie parlays anything she can to get first her name on the byline in the newspaper, and then get a job at that paper. The story of the missing Cleo Sherwood intrigues Maddie. She can’t understand why the story hasn’t gotten any traction. Cleo is black and is a young woman of dubious character. Eight months after Cleo’s disappearance, an unidentified black woman is pulled from the fountain in Druid Hill Park. Maggie sets out to solve the ‘Cleo’ mystery her own. While trying to solve the mystery, she leaves a trail of problems and unintended consequences in her wake.

This was a fun wild ride. I felt that the 1960’s Baltimore setting was expertly rendered. The story illustrated the issues of race relations between ‘Negroes’ and Whites, and well as the niche that Jews held in the city at that time. Lippman also told the story from the perspective of the narrow confines that working women navigated in the 1960’s. If I were Maddie, I too would be frustrated with my inability to do what I really wanted to do.

There were multiple mysteries in the book. These kept the plot moving with plenty of twists and unforeseen turns. Unexpected plot developments surprised me more than once. Additionally, some twists that I anticipated dread from pretty much the start of the book never materialized. I liked hearing from Cleo (the ghost) occasionally. Her wry wit and constant head shaking at Maddie’s latest action added levity to the book. This would be a fun summer beach read. I will be recommending it to my friends who enjoy mysteries and to those who enjoy historical fiction.

‘Thank-You’ to NetGalley; the publisher, Faber and Faber Ltd; and the author, Laura Lippman for providing a free e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Another enjoyable book by Lippman, perfect for a summer read. I enjoyed the twist at the end, not expecting it at all. I did find that some material (the sex) detracted from the story and would be hesitant to recommend it to some library patrons.

I've read and liked Laura Lippman books before but this one really impressed me. It's set in the 60's (which is a departure for her) and uses multiple narrators to give insight into many characters. I thought this would be a little confusing but ending up really working.

It's a murder mystery with a desperate housewife at the center of the story, finding herself in journalism. Throw in the backdrop of Baltimore in the '60s and some racial tensions and it made for a great read. I knew Lippman was a good writer and this really worked. 4.5 stars
#netgalley

Lady in the Lake is a complex novel. This novel address race, gender, politics, and the volatility of 1960's USA. Maddie Schwartz has recently separated from her husband and is on a quest to find herself and who she wants to be in this ever-changing world around her. As she stumbles upon a dead body, she gets thrust into the world of murder investigations and reporting. As she fights to make a name for herself and tell a story, she quickly discovers that she is telling a story that was never meant to be told.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I was a little underwhelmed by the ending, but highly recommend for anyone to read.
*Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was excited to receive an ARCof Lady in the Lake by Laura Lippman. I really enjoyed Sunburn and was looking forward to this book. I started and read a few chapters and found myself asking what is happening. I did this a few times. Very confusing with the change of pov each chapter. After several attempts, I gave up.

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 ***

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!

This book was really good! I thought it started a bit slow and confused going back and forth with characters, but after awhile it really grows on you. The characters were great, very real and believable. Maddie leaves her husband and son, shortly after the story gets going, mainly because she wants more out of life than just being a housewife and mother. Her son is a teenager, who chooses to live with his father. Maddie soon finds a boyfriend, a cop. She gets a job at a newspaper and works her way up quickly and then is obsessed with finding a missing woman who we get to know through the dead woman's thoughts. It's an interesting and thought-provoking story that keeps you interested to the end. Highly recommend.

Lady in the Lake is a bit of a historical/mystery/women's fiction novel bundled in one. This novel is told from the perspective of Maddie and Cleo, and nearly anyone that Maddie came in contact with, some of which seemed unnecessary and I didn't see how they added to the story. This book gives us Maddie who leaves her husband of 20 years to try to find her way in the world. Maddie is a somewhat selfish character and I never really got invested in her story. To me it seemed to be long and drawn out and I found it a bit of a chore to finish this book. It seems I may just not be the right reader for it. I did find the book to be very well written - I just couldn't get interested in the story overall. I will try another Laura Lippman book sometime in the future - this one just wasn't for me.

Intriguing mystery that takes place in Baltimore 1966. Maggie Schwartz a housewife and mother leaves her marriage of 20 years to start a more meaningful life. Maggie moves into a small apartment in a questionable neighborhood and pursues a job at the newspaper Star. Maggie is determined to get a story that will puts her name on the. front page while checking up leads recklessly. A good mystery with a surprise ending.