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Lady in the Lake
Lady in the Lake: A Novel | Laura Lippman
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 knoweveryone, that is, except Madeline Maddie Schwartz. Last year, she was a happy, even pampered housewife. This year, shes 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 girlassistance that leads to a job at the citys 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 Maddieand the dead woman herself. Maddies going to find the truth about Cleos life and death. Cleos ghost, privy to Maddies poking and prying, wants to be left alone. Maddies investigation brings her into contact with people that used to be on the periphery of her lifea 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 peopleincluding the man who shares her bed, a black police officer who cares for Maddie more than she knows.
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LaurenMags
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Pickpick

Slow burn murder mystery novel. I really enjoyed it even though I was not a fan of the main character Maddie. I went into the book thinking I wouldn't like it based off the blurb on the jacket. I'm happy I didn't go off my first impression!

#suspense #mystery #historicalfiction

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kspenmoll
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ShelleyBooksie Love that pillow 2y
Sapphire I haven‘t read Laura Lippman in a while! 2y
Eggs Perfect 😍 2y
67 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Goleemn
Panpan

I was looking forward to this based on reviews, but I just couldn‘t get into it. I was not engaged at all and couldn‘t find a thread to follow. I have liked other of her books, but not this one. Not my style.

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Julsmarshall
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Pickpick

Ran/walked a 5K this morning and finished off this thriller for #BookspinBingo @TheAromaofBooks I love the setting-Baltimore in the 60s, divorcée finding her way into the newsroom, so many different voices represented. Really compelling read! And all these #audiobooks have kept me walking, down 62 pounds this year in part because of all of the walking and listening thanks to #BFC21 @wanderinglynn

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! And fabulous progress on your exercise as well!!! That is fantastic!! 2y
wanderinglynn Way to go! 🙌🏻 2y
31 likes2 comments
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Julsmarshall
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#currentlisten Enjoying the interesting format and story and trying to finish by the end of tomorrow for #BookspinBingo

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OrangeMooseReads
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Mehso-so

Not my favorite book. At times it was hard to follow and other time it was just kind of meh. It had A LOT of potential and just fell short. The ending was forced. Read at your own discretion.

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OrangeMooseReads
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Starting this one today.
#audiobook

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Susanita
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Another mashup! #bfc21 #falltreasures

#OctoberTBR
🧡AAM & book clubs*
🔷New book that‘s showing as “received” at the main library
🤷🏻‍♀️LMPBC selection lost in the ether
Plus anything else that I can get to - it‘s going to be a busy month.

Fitness:
Continue PT and “graduate” to a cane by the end of the month.

*Savvy Littens may remember I‘ve tried to read the tagged book before. Now it‘s the selection for IRL book and virtual book club.

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Great lineup!! 2y
wanderinglynn 🙌🏻🎃🧡 2y
Eggs May you finish all your books 🥰 2y
34 likes3 comments
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jdw
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Pickpick

At first, I was on the fence about this book. It started slow, I didn‘t understand the pace that was being set, the narrations were all over the place. However, as I got further into the writing, I realized that the book is sort of a masterpiece. Maddie sits in the middle of everything that happens in her life. The different stories told, however brief, show just how small the world is.. and how easy it is to ruin someone else‘s.

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SomedayAlmost
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Pickpick

Vivid, twisty mystery & tale of 1960s journalism. Bored housewife turned ambitious wannabe reporter Maddie is obsessed with two very different murders-as race, faith & class separate a young Jewish girl & an African-American cocktail waitress killed in the same year. 2 twists in the final 2 hours excite! Strong narration, especially in performing the flawed narrator & the sultry waitress. #5stars #twomurders #strongsetting #newspaper

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LatrelWhite
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🎧 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.

15 likes1 stack add
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SomedayAlmost
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Back to this suspenseful mystery audiobook I started before Scarathalon. 2 parallel murders happen in 1960s Baltimore, & ambitious ex-housewife turned cub reporter Maddie looks into both the killings of Jewish schoolgirl Tessie and black cocktail waitress Cleo. Complex women and a good narrator. Lippmann is a great writer. #mystery #complexwomen #audiobooks

17 likes1 stack add
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MissLiteraryAli

In the animal kingdom, the male performs for the woman, woos her with his beautiful feathers or flowing mane, is always trying to out-strut the other men. Why do humans do it the other way? It doesn‘t make sense. Men need us more than we need them.

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MissLiteraryAli
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Maybe it sounds funny to some, but I see my days as trees, like in the Tarzan movies. Every morning I get up, grab a vine, and hope it‘s long enough, my arms powerful enough, to carry me to the next one.

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quirkyreader
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Pickpick

Get this one as soon as you can. It firs in well with some of our current world events. Here is the link to my gr review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3443919809

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MissLiteraryAli

The heart knows nothing, sees nothing, but it kicks up a ruckus, throws tantrums to get what it wants.

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cathysaid
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Pickpick

Told from multiple points of view, this is a story about journalism and no holds barred ambition, no matter what secrets are revealed. In the 60‘s, when few women were journalists, Maddie Schwartz leaves her husband and tries to land her break into journalism. But in her drive to expose murder and corruption, she causes a good bit of damage herself. Engaging + well paced + murder + intrigue = the formula for a decent crime novel. 3/5 ⭐️

46 likes1 stack add
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MissLiteraryAli
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A girl discovered almost in the cradle that things would never be fair.

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MissLiteraryAli

She was like a car engine, revving, revving, revving, making noise, sending sparks out into the world. She wants to get somewhere. Trouble is, she doesn‘t know where she wants to go. That‘s what makes her dangerous.

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MissLiteraryAli

She was tired of caring what others thought about her, more tired of how they thwarted her. The world kept telling her to look away, to pay no attention to an age-old system, in which men thrived and inconvenient women disappeared. Maddie wasn‘t having it.

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quirkyreader
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#bookmail. I won this as a goodreads giveaway. Thank you @WilliamMorrowBooks @HarperCollins @HarperPerennial

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SilversReviews
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theladygreer
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I usually use the headshot of the recommending author for my #read99women social posts, but recommender/author/bookstore owner Robb Cadigan (right) provided this picture of Laura Lippman (left) at her Reads & Company event for LADY IN THE LAKE, and I just love her expression here. Read Robb's rave: http://www.greermacallister.com/blog/2020/4/9/read99women-robb-cadigan

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DHill
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Just started this. No idea where this is going based on how it started but I‘m looking forward to the ride.

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YaYa_Reads
Mehso-so

I was not enamored by this book at all. It was just okay. I think the ending caught a lot of readers off guard, including myself; making the story seem more than what it really was🤷🏾‍♀️

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LMJenkins
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Mehso-so

I‘ve been listening to audiobooks while doing other tasks around the house like working (I work from home), exercising, trying to fall asleep 😆......and so I‘m plowing through a bunch of #TBRReads audio. This was okay.....I may have liked it more if I read the physical book. #WinterGames #TeamNutcracker

Bookworm54 16 points :) 4y
21 likes1 comment
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Godpants
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Mehso-so

I think I understand why this was on a lot of best of the year lists, but it‘s not on mine. I will probably check out more from her in the future, but this one wasn‘t a hit for me.

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Godpants
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Saw some good reviews for this one, and got a skip the line loan for it. Anyone else read this one?

vivastory I've been meaning to read Lippman 4y
Godpants @vivastory it‘s my first from her, so I hope I picked the right place to start! 4y
7 likes2 comments
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Redwritinghood
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Mehso-so

This was an old-style newspaper reporter-type murder mystery. Much was also made about gender expectations and race relations in 1960s Baltimore. Good, but with a few issues that detracted from the story. My main issue with the book was the multiple side jaunts into peripheral characters. 3⭐️

Theaelizabet A so-so read for me, too. 4y
61 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Hooked_on_books
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Mehso-so

A black woman disappears in 1960s Baltimore and no one seems to care. A white woman learns a body has been found and decides this will make her newspaper career. I liked the idea of the historical mystery, but I found the audio a bit hard to follow as the story jumped around and I ultimately struggled to care about what was happening. Definitely not my favorite Lippman.

JennyM I‘ve just finished this in print and really enjoyed it. But I think audio would have been a whole different experience. I would have been very confused with the multiple and continually different characters. (edited) 4y
Hooked_on_books @JennyM You know, I was really wondering if I would respond differently to it print, and based on your comment, I probably would. And yet some books are better in audio. They should really come with labels. 😬😂 4y
JennyM @Hooked_on_books lol! Very true! 🎧😂 4y
33 likes3 comments
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IamIamIam
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Mehso-so

Bordering on a pick but I ended up totally HATING Madeline by the end of the book!!! A decent mystery that was made a little difficult in audio due to every character's perspective being intertwined with the "Lady's" perspective. I enjoyed the appearances can be deceiving aspect of the story but I wasn't horribly thrown by the plot twist. Again, Madeline Morgenstern Schwartz is an awful human being... that is all... LOL

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MDodge
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Pickpick

Whoops got distracted from @DeweysReadathon for a bit but I did got to see Caitlin Doughty who was awesome so 🤷🏻‍♀️ still a pretty bookish day. Anyway I ended up liking this but it‘s not my kind of mystery exactly... started out pretty slow though it sped up at the end

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MDodge
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Getting started with this for the @DeweysReadathon ! Here‘s my intro questions while I wait to start.

1) Reading in Chicago today
2) The one above largely cause it‘s overdue at the library (thanks Chicago public library for eliminating late fees 😆)
3) looking forward to snacking on tea and chocolate
4) This is my first time in this readathon tho I‘ve done 24in48 a few times
5) Looking forward to breaking a reading slump today! 📚

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IamIamIam
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Still crafting for the school district's Halloween party this Friday so I needed a creepy audio to push through! I wanted a good horror but they mostly have King and we know how I feel about King. 🙄 Hoping this mystery does it! I've heard good things!

NikkiRobson73 I didn‘t think it was creepy at all 4y
IamIamIam @NikkiRobson73 Maybe creepy was the wrong word... suspenseful? It seems like it's a good mystery. 4y
35 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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CaitlinR
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Mehso-so

An interesting mystery. Not sure it‘s noire, even though the title is borrowed from Chandler. Lippmann tells the story through multiple voices, alternating after each character is introduced through the narrative. It works except when it doesn‘t. Great twist toward the end.

Not my favorite Lippman, but can‘t deny her talent.

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AllyBL
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Pickpick

3.5🌟 I wasn‘t sure about the storytelling through all the different minor characters, but in the end, I like how the story was woven together.

Nute Welcome to Litsy! It‘s a warm and friendly community. I know that you will enjoy yourself here. I‘m looking forward to getting to know you!🙂 4y
2 likes1 comment
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Monica5
Pickpick

I didn't care as much for this Laura Lippmann as I have her others. Set in the 1960's in Baltimore.

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swishandflick
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Mehso-so

I feel like I should prefice this by saying that my sister was in town the last week so my reading time was few and far between, I read this book in short bursts and it certainly didn't help. I love Laura Lippman in general, and this was written very well, but the twist didn't do it for me and the ending felt a bit anticlimactic. Loved the use of shifting perspectives though!

UnabridgedPod I felt the same way. 😕 5y
80 likes1 comment
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Ericalambbrown
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed this book. It‘s the first Laura Lippman book I‘ve ever read. I will definitely be checking out her other work. I particularly loved the tenacity of the women in the book. I‘d seen criticism that the book swapped perspective to too many characters too often and it was confusing. I found that engaging and that was one of my favorite things about this book. If you want a good page-turner that sucks you in, maybe give this a go.

83 likes1 stack add
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UnabridgedPod
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Mehso-so

Laura Lippman's Lady in the Lake was a three-and-a-half star read for me. (It's my second book by Lippman, after I was absolutely wowed by Sunburn.) The novel focuses on Maddie, a white woman who has just left her wealthy husband and teenage son. The book also centers, to a lesser extent (as far as presence on the page goes), on Cleo, a black woman who narrates her own story after her murder. (continued in comments)

UnabridgedPod The women's stories become intertwined by their neighborhood, by their beauty, and by their attraction to danger and risk. Lippman threads an array of voices through the women's stories, offering tiny, compelling micro-autobiographies that reveal the lives of the people Maddie meets. ⬇️ 5y
UnabridgedPod I found the entirety of the novel to be mildly intriguing, but it didn't quite connect--I found it all too easy to put this one down. I felt, in general, that the book paled in comparison to the beautifully noirish tone and captivating story Lippman told in Sunburn. Overall, an okay read. 5y
16 likes2 comments
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AlizaApp
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Pickpick

A Jewish woman in 1960s Baltimore rebels against her family and finds herself drawn to a series of murders in the city. A noir that centers on race relations and old school newspaper jobs in a changing city and industry. I loved it.

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Nitpickyabouttrains
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Pickpick

I loved this mystery. I am all in on Laura Lippman.

Hazel0303 Totally agree. This was so good. 5y
20 likes1 comment
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Floresj
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Mehso-so

I like multiple POV novels, and this one had the unique twist of a POV of a mentioned character in the chapter prior that gave insight of the main character. I didn‘t especially like Maddie Schwartz but it was an entertaining book. Light and quick read.

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valeriegeary
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We went for a walk in the rain. Now it's time for snuggling... And reading.

This one is unfolding a little bit slower than I thought it would. I can't decide if I like it or not. The various narrators are interesting but it feels less cohesive in some ways because of this. I'm interested enough to keep reading though. Who's read this one?

AlaMich Awww! 🐶❤️ 5y
merelybookish I read it! I liked it okay but don't think it's as good as Kate Atkinson's Big Sky which also used multiple narrators. 5y
erinreads Looks so cozy! 5y
See All 6 Comments
cathipink I'm on the hold list for the audio - I loved Sunburn and heard this one is as good or better (and has the same reader). I'll be curious to hear your thoughts if you continue. 5y
valeriegeary @cathipink I loved Sunburn too! But I found this one to be not as good. I liked it but didn't love it. It has the same slow burn feel and Lippman's writing is engaging as always. But the characters didn't pop the way they did in Sunburn. Part of that might have been because of the multiple narrators. 🤷 5y
valeriegeary @merelybookish I love Atkinson! I really need to read Big Sky soon! 5y
59 likes6 comments
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valeriegeary
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Throwback to last weekend when it was still hot enough to read by the river. This weekend feels so much like fall (I know technically we have a couple more weeks) and while I love love love fall, I'm not sure I'm quite ready to let go.

swishandflick Pretty! 5y
62 likes1 stack add1 comment
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vivastory
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I might be the last one to know, but I had NO idea that Lippman's spouse is the creator of The Deuce & The Wire, aka one of the greatest shows of all time. Mind. Blown. I really do want to check out Lippman's books. I've heard nothing but good things.

DGRachel I didn't know that until I joined Litsy and posted about his book, Homicide, and someone commented “that's Laura Lippman's husband!“. 5y
vivastory @DGRachel Have you watched The Deuce? Is it good? I heard Megan Abbott was a screenwriter. 5y
DGRachel I have not. I don‘t have HBO. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 5y
8little_paws Oh that's interesting--I didn't know that either! I loved the Wire. 5y
batsy I've only read Sunburn and I thought it was really good. 5y
75 likes5 comments