I have had this book for a while and decided to read it, but it's really not my kind of book. It starts off too slow and characters' problems are too first world. The book made me laugh because it's supposed to be about Jewish people, but the family that supposedly keeps kosher cooks with Campbell's mushroom soup...which is not kosher at all or pareve.

A pretty good mystery. I enjoyed that this has a historical aspect to it. However, the ghost voice in the narrative I could have done without. An entertaining read, but I prefer Lippman’s Tess Monaghan series.

I read this book on a plane trip and it kept me entertained the whole time. I can't believe I haven't paid more attention to this author! The story was cleverly plotted and engaging and I kept guessing until the end. Recommended!

I have always loved Laura Lippman, and this book is another solid read.

The book centers on middle aged Madeline, a Baltimore socialite living in 1960s Baltimore. By the end of the year, Madeline is divorced conducting a secret affair, and decides to become a newspaper reporter after finding a body and being interviewed. From her new life, Madeline latches onto the case of missing gorgeous woman who had been forgotten by the mainstream press due to her race and lifestyle.

The book is told through a series of vignettes which change the point of view every few pages and offer the reader insight into the main characters, Baltimore's history, or offer an insight into the world of human relations. Both Maddie and the missing woman, Cleo, offer differing views on so much, but have so many similarities as strong woman bucking the system they are forced into in the 1960s.

I found this book great. I loved the writing and the way Ms. Lippman drew realistic and interesting characters in just a few short paragraphs. I was so sorry to have to say goodbye to both women at the end of the book.

Thanks to the publisher, NetGalley.com, and the author for my advanced copy.

A very good book, fascinating and engrossing.
It's a good thriller and it's book with a fascinating description of a historical period.
I loved the well written cast of characters and the plot.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I was introduced to Laura Lippman's writing via Sunburn, and I was excited to read Lady in the Lake. This thriller takes on complex themes like interracial relationships in the 60s, sexism, and more as told through a multi-narrator focus. It's a fascinating novel that is sure to captivate readers this summer.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to.

Maddie Schwartz, hiding secrets from her past, is unhappy in marriage.. Leaving her husband, she sets out on her own to realize her dream of being a writer. In doing so, she exchanges comfort for independence. Inadvertently she finds herself involved in reporting two Baltimore murders, one high-profile and one dismissed as nothing special. Through the multi-voices of her characters Laura Lippman slowly peels away the layered story of the victims, murderers, and all affected by these crimes. The reader follows twists and turns and is often surprised at how the story plays out. This standalone novel engages from the first page.

I enjoyed the writing style - the narrator was the deceased woman the main character was investigating. I'm new to this author - so I'm not sure if she usually has plot movement in the beginning of the chapter followed by a character revealing more about themselves. At times, I was confused as to why a character received additional time as they were not critical to the plot. I thought this book did a great job illustrating the social and political strife in the last 60s. Discovering how Cleo died seemed anticlimactic and did not feel like it was the focus of the book.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and writing style.

Getting through this book was an effort, a chore. I kept hoping something would click at some point. That never happened. I never felt connected to Madeline or Cleo, or any of the other many, many characters.

The book is written from the viewpoint of a different character each chapter, with the only continuous first-person accounts being Madeline and Cleo. I think this is an interesting way to write a book, but it just didn’t work here.

There was a surprise twist at the end, and while I wasn’t anticipating it, I just didn’t really... care.

* I received a free digital copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

I will review this on Amazon July 25, 2019

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for my fair and honest review.

I love suspense/thrillers but this one wasn't one of my favorites. For me there was two much jumping back and forward between characters and found it hard to follow. Overall the storyline was a good one, just didn't work for me as much as I would have liked for it too.

I'm sorry to say I didn't enjoy this book at all. It started off with promise - the voice of the ''lady in the lake'' - then we are introduced to Maddie - a disgruntled housewife who has left her husband of 20 years to attempt a shot at being a reporter. The story meandered from one voice, then another , then another...the end result being that at the halfway point in the book I was ready for giving up and throwing it against the wall! I persevered and boy, how I wish I hadn't. Time I can never get back! Sorry Laura Lippman - this one just didn't do it for me. Usually Laura, you have me in your thrall, but not on this occasion.

I haven’t read many Laura Lippman’s books but this one hooked me in completely. It’s a slow burn noir novel and I loved the world and the characters.
I enjoyed how every time a new character was introduced the following chapter would be in the voice of that character which not only ended up giving insight into the thoughts of the character but also giving an insight into the minds and atmosphere of the time making for compelling storytelling!
There are some interesting twists especially at the end which left me thinking and appreciating the story more.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was like a relay as the characters passed the baton, which in this case was the perspective. It was a little strange at first and a bit confusing but once it became clear that the book was written with multiple view points, some reoccurring and some one-off, it became exciting and the anticipation grew for who would be next. The book covers a couple different murders and the difference of importance between the two. But the main character, Maddie is definitely the one who seems to be lost and on her way to finding herself as the story meanders on into places unexpected. Very well written, pacing is perfect and the twists and turns keep it exciting. The character development for the reoccurring characters is great and the periphery characters are given just enough light to make them feel real. A roller coaster of emotions here and Maddie takes the reader along on the journey of determination, searching, and investigation of her life, relationships and career. Looking forward to what else this author has in store!

I love every word Laura Lippman has ever written. I believe I've read every one of her books, all the way back to her private detective series starring Tess Monaghan (who I miss). Lady in the Lake is a bit of a departure for Lippman. I'd describe this as a character study mashed with classic noir. The protagonist is Maddie Schwartz, a late-30s housewife who upends her life when she leaves her marriage and strikes out on her own, eventually pursuing a career in journalism. As with most (all?) Lippman's novels, the book takes place in Baltimore. The timeframe is the mid-1960s. Intertwined with Maddie's story are two mysterious deaths, one of a school girl and another of a young black woman with a secret life. The latter story, that of Cleo Sherwood, is told through Maddie's eyes as she searches for the truth but also from Cleo's own perspective.

Lippman's writing is fantastic, with realistic dialogue and deep character development. I thoroughly enjoyed Lady in the Lake and highly recommend it. I did take one star off because nearly every other chapter switches to a new character's POV, many of which I found superfluous (like the baseball player).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle ARC of Lady in the Lake.

I'm a big fan of the author's previous books so I was stoked when I received a Kindle ARC to review.

Maddie Schwartz is a dissatisfied housewife in the 1960s who leaves her husband and takes a job, for the first time, at a Baltimore newspaper.

When a body is found floating in a fountain, Maddie can't help but get involved in the investigation; who is she? How did this happen? Who killed her?

I really enjoy Ms. Lippman's writing and it definitely applies here.

The structure of the book was a little unusual in that minor and secondary characters offer their perspective and opinions on how they knew or were involved in some way with the murdered woman.

This was a bit distracting because I was looking for a straight forward procedural from Maddie's point of view.

The big reveal of the killer and how the case was quickly resolved was a downer but there is a twist at the end that was pretty good.

I didn't like Maddie; I actually found her kind of annoying and a bit of a whiner but I enjoyed the story overall.

I've read most of Laura Lippman's books and this is one of the best. There's a mystery bookending the story but this novel is really about a woman breaking out of her stereotypical life as the world changes around her in the 60's. Baltimore is almost always a character in Lippman's books. In this book she reminds us that the Inner Harbor hasn't always been the upscale tourist area it is now.

Mostly enjoyed this book. But I couldn’t really connect with any of the characters. While I did want to know the history behind “The Lady of the Lake” I would find my mind drifting as I was reading, instead of focusing on the story.

Pros: Likable and easy to read.

Cons: Almost a little too slow.

This was a slow burn, character driven story. I did find the multiple narrators distracting and I didn't care for any of them.

Laura lippman never writes the same book twice; what's consistent regardless of the plot, is the acuity of her observations of people, place and milieu and the skill with which she renders them. In this, a character-driven mystery about a couple of unrelated Baltimore murders in the mid-sixties - the kind relegated to the back pages of the newspaper due to the race or class of the victim - she tells the story from so many perspectives that, like a Kaleidoscope, the reader is dizzy with the possibilities each new one presents . Introducing Maddie Schwartz, embarking on a new life at 37, whose accidental discovery of a murdered child propels her to an entry level job at a newspaper, lippman weaves her own journalistic experience into her progagonist's. Maddie is an avatar of her time, class and place - without even mentioning the winds of social change blowing through America then, it's not hard to understand her discontent with her marriage, fear of the approaching empty nest, and impulse to go where those winds take her . Yes, there's murder and mystery enough to keep the reader going, but it's more of a character study than a thriller. And in the highly capable hands of this writer, that's more than enough.