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. Maddie wants to matter, to leave her mark on a swiftly changing world.

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. Last year, she was a happy, even pampered housewife.

In 1966, Baltimore is a city of secrets that everyone seems to know-everyone, that is, except Madeline “Maddie” Schwartz. 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. Publisher: William Morrow (July 23, 2019).I would definitely recommend this book to those that enjoy historical fiction, mystery, and multiple POVs. I think it was full of intrigue and very enjoyable. I will say that a couple of the characters’ POVs didn’t add much to the plot but they were brief. It took me a bit to get comfortable with it but once I did I thought it kept the story moving at a good pace.

Some may find this style difficult to get used to. What Maddie doesn’t know is that her investigation will uncover some powerful and dangerous secrets.Įach chapter is told from a different point of view and there are a lot of different POVs in this book. Maddie becomes very interested in finding out what really happened to Cleo Sherwood, a young African-American woman whose body was discovered in the fountain of a city park lake. After helping the Baltimore police find the body of a missing girl, Maddie takes a job at the city paper, the Star. Madeleine “Maddie” Schwarz recently upended her life by leaving her husband and role as a housewife in order to live a life full of passion and meaning. It tackles multiple issues such as religion, politics, and race but it’s still a mystery at heart. It’s set in the 1960s and it involves a ghost. My thoughts: I have read a few of Laura Lippman’s books and I can definitely say that this one is different from her usual style.

Laura lippman lady in the lake review