Review: Wilde Lake by Laura Lippman

Luisa “Lu” Brant is the first first female state’s attorney of Howard County, Maryland.  Her father held the same office years ago.  Howard County is a relatively quiet county, not many murderers to try. When a mentally disturbed man is arrested for breaking into a woman's home and beating her to death, Lu knows she needs this case to make a name for herself.

As she prepares for the trial, she's reminded of painful memories of her family's past.  On night, when she was just a young girl, her brother AJ saved the life of a good friend, only to take the life of another in his place. AJ was just eighteen, his life spared by the grand jury.   Lu doesn't recall much of that but wonders how much was withheld from her due to her age?  Lu's mother passed away just a week after giving birth to her, so she grew up with just her father and brother. Is it possible that they withheld vital details in order to shelter her? If they withheld information about this incident, what else were they keeping from her?

As she dives deeper into her quest to find answers, she finds herself unraveling not one or two, but a series of lies that coiled around her and her family.

A long time fan of Lippman’s work, I respect how her thrillers not only revolve around a mysterious crime or death, but also have a flavor of social commentary.  In this case, she reflects upon mental illness, the treatment of rape victims, and how one’s position in society can influence one’s fate.

Though this wasn’t as compelling and captivating as her previous thrillers, I did enjoy the local feel (I’m just about 45 minutes from the book’s setting). While the social commentary did draw me in, I would have liked more of an edge to how this thriller was laid out.  That’s not to say it wasn’t compelling enough, I just wasn’t drawn in as much as I would have liked.

All this said, I’m not sorry I read this title; I would certainly recommend it to fans of the genre.  Lippman’s writing style is pristine and engaging, this particular instance isn’t necessarily indicative of her usual talent, however.  Perhaps had she honed in on one social aspect, or gave more attention to further detailing the primary characters, my experience would have been more memorable.

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for providing me the opportunity to review this title!