Review: WILDE LAKE by Laura Lippman

Thank you to William Morrow for providing me with this free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Summary:

Luisa “Lu” Brant is the newly elected state’s attorney representing suburban Maryland—including the famous planned community of Columbia, created to be a utopia of racial and economic equality. Prosecuting a controversial case involving a disturbed drifter accused of beating a woman to death, the fiercely ambitious Lu is determined to avoid the traps that have destroyed other competitive, successful women. She’s going to play it smart to win this case—and win big—cementing her political future.

But her intensive preparation for trial unexpectedly dredges up painful recollections of another crime—the night when her brother, AJ, saved his best friend at the cost of another man’s life. Only eighteen, AJ was cleared by a grand jury. Justice was done. Or was it? Did the events of 1980 happen as she remembers them? She was only a child then. What details didn’t she know?

As she plunges deeper into the past, Lu is forced to face a troubling reality. The legal system, the bedrock of her entire life, does not have all the answers. But what happens when she realizes that, for the first time, she doesn’t want to know the whole truth?

“Besides, what is the whole truth and nothing but the truth? The truth is not a finite commodity that can be contained within identifiable borders. The truth is messy, riotous, overrunning everything. You can never know the whole truth of anything. And if you could, you would wish you didn’t.” 

My Review:

I was torn between rating this book either 3 or 4 stars because it’s not what I was expecting. While I thought the story was intriguing, I didn’t connect with the characters as much as I would have liked. Wilde Lake takes you back and forth between two crimes: one in 1980 and another in the present day. I typically really enjoy switching between plot lines, but in this case, it was a bit slow. For me, it didn’t have the same energy as her other books but I thought it was very well written. Lippman is very talented mystery writer. I’ve read a few of her books now and will continue to read more. If you enjoy a story with a slow burn this book is definitely for you. If you prefer a faster pace, I’d definitely recommend Lippman’s other books.

I rated this 4 / 5 stars!