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    Wilde Lake: A Novel
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    Wilde Lake: A Novel
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    Wilde Lake: A Novel
    Ebook414 pages6 hours

    Wilde Lake: A Novel

    By Laura Lippman

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    An African-American man accused of rape by a humiliated girl.  A vengeful father.  A courageous attorney.  A worshipful daughter.  Think you know this story?  Think again. 

    Laura Lippman, the “extravagantly gifted” (Chicago Tribune) New York Times bestselling author, delivers “one of her best novels ” (Washington Post)—a modern twist on To Kill a Mockingbird. Scott Turow writes in the New York Times, “Wilde Lake is a real success.”

    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?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateMay 3, 2016
    ISBN9780062083470
    Author

    Laura Lippman

    Since Laura Lippman’s debut, she has been recognized as a distinctive voice in mystery fiction and named one of the “essential” crime writers of the last 100 years. Stephen King called her “special, even extraordinary,” and Gillian Flynn wrote, “She is simply a brilliant novelist.” Her books have won most of the major awards in her field and been translated into more than twenty-five languages. She lives in Baltimore and New Orleans with her teenager.

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    Reviews for Wilde Lake

    3.5/5

    216 ratings41 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Laura Lippman’s “Wilde Lake” (2016) is a novel that starts small and stays that way for a long time until eventually stray pieces come together in surprising ways that may leave readers gasping.In alternating chapters Lippman tells of Lu Brant, newly elected state attorney, preparing to prosecute her first murder case and of her girlhood as the daughter of another state attorney and a brother, A.J., several years older.The murder case seems like a slam dunk. The defendant’s DNA was found at the scene. The most interesting aspect of the case to her is that he is being defended by the man she defeated in the recent election.As for her memories of her youth, they mostly center on her brother and his friends, one of whom, all these years later, is now her secret lover — secret because he’s married and she certainly doesn’t need a scandal.Even though not much of note happens during most of this novel, Lippman is a skilled writer who knows how to keep her readers hooked even when the hook is small. Not until the final chapters do readers, along with Lu herself, discover how the two threads of the story — her murder case and her family history — tie together. Then a tame, if interesting story, becomes riveting.
    • 4/5
      Interesting, and sometimes even compelling, but ultimately a bit unsatisfying... Lippman tells a good story, and creates interesting characters and a good mystery. But the ending left me a bit 'meh'. And honestly, her character's tossed-off comment about how she's so competitive that she'd be easily "beating" all those "girls at Bryn Mawr" rubbed me the wrong way. She obviously did not attend Bryn Mawr or she'd realize very quickly that Bryn Mawr students would never characterize themselves as "girls" nor are they slackers / easy to "beat" at anything. Otherwise, an enjoyable quick read though...
    • 4/5
      This is the first Laura Lippman book I have read and I reallly enjoyed it. It is hard to describe what genre this book belongs to. There is a crime/legal story line but there is also a huge dramatic aspect with family and small town relationships being a huge part of the story.

      The Brant family have moved to the small designed community of Columbia in Howard County Maryland. The kids go to Wilde Lake high school and it is a close knit community. Lu Brant has married and moved away, but came back home when her husband died. She ran for and was elected State's Attorney for the county. While investigating for an upcoming murder trial she begins to uncover information about a murder from 35 years earlier that her brother was involved in. Lu is a tenacious lawyer and investigator and can not let it go. She continues to ask questions and investigate even when it is no longer important for the trial. She is a somewhat unlikable character due to her competitive nature and rather brusque personality, but she does what she feels she needs to to. This story explores family relationships, community relationships involving childhood friends, lies of omission, what people will do to protect one another and the legal system itself. It is told from Lu's point of view in both the past and the present. Even though it kept going back and forth in time, I had no problem following the story. The characters were very well fleshed out. You got to know them and their motivations. I really enjoyed this story and recommend it to anyone who enjoys legal dramas and family relationship stories.
    • 3/5
      I didn't enjoy this as much as previous Lippman books I had read, including And When She Was Bad and Sunburn. Those novels had grittier main characters, who were trying to claw their way out of a truly bad past. Lu, the protagonist of this novel, had a much more privileged upbringing, while also having a great deal of tragedy in her life. The book felt too much like rich people behaving badly for me to love it.
    • 5/5
      If I ever forget why Laura Lippman is one of my favorite authors, I just have to pick up any of her novels to be swiftly reminded. Her characters are so rich, so vivid, they practically leap off the page to share their stories with you. Among those characters, Lippman has an especially deft hand with children and adolescents, capturing their voices; their hopes and fears; their innocence, and that dark, cruel streak that children can have and that we all would rather forget. In Wilde Lake, Lippman gives us insight into protagonist Lu as both a child and as an adult and it's very easy to see how the former informs the latter. Lu as a child was lonely and always on the outside looking in. She worshiped her brother and his friends and that hero worship is still affecting her life as an adult.

      And, f**k. I'm not doing Ms. Lippman or this book any justice by continuing to try to "review" it. Just read Laura Lippman, whether Wilde Lake or any--or preferably all--of her other novels. You won't regret it. In fact, you'll thank me for recommending you do so and, more importantly, you'll thank Lippman for being a writer and sharing these characters and stories with the world.
    • 4/5
      Intricately intertwined. Nice read.
    • 3/5
      Lu Brant has just been elected as the first female state's attorney in Howard County, Maryland. It is a position her father had held previously when he was considered a legend. She lives with her father and two children in the family home while her brother AJ lives nearby. A murder case comes across Lu's desk that dredges up a lot of family history and secrets, some leading to even more tragedies. Sometime the whole truth is more than one needs to know to survive.
    • 3/5
      Pretty well-written story; this is the first book by Laura Lippman that I finished; and it was good enough to motivate me to read some of her other stuff. There was as bit too 'much going on' in this book; but it was OK
    • 4/5
      Lu Brant is a fiercely competitive state's attorney in MD, daughter of a beloved widower who served in the same position. She's a very complex woman, primarily attributable to her mother's death a week after her birth, and to her always trying to keep up with brother and golden boy AJ, eight years older. They grew up in Columbia, MD, one of the first "planned" communities, and the sociology of that area is also a lead character in the book. Despite the consequences of racial and sexual injustice, rape, and many, many lies, there was just no enchantment here for me, not the compelling need to keep reading all night, as there was with And When She Was Good, my favorite. Well written characters but the story didn't really have much of an impact, even the revelations throughout the latter part of the book.
    • 4/5
      I've read all of Laura Lippman's books. I don't bother looking at the flyleaf at all anymore - I just know I'm going to enjoy whatever story she's crafted. Her Tess Monaghan series is a perennial favourite of mine, but the stand alones are just as good.Her latest stand alone, Wilde Lake, has just released.Lu Brant has just been elected as the first female State's Attorney of Howard County, Maryland, filling the chair that her father once held. She decides to make her presence known by taking on a recent murder case - a woman beaten to death in her home by a homeless man.Lippman employs one of my favourite story telling techniques - past and present in alternating chapters. As Lu prepares for the impending court case, names and events from her own past begin to pop up. And so we relive Lu's life from age six until it collides with the present day - with a very loud crash.Ahh, Lippman is such a storyteller. I was immediately caught up in the characters and the plot. Lu is a difficult character, bristly, stubborn and somewhat unpredictable. I felt sympathy for young Lu but funnily enough that sympathy did not extend to adult Lu, even though I knew the past shaped her present. I didn't really like adult Lu at all.There is more than one mystery in Wilde Lake. That of the accused drifter of course, but also events in the past - seemingly all stemming from one night in her brother AJ's life. " Most of what I know about that night is from reading old court documents and press accounts over the past few months." But as we learn more about the Brant family from Lu's memories, it seems that one night is just one event never fully spoken of. There are others. From the outside looking in, the Brants have an idyllic life - from the inside looking out, the view is not quite the same.The mysteries are joined by an exploration of family dynamics, tensions, deceptions, what we would do to protect our families and loved ones and the consequences of those choices. There ate many 'reveals' in the last few chapters. There was one late addition that I thought was a bit of a stretch, but on reflection, I could see the groundwork being laid in the chapters dealing with the past.I enjoyed Wilde Lake - although it's less of a true mystery than some of my favourite Lippman books, it kept me engaged from first page to last. Read an excerpt of Wilde Lake.Interesting side note - Lippman grew up in Columbia, Maryland (the setting for this book) and also attended Wilde Lake High School. (also featured)
    • 3/5
      I would really give this book 3.5 stars if I could. It was a good summer read but nothing I will come back to. As many others have mentioned, there were lots of parallels with To Kill a Mockingbird.
    • 4/5
      Wilde Lake is a story that will haunt you after you finish the last page. The Brandt family is wealthy and successful. Lu is now the first female attorney general of their county, a position her father held earlier in his career. Now she is prosecuting a murder case and the defendant is known to her brother's friends from high school. Through flashbacks, we see Lu growing up, motherless, tagging after her big brother and his friends. We see major events that shaped their lives and send strands through the current events. A fascinating story and sad, I will be reading more books by Laura Lippman.
    • 2/5
      Boring, emotionless murder mysteries - one in the past and one in the present - inhabited by totally unlikable characters.
    • 5/5
      Wilde Lake by Laura Lippman is a very highly recommended, complex family saga that alternates between current events and those from over 30 years ago.Luisa "Lu" Brant has just been elected the state's attorney of Howard County, Maryland, a position her father previously held many years before. After her husband suddenly dies, Lu and her two children move in with her father in Columbia, Maryland. Even though she is now independently wealthy and doesn't need to work, she feels like she must work. Her ambition, competitive streak and work ethic have always been personality traits.When Rudy Drysdale, a homeless man, is accused of murdering a woman in her apartment, Lu takes the case on. She ends up being pitted against her old boss, Fred, the man she defeated for the position of state's attorney, Frederick C. Hollister III.While preparing for trial, living in her childhood home raises all sorts of memories, especially about an incident which involved her idolized older brother, AJ, and his group of friends. Lu wasn't an especially well-liked child, so she managed to follow the activities of her brother's group of friends. With her small family circle just consisting of her father, AJ, and herself, it seems natural that she would know many of the details of a case her brother was in when he was 18 and she was 10. He was acquitted, but now Lu is questioning some other incidents that happened back then, and wondering if her memories are reflecting what really happened.Chapters alternate between the events of Lu's childhood years before and the present day case. There are plenty of unanswered questions in both cases. Lu realizes that, as an adult, she now has the perspective to understand more of what really happened years before and why all the events took place. She is also discovering facts about the current case that open up new questions.Lippman expertly raises the questions that what we remember, and how we perceive those memories may be influenced not only by our maturity and understanding, but how the times in which we live can influence the way we view certain events. The past isn't always how we remember it, and our memories can change with new knowledge. Additionally, is justice best served by raising questions about the past or is it better to leave the past alone?This is an excellent novel. It really is part crime novel, part dysfunctional family saga. The plot is complex as the stories carefully unfold. The story alternates seamlessly between the past and the present. As more and more information is revealed about both times, the facts begin to add up and more questions are raised. There are no pat answers. The emotions and secrets add up, while the tension rises.As always, Lippman does a superb job developing her characters and presenting the complicated moral issues they are facing. As a character, Lu has an intelligence and psychological depth that is incisive and keen. She is a real person, with faults and scares. She is also struggling while dealing with moral/ethical choices that reach back to her childhood, before she would have had any true knowledge of the circumstances behind the events she remembers.Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of HarperCollins for review purposes.
    • 4/5
      Lu is the new state's attorney in Howard County, Maryland. She has a lot to prove, being the first woman to fill the position, and having had her own father hold the position previously. Lu lost her mother shortly after her birth, and she and her older brother AJ were both raised by their loving but tough widower father and their somewhat detached housekeeper/cook Teensy.Lu didn't have many friends growing up in the small town of Columbia, and was quite awkward in her childhood, but was very familiar with her big brother's group of friends when he was in high school.While in high school, something happened one night while AJ and his friends were unsupervised at one of their houses-- something that will now come full circle many years later, landing smack dab in the middle of Lu's life.I was introduced to the author through her novel And When She Was Good, which I enjoyed, but I liked this one much more. Flashing back and forth between childhood and present day, there is good character development from childhood to late adult, and the transitions were handled quite well. Often when there are these sort of flashbacks, it can be difficult for me to keep track of the timeline. To ease the leaps through time, the author uses dates to track present day, while glances at the past have chapter titles like "OH BRAVE NEW WORLD THAT HAS NO TREES IN IT" and "INTEMPERANCE".This story has dual mysteries-- one from the present involving a murdered woman and one that resurfaces from the past. The story slowly builds both mysteries incrementally, while likewise building suspense. What really happened so long ago with her brother and his friends? Is there a connection to the present day murder?My final word: I really liked this story. This is a mystery novel with some depth. While I often have difficulty with transitions between past and present, I thought the author handled those transitions well in this book. The flashbacks really helped with the character development, which resulted in more multi-dimensional characters. Author Laura Lippman reveals the dual mysteries slowly throughout the story, building tension and suspense, and leading Lu to uncover several unexpected secrets. The author masters the art of suspense, and this book will have you anxious to turn the next page. Thank you, Laura Lippman!
    • 4/5
      I always enjoy Laura Lippman, and this was no exception. It did not have the excitement of some of the other books, but I was invested in the characters, and interested in what happened to them. A perfect light summer thriller.
    • 3/5
      I enjoy Laura Lippman's stand-alone crime novels. They're set in Maryland and often concern how the past influences the present, but are varied and imaginative. The protagonists vary widely, and the plots are never predictable. So after a spate of more serious reading, I picked up a copy of Wilde Lake knowing that I'd enjoy reading it. [Wilde Lake] moves back and forth between Lu Brant's present as a widow, mother and first female state's attorney of Howard County, as she prepares for her first trial since the election, the murder of an older single woman by a homeless man; and her childhood in the same county, where she followed her older brother around and idolized her father, who also served as state's attorney.The story was fine, and I enjoyed reading it. There was a stretch were the story seemed to be going in a troubling direction, but having faith in an author meant I could enjoy seeing how Lippman would turn things around. All in all, though, this is not one of her stronger efforts. If you already enjoy her novels, you'll enjoy this one, but if you've never read anything by Laura Lippman, I'd begin somewhere else.
    • 5/5
      Oh, the tales we weave when we practice to deceive. And so goes Laura Lippman's latest release, Wilde Lake. Lie after lie built on a layer of lies, it's impossible to know who's telling the truth. Or if there is one clear truth at all. In this beautifully written story of murder and betrayal, there is a current of love and loyalty that seems shocking. Lippman builds characters so well that every detail of their personality directly contributes to the story. It's a glorious balance of past and present and when good people do bad things. Wilde Lake takes quite a few trips into the past and then back into the present, that it can be difficult to keep the whole story straight at times. But in the end, with some incredibly enticing twists, the truth comes out. As much of the truth as there is to know, at least. It's magnificently mysterious. There's also a wonderful little synopsis in the end where the reader learns what has become of the protagonist, and while it seems to wrap the story up quite nicely (despite the disturbing - yet fantastic - conclusion), more questions will float around the reader's mind, unanswered. And that is Laura Lippman's real gift, showcased perfectly in this novel. Wilde Lake. A fictitious place with an arduous past, but one worth visiting.
    • 5/5
      Laura Lippman just keeps getting better. This book has everything I want in a novel - compelling, complicated characters, a strong sense of place and a plot that kept me fascinated without a bunch of silly, contrived cliffhangers. It moves nimbly from Lu Brant's childhood to the present, when she's just been elected the county's top prosecutor - a position once held by her father. Naturally the first murder case that comes up also dredges up some terrible secrets from her family's past. But none that you can see coming. Tess Monaghan fans may want her to keep on going with that series but I hope she continues in this vein of standalones that also provide a rich socioeconomic portrait of Maryland (After I'm Gone was another excellent read).
    • 5/5
      This is a wonderful story with an elegant style of writing. I'd never read Laura Lippman before and am happy to add her to my list of favorite authors. The style of this book reminds me of Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee (only better). As the book opens, Lu Brant is elected to State's Attorney, Howard County, MD. In alternating chapters of the present and her youth, she sees how a current murder prosecution causes her to question her beliefs about a life altering event years ago. She questions what she remembers, was told, believed to be true. There are wonderful unexpected twists and turns that kept me reading
    • 4/5
      I enjoy her books that aren't part of a series.
    • 5/5
      This is a wonderful stand alone addition to Laura Lippman's books. I did not want to put this down. There were so many twists and turns. Luisa Brant is a state attorney and is trying a murder case that leads her to remember what happened to her family and friends over 35 years earlier. I loved this book. I received this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion.
    • 3/5
      Listened to this one and was actually quite disappointed. Not an author I normally go to but thought I would give it a try. I did not really find it suspenseful and I was not all that engaged with the characters. The detectives name (Mike Hunt) was a total disaster for me. Like an old joke told one too many times. Sorry to say,not sure I will be giving Ms. Lippman another try.
    • 3/5
      Another entertaining domestic suspense story from Lippmann set in the planned would-be utopia of Columbia, Maryland. This one is about Lu Brant, daughter of a famous lawyer and recently elected state's attorney, who takes on the case of a homeless man suspected of murder. The story alternates between the present criminal case and Lu's nice suburban past, which, once the lies are peeled away, wasn't so nice. It was a typical Lippmann page turner featuring an interesting, flawed female protagonist. The story unraveled a little at the end, with too much happening too fast. That leeched a little credibility out of the story, but it was still a fun read.
    • 5/5
      Laura Lippman writes mystery novels that are not only page-turners, they are thought-provoking and very well written. Her latest stand-alone novel is Wilde Lake, set in Baltimore as most of her books are.Lu Brant has just been elected the first female state's attorney in Howard County. She is a single mother of eight-year-old twins, Justin and Penelope, after her wealthy husband died of heart attack. Lu moved back to her childhood home to live with her father, a former state's attorney.The story has two time settings- the present day and when Lu was an eight-year-old girl. Lu's mother died one week after Lu was born, so she never knew her mother. Her brother AJ is eight years older, and the golden boy at his high school.As AJ and his friends were celebrating their upcoming high school graduation, three brothers crashed the party and accused AJ's friend of ruining their sister. A fight broke out, one young man died and AJ's friend was seriously injured.In the present, Lu is proceeding to prosecute the murder of a woman in her apartment. A homeless man is accused of the brutal crime and as the investigation proceeds, the case looks like a slam-dunk for Lu until she digs deeper and finds a connection to an old incident.A woman has also come to Lu claiming that she has information about a famous murder conviction Lu's father had obtained thirty years ago. The woman said that she was the convicted man's alibi but Lu's father ignored her all those years ago.Lippman has said that this story was inspired by Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird. It does have several of the same elements- a young girl worships her honorable lawyer father, a trial that envelops the entire town- and adds many more intriguing ones.Lippman brings her characteristic thoughtfulness to the societal change in attitudes about sex and rape over the last thirty years. She also unravels many secrets in the Brant family and among AJ and his group of high school friends. I love a book that keeps me guessing, and Wilde Lake certainly did that. I actually gasped at one sad event late in the book that I didn't see coming.One thing Lippman excels at is ending the chapter on a sentence that forces you to keep reading, like this one:"Besides, if Fred wanted to make it personal, there were better, juicer-truer-rumors to spread. He just didn't know where to look."How can you stop reading there?The characters in Wilde Lake are fascinating too. From Lu to her father to her brother to even less important ones like AJ's friends Bash and Noel and Teensy, the Brant's housekeeper, all are fully realized people.Wilde Lake is a literary mystery that will keep the reader guessing as she is compulsively turning the pages. It is a worthy homage to To Kill A Mockingbird, but one that stands on its own as a terrific story. I highly recommend it.
    • 4/5
      Have to admit I was pretty disappointed in this novel, which is unusual because I love Laura Lippman. I found the story unengaging and the main characters mostly flawed beyond likeability. Where some readers may see a strong, educated, female main character, i found a petty, cheating, and seriously flawed main character. The writing is strong, which helps, but I get waiting for some -- redemption. And then there is the last chapter, which drops a bit too much on the reader at the end of the book.
    • 4/5
      Luisa 'Lu' Brant is the newly elected state's attorney for suburban Baltimore, including the planned community of Columbia, Maryland. Her father, now retired, held that post for many years, and Lu, recently widowed, and her twins, live with him in their childhood home. Columbia was intended to be a model community, allowing for the peaceful mingling of races and social classes, but we soon learn it was anything but that. The central mystery explored is what actually happened on a night in 1980 when her brother, AJ, and his friends were involved in an incident which resulted in the death of one young man and the paralysis of another. But the central theme of this well written novel is how different the world looks from the vantage point of adulthood, and the effects of secrets kept hidden and revealed.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Laura Lippman writes the Tess Monaghan series but Wlilde Lake is an unrelated stand alone novel about new state’s attorney Lu Brandt. When a woman is found beaten to death in her apartment, Lu takes the case on herself, her first homicide case in her new position. She thinks she knows who the killer is and the greater question is what was his motivation? In flashbacks, Lu tells the reader about her childhood when her father was the state’s attorney.Lippman uses first person narration when Lu is telling the reader about her childhood. However, present day events are told in third person. I liked this technique. It allowed foreshadowing and a great build up in suspense because first person Lu already knows what will happen to third person present day Lu. When we read what is happening with Lu in the present day, she has no knowledge of where her actions will eventually lead her.Fans of Lippman’s should know that this book isn’t a typical crime novel or thriller like most of her other books. There is a murder but the book is about more than that so it doesn’t have the fast pace like you might expect. I think most of the critical reviews I’ve read of this book are because the reader’s expectations were not met. However, the pace quickens to a breakneck speed in the last few chapters and then there are so many surprise twists that my head was spinning. I enjoyed the slow burn of Wilde Lake. Lu was a well-developed, complex character and the story was layered as well. Nothing was as it seems. Highly recommended.
    • 4/5
      Talented storyteller, Laura Lippman returns following 2015 Hush Hush with her latest standalone, WILDE LAKE emotionally charged, complex- rich in character and dark family secrets. Wilde Lake revolves around a family relationship between a daughter, father, and brother. Where the truth may not always set you free. Family loyalty, secrets, deceptions, and mysteries of the past connect with the present. Should we leave the past, in the past? A family journey from Baltimore to the community of Columbia, Maryland. From 1980 to 2015. Luisa "Lu" Brant has been elected the state's attorney of Howard County, Maryland (first woman holding the position). Her father, Andrew Jackson Brandt held this position previously. Her husband, Gabe dies (a scandal here, as well), and she and the children (twin eight-year-olds) move in with her father, in Columbia, Maryland. Her father, from Virginia raised Lu and her older brother AJ. Her mother, Adele died when Lu was a week old, so she never really had any female influences except for the housekeeper (Teenzy). Her parents met in law school. Reminiscent of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird's Atticus Finch and her father’s quest for justice. Alternating from thirty years prior-her childhood to the present. Her father is getting old, and his practice has been a charade for years. He loves Law and Order TV, and no longer reads or drives, nearly eighty. Lu in her early forties, is sharp, and ambitious and has a new murder case. an investigation involving Rudy Drysdale, a homeless man, mentally disturbed drifter, accused of murdering a woman. Some politics involved with her old boss, and of course the person she defeated for position of state attorney. Now she is coming full circle. She followed her dad’s footsteps instead of her brother. She has never lost a case in Howard County and she is not going to lose this one. Secrets, lies and tests of loyalty will come to the surface and begin to unravel, during the investigation. What really happened with Rudy? How does this case relate to events years past? What happened years ago? What did he see and what did he know. He was loyal to AJ ? What did he have to lose? Always watching. Will Lu figure out the mystery. What did her brother leave out? People need to be held accountable. Was he a hero or not? A tragedy occurred years ago and involved her brother. A death. Her father used his influence as the State's Attorney to see that the incident was swiftly resolved. Multi-layered, a family tragedy and mystery from 1980, the night of AJ’s graduation at Wilde Lake High. The party at Wild Lake, a tradition, a suburb, where teens stayed out all night. AJ was the son of state’s attorney, so things had to kept under wraps. Lu was kept out of the drama, the fallout, and it was not discussed. While living in the same childhood town, many memories surface. When she was ten and he was eighteen, there was a lot of focus surrounding her brother. Soon she is questioning other things and how those events may be connected to her present case. What information was withheld from her?With maturity she reflects back over the years which raises other questions. A cover-up? Protections. Loyalties. Morals, ethics, family. Tragedy and triumph. Painful memories. How many deaths can one family and town hold? Will tragedy and the truth change Lu, and discourage her from law? Wilde Lake is more of a psychological domestic family mystery suspense, versus a crime thriller. A little different than her previous books; however, with Lippman’s own unique storytelling trademark style- an absorbing exploration of human family dynamics.I listened to the audio version, narrated by Kathleen McInerney and Nicole Poole. Kathleen is one of my favorite narrators, delivering an intriguing performance. Fascinating, Lippman grew up in Columbia, Maryland (the setting for this book) and also graduated from Wilde Lake High School.
    • 5/5
      amazing. All the lies we grow up on, laid bare. Seems like every family has them, some worse than others. Loved how it plays out generationally. For our own good. Or own good.