Search This Blog
2024 Bookish Books Reading Challenge (Hosted by Yours Truly)
November Reviews Link-Up
December Reviews Link-Up
2024 Literary Escapes Challenge
- Alabama (1)
- Alaska (1)
- Arizona (1)
- Arkansas (1)
- California (9)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut (2)
- Delaware (1)
- Florida (2)
- Georgia (2)
- Hawaii (1)
- Idaho (2)
- Illinois (4)
- Indiana (4)
- Iowa (1)
- Kansas (1)
- Kentucky (1)
- Louisiana (1)
- Maine (1)
- Maryland (1)
- Massachusetts (3)
- Michigan (1)
- Minnesota (2)
- Mississippi (1)
- Missouri (1)
- Montana (1)
- Nebraska (1)
- Nevada (2)
- New Hampshire (1)
- New Jersey (1)
- New Mexico (1)
- New York (9)
- North Carolina (4)
- North Dakota (1)
- Ohio (3)
- Oklahoma (2)
- Oregon (2)
- Pennsylvania (2)
- Rhode Island (1)
- South Carolina (1)
- South Dakota (1)
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (4)
- Utah (2)
- Vermont (2)
- Virginia (2)
- Washington (3)
- West Virginia (1)
- Wisconsin (1)
- Wyoming (1)
- Washington, D.C.* (2)
International:
- Argentina (1)
- Australia (2)
- Bolivia (1)
- Canada (3)
- China (2)
- England (21)
- France (1)
- Ghana (1)
- India (1)
- Indonesia (1)
- Ireland (4)
- Italy (1)
- Poland (1)
- Russia (1)
- Scotland (3)
- The Netherlands (1)
2024 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
Booklist Queen's 2024 Reading Challenge
2024 52 Club Reading Challenge
2024 Build Your Library Reading Challenge
2024 Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge
2024 Medical Examiner's Mystery Reading Challenge
2024 Mystery Marathon Reading Challenge
Mount TBR Reading Challenge
2024 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge
Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge
Disney Animated Movies Reading Challenge
The 100 Most Common Last Names in the U.S. Reading Challenge
The Life Skills Reading Challenge
Wednesday, August 07, 2019
Despite Intriguing Premise, Crime Novel A Little Disappointing
7:29 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Fifteen years ago, two young women vanished from a Baltimore shopping mall, never to be seen again. The sisters' mysterious disappearance baffled local police then and continues to puzzle cold case enthusiasts now. How does someone lure away a tween and a teen at the same time? If the girls were kidnapped and held, where are they now? If they were killed, where are there bones? If they ran away together, why haven't they ever returned? The questions only lead to more questions.
Then, a 38-year-old woman is involved in a car accident. When questioned by the police, she claims to be Heather Bethany, the youngest of the missing girls. Although "Jane Doe" knows enough details about the case to be convincing, the holes in her story are enough to make Detective Kevin Infante doubt the woman is who she claims to be. The few clues "Jane" is willing to part with only lead to dead ends. Is the woman just toying with the police to get attention? Does she know what really happened to Heather and Sunny Bethany fifteen years ago? Will a 15-year-old crime finally be solved? Or will the police be left, once again, with more mystifying questions that lead absolutely nowhere?
I find the missing returned trope utterly fascinating, so I'm always drawn to novels like What the Dead Know by Laura Lippman. Perhaps it's because I've already read several novels with similar plots that I found this one a bit disappointing. True, What the Dead Know is a tense, fast-paced thriller that kept me frantically turning pages. Still, with its unlikeable characters, predictable end, and depressing vibe, I didn't end up loving this one. I didn't hate it either; I just feel kind of ... ambivalent about it. I've enjoyed other books by Lippman, but What the Dead Know just didn't quite do it for me. Bummer.
(Readalikes: Reminds me of The Stranger Game by Cylin Busby; Never Missing, Never Found by Amanda Panitch; and Only Daughter by Anna Snoekstra)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for strong language, violence, sexual content, and disturbing subject matter
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
5 comments:
Comments make me feel special, so go crazy! Just keep it clean and civil. Feel free to speak your mind (I always do), but be aware that I will delete any offensive comments.
P.S.: Don't panic if your comment doesn't show up right away. I have to approve each one before it posts to prevent spam. It's annoying, but it works!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments
(Atom)
Reading
Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie
Listening
The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth
Followin' with Bloglovin'
Followin' with Feedly
-
-
-
Monthly Round-up: October 202410 hours ago
-
-
If It's Perfect - Short review12 hours ago
-
#ThrowbackThursday. November 2011 Part 313 hours ago
-
Our Lord of the Rings Halloween Costumes15 hours ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Just a heads up1 day ago
-
October Reflections1 day ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult3 days ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Reading Recap September 20243 weeks ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Review: The Duke and I2 months ago
-
Girl Plus Books: On Hiatus3 months ago
-
Sunday Post3 months ago
-
-
-
The Music of 2024: Q23 months ago
-
-
-
-
What Happened to Summer?1 year ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Are you looking for Pretty Books?2 years ago
-
-
-
-
-
Grab my Button!
Blog Design by:
Blog Archive
- ► 2021 (159)
- ► 2020 (205)
- ▼ 2019 (197)
- ► 2018 (223)
- ► 2017 (157)
- ► 2016 (157)
- ► 2015 (188)
- ► 2014 (133)
- ► 2013 (183)
- ► 2012 (193)
- ► 2011 (232)
- ► 2010 (257)
- ► 2009 (211)
- ► 2008 (192)
2024 - Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction
2023 - Middle Grade Fiction
2022 - Middle Grade Fiction
2021 - Middle Grade Fiction
2020 - Middle Grade Fiction
That's too bad. It's a premise I always find fascinating, too.
ReplyDeleteI'm a Laura Lippman fan, but that was pretty much the same reaction I had to this one.
ReplyDeleteToo bad this one didn't measure up. You can't love them all, although I agree, Laura Lippman usually writes winners. Hopefully, just a blip.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy Lippman's series (well about the handful of books I've read in it) and I read all her stand-alones.
ReplyDeleteI read this when it first came out-- and unfortunately-- I can't think of any of the plot without some minor prodding from you. I don't think this is one of her more enjoyable or memorable titles-- it happens :(
I also like cold case stories. I am reading The Ruin by Dervla McTiernan right now and enjoying it.
ReplyDelete