Lady in the Lake (novel)

Not to be confused with The Lady in the Lake.

Lady in the Lake is a 2019 novel by Laura Lippman, published by William Morrow and Company. It was adapted by Alma Har'el into the miniseries of the same name on Apple TV+.[1]

Background

Lippman was inspired to write the book by two unrelated deaths in Baltimore in 1969: the murder of 11-year-old Esther Lebowitz, and the mysterious death of Shirley Parker, a 33-year-old black woman.[2] Lippman first learned about the latter death, which was underreported, while working at The Baltimore Sun.[3]

Premise

A bored Jewish housewife leaves her husband and moves to downtown Baltimore to become an investigative reporter. She soon begins unraveling the mystery behind the murder of a black bartender and a young Jewish girl. The book deals with themes of racism and misogyny in 1960s America.

Reception

Author Stephen King gave the novel a positive review in The New York Times, calling it "extraordinary", and praising the novel's use of plot twists and characterizations.[4] Kirkus Reviews gave the book a starred review and called it "a stylish, sexy, suspenseful period drama about a newsroom and the city it covers."[5] It also received a starred review from Publishers Weekly, whose reviewer wrote that it "captures the era's zeitgeist while painting a striking portrait of unapologetic female ambition."[6] Clémence Michallon of The Independent praised the novel's characters and realistic portrayal of 1960s Baltimore.[7]

Adaptation

The book has been adapted for television as an Apple TV+ limited series, Lady in the Lake, starring Natalie Portman and Moses Ingram.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b White, Peter (2021-03-10). "Natalie Portman & Lupita Nyong'o To Star In 'Lady In The Lake' Series At Apple From Alma Har'el, Dre Ryan, Jean-Marc Vallée, Bad Wolf & Endeavor Content". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
  2. ^ Tkacik, Christina (2019-07-23). "How 2 unrelated deaths from 1969 inspired Baltimore crime novelist Laura Lippman's 'Lady in the Lake'". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
  3. ^ Kelly, Mary Louise. "Real Disappearances Are The Premise For Laura Lippman's 'Lady In The Lake'". NPR.
  4. ^ King, Stephen (2019-07-18). "Stephen King Reviews Laura Lippman's New Novel, 'Lady in the Lake'". The New York Times.
  5. ^ "Lady in the Lake". Kirkus Reviews.
  6. ^ "Lady in the Lake by Laura Lippman". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
  7. ^ "Lady in the Lake by Laura Lippman, review". The Independent. 2019-07-27. Retrieved 2023-12-17.