pagesofjulia

The three Halloran brothers, Tim, Sean and Go-Go (Gordon), and two neighbor girls, Mickey and Gwen, were inseparable for a short time in childhood. During that period, they played in the enormous wooded Leakin Park behind their neighborhood, did normal childhood things, learned about some adult things, and maybe did some bad things. At the start of this book, the adult Go-Go dies. The other four – but mostly Gwen – look back at their childhood, consider guilt and responsibility, and wonder how well their secrets have been kept over the years.

Lippman handles family relationships, and friendships, and neighborhood whisperings fairly well. I felt that the most effective moments, the most evocative and emotional scenes, are the ones dealing with secrets and relationships. I feel for Tim in his desire to befriend his three daughters, and his feeling that his all-female family overwhelms him. Sean’s fear that his own son is gay is less sympathetic, but still feels very real. I thought Mickey was a pretty interesting character, both as a child and in adulthood. And the parents – Tim Sr. and Doris, Rita and Rick (and her various other men), and Tally and Dr. Robison – were very well drawn; they came across as real people to me.

The suspense was well done in that I had to keep coming back and opening the book; I was drawn along, I wanted to know what was going to happen next. The parent-child dynamics, and the development of them – Gwen’s observations of her adopted daughter, for instance – were engaging.

But the plot was weak, in my opinion. The mystery of what happened in the woods, after all the questions and all the intrigue, wasn’t as outrageous or shocking as it should have been; the big reveal was something of a let-down for me. I regretted not getting to know Go-Go better. The mystery of Go-Go was sort of the mystery of the book – that we didn’t know him was the point – but still, I missed more knowledge in that area; I think it might have improved my experience. Considering how well Lippman draws characters, relationships, and emotional impacts, I think she could have done a lot with him.

So while this book was engaging and entertaining during the reading – I couldn’t put it down for a day or two, and enjoyed it during those hours – I didn’t take much away from it. I fear I will forget it quickly. (I read Lippman’s earlier novel, I’d Know You Anywhere, and it kind of went the same way. My memory of it is vague; another similar book I read around the same time, Chevy Stevens’s Still Missing, made a far greater impression.) I can’t get all that excited about Lippman, although I do read rave reviews, so I know some people do.

I read this book to cover Maryland for the Where Are You Reading? Challenge, and it did its job. Although, here’s another minor beef: I love a strong sense of place in a mystery novel. If I’m reading about a place I’m familiar with, it’s great fun with to get a sense of familiarity. If I’m reading about a place I’m not familiar with – like Baltimore – I enjoy learning about a new place without actually traveling there. But Lippman’s Baltimore didn’t come alive; it didn’t make an impression on me as a city with personality. (Maybe Baltimore really doesn’t have a personality. But I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt. Most cities do.) So, this book didn’t do too much more for me than fulfill my need for a Maryland-set story. I think I’m about done with Lippman.

Filed under: book reviews | Tagged: mystery, thriller |