The Most Dangerous Thing by Laura Lippman
by Jenners • 10/21/2011 • 3 Stars, Fiction, L Authors, M Titles, Mystery/Thriller • 36 Comments
The Most Dangerous Thing by Laura LippmanPublisher: William Morrow, 2011
Pages: 342
Genre: Fiction, Mystery
Where I Got It: LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program
My Rating: 3 stars
This was the fifth book I read for the RIP VI Challenge. Because I don’t want to get too far behind writing these reviews, I’m reviewing all my RIP books by answering the 5Ws―Who, What, When, Where, Why. Plus I’ve included my patented Scare-O-Meter Rating system so you can decide if you can handle the level of fright induced by the book.
Scare-O-Meter Rating: 2 screams out of 10. It really wasn’t all that scary … or suspenseful … or that interesting. To be honest, it wasn’t all that good.
WHAT is this book about?
A group of childhood friends are reunited when one of them dies in a drunk driving accident. A secret from their past may have been a factor in their friend’s death, and they confront their shared past for the first time since losing touch years ago. Told from the point of view of the children and their parents, the book dips in and out of the past (circa 1977-1978) and the present, where the grown-up versions of the kids are struggling with problems and issues whose seeds were planted back in their childhoods.
WHO do we meet?
- Gwen is the fat girl turned swan who is trying to escape her unfulfilling marriage while dealing with her past. Her story is the heart of the book, and she is the primary narrator. She is nursing her elderly father in her childhood home, and confronting her past for the first time in many years.
- McKey (formerly Mickey) is a flight attendant who lives a carefree and commitment-free lifestyle, estranged from her mother and brother and everyone else from her past.
- the Halloran boys (cautious Sean, middling Tim and wild GoGo) round out the group of friends. The death of GoGo is the event that brings the former friends together and forces them—and their parents—to confront the realities of what happened that summer years ago.
- Tess Monaghan (a detective who has been featured in numerous Lippman books) makes a cameo appearance.
WHEN and WHERE does the book take place?
Like almost all of Lippman’s books, the setting takes place in Baltimore, with the narrative shifting between the present day and the events that happened in the late 1970s.
WHY should you read this book?
If I were you, I’d take a pass on this one and read one of Lippman’s other books (such as I’d Know You Anywhere or What The Dead Know or some of the Tess Monaghan books, which Jill at Rhapsody In Books has reviewed extensively). I thought Lippman stumbled badly with this book. Part of the problem was too much going on. Lippman attempts to work in viewpoints from multiple characters (all the kids AND their parents), and the result is that no one character is well-developed. I really didn’t feel invested in anyone, and the frequent jumps from character to character gave the book a fragmented feel. As soon as I started getting invested in a story line, the focus would shift and I’d lose the narrative thread. In addition, the “most dangerous thing” felt underdeveloped and got lost in the shuffle. By the end of the book, I was just going along to finish it up and be done with it. Although the book is readable and I found myself wanting to know more about various characters, I felt like the book could have used some more development and editing to make it come together as a cohesive whole. Although Lippman can write, this isn’t her best effort.
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It sounds like this was not one of Lippman’s best, and though I have really enjoyed her standalones, I don’t think I would enjoy a book where the author tries to do too much at once. I am going to take your advice and pass on this one, but I did really enjoy your review!
Her other standalones have been great so I was surprised about this one. It definitely felt like she took on too much.
Have I mentioned how much I love and rely on your reviews? I added “I’d know you anywhere” to my Barnes and Noble cart, and as soon as Brian goes to work so I can shop in peace I will buy it!
By the way, I read The Leftovers and liked it a lot- I was a bit disappointed with the ending, I was hoping that they would resolve the disappearances more (like in Stephen King’s The Dome), but overall a great read!
Right now I am reading Night Circus and LOVE it!! Have you read it yet? I must check your past reviews to see if I missed it!
I didn’t see this comment until now but you made me so happy! I love/fear that you actually rely on my reviews. I’ve been hearing a lot of raves about The Night Circus. I’m definitely going to try it out.
I am a fan of Lippmann, but I guess everyone has a stinker in them.
This one is rather aromatic … and not in pleasant way! : )
I haven’t seen this one around, but I’ll be sure to give it a miss if I do!
It was released relatively recently but I haven’t seen too much about it. Maybe they know it isn’t her best.
Good review. This won’t be going on my To Read list though…
Good move. There are many better books out there to add!
I added a link to your review at my Saturday Review of Books at Semicolon because even the negative reviews are important for information purposes:
http://www.semicolonblog.com/?p=15457
You’re invited to link to your latest book reviews any Saturday at Semicolon.
Thanks for the link-up. I don’t think I was aware of your Saturday Review of Books. What a neat idea. I do think negative reviews are helpful. I always appreciate an honest assessment of a book.
I have an on-again, off-again relationship with Lippmann and her books. It seems like every other one I read is less than stellar. The last one (The Girl in the Green Raincoat) was very good, so I’m a little leery about picking up another. I’m due for a bad one.
That does seem weird!! I’ve heard her standalones tend to be better than her series but what do I know.
Hmm I’ve seen such varied reviews for this author that even though some of her books seem good I feel hesitant to read any of her books.
Well this one is pretty weak. I’ve only read three of hers and the other two were pretty good but this one wasn’t. Not sure about her Tess Monaghan series though.
I agree with you. This is the only Lippman book I’ve read and wasn’t at all impressed. Maybe I’ll try one of those others by her that you recommend. Here’s my review if interested: http://ourstack.blogspot.com/2011/10/most-dangerous-thing-by-laura-lippman.html
Glad to hear you were disappointed in this one too. I look forward to reading your review.
I love me a good, honest, review! I have to say, the older I get and the more children I have….I have a much harder time keeping up with the stories when they are told by multiple characters…even if they are told in longer chunks of time….like in The Help. My brain synapses just don’t connect they way they used to in the olden days!
I hear you!! This one was way too fragmented.
Well, you convinced me. I’ll pass on this one.
Smart move.
I haven’t read this one yet, but only two screams out of ten! yuck! It’s good to know Tess only makes a cameo; maybe I’ll skip this one!
If you can possibly skip one of her books … or were you only fanatical about the Tess ones?
How disappointing for you. I’m not score keeping, but, you haven’t been all that scared during your RIP challenge. You really need to read King Rat to shoot the scareometer out the top. (China Melivele is the author, I’m sure I didn’t spell that right.
You’re totally right. I haven’t found anything really scary yet. I’ve been meaning to try that author you mentioned. It seems like he has some trippy books.
definitely sounds like a book to skip!
Yup! I think you could safely skip this one.
I completely agree with you. This book was such a let down and totally not what I would have expected from Lippman!
Glad I wasn’t alone in feeling this way. It really felt like it could have used more work or something.
I have What the Dead Know, and possibly the other, and eventually I will read a dang a Lippman book.
I know what you mean … I got worn down from seeing her mentioned on other blogs.
Books with too many characters and points of view tend to confuse me. I’m sorry to see this is disappointing.
It is a shame because she is a gifted author too.