Laura Lippman is a terrific writer, and I have enjoyed MOST of her books (although Dream Girl in 2021 was a surprise disappointment, but that may have been my own pandemic fatigue preventing my enjoyment of pretty much anything in 2021!). I loved 2019’s Lady In The Lake, and I was pleased to receive a copy of Prom Mom from William Morrow and NetGalley in exchange for this honest review.
The title refers to the protagonist, Amber Glass, who gave birth in a hotel bathroom the night of her high school prom. The baby was found dead (the cause isn’t quite clear at first), and there was a tabloid frenzy when Amber (the “Prom Mom”) and her date, Joe (“Cad Dad”) were nationwide sensations for a LOOOONG time (can’t you just hear Nancy Grace saying “Prom Mom”?).
Amber moved away from Baltimore, going to college in Florida then living in New Orleans for several years before she decides to go back to Baltimore in order to … what? Overcome her demons? Find and reconnect with or get revenge on Joe? It isn’t clear…yet. In any case, Joe is now a successful commercial real estate developer, married to the apparently perfect Meredith, a plastic surgeon. He and Amber reconnect, to put it politely.
There is some jumping around both in time (present day and flashing back to the time of the prom) and POV, with Amber, Joe, and Meredith all telling their stories. The real excellence comes out of the inclusion of the pandemic in the story, with Lippman using it to bring out issues around privilege and class, and to move the plotline along.
Amber and Joe get reacquainted – they actually go back where they left off, with Amber being one of several women Joe is sexually involved with. For me, there was a big ick factor, not because of the characters’ ethical and moral lapses, more because I just didn’t like ANY of them. Yes, there are reasons for their actions, especially the two women, but … ugh.
The story may be slow for some readers (my husband, usually a fan of LL’s, DNF this one), but for me it built to a somewhat surprising and in some ways satisfying conclusion. I won’t say it is one of her best – in fact, the morning after I finished it, I woke up and thought “I need to get back to Prom Mom and finish it,” then remembered the ending. TBH, the acknowledgement at the end and LL’s revelation about her personal situation was possibly more impactful than the story. But I still love her writing style, and will eagerly read her next book. Four stars.