The Most Dangerous Thing
Throughout this book there is a secret that is alluded to again and again. I really think the secret is something that changed as I read farther and farther into the book. Laura Lippman explores the perspectives of the people involved, why it happened and why it remains a secret. Guilt, penance and regret are all themes from this novel that would make it great for book discussion groups.
Rated of 5
by Stefani H. (Richmond, VT)
We are our own worst enemy
This is the first Laura Lippman book I have read so I didn't know what to expect. I enjoyed reading a book that gave such an insightful journey through the human experience. The crime was secondary to the characters in this book. I liked it being character driven by people whose depth and own personal discoveries throughout the book kept me wanting more. I think there is a lot to discuss in this book that book clubs would enjoy talking about. Especially people looking at their life and choices from different ages.
Rated of 5
by Joanne V. (Towanda, PA)
Interesting characters, but.....
I have never read Laura Lippman's books before this one and I must admit that I wasn't all that impressed. The characters were interesting, the plot could have been interesting, but somehow I just didn't care much about the characters or what the "mystery" was. It was a fast read, but just didn't hold my interest. The ending didn't work for me, either---too contrived. Maybe a good editing would help, but in the end, not a very satisfying read. I don't think I would recommend this to my book group.
Rated of 5
by Deborah D. (Old Forge, NY)
disappointed
Not one of the authors best. I thought the story slow paced. Having looked forward to this book I felt let down.
Rated of 5
by Linda S. (Tucker, GA)
A Dangerous Game
While I wanted to love The Most Dangerous Thing by Laura Lippman, in the end, I found it to be somewhat less than satisfying. Afraid of spoilers, I don’t want to say too much - you can get a synopsis of the storyline from the book jacket - but it involves five friends, their parents, and the power of a lie in which all are complicit.
Lippman is a good writer and in keeping with the literary aspect of the book, the characters are well-developed and change over the course of the story, which is told from various POV, but I found the mysterious “we” voice, wherein the reader is one of the characters, confusing and misleading. In the end, I found I just didn’t care about the mystery; Lippman worked too hard to keep it a secret.
Rated of 5
by Barbara F. (Saint Louis, MO)
The Playhouse
Beware... playhouses can stir up lots of trouble, especially if the playhouse is in the woods. I am a bit weary of this genre; that being adults looking back at wayward mistakes during their youth. This book has plenty of potential but for this reader it is disjointed, a tad melodramatic without reason and somewhat disappointing. I would like to read one of her other books, so all was not lost.
Rated of 5
by Carolyn S. (Decatur, GA)
The Most Dangerous Thing
This was my first Laura Lippman book and I was looking forward to expanding my reading horizons. I was disappointed. The plot was weak, the characters sad, and the pace was slow and the back and forth from past to present distracting. We never received enough information about the main character Go Go.
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of 5
by Christine P. (San Francisco, CA)
of 5
by Joanne V. (Towanda, PA)
