Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: After I'm Gone by Laura Lippman (CLOSED)
Author: Laura Lippman
Published: August 2014 (Reprint); William Morrow Paperbacks
Format: Paperback, 384 pages
Source: Publisher via TLC Book Tours
Dead is dead. Missing is gone.
When Felix Brewer meets nineteen-year-old Bernadette "Bambi" Gottschalk at a Valentine's Day dance in 1959, he charms her with wild promises, some of which he actually keeps. Thanks to his lucrative—if not all legal—businesses, she and their three little girls live in luxury. But on the Fourth of July in 1976, Bambi's comfortable world implodes when Felix, facing prison, vanishes.
Though Bambi has no idea where her husband—or his money—might be, she suspects one woman does: his devoted young mistress, Julie. When Julie disappears ten years to the day after Felix went on the lam, everyone assumes she's left to join her old lover—until her remains are discovered in a secluded park.
Now, twenty-six years later, Roberto "Sandy" Sanchez, a retired Baltimore detective working cold cases for some extra cash, is investigating her murder. What he discovers is a tangled web of bitterness, jealousy, resentment, greed, and longing stretching over five decades. And at its center is the man who, though long gone, has never been forgotten by the five women who loved him: the enigmatic Felix Brewer.
Felix Brewer left five women behind. Now there are four. Does at least one of them know the truth?
My thoughts: This is the first stand-alone novel I've read by Laura Lippman. I've read the first of her Tess Monaghan series and enjoyed that, so of course, I had to give this one a chance. I've heard her stand-alones were really good and had been meaning to pick one of them up for a while now.
I will say, though, that when I first started reading this, I wasn't sure I was going to like it. It was a little slow and I wasn't sure where it was going. But then, as I got further into the book, I realized it was more character-driven than plot-driven. Reading it from that lens, I then began to have a different appreciation for the book and started to really enjoy it.
What I found I really liked was that as we got to know each of the main characters, as Sandy started his investigation into the prime suspects, little tidbits would slowly be released, teasing us in such a way that you just couldn't help but keep reading until you got to the end. I loved Sandy - he was by far my favorite character in the whole book! Oh how I would love to see him again in another book...and might we hope to see him again Laura? There was, after all, that teaser with him and Tess at the end. I guess only time will tell!
It's interesting that Felix, who is central to the story, never really appears in the book. We learn all about him from the other characters. This is the second book that I've recently read where this has happened and I find it a clever way to build a character's presence without having the character actually be present.
I will definitely be going back and reading more of Laura Lippman's books - both her stand alones and the rest of her Tess Monaghan series. If you've read her, do you have a favorite of hers?
About the author: Since her debut in 1997, Laura Lippman has been heralded for her thoughtful, timely crime novels set in her beloved hometown of Baltimore. She is the author of twenty works of fiction, including eleven Tess Monaghan mysteries. She lives in Baltimore, New Orleans, and New York City with her family.
Authors Links:
Website | Twitter | Facebook
To see who else is participating in Laura Lippman's After I'm Gone tour, click here.
GIVEAWAY DETAILS - CLOSED (US only)
Thanks to the publisher I have one paperback copy of After I'm Gone to give away to my readers.
This giveaway is open to US residents only and ends August 27th.
To enter…
- Leave a comment below & be sure to include your email address.
- Tweet, share on Facebook, or blog for 2 extra entries.
- You MUST include email address or entry will be invalid.
- I will contact winner at the conclusion of the giveaway & they will have 2 days to respond or I will pick a new winner.
Good luck!
