As unlikable as Gerry is, this is a gripping read you can't put down. Different from anything I've read by this author. Lots of tension will keep you flipping pages. This one's a hit.

I’ve been a Laura Lippman fan since the early days of her Tess Monaghan series. Since then, she’s gone on to write a number of outstanding stand-alones. Her latest offing, Dream Girl, is a dark, slow burning, and enthralling puzzle full of twists that you will never see coming.

Gerry Anderson is a successful novelist who recently returned to his hometown of Baltimore to care of his aging mother. After his mother’s death, Gerry has an accident and is confined to a hospital bed in his high-rise apartment. He is dependent on his assistant Victoria and the night nurse Aileen for everything. As Gerry slowly recovers from his injuries, he starts getting mysterious phone calls from a woman claiming to be the real life inspiration for Aubrey, the main character of his breakout novel. Gerry had always insisted Aubrey was purely a product of his imagination and not based on anyone. Gerry considers who could be behind the calls. He has three ex-wives and a girlfriend he just ditched so there are numerous suspects.

As his isolation from the outside world grows, Gerry begins to question his own sanity and reflects on his own life and relationships. As his story unfolds, we see another side of Gerry- one that he doesn’t want his fans and admirers to see. And it’s at this point when Lippman really starts playing mind games!

This is a totally character driven psychological horror story. Lippman does credit Stephen King’s Misery for the inspiration. Her writing is sharp and the whole book is masterfully plotted.

I’ve gotten tired of the psychological thriller genre. But like Flynn’s Gone Girl and Hawkins’ Girl on the Train, Lippman elevates the genre to new heights with Dream Girl.

Gerry Anderson, a successful author, is bed-bound while recovery from a nasty fall. His only companions are his personal assistant, a dull night nurse, and a physical therapist. Then he begins to receive phone calls from a woman who claims to be the person who was his inspiration for his most successful novel, Dream Girl. But, there are a couple of problems…first, the character in his novel is strictly a figment of Gerry’s imagination and, secondly, no one believes the calls have even occurred. Who would play this kind of trick on him and what do they want? As he recovers, Gerry slips into a drug-induced, foggy world, filled with memories of his past – his ex-wives, multiple relationships, a childhood haunted by an uncaring and absent father, and a devoted and kind mother.

Dream Girl is a psychological thriller that slowly builds to a final crescendo. While it is a well-written story, I felt absolutely no empathy with any of the characters and that made it difficult to care about what would happen to any of them. The story jumps to and from different timelines and, while it was fairly easy to follow those leaps, it also seemed to make the story drag and become less interesting. Dream Girl is obviously not the book for me, but I will give it 3 *s simply because it is a clever plot that had a few moments that sparked my interest.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A famous writer is injured and finds himself under the care of a couple of women that he doesn't quite trust.

Gerry Anderson's novel Dream Girl was a huge best seller and a critical success. That success made life financially comfortable for Gerry. It allowed for many material pleasures. The success also allowed him to marry three times and divorce with little financial pain. So, he must be really enjoying life today.
NO. Currently Gerry is confined to a hospital bed in his penthouse apartment in Baltimore. A terrible fall has left him unable to leave the bed and in great pain.
Well as a celebrated novelist he must be surrounded by friends, well-wishers and literary cohorts. No. Gerry has a young assistant, Aileen, and a night nurse, Kim.
Oh, and there is a problem. Gerry is beginning to question what is happening around him. He has seen a female figure outside his window. But he is on the 25th floor. How is that possible? Then the phone calls in the middle of the night begin. A female voice claims to be Aubrey, the main character of Dream Girl. She says she wants to tell the world about him. But Gerry knows there was never a real Aubrey. There is also no record of these calls on his phone log.
It must be the pain medication. Each night the nurse gives him his pills, one for pain and one to aid in sleeping. He must be in a medical fog. But the worry creeps in. Could it be dementia? After all his mother had just a few weeks ago died of dementia. Could it be hereditary? No one believes him. Gerry is friendless and helpless.
But one morning Gerry wakes up to a dead body next to him. From this point on Gerry is in a state of Misery. The question becomes can he survive. Will he survive?
I have enjoyed many of Laura Lippman's prior novels and have found her P.I. Tess Monoghan a solid character. In Dream Girls, Lippman departs from the standard "solve a murder" genre to embrace the "horror" format. As such it was horror light not horror scary. I found myself thinking that it was a prophecy tale. You know - when you think only of yourself, you only have yourself to rely on. That can be a lonesome dangerous place.
All in all, I applaud Laura Lippman for leaving the comfort of crime novels to try a horror story and achieving a well written engrossing novel
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley. #NetGalley #DreamGirl

DNF @ 25%

Unfortunately this books was just so different from what I was expecting based on the description, I couldn't get into the story.

*Thank you to the publisher for this eARC.

Novelist Gerry Andersen is recovering from a freak accident in his industrial condo in Baltimore. Confined to his bed, he is dependent on his new assistant, Victoria, and his stolid night nurse, Aileen. When he begins receiving middle-of-the-night calls from Aubrey, a character he created in his best-known book, he's not sure whether to blame it on painkillers, incipient dementia, or one of his former wives/lovers.

He finds himself in quite a predicament and Aileen promises to take care of it. He agrees, not realizing the extent to which it will bind him to the odd Aileen, who he begins to suspect isn't quite as dumb as she's led him to believe she is.

Other blurbs compare this book to MISERY, which I neither read nor saw the movie, but it is slightly reminiscent of the recent release, THE PLOT, by Jean Hanff Korelitz. All these books hint at the deep insecurity of even the most successful authors. I do love both psychological suspense and Laura Lippmann (in the least creepy way--the fact she created this novel suggests she might be wary of adoring fans), so this book was perfect for me. Plus, Tess Monaghan made a guest appearance and had no time for Gerry Andersen. #DreamGirl #NetGalley

Dream Girl
by Laura Lippman
Publishing date: June 22, 2021

I found this book to be a delight. It was a true page-turner for me. I will be recommending it for our patrons who like psychological thrillers as I do. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. This book is going to be a hit!

5 star

I love Lippman's Tess Monaghan mysteries and have also enjoyed several of her standalone novels. Instead of the usual mystery that Lippman is known for, Dream Girl is a thriller in part inspired by Stephen King's Misery. The main character, author Gerry Andersen, is having a hard time writing and is now recovering from a serious injury in his Baltimore penthouse. He fell down a staircase in his home after receiving a letter with the return address of the lead character in his fictional novel, Dream Girl. He then has his assistant with him during the day and a nurse during the evening. Things really start getting weird and Gerry doesn’t know if he’s dreaming, hallucinating, or starting to have memory issues like his deceased mother had.

The book takes place over multiple timelines with memories from the past being mixed in with the present. Gerry is a sympathetic character at first, but as the story progresses, it seems clear that Gerry’s take on past events seem to be far from the truth. There really isn’t anyone to root for in the story except for the very end. However, Lippman is a terrific storyteller and the book kept my interest from the beginning to end. Part of what kept me entertained is all the humor included. I also like that you really get a feel for the Baltimore setting as described in the story. The book isn’t as gruesome as MIsery, but you can see how that book inspired Dream Girl, which takes that concept in a different direction.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for this ebook. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

Let me be perfectly clear. I did not like the main character, Gerry Anderson. And that is the point, Lippman made him unlikeable for a reason. Jason Culp’s narrators voice does not make him any more likeable. He makes the supporting characters just as unlikeable. Laura Lippman’s wonderful private investigator shows up in the book and turns down his request for help. I do not blame her. And yet, the reader will get caught up in this story and even the last chapter will come as a surprise. Gerry Anderson, is a famous author, stuck in his penthouse apartment because a freak accident has made him immobile and he is dependent on help from his personal assistant, a physical therapist, and a night nurse. And to make it worse, he gets phantom phone calls from Dream Girl, the girl in his most famous novel. Its driving him crazy because he cannot make people believe him. It gets worse when his praying mantis, a former fiancé, shows up demanding he let her live with her. He gets her to leave only to wake up the next morning to find her dead beside his hospital bed. And then the book really starts getting creepy. He lets his night nurse dispose of the body and from then on his life spirals quickly into a nightmare. I’m not going to give the story away but let me say, I am glad Gerry Anderson won’t be appearing in any more books by Lippman.

Gerry Anderson is an author who had a bad little incident. While recovering, he keeps encountering his "Dream Girl", the girl that he wrote about in his famous novel. Is Gerry going mad or does this Dream Girl actually exist?

Dream Girl definitely had some of my signature trademarks: it had imperfect characters who were trying their best, the storytelling was rather advanced (clearly a very talented author), and it even had a bit of steam. The book has very good character development where the MC, Gerry, is portrayed as a horrible human being, but (of course) he doesn't view himself that way. Gerry does offer the book a bit of high-brow humor, and I thought that the book was very funny and entertaining. Also, I did enjoy the mystery of finding out what was going on. None of the characters were doing silly things and ignoring perfectly obvious clues. We also see little flashbacks of Gerry's life which were also very entertaining.

Overall, this is one of the more well-written thrillers that I have picked up recently. I look forward to reading future works by Lippman.

This was an unexpected book. The blurbs made it sound like a take on the Stephen King book, Misery, but the book itself, while mentioning Misery, didn't really go that way. The story was interesting and the "hero", Gerry, was relatable and sympathetic, while not being anywhere near perfect. The plot was well written and finished up with a twist that was hard to see coming. This is a psychological thriller that should appeal to readers who would enjoy reading about novelists and publishers and the folks who would do just about anything to become one of them.

Another homerun by Ms. Lippman. It's Misery plus #MeToo. Told in close third-person, the book's structure naturally has the reader rooting for the protagonist. But as the story unfolds, it becomes subtly clear that he is not a person to root for. A masterful work that will be studied by writers.

Well, if you're looking for a wild psychological ride, you won't go wrong with this one. What a delight!

At first, actually, I worried a bit; just about every chapter switches time frame, which to me is distracting (more accurately described as my aging brain has more trouble keeping things straight than it used to). But in short order - thanks to some expert writing - I was "into" it and really, really didn't want to put it down.

Gerry Andersen gained fame, considerable fortune and fancy digs in New York City after penning a best-selling novel titled "Dream Girl," followed by a few other books that did relatively well. Now, at age 61, he reluctantly moved to Baltimore to care for his mother in her final stages of dementia. She died, and he had a freaky accident that left him bedridden in his apartment with almost round-the-clock caregivers who share the chores of making sure he's fed, watered and bathed. He's not happy with the arrangement (nor, for that matter, with either of the women upon whom he's dependent), but much as he'd love to head back to the Big Apple, his choices for the foreseeable future are rather limited.

The main character in his best-seller was a woman named Aubrey, and despite many pleas from fans and the media to 'fess up, he swears she's not based on a real person or persons. So when he gets a phone call from a woman who calls herself Aubrey - who tells him she's coming to see him soon - he starts to wonder if he's succumbing to the same dementia that killed his mother. That's followed by wonder about how he could protect himself if she really did show up and wanted to hurt him. Even more concerning is that there's no record that he ever received a phone call on his phone; could it be a hallucination caused by all the drugs he takes?

His caregivers aren't much help, nor is the woman he left in New York - one of the few he didn't actually marry - who's followed him to Baltimore. She's almost more of a pain than his shattered leg, but she's hard to avoid when he's trussed up like a stuffed turkey. Things really turn sour, though, when he wakes up one morning to see a dead body - one he's pretty sure wasn't there when he fell asleep the night before. One of his caregivers offers an explanation, but it's not one he wants to hear, much less believe.

From that point on, the plot gets even thicker and more fun with more than a few twists beyond what's already happened - all leading to a bang-up ending that, I must admit, left me cheering. Without doubt, this is one of the most engrossing books out of the 53 I've read so far this year - highly recommended. Kudos to the author, and many hanks very much to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

I really like Laura Lippman, but for me she hit or miss. Felt like this was a very slow burn, which I'm not opposed to, but then the bag gotcha ya at the end was very underwhelming.

Set in Baltimore, chiefly in a rented hospital bed, the main character is a famous writer and occasional teacher recovering from a serious accident. The story of his life unfolds as he tries to determine if he is losing his mind or if somebody is gaslighting him. There are a lot of mentions of books and movies, which add to the enjoyment. Highly recommended.

"Everything is in the before moment. That's where life is richest, in that moment of possibility and anti-say it, the audience screamed at the screen-pation. ... And then the ball finds its slot and the story ends even as it begins." (Dream Girls, Laura Lippman)
Thank you William Morrow and Custom House and NetGalley for providing access to Laura Lippman's new book Dream Girls for review. This was a great thriller and the ending, yes!! The almost tongue in cheek play on the idea in the quote above about anticipation, well done. I can feel who how Ms. Lippman was indeed waiting for the ball to find its slot with her plot and her resolution.

I am almost never fully satisfied by the end of a thriller and yet this one was just right, I really appreciated how Ms. Lippman took the reader on a complicated story, at times with shifting tone and focus, and generated some uncertainty in the reader about what kind of person Gerry Andersen really was and if how he viewed himself was really accurate (was he really a good man?), and then had such a delightful and insightful end that, for me, explained all of this. I appreciate the intentionality of the story and the creativity, and I think delight, Ms. Lippman showed in writing and sharing this story.

PLOT: Gerry Andersen, famous writer, is forced to consider his past relationships, his most famous character, and if he is losing his mind after an accident leaves him in the hands of a possibly manipulative nurse (themes of Misery are intentional and well respected, especially with a theme about books and movies and reality vs fiction woven into the plot.... it works!). Is he losing his mind, being gaslit, or is someone trying to hurt him and exact revenge for something he may or may not have done? Is he trying to create a past that misrepresents who he really is and was?

THOUGHTS: There is a lot to enjoy about this thriller, even horror, book. First, Ms. Lippman has a strong focus on intentionally creating confusion, I felt as unsure and even scared once or twice, about what was happening to Gerry... there is a create theme of anticipation and I just love how Ms. Lippman takes this seemingly small part of a memory, a former friendship, and then perhaps makes the whole plot about that theme.

Second, I love when writers weave in connections, purposefully, to other books and movies and shows a respect for her idea, plot, and the broader genres she is examining. In some ways Gerry is doing this work for her via his role as author, teacher, and of course protagonist and I appreciate those moments of connection to real world books, movies, and culture.

Third, I respect a slow burn that is also somehow a fast read. The book is atmospheric, at times does play with tone and style and I think intentionally makes you question if Gerry's own ideas about himself are really fair to others in his life... He seems unaware of the harm he has perhaps created, thinking himself a good man or just someone who can and does move on with his life... and yet, it seems it is this thinking and his past that are keeping him from now moving on after his accident. This is thought provoking as is the idea that a theme was how Gerry didn't want to write his memoirs and yet... this book becomes in a way his memoir. That was well done as well.

Fourth, as noted above, I loved the end. It made me smile and then sit back and say how interesting and I like how the end tackles some of what might be a criticism of the book (shifting tone, confusion or seeming inconsistencies with how Gerry is portrayed, moving alliances or sympathies) and makes it all work. It was rewarding to the reader and also respectful of the reader who might have been wondering about some of these aspects of the writing and the plot.

I think this is a great book for mystery lovers and worthy of thought provoking discussions in book clubs. I hope people appreciate the writing and plot development, how Ms. Lippman is playing with themes a bit, and that the plot is worth the time.

His book was pretty okay, Somewhere closer to a 3.5 stars for me. It wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t *quite* there for me. So many bad decisions were made by the characters, mainly the main character, that it just made me want to scream. Why call for help in a dangerous situation when you could just quote books instead? Why trust your longtime confidant over the person you have known for a month? Main character cannot possibly have spent 60 years being super smart to simultaneously be that dumb. And I was partially satisfied with how the ending played out. Some people got what they deserved, some did not. I am happy I read it once, but I’ll likely never read it again. One and done for me.

I received an ARC, but my opinions are all mine.

I’ve been a big fan of Ms Lippman since her contemporary noir Sunburn and this one was also very enjoyable all the way up to the ending, which was surprising and, I felt, maybe a bit clumsy.

Gerry Anderson is a successful author, a college professor, and a good person. Right now, he’s suffering from writer’s block and, following an accident, is immobilized in a hospital bed in his apartment in a luxury highrise in Baltimore, tended only by his assistant and a night nurse.

Out of the blue, he gets a phone call from a young woman claiming to be the inspiration for the title character of his breakout novel, Dream Girl. But Gerry knows that there was no such inspiration, so who is she? Maybe the mix of painkillers and sleeplessness is giving him hallucinations? It gets even more out of hand when he wakes one morning to discover the body of his ex-girlfriend laying on the floor with his letter opener through her eye.

Mixed into Gerry’s hazy present are chapters about his relationships with women, from his mother to his three wives and some casual flings along the way. Could any of them be Aubrey, his dream girl?

The author does a great job of keeping the tension rising and keeping us guessing what’s going on. Gerry is a marvelously oblivious character: he believes he is a good person but has quite clearly left a wake of destruction behind him with women he is close to as well as the cavalier treatment of those he isn’t. It makes him a little unsympathetic as a protagonist but as the other characters are pretty uniformly unlikeable, I found myself rooting for him by default.

Midway through, there’s a class reading and viewing list for one of Gerry’s classes. Attentive readers will spot some of the plot from these novels and films in this novel. Nice tip of the hat by the author.

Thanks to William Morrow and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

First line: Gerry dreams.

Summary: After an accident that leaves author Gerry Anderson immobilized strange things begin to happen. He keeps getting calls from his fictional character, Audrey, from his bestselling book Dream Girl. Even though he knows he is talking to someone neither his nurse nor his personal assistant have heard the phone ring or heard the mysterious woman on the other end. Then one night he wakes up from his drug addled sleep to find a body on the floor by his bed. What is happening? Is he starting to lose touch with reality like his mother?

My Thoughts: I felt like this book had a lot of promise. Lippman has written some really great thrillers but this one was boring. It took nearly half the book to reach the point where the body appears. There is lots of time hops and characters. Everything seemed to drag on and on. I kept waiting for some crazy reveal or big shock but when something finally happened at the end I was underwhelmed. It was a big letdown for me. And none of the characters were likeable. I got really annoyed with the main character, Gerry. He was constantly trying to worry about how he is perceived in the new “woke” society and #MeToo movement. It got old.

FYI: Check out Lady in the Lake by Laura Lippman. Much more fun.