This book was absolutely beyond what I imagined! It starts with a terrible drama happening during a high school prom, and continues when the main character comes back to her hometown hoping to start anew and literally put her past to rest, but to no avail. An amazing read!

Wow. This was not at all what I expected! What an amazing story of how yet another female has to go through the unthinkable (alone) while the male skips along through life singing a merry tune. You really get a feel for Amber, her struggles and how brave she has been. The ending was surprising and perfect!

The book really seemed tailor-made for me, not only does it take place in areas I am very familiar but a good chunk of the book takes place around a prom in 1997 when one of the main characters, Amber Glass, gives birth in a hotel room in sort of a fugue state. I graduated high school in 1997 which was the height of real-life stories of abandoned babies and giving birth at the prom. The other part of the book takes place leading up to and including the early days of the pandemic which I half related to but the characters really didn't let the pandemic stop them from living their lives much at all.

When I read Laura Lippman’s books that are so hyper-set in Baltimore, where I live, I wonder if other books are so set in place but I don’t realize it because I don’t live there. One of her books is even being made into a tv show that was being filmed in my neighborhood--right down the block from my library!

Outside of a few, I really don’t think most books are as specific as Lippman's. I think we all know more about LA and NYC practically by osmosis than we would about most cities because so many books and movies take place there but most other cities can’t say that. I think about this a lot and try to pay attention to it and I rarely get the impression that the authors are being as specific as she is.

Baltimore actually has two authors that spend a lot of time here and who place their characters and plot in very specific and real places. One of Anne Tyler’s most recent books takes place right up the street from Prom Mom which takes place largely in a community just outside the city in the surrounding Baltimore County.

What is it about Baltimore that inspires such specificity?

I digress. I did find myself thinking about Anne Tyler when reading because most of the book is really a character study of the "prom mom" Amber and "cad dad" Joe and his wife. The book focuses on other people as well, including the mother of the "cad dad" and even the prom limo driver but it's largely about these three and what seems to be a collision course.

In the beginning, I was thinking about who was going to die (Laura Lippman is currently largely a mystery author after all) but no deaths or even serious injuries happen until quite far in the book. Most of the book is going over what happened in 1997, Amber opening a gallery that sells outsider art, and the marriage of Joe and his talented plastic surgeon wife, Meredith whom he is devoted to. I was starting to think the book would pass without actual crime outside of real estate trickery when there were some soap opera-level twists. Honestly, I was disappointed. I loved about 5/8ths of the book and then the ending seemed abrupt and forced. There were signs of what might happen along the way of course but I was hoping it would have been more nuanced than how it ended.


I really did enjoy the book but the ending was a real false note for me. I don't know if there needed to be so many "twists" or even a crime at all. I have been reading her books since I was a teenager back in 1997 with the first Tess Monaghan book and her reporting before that (as did my mother) and it's rare I don't enjoy her work. I did not like Dream Girl at all and her memoir was fine. I felt like this was a return to Lippman's strengths after Dream Girl which was one of my least favorite books (out of hundreds read!) that year. I'm not sure why she has sort of drifted into "thriller twist" territory over straight mystery which I feel she is better at plotting. That said, I still highly recommend Prom Mom even if you don't live here and can picture every single place they go.

Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.

This book is weird--in a good way.

This is what I can share about the plot without getting into spoiler territory: On prom night in 1997, 16-year-old Amber gives birth in her date, Joe's hotel room, and kills the baby. Amber and Joe become media sensations known as Prom Mom and Cad Dad.

Fast forward to 2019, Amber is back in Baltimore. She soon finds herself entangled in Joe’s life once again.

The chapters alternate between Amber, Joe, and Joe's wife, Meredith. A good portion of the novel focuses on Joe and Meredith, with Amber taking more of a background role--this shifts as the story progresses. All of the characters are cold and calculating in their own ways. Amber was probably the most sympathetic.

There is a subtle game of cat and mouse going on, but it is not clear who is playing and who is playing whom until the very end.

The timeline alternates between 1997 and 201/2020, through the beginnings of COVID. The setting also alternates between Baltimore and New Orleans. Both cities come alive, and each plays a central role in the plot.

Similar to Lippman’s last book, I think readers will either love or hate Prom Mom. It worked for me in the best ways, and I found it oddly addicting. I had no idea where the plot was headed--and I enjoyed where it landed.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and William Morrow in exchange for an honest review.

Full disclosure, I love Laura Lippman's books. I enjoyed reading Prom Mom and it was a quick, engaging read. I admit to not being sure I was liking it at certain points - wondering if I had an connection with the characters. However, I was redeemed by the end and thoroughly enjoyed it!

LOVE Laura Lippman. Each story is different. You don't quite realize this is a thriller until the story pieces start to come together. Always love the backdrop of Baltimore and descriptions of the city. She included the pandemic shutdown as such an integral part of the story. This is so readable and always a twist in the end.

Prom Mom is the latest thriller by bestseller author Laura Lippman. It is the story of a young girl, Amber, who gives birth in a hotel room the night of her prom. As the story unfolds, you see how the actions of that night have shaped the lives of all involved.

After twenty years, Amber has put her life back together after that fateful night and is doing ok for herself. Joe, her prom date, is now married and working in his uncle’s real estate business. When Amber’s step father passes away, she returns to her home town to settle his estate. Once there she decides to stay and open a gallery in a small strip mall near her home. Joe just happens to be picking up food at the restaurant next door when he notices her name on the door to the new gallery. As they start to rebuild their friendship, events from the past and present start to complicate their lives.

A real page turner that you will find hard to put down. A solid plot line with believable characters, it kept me guessing until the very end. I would recommend this book to all fans of crime fiction.

The title of the book is based on the awful stigma that faced a young woman when she gave birth after her prom. Yet, Amber travels back to her hometown to find the father of her prom baby. It is at this point that the story devolves into a sad and awful tale of secrets, lies and murders.

It is interest, especially since it has happened to other young women who have panicked over unwanted, misunderstood pregnancy. Lippman has skillfully blended these sad headlines into an interesting story.

As always, Lippmann engages the reader into the lives of the characters. Lots of twists. Interesting novel.

Thank you Netgalley