The author Megan Abbott recommended this and oh boy, am I glad she did! Lippman explains in her acknowledgements that was inspired by Sarah Marshall’s podcast to write Prom Mom and that’s just another reason why I loved it. The characterisation is deep and detailed - I really believed in Meredith as a character - and both Baltimore and New Orleans are depicted so vividly I hankered after the French bistro and one of Amber’s slices of king cake. Intelligent, dark plotting and evocative atmosphere - reading this was way better than my own prom night!

'When I was seventeen, I gave birth to a baby in a hotel bathroom while attending the prom.' Two decades ago, Amber Glass's life changed forever. No-one had even known she was pregnant - including Joe, her date.
Afterwards, she left town for good - and hasn't seen Joe since. But she knows he hasn't left, that he's working for his father's real estate company, married to a cosmetic surgeon. Child free. Now Amber is back, and as the two of them tentatively start to renew their once unlikely relationship, will their secrets and motivations finally destroy everyone around them? Inspired by a true story, this guessing game of a novel explodes with feeling and menace.

Well. well. well. Well? Where do I even start?
I saw that this was a most-requested ARC so I was instantly intrigued. I thought I'd give it a go. that many people can't be wrong, can they?
Well they were right. This book was exceptional. As a first time reader of Laura Lippman, I will be LINING up to buy her next. This is a cat and mouse plot - my favourite kind. I think the characters are unhinged and deranged, again my favourite kind. I love dual timeline plots. The timeline alternates between 1997 and 201/2020, through the beginnings of COVID. This gives a huge insight into the plot and provides a huge amount of foreshadowing which is integral. I've read reviews where I've heard people say they love or hate Lippmann's work - but I loved it.

Prom Mom piqued my curiosity and held my attention until the very end, and the ending is definitely worth sticking around for!

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.