The story is told from the point of view of Gerry Andersen, a reasonably successful writer, who has moved from the hustle and bustle of New York to Baltimore for personal reasons. He suffers an accident and is bedbound for months isolated from his friends and family. This is when things start to go a bit strange… Gerry receives phone calls from a woman claiming to be the main character in his best selling novel and his secrets are threatened to be revealed. Although the premise of the story is rather unique, it is fairly predictable. Overall it is an enjoyable and interesting read.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. To be forthcoming, I requested this ARC and was turned down, but it became available as a read now, I grabbed it rather than wait for it from the library (release date 6/22/21). I've read all of Lippman's books. This book does echo Stephen King's Misery and the MeToo movement. I hate to give too much away.

Gerry Andersen is a fairly successful author who moved between New York and Baltimore throughout his 3 marriages and becoming his mother's caregiver when she had dementia. He becomes injured from a fall in his Locust Point condo in January 2019 and is bedbound for months while his assistant Victoria works there during the day and his night nurse Aileen comes at night. Lippman takes us through the events of his months long recuperation and the events of his previous life all jumbled up. There are clues, of course to pay attention towards but with Andersen's sole POV and rumblings it can be difficult, intentionally for the reader to focus on the red flags and herrings. The ending was a masterful conclusion, maybe I was eager to finish it but the character development was superb and the elements of horror were done well.

There should be content warnings for sexual assault and mistreatment with meds. Part of the reckoning of the MeToo movement is for men to be conscious and aware that their actions in the past have not been innocent, particularly understanding consent. These men who tell themselves they are good, but P.S. they did this that and the other thing so maybe they *aren't* Boy Scouts after all. That's probably the more uncomfortable topic for men. I was excited to see P.I. Tess Monaghan who had a brief part in the book and her reaction to Gerry Andersen, perhaps is most telling. This book wavers around a 3.5 /5 for me.

WOW what a great book. I never saw the twists coming. I could not solved the mystery on my own.
Gerry Anderson is a writer who has moved to Baltimore for family reasons. A series of events places him traction isolated away from friends. Someone begins calling late at night and threatening to share secrets from the past. Can he figure this out before it's too late?

I loved the set up - a mix of Misery and Rear Window, this thriller will keep you hooked. There is even a cameo from Tess Monagham! Gerry is incredibly unlikeable but Lippman's prose keeps you interested and engaged. Highly Recommend!

My thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for this book. Unfortunately my review is only for 16 percent of the story.

Gerry is an author who wrote a book, Dream Girl. He falls on a staircase and gets letters from Aubrey, his character in the book. Is she real? That's what Gerry wants to find out. I could not connect with the story flow. So much information crammed in with the running sentences. All information about the apartment he is in, his ex wives, authors name appearing in middle of the page(probably unedited copy), then right in the middle flashes of past events with the year in the middle of the page. Very slow build up. I felt like I had to force myself to continue which was my signal to move on. Plus it felt like elements of Misery.

I remember reading Laura Lippman the 1st time on summer vacation in high school, so her novels hold a bit of nostalgia for me. There were things I really like about this story, but sometimes these were also the things I disliked.

We are in the head of Gerry, an older writer who has seen some success in his career. His head is simultaneously an interesting place to be, and a maddening place to be with some of his opinions on the younger generations and everyone’s intellect but his own.

The classic and popular literature and film references were both fun and overdone. They are fun when you have seen/are familiar with the source material and understand the reference but not so much when you can’t immediately call to mind an actress from the 60’s and her entire filmography.

The plot itself was predictable but a good time seeing how it unfolds. You can definitely see where the story is going if you read that this is a Misery and Gaslight mashup before you start, but the journey is where the enjoyment is with this one.

I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest opinion. Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher!

Well, this is certainly very different from the other Lippman I'd previously read (Lady in the Lake) - the author herself namechecks King's Misery and Roth's Zuckerman Unbound, and it also reminded me of those literary game-playing mysteries like Magpie Murders. I'd say this is slow to get going and it takes a good percentage of the book before we reach the end of the blurb, and it's definitely plot-driven with a lot of women weaving in and out. The ending is one where I suspect readers will either throw the book at the wall, or grin manically - I'm in the latter category!

Laura Lippman, Dream Girl, First Published in the UK, Faber & Faber Ltd 2021, First Published USA, William Morris, Harper Collins 2021, CPI Group (UK) 2021.

Thank you, Net Galley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof in exchange for an honest review.

Tess Monaghan PI, one of Laura Lippman’s continuing characters, makes only a short appearance in this novel. However, her interaction with the main character, Gerry Anderson, is instructive. It tells the reader something about Tess Monaghan as well as much of Gerry’s story that good PI that she is, Monaghan has investigated. Gerry has done nothing to apprise himself of her ability – the person he wants to employ to enquire into mysterious phone calls from a woman purporting to be the Dream Girl of his successful novel. Gerry’s knowledge of Tess is limited to an interview with her in a magazine, when his immediate reaction to her photograph was that she was ‘not his type’. Although ‘it had not occurred to him that she could turn him down’ she does so and leaves the novel. Her explanation for refusing his request is his lack of self-awareness which would undermine any examination of events and their cause. This is a clever use of Tess Monaghan, although potentially disappointing for her fans. However, the value of her short commentary should not be underestimated. A clever move by Lippman.

There are some Misery (Stephen King) like aspects of the work, referred to by Lippman in an afterword. I also thought about the phone calls to elderly people in Muriel Sparkes’ Memento Mori and their impact on their recipients. Gerry’s fear, confusion, apathy, and self-delusion are fed by letters that appear temporarily, the phone calls that are heard by no one else, and leave no evidence of having been received, possible sightings of strange events and non-existent visitors during the night. Gerry’s dependence on painkillers given to him by his overnight nurse, Aileen, his entrapment at the top of his apartment in an unwieldly metal hospital bed, his inability to write another novel, and reliance on self-aggrandisement through memories of his professional and personal past increase his distress.

Gerry’s story creates some comic moments as well as apprehension; sympathy vies with uncertainty, and at times dismay, at Gerry’s self-regard. The relationship with Margot, a former lover is well written, encouraging the reader to adopt Gerry’s interpretation of the difficulties the relationship has imposed upon him. Similarly, his relationships with Aileen, his nurse; Victoria, his new assistant; and Phylloh, the receptionist at his apartment; his agent and friends, while raising some questions, are almost effortlessly seen from Gerry’s perspective. Even knowing that other protagonists might well have a point of view that differs from Gerry’s, it is hard to get past Gerry’s own interpretation of his life and relationships. In many ways he is a really engaging character, with his literary and cultural asides; the story of his parents and their relationship with each other and him; his professional writing experiences and humorous (and yet, on reflection are they really?), commentaries on life and personalities. The reader is not made directly cognisant of any alternative perceptions until the end of the book, although there are abundant, but subtle clues throughout.

Laura Lippman has cleverly demonstrated the way in which, even with the clearest of signposts, a reader can be so drawn into a character’s life it is difficult to extricate themselves from the main protagonist’s point of view. As a mystery that has a logical and appealing solution the novel works well. As a feminist investigation, if the reader is so disposed to read it that way, the novel works very well. To be able to draw a reader into an account of what is, on reflection, the life of a misogynist, without immediately calling him to task, is a very clever feat. I was disposed to read this novel as a mystery, with an absorbing feminist intent, and found it a satisfying read.

More like 2.5 stars. I would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I have always enjoyed the author's books and look forward to each new one unfortunately for this one, that was not the case, I couldn't get into it at all.

I absolutely devoured this literary delight from Laura Lippman, the story is incredibly haunting, a little creepy which really added to the ambience of the read.

It's a twisted tale told in a noir horror style, the characters pop and it is beautifully unpredictable with a thought provoking kick ass ending.

Easily one of the best books I've read this year.

Gerry Anderson wouldn't win an award for author of the year. Divorced three times and fleeing a girlfriend in NY, none of his relationships seem to end well. He has sold his NY apartment and moved back to Baltimore to be closer to his dying mother. The ink is barely dry on his new place when she dies, and now the question is, what will he do with the rest of his life.
He has few friends, few interests, a steady stream of income from his books, and apparently, he is just an all-around great guy. The universe has a way though of showing its disdain for his shallow and often hurtful life. Gerry, you see is the most unreliable of unreliable narrators.
An accident leaves him bedridden with only his personal assistant and night nurse to care for him. Soon strange things start happening. He receives disturbing phone calls from a fictional character in one of his books. Is he hallucinating from his medication, losing his mind, or has someone decided to make Gerry pay for his past actions?
When he wakes up one morning to a dead body on the floor, he is about to find out if he is dreaming or if his life has become a nightmare. The timeline often shifts from the present to events that occurred in his past. We learn more about him and much of it is quite disturbing. How he sees himself is a far cry from the truth. His accident may wind up being the worst mistake of his life.
This was a hard one to figure out until some major information was shared. If you love Laura Lippman's earlier books, you will appreciate it when a favorite character of mine, briefly makes an appearance. To me, this was part horror, part psychological thriller, part revenge, and ultimately the undoing of an odious man. Dream Girl was hard to put aside and I really enjoyed it.

Laura Lippman, you’ve done it again! I loved this biting satirical mystery about an aging writer with a warped sense of self-perception and entitlement, especially where women are concerned.

Everyone already knows that Laura Lippmann
Is one of the best writers working in the mystery genre today, and her prose really shone here. “Dream Girl” is the name of the book, and is also the name of the novel our irascible and unlikable protagonist (?) Gerry wrote back in 2001. Dream Girl was Gerry’s one shining success that made him a literary wunderkind at the time, And accordingly, Gerry appears to still be living in some version of the past, but maybe more like the 1980s, when popular male writers were treated like rock stars and revered for bad behavior. Gerry still thinks that’s how life is, as evidenced also by things like his old-timer’s proclivity for handwritten checks in lieu of EFTs and his even more ancient belief that all women are best and most fulfilled while serving him.

Lippman really does a masterful job of showing how myopic Gerry is about himself. When Gerry begins to get cryptic letters from a woman in his past, he simply can’t IMAGINE who they might be from. He can’t think of any woman he’s ever wronged! Despite the fact that he has three ex-wives, some 30 “one night stands,” and numerous female students he clearly objectified. In fact, it becomes clear that Gerry objectified all women, from the “nurse” who helps him while he’s confined to bed with an injury, to his ex-girlfriend, to his former wives and students. It takes awhile for the murders to start happening, but the reader will be less shocked that Gerry about them.

I’m not sure how Lippman makes this awful man so much fun to read about. But I think much is due to her deadpan wit, superior writing, and self-awareness (while Gerry has none). In addition to being a very fun read, this book also has some things to say about how Gerry’s sort of men view women and how their views have stayed static as society changes. On a deeper level, the book asks interesting questions about an author’s relationship to his or her subjects and inspirations. So I loved this book as both a feminist and a fan of fiction.

The book starts off a little slow establishing characters and plot, but I didn’t mind at all because the writing was so wonderful. I think readers will find the beginning either slow or engrossing depending on their enjoyment of her writing style, particularly the satirical edge, which I loved. When I got to the fantastic end, I was extremely impressed at how Lippman was able to pull off something so clever, so symbolic, and so entertaining on its face.

“Dream Girl” solidifies Laura Lippman’s place as one of our most literary modern mystery writers. I really look forward to delving more deeply into my unread books in her backlist, because this book reminded me why I love her writing so much. 4.5⭐️

Thanks to Faber and Faber, NetGalley, and the author for this wonderful ARC.

An unreliable narrator
Social commentary
Sexual abuse and thriller
All rolled into a well-executed thriller with twists and turns.
The writing is excellent and the pace good.
Definitely going to read more from this author

I enjoyed this book, but I'm struggling to describe it. It's definitely inspired by Stephen King's Misery and Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window. It's not really a Mystery/Thriller novel. It more closely resembles a Horror story, but it's surreal, too. And I'm not sure I liked any of the characters in it.

Tess Monaghan makes a cameo when the main character tries to hire her to investigate a series of threatening phone calls and letters he receives, but she declines, because she doesn't like him either.

There are also numerous references to classic movies and tv, including The Sopranos, The Wire, and The Getaway. And, as with all Laura Lippman's books, it takes place in Baltimore.

However, I still think What the Dead Know is her best book.

3.5 Stars

I had to sleep on how I felt about this one... I had a really hard time finishing it because I hated the protagonist, Gerry Andersen, but the ending had me rethinking the entire book and how I really felt about it. It genuinely speaks to Laura Lippman's power as a writer that I found Gerry so utterly reprehensible.

Additionally, it felt like the "build up" for the story took forever, but the last 40 pages had everything happening at lightning speed. I don't always have an issue with plot developments like that, but in this case I found it just didn't quite work for me.

As for the comparisons I have seen to Stephen King's Misery, I think it's a bit of a stretch. If you're going into this book holding it to Misery's standards, you will undoubtedly be disappointed, which is ultimately unfair to Lippman.

I would like to thank NetGalley, William Morrow, and Laura Lippman for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Dream Girl in exchange for my honest review.

I was so excited to be chosen for a copy of The Dream Girl! I really like the authors writing style in this book. Laura Lippmann really makes you question what is real and what isn’t! The story follows a novelist who begins reviving crank calls from a woman claiming to be the “real” Aubrie. But there is no Aubrie, because he made her up. She’s the character in his best selling novel. So who is calling him, and what does she want? I couldn’t put it down until the end, I was sneaking chapters in everywhere I went.

Book Review for Dream Girl
Full review for this title will be posted at: @cattleboobooks on Instagram!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Dream Girl by Laura Lippman is an intense thriller about a bestselling author who is getting crank calls in the middle of the night by someone to be the main character in his bestselling novel. Who is this woman calling him? What does she want? Why is she claiming to be Aubrey, a fictional character? Was his novel based on a real person's life story? Or is it something more sinister?

Reading this book, I had a lot of questions, and it was fully engrossing. Especially after I read the cliffhanger at the end of Part One, I had to continue reading Part Two. I was so engaged that i ended up finishing the book in a few hours. The idea of an author being haunted by his bestselling work is so interesting. In that aspect, the book reminded me of The Plot, another book that will be released this year. In both books, the plot transitions from dry humor poking fun of the writing process and authors in general to a full-blown thriller involving deaths and hidden identities. If you are planning on reading The Plot, I recommend you read Dream Girl, which has a bit more action and suspense than The Plot did.

Here's an excerpt from the opening chapter of the book, which demonstrates the mysterious mood of the book:

"In a rented hospital bed, high above the city, higher than he ever thought possible in stodgy, low-slung Baltimore, Gerry is asleep more often than he's awake. He floats, he rouses, he drifts, he dreams. He tosses, but he cannot turn. He is Wynken, Blynken, and Nod, casting his net over the glittering lights of downtown, deceptively beautiful at night, a city where someone might choose to live, no longer a city where one gets stuck, not at night, not in his dreams.
There is no clear demarcation between Gerry's dreams and his fantasies, his not-quite-asleep and his not-really-awake."

After I read this part, I had to keep reading to find out what happens and to solve the "mystery" of Aubrey. Unfortunately, I am taking off one star because I did not find the ending satisfying. Although Gerry does some awful things, I found myself rooting for him, and I found that the message the author was trying to send may have gotten muddled in between all of the murders and the mixed-up motivations of the main characters. I'm not sure if the "message" of the novel truly got through, or if the author just intended this book to be a typical thriller.

Overall, Dream Girl is an engrossing thriller that is unique in that it sends a message to the reader about feminism and contemporary culture in American society. If you're planning on reading The Plot or if you're a fan of thrillers in general, I recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in July!

I found this book a bit slow and hard to get into, it was basically just interesting enough that I continued reading it so I could see the outcome. I did not care for the main character, and aging author who was just not a good person in general and honestly didn't really see the point in the story unfortunately.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for honest review.

3.5 stars, rounded up!

This was one of the strangest, most unsettling books I have read recently. I didn't connect with any of the characters, yet the storyline was so compelling, I kept coming back to it, determined to finish.

Author and teacher Gerry Andersen suffers a freak fall in his apartment, with injuries so severe he is confined to a hospital bed. His money affords him the luxury of having a nurse so he can convalesce at home. Gerry soon begins receiving phone calls from a woman claiming to be Aubrey, the female lead in his most successful novel Dream Girl...but Aubrey isn't real, and worse, there are no records of the calls coming in. Is Gerry hitting the painkillers too hard, or are the echoes of dementia that haunted his mother now settling on him as the next victim?

The story goes back and forth between present day and Gerry's childhood, which was lonely and complex. Maybe this was an attempt to humanize him, but he's still pretty deplorable. A string of ex-wives, only notices the "pretty" girls, and sexually promiscuous, even when married. Yep, a real winner.

You can definitely see the influence of Stephen King's Misery, and I enjoyed the story. The big reveal was a little far-fetched, but overall, an enjoyable read.

Great quick book!. It did start off a bit slow for my liking but picked up around the middle of the read!
Kept me guessing, had elements of a thriller suspense feel.