Lady X

by Molly Fader

The search for a notorious vigilante exposes the secrets between three generations of women in this propulsive novel of female resistance and rage, sweeping from contemporary L.A. to gritty, 1970s New York.

Los Angeles, 2024. After learning that her A-List actor husband sent explicit photos to multiple girls on social media, Margot Cooper runs away from the world—and the paparazzi—by fleeing to her childhood home with her teenage daughter in tow.

But home isn’t the sanctuary Margot was hoping for. In a cardboard box in the corner of the attic, she finds damning evidence of an infamous urban legend, the mysterious vigilante “Lady X”—including a blurry newspaper photo of a woman who looks an awful lot like Margot’s mother.

New York City, 1977. In the midst of an infamous summer, Ginger Daughtry and her two beloved roommates are able to shield each other from the chaos—until one of them is assaulted. Astounded by the lack of response from police, the young women decide to engage in some light payback, signing their handiwork as “Lady X.”

Soon copycats appear, and a movement inspired by acts of vandalism against terrible men spirals out of control, with criminals running amok under the guise of the enigmatic “Lady X.” When a body is found fallen—or pushed—from five stories high, the hunt reaches a boiling point.

But Lady X has vanished into thin air.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Historical

384 pages, Paperback

First published July 14, 2026

About the author

Molly Fader is the author of The McAvoy Sister’s Book Of Secrets. As Molly O’Keefe she is the USA Today Bestselling author of over 50 contemporary romances. She lives in Toronto Ontario with her husband, two kids and rescue dog.

Reviews

[Nancy]

4 (maybe even 4.5) ⭐️s

I gobbled this book up, and it kept me up way past my bedtime. It was so bingeable and engaging that I'm surprised it isn't getting more attention.

2024, Los Angeles — Margot Cooper's life implodes when her famous actor husband is accused of sending explicit photos to multiple young women on social media. She takes her youngest daughter, Skye, who is still in high school, and heads back to her childhood home in Pennsylvania to be with her sister. With their mother now living in an assisted living facility, the sisters decide it's finally time to clean out the attic. While sorting through decades of forgotten belongings, they stumble across a dusty cardboard box filled with articles about the mysterious vigilante known as "Lady X," along with a blurry newspaper photo of a woman who looks an awful lot like their mother.

1977, New York City — With The Son of Sam causing fear in NY, Ginger and her roommates Rachel and Faye try to stay safe and lay low until one of them is assaulted and raped. Shocked by the lack of response when they report it to a police officer, they decide to take matters into their own hands.

Both timelines are compelling in different ways. I also loved how the author explores the powerful bonds of both biological family and found family. Not once did I lose interest while reading, and I found the ending quite satisfying.

Many of the men in this book are horrible and misogynistic, BUT huge kudos to the author for acknowledging that good men, including some in law enforcement, exist as well. That's something I don't come across very often in stories centered on female rage, and I really appreciated that choice because it brought balance to the story.

This was my first Molly Fader book, but because I enjoyed it so much, I'll definitely be checking out her previous work. Highly recommend!

Now available! My thanks to Ballantine via NetGalley for my digital ARC.

[Casey Reads 🌸]

Infinity stars!!! ♾️⭐️

One of the best books I have ever read! I think this book changed my brain chemistry and I will never forget it! Why aren’t more people talking about this masterpiece?

A woman finds old information about a “Lady X” in her childhood home’s attic. Lady X was a feminist vigilante in the 70s. The story is told between two timelines and it is just perfectly written. We slowly find out who Lady X is and everything that went down while there is a present day theme that matches everything that happened.

I never re-read books, but this is one I would read again. It was just perfect. If you have ever heard that song Labour by Paris Paloma, that was playing in my head while reading parts of this.

If there was ever a book that needs to be immediately made into a series it is this one. Do you hear me Prime? Netflix?

[Meagan (Meagansbookclub)]

I zipped through this audiobook! A feminine rage type of story that had me interested in both present and past storylines.

[Jonetta]

the setup…
It’s the summer of 2024 and in the blink of an eye, Margot Cooper’s life imploded. Her Hollywood star husband Jack is exposed as having sent sexually explicit pictures to young girls on social media. Their carefully curated marriage was a sham, along with the brand she built. She and sixteen-year old daughter Skye flee to her parents’ home in Pittsburgh to escape the madness, joining her sister Julia who now lives there. As they work to sort through the attic, they discover a box with newspaper clippings from the summer of 1977 New York City where the Son of Sam terrorized the boroughs, the infamous blackout brought chaos and Lady X struck fear into the hearts of badly behaving men. But one of the Lady X articles appears to include a photo of their mother, Ginger. Could it be…?

the heart of the story…
The transitions between 2024 and 1977 were expertly timed and fascinating with Margot and Ginger as the storytellers. Margot and Julia were completely unaware their mother ever lived in New York. Ginger and roommates Rachel and Faye were not only there during that infamous summer but were in the thick of everything, forced to deal with the commonplace misogyny and sexual harassment of the time. Was Lady X an urban legend or were they somehow connected?

the narration…
Helen Laser delivered (again) a fabulous performance with riveting storytelling, giving distinctive voices for a host of characters.

the bottom line…
Fader is masterful in capturing the vibe of 1977 NYC and the emotional punch of Margot’s 2024 public marriage meltdown. The emergence of female rage expressed through Lady X was empowering and unsettled men as it does today. I loved how Ginger, Rachel and Faye bonded through the experience and supported each other. It’s an extremely powerful, well crafted story.

[laurakellylitfit]

Out May 5th, 2026
Lady X is a gripping, intergenerational novel that blends mystery, feminist resistance, and emotional reckoning across two timelines—1970s New York and contemporary Los Angeles. At its heart, the story explores the legacy of a vigilante known only as “Lady X,” whose mythic reputation has haunted and empowered women for decades. The novel opens in 2024 with Margot Cooper, a Hollywood wife reeling from the public scandal of her A-list husband’s inappropriate behavior. Seeking refuge, she retreats to her childhood home with her teenage daughter, only to uncover a box in the attic containing cryptic evidence—newspaper clippings and photos—that suggest her mother may have once been the infamous Lady X.

The narrative then shifts to 1977 New York City, where Ginger Daughtry and her two roommates are navigating a gritty, chaotic summer. When one of them is assaulted and the police fail to act, the women take justice into their own hands. Their retaliatory acts—graffiti, vandalism, and symbolic defiance—are signed “Lady X,” sparking a wave of copycat crimes and a citywide obsession with the mysterious figure. What begins as a personal crusade against misogyny snowballs into a movement, blurring the lines between justice and chaos. When a man is found dead under suspicious circumstances, the hunt for Lady X intensifies, but she disappears without a trace.

As Margot digs deeper into her mother’s past, she begins to unravel the secrets that bind three generations of women—herself, her mother, and her daughter.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this ARC!

[Laura]

Such a good book!
So realistic, both in terns of the plot, and the characters & their development as the book progressed.
Loved the character of Margo- she will definitely stay with me even after finishing the book!
Now I need to go out and find the other books written by this author, & add them to my at-home library!
10 out of 10 would recommend!

[Michelle]

5 stars.

This was fantastic. I usually am meh about dual timelines, but these both worked and also seamlessly fit together. Both narratives were equally strong, had well developed characters and kept a good pace. I have absolutely no complaints. It was a lot stronger than I anticipated.

I mostly listened to the audio and it was very well narrated by the talented Helen Laser. She always does a great job. Very grateful for the opportunity to both read and listen to this wonderful book.

Thank you to Ballantine Books for the gifted finished copy and prhaudio for the gifted audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

[Jodi Harrison]

Lady X is a sweeping, dual-timeline novel of resistance, rage, and resilience.

In 1977 New York, Ginger and her roommates, disillusioned by a system that fails them, become the notorious vigilante “Lady X.” In 2024 Los Angeles, Margot, reeling from her husband’s betrayal, uncovers clues that suggest her own mother may have been part of the legend.

What I loved most was how Molly Fader tackled such a dark and important subject with grace. The story is suspenseful yet deeply human, with women you can’t help but cheer for, even when they’re walking morally gray lines.

Perfect for readers of Kate Quinn, Lisa Unger, or Brit Bennett.

[Brynn | readyourworriesaway]

LADY X is one of my favorite novels of 2026 so far! I absolutely loved this story of female rage and resistance. I finished it in only a couple sittings and truly had so much fun reading it.

When Margot returns to her childhood home, she uncovers evidence that points to her mother being Lady X, an infamous vigilante.

Between 1970s New York and 2024 Los Angeles, both timelines were equally entertaining and brought the story to life.

The writing was fantastic and the characters were fully developed. I really loved reading about Ginger and her two roommates!!

[Jennifer]

Thank you to Random House Publishing and Molly Fader (via NetGalley) for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

"Lady X" follows sisters Margot and Julia as they navigate family lies and secrets. After Margot’s husband Jack becomes embroiled in public scandal due to his affairs, the sisters discover evidence linking their mother to the 1977 activist known as "Lady X." This revelation prompts them to uncover secrets about their mother's past.

The novel features a unique premise with dual points of view, alternating between Margot in 2024 and Ginger in 1977. The author effectively sets the scene with vivid descriptions of the Orbit Room, the political climate of 1977, and well-developed backstories for each character. Faye, Rachel, and Ginger illustrate the struggle and spirit of the feminist movement. I appreciated how each main character evolved throughout the novel, learning to trust one another and assert themselves in a male-dominated world.

Although there were some references in the 1977 perspective that I found confusing and had to reread several times, by the end, Ginger's past intertwined seamlessly with Margot’s current situation with her husband. This novel powerfully explores themes of female friendship and the feminist movement.

"Lady X" is set to be published on May 5, 2026.

[Angie Miale]

Women’s rage has rarely been this satisfying to read.

There seems to be a growing category of books that my friend Anna affectionately calls books about how women are not mad enough, and Lady X may be one of the best examples I’ve read. If you love the righteous fury and female solidarity found in novels by Kirsten Miller or Ashley Winstead, put this one at the top of your list.

Margot appears to have the perfect life. She’s built a successful career as a mommy influencer while supporting her husband Jack’s Hollywood stardom. But when allegations of infidelity and sexual assault against him become public, Margot escapes with her daughter to her childhood home in Pittsburgh, where her mother is living with dementia. While sorting through the attic, they uncover clues connected to a mysterious vigilante artist known only as Lady X—a woman who challenged powerful men in 1977 New York City.

From there, the novel transports readers to one of the most fascinating backdrops imaginable: New York during the Summer of Sam. As fear grips the city, the NYPD is overwhelmed, women navigate harassment as an everyday reality, and Ginger is working as a coat-check attendant at a glamorous nightclub reminiscent of Studio 54. Alongside her unforgettable roommates Rachel and Faye, she becomes part of a story that is suspenseful, emotional, and impossible to put down.

The historical storyline completely stole my heart. Mollie Feder captures the energy, danger, and contradictions of 1977 New York so vividly that I felt immersed in every page. The present-day chapters appear just often enough to keep the mystery moving, but wisely allow the historical narrative to take center stage.

What impressed me most, though, was how thoughtfully the novel connects two generations of women. The parallels between Ginger’s experiences in the 1970s and Margot’s reckoning decades later never feel heavy-handed. Instead, the story asks powerful questions about accountability, complicity, the stories women are expected to tell about themselves, and what becomes possible when anger is transformed into action and solidarity.

This book made me angry. It made me laugh. It made me cheer. Most of all, it left me deeply satisfied.

Lady X is my favorite historical fiction novel I’ve read this month and, at the moment, my favorite July release. It’s propulsive, empowering, emotionally resonant, and exactly the kind of novel that sparks incredible book club discussions. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Content note: This novel contains themes of sexual assault and sexual harassment.

★★★★★

Thank you to Ballantine Books for the finished copy. Published July 14.

[rin ⋆˚✿˖°]

4.5 stars ... so much i wanna say i just don't know where to start

(i'm going to write this review like this is a 5 star review, with this small footnote: i was very confused by the grammar of this book, particularly with the possessive verbs. there were so many moments where i genuinely couldn't tell who or what a sentence was referring to, and it kept pulling me out of the story. okay, footnote over.)

i loved this book. i loved how real the relationships and dynamics were, and how accurately it portrayed what it's like to be a woman. the friendships, the resentment, the anger, the expectations, the things women forgive in each other and the things they don't. it all felt incredibly human.

what impressed me most, though, was the connection between two generations of women. i loved seeing the parallels between ginger's experiences in the 1970s and margot's reckoning decades later, because it shows how much hasn't changed.

i also really loved that this book refuses to reduce any of these women to one thing. i think there is something so important about remembering that every person has an interior life that we will never completely know. it's very easy to decide who someone is based on the worst thing they've done, the role they played in our own lives, or even the version of them that other people have given us. but people are so much more complicated than that.

that doesn't mean accountability disappears. if anything, i think empathy and accountability have to exist together. understanding why someone became who they are doesn't mean saying that everything they did was okay. it just means recognizing their humanity while still allowing the people they hurt to have their own anger and pain.

and i loved the anger in this book. not anger for the sake of anger, but anger that eventually becomes something useful. anger that forces people to acknowledge what happened, to make different choices, and to stand beside one another. there was something incredibly satisfying about watching that anger turn into action and solidarity rather than simply bitterness.

the relationships between the women were probably my favorite part because none of that solidarity required them to be perfect. they love each other and hurt each other. they're jealous, loyal, selfish, protective, angry, forgiving, and sometimes completely wrong about one another. but they keep being given the opportunity to see each other more clearly.

such an accurate portrayal of what it means to be a woman, especially what it means to be a woman in relation to other women. messy, intimate, complicated, and deeply human.

i loved it. i loved the plot. so good!

[BONNIE SMITH]

Hands down one of my top 5 reads of the year!

Kudos to this book.
We need solid reminders of how far we have come, and this book reminds me that I don't have to smile to be polite anymore- and no- your off colored joke, was not ,in fact, funny.

Women have been polite for a long time, and while I still think we need to continue to teach young women their worth- books like these make me smile.
In fact, this book made smile, cry and cringe the whole way through. It landed with me, and as an older reader- sadly I remember when it was quite acceptable to treat women this way.

Lady X is fiction, but women's history of abuse and fear is not. I cannot say enough about this book- the past and the current storyline were perfect, and melded together seamlessly.

5 stars, 100 stars, ALLLLL the stars.

[Theresa Blackwood]

Second “I-nearly-finished-this-in-one-sitting” read of the summer.
The intergenerational plot(s), the feminine rage, the communal agency, and most importantly: the beautiful, imperfect love of women whose bonds strengthen from friendship to chosen family.
Desperately grateful to have my own Lady X crew (all of whom would consider me their Faye).

[Chandler]

Lady X is a grunge-fueled New York City vigilante story encased in a heartfelt family saga.

While her world is falling apart, Margot and her sister accidentally uncover their mother’s decades old secrets. Among them is evidence possibly linking her to Lady X, an infamous NYC vigilante who was known for targeting the city’s most despicable men. Told in dual timelines, we follow three generations of women as they grapple with their respective traumas. Although decades apart, their crises all share one common denominator… the audacity of men.

This was an exceptionally good time. Dual timelines don’t always land for me as I usually far prefer one period over the other but this was a rare gem. Both timelines and their respective characters were strong and engaging and I found myself lost in the pages. The roommates made such a chaotically charming trio and encapsulated the kind of friendship any girl dreams to have. Meanwhile, Margot’s arc showed growth and a found resolve that I quite admired.

The patriarchal injustices and feelings of mistrust/fear toward men was painted in a way any woman can understand. The search for revenge was satisfying and watching the women rally around one another was bittersweet. I really enjoyed the author’s attention to detail and the pop culture references throughout. Molly Fader paints an engrossing and vivid picture of the grimey 1977 NYC nightlife. The characters were just as well drawn with all three generations of women showing various levels of healing and resolve. Their journeys were handled with great care and sympathy.

I recommend for fans of found sisterhood, feminist lit, heart-rending family sagas, and crime period pieces.

[Lynn Peterson]

4.25 stars for this well written novel about female power. The power of sisters, mothers, daughters, neighbors and friends and what those relationships can mean in good times and hard times.

Margot finds herself at a huge crossroad with her famous husband and seeks solace with her sister, Julia, and hides out at her house with her 16-year old daughter, Skye, for a bit. Julia is an investigative journalist and has uncovered an old box in the attic that belonged to their mother. In the box are newspapers articles which lead them to question all they knew about their mother, who currently resides in an adult facility where her memory comes and goes.

The book goes back and forth between today and 1977 at a time when their mother resided in New York, at a time when Son of Sam was preying on young women and every woman was cautious. When women were still treated as a possession. I loved reading about the Orbit Room and the people who were a part of it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Molly Fader and Ballentine Books for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinions. This publishes on July 14, 2026.

[Melissa | bookswithbuzzi]

this book deserves 10x more publicity than what it's getting, so good!!!

[Angelie]

Flew so fast through this. It's the ultimate female rage response to #metoo. Very entertaining and Helen Laser does a phenomenal audio performance.

[Victoria Stone]

A fantastic tale of injustice, vengeance, fame, and fear. It's a jagged ride through the sequin-strewn streets of 1970s New York that veers sharply into a modern-day betrayal and the inequality that dogs us still. I adored all three generations of women trying to find themselves despite the claws of terrible men grasping at their heels.

[Cindy (leavemetomybooks)]

* thanks to Ballantine for the ARC (pub dat: May 5, 2026)

Loved this - dual timelines (1970s NYC and today), vigilante justice, complicated female friendships, complicated family relationships, and a lot of shitty men.

[Heather]

Boy do I have thoughts about this one. Where do I start?

Let's start with the good.

This gets an A+ on listenability. I did the audio and it was well done. I was never ever bored and I was incredibly invested. So invested in fact, that I knew I should probably DNF because it was well out of my comfort zone, but I realllly wanted to see where it was going. It is fascinating and addicting and entertaining. That's why I am giving it 4 stars.

I also loved all of the characters...the ones in the present timeline and the past. They were all great.

BUT...would I recommend this book to family and friends.

No.

Atleast not all of them.

This book is gritty and ragey and dark and heavy and infuriating. If you are into ragey feminist stories and kind-of, sort-of have some men hatred in your heart...you will LOVE this book. But to me, there was very little...nuance. Maybe nuance isn't the right word...but I'll try to explain.

Pretty much all of the men in this book (except for the gay ones...they were great) were HORRIBLE humans. And listen, I think those men deserved every single bad thing that happened to them...don't get me wrong about that. Vengeance on a total dirt bag is satisfying as crap. I will not fight anyone on that & it was kinda fun to read about actually. However, having been surrounded by good men my whole life, I'm unable to grin and bear a world where we pretend there are no good men. It's just not a world that I can picture. So even though I was entertained, there were parts that had me feeling very uncomfortable. Though I think that was the point...??

It was also very R rated. I tried to count the F words and gave up around 40 or so. It also has lots of sexual assault, dirty cops, cheating spouses, sextortion and murder.

So yeah, I liked it. I am giving it 4 stars. I was able to step back and realize that even though its not my reality, it probably is reality for a lot of women and that made me really just very sad actually.

I wouldn't tell everyone to read it and I am not even sure if I am glad that I finished it, but I was entertained and thought about it for a few days after finishing. I wasn't necessarily uplifted in any way but I did feel like I wanted to cheer for the female MC when she got some vindication...so there is that.

I also wanted to hug and high-five every man I know cause I'm lucky to know the good ones.

[Elisa Schneider]

4.5 rounded up

Thank you to Ballantine Books for the gifted copy.

I tandem read this one with my physical Ballantine copy and the audiobook from Libby. If you’re an audiobook fan, I can’t recommend that format enough. Helen Laser’s narration is absolutely perfect for this story.

This is the kind of book that makes me grateful to be a reader. Lady X reminds me why I love sharing books and why I keep trying to put the right story into someone else’s hands (or ears).

Told across two timelines, the story follows three generations of women connected by the mystery of Lady X. In 2024, Margot Cooper retreats to her childhood home with her teenage daughter after discovering that her famous husband has been sending explicit photos to girls online. While there, she finds evidence linking her mother to Lady X, a vigilante who became an urban legend in 1970s New York.

In 1977, Ginger Daughtry and her roommates begin signing acts of payback against terrible men as “Lady X” after one of them is assaulted and the police fail to act. What starts as a way to reclaim some power grows into a movement that quickly becomes bigger, darker, and more dangerous than any of them intended.

Lady X explores female rage, resistance, motherhood, friendship, and the ways women protect one another when the systems meant to protect them fail.

“In the end, Lady X was just a woman. Any woman. Every woman. Maybe there were a dozen of her. And maybe, hopefully, there will be a dozen more. Because her work isn’t done.”
And that is exactly what makes this story feel so powerful.

[Steph]

Fucking brilliant.

Helen Laser is the narrator for the audiobook version of this novel, and she was perfection. Not too loud at the yelly parts, exquisitely emoted, and her Liza Minelli impersonation was *SPOT ON*. (Not a bad Baryshnikov impression, either!). All her accents were above par as well. I already have a few other audiobooks of her work on my tbr list, but I still hope I run across her a lot more in the future.

***PLEASE check out those content warnings before attempting this novel. This was the 70’s, so there was a lot of sexism and misogyny in these pages,p. But there is also abuse, homelessness because of being gay, violence, blood, death, alcoholism, s.a., sexual harassment, and a r*pe described on page, twice.

4.5 stars, and recommended to women everywhere. LETS ALL GET MADDER. 🔥🔥🔥

[Rissa]

4.5 🌟

[MrsHarvieReads]

Lady X by Molly Fader is an entertaining dual timeline family drama and friendship story with an emphasis on “female resistance and rage”. The story features three generations of women who fight back in their own ways against the men who have taken advantage of them. In the historical timeline, Ginger, the family matriarch, is attempting to make it as a dancer in New York City in 1977 despite immense misogyny and abuse. And in the present, Margot, Ginger’s daughter, is dealing with the fallout from her Hollywood husband’s recently exposed long history of sexual misconduct as well as the school bullying of her teen daughter.

I’m a huge fan of stories that explore female friendships, sisterhood, and how women collectively navigate and fight back against systemic failures. This ambitious novel satisfied my itch for some feminine rage. I enjoyed seeing how the two timelines intertwined, and found Margot’s modern day story to be more realistic and relatable. I loved how empowering it was, but it left me wanting a bit more of a spark.

I listened to the audiobook through the Libby app and think this story is best enjoyed with your ears. It is narrated by the talented Helen Laser. I so appreciate her ability to capture the intensity of emotions for the various characters and hold my attention 3.75/5⭐️

“In the end Lady X was just a woman, any woman, every woman. Maybe there were a dozen of her. And maybe, hopefully, there will be a dozen more.”

[Drea | Borrowed Library]

4.5 ⭐️ full review to come. This was amazing. Slow start but hang in there because the second half of this book is perfection.

**Update**

Lady X was everything I hoped it would be after being convinced to read it by my Baddie Book Babes (Instagram buddies). I love a book with feminine rage and while this isn’t over the top it is certainly real, cuts deep and is a stark reminder that women still have so much work to do when it comes to fighting the patriarchy and men behaving badly.

This is a slow burn, dual timeline about a woman and her group of friends in the 70s fighting against misogynistic men during a time where women were not believed and the system did not support them after crimes and injustice against women. Then there is the present day timeline about her grand daughter who is dealing with similar but different ways men are the same, and her fight against a cheating husband with many secrets. I loved how many different themes this books tackles, particularly the women friendships, motherhood and found family. There are so many ways society fails women and this book made me feel so many emotions… anger, injustice, fear, heartache and hope. The second half of this book definitely moves at a much quicker pace and I finished the back half in one sitting, I couldn’t put it down. I was invested in both timelines and I loved how this all came together in the end.

Also, I had both the audiobook and physical library book and I much preferred the audio. The narration by Helen Laser should not be missed. It is a powerful performance, that made me love this story even more.

This was my 91st book of 2026
Format: Libby Audio

[Victoriakor]

Отличная книга и отличная история про жаркое лето 1977-го.

[Stephanielikesbooks]

4.5 stars.

This was a really engaging novel about women taking back control of their lives and confronting men behaving badly.

Set in New York City in the summer of 1977 and in 2024, the story is about three fierce young women, Ginger, Rachel, and Faye, who refuse to be victims when one of them is assaulted and the police do nothing. Lady X, a vigilante doling out justice to terrible men as society will not, is born.

Fast forward to 2024, and Margot, Ginger’s daughter, has dutifully been abiding by society’s rules, when her rich, powerful husband is exposed during the #MeToo movement. As Ginger flees to her childhood home, she discovers secrets that her mother had been hiding that force Margot to confront what she thought she knew about her and to re-evaluate her own life.

I googled a lot while I was reading this one as I was curious whether it was based on actual events. While Lady X is fictitious, New York City in summer 1977 was a hotbed of crime, the Son of Sam serial killer was terrorizing the city, and there was a huge electrical blackout. These events are interwoven into the novel and provide a great backdrop and authenticity to the story.

I found both storylines interesting (the level of misogyny and institutional sexism in the 1977 storyline was especially infuriating) and loved the friendships of the three women and Margot’s relationship with her sister. I was rooting for them throughout.

Sadly, the misogynistic society portrayed in both timelines is all too realistic and it was empowering to see these female characters taking charge of their lives and refusing to cower to the men who tried to control them.

A captivating feminist rage story that I thoroughly enjoyed!

[Hailey]

A great dose of feminine rage ✨😤

”Vigilante sh*t” by Taylor swift in book form!

[Caroline Pritchard]

An ode to womanhood and women friendship. Had me infuriated, crying, and smiling.