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Sunburn
One is playing a long game. But which one?
They meet at a local tavern in the small town of Belleville, Delaware. Polly is set on heading west. Adam says he’s also passing through.
Yet she stays and he stays—drawn to this mysterious redhead whose quiet stillness both unnerves and excites him. Over the course of a punishing summer, Polly and Adam abandon themselves to a steamy, inexorable affair. Still, each holds something back from the other—dangerous, even lethal, secrets that begin to accumulate as autumn approaches, feeding the growing doubts they conceal.
Then someone dies. Was it an accident, or part of a plan? By now, Adam and Polly are so ensnared in each other’s lives and lies that neither one knows how to get away—or even if they want to. Is their love strong enough to withstand the truth, or will it ultimately destroy them?
Something—or someone—has to give.
Which one will it be?
They meet at a local tavern in the small town of Belleville, Delaware. Polly is set on heading west. Adam says he’s also passing through.
Yet she stays and he stays—drawn to this mysterious redhead whose quiet stillness both unnerves and excites him. Over the course of a punishing summer, Polly and Adam abandon themselves to a steamy, inexorable affair. Still, each holds something back from the other—dangerous, even lethal, secrets that begin to accumulate as autumn approaches, feeding the growing doubts they conceal.
Then someone dies. Was it an accident, or part of a plan? By now, Adam and Polly are so ensnared in each other’s lives and lies that neither one knows how to get away—or even if they want to. Is their love strong enough to withstand the truth, or will it ultimately destroy them?
Something—or someone—has to give.
Which one will it be?
304 pages, Paperback
First published February 20, 2018
1734 people are currently reading
24229 people want to read
About the author
Laura Lippman
112 books6,342 followersSince Laura Lippman’s debut, she has been recognized as a distinctive voice in mystery fiction and named one of the “essential” crime writers of the last 100 years. Stephen King called her “special, even extraordinary,” and Gillian Flynn wrote, “She is simply a brilliant novelist.” Her books have won most of the major awards in her field and been translated into more than twenty-five languages. She lives in Baltimore and New Orleans with her teenager.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,332 reviews
March 27, 2018
Great book. Well paced. Beautifully observed details. Interesting characters and nuance in the right places. The overall mystery sustains itself well for quite a lot of the time. Thoroughly enjoyed this book and the protagonist who is flawed and brilliant and ruthless and unapologetic.
February 22, 2018
4.5 Stars!
My reviews can also be found at: https://deesradreadsandreviews.wordpr...
The cover of “ Sunburn ” caught my eye right away. And after reading the book description, I was really looking forward to getting my hands on this new novel from Laura Lippman.
The novel opens in Belleville, Delaware in 1995.
When Polly and Adam meet at the High-Ho restaurant in Belleville, they’re both just passing through. Polly, a redhead with a two-day-old sunburn catches Adam’s eye. They aren't sure what to make of each other. It isn't love at first sight but there is a definite attraction.
Polly has a past but she’s planning for a brighter future. She has no intention of changing those plans or letting anyone stand in her way. But sometimes people with the best intentions have the worst luck.
It’s not long before Adam and Polly are completely wrapped up in each other. Somehow these two strangers who are supposed to just be passing through end up staying in Belleville that summer.
They both know it won’t last. It can’t last….could it?
Although Adam knows some of Polly’s past he realizes there’s so much more that he doesn’t know.
“ But no one knows her whole story. She plans to keep it that way”
He’s been warned about Polly. He’s been told that she’s only out for herself.
“ Whatever you do, don’t turn your back on her. Even face to face, you might not be safe with that one.”
But Adam can’t reconcile these warnings with the woman he’s getting to know. But he does wonder where she goes on those days that she borrows his truck.
Polly also wonders if she can trust Adam. Is it really just a coincidence that they ended up in the same small town, at the same time? Polly’s track record with men…well, it’s muddy, to say the least. But for some reason, she feels safe with Adam, like she can finally be herself. But her past continues to haunt her, and not everyone is happy for Polly and Adam.
Though they both have some reservations, Polly and Adam start to make plans for the future. But then something happens that throws a wrench into those plans. Will what they have together survive what comes next?
I really enjoyed this novel. It was a bit of a slow burn at first, but the pace picked up and it wasn’t long before I was caught up in the story. Polly and Adam were both very complex characters, with secrets that left me unsure of who I should trust. Polly especially intrigued me. I wanted to know the reasons for some of her actions.
There were quite a few points of view, though the majority of the story was told from Polly and Adam’s perspective.
“ Sunburn ” was an entertaining psychological suspense novel with an intriguing storyline that kept me flipping pages well past my bedtime. However, it was worth it as I loved how everything came together in an unexpected but extremely satisfying way.
Thank you to William Morrow for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
My reviews can also be found at: https://deesradreadsandreviews.wordpr...
The cover of “ Sunburn ” caught my eye right away. And after reading the book description, I was really looking forward to getting my hands on this new novel from Laura Lippman.
The novel opens in Belleville, Delaware in 1995.
When Polly and Adam meet at the High-Ho restaurant in Belleville, they’re both just passing through. Polly, a redhead with a two-day-old sunburn catches Adam’s eye. They aren't sure what to make of each other. It isn't love at first sight but there is a definite attraction.
Polly has a past but she’s planning for a brighter future. She has no intention of changing those plans or letting anyone stand in her way. But sometimes people with the best intentions have the worst luck.
It’s not long before Adam and Polly are completely wrapped up in each other. Somehow these two strangers who are supposed to just be passing through end up staying in Belleville that summer.
They both know it won’t last. It can’t last….could it?
Although Adam knows some of Polly’s past he realizes there’s so much more that he doesn’t know.
“ But no one knows her whole story. She plans to keep it that way”
He’s been warned about Polly. He’s been told that she’s only out for herself.
“ Whatever you do, don’t turn your back on her. Even face to face, you might not be safe with that one.”
But Adam can’t reconcile these warnings with the woman he’s getting to know. But he does wonder where she goes on those days that she borrows his truck.
Polly also wonders if she can trust Adam. Is it really just a coincidence that they ended up in the same small town, at the same time? Polly’s track record with men…well, it’s muddy, to say the least. But for some reason, she feels safe with Adam, like she can finally be herself. But her past continues to haunt her, and not everyone is happy for Polly and Adam.
Though they both have some reservations, Polly and Adam start to make plans for the future. But then something happens that throws a wrench into those plans. Will what they have together survive what comes next?
I really enjoyed this novel. It was a bit of a slow burn at first, but the pace picked up and it wasn’t long before I was caught up in the story. Polly and Adam were both very complex characters, with secrets that left me unsure of who I should trust. Polly especially intrigued me. I wanted to know the reasons for some of her actions.
There were quite a few points of view, though the majority of the story was told from Polly and Adam’s perspective.
“ Sunburn ” was an entertaining psychological suspense novel with an intriguing storyline that kept me flipping pages well past my bedtime. However, it was worth it as I loved how everything came together in an unexpected but extremely satisfying way.
Thank you to William Morrow for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
March 5, 2018
OOH, my review went up on L.A. review of books today!!
https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/l...
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super excited to be reading and reviewing this for l.a. review of books!!! review is scheduled for 3/5
https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/l...
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super excited to be reading and reviewing this for l.a. review of books!!! review is scheduled for 3/5
May 6, 2018
3 STARS
What happened, Laura Lippman? This could have been a 5 STAR book! I’ve never read any of your books and as I began this psychological thriller, I was hysterically delighted to have discovered my new favorite author! But, then, wait. Oh, never mind.
I’m truly at a loss to explain the downward spiral this book unexpectedly went on. The first half completely sucked me in with villainous, questionable characters involved in….murder? insurance fraud? arson? The reader is not sure what, but you can bet it’s not on the up and up! We’ve got two strangers that both begin working in a road side diner. The cook, Adam, is actually a private eye, hired to investigate Polly, a runaway wife and mother, now working as a waitress.
Instead of an adversarial relationship, our two main characters fall in love and as the tension ratchets up, we are not quite sure which one is the “bad guy”. The perfect setup to a great story, right?
Wrong. It’s like the second half completely fell apart, or more accurately, stagnated in place and went nowhere. Can you hear my tears hitting the pavement as I listened? (I’m one of those weirdos that walks and listens to books, not music. )
What a shame! This is a film noir-type read in the vein of THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE or DOUBLE INDEMNITY. I love those old twisty, gritty movies based on books by the godfather of noir fiction, James M. Cain. I was in love with SUNBURN until I wasn’t. It was right on point up until somewhere around 60% and then it becomes rambling, repetitive, and worst of all, the dreaded B-Word. Boring!
I’ve had the ARC for months, but ended up using an Audible credit for the audiobook. And, yes, I really want that credit back, thank you.
I followed the audiobook along sometimes from my Kindle ARC. I never realized how many changes there are from ARC to finished product. Is that unusual? Not just a few different words, but sometimes whole passages were changed. It was interesting to compare the two and the finished product was greatly improved over the ARC. Hmmmm. Maybe the editors got so bored they fell asleep during the last half of the book and forgot to E - D - I - T. Puhleeeze.
The uneven pacing, sadly, did not improve in the end. Why, why, why? I feel like too many plot angles and character narratives were revealed so early in the story that the reader is just left hanging around for the second half of the book, waiting for the other shoe to fall. I usually will stick with a novel, especially one that had such a fantastic beginning. That’s me, always hoping for a big payoff with a twisty ending. I was decisively disappointed in the end with SUNBURN, that other shoe never did drop.
SIDENOTE: The audio production was 5 STAR ALL THE WAY; the narrator was so brilliant! I actually went all fangirl and stalked her on Twitter. I did unearth this tidbit: SUSAN BENNETT is the voice for your iPhone SIRI. “Siri, what happened to Sunburn?”
What happened, Laura Lippman? This could have been a 5 STAR book! I’ve never read any of your books and as I began this psychological thriller, I was hysterically delighted to have discovered my new favorite author! But, then, wait. Oh, never mind.
I’m truly at a loss to explain the downward spiral this book unexpectedly went on. The first half completely sucked me in with villainous, questionable characters involved in….murder? insurance fraud? arson? The reader is not sure what, but you can bet it’s not on the up and up! We’ve got two strangers that both begin working in a road side diner. The cook, Adam, is actually a private eye, hired to investigate Polly, a runaway wife and mother, now working as a waitress.
Instead of an adversarial relationship, our two main characters fall in love and as the tension ratchets up, we are not quite sure which one is the “bad guy”. The perfect setup to a great story, right?
Wrong. It’s like the second half completely fell apart, or more accurately, stagnated in place and went nowhere. Can you hear my tears hitting the pavement as I listened? (I’m one of those weirdos that walks and listens to books, not music. )
What a shame! This is a film noir-type read in the vein of THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE or DOUBLE INDEMNITY. I love those old twisty, gritty movies based on books by the godfather of noir fiction, James M. Cain. I was in love with SUNBURN until I wasn’t. It was right on point up until somewhere around 60% and then it becomes rambling, repetitive, and worst of all, the dreaded B-Word. Boring!
I’ve had the ARC for months, but ended up using an Audible credit for the audiobook. And, yes, I really want that credit back, thank you.
I followed the audiobook along sometimes from my Kindle ARC. I never realized how many changes there are from ARC to finished product. Is that unusual? Not just a few different words, but sometimes whole passages were changed. It was interesting to compare the two and the finished product was greatly improved over the ARC. Hmmmm. Maybe the editors got so bored they fell asleep during the last half of the book and forgot to E - D - I - T. Puhleeeze.
The uneven pacing, sadly, did not improve in the end. Why, why, why? I feel like too many plot angles and character narratives were revealed so early in the story that the reader is just left hanging around for the second half of the book, waiting for the other shoe to fall. I usually will stick with a novel, especially one that had such a fantastic beginning. That’s me, always hoping for a big payoff with a twisty ending. I was decisively disappointed in the end with SUNBURN, that other shoe never did drop.
SIDENOTE: The audio production was 5 STAR ALL THE WAY; the narrator was so brilliant! I actually went all fangirl and stalked her on Twitter. I did unearth this tidbit: SUSAN BENNETT is the voice for your iPhone SIRI. “Siri, what happened to Sunburn?”
February 27, 2018
3.5 Stars. I loved the book until about the 75% mark. Then I found myself surfing Instagram and fast forwarding. It was just a little too slow of a burn for me. Please note that I don’t have the best attention span for books like these unless I love the subject or the characters.
I did enjoy the fact that it took place in 1995. I have fond memories of my early 20’s so references to songs, pay phones, calling cards and OJ I enjoyed! 🤗
I listened to the audiobook. Susan Bennett’s narration was a 5!
If you enjoy dark mysteries that unravel slowly then take a chance on this book.
Trigger warning ⚠️ Domestic abuse!
I did enjoy the fact that it took place in 1995. I have fond memories of my early 20’s so references to songs, pay phones, calling cards and OJ I enjoyed! 🤗
I listened to the audiobook. Susan Bennett’s narration was a 5!
If you enjoy dark mysteries that unravel slowly then take a chance on this book.
Trigger warning ⚠️ Domestic abuse!
January 4, 2020
Laura Lippman’s new stand-alone “Sunburn” is different from anything she’s previously written but don’t let that scare you off. It’s equally as good as her other novels, but this time she follows the inspiration of James M. Cain’s psychological crime noir novels. As the character’s history and motives are slowly revealed (or are they?) it becomes increasingly difficult to determine who is manipulating whom and what outcome they are pursuing. Lies, lust, betrayal, revenge, blackmail, murder, and money propel this twisty, thrilling, carefully plotted novel. It would seem that Lippman enjoyed updating the crime noir genre and I certainly enjoyed reading it!
March 4, 2018
Ten years ago or so, I had the fortune of meeting this author when she was at ALA in Chicago. She was just becoming an author to watch, was gracious and kind. We were given a copy of her newest book, one I went home and read. Loved it and have read her ever since.
Polly and Adam meet in a little town restaurant, she a waitress, he the cook. They both have many secrets, are not who they appear to be, both fooling the other. Actually the less said, the better. Let the author take you where she will. I think here, Lippman is at the top of her game. The tightly constructed plot, the control she shows in unveiling things when she want to, the suspense that ramps up after each new revelation. Can't say I liked these characters but one does understand their motives by books end, which by the way did not end the way I expected.
If Hitchcock was alive I think this is one he would have snapped up in order to make a movie. Can just see this played out black and white. A interesting and well done stand alone from this author who seems to get better and better with each book.
ARC from Edelweiss.
Polly and Adam meet in a little town restaurant, she a waitress, he the cook. They both have many secrets, are not who they appear to be, both fooling the other. Actually the less said, the better. Let the author take you where she will. I think here, Lippman is at the top of her game. The tightly constructed plot, the control she shows in unveiling things when she want to, the suspense that ramps up after each new revelation. Can't say I liked these characters but one does understand their motives by books end, which by the way did not end the way I expected.
If Hitchcock was alive I think this is one he would have snapped up in order to make a movie. Can just see this played out black and white. A interesting and well done stand alone from this author who seems to get better and better with each book.
ARC from Edelweiss.
April 11, 2018
4.5 stars, rounded up
If you enjoy ‘modern noir’ with deeply flawed characters, as I do, you will love Sunburn. What a terrific read! I recommend picking this book up without knowing a lot of details of the plot. (No spoilers in this review!) I listened to the entire book on a long car trip last Sunday and was riveted. It’s a slow burn in the beginning, but the tension and atmosphere kept me interested throughout.
When Polly and Adam meet, they both have secrets. Polly is on the run from a complicated past. We are told from the start that she has left her husband and 3-year-old daughter. What kind of mother leaves her young child? Her past is much more complicated than it appears, and pieces of that past are slowly revealed to us.
Meanwhile, Adam has his own secrets. We are told in the beginning that, unknown to Polly, he is a PI who was hired to find her, but we don’t know why or by whom. Neither knows the whole story about the other and they intend to keep it that way. Both are deeply flawed and you just know the attraction they feel for one another is ill-fated.
I didn't know who to believe or trust and was kept guessing right up to the end. And what an ending it was! It was a surprising development that I had to sit and think about for a while. This is a slim book but in between its covers is quite a layered and complex tale. Highly recommended!
If you enjoy ‘modern noir’ with deeply flawed characters, as I do, you will love Sunburn. What a terrific read! I recommend picking this book up without knowing a lot of details of the plot. (No spoilers in this review!) I listened to the entire book on a long car trip last Sunday and was riveted. It’s a slow burn in the beginning, but the tension and atmosphere kept me interested throughout.
When Polly and Adam meet, they both have secrets. Polly is on the run from a complicated past. We are told from the start that she has left her husband and 3-year-old daughter. What kind of mother leaves her young child? Her past is much more complicated than it appears, and pieces of that past are slowly revealed to us.
Meanwhile, Adam has his own secrets. We are told in the beginning that, unknown to Polly, he is a PI who was hired to find her, but we don’t know why or by whom. Neither knows the whole story about the other and they intend to keep it that way. Both are deeply flawed and you just know the attraction they feel for one another is ill-fated.
I didn't know who to believe or trust and was kept guessing right up to the end. And what an ending it was! It was a surprising development that I had to sit and think about for a while. This is a slim book but in between its covers is quite a layered and complex tale. Highly recommended!
March 16, 2018
*Potential spoilers ahead, even though I hate them I don't know how to express my thoughts on this one without them*
I hadn't heard of this book but when I was browsing Barnes and Noble after a particularly stressful day I noticed it was 60% off and figured for that price even if I hated it, it was fine. It's like I knew. I really wasn't a fan of this one. Here's why -
For starters, it's ssssslllloooowwww. I know maybe I'm spoiled when it comes to suspense and thrillers, but I felt like I was checking my progress in the book every 5 minutes because it felt like hours had gone by but I'd finished only a chapter. It's not a long book but took me several days to get through.
Next, I didn't find it even remotely believable. This isn't necessarily a fault in many books, but since so many of the scenarios were presented as realistic I just couldn't completely buy into them leaving me to feel like there was some level of disconnect. Why is this woman SO irresistible? I DONT KNOW! Drove me nuts.
Also there were just too many points that weren't explained. How did she suddenly know that he had been tailing her? All those things that she never explained to Adam, well hello beating around the bush to your reader is confusing too. Maybe this was just me, but these things are important and I felt like sometimes I had far more questions than answers.
Last, at least for this list, RIGHT when there was finally some action, right when I'd read all but maybe five pages and things were FINALLY getting exciting....it just stops. We only know what happens because it's fast forward 30ish years and the narrator tells us. ARE YOU *@#$%*! KIDDING ME? I've never wanted to throw a book across the room so much.
Should you buy it?: Because I've loved some of Laura Lippman's other work, I really wanted to tell you that this one was worth it. But honestly, I have to go with no on this one.
WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM
I hadn't heard of this book but when I was browsing Barnes and Noble after a particularly stressful day I noticed it was 60% off and figured for that price even if I hated it, it was fine. It's like I knew. I really wasn't a fan of this one. Here's why -
For starters, it's ssssslllloooowwww. I know maybe I'm spoiled when it comes to suspense and thrillers, but I felt like I was checking my progress in the book every 5 minutes because it felt like hours had gone by but I'd finished only a chapter. It's not a long book but took me several days to get through.
Next, I didn't find it even remotely believable. This isn't necessarily a fault in many books, but since so many of the scenarios were presented as realistic I just couldn't completely buy into them leaving me to feel like there was some level of disconnect. Why is this woman SO irresistible? I DONT KNOW! Drove me nuts.
Also there were just too many points that weren't explained. How did she suddenly know that he had been tailing her? All those things that she never explained to Adam, well hello beating around the bush to your reader is confusing too. Maybe this was just me, but these things are important and I felt like sometimes I had far more questions than answers.
Last, at least for this list, RIGHT when there was finally some action, right when I'd read all but maybe five pages and things were FINALLY getting exciting....it just stops. We only know what happens because it's fast forward 30ish years and the narrator tells us. ARE YOU *@#$%*! KIDDING ME? I've never wanted to throw a book across the room so much.
Should you buy it?: Because I've loved some of Laura Lippman's other work, I really wanted to tell you that this one was worth it. But honestly, I have to go with no on this one.
WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM
July 2, 2018
Dangerously seductive!!!
....lustful puzzling steam
....compelling & alluring
....unsympathetic characters
....secrets, lies, love, betrayal, manipulation...
....crime, murder, mystery
....The ending wasn’t predictable to me ( perhaps part of it), surprisingly satisfying.
I had mixed feelings for awhile with this book - but I kept returning - glad I didn’t give up ( a few slow parts)...but overall I definitely liked it enough to be interested in reading more books by Laura Lippman.
....lustful puzzling steam
....compelling & alluring
....unsympathetic characters
....secrets, lies, love, betrayal, manipulation...
....crime, murder, mystery
....The ending wasn’t predictable to me ( perhaps part of it), surprisingly satisfying.
I had mixed feelings for awhile with this book - but I kept returning - glad I didn’t give up ( a few slow parts)...but overall I definitely liked it enough to be interested in reading more books by Laura Lippman.
May 16, 2018
Two strangers meet at a small town bar. One is a sexy and mysterious redhead. The other is a handsome man who says he’s just passing through. That’s either the set-up to a dirty joke or the start of a noir novel.
I’ve been meaning to read Laura Lippman for a while now, and this one was right up my alley. I don’t want to say too much about the story because I think it’s one of those that the less you know the better going in. Suffice it to say that there’s plenty of twists and turns with both the main characters, Polly and Adam, hiding their own secrets and spending a lot of time wondering if they can trust the other even as neither of them can resist the attraction they have.
The plot is exceedingly clever with a James Cain feel to it, and that’s obviously deliberate since he’s even referenced. It’s one of those books where even the reader feels unsure of their footing as you’re constantly reevaluating each of them as new revelations come out. It’s also interesting that there’s actually very little action within the book. Most of what would be considered ‘the exciting parts’ happen before the book begins, and the biggest event that occurs essentially takes place between chapters. We don’t even know the truth about that until the end. In fact, a great deal of this just takes place in the heads of the people as they think about their secrets and suspicions even as they go about the routines they fall into over the course of the story.
That’s where the character work shines, and Lippmann shows a real flair at walking the line of leaving a reader unsure of what to think of both of them. Is one the victim and one the villain? Are they both villains? Both victims? What’s great is that the more you learn the less sure you’ll be about making any judgments about either one of them.
I’ve been meaning to read Laura Lippman for a while now, and this one was right up my alley. I don’t want to say too much about the story because I think it’s one of those that the less you know the better going in. Suffice it to say that there’s plenty of twists and turns with both the main characters, Polly and Adam, hiding their own secrets and spending a lot of time wondering if they can trust the other even as neither of them can resist the attraction they have.
The plot is exceedingly clever with a James Cain feel to it, and that’s obviously deliberate since he’s even referenced. It’s one of those books where even the reader feels unsure of their footing as you’re constantly reevaluating each of them as new revelations come out. It’s also interesting that there’s actually very little action within the book. Most of what would be considered ‘the exciting parts’ happen before the book begins, and the biggest event that occurs essentially takes place between chapters. We don’t even know the truth about that until the end. In fact, a great deal of this just takes place in the heads of the people as they think about their secrets and suspicions even as they go about the routines they fall into over the course of the story.
That’s where the character work shines, and Lippmann shows a real flair at walking the line of leaving a reader unsure of what to think of both of them. Is one the victim and one the villain? Are they both villains? Both victims? What’s great is that the more you learn the less sure you’ll be about making any judgments about either one of them.
May 15, 2019
A slow burner of a thriller which kept me interested but the not one for my favorites shelf.
When Polly and Adam meet by chance in a local bar of a small town they are both have secrets and over the course of one hot summer they embark on an affair that is dangerous and dark.
I loved the premise of this novel and it does start out really strong, these is a dark suspenseful air to it and I really got quickly drawn into this one, however I felt the slow reveal of Polly’s story really was overkill and the reason for me dropping a star on this one as by the end of the novel I had guessed what the outcome was going to be and closed the book with more a sigh of relief that I had finished it than a feeling of satisfaction. I enjoy boos with dislikable characters and this one has a few of them.
This is a short novel at just under 300 pages and I should have read it in half the time but I felt it dragged quite a bit in the middle. I liked it but now enough to squeeze onto my favorites shelf.
When Polly and Adam meet by chance in a local bar of a small town they are both have secrets and over the course of one hot summer they embark on an affair that is dangerous and dark.
I loved the premise of this novel and it does start out really strong, these is a dark suspenseful air to it and I really got quickly drawn into this one, however I felt the slow reveal of Polly’s story really was overkill and the reason for me dropping a star on this one as by the end of the novel I had guessed what the outcome was going to be and closed the book with more a sigh of relief that I had finished it than a feeling of satisfaction. I enjoy boos with dislikable characters and this one has a few of them.
This is a short novel at just under 300 pages and I should have read it in half the time but I felt it dragged quite a bit in the middle. I liked it but now enough to squeeze onto my favorites shelf.
July 4, 2018
This is a modern noir novel that pays homage to the great books of James M. Cain. Like The Postman Always Rings Twice or Double Indemnity, it focuses on two lovers, Polly and Adam, each of whom has closely held secrets that are revealed very slowly as the book progresses.
The story takes place in Belleville, a small town in Delaware, forty-five miles from the beach, and where nearly everyone is simply passing through. As the book opens, a sunburned Polly is nursing a drink in the High-Ho, a bar/restaurant that, like most of the town, is down at the heels. Adam spots her and moves in slowly, but the connection is made, and the two of them will wind up staying in Belleville and working at the High-Ho, long after each of them had planned to be well down the road.
As the summer progresses, someone will die, and the death will have critical implications for Adam and Polly and for their relationship. Other than that, I'm really reluctant to say anything more about the book. Lippman has constructed the plot very carefully, and peels back the curtain slowly and deliberately. To say more would reveal things that the reader should delight in discovering for him- or herself.
Suffice it to say that I think this is Lippman's best book yet and one that actually stands the comparison to those of James M. Cain. Anyone who is a fan of those classic novels will not want to miss this one. One of my favorite reads of the summer thus far.
The story takes place in Belleville, a small town in Delaware, forty-five miles from the beach, and where nearly everyone is simply passing through. As the book opens, a sunburned Polly is nursing a drink in the High-Ho, a bar/restaurant that, like most of the town, is down at the heels. Adam spots her and moves in slowly, but the connection is made, and the two of them will wind up staying in Belleville and working at the High-Ho, long after each of them had planned to be well down the road.
As the summer progresses, someone will die, and the death will have critical implications for Adam and Polly and for their relationship. Other than that, I'm really reluctant to say anything more about the book. Lippman has constructed the plot very carefully, and peels back the curtain slowly and deliberately. To say more would reveal things that the reader should delight in discovering for him- or herself.
Suffice it to say that I think this is Lippman's best book yet and one that actually stands the comparison to those of James M. Cain. Anyone who is a fan of those classic novels will not want to miss this one. One of my favorite reads of the summer thus far.
July 13, 2018
I enjoyed this original mystery. We know Polly is hiding things from her past when she meets Adam at a bar in a small town in Delaware. She intends to go West, he’s passing through. But against both of their better judgments, they fall for each other and stay where they are.
They’re both hiding things from one another, things that are revealed to the reader and each other over the course of the book. Polly is an odd character, but I ultimately liked both her and Adam. There were clear villains in this story, some who weren’t even alive anymore.
For more reviews: please visit: http://www.theresaalan.net/blog
They’re both hiding things from one another, things that are revealed to the reader and each other over the course of the book. Polly is an odd character, but I ultimately liked both her and Adam. There were clear villains in this story, some who weren’t even alive anymore.
For more reviews: please visit: http://www.theresaalan.net/blog
March 26, 2018
A redhead sitting alone in a darkened bar with sunburned shoulders.
Sounds like some bad decision-making here. Shoulda known better......
Laura Lippman begins her story with two elusive strangers, a bit of alcohol, and a definite casting their fates to the winds. This ain't the Bahamas, folks. It's happenin' in a local tavern in Bellville, Delaware. Seems like one of them is hiding out and trying to keep ahead of the backstory. Only that backstory will be bleeding into every minute of every day that follows.
Polly (Pauline) is trying to keep the lid on some awful secrets in a spring-loaded box. It's a matter of time before someone takes to the highway and picks up the scent of woman-gone-bad. Adam may know more about Polly than what he's puttin' out there. The two of them cross the line into something that neither of them bargained for. But is it strong enough to counter the powers that be? Their explosive relationship may just have some fiery elements that singe the lives of others, too.
Truth be told, I've not read a lot of Laura Lippman. This one has all the ear marks of a cat-and-mouse game with a bit more sophistication than the usual ones out there. Lippman seems to have a handle on the scammers scamming other scammers. It's a backstory filled with complicated mind games and the cruelty that humans inflict upon one another. Dollar signs light up in neon signs. It's got some of those deadly sins in residence here.
Be prepared for some dry spells that attach themselves to this one. There's not a lot of breath-taking moments where there should have been plenty. I'd rate this one at 3.5 at best. I'm sure that Lippman fans will grab this one quickly. An entertaining read. Pass the sunblock.
Sounds like some bad decision-making here. Shoulda known better......
Laura Lippman begins her story with two elusive strangers, a bit of alcohol, and a definite casting their fates to the winds. This ain't the Bahamas, folks. It's happenin' in a local tavern in Bellville, Delaware. Seems like one of them is hiding out and trying to keep ahead of the backstory. Only that backstory will be bleeding into every minute of every day that follows.
Polly (Pauline) is trying to keep the lid on some awful secrets in a spring-loaded box. It's a matter of time before someone takes to the highway and picks up the scent of woman-gone-bad. Adam may know more about Polly than what he's puttin' out there. The two of them cross the line into something that neither of them bargained for. But is it strong enough to counter the powers that be? Their explosive relationship may just have some fiery elements that singe the lives of others, too.
Truth be told, I've not read a lot of Laura Lippman. This one has all the ear marks of a cat-and-mouse game with a bit more sophistication than the usual ones out there. Lippman seems to have a handle on the scammers scamming other scammers. It's a backstory filled with complicated mind games and the cruelty that humans inflict upon one another. Dollar signs light up in neon signs. It's got some of those deadly sins in residence here.
Be prepared for some dry spells that attach themselves to this one. There's not a lot of breath-taking moments where there should have been plenty. I'd rate this one at 3.5 at best. I'm sure that Lippman fans will grab this one quickly. An entertaining read. Pass the sunblock.
October 12, 2020
“How much do you want me? She thinks. It’s not vanity on her part. It’s vital information.”
Seems everyone mentioned ‘noir’, well I don’t even know what that means, let alone recognize all these comparisons to novels by James M. Cain. But if this is what is called ‘psychological noir’ then I’m here for it. More of this please!
“She wonders if he is as exhausted by all the lying as she is.”
There was a whole chapter (15) where we found out Polly’s gnarly past regarding Ditmars. I haven’t been that impacted by a whole stretch of pages in a novel for a long time. So powerful and heartrending and disgusting all at once.
“I’m dying. I’ll die if I can’t. No, really, I’ll truly die. I’d die for you.” Always some variation of death. Until finally, he decided he could not, would not wait. Not that anyone would call it that. Not even her father would call it that. She had brought it on herself. Burton said as much, when he was finished: “I didn’t want to do that.” Weeping, as if she had forced him to be a lesser version of himself.
Then: “I love you.” So it was okay.
May 14, 2021
This is a well crafted mystery with an unusual twist, there is no murder at the beginning to spin the story from. There are two people who meet and share an instantaneous attraction. Each is carrying a ton of emotional baggage and secrets that will mean the end of their relationship if either tells the truth. Not only do they keep the truth from each other, the reader is also in the dark.
Talk about unreliable narrators! If you like ambiguity and I do, this is a psychological minefield that you won't be able to put down until you finish.
Talk about unreliable narrators! If you like ambiguity and I do, this is a psychological minefield that you won't be able to put down until you finish.
February 20, 2018
Two men, more added on, one woman, many lies and a lot of deceit.
SUNBURN has your brain burning to find out what is really going on.
Polly has just left her husband, Gregg, and her daughter, Jani, while they were at the beach. She had it planned, but we don't know why.
Gregg was ready to leave the marriage, but Polly took off first.
Adam is also mysterious because we don't know what he is up to since he showed up at the same time Polly did and decided to hang around and work at the same place Polly found a job.
The suspense continues non-stop as secrets come out and Polly keeps manipulating and planning. She has a secret she won’t tell and things she needs to take care of.
Surprises continue to pop up, and the intrigue intensifies as Polly continues to secretly and mysteriously do what she does best.
Wow...Ms. Lippman has outdone herself with this book.
Absolutely loved it...the entire storyline and ending were great!!
Ms. Lippman has written another psychological page turner which is going to be a favorite.
SUNBURN is truly a masterpiece of suspense!! One of her best. 5/5
This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher, Bookperk, PageTurners, and Edelweiss in return for an honest review.
SUNBURN has your brain burning to find out what is really going on.
Polly has just left her husband, Gregg, and her daughter, Jani, while they were at the beach. She had it planned, but we don't know why.
Gregg was ready to leave the marriage, but Polly took off first.
Adam is also mysterious because we don't know what he is up to since he showed up at the same time Polly did and decided to hang around and work at the same place Polly found a job.
The suspense continues non-stop as secrets come out and Polly keeps manipulating and planning. She has a secret she won’t tell and things she needs to take care of.
Surprises continue to pop up, and the intrigue intensifies as Polly continues to secretly and mysteriously do what she does best.
Wow...Ms. Lippman has outdone herself with this book.
Absolutely loved it...the entire storyline and ending were great!!
Ms. Lippman has written another psychological page turner which is going to be a favorite.
SUNBURN is truly a masterpiece of suspense!! One of her best. 5/5
This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher, Bookperk, PageTurners, and Edelweiss in return for an honest review.
October 29, 2021
3.5/5 Estrellas
Me voy a auto-entrevistar, a ver si me aclaro las ideas:
¿Me ha gustado el libro? Si, podemos decir que notable alto.
¿Puntos fuertes? El personaje central femenino está muy bien (estamos ante un femme noir), empieza fuerte, sorprendiéndonos, aunque poco a poco, a mi juicio, se va estereotipando y perdiendo un poco de empuje. El cierre no me ha parecido brillante y es bastante previsible. La relación, más sexual que afectiva con Adam, lejos de ser explícita y vulgar, transmite mucha fuerza y da empaque al libro.
¿Qué me ha gustado menos? Poco a poco la trama se va a alargando, la relación no da más de si, las intenciones de Polly (nuestra femme), son cada vez más evidentes, entre polvos, comidas y el ambiente poco estimulante del pueblo donde transcurre la historia pierde brillantez y se aborrega.
Que decir de Adam, nuestro personaje masculino principal, que al principio de todo se compara con Ken (el de Barbie), aunque peor hubiera sido que se comparase con Lorenzo Lamas el rey de las camas...en fin, luego mejora y su explosiva relación con Polly es bastante convincente.
Que si lo recomiendas: Que si, no está mal el libro, no conocía a la autora, pero este personaje tan camaleónico que ha creado me ha gustado, así que le daré otra oportunidad a alguna de sus más de 20 novelas publicadas, que no es una novata no, que el ignorante soy yo.
Me voy a auto-entrevistar, a ver si me aclaro las ideas:
¿Me ha gustado el libro? Si, podemos decir que notable alto.
¿Puntos fuertes? El personaje central femenino está muy bien (estamos ante un femme noir), empieza fuerte, sorprendiéndonos, aunque poco a poco, a mi juicio, se va estereotipando y perdiendo un poco de empuje. El cierre no me ha parecido brillante y es bastante previsible. La relación, más sexual que afectiva con Adam, lejos de ser explícita y vulgar, transmite mucha fuerza y da empaque al libro.
¿Qué me ha gustado menos? Poco a poco la trama se va a alargando, la relación no da más de si, las intenciones de Polly (nuestra femme), son cada vez más evidentes, entre polvos, comidas y el ambiente poco estimulante del pueblo donde transcurre la historia pierde brillantez y se aborrega.
Que decir de Adam, nuestro personaje masculino principal, que al principio de todo se compara con Ken (el de Barbie), aunque peor hubiera sido que se comparase con Lorenzo Lamas el rey de las camas...en fin, luego mejora y su explosiva relación con Polly es bastante convincente.
Que si lo recomiendas: Que si, no está mal el libro, no conocía a la autora, pero este personaje tan camaleónico que ha creado me ha gustado, así que le daré otra oportunidad a alguna de sus más de 20 novelas publicadas, que no es una novata no, que el ignorante soy yo.
March 5, 2018
Sunburn is a subtle and enigmatic piece of storytelling featuring a subtle and enigmatic main protagonist. A beautifully written joy to read.
This is a slow burn, cleverly manipulative and genuinely compelling story, where the mystery elements play within the character studies, a story of two people hiding secrets and playing parts. It is utterly riveting as you follow Polly and Adam through a long summer of a relationship built on lies, neither of them are who they appear to be to each other and ultimately things will take a very dark turn..
I loved this one because it wasn’t so much about the mystery elements at all, this is a tense and completely absorbing psychological drama, an understated yet captivating unraveling of motivation and personality. Polly is especially puzzling, not only to us the readers, but to Adam who is more drawn to her as time moves on…
I love stories like this. You never really know where they are going to leave you – it isn’t about a twist or a sudden shock, it is about the vagaries of human nature and how we relate to each other, about the secrets we keep and how they define us. The end of Sunburn was beautifully done, leaving me with a satisfying feeling of melancholy, this was a novel I didn’t want to leave behind..
Sophisticated, chilling, with a vivid sense of place and time I think it’s possible that Sunburn is my favourite novel from this author yet.
Highly Recommended.
This is a slow burn, cleverly manipulative and genuinely compelling story, where the mystery elements play within the character studies, a story of two people hiding secrets and playing parts. It is utterly riveting as you follow Polly and Adam through a long summer of a relationship built on lies, neither of them are who they appear to be to each other and ultimately things will take a very dark turn..
I loved this one because it wasn’t so much about the mystery elements at all, this is a tense and completely absorbing psychological drama, an understated yet captivating unraveling of motivation and personality. Polly is especially puzzling, not only to us the readers, but to Adam who is more drawn to her as time moves on…
I love stories like this. You never really know where they are going to leave you – it isn’t about a twist or a sudden shock, it is about the vagaries of human nature and how we relate to each other, about the secrets we keep and how they define us. The end of Sunburn was beautifully done, leaving me with a satisfying feeling of melancholy, this was a novel I didn’t want to leave behind..
Sophisticated, chilling, with a vivid sense of place and time I think it’s possible that Sunburn is my favourite novel from this author yet.
Highly Recommended.
April 17, 2018
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
“I really would like to get to know you.”
“Trust me, you wouldn’t.”
The gin joint is the “High-Ho” in Belleville, Delaware. The she is Polly. When Polly meets Adam they both claim to be simply passing through town. Somehow they both end up working at the High-Ho. She as a waitress/he as a short order cook. Their attraction to each other is impossible to hide. Who they each truly are appears to be easier to conceal. Someone is pulling a long con. But who?
“Maybe everybody lies, all the time.”
This was noirtastic!!! It’s definitely a story where the less said the better, so save yourself from spoilers. Also be prepared for some characters you will find truly TURRRRRRRIBLE. I won’t blame anyone from wanting to shy away or feeling like they need to put this one down, but if you stick it out to the end EVERYTHING comes together. Mitchell says that disclaimer doesn’t even make any sense to him because he thought this about Sunburn . . . .
Laura Lippman is a new-to-me author. I'll definitely be checking out more of her stuff in the future.
Many thanks to my favorite curmudgeon for being my book fairy on this one and saving me from the endless library wait list!
“I really would like to get to know you.”
“Trust me, you wouldn’t.”
The gin joint is the “High-Ho” in Belleville, Delaware. The she is Polly. When Polly meets Adam they both claim to be simply passing through town. Somehow they both end up working at the High-Ho. She as a waitress/he as a short order cook. Their attraction to each other is impossible to hide. Who they each truly are appears to be easier to conceal. Someone is pulling a long con. But who?
“Maybe everybody lies, all the time.”
This was noirtastic!!! It’s definitely a story where the less said the better, so save yourself from spoilers. Also be prepared for some characters you will find truly TURRRRRRRIBLE. I won’t blame anyone from wanting to shy away or feeling like they need to put this one down, but if you stick it out to the end EVERYTHING comes together. Mitchell says that disclaimer doesn’t even make any sense to him because he thought this about Sunburn . . . .
Laura Lippman is a new-to-me author. I'll definitely be checking out more of her stuff in the future.
Many thanks to my favorite curmudgeon for being my book fairy on this one and saving me from the endless library wait list!
February 28, 2018
4.5/5
Most of you know I’m an avid crime fiction reader, it’s my go to genre so I’m slightly ashamed to say this was my first Laura Lippman book! Looking through her back catalogue I can see she writes exactly the kind of books I love so I have NO idea how she’s been off my radar thus far. I’ve seen many others say that Sunburn is not typical for her, but I loved it and her writing is so nuanced, so dang good that I won’t be missing out on her books in the future.
Polly is a mysterious woman with a plethora of secrets in her past, you know little about her for a long time, Lippman methodically peels back the layers of her character until you get to the core. Adam also has a mysterious past and the same goes for him, you slowly but surely gain information about his history and you’re just never totally comfortable trusting either of them. Unreliability at it’s best! There are quite a few points of view, but not too many in my opinion, each served a particular purpose and were there for a specific reason, not just as filler. The characters were complex, interesting and so shady, right up my alley.
Many will say this is a slow burn and I totally agree, but it’s also a slow unraveling of a tangled tale that I was never quite sure of. Not sure of who to trust, not sure what their true motivations were and definitely not sure of what would happen next. I never did figure things out ahead of time, the ending totally surprised me, completely unexpected and wholly satisfying.
Sunburn in three words: Subtle, Hypnotic and Unpredictable.
Most of you know I’m an avid crime fiction reader, it’s my go to genre so I’m slightly ashamed to say this was my first Laura Lippman book! Looking through her back catalogue I can see she writes exactly the kind of books I love so I have NO idea how she’s been off my radar thus far. I’ve seen many others say that Sunburn is not typical for her, but I loved it and her writing is so nuanced, so dang good that I won’t be missing out on her books in the future.
Polly is a mysterious woman with a plethora of secrets in her past, you know little about her for a long time, Lippman methodically peels back the layers of her character until you get to the core. Adam also has a mysterious past and the same goes for him, you slowly but surely gain information about his history and you’re just never totally comfortable trusting either of them. Unreliability at it’s best! There are quite a few points of view, but not too many in my opinion, each served a particular purpose and were there for a specific reason, not just as filler. The characters were complex, interesting and so shady, right up my alley.
Many will say this is a slow burn and I totally agree, but it’s also a slow unraveling of a tangled tale that I was never quite sure of. Not sure of who to trust, not sure what their true motivations were and definitely not sure of what would happen next. I never did figure things out ahead of time, the ending totally surprised me, completely unexpected and wholly satisfying.
Sunburn in three words: Subtle, Hypnotic and Unpredictable.
January 5, 2018
This is my first Laura Lippman book and I really enjoyed it! I did a buddy read with Dennis and Jamie and while I’m writing this review they are still finishing up and I can’t wait to hear their thoughts!
So, at first I was a little confused because I had no idea this was set in 1995 but once I realized that the story read smoothly. Sunburn is told in many points of view, which if you follow any of my reviews I love that!
Polly or Pauline was a straight hard ass and I wasn’t sure if I was going to like her at all. She is mysterious, sexy, wild but also quiet. I’d say she was an unlikeable female character. The story opens up to Adam noticing Polly with sunburned shoulders sitting at a bar alone. He knows she isn’t from around here just by the looks of it. Once they end up talking they both say they are just passing through the city of Belleville, Delaware. That doesn’t end up happening though, Adam and Polly both end up saying in Belleville. Both working at the same bar, and becoming infatuated with each other. Adam and Polly each have a goal of their own. They both have secrets they aren’t willing to tell. Can they trust each other?
During their stay in Belleville there is an explosion at Polly’s apartment. Thankfully, Polly was at Adam’s motel room during the incident but her coworker was not so lucky. Adam starts to question himself about Polly, he loves her but he himself has secrets that need to come out.
This is definitely a layered story which I really enjoyed. Sex, lies, secrets, murders, betrayal, blackmail... oooo juicy! In the end, I ended up loving Polly. Like I said at first, i wasn’t sure I’d like her. I am a single mom who is only without the kiddo while she is at school. Also, I gotta say the last page had me smiling. It was perfect. Once you read the story you’ll understand. I recommend Sunburn! 4.5 Stars. Thank you very much to William Morrow for sending me a copy!
So, at first I was a little confused because I had no idea this was set in 1995 but once I realized that the story read smoothly. Sunburn is told in many points of view, which if you follow any of my reviews I love that!
Polly or Pauline was a straight hard ass and I wasn’t sure if I was going to like her at all. She is mysterious, sexy, wild but also quiet. I’d say she was an unlikeable female character. The story opens up to Adam noticing Polly with sunburned shoulders sitting at a bar alone. He knows she isn’t from around here just by the looks of it. Once they end up talking they both say they are just passing through the city of Belleville, Delaware. That doesn’t end up happening though, Adam and Polly both end up saying in Belleville. Both working at the same bar, and becoming infatuated with each other. Adam and Polly each have a goal of their own. They both have secrets they aren’t willing to tell. Can they trust each other?
During their stay in Belleville there is an explosion at Polly’s apartment. Thankfully, Polly was at Adam’s motel room during the incident but her coworker was not so lucky. Adam starts to question himself about Polly, he loves her but he himself has secrets that need to come out.
This is definitely a layered story which I really enjoyed. Sex, lies, secrets, murders, betrayal, blackmail... oooo juicy! In the end, I ended up loving Polly. Like I said at first, i wasn’t sure I’d like her. I am a single mom who is only without the kiddo while she is at school. Also, I gotta say the last page had me smiling. It was perfect. Once you read the story you’ll understand. I recommend Sunburn! 4.5 Stars. Thank you very much to William Morrow for sending me a copy!
May 21, 2018
(NOTE: I've started blogging - you can join me here for more reviews and book discussions: https://macsbooks311.wordpress.com)
Laura Lippman is one of my go-to authors for good crime fiction with a strong female lead. I assumed that was what I would be reading when I picked up her latest work, Sunburn. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Instead I was pleasantly surprised to find one of the best works of modern Noir with a classic touch that I have read in a long time. Lippman has created a femme fatale character that stands her ground with any of Chandler’s characters and then some!
The book opens with two strangers in a bar – yep – a gorgeous woman with a sunburn and a handsome man who cannot stop watching her. You would think that this is a set up for an old classic movie but you soon find that the peeling layers of skin from Polly’s sunburn are metaphors for the multiple layers after layers of secrets, lies and deceits that these characters have brought to the table.
Polly, a mother of two abandoned children – or is she? A murderess or battered wife protecting herself and her child… And who is Greg really? An admirer? Her savior or another pawn who Polly is willing to use in her machinations of deceit?
This is a hard-boiled classic noir tale of domestic intrigue that will have you rapidly turning pages to discover the truth – if you can. 5 golden stars and high recommendations for this incredible book.
Laura Lippman is one of my go-to authors for good crime fiction with a strong female lead. I assumed that was what I would be reading when I picked up her latest work, Sunburn. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Instead I was pleasantly surprised to find one of the best works of modern Noir with a classic touch that I have read in a long time. Lippman has created a femme fatale character that stands her ground with any of Chandler’s characters and then some!
The book opens with two strangers in a bar – yep – a gorgeous woman with a sunburn and a handsome man who cannot stop watching her. You would think that this is a set up for an old classic movie but you soon find that the peeling layers of skin from Polly’s sunburn are metaphors for the multiple layers after layers of secrets, lies and deceits that these characters have brought to the table.
Polly, a mother of two abandoned children – or is she? A murderess or battered wife protecting herself and her child… And who is Greg really? An admirer? Her savior or another pawn who Polly is willing to use in her machinations of deceit?
This is a hard-boiled classic noir tale of domestic intrigue that will have you rapidly turning pages to discover the truth – if you can. 5 golden stars and high recommendations for this incredible book.
June 9, 2024
I genuinely loved this one and found it hard to put down or stop thinking about. I've not read any of Lippman's previous work but will need to fix that error in judgement.
Here Polly and Adam arrive separately to a small Delaware town and slowly get to know each other, but not fully. Both are hiding things, yet neither finds those details important as they gradually fall for each other. Adam's secret is known to the reader but Polly is a surprise a minute. I thought I had her figured out and then changed my thinking completely, and then changed it again. Is she a victim or a victimizer? An innocent or a perpetrator? She is a schemer and will surprise you many times, is all I can say.
Loved the noir feeling of the book, the hot simmer of a lust-filled summer with no air conditioning, the vintage everything from clothes to jewelry to furniture, and the references to 1940s crime dramas like Double Indemnity and The Postman Always Rings Twice. They don't make 'em like that these days, but Lippman sure knows which buttons to push to match the overall mood and effect. Obviously, having both the private eye and the femme fatale here helped to achieve that feeling, but the plot clinched it.
ARC copy from Bookperk Pageturners.
Here Polly and Adam arrive separately to a small Delaware town and slowly get to know each other, but not fully. Both are hiding things, yet neither finds those details important as they gradually fall for each other. Adam's secret is known to the reader but Polly is a surprise a minute. I thought I had her figured out and then changed my thinking completely, and then changed it again. Is she a victim or a victimizer? An innocent or a perpetrator? She is a schemer and will surprise you many times, is all I can say.
Loved the noir feeling of the book, the hot simmer of a lust-filled summer with no air conditioning, the vintage everything from clothes to jewelry to furniture, and the references to 1940s crime dramas like Double Indemnity and The Postman Always Rings Twice. They don't make 'em like that these days, but Lippman sure knows which buttons to push to match the overall mood and effect. Obviously, having both the private eye and the femme fatale here helped to achieve that feeling, but the plot clinched it.
ARC copy from Bookperk Pageturners.
April 2, 2018
2-1/2 Stars.
Sunburn started off strong for me. I was intrigued. The characters were mysterious and I wanted to know their secrets. Little by little I learned more and suspense began to build.
I’m okay when a suspenseful book has a slow build but this seemed almost the opposite for me. As time went on, the story almost seemed to slow down and I began to lose rather than gain interest. Unfortunately, it ended up feeling a bit anticlimactic for me.
So, apparently I’m in the minority here as there are so many high ratings for this book. It just wasn’t for me. I will give a different Lippman book a try as I hear good things about this author and I think I started off with the wrong Lippman book.
Sunburn started off strong for me. I was intrigued. The characters were mysterious and I wanted to know their secrets. Little by little I learned more and suspense began to build.
I’m okay when a suspenseful book has a slow build but this seemed almost the opposite for me. As time went on, the story almost seemed to slow down and I began to lose rather than gain interest. Unfortunately, it ended up feeling a bit anticlimactic for me.
So, apparently I’m in the minority here as there are so many high ratings for this book. It just wasn’t for me. I will give a different Lippman book a try as I hear good things about this author and I think I started off with the wrong Lippman book.
January 9, 2018
Laura Lippman's
Sunburn
is quite possibly one of the most original mystery novels I've read since I've started my Goodreads account. It's a complex, well-written mystery that not only hooks you into the story, it doesn't let you know who in fact you want to root for! This is one of those mystery novels that you need to go in blind to get the full effect, but let's see what I can provide for you before I give you my overall thoughts. Set in Belleville, Delaware, Polly is enjoying a cocktail at the townie bar, the High-Ho. Also in the High-Ho tavern is mysterious Adam. Adam and Polly both are crossing paths but their introduction leads to a lustful relationship—they are both intoxicated with each other, but they are a deadly combination. Both Adam and Polly decide to stay in Belleville after engaging in this lubricious affair. Both are hiding secrets, both are holding back their true reasons for passing through Belleville, and both have everything to lose if the other one finds out. As time goes on, a mysterious death sends shockwaves through the town, providing little-to-no evidence as to what or who was the culprit. Adam and Polly can't get enough of each other, but how can they continue if they both can't trust each other, and why can't either of the two seem to run away from each other?
Sunburn
is so original in its storytelling and I was seriously in shock as how the story was panning out. Yes, I did have some issues with the story, but let's start with the positive, shall we?
What I liked
The way this story is written, not only are the cast of characters in this story unable to trust each other, but as a reader, I had a seriously hard time knowing who or what to trust. It's a very difficult task to be able to stump an avid reader such as myself. I hated some of the characters, but then grew to sympathize with them; I was enamored by others and grew to despise them. It reminds me of how real life tends to provide people first impressions of people that may or may not be an actual depiction of a person's inner core of who they are. By the end of the story, there were definitely lines drawn in the sand for me, but Ms. Lippman was able to provide a perfect narrative for me to decide who on my own, rather than her forcing a suggestive narrative. Oh and let's just talk about that ending—talk about a satisfying conclusion.
What wasn't for me
This story has a lot of POVs, which tends to confuse me at times. The perfect trifecta of POVs usually works best for me, but as the POVs grow, so does my confusion. I lost count at how many POVs we get in this story, and some of them were not really important to the progression of the story. This can be argued positively as I did a buddy read with two friends of mine on this one (hey Shannon and Jamie!) and I'm sure they had different opinions on this critic.
I also wished there was more of a dialogue in the beginning of the story as well. This novel reads very similarly to The Silent Wife by ASA Harrison in the initial first half of the story, which you can take or leave it. For me, I would love to have more of a discussion between the characters instead of just reading how they were thinking the entire time. I do believe once I hit the halfway mark, I ended up getting used to this writing style.
Overall suggestions
Sunburn is a quick, sexy, dramatic, and dark read that I would totally suggest picking up if you are looking for something different. Something that won't be the next "insert a combination of gone, train, girl". Seriously, this book is a good deterrent for that, promise. I'm intrigued by how Laura Lippman paints a mystery story, and am curious to pick up one of her other reads. Thank you William Murrow Books for providing an advanced copy for my honest review. Sunburn will be released February 20, 2018, thank you and good night! *mic drop*
What I liked
The way this story is written, not only are the cast of characters in this story unable to trust each other, but as a reader, I had a seriously hard time knowing who or what to trust. It's a very difficult task to be able to stump an avid reader such as myself. I hated some of the characters, but then grew to sympathize with them; I was enamored by others and grew to despise them. It reminds me of how real life tends to provide people first impressions of people that may or may not be an actual depiction of a person's inner core of who they are. By the end of the story, there were definitely lines drawn in the sand for me, but Ms. Lippman was able to provide a perfect narrative for me to decide who on my own, rather than her forcing a suggestive narrative. Oh and let's just talk about that ending—talk about a satisfying conclusion.
What wasn't for me
This story has a lot of POVs, which tends to confuse me at times. The perfect trifecta of POVs usually works best for me, but as the POVs grow, so does my confusion. I lost count at how many POVs we get in this story, and some of them were not really important to the progression of the story. This can be argued positively as I did a buddy read with two friends of mine on this one (hey Shannon and Jamie!) and I'm sure they had different opinions on this critic.
I also wished there was more of a dialogue in the beginning of the story as well. This novel reads very similarly to The Silent Wife by ASA Harrison in the initial first half of the story, which you can take or leave it. For me, I would love to have more of a discussion between the characters instead of just reading how they were thinking the entire time. I do believe once I hit the halfway mark, I ended up getting used to this writing style.
Overall suggestions
Sunburn is a quick, sexy, dramatic, and dark read that I would totally suggest picking up if you are looking for something different. Something that won't be the next "insert a combination of gone, train, girl". Seriously, this book is a good deterrent for that, promise. I'm intrigued by how Laura Lippman paints a mystery story, and am curious to pick up one of her other reads. Thank you William Murrow Books for providing an advanced copy for my honest review. Sunburn will be released February 20, 2018, thank you and good night! *mic drop*
October 2, 2024
Sunburn is the kind of book which hooks the reader with mystery and suspense while questioning the authenticity of the main characters motive and purpose throughout.
Thought provoking with an simmering level of intensity which feels like its threatening to boil over at any moment, Sunburn reads equal parts Lisa Lutz (The Passenger) and James M Cain (The Cocktail Waitress) - suburban noir at its finest.
At its heart, Sunburn tells the tale of a woman scorned, searching for a better life who isn't afraid to bury bodies in the wake of her passing through. Author Laura Lippman devilishly adds complexity to the main character in Polly, by infusing her backstory with seemingly murderous and heartless wrongdoings but balances that out by providing her with a likable firecracker quality, equally dangerous and exciting
A note on the audiobook: Regina Reagan's narration compliments the book perfectly. Her tone and style matches the sass and general nature of the character exceptionally well.
My rating; 5/5 stars. I couldn't get through this fast enough and loved every minute.
Thought provoking with an simmering level of intensity which feels like its threatening to boil over at any moment, Sunburn reads equal parts Lisa Lutz (The Passenger) and James M Cain (The Cocktail Waitress) - suburban noir at its finest.
At its heart, Sunburn tells the tale of a woman scorned, searching for a better life who isn't afraid to bury bodies in the wake of her passing through. Author Laura Lippman devilishly adds complexity to the main character in Polly, by infusing her backstory with seemingly murderous and heartless wrongdoings but balances that out by providing her with a likable firecracker quality, equally dangerous and exciting
A note on the audiobook: Regina Reagan's narration compliments the book perfectly. Her tone and style matches the sass and general nature of the character exceptionally well.
My rating; 5/5 stars. I couldn't get through this fast enough and loved every minute.
February 23, 2018
Man, I really hated this. Too many POVs (who all oddly had the same voice except for the insurance dude), so much exposition, so much repetition of past events, and all of it written in such a flat, unappealing and unengaging style. The characters were ciphers, and it made zero sense why everyone was obsessed with the main character (despite the fact we are told, repeatedly, She’s Not Like Other Girls). A huge disappointment all around.
August 2, 2017
I have read at least 10 Laura Lippman novels (this is the 6th since I started using this Goodreads account 6 years ago) and while there are a couple I like a lot, most of the time I read them and just want a little bit more. Still, she's usually reliable to write something readable (especially her standalones) and I recommend her a lot.
But from the beginning I could tell this was going to be my favorite Lippman book. It felt different from the first page. (So did AFTER I'M GONE, which is probably my second favorite.) Around 10% in there was a casual but crucial reveal and I went from pretty interested to totally hooked.
When I read the Acknowledgements it all clicked. This is Lippman writing in the style of James M. Cain, one of my favorite writers, and one of the godfathers of Noir-style crime fiction. This is my personal sweet spot. It is why I gravitate to crime writers like Megan Abbott who take that noir style and focus it on mysterious and intriguing female characters. This kind of book is all about people not being what they seem, not to the other characters or even to you. A noir novel should have at least two kinds of puzzles: the first being who are these characters really, and the second being what will they do.
I tore through SUNBURN and I suspect many other readers will, too, even if they're not typically readers of Noir. Polly fits squarely into the "unlikable female protagonist" that I am so interested in exploring, and Lippman lets us slowly discover her, to have our impression of her constantly changed, to gradually uncover more and more of her past, and ultimately her true self. The reveals here are rewarding both in terms of the plot and to tell us more about the character, it's masterfully done. It's also rare that I encounter a love story in a crime novel that doesn't feel tacked on, there's one here where we get to see both characters fall for each other, follow them through it, and feel it pay off.
The ending is too quick and tied up for my liking, even if I approve of the final destination itself. It's a bit of a departure from the slow burn the rest of the book does so nicely.
Be aware there are several plot points here around domestic abuse, with several acts described in detail.
But from the beginning I could tell this was going to be my favorite Lippman book. It felt different from the first page. (So did AFTER I'M GONE, which is probably my second favorite.) Around 10% in there was a casual but crucial reveal and I went from pretty interested to totally hooked.
When I read the Acknowledgements it all clicked. This is Lippman writing in the style of James M. Cain, one of my favorite writers, and one of the godfathers of Noir-style crime fiction. This is my personal sweet spot. It is why I gravitate to crime writers like Megan Abbott who take that noir style and focus it on mysterious and intriguing female characters. This kind of book is all about people not being what they seem, not to the other characters or even to you. A noir novel should have at least two kinds of puzzles: the first being who are these characters really, and the second being what will they do.
I tore through SUNBURN and I suspect many other readers will, too, even if they're not typically readers of Noir. Polly fits squarely into the "unlikable female protagonist" that I am so interested in exploring, and Lippman lets us slowly discover her, to have our impression of her constantly changed, to gradually uncover more and more of her past, and ultimately her true self. The reveals here are rewarding both in terms of the plot and to tell us more about the character, it's masterfully done. It's also rare that I encounter a love story in a crime novel that doesn't feel tacked on, there's one here where we get to see both characters fall for each other, follow them through it, and feel it pay off.
The ending is too quick and tied up for my liking, even if I approve of the final destination itself. It's a bit of a departure from the slow burn the rest of the book does so nicely.
Be aware there are several plot points here around domestic abuse, with several acts described in detail.
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