Violent crime and police corruption are rampant in the 1960s Baltimore of Laura Lippman's Lady in the Lake. Recently divorced Maddie Schwartz is looking for a purpose in life when she uses her social connections to help police crack a kidnapping and discovers a knack for solving crimes. When a black woman's body shows up in a city fountain, Maddie is determined to find the killer—even if the victim's ghost tells her to leave it alone. Was it hard for you to put down Lady in the Lake? Here are 10 more detective thrillers you'll love.
When 15-year-old Ellie Mack vanishes, her family falls apart. Ten years later, Then She Was Gone finds Laura Mack digging into Ellie's disappearance. The police always insisted that Ellie left on her own, but was that true? When Laura meets her charming new boyfriend's daughter, she can't help but feel that she
reminds her just a bit too much of Ellie. If you were drawn to Maddie Schwartz's search for purpose, you'll enjoy this taut thriller. Read here.
When Claire's husband is killed, she reunites with her estranged sister, Lydia. The two haven't spoken since their younger sister disappeared more than 20 years ago, and their lives as adults couldn't be any different. Yet the sisters make tentative peace to try and discover how the disappearance of their sister and the
murder of Claire's husband are related. Fans of the corruption in Lady in the Lake will dig this dark thriller. Read here.
You enjoyed Lady in the Lake, so we're guessing that you might have already read Dennis Lehane's Gone Baby Gone. If you've never read the first Angela Gennaro book, though, you're missing out. The lesser-known A Drink Before the War finds Angie searching for a missing cleaning woman at the behest of
Baltimore's political elite. Like Maggie Schwartz, Angie doesn't follow the trail long before she has to decide where the line between right and wrong lies. Read here.
The themes of race and societal corruption in Lady in the Lake are echoed in this beautiful thriller by Dreda Say Mitchell and Ryan Carter. Eva is 28 years old and 20 years removed from her adoption. When her adoptive mother, Cherry, dies suddenly, Eva sets out on a quest to find her biological family. But there are
obstacles in the way and a fate awaiting Eva that she may not escape. Read here.
Ahh, corruption: It's a familiar stink for fans of detective thrillers, and you'll find plenty of it in The Shadow Box. When artist Claire Beaudry Chase is attacked and left to die, her first suspect is her husband. He's a powerful politician and fears Claire is about to reveal a dirty secret with one of her artworks. If you liked
the tense pacing and stomach-turning corruption in Lady in the Lake, check this one out. Read here.
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Nola Brown saved Jim "Zig" Zigarowski's daughter from a serious accident more than a decade ago. When Nola's body ends up on his autopsy table at Dover Air Force Base, Zig notices just one problem: it actually isn't Nola. If you loved Maddie's unstoppable drive to find the truth in Lady in the Lake, you'll dig Zig's
quest to find out what happened to Nola. Read here.
Meet Detective Kate Burrows, a tough Englishwoman who has already lost her husband over her commitment to arresting the Grantley Ripper. In The Ladykiller, Kate finds herself in league with a feared criminal whose daughter is killed by the Ripper. Even scarier than her new partnership, though, are the foes
she'll meet during her investigation. If you loved how Maddie unflinchingly faced the dark side of Baltimore's high society to solve a murder, you'll be a fan of Kate's dedication to solving another heinous murder. Read here.
In Miss Me When I'm Gone, we're treated to a female protagonist—much like Maggie Schwartz—who isn't a trained detective. When best-selling novelist Gretchen Waters falls down a stone staircase and dies, her best friend Jamie is named her literary executor. But Jamie finds a manuscript that isn't anything like
Gretchen's other work; she is forced to investigate her friend's "accidental" death. If your stomach was in knots at the conclusion of Lady in the Lake, get ready: Emily Arsenault will take you on a ride. Read here.
Laura Lippman demonstrates mastery at recreating the zeitgeist of a time and place in Lady in the Lake. If you love that historical element, check out this time-jumping novel by Kate Quinn. The parallel storylines of pregnant American teen Charlie and former spy Eve merge when Charlie sets out on a quest to find her
beloved cousin, Rose. The persistent Charlie follows leads all the way to the door of Eve, a WWI-era British spy. You'll find it hard to put this mesmerizing tale down. Read here.
Loved the historic Baltimore setting of Lady in the Lake? Go even further back in Charm City's history with this gem by Bill LeFurgy. The book, set in 1909, follows young doctor Sarah Kennecott and a disgraced private detective as they dig for secrets about a string of murders that anyone would kill to keep. The chilling
story of corruption makes Into the Suffering City a must-read for Charm City detective thriller fans. Read here.
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Bonus Picks! Watch and Listen to These Titles Similar to Lady in the Lake
This 2014 movie, based on a Lippman novel, takes place in Baltimore over the span of seven years. Tween girls Alice and Ronnie are headed home from a birthday party when they happen across an unattended baby in a stroller. They take the baby, meaning no harm, but soon find that they are out of their depths
and have committed a terrible crime. Seven years later, detective Nancy Porter realizes she must confront the girls again. This movie will keep you guessing until the very end. You can stream Every Secret Thing for free on Tubi TV and YouTube.
Lovers of detective fiction with strong female leads, rejoice! Hosted by New York Times bestselling author Debbi Mack, this podcast features the best and brightest authors in detective fiction today. Mack speaks with both new and established authors across the genre. Check out Season 8, Episode 2, to hear
about an upcoming documentary on legendary crime writer Patrician Highsmith—one of Laura Lippman's favorites.
