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    The Most Dangerous Thing
    The Most Dangerous Thing
    The Most Dangerous Thing
    Audiobook11 hours

    The Most Dangerous Thing

    Written by Laura Lippman

    Narrated by Linda Emond

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    “One of the best novelists around, period.”
    —Washington Post

    “Lippman has enriched literature as a whole.
    —Chicago Sun-Times

    One of the most acclaimed novelists in America today, Laura Lippman has greatly expanded the boundaries of mystery fiction and psychological suspense with her Tess Monaghan p.i. series and her New York Times bestselling standalone novels (What the Dead Know, Life Sentences, I’d Know You Anywhere, etc.). With The Most Dangerous Thing, the multiple award winning author—recipient of the Anthony, Edgar®, Shamus, and Agatha Awards, to name but a few—once again demonstrates how storytelling is done to perfection. Set once again in the well-wrought environs of Lippman’s beloved Baltimore, it is the shadowy tale of a group of onetime friends forced to confront a dark past they’ve each tried to bury following the death of one of their number. Rich in the compassion and insight into flawed human nature that has become a Lippman trademark while telling an absolutely gripping story, The Most Dangerous Thing will not be confined by genre restrictions, reaching out instead to captive a wide, diverse audience, from Harlan Coben and Kate Atkinson fans to readers of Jodi Picoult and Kathryn Stockett.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateAug 23, 2011
    ISBN9780062099617
    Author

    Laura Lippman

    Laura Lippman was a reporter for twenty years, including twelve years at the Baltimore Sun. Her novels have won almost every prize given for crime fiction in the United States, including the Edgar, Anthony, Nero Wolfe and Agatha awards. She lives in Baltimore with her husband, the writer David Simon who created hit TV series The Wire and Homicide: Life on the Street.

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    Reviews for The Most Dangerous Thing

    3.5/5

    54 ratings42 reviews

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    • 4/5
      This is the story of 5 young friends and the summer that changed everything for them. Gwen is the daughter of a dr. and Mickey is the daughter of a single mother who is most concerned with herself. The three boys(Sean, Tim & Gordon) are sons of an abusive, prejudiced man. Gordon is the youngest and also somewhat manic. The five friends meet “Chicken George” who is a vagrant that lives at the edge of the woods. The night that "Chicken George" died Mickey claims he was sexually abusing Gordon. Mickey catches him and pushes George and he falls and hits his head. When Gordon dies in a drunk driving accident, the old friends reunite for his funeral. Gwen and Tim put their heads together and discover the truth of that night.I loved the characters in this book, but did not care for the ending.
    • 4/5
      I am relatively new to the mystery genre. I have read them in the past, but mostly because the mystery was a byproduct of a romance I was wrapped up in. Very few times have I picked up a novel because I wanted to play detective and figure out the whodunit. This novel wasn’t so much a whodunit as a shocking conclusion to a disturbing occurrence. I was completely involved in this story. I wanted to know what happened that caused the unlikely friendship between five souls to fall so beautifully and tragically apart. As a mystery, I was held in suspense throughout the most of the novel. Ms. Lippman gave snippets of information, clues revealed through the past and present by several characters, but ultimately she left the big “Holy Chicken!” moment for the end. I have to admit I was thinking of rating this novel lower, mainly because of the disturbing nature at the core of the mystery. Then I realized how brilliant Ms. Lippman truly is. I didn’t suspect that finish at all. I appreciated that she made her villain flawed, truly unsuspecting much like the other characters on the novel. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery, I was underwhelmed by a couple of the characters, particularly Tally Robison. I think Tally would have made a fascinating character in her own novel but much of her story and motivation gets lost in this one. I really didn’t see the point in revealing so many details of her past; it added nothing to the story. A character I really enjoyed getting to know was Doris Halloran. She had a touch of creepy about her. She’s sensitive, slightly delusional, a bit vindictive. Overall I think she was plain ol’ misunderstood. There were a couple of big surprised in the novel that has nothing to do with the mystery but with Ms. Lippman’s literary prowess. There is a bit in the book when Doris tells of reading and loneliness. She is only twenty pages from the end of a novel she’s reading, but puts it down because she hates going to bed with a book finished. Mainly because… “It’s a little less lonely, knowing she has a group of people waiting for her in the morning, people who can’t go on unless she opens the book.” Ms. Lippman also writes about forgiveness. “Allowing one’s self to be forgiven is just as hard as forgiving. Harder in some ways. Because to be forgiven, one first has to admit to being at fault.” That my friends, is some good chicken. And the main reason why I read. This novel has made me a Laura Lippman fan. I have I’d Know You Anywhere in my TRB pile and frankly, I can’t wait to dig into that one.
    • 4/5
      Pretty good, though I found the ending underwhelming.
    • 4/5
      First Line: They throw him out when he falls off the barstool.Something happened one summer in Baltimore that made five best friends go their separate ways throughout the rest of school and on into their adult lives. When one of them dies and the rest slowly come together for the funeral, they begin to learn that the past never stays buried. It must be dealt with or there will be unwelcome consequences.Once again Lippman does an excellent job at building suspense (just what happened that summer???) and diving into character and motivation. Those remembered days of childhood are every bit as clearly delineated as the present day trials the characters all have as grownups.This book is a bit of a rarity for me-- and it's all due to Laura Lippman's skill as a writer. You see, I really didn't give a rap for any of the characters. There's not one single person in that book that I liked. If this leads to you believe that I hated this book, I wouldn't be surprised. But I did like it. Lippman makes that mysterious thing that happened on that long ago summer so compelling that I couldn't stop reading. I had to find out what happened and which of the characters were responsible.Normally this character-driven reader prefers to have at least one character to like, respect, or admire. In the case of The Most Dangerous Thing, I kept thinking to myself, "You're all one big batch of messed-up people. What did you do to get that way?" Lippman answered my question in one beautifully written page after another.
    • 3/5
      ‘As five we were mighty, the points on a star…Once we five joined, it was never boys against girls…Two of our triangles cut themselves off and ran away together, and we were never whole again. Never.’Years ago, they were the best of friends. But as time passed, they grew apart, became adults with families of their own, and began to forget about the past – and the terrible lies they shared.But now Gordon, the youngest and wildest of the five, has died and the others are thrown together for the first time in years.Could their long-ago lie be the reason for their troubles today? Is it more dangerous to admit to what they’d done or is it the strain of keeping the secret that is beginning to wear down on their souls.My Thoughts:What appealed to me about this book was it’s cover and the fact that mark Billingham has found the book compelling and suspenseful. That alone is good enough for me.However I just can’t make up my mind about it. I enjoyed the story of the children growing up, running around wild and free in the woods until that fatal day. The second half of the story focused I think on every character in the book which I found a bit too much. The final section had the big reveal which having read this far I just had to find out. Which infact wasn’t really so big as what I hoped it would be.Did I like this book, well maybe but there were things that I didn’t like. I felt I was watching one of them movies that I just had to watch to see how things were going to end and then I felt well why did I bother. What bugged me was that there was another person who narrates the first part about the children and that person is never known and never revealed. If there were clues then I just didn’t find them.Books like this niggle me because I never can make up my mind if I liked it or not. Part of me says yes and part of says no way. The more I muster on it the more I think I am going to say no I didn’t enjoy it but maybe if it were made into a tv series/film then I would watch it to see how it is potrayed.
    • 4/5
      Laura Lippman's `The Most Dangerous Thing' takes a dark look at childhood, and its secrets and lies.Five happenstance friends - the three wild Halloran boys, tomboy Mickey, and chubby Gwen - form a wonderous childhood `pack' as they play in the woods near their homes. The astute reader knows what dangers may lie ahead as the children discover a tumbledown cabin and its ragged inhabitant. Events spiral out of control, parents enter the picture, and decisions are made that will affect the lives of all five children. No one leaves the woods untouched by the secrets of childhood, and when the four adult former friends gather for the funeral of the fifth, who died in questionable circumstances, memories of their summer in the woods surface.Laura Lippman is, of course, famous for her highly successful Tess Monaghan series. And in `The Most Dangerous Thing' she returns to her Baltimore roots and creates an ambiance and story close to her own heart. But be warned: this isn't a Tess novel. It is a dark portrait of the human condition and a dark world where it isn't always safe to venture into the depths of the woods - or oneself.
    • 4/5
      This is a story about 5 children who are forever changed by the events that occur the night of Hurricane David in Baltimore, Maryland in 1979. The story begins with the death of "Go-Go" who was one of the 5. The other 4 members of the group, along with their parents are left to deal with the aftermath. The reader doesn't find out the truth about what happened the night of the hurricane until the very end of the book. The story moved along at a good pace and kept me guessing the whole time. I had never read anything by Laura Lippman before this, but I would read more of her work based on The Most Dangerous Thing. The interesting thing about this book is that there really is not a "heroic" character or someone you can really admire because they all are quite troubled. I understand, however, the motivations behind each character's decisions except for Mickey. Despite her troubled upbringing, I had difficultly grasping her actions and felt the author needed to make her just a little more sympathetic. If you are looking for a feel good book this is definitely not for you, but if you want a suspenseful read that challenges your assumptions this book will keep your interest.
    • 4/5
      In the Dickeyville area of Baltimore, five friends meet and bond. They form a group that they compare with the five arms of a starfish. They are Gwen, the Halloran brothers, Tim, Sean and Go Go, and the other girl, Mickey Wykoff.They lived in a middle-class neighborhood where their parents didn't have to monitor their activities.the story moves from the late 1970s to current time.In the current day, Gwen returns home to care for her aged father who had injured his hip in a fall. While home, she meets Sean Halloran who informs her that his brother Go Go had died from suicide.We learn of the character's lives since their childhood. Gwen had married a successful surgeon but doesn't know if she wants to live in a home where he is the only thing that mattered.In 1978 the friends used to play in Leaken Park and while exploring came upon an abandoned cabin now being used by a homeless man they refer to as Chicken George.The next year, Sean and Gwen were dating and Mickey and Go Go are at the cabin and there is an incident with Chicken George.The facts of this incident vary depending on who is telling the story but it has a major effect on the futures of the friends and their parents.the novel is entertaining but leaves the reader with a sadness that the innocence of childhood is such a fleeting thing.
    • 3/5
      They have been keeping a secret since childhood, and like most secrets do, it’s haunting them. Five friends: Gwen, Mickey, Tim, Sean, and Go-Go never talk about what happened in the woods that day, and it inevitably stretched their friendship to the limit. Putting distance between them was the best way to forget. They aren’t the only ones holding that information hostage though; some of the parents have held their tongues in hopes of protecting them too, but some secrets beg to be told. When one of the five friends dies they are brought together again to realize that there is a mystery lying under the truth that they have struggled to believe all along. This story is told from many character perspectives, jumping from past and present, giving the reader an inside view of their lives and how they saw the events unfold. That’s an interesting way to approach a story, especially a mystery. The characters were described well enough for me to develop some love-hate opinions of them, and the twists at the end were refreshing and surprising. It’s downfall for me was that the start was slow, as was the pacing. I would have enjoyed the story more if the pacing would have picked up some speed, but overall the characters and the surprising twists made this a good read. I would recommend this to anyone who appreciates mystery and to be shocked at the outcome.
    • 3/5
      Laura Lippman is one of my favorite authors so when I was given this book to review, I thought "great" I'll have a good book to read and a easy review to write. Nope. For me, this book fell short of Ms. Lippman's usual great stories. I had a very difficult time getting into it even though I was born and raised in Baltimore (where the story is set) and I was comfortable with the location/setting. The story lagged. A full hundred pages into it and I was still wondering what was going on. The characters seem 1 dimensional as if you could take them all and put them together to make one decent character. The story was choppy - bouncing from one time frame to another and never really getting any rhythm.I'm really sorry to say that I didn't like it, but I will not abandon an author of MS. Lippman's talents just because of one book.
    • 3/5
      This wasn't a bad book. It was just okay for me. I liked that when the author went back in time she actually marked the chapter when the season/month and year. That is one of my biggest irritations with authors, when they flash back and don't tell you and you have to figure it out. This is about five friends and what happened to them as children and how it shaped their lives. I found it very subtle that it had changed their lives. It wasn't obvious to me and maybe I wasn't paying too close attention. It's not an in your face type of book, not scary, not overly sad, it was just well written.
    • 3/5
      Engagingly written, but the story wasn't all that interesting to me.
    • 2/5
      I've been on a mystery kick lately, and Lippman's The Most Dangerous Thing seemed a good fit. But instead the story moved at a snail's pace, with characters that I could not bring myself to care about. I even found myself not at all wondering what the big reveal was going to be. I had to force myself through to the end.
    • 4/5
      I literally came home one day and found this one on my porch directly from the publisher and I have no idea where it came from. This book surprised me and I liked it a lot. The characters were great, all having some kind of quirk. The main character of the story Gordon or Go-go dies in an automobile accident and the former friends are left behind trying to make sense of what happened. Through the novel, you learn what happened in the past affected Gordon and changed the outcome of his life. The only negative aspect of this book is that it jumps around from past to present a lot and that kind of drove me crazy. I do like how the author captures the friendship and its changes thru time. Great character and a great plot, you literally cannot put this book down and want to know how it ends. I highly recommend it and I am so glad I got the chance to read and review it.
    • 3/5
      Another one of Lippman's enjoyable suspense stories, this one with a big cast of characters to root for and against. The book starts with the tragic death of "GoGo" Halloran, who in a drunk driving incident kills himself, either accidentally or not. GoGo was the "bad boy" of the three Halloran brothers, who as children played with two girls, Gwen and her bold friend Mickey. Was GoGo's death an accident, or was he haunted by a death that the children witnessed many years ago?I'm not doing justice to the book with my plot synopsis, because there is a lot else going on: Gwen's mother's frustrated artistic ambitions, Sean's controlling wife, Mrs. Halloran's innocent love for all her boys. I can't say I was as much in love with this book as with some of Lippman's others, but it may be me who is a little off, because I'm not liking much these days.
    • 3/5
      This book was ok. I so badly wanted to win it and I did but reading it didn't meet my expectations. I'm sure I'll read more of her books in the future.
    • 4/5
      Five children play in the woods near their homes, despite their parents' warnings about danger. Tim, Sean, and Go-Go are brothers. Mickey and Gwen are the girls who join them for adventures. A terrible event occurs one summer evening in 1979, and the five kids are affected even thirty years later. Laura Lippman is a gifted writer, both in terms of story line and language. The primary message seems to be that keeping secrets works its way through the generations, resulting in dysfunctional marriages, poor life choices, misunderstandings of gargantuan proportions. It struck me, though, that this is pretty much a portrait of 21st century families in the USA, whether or not they've experienced traumatizing events as children.Lippman's characters are well-drawn, although it helped me to jot down the names and relationships of the members of the three families, since the parents also play an important role in the dynamics of this novel. The shifts from present to distant past to mid-past made it somewhat difficult to figure out who knew what when. I would have given another half-star if I hadn't had to keep referring to my notes in order to keep things straight. An absorbing read, regardless.
    • 4/5
      Laura Lippman admits that this is the most biographical novel she's written, setting it in what is essentially her childhood neighborhood. But that's where the similarity stops--the only secrets she's keeping is how she comes up with such riveting fiction time and time again.Her characters in "The Most Dangerous Thing", however, have been keeping a secret for many, many years. Something happened to the little neighborhood collection of five once inseparable children that that formed them into the long estranged adults they have become. That secret clearly haunts them still, especially as four of them gather for the fifth's funeral, all wondering if it was really an accidental car crash or if it was suicide by the one person they think was most scarred by the secret that they keep. Flashbacks to their childhoods help move the present day psychological suspense at a rather quick pace, pages turn rapidly as the puzzle pieces come together and they learn that they are not the only ones who have been keeping secrets. This book is truly Lippman at her finest.
    • 3/5
      At the end Lippman admits this to be her most autobiographical novel in the sense that she set it in her childhood neighborhoods. Clearly she got lost in the nostalgia of her memories because she didn’t write a thriller or anything even close to it. Long, meandering and mostly pointless she delves into the lives of her characters in both the past and the present. The unknown, dark and ostensibly dangerous secret is none of those things. The unseen and malign presence that is supposed to be threatening the long disbanded group of friends is non-existent. There is no dread, no fear, no cringing doubt. It’s a flat story about an unattractive bunch of kids who (surprise) grow up to be an unattractive bunch of adults. I won’t say it was unreadable, because I was drawn into the story, but in the way that appeals to my inner voyeur, not because there was any kind of mystery or big revelation waiting for discovery. That aspect was a yawn-fest, but the differing points of view were pretty interesting and the writing was strong as usual. I just wish Lippman hadn’t gotten all misty-eyed on us and had given us a story with meat on its bones.
    • 2/5
      I can't say this was a favorite read at all. At times, it was monotonous to slog through the lives and history of the various characters--there are many characters, so there is a lot of background. I did not really connect to one person. In fact, I cringed every time I encountered the moniker "Go-Go". As one of the more supposedly sympathetic persons, I felt nothing for Go-Go; no connection with his personal demons. However, The Most Dangerous Thing is written by a gifted master who very talented in her craft. I did want to see were Lippman's efforts led me. I had to hear the story out. What unfolded was family drama, meant to be sensational in its punch, but to me, disappointing in its finale. In the end, life just went on with no real personal growth or revelations for these people. If these suburban Baltimore families had never existed in their fictional world, no loss to me at all.
    • 4/5
      Laura Lippman is another favourite author who has taken a break from their recurring character (Tess Monaghan) to pen another stand alone novel.The Most Dangerous Thing is the story of five childhood friends - Mickey, Gwen, Sean, Tim and Gordon aka Gogo - in the Baltimore area. They spend the summer of 1977 running through the woods near their homes, until a tragic event changes everything. Fast forward - Gogo has died and the others gather for the first time in twenty years. Was Gogo's death an accident or suicide? Could the events from that long ago time still be affecting the present? For each of them? What really happened? They never spoke of it aloud after that day.Each character (and a few more including the parents of the five) recounts their take on the event and what ripples and changes it may have caused in their lives. But the incident is not the only topic of each character - their hopes, dreams and disappointments are all fodder for each 'vignette'. Definitely a character driven novel.I chose to listen to this book in audio format and I'm glad I did. I don't honestly think I would have enjoyed it as much in written form. (Or would it have kept my interest) Listening to reader Linda Emond made it a little more intimate, more like listening to someones thoughts and conversations with themselves. Emond's voice has rich undertones. She reads in a well modulated tone and pace, conveying the introspection of each character well.The events of that day are central to the book and I wanted to find out what really happened. I don't think you could slot this book into any one category. There is a mystery, but It would also fit just as well into contemporary fiction - exploring the themes of friendship, betrayal, jealousy, guilt and much more. A cameo appearance by Tess Monoghan ensures that her life is moving forward and that we can hope to see a new book about her soon. The most dangerous thing?.......a secret?.....or the truth?......
    • 4/5
      Laura Lippman is a writer with a unique voice that I happen to enjoy. It always takes me a while to get "into" her books.... I start reading thinking, 'Meh, this is ok' and end up really being drawn into her stories.The ending of this book is both a twist AND not unexpected. It feels natural. A twist that isn't unrealistic, I guess.I know that not everyone remembers their childhood thoughts as well as others do. If you are one of those people who DO remember well, you'll find her writing nostalgic. Not sure if that's the right word exactly. Accurate-nostalgic-believable.I'm not sure that I would recommend this as a first intro to Lippman's books, but if you're a fan already, you'll enjoy it.
    • 4/5
      I am a big fan of Laura Lippman's work. This story about five friends; Gordon (GoGo), Mickey, Gwen, Sean and Tim was very character driven with a slightly weak plot.The five friends make a habit of playing in the woods near their homes, until a tragic event occurs which alters their lives and their parents lives forever.The story drags between past and present without a clear understanding of whose story is being told.
    • 4/5
      Years ago, they were all the best of friends. But as time passed and circumstances changed, they grew apart, became adults with families of their own, and began to forget about the past—and the terrible lie they all shared. But now Gordon, the youngest and wildest of the five, has died and the others are thrown together for the first time in years.And then the revelations start.Could their long-ago lie be the reason for their troubles today? Is it more dangerous to admit to what they’ve done or is it the strain of keeping the secret that is beginning to wear on them and everyone close to them? Each one of these old friends has to wonder if their secret has been discovered—and if someone within the circle is out to destroy them.
    • 3/5
      There is a plot in here somewhere, but getting to it is a bit of a slog. Too much stream of conscienceness inside all the heads of the characters. The "mystery" becomes clear rather early on and I just wished the author would wrap things up, already. For more details you can read the reviews below.
    • 5/5
      Some will argue that THE MOST DANGEROUS THING is again not strictly crime fiction (I seem to be reading a few of those recently) and I think it will appeal to many who do not generally read the genre. That said, there is murder, and there is mystery aplenty.Five children, three boys from one family and two girls from separate families, four of them of an age and one of the boys quite a bit younger, become a coalition, a group. Over a period of three years they explore the swampy forest on the land that abuts their homes. Their parents are busy leading their lives and are not particularly concerned what their children might be up to. Quite a considerable part of the novel details what growing up in these very different families is like. When they are finally and inevitably separated by school, college, or a new house, they and their parents share a secret that the children, and some of the parents, only half understand.The perspective of the novel is nearly three decades on when one of the five dies in a car accident that could be suicide. Lippman cleverly fills the reader in on the separate paths each of the children have taken in life. The structure of the novel is designed to make you think: from sections labelled GO-GO, US, THEM, and PITY THEM to the occasional time frames used as chapter headings: Summer 1978, Autumn 1979 etc.So, Lippman probably does achieve what it seems she set out to do: a cross-genre novel that talks about growing up, shared secrets, and things you may find it hard to talk about later in life.A very interesting read.
    • 2/5
      Since I am from Baltimore (the setting for this, and most of her books), Laura Lippman is an author that I enjoy reading. I was excited to have received this book as an Early Reviewer but am sad to say that I couldn't get into it. The more I read it, the less I cared about what the "truth" was going to turn out to be.
    • 4/5
      This is my first book by Laura Lippman. I have a few of her books but I just haven't gotten around to reading them just yet.The Most Dangerous Thing is about a group of children and their families during the 70's and 80's. The main characters are Gwen, Mickey, and the three Halloran brothers named, Sean, Tim and Gordon or also known as Go-Go. This is back in the time when parents would let their children go outside and not worry about the dangers out there. These five children would hike through Leakin Park beyond where they knew there parents wouldn't let them go if they really knew.The book goes from the present to the past in the chapters. You would be reading about any one of the main characters in the future and then they would start remembering things from the past. When you start reading The Most Dangerous Thing you read about Go-Go in the present day. He is thrown out of a bar and winds up killing himself either by accident or suicide, no one really knows. This is what begins the story of what really happened to Go-Go in the woods the day of the hurricane.I enjoyed the book and how you realize that what had happened that one day in the park altered those five children and their respective lives. They lost touch with each other, became jealous of what the other one had and how they thought each one had it better then they did.
    • 4/5
      Separated by the passing of time, a group of five childhood friends reunite at a funeral. Long gone are the carefree days when they would spend hours together exploring the woods near their suburban homes. Those were adventurous days filled with the thrill of going off on their own, experiencing a little danger and fun, and forming a bond over the secrets they shared. As they eventually grew toward adulthood, they drifted apart; but one secret remained untold.Now one of the five, Gordon, has died in a car accident. But was it an accident or was it a suicide? Has someone found out about what happened one night in the woods? Did this have something to do with Gordon’s death?There are two stories to be told. One takes place back in the 70s and the other in the present. We alternate between the two with the point of view changing as each character tells a part of the story from their perspective. The events meshed together so well that, for the most part, I did not have any problem following the changes in narrator.These were not the most likable characters; early on their many flaws become apparent. But flawed characters didn’t stop me from enjoying the story. On the contrary, the author wove together a mystery spanning several decades into a drama about friendship, personal growth, becoming an adult and accepting responsibility.I listened to the audiobook and the production was well done. Linda Emond narrated at a nice pace, was pleasant to listen to and did a good job with her tone and inflection, making each character sound distinct.This was my first Laura Lippman novel and I am pleased to have experienced her wonderful storytelling. The book was well written with a plot that moved along at an accelerating pace towards an ending where the pieces came together and the secret was revealed. A shocking secret? No, but not what I was expecting either. It was a surprise and a thought-provoking ending.
    • 2/5
      I did not like this book anywhere near as much as I’ve liked Lippman’s other novels. She states that this is the most personal book she’s written, setting it in the area she grew up in, and I think the plot suffers for it.The story follows the adult versions of childhood friends Gwen, McKey (nee Mickey), Tim, and Sean, awkwardly brought together after the death of the boys’ younger brother, Gordon. They are all keeping a terrible secret, which is supposed to be revealed to us in drips and drabs along the way, both through the present and the past.The point of view jumps from character to character, which does not bother me at all. However, during the parts from the point of view of the children, the point of view is an unspecified “we”. It’s not like it’s one of the children and it’s a simple switch to first person – it’s apparent that it’s not any particular one of them. Those sections drove me crazy, and completely distracted me from the story.The plot meanders along, and really struggled. By the end, it was difficult to muster any strong emotions about the “big” secret. It felt like Lippman really wanted to use this setting, but had a hard time finding a story to go along with it. I think she was too close to it.