Prom Mom by Laura Lippman (Faber and Faber Ltd)

What are the consequences of the tragic events of the past, and why is blame not shared?

Amber Glass was seventeen when she gave birth suddenly in a hotel toilet on prom night. Nobody knew she was pregnant, not even Joe, her date, and the baby's father. Accused of murdering the infant, she spends some time in a juvenile detention center before starting a new life in New Orleans, far away from her past. But when her stepfather dies and an opportunity to create an art gallery in Baltimore, where she grew up, arises, she seizes it and ends up seeing Joe again. Joe, who is now married to a plastic surgeon and is adamant about not having children. They start out as buddies, but will they finish up destroying everything? 

The main protagonists of this character-driven, slow-burning story engage in a game of cat and mouse with one another yet are not particularly appealing. 

Who was Joe, this average man, and why had he been permitted to run wild through life, thoughtless and reckless? Why the women in his life romanticized him, and catered to his every whim? Women assuring him that he was entitled to love, riches, and success, that nothing and no one should stand in his way. In the end, the enchantment had been broken. 

The novel has a heavy atmosphere, at times a confusing narration, and is slow-paced.

Highly recommended if you prefer slow-burn thrillers.

3/5