The Book:
Sunburn by Laura Lippman, 2018
The Characters:
Polly/Pauline
Adam
The Plot (from Goodreads):
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?
Polly had abandoned her daughter (Janie) and husband and was trying to come into some kind of payout. Adam was a PI hired by another man to follow Polly and figure out where her money was.
Polly had been married before, to an abusive man whom she ended up killing. She was briefly in jail for his murder, but was let go since she was a battered woman. She had a daughter (Joy) from that marriage that is a ward of the state. The first husband’s life insurance money went to Joy’s care, and Polly also sued the hospital for her condition.
The Twist:
Polly kidnaps Janie to get Greg to come after her. When he does, Adam shows up and messes up her plan. A gun goes off in a struggle between Greg and Polly, and Adam is shot.
The Ending:
Polly takes Joy out of state care and escapes with her and Janie. The three make a pleasant life for themselves even though everyone else has died.
The Review:
I enjoyed this slow-burn beach read. The pace wasn’t fast, but I enjoyed the suspense and how all of the secrets unfolded. There were so many secrets and lies that sometimes all the lines were a little bit difficult to follow, but it was complicated in a good way.
Polly was a complicated character, and I’m still not sure if I liked her or not. Her motivations were hazy throughout the book, but she more or less ended up doing the right thing. Some of her decisions were shady, but she did what she had to do to protect herself. I admired how she unapologetically did whatever she needed to do to attain her goals.
Overall an entertaining read, perfect for the beach since it was set in summer.
