Dream Girl, by Laura Lippman (Morrow; LJ starred review), is the top holds title of the week (6/21/21). LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting for this buzziest book.

Gerry Andersen is a writer with three ex-wives, no kids, and a successful early novel, Dream Girl, that still makes him money. He’s hit a slow patch after moving back to Baltimore to care for his mother, who dies not long after his relocation. When Gerry breaks his leg in his cold and fabulous condo, he’s cared for by his assistant Victoria and by stolid night nurse Aileen. Stuck in a hospital bed, he drifts in a haze of painkillers. Things get weird when his clingy (almost)-ex-girlfriend Margot drops in from New York and threatens to blackmail him, and weirder when he receives phone calls from a woman claiming to be Aubrey, the “dream girl” of his novel. There is no Aubrey—Gerry made her up. He’s pretty sure Margot is bluffing, too. Then a dead body appears on his bedroom floor. Is he a killer? Who is calling him? VERDICT Lippman (Lady in the Lake) nods at Stephen King and Alfred Hitchcock in this hair-raising tale, but makes it wholly hers and completely riveting. She conveys the horror of being housebound and reliant on strangers, as well as the fear of losing one’s mind. It’s a page-turning, plot-twisting masterpiece.—Reviewed by Liz French, Library Journal, Jun. 1, 2021

READ-ALIKES

Beautiful Bad by Annie Ward (Park Row: Harlequin)
Appeared on the March 2019 LibraryReads list

“Maddie the innocent travel writer and Jo the wild child are living quite the life abroad when Ian crosses their path and changes both their lives permanently. Moving backward and forward in time, the narrative slowly reveals hidden truths. For fans of Paula Hawkins and Ruth Ware.”—Selena Swink, Lake Public Library, Lake, MS

All Is Not Forgotten by Wendy Walker (St. Martin’s)
Appeared on the July 2016 LibraryReads list

“A dark, twisty, intricately-plotted psychological thriller about a teen girl, who has been assaulted after a party, as she tries to regain her memories of the event after taking a controversial drug that erases traumatic memories. Walker’s many plot and character threads are carefully placed, and she weaves them all together into a satisfying, shattering conclusion. I’m betting we’ll be seeing this title in a LOT of beach bags over the summer.”—Gregg Winsor, Johnson County Library, Roeland Park, KS

White Ivy by Susie Yang (S. & S.; LJ starred review)
Appeared on the November 2019 LibraryReads list

“In this coming-of-age immigration story, Ivy is obsessed with her privileged classmate and will do anything to win his love. For fans of You and Gone Girl.”—Joann Im, Los Angeles Public Library