Lady X - a tale of female rage, vengeance, and strength told across two timelines.

Margot Cooper thought she was living her best life. In 2024, the lifestyle influencer, mother of four, and wife of popular actor Jack Cooper was shocked when images of her husband surfaced on social media, revealing some very bad behavior with multiple women. Margot and her sixteen-year-old daughter, Skye, leave L.A. for the safety of her childhood home in Pittsburgh where her older sister Julia lives. While looking through boxes in the attic, they discover photos and clippings about Lady X. Was there a connection between this now-legendary feminist figure and their mother, Ginger, who lives in a memory care facility? When the story shifts to 1977, Ginger is living in Manhattan and she, along with her roommates Rachel and Faye, face abusive behavior by many men they encounter. When one incident becomes violent, the women decide to take action when the police refuse to help. Their rage builds and a movement is born. When the story returns to present day, Margot, Julia, and Skye start to put together the true story of Lady X.

Lady X is at its most engaging when it travels back to the summer of 1977, during the time when the "Son of Sam" murders instilled fear in women throughout New York City. Author Molly Fader effectively captures the anger of women living in a time when men's predatory behavior was often dismissed. While the novel contains a mystery, at its core, this is a story about the strength the women provide one another across both timelines.

Many thanks to Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read this book in advance.

Rated 4.25 out of 5 stars.

Historical & Contemporary Fiction | Mystery.

Publication Date: July 14, 2026.

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