And When She Was Good

By: Laura Lippman

Narrated by: Linda Emond

Length: 9 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Nominee, Mystery, 2013

Perennial New York Times and national best-selling author and acclaimed, multiple prizewinner Laura Lippman delivers a brilliant novel about a woman with a secret life who is forced to make desperate choices to save her son and herself.

Heloise considers it a blessing to be a person who seldom attracts attention. In her suburb, she's just a mom, the young widow with the forgettable job, who somehow never misses a soccer game. In the state capital, she's the redheaded lobbyist with a good cause and a mediocre track record. But in discreet hotel rooms throughout the area, she's the woman of your dreams - if you can afford the hourly fee.

For more than a decade, Heloise believed she was safe, managing to keep up this rigidly compartmentalized life. But her secret life is under siege. One county over, another so-called suburban madam has been found dead in her car, an apparent suicide. As 40 looms and her son enters adolescence, Heloise is facing a midlife crisis with much higher stakes than most will ever know. With no formal education, no real family or friends, Heloise has to remake her life - again. Disappearing will be the easy part. The trick is living long enough to start a new life.

©2012 Laura Lippman (P)2012 HarperCollinsPublishers

Another wonderful Lippman novel.

Riveting story of a woman who succeeds despite many odds. Lots of plotting but the story holds together until the end.
Well worth your time.

Better than I expected!

I really enjoyed this book! It had a great story line and a few surprises that I didn't expect. It was entertaining and thought provoking!

ANEMIC PLOT...wait for it to go on sale

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

A well-rounded plot that wasn't reaching for unconnected story lines. I passed the point of believeability in the first chapter.

Has And When She Was Good turned you off from other books in this genre?

Yes

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

Her voice simply did not match the subject matter

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from And When She Was Good?

Heloise visiting Val in prison.

Any additional comments?

I've read and enjoyed other Laura Lipmann books, but for whatever reason, this one
gave me a yawn.

I tried but could not like the character

As much as I wanted to like the book and its main character...I could not. I found her uninteresting and could only listen for about 2 hours. I finally gave up

A curious tale, slow and ponderously boring.

This was a strange tale. It started out a bit of a feminist rant, which was going to get boring even if true. I don't come to Audible to be morally improved, but entertained. It failed almost utterly to entertain me, apart from the final encounter, which was diverting for a few moments.

The rest is pretty sordid, as references to prostitution, "the life," tend to be. It is a nasty, brutal, usually short life. Men are pigs, yes they are.

The book was factually incorrect in that it plays out that there is a lot of money to be made in prostitution. There is, but nowhere near the figures that Heloise seems able to extract from it. The working girls almost _never_ earn what they work.

Weirdly enough, hearing Linda Emond's wonderful narration use the few cuss words within the text rather sounded like effluvium in a cathedral. Even Emond's talent could not bring the tale to life for me.

While I agree with the conclusions that Lippman makes overall in the book, and her post book notes, the book wasn't worth the time it took to listen to it.

I know some will be disappointed in that review, especially Lippman fans, but it was a 2, no more.



brendan

Difficult to Appreciate

This book fails in a number of ways. It is difficult to really like the heroine. There are threads that are not developed--there is a problem between Heloise and her half sister that is introduced but never explained. The ending is very predictable, unrealistic and way too pat. I think that there was a reason that this book was put on hold for ten years.

Fast forward is my friend

I probably missed the finer points at the end of this book. I listened to only the first few minutes and the last few minutes of the last 1/3 of the book. It became tiresome. I hate plot lines that only work if you accept the central stupidity of the main character; particularly when that character is painted as a sharp business woman. It is a shame because this author is capable of better.

Disappointing and frustrating

Such a frustrating book. The main character was so unlikable and worse - dumb. Plus, I'm bothered by an undercurrent to the story that enabling abusive men and being unable to break away from them is okay. That it's noble and flattering to have such men "like you best." It wants to be a feminist tale when it's just the opposite. I've enjoyed other books by this author, but this one is not good.

I want my credit back!!

The story jumps around from the past to the present.... I got the feeling that the author had an idea, wrote it down and then declared it "finished". Sometimes I just felt that I must have missed something... what/who were they talking about??? I never cared for the characters and was listening because I had seen it marked with FIVE STARS. Really??? I think I am generous with my 2 star rating.

forgetable

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

I did listen to the entire book recently yet I can't recall much about it

What was most disappointing about Laura Lippman’s story?

lack of substance!

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from And When She Was Good?

my mind didn't engage enough to consider doing this

Any additional comments?

an average book, just nothing outstanding for me.