And When She Was Good

A truly well-written novel with complex, imperfect characters - - in other words, real people. I like that this book talks about sex and prostitution without having to rely on the stereotypical graphic sex descriptions (not that there's anything WRONG with that) and relies instead on understanding the why and how of the main character. Love the narrator - - good job with being able to differentiate between characters. Throw in a family study and good who-dun-it and you've got a really good summer novel.

Wow! How to describe this book and its main character? Different, compelling, intriguing, appalling, thought-provoking - all come to mind.

Laura Lippman is a great writer, and she delivers here. The characters are well-developed and interesting. The book is structured in the one-chapter-in-the-present, one-chapter-in-the-past format. I'm not generally a fan of that style, but it works here, and the build up of interest and tension is palpable.

If you are like me, you will find your sympathies shifting around a lot in "And When She Was Good." Whether you believe this unique character and her story to be symptoms of the decline of civilization or an increase in tolerance, I think you'll find it to be thought-provoking and entertaining.

I've listened to every Laura Lippman book on Audible. This was one of her best - Linda Emonds rocks as a narrator. I wish she narrated more books!

Yes. There were unexpected twists and turns to the story that kept me wondering what would happen next. Heloise's choices make sense based on what we learn of her past. Laura Lippman is a master of character development.

I've listened to every Linda Emond performance of L. Lippman's books. This was one of her best. They are all good though.

Oddly, I was drawn to the character of Audrey and her pivotal role in the story. She was a constant yet she still remains a mystery. In a good way.

Please write more books, Ms. Lippman!

A middle of the road story--interesting enough to listen to, but the main character was kind of too remote and unfeeling, so it made it difficult to feel invested in whether or not she was discovered to be a madame or would live through the end. It was also uneven in that, she was supposed to be so smart, yet kept getting caught up in these compromising positions with men who overpower her. She may come out of it on her own in the end, but it's more of another circumstance she found herself in than one she created for herself.

The overarching storyline of her escort business and how she ran it, felt modern and was a little different than other books of this genre. I think that I would have felt more for her if she was married or seeking relationships outside of her business and her son. Though her son was supposed to be the central focus on her life, I didn't feel it in the writing. It was more just something that she said.

The narrator was a little weird--kind of stiff and definitely contributed to the remoteness that you feel about the character. She also made men sound....dumb...?

It wasn't so bad that I want my credit back....just wouldn't recommend to others.

I am definitely going to read more Laura Lippman. I enjoyed this book very much and the narrator was fantastic. The story line was well-thought out and filled in all the details in a perfect way for the reader. Very nicely developed.

Very interesting story, may seem slow to some, but I liked it. I thought this story had a great plot line and definitely wasn't predictable! Now I'm interested in the rest of the books by Laura Lippman. I would def reccomend this book.

I loved this book. Some times when I read a book, I can't remember what it was about within a month. I will not soon forget this one.

I gave this four stars, because I really got wrapped up in Heloise's life and how she problem solved. I could not put it down.

I do believe that women will find this a better read than men. Well, worth the credit. I will definitely add Laura Lippman to my favorite authors list.

It's easy to be a Laura Lippman fan, especially when she writes such rich and complex characters like Tess Monaghan. But in this novel we meet another strong and complex woman in Heloise Lewis. As always, Lippman keeps you guessing to the very end. I hope we hear more from Heloise, and maybe even a novel featuring Tess and Heloise together!
It's a good one.... you won't be sorry!

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.

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.