What do readers think of And When She Was Good by Laura Lippman? Write your own review.

Laura Lippman's book, And When She Was Good is one of her best books. The main character, Helen (Hel or Heloise) is a woman who has gone through life trying to trust people. She has been systematically shown that people especially men can not be trusted. Helen becomes a Madam with her own escort services after being pushed around as an prostitute, then things start to crumble around her and she needs to make other choices. Luckily she is a resourceful person, but even her resourcefulness might not be enough.

The main character, Helen's chosen profession is in such opposition to her life as she has built it. Her understanding of the people's character although strong - after all the the life lessons - still can be considered naive. As Helen's story is unveiled, the reader is brought to each significant time and then becomes more sympathetic and understanding of Helen. The end has a twist, which is my favorite type of ending and leaves you suspended for a moment...

I have given And When She Was Good four stars out of five and found I really liked it. Certainly, it is a book that should hold people's interest and make some people think about the choices that are open for women without educations. For others, the plot gives you a ride bringing you on her journey with the ups and downs.

I did like this book after I finished it. During the reading of it I just wasn't sure. I really didn't care for Heloise. I felt she was flat, emotionless and she really was, but I liked her at the end. It did have a few twists that I enjoy in books. I am glad I stuck it out and finished. Laura Lippman does not disappoint!

Overall I enjoyed the book, with some reservations. I found Heloise to be somewhat condradictory. On the one hand, she ran a very successful "business", but on the other hand she was sometimes childlike, and made very poor decisions. On some levels I found her characterization to be less than believable.
Overall though, I found the story interesting. I liked the going back and forth with the timeline. I would rate this book between average and good, therefore a 3.5, I felt it was better than just average.

Having read Laura Lippman's works before, I was interested in seeing what form her creativity would take with her next book, since her novels are all compelling yet very different. This one was no exception.
The unlikely protagonist of this work, Heloise, is a prostitute/madam in the suburbs of Baltimore. At first, the topic and "career" of this woman put me off, but as I kept reading I became aware that I was liking her more and more. She is trying to change her life and do the right thing by her employees and her son. Of course, this journey is never easy, especially when the career is such a dubious one, and she is in danger. How Heloise makes this journey and the choices she makes are the theme of this book.
Lippman's prose flow to create the tone and set the pace of this novel. This work would be suitable for book clubs.

The book was really easy to read and I really enjoyed the story line. I liked how the story went between the current time and Heloise/Helen's past from chapter to chapter, it helped to explain what was going on and to develop the characters nicely. I also really enjoyed that the author didn't immediately start in with the murder mystery part of the book; most books of this genre have already started the suspenseful parts by the first or second chapter and by the end of the book you feel like the climax was over a few chapters back.

Lippman has a great way with characters. In this latest novel, she delves into the life of a suburban madam and the circumstances that led her to this life. Her characters have a richness that really make them jump off the page and come to life. And When She Was Good was a quick, satisfying read!

I am a big fan of Ms. Lippman in general, but I didn't particularly enjoy this book. Heloise wasn't a very likeable character and I had trouble with the flow and pace of the book. I usually whip through her books, but I struggled to finish this one.

This book was plodding, and was far too long in the telling. The main character, Heloise is extremely unlikeable, and manages to blame everyone else for her troubles. None of the characters were fleshed out, so it was hard to stay interested.

I enjoy her books, just not this one. Hopefully, her next book will be better.