And When She Was Good - Laura Lippman
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.
Rated of 5
by Cynthia C. (Peekskill, NY)
And When She Was Good
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.
Rated of 5
by Loren B. (Appleton, WI)
Not an easy read
This novel was not an easy read-not because of the subject matter - but because the story line just jumped around too much. And the main character's history - oh please, what a cliche. It was a struggle to finish this book.
Rated of 5
by Jeanne W. (COLUMBIA, MD)
Better Luck Next Time
I'm a huge fan, but this was my least favorite Laura Lippman book ever. It bounced back and forth in time so much that I never felt I was spending enough time in one era. I never got into the flow of the story. Heloise was not a very likable character. I felt that she painted herself as a victim and didn't really take responsibility for her own actions which resulted in people dying. I never understood what the point of the book was supposed to be. I hope she gets back on track the next time.
Rated of 5
by Elisabeth W. (Durham, NC)
Flat
I'm sorry to say that And When She Was Good is not Laura Lippman's best. While it was easy to read, I found there was a lack of character development. A good author shows you a character's personality. I felt like Lippman neither showed nor told me much about the main character's (Heloise) persona. As a result, the characters fell flat for me. In addition, not much happened and thus there was not the compensation of an exciting plot. Bottom line, it was not a character driven book nor was it an action book - so what was it? This is an example of a successful author who was able to publish a substandard book because of the gloss her name brings to the cover.
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of 5
by Angela J. (Highlands Ranch, CO)
of 5
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