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

Few books are written that you actually want to take on vacation. Laura Lippman has given us books in the past that are quite good and this one is no exception. I was reading at a good pace, and then slowed down because I didn't want it to end. When you can read a story and feel the emotion from all sides, even anger at the protagonist at times, it is a good story. I was surprised that the story was as current as it was with events that seemed to have occurred just yesterday. Dear Laura: please keep these books coming.

"And when she was good" is Laura Lippman at her best. She gives excellent, realistic descriptions of a woman living and surviving in the world of prostitution. How this woman survives the betrayals of those whom she is working for as well as maintaining the secret that she is a single working mom, knowing that at any time her world could be ending, will keep the reader turning the pages. I could not put the book down; it is a thrilling read with a thrilling ending. This makes for a wonderful summer read.

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.

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!

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.

Helen/Heloise is the perfect anti-heroine. Clinging to her own sense of integrity in her fight to shield her son from knowledge of her past and present, she remains painfully aware of the danger threatening both of them. The twist at the end is sudden and unpredictable, and the denouement cleverly foreshadowed in details laid down earlier in the book. AND WHEN SHE WAS GOOD continues to show the excellent writing which has won Laura Lippmann so many Honor's, and is sure to win her more.

In the afterword of the book Lippman writes that she has thought about this story since 2001 and it shows. The plot is perfect, the storytelling is gripping and the characters are fully developed. It was hard for me to put this book down. Even when not reading it, I was thinking about what was going to happen and what had happened. Read this book!

This book about the oldest profession on earth was well written and fun to read. I loved the main character Helen/Heloise right from the start. While the story is light on suspense, the ending has a nice twist.