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And When She Was Good: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.00) - 3,489 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
“Laura Lippman’s stories aren’t just mysteries; they are deeply moving explorations of the human heart. She is quite simply one of the best crime novelists writing today.”
—Tess Gerritsen, author of The Mephisto Club
Already praised as “a writing powerhouse” (USA Today) and “among the select group of novelists who have invigorated the crime fiction arena with smart, innovative, and exciting work” (George Pelecanos), New York Times bestseller Laura Lippman is constantly sending reviewers back to their thesauruses in search of new and greater accolades. Her brilliant stand-alone novel, And When She Was Good, only reinforces the fact that she stands tall among today’s bestselling elite—including Kate Atkinson, Tana French, Jodi Picoult, and Harlan Coben (who raves, “I love her books!”) Based on her acclaimed, multi-award-nominated short story Scratch a Woman, And When She Was Good is the powerfully gripping, intensely emotional story of a suburban madam, a convicted murderer whose sentence is about to be overturned, and the child they will both do anything to keep. Lippman has already won virtually every prize the mystery genre has to offer—the Edgar®, Anthony, Agatha, and Nero Wolfe Awards, to name but a few. They’ll now have to invent a few new awards just to keep up with her.
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"This has to be one of the least "exciting", and, at the same time, one of the absolutely best mystery/thrillers that I have ever read. I am a huge fan of Laura Lippman, finding her one of the literary of all mystery writers. This latest novel is, in my mind, her most literary and best written of all. As I was reading it, I felt that it could have been written by Lorrie Moore or Sue Miller. It involves a suburban Madam who runs a high-class prostitution service in the Baltimore/D.C. area. She's far from the most perfect protagonist, but the author infuses her with an aura that makes her quite likable. I, as a reader, was rooting for her throughout the entire novel. A large portion of this novel deals with her running this illegal and morally questionable service while raising a son. There is some tension and excitement near the end where an easily predicted twist leads to an over-the-top suspenseful scene. Most of the novel, though, is essentially a character study about a damaged woman trying to survive and do something good for her son."
— Robert (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“And When She Was Good is a steady, surprising tale…Ms. Lippman’s nominal subject may be prostitution, but her book is not about a woman who takes care of clients. It’s about a woman who can take care of herself.”
— New York Times -
“Gripping, intricate, and deeply felt, Laura Lippman is as good as ever in this thriller…Linda Emond gives a reading that is at once reserved (as Heloise feels she is in her life now) and evocative of the nuances of Heloise’s story. Heloise’s cool demeanor, under siege as crisis follows crisis, is conveyed by reader Linda Emond with skill and clarity; and the underlying emotions are expressed subtly and skillfully. And When She was Good is gripping to the end; the listener will not soon forget Heloise and her world.”
— SoundCommentary.com -
“Excellent…Shifting smoothly from Heloise’s past to her present, Lippman delivers an intense character study about a strong, complex woman whose love for her son compels her to make some desperate choices.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“Lippman, so smart, clear-sighted, and polished and yet so intense and furious, surveys the intersection of perpetual misogyny and the criminality of sex work in this psychologically astute, diabolically witty, intricately suspenseful, and stylishly righteous tale of atrocities and revenge.”
— Booklist (starred review) -
“[Lippman] slowly ratchets up the tension until the final, blood-drenched showdown…It’s a page-turner.”
— Library Journal (starred review)
Awards
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A Publishers Weekly Pick of the Week, August 2012
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One of the 2012 Kirkus Reviews’ Best Books: Mysteries
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A New York Times bestseller
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A 2013 Audie Award Finalist for Mystery
And When She Was Good Listener Reviews
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" The Helen/Heloise character is interesting, as is the description of the life of a financially successful suburban madam. The book didn't grab me the way some of Lippmann's others have done but still a good read. "
— Monica, 1/28/2014 -
" All the reviews were so great. I couldn't wait to read this book. At page 60 something I gave up. Boring! "
— Mary, 1/24/2014 -
" I enjoyed this book... "
— Michele, 12/31/2013 -
" Very thought provoking book. How many of us are one or two steps away from the desperate life she lives as a teen and young woman? "
— Danelle, 11/3/2013 -
" Incredible surprise ending and good arguement for an old profession. Did it on audio and on ever decreasing pain meds which made book drag a bit. "
— Shannon, 10/11/2013 -
" Loved this book; would have given it 4.5 stars if possible. Fascinating look at life as a single mom/owner of a high-end escort service in Baltimore. A few plot holes but not enough to keep me up at night. "
— Marybeth, 9/19/2013 -
" First book I've ever read by this author, I love mystery and suspense and she provides it in this book. I did not want to put it down. "
— Keisha, 9/11/2013 -
" Read this when I was home sick for a few days, and it was really a perfect book for that. Suspenseful and fun, "
— Briana, 9/5/2013 -
" Another great story by Laura Lippmann! I really enjoyed this one! "
— Annie, 7/10/2013 -
" Heloise is a suburban madam, raising her son, visiting her husband in jail, and running her own business profitably. When a "colleague" of hers is found murdered in another suburb, Heloise has to confront her past, as well as her present. "
— Linnet, 3/12/2013 -
" This was a very entertaining read--and a good reminder that none of us show our complete selves to the world around us. "
— Gwen, 2/12/2013 -
" I found this a little flat, and although I was rooting for the protagonist to escape from her life of prostitution, I did reall ever warm up to her. But this was a quick read, somewhat of a chick thriller and I wasn't expecting great literature..... "
— (Lonestarlibrarian), 10/28/2012 -
" Once again, LL delivers a great story. Once again, I didn't see that ending coming and that is what I love about this writer. Smart writing, lots to think about, then BAM! "
— Jackie, 9/14/2012 -
" Characters and plot were totally predictable and I pldded my way through it why, I do not know. I kept thinking it would get more interesting but it did not "
— Linda, 8/29/2012 -
" This is a rather competent thriller with a fairly unique plot. Heloise is an unassuming soccer mom who also happens to lead a secret life as a suburban madam. Now she is in danger of having her secret life exposed and losing everything, including possibly her life. This was a very suspenseful story and Laura Lippman turned what could have been a ridiculous proposition into a well crafted story that kept me mesmerized throughout. "
— C.L., 8/21/2012 -
" Great story but the main character was very hard to connect with in my opinion. That's a minor quibble however as there was plenty of suspense and intriguing twists to keep me from dwelling on that relatively minor shortcoming. "
— K.N., 8/20/2012 -
" I enjoyed this audiobook quite a lot. The writing, story and pacing was great. This is a great audiobook to listen to on your work commute. "
— Carla G., 8/18/2012 -
" I have enjoyed this author's previous works, but I did not particularly care for this novel. Don't get me wrong - it's well written and the plot is interesting - I just didn't care for the characters at all and the story was nothing like her earlier books. That's not a bad thing I suppose when the book is taken on its own merits but it's a bit jarring for fans of Laura Lippman's previous novels. "
— Penny B., 8/15/2012 -
" This novel, centered on a suburban mom with a double life as a madam, was interesting and compelling throughout. The writing was wonderful and there were lots of twists that I found thoroughly enjoyable as I navigated the story. "
— Andrea H., 8/14/2012 -
" I thought this was very suspenseful listen and also a unique idea for a novel. While the pacing was a bit slow in some parts the rest of the book made up for it. "
— A.B., 8/12/2012
About Laura Lippman
Laura Lippman is a New York Times bestselling novelist who has won more than twenty awards for her fiction, including the Edgar Award—and been nominated for thirty more. Since her debut in 1997, she has published almost two dozen novels, a novella, a children’s book, and a collection of short stories. Her books have been translated into over twenty languages. Laura lives in Baltimore with her husband, David Simon, and their daughter.
About Linda Emond
Linda Emond is an award-winning actress of stage, film, television, and audiobook narration. Her performances on Broadway earned her nominations for the Tony Award in 2003 and 2012 and for the Drama Desk Award in 1997 and 2002. She was awarded the Joseph Jefferson Award for her roles in plays at theaters in Chicago. Her film credits include roles in Julie & Julia, Dark Water, and Across the Universe, among others. Her television credits include such series as Elementary, The Good Wife, and Law & Order: SVU, as well as movies such as A Dog Named Christmas. She has narrated dozens of audiobooks, winning four Earphones Awards and being named a finalist four times for the prestigious Audie Award. In 2011 she was named by AudioFile magazine as a Best Voice in Mystery & Suspense for her reading of Flash and Bones.