When Harriet Mahoney first saw it, Isabel Krug’s bed was covered in sheared sheep and littered with celebrity biographies. The unpublished, fortyish, and recently jilted Harriet had fled wintry Manhattan in response to a mysterious ad in the New York Review of Books: “Book in progress? Why not share my Cape Cod retreat? Roomy and peaceful—your life will be your own.”
In a room with a view atop a Truro dune, Harriet starts on a different path to fulfillment by ghostwriting The Isabel Krug Story, based on the sexy blonde’s tabloid past—specifically, a nasty night in Greenwich, Connecticut, when Guy Van Vleet died and Isabel lived to tell about it. Unusually talented in the man department, Isabel revamps and inspires Harriet as they gear up to tell all. Life according to Isabel is a soap-opera extravaganza, an experience to be swallowed whole—and the attitude is catching.
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"A fun read about a 40 something woman, recently dumped by her jerk of a boyfriend, who is hired to ghostwrite the story of an infamous love-triangle murder by the mistress of the murdered man, and becomes drawn into a world very different (and a lot more interesting) than her own. Sometimes predictable (will she get together with the hunky handyman?), sometimes twisty (the murdering wife gets released from the mental hospital and comes for a visit), but always enjoyable. Lipman does a good job creating realistic and likeable characters." — Elizabeth (4 out of 5 stars)
"A fun read about a 40 something woman, recently dumped by her jerk of a boyfriend, who is hired to ghostwrite the story of an infamous love-triangle murder by the mistress of the murdered man, and becomes drawn into a world very different (and a lot more interesting) than her own. Sometimes predictable (will she get together with the hunky handyman?), sometimes twisty (the murdering wife gets released from the mental hospital and comes for a visit), but always enjoyable. Lipman does a good job creating realistic and likeable characters."
“Ms. Lipman takes on the question of how women and men, in and out of love and jail, should treat each other. In the end, her comic soap opera outsings her dramatic love story…Surely this would be criminal, were we not enjoying ourselves so thoroughly along the way…Isabel’s Bed is serious entertainment.”
“By about page ten of this novel, the reader gets a…grin on his face, and that grin doesn’t really stop for about a week.”
“A marvelous, quirky novel that makes you want to read it straight through without looking up.”
“If Jane Austen had been born about two centuries later…chances are she’d have written like Elinor Lipman…One of the last of the urbane romantics.”
“Delightful…Engaging…The perfect companion…After a short while, these characters become more vivid than one’s own friends.”
“A warm, affecting tale about one smart woman letting go of her dumb choices and fumbling toward love.”
“Conlin’s silky voice captures Harriet’s shy hesitancy, her persistently low self-esteem as well as Isabel’s brash, busty blond self-confidence…Outstanding reading.”
“Isabel’s Bed gives us the intricate and deft plot, crisp dialogue and unexpected twists and turns we have come to expect in the comic novels of Elinor Lipman.”
“With her trademark, light comic touch, Lipman unfolds her narrative…The unexpected ending offers a just-right finish to this wry, warm story of about love and those who practice it.”
“Lipman has written another winner…full of zany twists.”
“A delightful, gentle, knowing satire of writers, the publishing and entertainment industries, the art world, and the vagaries of love.”
“So well paced that you could devour it in one sitting, but so much fun that you'll regret finishing so quickly if you do.”
" Entertaining, light reading. "
" I wasn't sure how I felt about the protagonist initially but she grew on me, and overall I really enjoyed the book. Lippman created very authentic characters and was particularly successful at delving into the heart and mind of a recently scorned lover. "
" A lighthearted, funny, easy read. "
" I'm on an Elinor Lipman kick and am really enjoying her books! I like her characters they are funny, quirky and complicated. This is a good read. It won't change your life, but it is enjoyable. "
" A woman gets dumped by her deadbeat live-in boyfriend of 12 years and takes a job as a ghostwriter on Cape Cod. Isabel is her boss, a bombshell who eye-witnessed the murder of her lover at the hands of his wife and wants to tell all. "
" Perhaps Elinor Lipman's best novel to date, although all her books are laugh out loud funny romantic comedies mostly set in New England. They're good when you need a light novel that is wry in tone. I would recommend any of her books. "
" Well, I still love Elinor Lipman. Enjoyable characters, satisfying plot, witty throughout.... "
" I usually really love Elinor Lipman's books. This one just seemed a bit silly, and not in a good way. The problem, for me, was that I didn't really like any of the main characters very much. "
" i am enjoying this book "
" The best sort of screwball comedy. Loved it. "
" Is Elinor Lipman my favorite author? Yes, maybe so. Her characters are always witty, poignanet, exasperating, compelling. Just love all her books. I want to be her when I grow up. "
" Very nice light reading. "
" Light nice read, but at the end seemed rushed to finish everything in a romanticized ending. "
" This book was a fun beach read...nothing earth-shattering but definitely enjoyable. "
" Good chick-lit read "
" Light, entertaining, quick read "
" Fun read with great secondary characters. The narrator can be trying but overall a good book that does not require a lot of brain power to read or enjoy. "
" This is the most complex of Elinor Lipman's books that I have read to date. But the humore, the finding something one is searching for (even if unaware one is doing so) and the humorr make it a lovely read. "
" A woman loses her boyfriend, her apartment, and her job. She takes a position as the live-in housekeeper to a flamboyant wealthy couple at their beach house. Another well-written book with lots of humor. "
" A writer breaks up with her bagel-making boyfriend. she goes to Cape Cod to be a ghost writer. Good "
" A satirical book about a new author attempting to get published. An eye opener for anyone who fantasized about getting that proverbial book into print...or at least on the page. "
" A little preposterous as a premise and it's still Lipman, which means it's good, but not my favorite. "
" This is a light read. I thought I would feel more loyal to the narrator but I actually liked Isabel better. The ending was a bit of a "huh" then an "oh, ok I guess." Lipman tells a nice story but I enjoyed "Then she found me" more in terms of actual story. "
" This was a fun and entertaining read. It seemed a little trite & hurried or maybe overly simplistic but I still enjoyed it and plan on reading more Elinor Lipman. "
" A woman in her 40's is dumped by her boyfriend and becomes a ghost writer for femme fatale Isabel, whose lover was recently shot and killed by his wife. "
" this is a weird book for me to like, but i loved the description of the rooms in the house so much, i read it a few times. A quick easy read. "
" Vintage Lipman: funny, romantic, and sweet with spot on social observations. "
" My first Lipman book...pleasant enough read but you don't come away with much. Almost a beach read...but not quite. "
" Not a bad read, but nothing I would recommend. "
" Harriet gets dumped by her boyfriend of 12 years, then finds the perfect place to live with a charming soul who helps her grow, gives her wings and introduces her to a good man. What a deal! Not believable, but so what? Light and entertaining. "
" Well, I found myself getting really sucked into this book and then it ended. Uh, that was it? Maybe my copy was missing a couple more chapters? Nope. I felt like it was building up to a place it never went. It was an easy and enjoyable read. I just didn't feel like it was complete. "
" Cute summertime book. Very 90,s lol "
" Would be a great beach read. "
" Lipman kind of lost the zest for her own plot somewhere along the way, but the characters are fantastic. Lipman's books are so deliciously readable! "
" Elinor Lipman books are always a good time. "
" I was sufficiently entertained by this book, but not bowled over. It's all about character, which is my favorite kind of book. There are probably people like these characters, but they're not people who I find particularly interesting. "
" Awesome read, I can't wait to read some other books by this author. Easy great beach read. "
" This was one of the most fun reads I've ever had! There is a great sense of humor and social satire woven throughout this book, and I just could not stop smiling as I read! I was truly sorry when it was over because it was such a great time! What a great revenge-comedy! "
" My favorite Elinor book--funny and serious. "
" I liked this book. Liked it... Ish. I don't entirely know what to say about it. I did not love the ending. And while I really enjoyed the secondary character, I never liked the narrator. "
" Set in Truro, real locations/businesses mentioned. Makes me homesick for desolate winters at the beach. "
Elinor Lipman is the award-winning author of sixteen books of fiction and nonfiction. Her first novel, Then She Found Me, became a 2008 feature film, directed by and starring Helen Hunt, with Bette Midler, Colin Firth, and Matthew Broderick. She was the 2011–12 Elizabeth Drew Professor of Creative Writing at Smith College.
Grace Conlin (1962–1997) was the recording name of Grainne Cassidy, an award-winning actress and acclaimed narrator. She was a member of the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in Washington, DC, and won a Helen Hayes Award in 1988 for her role in Woolly Mammoth’s production of Savage in Limbo.
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