Laura Lippman crafts a brilliant new stand-alone novel featuring a suburban madam, a convicted murderer whose sentence is about to be overturned, and the secret that threatens to shatter several lives. Heloise thought she was safe. Val, a murderer who she helped put behind bars, is on death row and she has rebuilt her life in a small, tight knit, suburban community where her past has not been questioned. When Val's seemingly airtight conviction is overturned and he's freed from prison, she is convinced he will hunt her down. For Heloise is hiding a secret-Val is her former pimp and the father of her son. What lengths will Heloise go to in order to protect her child and the life she's built for him? "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." "There's much to contemplate and enjoy in Lippman's honest and fascinating novel about a victimized woman who at least on the outside has firm control on the reins of her life, even as we are enthralled by the day-to-day details of being a suburban madam." "Ms. Lippman…cares less about mayhem than about ways for Heloise to adapt her talents to changing times. Call it sustainability: this book gives Heloise power, versatility and the gift of foresight, all of which serve her well in a crisis. 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." "A novel about the power of sex and money and influence…Its story of the transformative power of motherhood is as compelling as any thriller." "Excellent…Lippman delivers an intense character study about a strong, complex woman whose love for her son compels her to make some desperate choices."
