And When She Was Good (Lippman) - Book Reviews

Book Reviews
And When She Was Good is a steady, surprising tale about how Heloise adapts when her business is put in jeopardy.... There are easy, conventional ways for Ms. Lippman to escalate and end her story. But she 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.
Janet Maslin - New York Times


The consequences of long-buried secrets involving misogyny, motherhood, and morality play out in this excellent stand-alone.… Lippman delivers an intense character study about a strong, complex woman… [compelled] to make some desperate choices.
Publishers Weekly


While the author slowly ratchets up the tension until the final, blood-drenched showdown, this is really a story about a woman wresting control of her life…. It's a page-turner, but often an uncomfortable one,… [in light] of her more unsavory decisions. —Stephanie Klose, Library Journal
Library Journal


Lippman…puts a madam at the center of her latest dysfunctional family.… Like Mary Cassatt, Lippman studies families with a different eye than her male contemporaries, showing the heartbreaking complexity of life with those you love.
Kirkus Reviews