And When She Was Good by Laura Lippman

And When She Was Good was so bad that I am disinclined to spend much time on a review. But if I can save some other idiot unsuspecting victim from launching into a time warp of mediocrity, I guess it is worth the effort.

Heloise is the main character of the book. Actually putting the word “character” and Heloise in such close proximity feels wrong, so lets just call her the main “person.”  Heloise, the main person in the book, was raised in a dysfunctional family with a wimp mother and an abusive father. She runs away, straight into the arms of several abusive lovers. Then becomes a prostitute under the rule of an abusive pimp. But of course she’s smarter, prettier and better in bed than everyone else, and of course she has a heart of gold, loves her son, and wants to get out of “the business.” Right. No clichés in there!

The reader could conjure up some sympathy for Heloise if she was even remotely likeable, which would make the story more compelling, but the chasms between poor Heloise and smart Heloise and stupid Heloise were just too wide, and the plot is so full of fluff I felt like I was in a pillow fight.

I’ve only read one other book by Lippman, What The Dead Know, but I remember that one being much better. Come on Laura (pictured), even your die-hard fans had a hard time liking this one.

And When She Was Good is nothing close to good. It is in fact very, very bad.