This book was enjoyable, and fairly realistic. I came to care about the characters, and the narrator on the audiobook, Linda Edmond, was perfection. This would make a great summer read. My first love isn't fiction, however, this one was a page turner. I'll be looking for more Laura Lippman books in the future.
Laura Lippman is one of my "must read" authors; however, this book is not one of my favorites. I'm used to being engrossed in one of her stories from the opening pages. This book bounces from the present to earlier years, explaining how Helen/ Heloise got into her current situation. I found this to be very distracting... and a bit irritating.
The main characters of Val and Helen/Heloise are very firmly fleshed-out - they speak and breathe. Val, as the bad boy, is not very likeable. Unfortunately, neither is Helen/Heloise. I could not find common ground with her. However, I found her to be a fascinating specimen to study.
By the end of the book, Lippman wrote something I'd been thinking: Helen/Heloise was reliving her adversarial life with her father - with the men she chose - and those who chose her. It seems that we are doomed to relive those issues that we don't resolve.
To be honest, I've been so enthralled by the Tess Monaghan series that I've been less enthusiastic about Lippman's stand alone novels - with the exception of her amazing book, WHAT THE DEAD KNOW.
Would I read this book again? Yes, Helen's unique story will be with me for quite awhile. The story caused me to evaluate my perceptions of Helen's career choices. 4 stars
The main characters of Val and Helen/Heloise are very firmly fleshed-out - they speak and breathe. Val, as the bad boy, is not very likeable. Unfortunately, neither is Helen/Heloise. I could not find common ground with her. However, I found her to be a fascinating specimen to study.
By the end of the book, Lippman wrote something I'd been thinking: Helen/Heloise was reliving her adversarial life with her father - with the men she chose - and those who chose her. It seems that we are doomed to relive those issues that we don't resolve.
To be honest, I've been so enthralled by the Tess Monaghan series that I've been less enthusiastic about Lippman's stand alone novels - with the exception of her amazing book, WHAT THE DEAD KNOW.
Would I read this book again? Yes, Helen's unique story will be with me for quite awhile. The story caused me to evaluate my perceptions of Helen's career choices. 4 stars
