A thought-provoking stand alone from Laura Lippman. Helen/Heloise is a Starbucks swilling, Maryland suburban “Madam” who wants nothing more than for her young son to wake up every day knowing he is loved and safe, something she never had. The storyline jumps back and forth in time which builds the suspense of the novel, and Lippman does a good job of keeping the transitions smooth. The character of Helen/Heloise is very well drawn and quite complex.

This is a perfect book mystery club selection, especially with the very polarizing topics of should we decriminalize prostitution and is prostitution a victimless crime?