HARDLY KNEW HER Stories

A book of short stories, especially one written by Laura Lippman, gives a narrator the opportunity to show his or her stuff. That's exactly what readers Linda Emond and Francois Battiste do. These 16 stories about Lippman's diverse female characters offer a variety of plots, suspense, plenty of action, and lots of revenge. Three are about Lippman's private investigator, Tess Monaghan. Another two concern a special prostitute that has another life in the suburbs. The narrators speak in many different voices. Linda Emond’s tone is troubled, cunning, harsh, diabolical, childlike, and sad. Battiste sounds tough and frenzied. And just when you thought you'd heard it all, one of them unleashes a barrage that makes you realize they're just getting started. A.L.H. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2009]