Before She Was Helen by Caroline B. Cooney, 336 pages. Poisoned Pen Press, 2020. $27.
Language: PG (7 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Sun City is full of retired folk with nothing to do but play cards and be in everyone else’s business. When a murder is discovered in one of the villas on Blue Lilac Lane, everyone wants a piece of the excitement to share, but Helen hopes it all just fades away. If the police are called, they’ll poke their nose into everything, and there are secrets Helen needs to keep.
I have been a fan of Cooney since I was in middle school, and Helen’s story is a great addition to Cooney’s resume. The constant flipping back and forth between both time and characters makes for a steep learning curve, but Cooney skillfully draws readers in to make conclusions about the big picture as she slowly provides her readers with each piece of the puzzle -- I couldn’t put it down. My favorite thing about this book is the unique nature of having a murder mystery in a retirement community, a setting that Cooney fully embraces and takes advantage of. The mature content rating is for rape; the violence rating is for blood, gun use, and murder.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Before She Was Helen was not quite what I was expecting when I requested it. It follows Clemmie who lives in a retirement community. Her cranky old neighbor Dom texts her to let her know he is okay each morning until one morning he doesn't. She uses her key to check on him but he is nowhere to be found. Clemmie notices a door into the 3rd unit of their triplex and curiosity gets the best of her. She finds a glass object and takes a picture. Its beautiful but it is basically the only thing in the unit. Things get out of hand when her grandson Bentley posts it on IG and it turns out a drug dealer is missing this item. The story gets going and has several different characters and story lines. Clemmie is also Helen and has a interesting backstory about why she is going by the name Helen. I didn't love the way it was written and thought the story lines were a bit clumsy and messy. There was a bit too much going on and it came across kinda of cheesy in parts. I couldn't tell if some of it was tongue in cheek or condescending especially in the way it was reminding the reader of the way things where in the 1950s when Clemmie was growing up. I was expecting a thriller and there was more than one murder, but a traditional thriller it was not. I did enjoy reading about elderly people in a thriller and found their relationships funny and interesting. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy for review.

What happens when your life doesn’t turn out the way you expected, so you create a new one. Clemmie, a retired Latin teacher, is in her seventies and living in a retirement village. No one there expects you to tell them your life story so Clemmie feels safe and comfortable. It seems to be the perfect place to live during her golden years. Then, when she checks on her neighbor, Dom, things begin to go sideways. As the story picks up the pace, it is apparent that Clemmie has secrets. She also has two cells phones and her neighbors know her as “Helen”. Obviously, Clemmie isn’t a typical senior.

Caroline B. Cooney has written a sharp and witty book that will give you a sense of life in a retirement village. It starts out as a light-hearted mystery, filled with a cast of characters who spend their days together in a variety of pursuits. However, it quickly develops into a much darker and more sinister story, filled with shadowy characters and a secret that Clemmie is desperate to keep hidden.

The story moves between Clemmie’s current life and events and decisions that happened many years ago. Occasionally these shifts in the timeline were a little confusing and there were quite a few characters to keep track of. But, these are minor adjustments for the reader. The story moves along at a brisk pace and the ending is quite satisfying as well.

I enjoyed Before She Was Helen and I found it refreshing to have seniors portrayed as capable, smart, and resilient. Hats off to Ms Cooney for her latest book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

A very human story disguised as a cozy mystery. This book is so much more than expected. Clementine was so real and well developed that I really felt like I was there, with her and her neighbors. This book was provided to ne by the publisher for an honest review.

Three out of five stars. I liked reading this and enjoyed getting back into Caroline Cooney’s work. The story line was what intrigued me when I read the synopsis and I was really hoping for a little bit more. Overall a like-able read, though I wish there was a bit more delineation between the timelines/flashbacks somehow. When one occurred it took me a few moments to remember names of the characters. The scenes were described so well I could see where they were occurring almost perfectly.

Thank you to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

Caroline B Cooney's "The Face on the Milk Carton" was one of my all time favorite reads as a pre-teen in the late 80s. One of my greatest fears then (and still now) was being kidnapped and this book excited and terrified me. I was excited to read another Cooney book.

I'm going to say that this is a delightful mystery. It's not so much a 'cozy mystery', there is a bit more depth here but something about this I really enjoyed. A retirement community mystery, a photo, a drug dealer and a body. These are not all things that are normally put together...and yet, it's all here and it works.

This is a wildly fast paced story with so many layers unfolding at once, it's almost hard to keep up - much like real life sometimes.

This book made me remember how much I enjoyed Caroline B Cooney's writing and I'm eager to go back and catch up on everything I've missed over the years.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Before She Was Helen, she was Clemmie - a sweet, naive girl growing up in 1950s small-town America, a pretty girl who was easy prey for a predator.

It takes the whole book for Clemmie’s story to be revealed; though we know from early on she’s living under an assumed name, the tragedy of exactly why falls out more slowly. It’s a sad one, with rape, stalking, a forced adoption of her baby and more in Clemmie’s background… and though she’s fearful of arrest for what she did, and we know there’s at least one dead body in her wake, there was never a point at which I thought Clemmie deserved anything other than the quiet retirement she’s working so hard on having.

The problem is that trouble comes to Clemmie when her neighbour doesn’t answer one of his regular check-ins. Using a key left with her, she goes around to visit and finds nothing much out of the ordinary except for an extraordinarily beautiful glass sculpture. Taking a picture, she sends it to her grand-nephew and niece, only for them to tell her it’s not a sculpture as such, it’s a drug pipe - and it’s been stolen from an artist who badly wants it back.

The artist, Boro, isn’t just a glass artist, though, and he has no intention of getting the police involved. He’s a dealer, shipping CBD oil and other products legal in some states like his own of Colorado, around the US to other places they’re not so easy to obtain, and the glass artwork wasn’t the only thing stolen from his shop. There’s a million dollars missing, and he wants it back. A sweet little old lady should be easy enough to intimidate into telling everything she knows. Except this little old lady apparently has serious secrets of her own.

And then the body turns up.

This was such a great read. Clemmie is an object of both pity and admiration; nobody should ever have to suffer what she did (and it’s awful that in a lot of places, the attitude towards women who have been raped hasn’t changed… they are still accused of having ‘asked for it’ or disbelieved) and her strength and determination to make a life for herself was something I really liked about her. There were a few interesting little twists and I did wonder exactly what the decisions of certain people to put their DNA results into an ancestry tracing website would come back with, though the actual truth wouldn’t have any real consequences for Clemmie if she chose to tell it to the right people.

I didn’t see the murderer coming at all; it was a startling twist, but there were quite a few questions left unanswered - where did Dom and the Coglins go, for example? The shenanigans in an apparently peaceful retirement community does make one wonder; if it could happen there, it could happen anywhere!

Although there were unanswered questions and the final twist did mean Clemmie’s story wasn’t quite over, I was quite satisfied with the ending. A thoroughly enjoyable read and I’m happy to give it five stars.

I remember obsessively reading "The Face on the Milk Carton" and its sequels in late middle school, along with Cooney's time traveling romance series. I loved them so much and was so excited to return to this author after a couple of decades being away. It wasn't quite what I hoped it would be, but most things aren't when nostalgia is involved.

Helen is in her 70s, living in a retirement community. Life revolves around card games and neighborhood gossip. She is living a bit of a double life- as Helen, a semi-retired high school Latin teacher and as Clemmie, the girl she was before she rebranded herself as Helen. There are two mysteries- the first with Clemmie as a girl (hence: Before She was Helen). The second mystery follows her as an elderly woman when she accidentally unravels a drug plot turned murder turned series of comedic mistakes.

The whole second mystery is a series of perfectly timed, comedic acts gone wrong. At points, it IS kind of funny... in an embarrassing sort of way. However, the idea of potential violence around the corner (around the page!) made parts of this difficult to read as the setting went between being relatively light-hearted and 'thrilling.'

In the past portion of the story, Cooney intentionally uses repetition of the phrase "that's not how things were in those days" to emphasize how society has changed and how Clemmie's life was a series of disasters that were largely a product of its time. I both liked and disliked this writing style- the dislike came as I got closer to the end and I felt that it was overly repetitive and unnecessary.

"Before She was Helen" had a mostly satisfying ending- the pieces came together for both mysteries and the pacing of the story made this a fast read. I would rather remember this author for her middle-grade fiction of twenty years ago, but I can appreciate her skill as an adult mystery writer.

3,5 stars rounded down- I liked the story, but I doubt I will remember it a few months from now. Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a good mystery (2 murders) to try to solve, along with nosy neighbors, dual identities, and secrets that others kept. A real page turner sprinkled with comedic elements and a surprise ending. A good book club selection. Will recommend.

3.5 stars.

Even though it took me a while to get interested, Before She Was Helen is a solid pageturner of a mystery/thriller about a woman leading two lives. There are quite a few mentions of violent crime in the book which may be the reason I wasn't quite as invested in the story, but the plot was still quite intriguing and made me want to know more.

I wasn't sure I would care much for this when I first started this book. Clemmie/Helen is living two lives. Her journey there, how she came to be living as another person is unraveling at the same time as her world is. She got nosey and she may get caught.

What I liked so much was that the characters were all living in this retirement home and they were all so not what you think of people living in a retirement home. Sure, they were nosey and played a lot of cards, but they were also not behaving. More than the present story, I was fascinated by the story about Clemmie and why she had to become Helen. The part that really was Before She was Helen. The author seems to have a pretty unrealistic memory of the 50s. How can you romanticize and idealize the time and attitudes that lead you to have to become someone else? I won't say any more about that. That's the really good story. The good story is the mess that is everyone in this retirement community. What a mess. It all wraps up a little quickly in the end.

Helen finds a unique sculpture in her neighbors house…a house she is not supposed to be in. This sculpture leads to a death and a possible drug deal in her retirement community. Plus, Helen has a secret or two or three of her own. These are secrets she has kept well hidden for years but now, these secrets are coming back to haunt her.

Oh boy…did I love Clemmie or rather Helen…her alias. Yep…you heard right. She has a secret life and you just have to hear her story as to why and how she ended up as Helen. She is a great person and she has been through so much. And now it is all threatened. And then the story twists again. How much more can the reader take! I was stressed to the max reading this tale!

This story just reels you in. And honestly, I kept guessing and just plain guessing wrong! I love that! I love an author which keeps me on my toes and this one surely did!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Before She Was Helen is a dark comedy of errors by Caroline B. Cooney. Released 8th Sept 2020 on Poisoned Pen Press, it's 336 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a well plotted, off-kilter murder mystery which kept me off balance and guessing throughout. Titular character Helen, a semi-retired Latin teacher, is a woman with a hidden past and another name. When Helen/Clemmie is involved in a series of coincidences, she's dragged into conspiracy, drug trafficking, money laundering, and murder. She's a kind and resilient soul with a tragic past and I found myself really rooting for her throughout the book.

The pacing here is intentionally uneven and coincidence piles on coincidence. There's quite a lot of black humor involved (Helen's neighbor drops off a macaroni casserole for Helen and the scary psychotic bad guy winds up sitting in Helen's kitchen eating the casserole whilst threatening death and destruction). The dialogue is well written and the story is one of the most ridiculously twisty I've ever read. I did enjoy reading it, but the book does contain some potentially triggering material: rape, violence, and unwilling forced adoption.

It was a somewhat uncomfortable read for me because the book is never clearly supposed to be humorous (though it is) or serious (though it is that as well). I always felt off balance. The author is adept enough at the craft that I've no doubt the effect is 100% intentional; it just felt uncomfortable.

Four stars. I would recommend it to fans of Daniel Friedman's Buck Schatz myseries. Not exactly the same (Friedman's sleuth is an elderly detective still solving crimes - and Helen/Clemmie's trying to keep her past hidden and get on with her life). This would also make a good selection for a book club, and the author/publisher have included discussion questions in the back of the book.


Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Title: Before She Was Helen
Author: Caroline B. Cooney
Genre: Fiction, mystery
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

When Clemmie goes next door to check on her difficult and unlikeable neighbor Dom, he isn't there. But something else is. Something stunning, beautiful and inexplicable. Clemmie photographs the wondrous object on her cell phone and makes the irrevocable error of forwarding it. As the picture swirls over the internet, Clemmie tries desperately to keep a grip on her own personal network of secrets. Can fifty years of careful hiding under names not her own be ruined by one careless picture?

And although what Clemmie finds is a work of art, what the police find is a body. . . in a place where Clemmie wasn't supposed to be, and where she left her fingerprints. Suddenly, the bland, quiet life Clemmie has built for herself in her sleepy South Carolina retirement community comes crashing down as her dark past surges into the present.

The description of this novel didn’t give me a clue of the confusion that came along with it. Because Clemmie is only Clemmie in her own thoughts and in her memories. She goes by Helen in her life and that’s what everyone knows her as. And her niece and nephew are clueless and selfish and get her into heaps of trouble with their thoughtlessness—but who would ever have suspected “Helen” was hiding secrets like this?

I liked the idea of this “helpless” little old lady being a disguise for someone who went through a terrible ordeal fifty years ago, but it just wasn’t very realistic to me. And the busybodies at the retirement community…no, thank you. I’d have moved just to escape from them.

Caroline B. Cooney started writing stories when she was in the sixth grade. Before She Was Helen is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Poisoned Penn Press in exchange for an honest review.)

I loved Cooney as an author, when I was growing up. Seeing she had a new book that fit my memory of her books as a kid, I was excited! Before She Was Helen was a great read. It brought back memories of her past books. While her writing feels the same, its clearly not as great as I thought it was as a teen. The book however, was enjoyable. I'll continue to read anything and everything by Carline B. Cooney.

To be fair I’ve had this in my to read pile for quite some time. What a pity I didn’t read it earlier. It’s brilliant. Such a well thought out plot by the author Caroline Cooney. Very careful she’s brought together two stories. What happened to Clemmie in her young years. Alongside, strange happenings in her gated retirement community in modern day. The only thing is her she is know as Helen.
What caused her to give up her old life and reinvent herself. You can’t help but love the character of Clemmie/Helen. The story is tidied up brilliant and I loved the ending. Without spoiling anything the clues are in the book if you look for them.
A highly recommended read.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc in return for an honest review

As a huge fan of The Face on the Milk Carton series I was very excited to reach Caroline B. Cooney's latest release, Before She Was Helen. The story covers two time periods, present and the 1950s, featuring protagonist Clemmie. Clemmie, a tiny force to be reckoned with, is living in a retirement community in Sun City, South Carolina. However, her fellow residents know her as Helen-a semi-retired Latin teacher. The story delves into how and why Clemmie became Helen, alternating timelines, with the present focusing on a murder mystery in Sun City.

Clemmie (as Helen) has a routine with her next door neighbor Dom-he texts her daily to let her know he's ok. When he doesn't text one day she goes to check on him and finds a beautiful, mysterious work of art. Not knowing what it is, she snaps a few pictures and sends it to her family (who know her as Aunt Clemmie). The images go viral and lead to dangerous consequences as the owner of the apparent stolen object wants it back-and much more. While Clemmie becomes increasingly worried about Dom after a body is discovered her life is also in danger as the past and present start to collide and will keep readers engaged until the ending!

It's so interesting to see women in their 70s as the main characters, not only in a contemporary novel, but a murder mystery at that! I really enjoyed this book however there were times I would go back and re-read to make sure I had all the characters and plot points correct as the alternating timelines also feature a decent amount of characters who become pivotal to the current storyline. Readers are continuously reminded that things were done differently in the 1950s and while fine to point out once or twice it was mentioned throughout the entire book. Overall a fun read-3.5-4 stars!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback!

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Though this book sucked me in during the first half, I quickly grew tired of all the unnecessary detail, and it took everything I had to get through the last few pages. It seemed too long, and the character development was not great, Though it was decently written and many mystery/whodunit lovers will enjoy it, it wasn’t for me.

It's the story of Clementine, aka Helen, a resident of Sun City retirement villa. All is well until she discovers her neighbors are involved in drug smuggling and murder. So I thought the book was "mystery lite".
But it's more than that, as the story intertwines with Clementine's earlier life as a victim of sexual assault and subsequent measures to escape by changing her identity.
A different story than I was expecting - it's a bit quirky and original, an easy rea

There are two mysteries in Before She Was Helen. One is set in the present in Sun City in South Carolina with its endless rows of monochromatic identical houses, meticulously ordered activities and omnipresent golf carts. The other is the fifty year old murder of coach Rudyard Creek, now being reinvestigated as a cold case in Connecticut.

After a tragic and brutal past, Clemmie Lakefield reinvented herself as Helen Stevens and had a successful career as a Latin teacher. Now retired in Sun City, she enjoys her anonymity. “new friends did not care what your career had been…could you play cards and games? Drive the carpool? Listen to every detail of someone else’s cruise or surgery?” Happy and at peace at last, she’s settled into a daily routine.

Then one morning, worried about her neighbor Dom, she enters his condo to check on him and sees a unique, beautiful glass sculpture. She takes a picture and forwards it to her nephew. What follows next unravels both cases. Dom’s absence and the sculpture are part of a much larger conspiracy that will put Helen in danger. The long ago murder is also solved while Helen’s two identities collide.

It’s refreshing to have a feisty over 70 year old woman as an amateur detective. However, it was sad to see how much guilt and grief had affected her life. The Sun City location was so accurately and vividly described that I could see myself cruising down Blue Lilac Lane in a golf cart. Beautifully written, alternately between past and present, this is a multilayered story that deserves 5 stars.