I was initially drawn to this book as the Face on the Milk Carton was one of my favorites growing up. This book is fun and quirky, and follows Helen, a 70-something woman who lives in a retirement community and has found herself involved in a drug deal, a murder and an cold-case. 3.5 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC.

I requested this because I was obsessed with Code Orange and The Face On The Milk Carton when I was younger, however, I think I just had too high expectations. I just didn't feel compelled to keep reading this book and while I have loved Cooney in the past I have had a hard time connecting with her books recently as I also tried to read No Such Place a bit ago and didn't enjoy it either. I'm also generally a hit or a miss with the thriller genre so it just wasn't for me.

While not a perfect novel, Before She Was Helen is an extremely welcome, and unexpected, mystery centered on an older female protagonist. The plots are woven together in a fast-paced manner, and my only qualm is that sometimes the separation between the family, the past, and the present plots can be a bit sudden, but this was a quick and pleasant read, full of characters and situations that aren't particularly seen as the 'norm'.

When I saw that Caroline B. Cooney had written a new book, I requested to read it immediately as I had grown up on her Face on the Milk Carton series and absolutely adored the books and the movies. It still is one of my favorites to this day and I watch the movie once every now and again. Before she was Helen was a book that I wasn't sure what it would be about and I went in blind. I have to admit it was an odd sort of reading and it had a thriller aspect to it but not at the same time which is why I've put it under women's fiction as a category as it was hard to explain. The book starts off with a lady we know as Clementine living in a retirement village yet the women there called her Helen which I have to admit I found confusing as at first, I thought it might have been her middle name - but then it wasn't. Clem's neighbor Dom didn't text her this morning as he normally does and she gets worried he is dead, she heads next door and there is no sign of him. The strange thing though as she goes into the garage is that there is a door built there that connects Dom's and the Corgan's houses together. Clem peeks in and sees a strange vase sitting on the table and takes a photo to send to her grand-nephew and niece. Turns out the vase is actually a weed rig and was stolen from a drug dealer who will do anything to get it back. So we have that storyline beginning, then Clem is sent an article about an old murder case re-opening. The guy who was murdered is why Clementine changed her name and we are taken back in the past to the first time she met Mr. Creek at High School to the present time. We also catch glimpses of how Clementine became Helen and about the son she gave up for adoption - Billy Boone and his family to present times. Before She was Helen was quite a jam-packed novel and had so many different storylines running through and lots of characters and I felt the latter part of the book became a bit too busy for my liking as it was confusing trying to keep up with everyone involved in the book. Before She was Helen is one of those reads that if you haven't got anything else to read, then pick this book up otherwise you may want to move along unless you enjoy busy novels and can keep up with what's happening unlike myself. Before She was Helen by Caroline B. Cooney is coming soon - May 2020

Before She Was Helen is an upcoming release from Caroline Cooney (author of The Girl on the Milk Carton series btw). Clemmie lives in a retirement community. When she hasn't heard from a neighbor in awhile, she goes to check in. He's not home, but she finds this amazing piece of glass art that she shares a picture of with a family member. Doing that sets off a chain of events that she is just not ready for. Clemmie has a past that she's spent a lifetime trying to get away from, and the increased focus on her with this art and missing person is just not what she wants. The story then alternates between what Clemmie has been hiding all these years, as well as what the heck is going on now. This one had a lot of twists and turns, and with those there is some pain. I would give a content warning that part of plot involves sexual assault and stalking. You likely wouldn't know that from the description, and I think it is important to know that going in to make an informed decision on reading. I'll also say that I chose this read I thought it was going to have those "cozy mystery" vibes, but in reality, it had some intense happenings and characters navigating their impacts. The twists did keep me guessing which is what I always dig when reading this genre. Thanks to NetGalley for the early look in exchange for this honest review.

Why I chose to request this book:
I requested to read this book because I love Caroline B. Cooney’s books! My favorite series of hers is “The Jamie Series,” otherwise known as “The Face on the Milk Carton.” There’s also a movie about the first book in that series (there are 3 books in “The Janie Series.”) You should check it out!

Synopsis:
In this Cooney book, “Before She Was Helen,” Clemmie (now “Helen”) is living it up in a retirement community. She decides to check on Dominic, a neighbor of hers, after not hearing from him for some time. However, Dominic isn’t there. Also, while searching”Dom’s” apartment, Clemmie discovers a secret door between “Dom’s” apartment and the one next door to him. The apartment next door looks like it has been swept clean, and it turns out that it may be full of stolen goods! What is going on here? Take this journey with Clemmie to find out.

My take:
I’m disappointed with this book by Ms. Cooney. Part of it is that I can’t relate to the character (an elderly woman, which I am not). I know fully that this is not Ms. Cooney’s fault. However, the writing style that Caroline B. Cooney used to have is no more — I feel that this book is not as detailed or well-written as the previous books that this author has written. Her writing missed the mark for me in this book.

Clemmie lives in Sun City and must check on her next-door neighbor to see if he’s all right. He hasn’t replied to her morning health check text. In his place, she discovers an unapproved door going into another unit. She gets nosy, steps into a third townhouse and snaps a photo of a beautiful object, setting off a wild ride with unexpected twists and turns. Without stopping to think about it, she has jeopardized a well-kept secret about her past. I loved reading this book and didn’t want it to end. The author writes about aging in a humorous, authentic way and handles a traumatic event in Clemmie’s past with just the right definitive touch. This fast-moving story keeps the reader guessing, and I couldn’t put it down. I enjoyed reading the many points of view from different characters and got goose bumps at the end. Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Yes, this is Caroline B. Cooney of "The Face on the Milk Carton" fame. I was obsessed with that book when I was younger, so I was curious about this book. This book was fine - it was interesting and everything ends up wrapped up, but it wasn't awesome.

#NetGalley #CarolineBClooney #PoisonedPenPress

Clemmie lives in a quiet retirement community. Her neighbor Dom texts her everyday to let her know he's ok,until one day he doesn't. Worried, Clemmie !uses her key to his place to go check on him and he's not there, but she discovers a door in his garage leading to the third unit of her triplex. What she finds is something so beautiful she takes a picture and sends to her Grand niece and nephew. She is not prepared for the consequences of her actions. Before she knows it she finds herself in the grips of a drug dealer and a body is found in her neighbors garage. Long buried secrets are threatened exposure. What follows are fast paced events that nobody will see coming. Clemmie struggles to keep her secrets while the police try to piece together the case.

This book is a wildly fast paced story with so many things unfolding it is hard for the reader to keep up. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I devoured it, hungry for more as the events unfolded. I would definitely recommend this book! If you live a good mystery, you are definitely in for a treat!

When I was browsing titles available to request through Netgalley, and came across Before She Was Helen by Caroline B. Cooney, I was beyond excited and hopeful that I would get the opportunity to read this! I recall really enjoying previous titles from this author when I was in Junior High. I am pleased to say that I wasn't disappointed with Before She Was Helen I became quite enthralled!
The story follows Helen/Clemmie and is a twisty who-dunnit about, of course, Helen/Clemmie, but also about the body found in her neighbors home in her South Carolina retirement community along with more than a handful of characters that are more suspect than the next.
I don't want to give away too much of the plot, I will say that Caroline B. Cooney does a wonderful job of past a present view points of several characters, mostly Helen/Clemmie that bring both together with a conclusion I definitely didn't see coming.
Thank you to Caroline B. Cooney, NetGalley, and Poisoned Pen Press for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Before She Was Helen is about an older woman who is living in Sun City, a small, close-knit community where most of the neighbors know each other and know each other's business. However, her community does not know that the woman they know as Helen is actually a woman named Clemmie, and they have no idea the real story behind their neighbor.

Clemmie’s life didn’t turn out the way she expected— so she made herself a new one. One day when she doesn’t hear back from her neighbor she decides to check in on him. She doesn’t find him but discovers something beautiful and unexplainable. She then makes the mistake of taking a photo and forwarding it.

The book moves fairly seamlessly between the present and the past, both eras containing complex mysteries to be solved. I found it an enjoyable read and was wondering how all the pieces would be tied together, or indeed, if they could be. Answer: yes, they could be, and were (mostly)

Fast read, give it a chance..

Caroline B. Clooney is a legend for me! I’ll never forget reading “The Face on the Milk Carton” in middle school. It was probably my first drama/mystery style book. This book wasn’t all that different in that sense since it centered around someone who’s identity changed in a way. I mean, I guess this can be true for any of us. It was a really good book with a very strong plot.

I did not enjoy this book as I thought I would. All the characters were one-dimensional and the story structure was very scattered. While some parts of the story were well done, other parts were just a chore to read.
First, there was absolutely no diversity in the book. The story takes place in a retirement community that they mention is predominantly white. The only “ethnic” characters were the Hispanic landscapers and the possibly Italian neighbor. The main character even said of the neighbor, “Dominic Spesante had always sounded to Clemmie like a mob name. A name for somebody who offed people and abandoned their bodies on Jersey swamps”. She didn’t know his background at all yet assumed because his name sounded Italian, he’s in the mob. Later in the story, the neighbors didn’t even know how to pronounce his last name and even complained of people with weird last names. Oh and about the Hispanic landscapers, of course, they didn’t speak English.
The book’s story line was divided into the 50 years in the past and the present. The past, for the most part, was very well done. My only critique is that every other paragraph began with “in the 1950s we did/didn’t do” a certain thing. I understand mentioning once or twice, but it was over used. The present day was not well written, in my opinion. At times it felt like I was listening to Grandpa Simpson tell a story. It would begin with one topic, switch to another in the next paragraph, then another and then go back to the original topic. I was very difficult to follow.
Finally, I saw no character growth for the any of the characters. The story seemed to just happen around the characters and they learned nothing from it. It felt like this was just a weird day for them and once it’s over, they’ll go back to who they were at the beginning of the story.

I was disappointed in this novel mainly because the characters were so stereotyped. The story was entertaining in the twists and turns in the plot. Fun for an afternoon read.

Clemmie’s life didn’t turn out the way she expected— so she made herself a new one. One day when she doesn’t hear back from her neighbor she decides to check in on him. She doesn’t find him but discovers something beautiful and unexplainable. She then makes the mistake of taking a photo and forwarding it.

Such a great read- a wonderful plot, diverse characters, and a unique setting! I was drawn in by this books description and had to know more. What did Clemmie take a picture of that set the wheels in motion for the events that occurred afterwards? The twists and turns that followed did not disappoint!

This was one of those books where the setting is so clearly described you can imagine yourself sitting at a table playing cards and gossiping with everyone in the neighborhood. This books is told in a series of flashbacks and from the perspective of different characters. I found myself laughing with Clemmie, cringing in disgust, and reflecting on societal change. I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone look for a thriller with an endearing protagonist who has been through it all!

Thank you to the publisher and author for providing me with this ARC!

I love when one book has two narratives, and that is what I pleasantly discovered when I began reading Before She Was Helen. This book doesn’t just have 1 murders, but 2! I was at the edge of my seat the entire time as I wanted to know what happened. I enjoyed the authors writing style, but wished some of the characters had been developed a bit more.

Clemmie Lakefield is a semi-retired Latin teacher living in a retirement community in South Carolina. Because she hasn’t heard from her neighbour Dom, she lets herself into his home. She doesn’t find Dom but she sees a door connecting Dom’s unit with the neigbour’s, and she can’t help but snoop. She discovers a beautiful piece of glass art, and she can’t resist taking a photo. This picture she shares with her grand-nephew who then shares it on social media and thereby inadvertently places his great-aunt in a dangerous situation involving a drug dealer. Then, a body is discovered next door. Clemmie worries that her real identity will be revealed and that she will not only be implicated in the murder next door but connected to a 50-year-old murder case which has recently been re-opened.

There are actually two narratives in the book. One involves the present where Clemmie, a septuagenarian, is living as Helen Stephens. Interspersed are flashbacks to the 1950s when Clemmie was a teenager and young woman; these flashbacks explain how and why Clemmie became Helen.

Other than Clemmie, none of the other characters are developed in any depth. Many are portrayed as rather stereotypical seniors whose lives revolve around card games, golf, line dancing, gardening, art classes, and book clubs. Many are also nosy busybodies whose behaviour and gossiping provide several touches of humour.

It is Clemmie’s young life in the 1950s which has no humour in it. She suffered a tragedy which has shaped her life. Since what happened to Clemmie would (hopefully) not be regarded in the same way today, the author takes great pains to explain what life was like in the mid-20th century. There are several passages explaining life in the past: “Promiscuity in the 1950s and early 1960s was rare. The price to be paid was too high. . . . There was birth control in the form of condoms, but few girls could picture how that worked, let alone acquire such an item. The pill had not yet been invented. The only way to avoid pregnancy was not to have sex” and “There were no divorces to speak of in the early 1950s” and “In the 1950s . . . hardly anyone had a passport or went abroad” and “in the 1950s, you didn’t confess you had a problem because it was wrong to burden others. Presenting your own problem was nothing but whining. Furthermore, in the 1950s, people just soldiered on” and “in the 1950s and well into the ‘60s, you protected your enemy because of your firm belief in courtesy and your need to retain your community standing” and “The word stalking had not been used for people in the 1950s and ‘60s.”

There are two murder cases and neither is resolved realistically. The resolution of one seems contrived and that of the other seems a cop out. There are other issues as well: the re-opening of a 50-year-old murder case just as Clemmie becomes involved in a murder next door is just too coincidental, and the clueless behaviour of the grand-nephew is unconvincing.

Despite its flaws, the book is an easy, entertaining read. A reader will inevitably find him/herself cheering for Clemmie and hoping she escapes all the dire consequences she fears.

Note: I received a digital galley from the publisher via NetGalley.

Cooney is writing for the geriatric set here, but she has lost none of her plotting skills, and she can still write edge-of-your-seat suspense. What's new is her gentle sense of humor. When the bad guy gets stabbed, he's most worried about the fact that he's taking coumadin! Fans of Cooney's earlier works will love this novel--and plead for more.

A surprise read. Not sure what I expected, but it turned out good. Two stories, one from 1950s the other current, one person, Clemmie/Helen.
We meet Helen living in a retirement community, still teaching a bit of Latin. Her neighbor doesn’t text her one morning, she goes to check on him, discovers a hidden door and into the third apartment where she finds a glass sculpture. Sends to grand nephew and discovers it was stolen from a drug dealer, confused it gets more so. Back in the 50s Clemmie is raped gives birth to a child, puts him up for adoption and the rapist wants to find his child. Tsill confused? Keep reading it comes to a satisfying end with a only a few questions left.
Enjoy.
Thank you edelweiss/Netgalley for the read.

Clemmie's friends know her as Helen, and she is perfectly happy leaving her old life behind. When she goes to check on a neighbor in her complex, she finds he isn't there and discovers a mysterious object. She snaps a quick photo of the object and makes a mistake of forwarding it to her nephew who makes it go viral. What's more, there is a murder and Clemmie's fingerprints are found at the scene. Can she keep her identity a secret after all these years?