PI Tess Monaghan knows and loves every inch of her native Baltimore. It's a quirky city where baseball reigns, but lately homicide seems to be the second most popular sport. Business tycoon Wink Wynkowski is trying to change all that by bringing pro basketball to town—until a devastating expos├® appears in the Baltimore Beacon Light. The newspaper's editors thought they'd killed the piece. Instead, the piece killed Wink, who's found dead in his garage. Tess is hired to find the unknown hacker who planted the lethal story.
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"I just love that Tess Monaghan! So plucky, so prickly. Unsurprisingly, a number of delightful new supporting characters (chief among them Esskay the greyhound) are introduced. The final scene is perfectly bittersweet -- fortunately Tess has a few more books in which to work out her love life. "
— Shan (4 out of 5 stars)
“In this series, subplots and minor characters are as diverting as the main event, which makes an accomplished character actor essential. Hazlett, who is that and more, does it all with panache.”
— AudioFile“Shrewd observation, on-target descriptions, believable characters, and hilarious one-liners.”
— Publishers Weekly“Both entertaining and unexpectedly touching. More Please.”
— Baltimore Sun" This was a great follow up to Baltimore Blues. It contiunes the storyline of Tess being a private eye. It was interesting to read about how her past life interrupts her new life. "
— Jill, 1/22/2014" audio cd book, narrated by Deborah Hazlett. 2nd book in this Baltimore based series with the female journalist turning private detective. What can I say- I love visiting B-more, even if only in a book! "
— Spider, 1/18/2014" Very Good; Continuing character: Tess Monaghan; Tess tracks down unscrupulous reporting that leads to murder and suicide, while hoping her uncle recovers from a beating and tells her why he left a greyhound in her care "
— Joe, 1/15/2014" I am enjoying this series from the beginning. I have read most of the later books but like finding out how things got started with Tess and her group. The Baltimore setting is interesting, and the author describes it in an honest way. "
— Judy, 1/13/2014" very good - set in Baltimore "
— Gail, 1/12/2014" It was a good mystery. I wasn't too surprised at the ending. It was a little slow at times. Laura Lippmans first book "Baltimore Blues" was better. "
— Becky, 1/10/2014" A so-so mystery about a suicide/murder in Baltimore. May appeal to those who live in the Baltimore area as there are numerous references to the city and its peculiarities. The author was a columnist for the Baltimore Sun for many years. "
— Janet, 1/9/2014" I liked this a lot, and I didn't necessarily expect to... "
— Paul, 1/5/2014" I found this rather hard to get in to and until the end I just kept trying to find something that really would catch my interest. I liked the first book in the series better and may try #3 some time. Tess is really messed up, but manages to "get her killer". "
— Jill, 1/3/2014" This is my first and last Tess Monaghan book. For some reason, I really don't like LL series, although I enjoy her stand alone books. "
— Naomi, 12/28/2013" This was again and okay story like the previous Tess mystery. I'd give it 2.5 stars. I didn't like the way Tess broke up with Crow. I like Crow, so I may try one more Tess book before giving up - the fourth book where Crow comes back into the story. "
— Gjbates, 12/18/2013" Liked it but haven't raced to read another. Instead I have discovered the "religious women" sleuths to be more fun! "
— AngelaGay, 12/7/2013" I really like Laura Lippman's insights into the newspaper/journalism world. They really add something to the mystery series. "
— Susie, 11/30/2013" 2nd in the Tess Monaghan series. Believable character & plot. Enjoyed this as much as the first (Baltimore Blues) "
— Martha, 7/30/2013" I like Tess, the character in this series. She is spunky, clever, and far from perfect. "
— Janice, 7/18/2013" Average read. Don't seem to be taking to this series but seeing as I read this one and the last in wrong order I will give it some more time and read the next. "
— Pauline, 4/12/2013" Always a good read. One of her earlier novels. "
— Kate, 3/29/2013" Decent audiobook - glad I didn't read in book form. "
— Valerie, 3/15/2013" I love the main character and typically like this author, probably because she writes about places I've been in Baltimore. However, this mystery story line did not interest me. "
— Lisa, 2/24/2013" Baltimore and its people beyond the Inner Harbor coming to life once again. "
— Donna, 1/3/2013" Good read. Nothingspecial "
— TJ, 4/17/2012" Eh. 2.5 stars. It was fine, but missing something I can't really put my finger on. I'm not soured to Lippman or anything, just not my fave. "
— Stephanie, 11/5/2011" More violent. Wish Tess would stop listening to boys. "
— Kathleen, 11/3/2011" Worst book I have ever read by Laura Lippman. Baltimore more like baltibore. "
— Sarah, 8/29/2011" Pretty decent mystery novel. It jumps all over the place, but manages to mostly come together at the end. I definitely feel like the more I read these Lippman mysteries, the more I get to know the city of Baltimore, so that's cool, I guess. "
— Lacy, 5/17/2011" I love this series! great characters "
— Robin, 4/6/2011" convoluted plot & relationships, very suspenseful "
— Helen, 3/31/2011" This was a great follow up to Baltimore Blues. It contiunes the storyline of Tess being a private eye. It was interesting to read about how her past life interrupts her new life. "
— Jill, 3/18/2011" I really enjoy this series. I'm going to stop listening to it and start reading! <br/> <br/> "
— Lulu, 3/12/2011" LANGUAGE!!! Again the bad language. About every other book she writes - why??? The stories are always good but I can do without the language. A couple of good twists save the story and make it a good read. "
— Carol, 2/27/2011" I am enjoying this series. "
— Shari, 2/22/2011" I really enjoyed this book, I love whodunit with a twist. No matter how many times I thought I had it figured out who did it ... I was wrong. "
— Sherri, 2/11/2011" Good second book to the series "
— Rita, 1/31/2011" I really enjoyed this book. It is the second in a series about Tess Monaghan, an ex journalist for defunct Baltimore newspaper and now a budding PI.<br/><br/>There were 2 crimes to solve in this story, one was who bashed up Tess's uncle and who murdered a local businessman. "
— Bronwyn, 12/30/2010Laura Lippman is a New York Times bestselling novelist who has won more than twenty awards for her fiction, including the Edgar Award—and been nominated for thirty more. Since her debut in 1997, she has published almost two dozen novels, a novella, a children’s book, and a collection of short stories. Her books have been translated into over twenty languages. Laura lives in Baltimore with her husband, David Simon, and their daughter.
Deborah Hazlett’s audiobook narrations include Phillip Margolin’s Lost Lake and Laura Lippman’s Baltimore Blues. She is a classically trained actor whose favorite roles include the title roles in Hedda Gabler and Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune. She earned her MFA from the University of South Carolina and lives and works in New York City.