Jonathan Arnold reviewed Charm City (Tess Monaghan Mysteries) by Laura Lippman (Tess Monaghan / )
Review of 'Charm City (Tess Monaghan Mysteries)' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Finally finished this! I was reading this on my Nook Simple Touch E-ink reader, which I have had for about 10 years. It is still a solid way to read a book, as it can be read in direct sunlight and has a battery life of days and days. But I misplaced it for the longest time and only recently found it, so I dove back into the second Tess Monaghan book.
She still hasn't started her career as an official PI, just helping out a friend at the newspaper she wanted to work at. Her Uncle gets involved too, as does an abandoned Greyhound, 2 boyfriends and her aunt Kitty. She does what private investigators do best - get her nose dirty, riles up the water and sees just what comes slinking out. She takes a beating a few times, and has her heartbroken twice, but of course comes …
Finally finished this! I was reading this on my Nook Simple Touch E-ink reader, which I have had for about 10 years. It is still a solid way to read a book, as it can be read in direct sunlight and has a battery life of days and days. But I misplaced it for the longest time and only recently found it, so I dove back into the second Tess Monaghan book.
She still hasn't started her career as an official PI, just helping out a friend at the newspaper she wanted to work at. Her Uncle gets involved too, as does an abandoned Greyhound, 2 boyfriends and her aunt Kitty. She does what private investigators do best - get her nose dirty, riles up the water and sees just what comes slinking out. She takes a beating a few times, and has her heartbroken twice, but of course comes out on top in the end.
Laura Lippman is one of my favorite current authors and, despite this book coming out over 20 years ago, this is still a good one. I enjoy Tess as a person and like her insights. The city of Baltimore also plays a prominent part in the story. Maybe a little too prominent for my tastes, but I suppose that's what someone else would decry about Boston in, say, a Spenser novel, while I just wallow in it.
The wise cracks come hard and fast, and the cast of supporting characters is memorable. There is a very touching scene at the end, as Tess grows up a little bit. And even though she is only 29, she still has some keen insights into aging. Can't wait to read book 3, [b:Butchers Hill|351656|Butchers Hill (Tess Monaghan #3)|Laura Lippman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1408930112l/351656.SY75.jpg|2868111]. There's even an afterward written by Ms. Lippman in this edition, where she muses about 20 years of writing, mostly about how to come up with the titles of her books. Pretty good insights into writing, I think.
I will have to decide what book to start next on this Nook. It's a solid summertime reader, good for both hammock and pool reading.
