Baltimore Blues: The First Tess Monaghan Novel
Laura Lippman

The first book in Lippman’s Tess Monaghan Series of crime novels set in Baltimore. This was a bit of more breezy than I expected, but does what I want a crime novel to do – give me a sense of place, give me characters I believe, and keep me turning the pages. I like this well enough to finish it in a matter of days, but not enough to track down the other books in the series. If you like your crime novels hardboiled, this might not be your thing, but if you like you crime novels to tell you not only a story, but also about a place a time (here Baltimore, early 90s) then you’ll probably enjoy this one.

Recommended for the enthusiast.