The Sugar House

Rating:
Summary: Solid Stuff
Review: As a mystery writer with my first book in its initial release, I genuinely admire Laura Lippman, an author who is clearly at the top of her game. SUGAR HOUSE is Lippman's first hardcover mystery, and it is a fabulous novel. Lippman's protagonist, Tess Monaghan, agrees to her father's request and attempts to identify a nameless dead girl whose murderer himself was murdered. To accomplish this task, Lippman takes us on a tour of the Atlantic coast. Tess journeys from her usual stomping grounds of Baltimore to Annapolis, Philadelphia, and Maryland's Eastern Shore. Lippman continues to develop her Tess character, as well as several supporting characters. SUGAR HOUSE's plot is first-rate, and Lippman's writing is smooth. It is difficult to believe that it has taken five paperback books for Tess to reach hardcover. SUGAR HOUSE is a great mystery, and I recommend it highly.

Rating:
Summary: It's About Time Tess Made Hardcover
Review: As a mystery writer with my first book in its initial release, I genuinely admire Laura Lippman, an author who is clearly at the top of her game. SUGAR HOUSE is Lippman's first hardcover mystery, and it is a fabulous novel. Lippman's protagonist, Tess Monaghan, agrees to her father's request and attempts to identify a nameless dead girl whose murderer himself was murdered. To accomplish this task, Lippman takes us on a tour of the Atlantic coast. Tess journeys from her usual stomping grounds of Baltimore to Annapolis, Philadelphia, and Maryland's Eastern Shore. Lippman continues to develop her Tess character, as well as several supporting characters. SUGAR HOUSE's plot is first-rate, and Lippman's writing is smooth. It is difficult to believe that it has taken five paperback books for Tess to reach hardcover. SUGAR HOUSE is a great mystery, and I recommend it highly.

Rating:
Summary: The Absolute Best Ever From Lippman
Review: I have been following the story and career of Tess since the very beginning and I must say that The Sugar House is the very best novel in the series to date. It is a fascinating journey leading through the Locust Point section of South Baltimore to the eastern shore. Tesser, along with her boyfriend Crowe, and best friend Whitney never have a dull moment. A fantastic read for those of you with a tie to Baltimore and a great read for those of you who don't. I highly recommend The Sugar House. I just could not put this one down.

Rating:
Summary: Great mystery. Most enjoyable
Review: I just discovered this author and enjoyed this book very much. You don't have to read the first Tess books to enjoy this one which is always a plus with a series. The plot was unusual and the characters were realistic. I liked Tess and I was interested in her city and the situation. Lippman gave me some points to ponder as well as some medical conditions that I have researched a bit. That's always good to have someone stretch your mind a bit and that's what Lippman did with me. I recommend this book to folks who like mysteries and folks who read for pleasure as well as to learn a little something every now and then.

Rating:
Summary: The Sugar House
Review: I was a great fan of Travis McGee until we lost John MacDonald.
Now I have enjoyed the "A is for".....series with Kinsey Millhone
as our female P.I.
But, to find Tess Monaghan is a delight!! She comes very close to Travis [in the interesting department] and far exceeds Kinsey
in the story/plot area.
I am so happy to have just discovered this wonderful author,
Laura Lippman. I highly recommend this to all Travis McGee [character] fans!!

Rating:
Summary: More than 5 stars - OUTSTANDING!
Review: Laura Lippman keeps proving to the world that she is a fantastic writer. With SUGAR HOUSE, she has even topped herself - which isn't easy! This is a must-read, and a sure award-winner. Lippman's characters are real, breathing beings, even secondary characters walk around on the pages of this novel, demanding to be noticed. A tour de force by one of mystery fiction's best!

Rating:
Summary: Blue collar heroine in a wonderful mystery
Review: Tess Monaghan is a blue collar woman in Baltimore, the ultimate blue collar city. She agrees to take a case for a friend of her father's--trying to find out why the friend's brother died in prison. Her investigation leads her into both the upper reaches of society and down to a strange underworld of prostitution, unethical centers for treatment of eating disorders, and crooked politicians.

Laura Lippman has surrounded Tess with a charming assortment of friends and family members. Their obvious affection for Tess makes her more compelling to the reader. As Tess steps more and more deeply into danger, you'll find yourself turning the pages faster and faster. The mystery is well crafted and Lippman dangles clues, one by one, leaving the reader like Tess certain that there is a way of connecting them without actually able to do it.

This book is especially popular in Maryland which is great--as a longtime resident of Maryland I felt at home reading it--but it is far to good to be missed out on by the rest of us.

THE SUGAR HOUSE may be the best mystery you read this year.

Rating:
Summary: Slow Starter, but Awesome Finisher!!!!
Review: The Sugar House starts out with Tess trying to help a friend of her father's find out why her brother was killed in prision. This involves finding out who her brother killed to wind up in prision. Thus, Tess has to solve a Jane Doe murder. The only problem is that no one knows who this girl is or where she even came from. But determined to help her father, Tess starts out. With the help of her frind Whittney and her boyfriend Crowe she manages to track the girl to an exclusive eating disorder's clinic. Where she has to "fall overboard" to even get to talk to the patients.

As Tess digs deeper in the mystery all sorts of others don't want her too. She ends up getting shot at and her parent's house being burnt down. All to save a certain someone the embarrasement of losing his distinguished career.

I found the book a little hard to get into, but after about 100 pages it went really fast and the ending shocked me! It is a very good read and Tess is so much like your next door neighbor it is almost scary.

Rating:
Summary: Great mystery
Review: This novel has a well developed plot including all the sins people might commit. The setting is present day Locust Point, Baltimore, with side excursions to nearby areas. Political corruption extends down through the social structure, and sets off chains of events - "damage control" can sometimes cause greater damage.

Tess Monaghan opens a can of worms when she investigates the death of a Jane Doe, a young woman of indeterminate age (an apparent runaway) who was accidentally killed in an encounter with a local glue sniffer. People in power had quietly buried the case but, to quote the Bible, "your sins will find you out." Identifying the woman implicates a wide variety of individuals who have committed (or are commiting) an assortment of crimes.

Tess can be tenacious, and don't get on her wrong side as she believes in retribution. She can be devious, and may blindside you when you aren't looking.

There are some scattered instances of bad proofreading in the novel (I am looking at a first edition), but those are the fault of the publisher.

Rating:
Summary: Baltimore revisited!
Review: WOW! Start with the cover with its dawn view across Baltimore's famed Inner Harbor of Domino's "Sugar House." Inside it gets even better. Laura knows Bawlmer and brings it to life. Throughout the Tess Monaghan series, she brings you the sights; the smells of McCormick's spices wafting across the harbor; the taste and diversity of the ethnic neighborhoods and foods (although I think I'll pass on the 'green pepper rings with powdered sugar'). Combine this with a well rounded mystery story with well developed and believable characters (including the animals) and you have a great book. Each of her books can be read individually, but I recommend starting with the first of the series, BALTIMORE BLUES, and following the series in order. And it's not just for Baltimoreans -- most other cities have similar neighborhoods, so no matter where you're from you will ENJOY!