Rating: 
Summary: Slow Starter, but finishes pretty well
Review: It took me a while to start enjoying this book. There are a number of subtle references to current pop culture (commercials, country songs, coffee salons) that feel extraneous to the story and don't really add to character or plot development.On the plus side, that seemed to diminish by the second half of the book, the plot picked up and there were plenty of surprise twists to keep me guessing. Overall, it's a decent light read, but its a far step from great literature.
Rating: 
Summary: Brings new depth and dimension to the detective genre.
Review: Lippman uses the well-written detective stories to comment on today's society, particularly the Baltimore history. Her writing is enriched at many levels and she writes with a level of knowledge and experience that would appear to be well beyond her youth. Look forward to really big things from this lady!
Rating: 
Summary: A good third in a series
Review: Lippman's writing continues to improve. She does a wonderful job of letting her characters age and learn from life, and the actual "mystery" is better than the two previous books. I do tend to think Lippman throws in a bit too much at the end (facts that suddenly change the direction of the story), but this fact didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book. If for no other reason, this book is worth reading to get to the next (In Big Trouble) - the best of the series, in my opinion.
Rating:
Summary: A good third in a series
Review: Lippman's writing continues to improve. She does a wonderful job of letting her characters age and learn from life, and the actual "mystery" is better than the two previous books. I do tend to think Lippman throws in a bit too much at the end (facts that suddenly change the direction of the story), but this fact didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book. If for no other reason, this book is worth reading to get to the next (In Big Trouble) - the best of the series, in my opinion.
Rating:
Summary: Hard-boiled Baltimore
Review: My favorite character in the Tess series is Baltimore. Lippman carefully maps out a city every bit as complex as any of the human characters. If you like Peretsky's Chicago or Grafton's Santa Theresa, then you'll love the Tess Monaghan mysteries. While the ending is just a bit too pat, Tess and her city are very convincingly portrayed.
Rating:
Summary: FANTASTIC
Review: Tess Monaghan feels good about switching careers and officially opening up a private investigator's office in a not so nice address in Baltimore. Her first client is Luther Beale, a man who spent time behind bars for shooting a boy who was vandalizing his car. Luther, known as the "Butcher of Butcher's Hill, hires Tess to locate the kids who witnessed his actions in order to make reparations. However, the witnesses to the Butcher's crime start getting killed. Tess wonders if she has abetted her client whose reparation might really be revenge. As she investigates what is going on, Tess finds herself butting heads with a system whose victims are the children it allegedly was set up to help. BUTCHER'S HILL, the third novel in the Monaghan mysteries, proves that three is the charm as it is as good as the superb first two tales (see BALTIMORE BLUES and CHARM CITY). The dialogue, especially on race relations, is some of the most realistic and believable to grace a mystery in years. Tess is a terrific character and the city of Baltimore adds a special flavor as used by the talented Laura Lippman. This trio of novels is top rate, enjoyable literature that fans of female sleuths need to read. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Best of the series so far
Review: Tess really becomes a person in this third entry in this series. As the reader learns more about the missing children, more is also revealed about Tess and her relationships with her somewhat unorthodox family. The secondary characters become nearly fully realized and Tess becomes a likable hero. The two plot lines are nicely interwoven and believably resolved. Living close to the scene of the action, it's fun to recognize the foibles, flaws, and strengths of the book's setting.
Rating: 
Summary: liberal bias
Review: This book presents an uninteresting, unrealistic and poorly developed story with shallow and transparent characters. The story line seems driven by a political point of view. Perhaps this says something about the society that granted an award to this book. I, for one, will never trust another of their recommendations.
Rating:
Summary: Tess is an imperfect protagonist, but she's improving.
Review: This is the third of the Tess Monaghan books. Mysteries are often filled with cardboard characters and one or two well developed characters. Laura Lippman doesn't work that way. All her characters are imperfect, but then, so are real people. The characters in this, and the other two novels in this series are interesting and have twists and turns in their characteristics that are as amusing as are the twists and turns of the plots. Normally, I don't identify with female protagonists, but Tess is such an interesting person that even a straight guy such as myself enjoys her point of view. I recently had the opportunity to meet Laura Lippman when she came around to the local library to talk to her fans. She's also an interesting character.
Rating:
Summary: this book stinks
Review: what else is there to say. i'd like to be kind, but give me a break. this is a stinking book and a waste of time. to think that this thing won an award. Geez! something else has to be going on.
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