Rating: 
Summary: entangled in the twist
Review: Slowly I've been going down the long list of Edgar Award winners from years past and the name of this book caught my attention because the setting is in Baltimore where I attended college. This work ranks high on my list of other Edgar Winners because it did a fantastic job both in describing the setting and in storytelling. Naturally a mystery reader is going to attempt to guess the outcome of the novel they read and this book scores top marks for getting me sucked into the twist I didn't anticipate. The story is completely plausible so it isn't a direction that doesn't make sense but rather an indication of how well the writer gets the reader into the main characters mindset. This was the first book by this author that I have read but I plan on reading (eventually) the rest of her collection as I enjoyed this story tremendously. If I had never been to Baltimore, this book would have inspired me to visit.
Rating:
Summary: A good follow up!
Review: This is a very good sequel to Baltimore Blues. Although the mystery itself isn't the best I've read, the characters are very intriguing and the writing is excellent. This is a particularly good series for late 20s/early 30s people who are "wondering what to do when they grow up". Nice job!
Rating:
Summary: Good
Review: This is my first Tess Monaghan novel and I feel left out. After having finished this novel I felt I might have enjoyed it more if I read BALTIMORE BLUES first and learn the main character as well as the supporting members.Tess is a former reporter who is now working as a private investigator. She is hired by a newspaper to find out who hacked into their computers and filed a story that was not meant to be published. It involves the checkered past of Wink Wynkowski, a basketball promoter, who is trying to lure a professional team to move to Baltimore. Shortly after the article is printed, Wink is found dead of an apparent suicide. She does her best in trying to find answers to this death as well to other related ones that occur later on in the novel. She will be surprised to what she discovers. Tess is also investigating an assault case on her uncle. He leaves her a greyhound that everybody is looking for. The Greyhound storyline was a bit disturbing. We learn about illegal dog racing as well as other activities that would shock just about anybody. I do not wish to spoil it for anyone but it was very troubling. The author piques one's interest in learning about the problem some of these greyhounds have after leaving the track and later being adopted by a loving family. Ms. Lippman's love for dogs is evident in these pages. I liked reading about Tess and plan to do so in the future, however, I plan on reading her first novel, BALTIMORE BLUES before going any further. Tess is a no nonsense kind of person who knows how to zing people. My favorite scene involved Tess and a cameraman arguing at a health club. If this is what to look forward to on the following books, well, sign me up.
Rating: 
Summary: Plenty of Charm and More
Review: Yes, I approve of Charm City. The further I got into it, the more I found in the writing to applaud. The degree of character specificity gives Tess a depth and reality that brings the author's portrait of Tess to life. Tess has a somewhat protected outer covering that belies her inner vulnerability. This juxtaposition of traits makes Tess a genuinely likeable protagonist. Sure she is flawed and makes mistakes, including a serious one in regard to her romantic life, but that's almost why we empathize with her. The reader will also find Tess a figure to admire because of her ironclad intention to amend a multiplicity of wrongs. Baltimore isn't a town I know, but I have been there on a couple of business trips. Laura Lippman obviously has a map and history of that city deeply etched in her brain--and she depicts it quite differently from other Baltimorean boosters, such as Anne Tyler. or Barry Levinson. (It is a no more attractive city, but Lippman has brought it up to date.) A dog named Esskay
Rating:
Summary: Great writer
Review: You do not need to like mysteries to love Laura Lippmann's wonderful books. The characters are well-drawn. The writing is wonderful with great hilarious one-liners thrown in when you least expect it. The plots move quickly towards their unexpected denouement!
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