Rating: 
Summary: Poe's Visitor and the Gold Bug
Review: "These our actors, as I foretold you, were all spirits, and are melted into air, into thin air..." (from Shakespeare's "The Tempest"). This is one of the best mysteries I have read in recent years. It is an intriguing tale that revolves around the mysterious Visitor to Poe's grave who, every year, leaves three red roses and a half bottle of cognac. It is January 19. Baltimore private investigator Tess Monaghan and her boyfriend, Crow, are among the spectators keeping watch at Poe's grave. A cloaked figure appears, and then another. A shot is fired and a cloaked figure falls, mortally wounded. The second cloaked figure escapes in the commotion, fading into the shadows.The case becomes complicated. There are people trying to identify and find the visitor for personal agendas. There are charges that the murder was a hate crime - the victim identified as a ... waiter. Tess is drawn into the case, willing or not, because other players think she may have information. Mysterious notes appear, along with roses or rose petals, from an unknown individual attempting to enlist her aid. There are questions about thefts of rare books and memorabilia. And there is collateral damage. Along the way there are tidbits of information about Baltimore, and about Edgar Allan Poe including a pertinent poem ("From childhood's hour I have not been As others were; I have not seen As others saw; I could not bring My passions from a common spring." - from Poe's "Alone"). The case gradually unfolds as information develops about various players. Some people become unlikely allies, and relationships between people are revealed as the case is solved. Tess becomes the guardian of another dog, a friendly doberman named Miata. But that is not the end of the story because the Visitor is still involved, a mysterious cloaked figure of many faces, and there must be a meeting before the visitor fades into thin air. And will the Visitor be back next year? You might have to go to Baltimore next January 19, if you are willing to spend a cold night at a graveyard.
Rating:
Summary: Poe's Visitor and the Gold Bug
Review: "These our actors, as I foretold you, were all spirits, and are melted into air, into thin air..." (from Shakespeare's "The Tempest"). This is one of the best mysteries I have read in recent years. It is an intriguing tale that revolves around the mysterious Visitor to Poe's grave who, every year, leaves three red roses and a half bottle of cognac. It is January 19. Baltimore private investigator Tess Monaghan and her boyfriend, Crow, are among the spectators keeping watch at Poe's grave. A cloaked figure appears, and then another. A shot is fired and a cloaked figure falls, mortally wounded. The second cloaked figure escapes in the commotion, fading into the shadows. The case becomes complicated. There are people trying to identify and find the visitor for personal agendas. There are charges that the murder was a hate crime - the victim identified as a ... waiter. Tess is drawn into the case, willing or not, because other players think she may have information. Mysterious notes appear, along with roses or rose petals, from an unknown individual attempting to enlist her aid. There are questions about thefts of rare books and memorabilia. And there is collateral damage. Along the way there are tidbits of information about Baltimore, and about Edgar Allan Poe including a pertinent poem ("From childhood's hour I have not been As others were; I have not seen As others saw; I could not bring My passions from a common spring." - from Poe's "Alone"). The case gradually unfolds as information develops about various players. Some people become unlikely allies, and relationships between people are revealed as the case is solved. Tess becomes the guardian of another dog, a friendly doberman named Miata. But that is not the end of the story because the Visitor is still involved, a mysterious cloaked figure of many faces, and there must be a meeting before the visitor fades into thin air. And will the Visitor be back next year? You might have to go to Baltimore next January 19, if you are willing to spend a cold night at a graveyard.
Rating:
Summary: A Fun, Smart Page-Turner
Review: 'In a Strange City' is my first experience reading Laura Lippman, but I hope to have many more. You should too. PI Tess Monaghan turns down a would-be client who wants her to unmask the "Poe Toaster," a mysterious person who visits Edgar Allan Poe's gravesite each year with three roses and half a bottle of cognac. Although she refuses to take the case, Tess can't help being curious. On the anniversary of Poe's death, Tess expects to stand at a distance and see a strange caped individual visit the cold Baltimore grave site. But she sees two caped figures. One dies from a bullet, the other escapes. Then things get really creepy when Tess receives cryptic notes at her door...along with three roses and a half bottle of cognac. 'In a Strange City' is a pleasure to read because it works on so many levels. Lippman writes a very smart tale with wonderful descriptions of Baltimore and its people, but that's only part of what makes the book work. She not only knows how to write great characters, she also pens believable dialogue. Her examination of Poe devotees and collectors is nothing short of fascinating. Many excellent mystery writers are capable of presenting readers with an entertaining, intriguing story, but Lippman takes it a step further. When I closed the book, I knew I had finished a great story, but I also knew that I was going to be forced to examine the possessions I cherish and ask myself how far I would go to protect them? A very satisfying read - 310 pages
Rating:
Summary: Better and better!
Review: A multiple award winner, Laura Lippman continues to show us her best in "In a Strange City". In this, her sixth, Tess Monaghan novel, Lippman once again features the uniquness of Baltimore as seen through the eyes of one of its own. Lippman combines character and a fascinating plot to serve up yet another award-worthy story. Brava! Too bad I have to wait another year for book seven!
Rating: 
Summary: I Wish I Could Give It More Stars......
Review: After long awaiting Laura Lippman's next book in the Tess series, I was slightly disappointed with IN A STRANGE CITY. Although it revolves around one of the most unusual customs in Baltimore, The Poe Toaster, I just could not stay interested. The book jumped around a lot and I thought it rather confusing at times. As always, I enjoyed Tess and Crow and their trials and tribulations through the streets of Baltimore and surrounding neighborhoods. I am looking forward to this fall and the next Tess book
Rating:
Summary: LIPPMAN'S TOAST TO POE
Review: As a mystery writer with my debut novel in its initial release, I genuinely enjoyed Laura Lippman's toast to our genre's founder, Edgar Allan Poe. In her latest novel, IN A STRANGE CITY, Ms. Lippman plants her protagonist, Tess Monaghan, in the middle of a contemporary mystery story that is a pure tribute to Poe. A murder occurs during the observance of Poe's birthday at the great author's tomb when two cloaked Visitors show up with roses and cognac to serve as the Poe Toaster. A shot is fired. One toaster dies. The other flees. Tess witnesses the homicide and soon finds herself involved in other Poe-esque plot elements. The story includes multiple murders, a woman buried alive, and still unanswered questions involving Poe's life. As usual, Lippman's writing is first-rate and her beloved Baltimore is rendered perfectly. IN A STRANGE CITY is Lippman's best book yet. Read it. You won't be disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: A UNIQUE AND COMPELLING READ
Review: Crime writer Laura Lippman, the winner of every important mystery award (an Edgar, a Shamus, an Anthony, and an Agatha), now pays tribute to the man many consider to be the world's premier mystery writer - Edgar Allen Poe. "In A Strange City," Lippman's sixth novel to feature PI Tess Monaghan is set in Baltimore where in the predawn hours of every January 19th, the anniversary of Poe's birthday, a coterie of the famed author's fans wait to see a mysterious visitor who comes to Poe's tomb bearing 3 blood red roses and a bottle of cognac. This year, Tess is among those waiting for a glimpse of the mysterious "Poe Visitor." She is surprised to see not one but two cloaked men carrying the appropriate tributes; she is even more surprised to see one murdered as the other escapes into the semi-darkness. Bobby Hilliard, a 28-year-old gay waiter is the victim. The senseless beating of another gay man some days earlier and Hilliard's death arouse the local gay and lesbian rights group headed by Tess's former friend attorney Cecelia Cesnik. The group insists that a maniacal homophobe is running amok. Tess soon finds herself enmeshed in a multi-layered swirl of events pulling her in opposite directions. Hammered on by the chief detective who thinks she knows more than she's telling, our heroine is also stalked by an unknown person who leaves cognac and three red roses by her front door. There's more than mere murder here as Tess suspects a complicated scheme involving priceless antiques and other black marketables begins to emerge. Ms. Lippman has laced her latest thriller with strains of greed and homophobia, and included such Poe-isms as a victim buried alive and a ticking clock. It makes for a unique and compelling read. - Gail Cooke
Rating:
Summary: A UNIQUE AND COMPELLING READ
Review: Crime writer Laura Lippman, the winner of every important mystery award (an Edgar, a Shamus, an Anthony, and an Agatha), now pays tribute to the man many consider to be the world's premier mystery writer - Edgar Allen Poe. "In A Strange City," Lippman's sixth novel to feature PI Tess Monaghan is set in Baltimore where in the predawn hours of every January 19th, the anniversary of Poe's birthday, a coterie of the famed author's fans wait to see a mysterious visitor who comes to Poe's tomb bearing 3 blood red roses and a bottle of cognac. This year, Tess is among those waiting for a glimpse of the mysterious "Poe Visitor." She is surprised to see not one but two cloaked men carrying the appropriate tributes; she is even more surprised to see one murdered as the other escapes into the semi-darkness. Bobby Hilliard, a 28-year-old gay waiter is the victim. The senseless beating of another gay man some days earlier and Hilliard's death arouse the local gay and lesbian rights group headed by Tess's former friend attorney Cecelia Cesnik. The group insists that a maniacal homophobe is running amok. Tess soon finds herself enmeshed in a multi-layered swirl of events pulling her in opposite directions. Hammered on by the chief detective who thinks she knows more than she's telling, our heroine is also stalked by an unknown person who leaves cognac and three red roses by her front door. There's more than mere murder here as Tess suspects a complicated scheme involving priceless antiques and other black marketables begins to emerge. Ms. Lippman has laced her latest thriller with strains of greed and homophobia, and included such Poe-isms as a victim buried alive and a ticking clock. It makes for a unique and compelling read. - Gail Cooke
Rating:
Summary: Kennedy Dust In your Eyes
Review: From the start Laura Lippman tries to trip up her readers by flicking a little Kennedy dust in their eyes. However, mystery fans who are also devoted rail road buffs and especially Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road buffs instinctively and adroitly fend off her efforts by instant recognition of the name JOHN PENDLETON KENNEDY. She even tries to steer one by mentioning the more fabled name John F. Kennedy. Nice try, Laura, but no sale here. Just who was John Pendleton Kennedy? Was he just another obscure 19th century lawyer, politician with hankering for literary fame? In addition to being intimately associated with Edgar Allen Poe he was also the member of Congress from Baltimore who sponsored the 1843 legislation to gain a hefty Federal subsidy for the first Morse telegraph line. He was also involved up to his ear lobes in rail road legislation, especially for the B&O R.R. He wrote a couple of not-so-notable novels of the period. He was well-to-do and helped Poe out with money and jobs many more times than once, but Poe could not stay away from the bottle.
E.A. Poe or his remains anyway, are center stage for a good deal of the time in this fascinating mystery. Lippman's chief PI, Tess Monaghan, and her six years junior beau, Crow are busy as beavers with the reluctant help of Pigtown native Gretchen O'Brien, a recently cashiered Baltimore cop turned PI. They have more than one crime to solve. Picayune and Byzantine lore of the old "Patapsico" town is littered all over the place. We learn about the light bulb museum, the Maryland Mu-sheum and of all things a feminine hygiene museum in Prince George's County near the U of Maryland main campus at College Park. It gets weird and weirder.
Get this book and all the other Laura Lippman titles. She takes you through a tale "In a Strange City" that is well worth the easy, face-paced effort. I met and chatted with herself at a "meet the author" session last year when she was promoting her last book "Sugar Shack". She is a real charmer and an authentic product of America's most authentic city, Charm City --- Baltimore, Maryland. If she is going to appear in a city near you or on the TV, do not miss seeing and hearing Laura Lippman. This is a really good read and I wish I could give it more than 5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: I can't wait to read it!
Review: I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of this book in my mailbox! I must say, however, that the Booklist review is incorrect. This is not Laura Lippman's second Tess Monaghan book. It is the sixth in the series, and her second to be published in hardcover.
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