Helpful Score: 1
After reading the first 3 of Laura Lippmans series, I have to visit Baltimore. The author brings the city to life; it seems to be one of the characters. Lippman isnt shy about showing the seamy side of Baltimore but a reader never doubts that she loves the place warts and all.
The plot seems rather simple; an elderly man, fed up with having his car vandalized yet again, goes out in the dark to warn the youngsters away from his damaged car. The 5 are foster children running loose and causing damage in the wee hours of the night. He shoots once into the air; the children continue to laugh and ridicule him. He becomes more angry, shoots again and one of the children falls dead.
Tess has opened a store-front (to house her business, Keys Investigations) on Butchers Hill. This part of Baltimore has seen better times, but it is something Tess can afford. Crow (her boyfriend from the previous 2 books) has moved on to Texas and her best friend Whitney, is working at the Beacon Lights bureau in Tokyo.
The thing I like about this series is that Tess is learning her trade on-the-job and makes plenty of mistakes. Tess isnt a glib know-it-all; shes surrounded by relatives and friends that she can call on to help grease her way through the labyrinth of Baltimore politicians, government agencies, etc.
Tess is Everyman, or Everywoman. Shes just like her readers. After this book, I think I know Tess very well and I find her a likeable person who is serious about her work. There are actually 2 plot lines in this novel and the resolution to both is realistic and satisfying. A delightful book. 4.5 stars
The plot seems rather simple; an elderly man, fed up with having his car vandalized yet again, goes out in the dark to warn the youngsters away from his damaged car. The 5 are foster children running loose and causing damage in the wee hours of the night. He shoots once into the air; the children continue to laugh and ridicule him. He becomes more angry, shoots again and one of the children falls dead.
Tess has opened a store-front (to house her business, Keys Investigations) on Butchers Hill. This part of Baltimore has seen better times, but it is something Tess can afford. Crow (her boyfriend from the previous 2 books) has moved on to Texas and her best friend Whitney, is working at the Beacon Lights bureau in Tokyo.
The thing I like about this series is that Tess is learning her trade on-the-job and makes plenty of mistakes. Tess isnt a glib know-it-all; shes surrounded by relatives and friends that she can call on to help grease her way through the labyrinth of Baltimore politicians, government agencies, etc.
Tess is Everyman, or Everywoman. Shes just like her readers. After this book, I think I know Tess very well and I find her a likeable person who is serious about her work. There are actually 2 plot lines in this novel and the resolution to both is realistic and satisfying. A delightful book. 4.5 stars
