This is the first book in Laura Lippmann's popular 'Tess Monaghan' private investigator series.
Twentysomething Baltimore resident Tess Monaghan was a journalist until her newspaper the 'Baltimore Star' folded. Now Tess works part-time in her Aunt Kitty's bookstore and puts in a few hours a week in her Uncle Donald's government office. This gives Tess plenty of time to indulge her two favorite pursuits - sculling and running.
Tess wakes up at 5:30 every morning to row for a couple of hours.....then runs in the evenings after work. All this exercise leaves Tess's long lean body muscular and toned.
Tess's best friend is Darryl "Rock" Paxton, a science researcher whose passion is competitive rowing.
Tess and Rock meet at the Patapsco River boathouse every morning, and - after sculling in their individual shells - go out to breakfast on Rock's dime. 😊
One day Rock asks Tess to do a job for him. Rock's beautiful blonde fiancé Ava Hill, a budding lawyer who's failed the bar exam twice, has been acting squirrelly lately.....and Rock wants to know why.
Rock asks Tess to investigate Ava, and offers to pay Tess standard private investigator fees. Cash-strapped Tess agrees, and her discoveries lead to a world of trouble.
Tess learns that Ava has afternoon trysts in a hotel with Michael Abramowitz, a partner in the "Three O's" law firm that employs them both.
Rock is appraised of this news, and - soon afterwards - Abramowitz is killed in his office. Before you can say prime suspect, Rock is arrested for murder.
Rock's lawyer, also a rowing aficionado, employs Tess to look for exonerating evidence to clear Rock. While Tess is researching Abramowitz's life, she's hounded by her former boyfriend - investigative journalist Jonathan Ross - who wants a scoop for his newspaper. Ross is a lothario who drops in on Tess for a bit of nooky whenever he feels like it, and I didn't like him. 😝
Looking for information about Abramowitz's murder, Tess interviews the security guard at the Three O's law firm, and the cleaner who found Abramowitz's body. She also delves into Abramowitz's cases, to identify people who might have wanted him dead.
Tess discovers that Abramowitz started his career as a public defender, and that he got off a number of accused rapists. The rapists' female victims formed a support group, and these women - as well as convicts Abramowitz didn't exonerate - form a pool of possible suspects.
Additional characters in the book include Tess's beautiful Aunt Kitty - a woman of a certain age who still attracts men like flies; Crow - a young man who works for Aunt Kitty.....and has a big crush; Whitney - a clever young woman who helps Tess investigate; Shamus O'Neil - the managing partner at the Three O's law firm, who has a roving eye; Shamus's wife - who knows her husband runs around; and more. In addition the city of Baltimore, whose gritty neighborhoods are described in cinematic detail, is almost a character in the novel.
Tess's investigation endangers her life, but she solves the crime.....and starts her career as a private detective. Tess is an appealing sleuth and I enjoyed the book.
No comments:
Post a Comment