Baltimore Blues

Tess Monaghan, Book 1

By: Laura Lippman

Narrated by: Deborah Hazlett

Unemployed at 29, Tess Monaghan is willing to take any freelance job to pay the rent—including a bit of unorthodox snooping for her rowing buddy, Darryl "Rock" Paxton. In a city where someone is murdered almost every day, attorney Michael Abramowitz's death should be just another statistic. But the slain lawyer's notoriety—and his noontime trysts with Rock's fiancée—make the case front page news...and point to Rock as the likely murderer. But trying to prove her friend's innocence could prove costly to Tess.

©1997 Laura Lippman (P)2008 BBC Audiobooks

Very interesting; couldn't stop listening

It pulled me in immediately with descriptive writing and effective narration that allowed me to see and feel the story unfolding. It left me with a very vivid picture and a desire to hear more about Tess and the other characters which are likely to appear in subsequent books. I'm not sure why I initially chose this, but my next picks will be others in this series.

Excellent

Great book with many twists and turns. I almost didn't buy this book because of the negative reviews. So glad I didn't listen to them.

Great series!

Surfing for new books and a Laura Lippman, Tess Monaghan mystery catches my attention. I have been a member since 2009. I have over a thousand books. It is unusual to discover a female detective story I have not read.

Baltimore Blues is a great start to a series. Tess is a well-defined character. We recognize that she has been just exiting for a few years since she lost her job. She is intelligent, lazy, resourceful and a loyal friend. She has come to a point like so many of us that she just does not have the energy to even think about what she wants to do. She is like a two-year-old refusing to see that, it does not matter how long you want something. If it is no longer there, it is just not there.

She has lost her job and cannot find a similar job. She is no longer in a relationship but has accepted being a booty call knowing the man is in a relationship. She accepts this demeaning relationship just as she does the job from her uncle. Unbeknownst to her he paying her from his saving. She has fallen into a rut of just getting by and losing her self-respect in the process. Even when she exercises she is not really committed to the sport. A friend offers her a job, the money is good and the mystery begins.

This first novel does an excellent job of documenting the evolution of Tess from a journalist to freelance investigator. It is a very logical progression for Tess with her skill set. The supporting characters add wit and interest. Tess lives in the small apartment over her aunt’s bookstore. There are only 12 years difference between the age of Tess and her aunt. They have a friendship while maintaining the familia relationship. a great story in how her aunt gets the money to buy the book store.

This is not an action pack read. But it is a good mystery laying the ground work for the following books in the series. I will be reading more in the Tess series. I would love to go the Baltimore just to watch the boat races/rowing races. Lippman does a wonderful job of giving an insight to what it takes for a rower. Do not let the low rating of some reviews put you off. Yes, it is not a fast paced. For the credit and the flexible return policy get the book. I am going to re-read the one I purchased in 2009.

I enjoyed this book.

this was a good book. I liked the caracters. the ending was a little blah, but mist if the book kept my interest.

I Put This Series Off Far Too Long

The Tess Monaghan series has been on my TBR stack for a while now. After reading Baltimore Blues, I am glad I finally started the series. It was a little dated, but the book has a good mystery that was predictable enough that the final ending didn't seem totally contrived, but with an interesting twist I didn't see coming. I enjoyed the humor and several of the secondary characters. Tess seemed very immature to me, prone to bad decision making and somewhat ambiguous at best. However, the first book seemed to address her evolution. At the end, I think she was starting to grow into a character strong enough to support a prolific and very successful series. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series.

I thought the Narration was very good.

Fun mystery for Baltimore natives

I would say the plot/ story is just okay, nothing great. But as a Baltimore born person who lived in Maryland most of my life, it was a hoot. Totally enjoyed reminiscing about locations, restaurants, the Orioles and everything that reminds me of home. The author makes fun of the dialect and other quirky things that only those from the area would know. Thanks for the trip down memory lane, Laura Lippmann. Well done. Narrator was very good also.

wonderful 1st mystery book - i want to hear more

I was looking for Maryland history. This book was suggested. Puts me in recent history in Maryland's largest city. Now I'm hooked and will seek out Charm City in my local library. thank you Ms. Lippman

ENGAGING STOREY

Would you listen to Baltimore Blues again? Why?

NO, I JUST DON'T DO THAT EVER

Who was your favorite character and why?

TESS GREAT FLAWED HEROINE

What about Deborah Hazlett’s performance did you like?

THE VOICES SHE USES FOR THE VARIOUS CHARACTORS

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

NO IN CAR, TOOK ABOUT A WEEK TO COMPLETE

A true gem!

I wish I had discovered this talented author years ago! Lippman is an outstanding writer, with plenty of "literary gems" gently sprinkled within the prose of the mystery. The characters feel real and the scene setting rings true, setting the reader smack dab in the city of Baltimore - superb local color. In addition, the dialog is very natural-sounding.

The only issue I had was with the narrator, who seemed to rush her words so much that I had a hard time listening at the normal speed. I solved the problem by reducing the speed to 75%, which imparted a lovely, soft, luxurious feel to her voice. I will continue to do this as I go forward through the series now.

I've already started to listen to book #2 and am loving it!

Excellence!

in a vast wasteland of crappy writing and even crappier narration, this book was a stellar 100% fresh, well written story with quirky, realistic characters who could live next door to you. Tess is real, imperfect, cute but not beautiful like so many heroines. I've loved this series for years but now I'm listening to the audio, and I LOVE this narrator. She has perfect pitch for both sexes without being over the top or irritating like so many female readers. In the audiobook world, it's all about NARRATION NARRATION NARRATION and she nails it.