In Big Trouble (Tess Monaghan Novel, 4)

It's a shame to see some of the kvetching about Tess leaving her beloved Baltimore for other climes. Lippman wisely chose as a place she once worked as a newspaper reporter -- Texas. Having worked on a daily in Texas myself (and as a big fan of the city of San Antonio), I can tell you that Laura's depiction of this wonderfully quirky city and its inhabitants is dang near perfect. As with other Monaghan stories, it's as much about Tess as it is about the mystery to be solved ... and there few more interesting main characters in the genre today. Well done, Laura!

Since I started reading the Tess Monaghan mysteries three weeks ago, I can't put them down. They just keep getting better. In Big Trouble leaves the Baltimore setting and moves to Texas where everything is always bigger: bigger characters, bigger plots, bigger romance, bigger crime and mystery!

I love that Lippman is willing to let her characters learn from life. Maybe it's because I'm close to both Tess's age (30) and place in life (what do I do when I grow up?), but I really liked this book. As with previous books, I do think Lippman tends to throw in one too many unexpected surprises toward the end, but it doesn't keep the reader from enjoying the good story or the excellent characterizations. For those of you who read this series for Baltimore, don't let the Texas setting throw you off - Lippman's love of geography is just as evident here as in previous Tess books. A good read!

Tess Monaghan shines in Lippman's new novel, IN BIG TROUBLE. Tess is portrayed, as always, as a completely believable and yet extremely strong female character. Finding her ex-bofriend Crow, and solving the murders that surround him, make for a very interesting and entertaining read. Lippman's writing style also lends to the enjoyment of this book. I highly recommend it; however, if you've never read Lippman you should probably start at the beginning of the "Tess" series.

Laura Lippman once again proves she's one of America's hottest new mystery authors with her latest entry in the Tess Monaghan series, IN BIG TROUBLE. This time, Tess has to leave her precious Baltimore to search for a missing person in Texas -- and he just happens to be her old boyfriend, Crow. It's fun to see Tess as a fish out of water, and there's some great comic relief, especially the Vietnamese owner of the motel Tess stays in (she's hooked on junk food and Spanish soap operas). Fans of Julie Smith and Sara Paretsky should give Lippman's PI a try.