"Baltimore Blues"

"Baltimore Blues" is Laura Lippman's first Tess Monaghan novel in a series that (as of 2015) includes 12 books.  Laura is a New York Times bestselling author who has been awarded every major prize in crime fiction.

Tess Monaghan, the heroine in Lippman's novels, is an out-of-work former reporter for the Star in Baltimore who lives above a bookstore owned by her aunt who also lives there -- currently with her younger policeman boyfriend.  Tess pays her rent by working part-time in the bookstore as well as doing other odd jobs.

Tess goes rowing every morning with her good friend Darryl "Rock" Paxton and one morning he asks her to do some sleuthing for him.  His fiance is acting strangely and he would like to know if she is seeing someone else.  The report she takes back to Rock upsets him and, when his fiance's boss is found dead after Rock confronts him about having an affair with his intended, he is arrested for the murder.  Rock's attorney is also a rower and hires Tess to help him clear Rock's name.

In a city where there are murders daily and secrets powerful people would like to keep buried, is Tess endangering herself and those close to her when she begins sleuthing again?  Her knowledge of the city and her reporter skills prove to be very helpful in uncovering some information that may or may not lead to Rock being cleared.

Want to know more about this author?  Check her out at lauralippman.net or friend her on facebook at lauralippman.

After reading this novel, I'm ready for the next one in the series!  pazt