'A very special kind of twisted genius.' SARAH HILARY

'A natural storyteller at the height of her powers.' LEE CHILD

A TESS MONAGHAN MYSTERY

Meet Tess Monaghan - ex-Baltimore Star reporter and accidental PI - as she investigates cases of murder, corruption and injustice in Charm City . . .

Until her newspaper, The Baltimore Star, crashed, Tess Monaghan was a first-rate reporter who knew her home town intimately - from historic Fort McHenry to the crumbling projects of Cherry Hill. Now gainfully unemployed, she's willing to do 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 lawyer's notoriety and his trysts with Rock's fiancée, make the case front page news - and make Rock the chief suspect. . .

'Anyone that likes mysteries, even a little bit, should read this book and the rest in the series!' 5* reader review

'Loved it. Fast pace, big surprises!' 5* reader review

'Very engaging. . .unpredictable.' 5* reader review

PRAISE FOR THE TESS MONAGHAN SERIES

'Tess is a heroine with a nose for what she is not being told, and she is never content with half the story. These Baltimore novels are effective thrillers, because they are stories about wanting to know what happens next.' Times Literary Supplement

'Whip smart female protagonist, gritty Baltimore setting. Loved Tess!' 5* reader review

'Readers won't be able to resist Tess, who, like one of Baltimore's famous crabs, sports a tough shell that hides a sweet centre.' BOOKLIST

'Digestible, fun, tense' NPR

'In this series, Lippman has developed sturdy tales, wry humour, and snappy dialogue wrapped around an insider's view of Baltimore.' SUN-SENTINEL

'Tess, is a ballsy, free-spirited woman who thinks on her feet and has a commanding physical presence. . . Highly recommend' 5* reader review

'What fun! I discovered a new (to me) mystery series. Tess Monaghan is a terrific main character.' 5* reader review

'I really have fallen in love with Tess Monaghan. These mystery novels well deserve the awards Lippman has won.' 5* reader review