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Tess Monaghan #6
In a Strange City
New York Times bestselling author Laura Lippman’s Tess Monaghan must put her PI skills to the ultimate test when she falls into the crosshairs of a psychopath who knows everything about her.
For the past fifty years on the birth date of Edgar Allan Poe, a person wearing a cloak has placed three roses and a half bottle of cognac on the writer’s gravesite. PI Tess Monaghan has never witnessed the event. But when John P. Kennedy, an eccentric antiques dealer, asks her to uncover the identity of the caped visitor, who he believes has duped him with the sale of an inauthentic antique, Tess decides to hold vigil on the night the cloaked stranger is expected to make an appearance. But the custom takes on a bizarre, fatal twist when two cloaked figures arrive. The imitator leaves his tribute and then makes his escape…after shooting the first visitor.
Warning bells tell Tess to steer clear of this case. But when roses and cognac appear on her doorstep, Tess’s curiosity is piqued. She soon discovers that John P. Kennedy has vanished into thin air and much of what he told her was questionable. Then the identity of the shooting victim comes to light, and all clues seem to point to the possibility he was the target of a hate crime. But Tess isn’t convinced. What was his connection to the decades-long Edgar Allan Poe tradition and to the killer? When more cryptic clues are left at her home, Tess realizes that someone is watching her every move...someone who’s bent on killing again.
For the past fifty years on the birth date of Edgar Allan Poe, a person wearing a cloak has placed three roses and a half bottle of cognac on the writer’s gravesite. PI Tess Monaghan has never witnessed the event. But when John P. Kennedy, an eccentric antiques dealer, asks her to uncover the identity of the caped visitor, who he believes has duped him with the sale of an inauthentic antique, Tess decides to hold vigil on the night the cloaked stranger is expected to make an appearance. But the custom takes on a bizarre, fatal twist when two cloaked figures arrive. The imitator leaves his tribute and then makes his escape…after shooting the first visitor.
Warning bells tell Tess to steer clear of this case. But when roses and cognac appear on her doorstep, Tess’s curiosity is piqued. She soon discovers that John P. Kennedy has vanished into thin air and much of what he told her was questionable. Then the identity of the shooting victim comes to light, and all clues seem to point to the possibility he was the target of a hate crime. But Tess isn’t convinced. What was his connection to the decades-long Edgar Allan Poe tradition and to the killer? When more cryptic clues are left at her home, Tess realizes that someone is watching her every move...someone who’s bent on killing again.
432 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2001
180 people are currently reading
1784 people want to read
About the author
Laura Lippman
112 books6,340 followersSince Laura Lippman’s debut, she has been recognized as a distinctive voice in mystery fiction and named one of the “essential” crime writers of the last 100 years. Stephen King called her “special, even extraordinary,” and Gillian Flynn wrote, “She is simply a brilliant novelist.” Her books have won most of the major awards in her field and been translated into more than twenty-five languages. She lives in Baltimore and New Orleans with her teenager.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 313 reviews
January 2, 2024
I really liked this mystery, even if I had some of it unraveled early in... I loved the setting of the Poe Visitor and always enjoy when classic literature meets current fiction.
And as always, the main characters never fail to keep me turning the pages... on to the next Tess book in the series.
(Reviewed 11/1/08)
And as always, the main characters never fail to keep me turning the pages... on to the next Tess book in the series.
(Reviewed 11/1/08)
August 6, 2018
Not going to lie, this one so far is my least favorite of the series. It just drags and it's pretty obvious who has to be the bad guy because we are only introduced to one person who could have done it. Also for a book about Edgar Allen Poe this was boring. I have to admit though, I had no freaking clue the Baltimore Ravens were named for Poe's "The Raven" poem. How did I not know that? Interesting premise, but it just doesn't work.
"In a Strange City" has Tess and Crow dealing with the renovation of the house they bought. Tess has some downtime and gets asked about being hired to unmask the famed Visitor (a man who goes to Edgar Allen Poe's grave and toasts him, leaves flowers, and a note every year) that has become a Baltimore tradition. Tess is outraged about anyone trying to unmask this person so she decides to go with Crow to make sure that the Visitor is left alone. Instead two men meet at Poe's grave, and one is shot to death. With the police involved, Tess decides to track down the man who originally tried to hire her. She ends up running into the police and another private investigator on this one.
Tess is usually on her game, but in this one she gets beaten up twice and not really able to link things as well as she usually does (well not until the end). Tess and Crow seem to be solid, but honestly I needed him in a corner out of the way, he doesn't add much to this book. We hear about Tess's parents, but they are not in this one and her Uncle Spike has moved. So we have some of the usual characters missing and it is felt.
The writing is okay, it just felt like Lippman kept trying to loop in Poe references and it doesn't really work. When you see how Poe is involved I maybe rolled my eyes.
The flow was not good though, the first part of the book really does drag. I honestly didn't think things picked up much until we dealt with a second murder that happens. At this point the book moves a bit faster and it feels as if Tess is rushing to just name the murderer already.
The ending was odd, no other way to call it. I just didn't see much of the point in this. It doesn't help that the so called Poe Toaster stopped being a thing in Baltimore in 2010. It restarted again in 2016 though lost it's flair for the unknown when the Maryland Historical Society picked someone to be the new toaster.
"In a Strange City" has Tess and Crow dealing with the renovation of the house they bought. Tess has some downtime and gets asked about being hired to unmask the famed Visitor (a man who goes to Edgar Allen Poe's grave and toasts him, leaves flowers, and a note every year) that has become a Baltimore tradition. Tess is outraged about anyone trying to unmask this person so she decides to go with Crow to make sure that the Visitor is left alone. Instead two men meet at Poe's grave, and one is shot to death. With the police involved, Tess decides to track down the man who originally tried to hire her. She ends up running into the police and another private investigator on this one.
Tess is usually on her game, but in this one she gets beaten up twice and not really able to link things as well as she usually does (well not until the end). Tess and Crow seem to be solid, but honestly I needed him in a corner out of the way, he doesn't add much to this book. We hear about Tess's parents, but they are not in this one and her Uncle Spike has moved. So we have some of the usual characters missing and it is felt.
The writing is okay, it just felt like Lippman kept trying to loop in Poe references and it doesn't really work. When you see how Poe is involved I maybe rolled my eyes.
The flow was not good though, the first part of the book really does drag. I honestly didn't think things picked up much until we dealt with a second murder that happens. At this point the book moves a bit faster and it feels as if Tess is rushing to just name the murderer already.
The ending was odd, no other way to call it. I just didn't see much of the point in this. It doesn't help that the so called Poe Toaster stopped being a thing in Baltimore in 2010. It restarted again in 2016 though lost it's flair for the unknown when the Maryland Historical Society picked someone to be the new toaster.
April 15, 2018
Kinda plodding entry in the series. These are meant to be page turners and it's frustrating when not enough happens to keep me turning the page. Lumpen.
August 2, 2010
Maybe a 2.5 because the writing is good, the characterizations are mostly excellent, the premise was interesting, BUT I found the plot so transparent that I guessed the whodunit quite early on and much of the whydunit. As a result, the ending was flat and not particularly inspiring. The other plot element I didn't care for centered around the main character, Tess Monaghan, doing stupid things. I realize that part of this is because Tess is a risk-taker, but she displayed such stupidity in some places (for an otherwise smart woman) that I felt it was more about authorial convenience in advancing the plot than true characterization.
It's really a shame, because I was excited by that premise: a mystery centering around the Poe Toaster, an anonymous man who for sixty years (until 2010) left roses and cognac on the grave of Edgar Allen Poe each January 19 (Poe's birthday).
I will probably read something else by Ms. Lippman because, as I said, the writing and characters were mostly well-handled, but I think maybe I'll try one of her stand-alones rather than another from the the Tess Monaghan series.
It's really a shame, because I was excited by that premise: a mystery centering around the Poe Toaster, an anonymous man who for sixty years (until 2010) left roses and cognac on the grave of Edgar Allen Poe each January 19 (Poe's birthday).
I will probably read something else by Ms. Lippman because, as I said, the writing and characters were mostly well-handled, but I think maybe I'll try one of her stand-alones rather than another from the the Tess Monaghan series.
March 11, 2018
I have read a two Laura Lippmann stand alones before, but never anything from her Tess Monaghan series until now. In a Strange City is no. 6 in the sequence and while there were obvious references to the previous books, they didn’t impede the story or the introduction of the characters at all IMO.
Back in my early adult life, when I only read a handful of books a year, these kinds of mystery series were the bulk of what I did read (Sara Paretsky, Sue Grafton, Elizabeth George, Patricia Cornwall etc.). I’ve changed a lot as a reader since then, but overall I found In a Strange City to be both predicable and satisfying. The real plus for me was the setting of Baltimore and its history since the mystery involves the yearly ritual of the “Visitor” to Edgar Allen Poe’s grave, which was real life occurrence up to 2010.
Back in my early adult life, when I only read a handful of books a year, these kinds of mystery series were the bulk of what I did read (Sara Paretsky, Sue Grafton, Elizabeth George, Patricia Cornwall etc.). I’ve changed a lot as a reader since then, but overall I found In a Strange City to be both predicable and satisfying. The real plus for me was the setting of Baltimore and its history since the mystery involves the yearly ritual of the “Visitor” to Edgar Allen Poe’s grave, which was real life occurrence up to 2010.
June 4, 2018
so, lippman is very bookish -- at least, that comes across strongly in each of her books. the main character was an english major, and there are often book titles and author's names dropped in each story. in this instalment, lippman fully embraces both the meta-ness with edgar allan poe. i think it would be hard to have a mystery series set in baltimore and not have poe factor in at some point. i hope lippman had fun with this one. i continue to enjoy how lippman consistently comes up with interesting mysteries, while developing her characters in engaging ways. the pacing of the stories have all be very good - a fact that keeps me reading this series quickly. these books continue to be excellent escapist enjoyment.
July 12, 2015
January in Baltimore can only mean one thing – the annual visit to Edgar Allan Poe’s final resting place by the Poe Toaster, an anonymous person, dressed in cape and scarf, who leaves three roses and a half-full bottle of cognac at the grave on Poe’s birthday. PI Tess Monaghan gets embroiled in the tradition when a mysterious man tries to hire her to follow and unmask the Toaster. She declines the job, but winds up investigating when 1) TWO Toasters show up and one is shot, and 2) she receives a cryptic message (along with roses and cognac) giving her clues to the mystery.
This is a well-crafted mystery with a little literary history thrown in. I will admit that I am a Poe fan, but I haven’t studied much about the man or the Toaster tradition. It was fun to learn a little more about these aspects through the novel. But the key to any mystery is the strength of the plot. Lippman gives us a number of interesting suspects, several inter-related plot twists, and an opposing police detective to keep things interesting and act as a foil or counterpoint to our heroine. Although I did think the plot got a little too complicated, and a few times I felt the story arc lost focus.
What I really like about the series, though is Tess Monaghan. She’s curious, strong (both mentally and physically), tenacious, cares about her relationships with friends and family, and never relies on a man to get her out of a scrape. In fact, she partners with a couple of equally strong women in this outing. And I really like the very realistic way in which her relationship with Crow is portrayed.
This is a well-crafted mystery with a little literary history thrown in. I will admit that I am a Poe fan, but I haven’t studied much about the man or the Toaster tradition. It was fun to learn a little more about these aspects through the novel. But the key to any mystery is the strength of the plot. Lippman gives us a number of interesting suspects, several inter-related plot twists, and an opposing police detective to keep things interesting and act as a foil or counterpoint to our heroine. Although I did think the plot got a little too complicated, and a few times I felt the story arc lost focus.
What I really like about the series, though is Tess Monaghan. She’s curious, strong (both mentally and physically), tenacious, cares about her relationships with friends and family, and never relies on a man to get her out of a scrape. In fact, she partners with a couple of equally strong women in this outing. And I really like the very realistic way in which her relationship with Crow is portrayed.
November 29, 2009
Lippman has been getting better with each book, but the story lines are also getting darker. Tess is no longer the happy-go-lucky PI she started out as - and she's a better character for it.
This book actually taught me a little bit about Edgar Allan Poe and that can never be a bad thing. I'm more interested in his stories than I have been since my friend Amy introduced me to him in the 6th grade. I may have to pick up a book of his short stories very soon.
This book actually taught me a little bit about Edgar Allan Poe and that can never be a bad thing. I'm more interested in his stories than I have been since my friend Amy introduced me to him in the 6th grade. I may have to pick up a book of his short stories very soon.
January 3, 2023
In a Strange City, 6th of the Tess Monaghan books by Laura Lippman has Tess tsaking on a strange case involving a decades old annual ritual taking place on Edgar Allan Poe's birthday. It turns deadly and the client goes missing. Tess can't quit the case though, and when clues turn up directly involving her it gets even more intriguiging and dangerous.
Not my favorite Monaghan novel, but still a worthwhile read, it's 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars for this one.
Not my favorite Monaghan novel, but still a worthwhile read, it's 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars for this one.
July 19, 2014
Learned more about Poe than I ever wanted to and the book was dragggged out to long. Good book though - I just thought it could have been a bit shorter.
August 8, 2025
65th book read in 2025
In her 6th Tess Monaghan novel, Laura Lippman’s story revolves around one of Baltimore’s most famous former residents: Edgar Allan Poe. In fact, the title comes from one of Poe’s poems: The City in the Sea. “Lo! Death has reared himself a throne, In a strange city, lying alone.”
On a cold January morning, a fat little man shows up in Tess’s office. He is distasteful, a bit ridiculous, and wants her to follow a man who he feels cheated him. He is an antique scout, according to his business card. He suspects that the cheater is the man who visits Edgar Allan Poe’s grave in January every year, leaving a bouquet of roses and a bottle of cognac. The antique scout wants the private eye to follow this man, known as “the visitor,” on that freezing night.
Is it just coincidence that another of my favorite mystery authors, Sue Grafton, also began the last book I read by her, D Is For Deadbeat, with a visit to her private eye’s office from a sketchy, suspicious character? The fat little antique scout is sketchy indeed.
In any case, A Strange City was another twisty, complex murder mystery with a rather unique twist (sorry, I could not resist.) Who puts a dead Edgar Allan Poe in a 21st century crime novel?
Laura Lippman is a lifelong resident of Baltimore. She lists two biographies of the writer in her acknowledgements. It is clear from the story that she read quite a bit of Poe himself. I, on the other hand have read very little of the great man’s work. That is going to change now!
This was an intriguing tale.
In her 6th Tess Monaghan novel, Laura Lippman’s story revolves around one of Baltimore’s most famous former residents: Edgar Allan Poe. In fact, the title comes from one of Poe’s poems: The City in the Sea. “Lo! Death has reared himself a throne, In a strange city, lying alone.”
On a cold January morning, a fat little man shows up in Tess’s office. He is distasteful, a bit ridiculous, and wants her to follow a man who he feels cheated him. He is an antique scout, according to his business card. He suspects that the cheater is the man who visits Edgar Allan Poe’s grave in January every year, leaving a bouquet of roses and a bottle of cognac. The antique scout wants the private eye to follow this man, known as “the visitor,” on that freezing night.
Is it just coincidence that another of my favorite mystery authors, Sue Grafton, also began the last book I read by her, D Is For Deadbeat, with a visit to her private eye’s office from a sketchy, suspicious character? The fat little antique scout is sketchy indeed.
In any case, A Strange City was another twisty, complex murder mystery with a rather unique twist (sorry, I could not resist.) Who puts a dead Edgar Allan Poe in a 21st century crime novel?
Laura Lippman is a lifelong resident of Baltimore. She lists two biographies of the writer in her acknowledgements. It is clear from the story that she read quite a bit of Poe himself. I, on the other hand have read very little of the great man’s work. That is going to change now!
This was an intriguing tale.
April 6, 2020
This book found its way to my reading pile because of a book challenge I'm participating in. I have never heard of this series or the author before but I looked forward to it because the genre is right up my alley! Wouldn't say no to a good old mystery or a book talking about Edgar Allan Poe.
The beginning was okay, but felt like the story dragged on. My excitement turned into meh. The "mystery" wasn't something surprising at all.
I've seen some good comments on the other books in the series, so maybe I can give them try. This has been disappointing though.
The beginning was okay, but felt like the story dragged on. My excitement turned into meh. The "mystery" wasn't something surprising at all.
I've seen some good comments on the other books in the series, so maybe I can give them try. This has been disappointing though.
January 22, 2022
Set in Baltimore, Poe fans may enjoy the references throughout.
“Why did the people willing to speak to television reporters always seem so orthodontically lacking?” (226) 🤪🤪
“We might not kill for things, but we make other concessions to materialism. We rack up debt, we marry rich, we stay in jobs we hate” (374).
“Why did the people willing to speak to television reporters always seem so orthodontically lacking?” (226) 🤪🤪
“We might not kill for things, but we make other concessions to materialism. We rack up debt, we marry rich, we stay in jobs we hate” (374).
June 11, 2018
Well, it was bound to happen. This one was kinda meh to me. Very well-written, but just sorta blah. Maybe because it was too, too Bawlmore, hon? Or maybe I need to go read some long-form non-fiction for a bit, quit eating the proverbial macaroni and cheese and chocolate ice cream every day.....
September 13, 2022
This mystery, number 6 in the Tess Monaghan series, was a bit of a palate cleanser for me after reading a large, occasionally dense, history book.
The mystery here is based around Edgar Allen Poe paraphernalia, and got a little convoluted at times, but it was mildly entertaining.
The mystery here is based around Edgar Allen Poe paraphernalia, and got a little convoluted at times, but it was mildly entertaining.
March 29, 2020
Mysteries with a literary theme can sometimes be awkwardly done. But I must say that in this one, I never saw it coming. And the tying together of Edgar Allan Poe, several “missing” artifacts, a string of robberies and the ending were really well done.
July 16, 2022
I fell into the trap of reading the Tess Monahan series too quickly in a row and with this one done, I now need a break. By far the least enjoyable I’ve read, it was a tedious read
February 10, 2017
From the publisher: For the past fifty years on the birth date of Edgar Allan Poe, a person wearing a cloak has placed three roses and a half bottle of cognac on the writer’s gravesite. PI Tess Monaghan has never witnessed the event. But when John P. Kennedy, an eccentric antiques dealer, asks her to uncover the identity of the caped visitor, who he believes has duped him with the sale of an inauthentic antique, Tess decides to hold vigil on the night the cloaked stranger is expected to make an appearance. But the custom takes on a bizarre, fatal twist when two cloaked figures arrive. The imitator leaves his tribute and then makes his escape…after shooting the first visitor. Warning bells tell Tess to steer clear of this case. But when roses and cognac appear on her doorstep, Tess’s curiosity is piqued. She soon discovers that John P. Kennedy has vanished into thin air and much of what he told her was questionable. Then the identity of the shooting victim comes to light, and all clues seem to point to the possibility he was the target of a hate crime. But Tess isn’t convinced. What was his connection to the decades-long Edgar Allan Poe tradition and to the killer? When more cryptic clues are left at her home, Tess realizes that someone is watching her every move...someone who’s bent on killing again.
Originally published in hardcover in 2001, I just caught up with this one, the 6th of what is now 12 in the Tess Monaghan series. Tess is a former reporter and now private investigator in her early thirties. The Strange City of the title is Baltimore, and the reader learns many fascinating things, if some a bit strange, about the city, its environs, and its denizens. I was sufficiently intrigued about the history of “The Poe Toaster” that I checked it out on Wikipedia, and it a fascinating tale of over seven decades, apparently ending in 2009. (It is stated that it is “a beautiful tradition the entire city loves.”) The author certainly piques the reader’s interest in its history, and the murder mystery here spikes that interest all the more.
I didn’t know much of Poe (said to have “invented the detective story”) other than the books by him I’d read, like almost every mystery book lover. I apparently had that in common with Tess, here “learning a little more of his work, about which she was woefully ignorant, and his life, about which she knew even less,” but the minutiae served up here is fascinating, starting with a quote even before the first page: “Lo! Death has reared himself a throne in a strange city, lying alone…” Tess, with help from her boyfriend, Crow, and their greyhound, Esskay, is assisted in their investigation by Daniel Clary, a young librarian who is a self-confessed “Poe buff” and a fascinating character, as are all of Ms. Lippman’s creations, notably Fuzzy Iglehart and Gretchen O’Brien, fellow p.i., with homophobia raising its ugly head along the way. I loved the writing, e.g., when she is holding a suspect at gunpoint, she muses that she wished “her experience at bluffing was based on more than card games with her family.” I must admit that by the run-up to the end of the tale, very suspenseful as it is, I found myself somewhat confused in trying to keep the various suspects straight in my head, with numerous characters having been introduced along the way. Despite that reservation, the novel is recommended.
Originally published in hardcover in 2001, I just caught up with this one, the 6th of what is now 12 in the Tess Monaghan series. Tess is a former reporter and now private investigator in her early thirties. The Strange City of the title is Baltimore, and the reader learns many fascinating things, if some a bit strange, about the city, its environs, and its denizens. I was sufficiently intrigued about the history of “The Poe Toaster” that I checked it out on Wikipedia, and it a fascinating tale of over seven decades, apparently ending in 2009. (It is stated that it is “a beautiful tradition the entire city loves.”) The author certainly piques the reader’s interest in its history, and the murder mystery here spikes that interest all the more.
I didn’t know much of Poe (said to have “invented the detective story”) other than the books by him I’d read, like almost every mystery book lover. I apparently had that in common with Tess, here “learning a little more of his work, about which she was woefully ignorant, and his life, about which she knew even less,” but the minutiae served up here is fascinating, starting with a quote even before the first page: “Lo! Death has reared himself a throne in a strange city, lying alone…” Tess, with help from her boyfriend, Crow, and their greyhound, Esskay, is assisted in their investigation by Daniel Clary, a young librarian who is a self-confessed “Poe buff” and a fascinating character, as are all of Ms. Lippman’s creations, notably Fuzzy Iglehart and Gretchen O’Brien, fellow p.i., with homophobia raising its ugly head along the way. I loved the writing, e.g., when she is holding a suspect at gunpoint, she muses that she wished “her experience at bluffing was based on more than card games with her family.” I must admit that by the run-up to the end of the tale, very suspenseful as it is, I found myself somewhat confused in trying to keep the various suspects straight in my head, with numerous characters having been introduced along the way. Despite that reservation, the novel is recommended.
September 14, 2016
"What's the difference between a ritual and a routine? It's a question he asks himself almost every day. Are rituals better than routines, more elevated? Or do ritual invariable slide into routine, until we forget why we started and why we continue? Another good question, but he's afraid pondering the answer will only tempt him to sleep, and he is determined to see the sun rise today. Once upon a midnight dreary...ah, but such allusions are unworthy, the sort of obvious unthinking wordplay one expects from the newspaper hacks who write about him. Even in print, they cannot capture him.
He would not say it out loud - for one thing, he has no one to whom to say it - but he has begun to feel a kinship with Santa Claus. Who knows, Saint Nick was probably real once. A man decides to put on a red suit, visit a few houses in his village, and leave gifts behind. The first year, it was a lark. The next year, it was an obligation. And then the next and the next, until he could never stop.
But in that case, the tradition outgrew the man, so others had to step forward and preserve it. He cannot count on this happening here. He had been chosen, and soon he must choose." (pg 2).
So begins the latest novel from Laura Lippman, In A Strange City, the sixth book in the Tess Monaghan series. The premise behind this novel is that for the past fifty years on the birth date of Edgar Allen Poe, a person wearing a cloak has places three roses and a bottle of cognac on the writer's grave. His identity has remained a mystery. This time two men show up a the grave site and one of them is shot. Now the mystery grows as Private Investigator Tess Monaghan witnesses the apparent murder but just who shot whom and what is the connection? When roses and cognac appear on her doorstep, it seems as if the investigation takes on a whole new dimension as it begins to get personal.
I received In A Strange City by Laura Lippman compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation aside from a free copy of this novel in exchange for my fair and unbiased opinion. Having read other novels from Laura Lippman, I found myself wanting this to be as good as her other books, but was disappointed by this being a reprint from 2001 when the novel was first published. I LOVE anything to do with Poe and love the occasional references to the literary writings of Poe along with the background of the toaster and more about who Poe was outside of his novels. All in all, I wasn't really a fan of this one considering I love a great mystery novel. For me this one came in at a 3 out of 5 stars in my opinion. Just didn't provide the twists and turns I was hoping for as they clues were almost spoon-fed to Tess Monaghan to figure out the who done it.
He would not say it out loud - for one thing, he has no one to whom to say it - but he has begun to feel a kinship with Santa Claus. Who knows, Saint Nick was probably real once. A man decides to put on a red suit, visit a few houses in his village, and leave gifts behind. The first year, it was a lark. The next year, it was an obligation. And then the next and the next, until he could never stop.
But in that case, the tradition outgrew the man, so others had to step forward and preserve it. He cannot count on this happening here. He had been chosen, and soon he must choose." (pg 2).
So begins the latest novel from Laura Lippman, In A Strange City, the sixth book in the Tess Monaghan series. The premise behind this novel is that for the past fifty years on the birth date of Edgar Allen Poe, a person wearing a cloak has places three roses and a bottle of cognac on the writer's grave. His identity has remained a mystery. This time two men show up a the grave site and one of them is shot. Now the mystery grows as Private Investigator Tess Monaghan witnesses the apparent murder but just who shot whom and what is the connection? When roses and cognac appear on her doorstep, it seems as if the investigation takes on a whole new dimension as it begins to get personal.
I received In A Strange City by Laura Lippman compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation aside from a free copy of this novel in exchange for my fair and unbiased opinion. Having read other novels from Laura Lippman, I found myself wanting this to be as good as her other books, but was disappointed by this being a reprint from 2001 when the novel was first published. I LOVE anything to do with Poe and love the occasional references to the literary writings of Poe along with the background of the toaster and more about who Poe was outside of his novels. All in all, I wasn't really a fan of this one considering I love a great mystery novel. For me this one came in at a 3 out of 5 stars in my opinion. Just didn't provide the twists and turns I was hoping for as they clues were almost spoon-fed to Tess Monaghan to figure out the who done it.
March 1, 2018
I've read Laura Lippman before, but not one of her Tess Monaghan novels. This has a different tone than the stand alone novels. The stand alones are darker, more grim, and definitely more disquieting. I didn't expect to find humour and the lighter atmosphere that is definitely in this book. This is the sixth Tess Monaghan and although this is a series, it didn't matter that I had not read the previous books, although I'm sure that it would have given me more background. Tess is a likable character, she likes music, loves good food, and adores her hometown of Baltimore. She works out, she isn't an alcoholic, isn't suicidal, and doesn't seem to suffer from any form of mental illness. Tess is the healthiest physically, mentally and emotionally detective police or private in fiction, I've ever read. It's a refreshing change, from the usual sad and twisted characters that seem to populate the books I usually read.
I picked this one up, because of the allusion to Edgar Allan Poe, the author that addicted me early in childhood to reading. This was more about the Poe Toaster, than Poe himself. The Poe Toaster was a person (man or woman we'll never know) who used to visit Poe's grave and leave three roses and a half bottle cognac on January 21st. Tess turns down an assignment that would involve unmasking the mysterious Toaster. The ritual was something loved by the people of Baltimore and beyond and she could not in good conscience participate in something that would take away the Toasters anonymity. Although she turns down the case, she still makes the pilgrimage to the grave site for the first time and witnesses two Toasters one who manages to get murdered right in front of all the Poe alcolytes. At this point, she takes it upon herself to try to find out what is going on, even though she is doing it completely unpaid. Along the way, the reader gets a good snapshot of Baltimore and it's denizens. This was my first Monaghan book, but there will definitely be more.
I picked this one up, because of the allusion to Edgar Allan Poe, the author that addicted me early in childhood to reading. This was more about the Poe Toaster, than Poe himself. The Poe Toaster was a person (man or woman we'll never know) who used to visit Poe's grave and leave three roses and a half bottle cognac on January 21st. Tess turns down an assignment that would involve unmasking the mysterious Toaster. The ritual was something loved by the people of Baltimore and beyond and she could not in good conscience participate in something that would take away the Toasters anonymity. Although she turns down the case, she still makes the pilgrimage to the grave site for the first time and witnesses two Toasters one who manages to get murdered right in front of all the Poe alcolytes. At this point, she takes it upon herself to try to find out what is going on, even though she is doing it completely unpaid. Along the way, the reader gets a good snapshot of Baltimore and it's denizens. This was my first Monaghan book, but there will definitely be more.
February 2, 2016
re-read began february 2, 2011.
i don't know why i didn't like this one so much the first time around. this time i kind of appreciated the lack of kitty, tyner, whitney, and even crow. the Porcine one, all the poe clues - this is a great mystery, even if it did leave me feeling a little sad (poor, lonely Visitor!)
I liked the glimpses into baltimore history, was annoyed with tess' braid, and mostly was sad that she wasn't rowing as much anymore. for some reason, the fact that she rows makes me really happy. i liked the progress on the house, the fact that they don't officially live together, but basically do, and mostly i love love the addition of miata and the fact that esskay's breath still smells of stinky fish.
I MISSED YOU, TESS. AND CROW!!
[first read: june 4, 2008.
not my favorite of the tess series, i think because . . . i don't really know. this is more about the history of baltimore, which i thought i would be more into, but i think it's because the secondary characters weren't as strong as they usually are. i wanted more crow and whitney and tyner and kitty and uncle donald and SPIKE, who is apparently in boca, which makes me sad.
though this book brought back cecilia, had a little hate-crimes spin, and a DOBERMAN. i want a miata for myself. i hope she stays and keeps esskay company.]
i don't know why i didn't like this one so much the first time around. this time i kind of appreciated the lack of kitty, tyner, whitney, and even crow. the Porcine one, all the poe clues - this is a great mystery, even if it did leave me feeling a little sad (poor, lonely Visitor!)
I liked the glimpses into baltimore history, was annoyed with tess' braid, and mostly was sad that she wasn't rowing as much anymore. for some reason, the fact that she rows makes me really happy. i liked the progress on the house, the fact that they don't officially live together, but basically do, and mostly i love love the addition of miata and the fact that esskay's breath still smells of stinky fish.
I MISSED YOU, TESS. AND CROW!!
[first read: june 4, 2008.
not my favorite of the tess series, i think because . . . i don't really know. this is more about the history of baltimore, which i thought i would be more into, but i think it's because the secondary characters weren't as strong as they usually are. i wanted more crow and whitney and tyner and kitty and uncle donald and SPIKE, who is apparently in boca, which makes me sad.
though this book brought back cecilia, had a little hate-crimes spin, and a DOBERMAN. i want a miata for myself. i hope she stays and keeps esskay company.]
December 31, 2010
The good thing about this book is that it has an interesting setting and background -- Edgar Allan Poe's Baltimore in the present day. I learned a lot about Poe and Baltimore in this book. However, the unsolved mystery is why Tess Monaghan, our PI sleuth, would have gotten involved in this mystery in the first place. Throughout the book, this nagged at me, and as I finished the book it still didn't make sense. I also really hated the way that the explanation for the thefts and murders involved was given by one character to another through several didactic lectures. Tess seemed more of an excuse for the characters to explain themselves than an actual PI. I didn't like this one -- by the end I didn't really care what happened or why. Since this is the only Lippman I've read, I'll probably try one more to see if this is representative or a fluke.
July 9, 2015
I don't know why I keep reading these. The main character is such a sanctimonious monster. At one point, her boyfriend calls her out on it because she is complaining that a third character behaves more or less exactly like she does. It was satisfying and maybe even self-aware of the author, but it doesn't change the fact that Tess is a macho-woman paragon who loves carbohydrates, her "signature" braid, and knowing what men want in a woman (i.e. not some put-together, too-skinny, she-devil).
The way that Tess is written as a character, I'm genuinely surprised that she wasn't written by a man.
The way that Tess is written as a character, I'm genuinely surprised that she wasn't written by a man.
September 29, 2017
This is the only Laura Lippman book I've read to date. She's definitely a talented writer who knows to add all of the right pop culture references in order to make her characters organic. In fact, what I liked most about this story were the youthful characters, (one in particular; a beer-swilling, pizza-scarfing librarian.) I also feel it was very tasteful to have a story centered around Edgar Allan Poe and the annual Poe "toaster." The writer obviously places a lot of emphasis and pride on her city/muse (Baltimore.)
January 8, 2009
The Baltimore reference are fun. It is chock full of them. It seems like every chapter they are patronizing another bar, restaurant or store. I like the strong sense of place. It made me more intrigued by Baltimore.
I didn't find the mystery compelling. I felt like the mystery unfolded without violating any of it's own rules (i.e. lying to the reader in order to later "surprise" the reader), but I didn't feel tension as it did so.
I didn't find the mystery compelling. I felt like the mystery unfolded without violating any of it's own rules (i.e. lying to the reader in order to later "surprise" the reader), but I didn't feel tension as it did so.
July 10, 2016
Timing is everything in reading & timing worked against Laura Lippman's In a Strange City. I had recently read another book about Baltimore & the Poe Visitor legend, so I kept entwining the 2 books in my mind. This made it very hard to keep the characters straight & greatly diminished my enjoyment of the book. I am giving Lippman's Tess Monaghan series a brief rest & may read this book again someday to give it the attention Lippman's writing deserves.
December 21, 2024
Heerlijke detective. Loopt lekker, is spannend. Karakters spreken aan. Mysterieus element door Allan Poe te gebruiken. Zeker het lezen waard. Mijn tweede deel uit de Tess Monaghan serie en zal niet de laatste zijn!
May 3, 2021
It is clear that Laura Lippman knows Baltimore on an intimate basis. This trip through its neighborhoods and museums and eateries tracking a tale worthy of Poe himself was complex and believable with just the right amount of history expertly blended with modern vice.
It is January 19th, the anniversary of Poe’s birth, and a long-time tradition is being played out yet again. The Visitor arrives at the grave of Edgar Allen Poe, leaves three red roses and a half bottle of cognac, and disappears back into the night. This year there are two Visitors, and one is shot and killed while private investigator Tess Monaghan watches.
Bobby Hilliard led a seemingly quiet life, and speculation as to why he was visiting Poe’s grave and who wanted him dead runs wild. Tess wonders what the relationship between Hilliard and the man who met with her in the days before the murder wanting to unmask the Visitor might be. The man claimed to have had an item of jewelry stolen, but as Tess investigates, one lie shines light on the next and the next and the next. Soon Tess is trying to determine just who stole from whom in a long trail of thefts.
This tale is complex, yet author Laura Lippman takes us from step to step with such ease as to be almost effortless. But it was not convoluted, and I was able to follow each clue along the way without so much ease as to guess it ahead of time. I was surprised when the gay community tried to tie Hilliard’s death to a hate crime. I was bemused when a talk show host twisted all the clues to his own ratings game. Tess and her acrimony with the police detective were well portrayed. I found the visit to the Poe Room enlightening. A local Mu-sheum devoted to female Baltimoreans was a brand new idea to me. Delving into the mystery of why people collect what they do and what motivates them to do so intriguing. I even chuckled to myself when my own passion of biblioholism entered the plot.
There have been five previous books in the Tess Monaghan series; however, I do not believe it is necessary to have read them before enjoying this installment. The history of certain characters and, of course, Tess herself, is better understood having read those previous chapters but are not crucial to enjoying this story.
Laura Lippman writes with an easy-to-read style similar to following one’s thoughts. For instance, as the writer describes a visit to a restaurant, she might be slightly distracted and reminisce on a previous meal. This style easily filled in details and motivations that might have been lost with a straight, plodding storyline. This unique form of storytelling did not distract or slow the steady, even pace either. This visit to Poe’s Baltimore was nothing like a boring history class.
In the end, all was hidden in plain sight. If only I could have seen it ahead of time, but then this marvelous tale wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun.
It is January 19th, the anniversary of Poe’s birth, and a long-time tradition is being played out yet again. The Visitor arrives at the grave of Edgar Allen Poe, leaves three red roses and a half bottle of cognac, and disappears back into the night. This year there are two Visitors, and one is shot and killed while private investigator Tess Monaghan watches.
Bobby Hilliard led a seemingly quiet life, and speculation as to why he was visiting Poe’s grave and who wanted him dead runs wild. Tess wonders what the relationship between Hilliard and the man who met with her in the days before the murder wanting to unmask the Visitor might be. The man claimed to have had an item of jewelry stolen, but as Tess investigates, one lie shines light on the next and the next and the next. Soon Tess is trying to determine just who stole from whom in a long trail of thefts.
This tale is complex, yet author Laura Lippman takes us from step to step with such ease as to be almost effortless. But it was not convoluted, and I was able to follow each clue along the way without so much ease as to guess it ahead of time. I was surprised when the gay community tried to tie Hilliard’s death to a hate crime. I was bemused when a talk show host twisted all the clues to his own ratings game. Tess and her acrimony with the police detective were well portrayed. I found the visit to the Poe Room enlightening. A local Mu-sheum devoted to female Baltimoreans was a brand new idea to me. Delving into the mystery of why people collect what they do and what motivates them to do so intriguing. I even chuckled to myself when my own passion of biblioholism entered the plot.
There have been five previous books in the Tess Monaghan series; however, I do not believe it is necessary to have read them before enjoying this installment. The history of certain characters and, of course, Tess herself, is better understood having read those previous chapters but are not crucial to enjoying this story.
Laura Lippman writes with an easy-to-read style similar to following one’s thoughts. For instance, as the writer describes a visit to a restaurant, she might be slightly distracted and reminisce on a previous meal. This style easily filled in details and motivations that might have been lost with a straight, plodding storyline. This unique form of storytelling did not distract or slow the steady, even pace either. This visit to Poe’s Baltimore was nothing like a boring history class.
In the end, all was hidden in plain sight. If only I could have seen it ahead of time, but then this marvelous tale wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun.
November 22, 2022
This mystery feels like an homage to Edgar Allen Poe, whose grave in Baltimore is visited annually on January 19 by fans and also by an unknown Visitor, who appears at midnight to leave roses and cognac. Tess has never taken part in the touristy ritual of going to the gravesite to catch a glimpse of the Visitor, but shortly before that night, a man tries to hire her to expose the Visitor's identity. The potential client, a porcine little man who buys and sells antiques, claims the Visitor has misled him about the value of a Poe artifact, and he wants leverage to blackmail the man. Though Tess turns down the assignment, she agrees to visit the gravesite with Crow at midnight; there, the crowd witnesses the murder of another man, who arrives at the same time as the Visitor.
The case is bewildering to the police, the young man's family, and Tess. Who is the Porcine One (as Tess thinks of him), who gave her a phony name and a sketchy explanation? Was the murder of the young man a hate crime? Is it linked to two burglaries that occurred right before one gay man was beaten severely and another murdered? Or does it have to do with acquiring items that may or may not be connected to Poe?
Tess starts to receive crushed rose petals, cognac, and cryptic letters that combine verses of Poe's work with directives, and the first one leads her to the Enoch Pratt Library. There, she meets a young librarian who is an expert on the author. Tess works with him as well as another female detective, her boyfriend, and her privileged friend Whitney, but none of the clues seem to lead anywhere. Meanwhile, another murder takes place, and the assailant matches the description of the murderer at the gravesite.
This was a fun read; I loved seeing the interaction between the bibliophiles, antique dealers, and museum curators, and I learned more about Poe in the process. I would not have figured things out the way Tess did, but I guess that's why I'm not a detective, right?
The case is bewildering to the police, the young man's family, and Tess. Who is the Porcine One (as Tess thinks of him), who gave her a phony name and a sketchy explanation? Was the murder of the young man a hate crime? Is it linked to two burglaries that occurred right before one gay man was beaten severely and another murdered? Or does it have to do with acquiring items that may or may not be connected to Poe?
Tess starts to receive crushed rose petals, cognac, and cryptic letters that combine verses of Poe's work with directives, and the first one leads her to the Enoch Pratt Library. There, she meets a young librarian who is an expert on the author. Tess works with him as well as another female detective, her boyfriend, and her privileged friend Whitney, but none of the clues seem to lead anywhere. Meanwhile, another murder takes place, and the assailant matches the description of the murderer at the gravesite.
This was a fun read; I loved seeing the interaction between the bibliophiles, antique dealers, and museum curators, and I learned more about Poe in the process. I would not have figured things out the way Tess did, but I guess that's why I'm not a detective, right?
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