By a Spider's Thread

Tess Monaghan #8

by Laura Lippman

...De kofferbak was groter dan Isaäk had verwacht, en hij was ook niet zo bang als hij had gedacht. Het was erg jammer dat het zo’n oude auto was. Een nieuwere, zoals die van zijn vader, zou misschien een lampje hebben, of zelfs een manier om de klep van binnenuit open te maken...

Uit ervaring weet privé-detective Tess Monaghan dat haar klanten niet zelden oneerlijk of onbetrouwbaar zijn. Wanneer modelvader Mark Rubin haar hulp inschakelt bij de plotselinge verdwijning van zijn vrouw Natalie en hun drie jonge kinderen komt Tess dan ook voor een dilemma te staan.

Moet ze Rubin op zijn woord geloven wanneer hij haar vertelt dat hun leven op alle vlakken perfect en smetteloos was? Waarom verliet Natalie dan van het ene op het andere moment haar prachtige huis en vertrouwde omgeving?

Tess komt erachter dat Natalie kriskras het land doorreist met een onbekende en gewelddadige man. Een nieuw mysterie vraagt om haar eigenzinnige aanpak...

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Suspense, Audiobook, Thriller, Crime, Detective

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Since 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.

Reviews

[Obsidian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly don't have much to say here except that I really enjoyed this updated look at Tess's life. She is still suffering some aftershocks after the events in the last book. Having to kill someone or she would be killed left a hole in her. She and her boyfriend are living apart since she feels like he is trying to "fix" her and keep her safe. She is back to rowing and doing investigations again. Her uncle brings her a new client who is trying to track down his wife and three children. He doesn't understand why she left and the police won't help him. When Tess starts digging deeper she figures out there are half-truths going on and a whole lot of lying. When she finally starts pulling things apart she figures out a long-standing conspiracy.

Tess was great to me in this one. She still has her two dogs and her family and her favorite aunt. Though she is a bit lonely without Crow around, she's making due. Lippman references a few times how the last case shook Tess's confidence. She doesn't know if she can be strong again, but we get to see her do just that a bunch of times throughout the story. I also think that Tess's cynicism was softened a bit in this one, but she's still no one's fool. Via Tess, Lippman always does a great job breaking down the history of the places that Tess is traveling to.

We get introduced to a couple of new secondary characters in this one. We have Mark Rubin that has hired Tess to find his wife and children. I honestly didn't know what to make of him earlier on, but really liked that Lippman had things leaning one way until we get some shocking reveals here and there. Lippman also switches the POV's to Mark Rubin's wife Natalie, Rubin's son, and a mysterious man that has an unending hatred for Mark for some reason.

We also get some familiar characters in this one, Tess's best friend Whitney, her aunt, and her aunt's long-time boyfriend too.

I thought the writing was very good and that Lippman incorporated some more background on Orthodox Judaism which gave the book a different feel than prior ones. Rubin's religion definitely plays into what is going on or what he chose to not see.

The flow was a bit off after a while though. I think once we realize as readers what is going on you may start to feel a bit impatient for things to get moving.

The setting of Baltimore per usual seems to always have a presence in these books. We do have Tess traveling back and forth in this one, but for once the book stays centered in Maryland though Rubin's wife travels back and forth across multiple states.

The ending was really good and I didn't see the twist coming. I loved the epilogue and that we do see a hint of Tess's older cynicism rearing it's head.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was reading this at the same time as I was re-reading the first book in the Tess Monaghan series (Baltimore Blues), and I was struck by how convincingly Tess has grown up and matured in this series. (I have not read all of the books - I've just been in a mystery mood this week.)

In this installment, Tess is hired by an acquaintance of her uncle to track down his missing wife and children. They haven't argued, separated or divorced. The kids and wife were just gone one day, without further contact. The client is an Orthodox Jew who kept his wife on a short leash. About 1/3 of the book is chapters told from the POV of the wife, eldest son, and wife's boyfriend on the run. I really enjoyed the opportunity to get into their heads, and I found the mystery (why did she leave? what was the backstory?) very intriguing, although ultimately it did require a bit of suspension of disbelief for me.

One of the things I dislike about the mystery genre is the formulaic PI who is cynical, or who can't love a woman/man, or who hides their own dark secret. Tess has her issues, but she's very ordinary about it. I appreciate that. Melodrama makes me tired, and characters who just become more unlikeable over time make me tired. (I'm talking to you, VI Warshawski.)

One frequent mystery trope I do like about these books is that the city they are set in (Baltimore) is almost another character.

[Jo Anne B · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not my favorite Laura Lippman book. It had a good plot that kept it supspenseful to the very end but I didn't like any of the characters including Tess.

While reading this book, it seemed like I was enrolled in a class about Orthodox Judaism. Most of the characters were Jewish so there didn't need to be so much discussions between one another about their Judaism.

Natalie was the beautiful wife who disappeared with her children leaving her husband Mark wondering where they all were. She was so beautiful she was compared to classic women such as Natalie Wood and Elizabeth Taylor. There was nothing mentioned of her personality abd who she was or what she was like. Make me care about this "missing" person. We find out later some facts about her past way later in the book and that just makes you care even less about her.

Mark owned a family fur store and was a bulliying businessman that made him wealthy. Not too likeable from the get go bu then we learn more about him way later in the book and he too has secrets from his past and when revealed make him even less likeable.

The charcters in this book had many flaws and were. It nice people. That isn't bad in and of itself because that is how real life is but it makes it hard to bond with any of the characters. I didn't even care about the little personal things going on in Tess' life. They seemed irrelevant and boring. She had this group of women that helped her out on her cases that did not seem the least bit believeable.

Ok, there was one ok character and that was Issac, Natalie's son. He seemed to be the only one with a conscience. But even his knowledge seemed unrealistic and he had a chauvinistic opinion toward women so his likeability was limited.

In the end when we finally learn all the truths and the disappearance of Natalie and the children is resolved, I didn't care and just wanted it to end.

I will read other books by Laura Lippman. This one just didn't work for me.

[Patricia Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another really good book by this author I always enjoy. I have read a lot of her books. This one is older but somehow I missed it. It's a series she writes about the private detective, Tess, and a case she gets involved in. Trying to help a rich Jewish man find his wife and children who suddenly disappeared. Lots of twists and turns but a good ending and excellent story. Will definitely keep reading her.

[Margaret Yelton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first book by Laura Lippman, and I received it in a giveaway from Scene of the Crime and the Publisher. I found the book to be very well written, and I enjoyed it. I would certainly read more books from this author.

[Yaritza · Rating 3 out of 5]

A thriller with a wild goose chase. This story was filled with lies, revenge, love and reality. Mark thought he had the perfect wife but she was far from it. Natalie tricked her way into becoming the perfect wife for a religious Jewish man but with a hidden secret. Natalie disappears with her three children leaving Mark devastated. He hires Tess who is a private investigator. Tess unravels this mystery through each web she encounters one more thread of lies and secrets she unravels. Being on the runaway with three small children is definitely that the getaway that Zeke dreamed of. Natalie was in love with Zeke but she really didn't see his true intentions, especially with the children which he was not expecting to be part of their life. My favorite character was Isaac. He is such a smart child. He loves to read, loves asking questions and didn't take crap from Zeke. This thriller will keep you on your toes while the web of deceit with tangle you in the mix.

[SOS · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an enticing read. Once I started, I didn't want to put the book down. The story starts out simply, Mark (Moshe) Rubin's wife, Natalie, has run away with his children. Rubin, an Orthodox Jew, doesn't know why, but he does know that he must find his family. He hires Tess Monaghan, PI. Tess then begins to slowly peel back the layers of deceit that eventually help find the Rubins. She's helped along by Mark's nine year old son, Isaac. I think Isaac forms the conscience of this story; he's the one character who is never in doubt as to what's right and what's wrong. He's the one who suffers the most while his mother is on the run, as he keeps getting into trouble for trying to draw attention and refusing to eat anything that's not kosher. While he isn't physically abused, he is certainly abused psychologically and made to do things that are beyond wrong.

As Tess works the case, she gets help from Rubin, and from a group of fellow female private investigators. When some of this collective of investigators follow up on some of Tess's information, Tess and Rubin begin to close in on Natalie. Will they get to her in time to make sure no one comes to harm?

This book is beautifully written. The characters are so realistic they could step off the page and start a conversation with the reader. The plot is intricate and complex. And the ending is a surprise I didn't see coming. I do question the mechanics of the warehouse scene. It's a modern building and should have modern equipment. It seems to me that the vaults should have had an emergency release on the inside. Mark would go there on his own, so it would be in his best interest to see that if he had gotten locked in while there alone, he'd have a way to get out. Of course, that might interfere with the way things worked out.

Great story, well written, thought provoking. I highly recommend this book.

I received this book for free from William Morrow as part of a group read along they're running. I appreciate their generosity, but the opinions expressed in this review reflect my honest reaction to the book.

[Reading is my Escape · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audience: Adult
Format: Kindle/Owned

They were in one of the "I" states when Zeke told Isaac he had to ride in the trunk for a little while.
- first sentence

I purchased this book in February and I don't remember why. Maybe I saw a review I liked or maybe it was on sale and sounded good to me. Anyway, the Snakes and Ladders square called for a book I acquired in February and I didn't have many options. So, even though this is not the first book in the Tess Monaghan series and I don't think I read any of the others, I decided to go with it.

Tess is an interesting, relatable character and even though I don't know her background or what she has been through, I enjoyed this book. Tess is a PI and her client is an orthodox Jewish man (Mark) whose wife (Natalie) and three children have disappeared. But, it looks like Natalie left of her own volition, and took the children. Mark says there were no problems in their marriage and there was no reason for Natalie to leave. But, after looking into things, Tess realizes that there is more to it, and Mark isn't telling her the whole truth.

I spent most of the book trying to figure out why Natalie would leave her husband and go off with Zeke. He's an asshole and he is horrible to her children, especially Isaac. Who would put up with that? But I guess she has romanticized their relationship and thinks things will eventually get better. The main question I had was will she eventually put her children first?

[Darcia Helle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book opens with a powerful scene from the perspective of Isaac, Natalie's older son, who'd been taken away from home by his mother. At that point, I was solidly hooked. But as the story moved on, the pace slowed dramatically and things fell apart for me.

I haven't read any of the other Tess Monaghan novels. This one reads fine as a stand-alone, with no issues regarding a lack of backstory. But I didn't like Tess at all. Her humor is mostly sarcasm at another's expense. She's brash and overly opinionated, particularly for a PI whose business relies on her keeping an open mind.

Much of this book reads like an educational manual on Orthodox Judaism. We have constant references to fitting into Jewish communities and the personalities of Jewish people. Too often these are snide remarks and stereotypical ridicule. I'm not Jewish, yet I found this sometimes uncomfortable, and certainly not funny. It was also tedious and unnecessary to the story, as it would have been regardless of the particular religion being discussed.

The plot was drawn out and the investigation techniques not particularly plausible.

I could have easily put this book down at any point and never picked it up again.

*I received a review copy from the publisher.*

[Daniel Sevitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I decided after the last one that I was done with the Tess Monaghan series. They have been too uneven and there is an inelegance about the writing that has worn me down. Still I had this one on my TBR and with no new books coming in, I decided to take it out for a whirl. Meh.

An orthodox Jewish man hires Tess to track down his wife who has run off with their kids, Isaac, Penina and Ephraim. Tess does a bit of detecting, but she mostly relies on an email network of "Snoop Sisters" so she never has to actually leave Baltimore. None of what Tess does contributes in any serious way to the case being resolved and she's pretty much useless. Over-plotted and under-written, I'm afraid. I won't be buying any more of these.

[Erika Yorita · Rating 5 out of 5]

I only review books that I love, and By A Spider’s Thread fits into this category! It’s an exciting, action-filled read that also delivers psychological maneuverings by each character trying to survive a deadly game. Lippmann gives all of her characters vibrant personalities and distinct, individual voices, making each chapter extra intense as the reader slowly uncovers the motivations driving the cast. The parts written in the young boy’s POV are especially poignant as he attempts to make sense of the adults’ actions, and to get back to his home and father.

[James F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mark Rubin,Orthodox Jewish business man discovers his wife and three children have left him. He goes to the police who tell him there is no crime in walking away from unhappy marriage. he hires Teas Monaghan a private investigator to find his wife and children. The book touches on Jewish culture which adds to the storyline.
I enjoyed the book it had good plot development interesting characters and I was immediately pulled into the story and was surprised at the twist at the end it was unexpected.

[Beth Lechman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book from The Publisher Harper Collins and William Morrow for my honest opinion. Although this is the first book by this author and the characters are believable I found it hard to connect. this is the 8th book in a series and I feel I would have enjoyed the book more if I had read the previous books in the series. It would have given me a bit more insight into the main character.

[Gloria Feit · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the publisher: When successful Baltimore furrier Mark Rubin’s beautiful wife, Natalie, disappears with their three children, the police turn him away, noting that all evidence indicates she left willingly. And there’s no crime in walking out on an unhappy marriage. Private detective Tess Monaghan is his only hope, but Tess isn’t quite sure what she can do for Mark. She also doesn’t know what to make of her new client’s claim that he and Natalie were the model for wedded bliss. Tess’s instincts tell her there’s something off about Mark’s picture-perfect view of his marriage - - and that he’s withholding information from her. After Tess puts the word out to her network of fellow investigators around the country, she soon locates Natalie and the children. It appears they’ve been traveling from state to state in the company of a mysterious man - - a stranger described by witnesses as “handsome” and “charming” but otherwise unremarkable. As Tess investigates further, she becomes more convinced that Natalie’s motive for running away lies in the gap between what Rubin will not say and what he refuses to believe. But when murder strikes, Tess finds herself involved in an intricate web of betrayal and vengeance - - and now there’s more than one man’s stubborn pride in peril. The lives of three innocent children hang in the balance.

Having loved this author’s In a Strange City, published in May of 2016, I have been catching up on her other books that I’d not yet had a chance to read. This is the 8th of what is now 12 in the series, and it is every bit as good as its predecessor novels. Tess, now 33, is a former reporter and now private investigator. When Mark Rubin hires Tess, the first thing about him of which she becomes aware is that he is an observant Jew, Modern Orthodox, as opposed to Hasidic. Tess herself is half-Jewish – her mother’s name being Weinstein - and half Irish, and had “opted for being a nonobservant Jewish Catholic who believes in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny but can hang with the bitter-herb crowd at a seder.” As to Mark, after his father’s death, he became somewhat less observant, when his half-brother, Zeke, came into his and his mother’s lives. Tess sees reflections of herself in Natalie: “the way she saw it, a girl just couldn’t win. You either talked too much or too little. There was denial, that old river in Egypt.”

Tess’ long-time boyfriend, Crow, is not on the scene in this entry, and their relationship appears to be in some doubt. For company she has their greyhound, Esskay, and Miata,”the world’s most docile Doberman.” I loved the “Snoop Sisters,” Tess’ “virtual clan,” who give her “that rarest combination of friendly commiseration - - pure empathy and no advice.” Interesting tale, with just the right amount of suspense, and it is recommended. Looking forward to catching up with the others!

[Elena L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

[3,5/5 stars]

This was my first read by Laura Lippman and it won't be the last! Her writing is easy-to-read, this novel is fast paced and I enjoyed the twist and turns in the plot.

[I received a complimentary copy from William Morrow in exchange for an honest review]

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was uncertain at first if I was going to like this book. Tess's new client wasn't likeable and I found myself stressing out about the children in danger bit. But as I read, the client became more likeable and I started cheering for Isaac and his efforts to get help. Lippman did a good job of gradually letting the reader in on the back story of these characters. So definitely a thumbs up.

[Muriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one.

[Brenda Boykin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great read!

[Tom S · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good series about a female P I. from Laura Lippman. I am a fan of Lippman's, this is an easy weekend read.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Tess Monaghan binge continues...
I missed Crow in this one, but great plot-it kept me guessing!

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am relatively new to the Tess Monaghan series, having "discovered" Laura Lippman after reading "I'd Know You Anywhere" - and I've devoured most of the series in the past week (thank you, local library e-book collection!)

What I like about Tess: she is fantastically, unapologetically flawed.
What I can't stand about Tess: she doesn't seem to make a great deal of progress in the 10+ years her series has been written. It's difficult to root for someone who doesn't seem to be going anywhere.

I haven't read the last three books yet, but this one is my least favorite. The only character I truly liked was Isaac. Tess was such an ambivalent character throughout the investigation - even all the lessons on Judaism seemed to bounce off her without leaving a mark. The Snoop-Sisters mailing list was another missed opportunity to delve deeper into Tess's character and show some character development and growth. I just felt like I was being "informed" instead of inside a story, on an adventure, like I had in previous Tess books. Same old thing with Crow...like, move on already.

And the characters of Natalie and Zeke were terrible. I never knew who to hate more, and since I basically hated everyone, it was a testament to the strength of the earlier novels that I even finished the book.

Just a miss all the way around.

Also: glaring error. 313 is the area code for Detroit, not southwestern Indiana.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Laura Lippman's Tess Monaghan series, and this installment doesn't disappoint. The writing is amazing, the plot line believable, and the characters relatable, but not infallible. In short, classic Lippman. I particularly enjoyed the focus on Baltimore's Jewish community in this book. When a book is written well, I find it hard to select a single reason why it is good, it simply is. Therefore, don't let the following minor criticisms prevent you from reading it. Crow is not featured in this book, which is a stalling tactic on Lippman AND Tess's part. You don't have to address a relationship, if half of said relationship is MIA. Also, The Last Place ended with Tess in serious psychological distress, which she then almost miraculously overcomes within the first chapters of this book. I wouldn't have minded a bit more soul searching on Tess's part. So while the psychological drama of The Last Place made that book great, its absence is a fault of this book. In my opinion, By a Spider's Thread was good, but The Last Place remains the pinnacle of this series so far.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt relieved that I loved this book. By a Spider's Thread grabbed me and held me captivated, whereas the last two in the series (In a Strange City and The Last Place) were just "meh." The plot was interesting and believable to me. Why would the seemingly content wife of a wealthy Jewish Orthodox man just up and leave him without warning? And why take their three kids, too?

I loved the way the book cut back and forth between the two story lines (of the runaway family and Tess and her client trying to find them). I especially loved the Isaac character. What a little boy! He was so smart, curious, inventive, and utterly convincing in how much he missed his father. He broke my heart.

I tore through this book in about four days, which is something I rarely do. I loved By a Spider's Thread, though it was not quite as fast-paced, sharp, or intricately plotted as the first Tess Monaghan book (Baltimore Blues), which will always be my favorite.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

PI Tess Monaghan has recently recovered from a traumatizing brush with death, and her bank account needs some replenishing. She accepts a request from Baltimore furrier to locate his wife, who has vanished, taking their children with her. He's broken hearted, and is willing to think only the best of his young wife, even though he knows all about her family's lurid history. Within a few days, Tess uncovers facts that explain the truth of Natalie's disappearance.

By a Spider's Thread is a fairly routine crime novel. Tess is a feisty character, and her client's obvious devotion to his religion and his family impels her to wrestle with her own fear of intimacy and her ignorance of the Jewish half of her own heritage. It's an interesting story, but to read author Lippman at her best, check out her stand alone novel, Every Secret Thing.

[Noreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Laura Lippman is a mystery writer with good plotting skills and some unexpected twists and turns that make good reading. However, the one thing that turns me off w/Lippman is the political editorializing she interjects. If the author wants to proselytize for political stands, she should present her opinions honestly in an appropriate literary form such as on an editorial page, an essay, a blog or if she has a lot to say, which I suspect Lippman does, a non-fiction booklength title. Political issues become dated and stale long before a good mystery is taken off the shelves or people stop reading it, and not only makes the book seem out-of-step but also irritates people like me who don't like the arrogance of the practice of not acknowledging that the reader has enough of a mind to have already ascertained the political leanings of the author through her characterizations.

[Debbie Maskus · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another in the Tess Monaghan series set in Baltimore. In this installation, Crow is at his parent's house as his mother ungoes cancer treatment. Tess had rejected Crow's suggestion of marriage, but Tess's Aunt Kitty marries. Tess's customer is a devout Jewish businessman whose wife and 3 children have disappeared. The wife has run away with her husband's step brother, and the step brother plans to kill the husband. I liked the way that Lippman interweaves Jewish customes into the story. And I especially like the 8-year-old son, Isaac. In this book, Tess questions her own JEwish heritage and her true feelings towards Crow. Also, we meet a women detective network, that really sounds interesting.
#8 Tess Monaghan

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm still reading this book, but went ahead and rated because I'm nearly finished and I am enjoying it thoroughly. This is the first Tess Monaghan book I've read of Lippman's, just having discovered her recently. I like her writing style overall and the unique story lines she develops. I also feel like I'm learning something in reading this book, which is always a plus for me.

The book centers around an Orthodox Jewish man who wakes up to find his wife has left with his three children. His pursuit of his wife and children and the mystery behind why she left is the basis for the story, but I am learning a great deal about the Jewish belief and lifestyle. I'm enjoying the book and have found it a quick read because I'm drawn from chapter to chapter.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful and previously dutiful wife and mother takes off with her three children, leaving her distraught husband behind. Since by all appearances, she left voluntarily, the police aren't interested. The controlling and self-righteous husband hires Baltimore private detective Tess Monaghan to find his family. This is a rather dark story, but I enjoyed the way Laura Lippman told it, peeling back layer after layer of the husband's lies and omissions along side the family's road trip. She creates a memorable character in Isaac, a serious little boy who plots to get back to his father and his books. I loved one scene in which he steals a book because a sign in the shop pledged all shoplifters would be prosecuted.

[Magill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book moved along well and the alternating (more-or-less) POVs worked fairly well, although a few other minor povs cropped up here and there. The story kept my attention and the cast of recurring characters was pared down, which worked well with the story and allowed it to focus on the relevant characters. Which also makes it stand well on its own and also on its own merits. Not a bad read, probably a 3.5 for me.

[Fionna · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first of this series that I didn't like. If Mark Rubin had told Tess, up front, what he and Natalie had in common, then the book would have been over before it began. His motivations not to do that just didn't ring true.