The Girl in the Green Raincoat

My husband and I really enjoy listening to audiobooks when we are in the car--especially when going on a long road trip. Recently, I got my mitts on The Girl in the Green Raincoat: A Tess Monaghan Novel.

We thoroughly enjoyed listening to this short novel by Laura Lippman. It was perfect for a road trip: not too distractingly complicated yet has an intriguing plot! This novel was originally written in installments (like Dickens) in the NY Times. Now it is published in book form (and audio) for those of us non-subscribers.

Ms. Lippman is probably one of my very favorite authors and there are many reasons why. First of all, she has a great character in her female detective, Tess Monaghan. Tess definitely rivals Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone whom I absolutely adore. Both fictional women detectives are very likeable and believable, too. Thank goodness there are lots of books in the series that Lippman and Grafton write. FYI: I would recommend that one reads the Tess series in the order written. That is not so necessary with the Alphabet books by Grafton. Both authors' books have gotten better with each addition to the two series.

Lippman also writes novels that are not "Tess" books, too. Most of the books are set in or near Baltimore, Maryland. I have visited there and lived in that part of the USA, so I can identify with locations. I also enjoy reading another Baltimore fiction author, Anne Tyler. Lippman is not Ms. Tyler, but her talent grows with each and every novel she writes. I recently wrote an article on Squidoo about I'd Know You Anywhere that was published this past winter. It is an absorbing story about how a victim of a notorious childhood kidnapping faces the impending death of her abductor. This convicted murderer contacts his only surviving victim and "plays" with her emotions. A great read by any standards. The good news is, there are many more Laura Lippman novels you can read that are equally intriguing!

If you would like to read my review then click Novel Songs from "I'd Know You Anywhere".

Good reading to ya!