In a Strange City is the sixth Tess Monaghan mystery from Laura Lippman. In this installment, Lippman makes use of a long-standing Baltimore tradition, the Poe Toaster or Visitor. If by some chance you aren't familiar with the Poe Toaster, he's the individual who shows up at Poe's grave on January 19th each year to leave roses and cognac. Only this year, there's a murder at Poe's grave when the Toaster is supposed to arrive.Tess is not actually employed by anyone, but she begins to investigate who exactly the murder victim is and why he was murdered at Poe's grave site.As with the previous Tess Monaghan books, I listened to this one on audio. However, the difference was a new reader, Laurence Bouvard. It's hard to hear a new voice when you've become accustomed to another voice as that character, but it was especially hard with this recording because Laurence Bouvard sounded like she was about 12. And her voice for Crow sounded pre-pubescent. All I could think of were those old prints that use to be available with various sports stars as little kids. Remember those? This reading simply did not work for me.That being said, the plot of this caper was fantastic. I'm especially drawn to plots that weave in the classics. The Poe connection in Entombed was actually what got me started reading Linda Fairstein. Poe is a fascinating person from history, and Lippman did an excellent job of taking advantage of that Baltimore connection in this novel. And there is also the connection to Crow, who's real name is Edgar, and who's nickname evolved from Poe's The Raven poem.And of course, I loved Lippman's treatment of the magic of this Baltimore ritual. The magic that almost mirrors that of Santa Claus. Everyone has the right to enjoy this ritual. And that belief sharply contrasts the covetous antagonists in the novel.You have to pay attention in this novel because there is an intricate weaving of villains, but the investment is well worth it when the woven web catches it prey. The plot is fun, the characters are true to form - with a few new additions, and there's always a smattering of chuckles throughout.
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.
What do You think about In A Strange City (2002)?
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.]
—stephanie
This book was great, and is possibly my favorite so far in the Tess Monaghan series. It's filled with Baltimore local color and facts that even I (a native) did not know about. Including the "Poe Toaster" in a mystery novel was pure genius, I wish I'd though of it first! This, and the other Tess books, have a wonderful dry sense of humor that other reviewers often fail to mention. Of all literature's female detectives and PIs, I think Tess is the most believable. I recommend reading the series from the beginning, but you could probably start with this book as well. I have always admired Lippman's writing style, and this book is a wonderful example. There is no "filler" to her writing, every sentence has a purpose. I often feel with some other authors that I could delete entire paragraphs without changing the story, not so with Lippman. The words never get in the way of the story, or vice versa.
—Laura
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.
—Alison
