The Sugar House
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4.7 • 9 Ratings
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
WINNER OF THE NERO WOLFE AWARD
'A fantastic story with great twists and surprises.' 5* reader review
'One of the best crime novelists writing today.' TESS GERRITSEN
A TESS MONAGHAN MYSTERY
Tess Monaghan's life is back on course. She's beginning to make a name for herself as a PI, she's even banking good money. Then her father asks her a favour: to investigate the prison death of a friend's brother - the confessed killer of a Jane Doe.
It's not until the shocking discovery of the Jane Doe's true identity turns deadly that Tess realises that her life may have taken a very wrong turn indeed - one from which there is no going back. . .
'A moving feast of a book' Washington Post
'Compelling. . . those who know Baltimore should be captivated by how the author uses the city.' 5* reader review
'Great story. . . lots of plot twists and excellent resolution.' 5* reader review
'I'm convinced that Lippman can do no wrong. I'm now on her 6th book and I can't put down the Tess Monaghan series. Fantastic!' 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
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Glue-sniffing teen Henry Dembrow goes to prison after confessing to killing a young Jane Doe found with a small rubber hose tied in a bow around her neck. A month later he, too, is dead. Coincidence? Ruthie Dembrow, Henry's sister, has her doubts and asks former Baltimore reporter Tess Monaghan, the heroine of this first (and first-rate) hardcover in a justly acclaimed series, to investigate. Tess agrees only because her father, Patrick, says he owes Ruthie one. Going over the facts of the crime, Tess realizes that she needs to identify the victim and to learn how the victim came to know her alleged killer. On the home front, Patrick's disapproval of her current love, Crow, strains their relationship. Edgar and Agatha winner Lippman (Charm City; In Big Trouble), a feature writer for the Baltimore Sun, really knows her town. She takes Tess far from the tourist stops into crumbling, neglected parts of the historic port city and beyond. Annapolis, a questionable clinic on the Eastern Shore and Philadelphia all figure in Tess's struggle to uncover the connections between a sordid killing and the pursuit of wealth and power in the state capital. As she digs deeper with assists from her wealthy pal, Whitney, major players begin to squirm and lives and reputations are in danger, including her own. Far from perfect, Tess finds she must carefully consider the compromises others have made for good or ill while not straying too far from her own principles. Nobody gets away clean, but some scores are settled, which at times has to be enough.
