In Big Trouble

By Laura Lippman

Book Overview

New York Times bestselling author Laura Lippman spins a spellbinding novel of suspense in which PI Tess Monaghan must turn to the past to solve a murder in the present. . . . PI Tess Monaghan thought she'd seen the last of her ex-boyfriend Ed Crow when they ended their relationship. But when she receives a newspaper clipping with a photo of Crow and the headline "IN BIG TROUBLE," she's reluctantly pulled into looking for him and heads to Austin, Texas--the last place he was seen. Searching the house where Crow was staying, Tess stumbles on more than she bargained for when she finds the body of an ex-convict whose face has been blown off with a rifle. Now with the local sheriff breathing down her neck for answers, Tess knows she has to find Crow--and fast--before the cops locate him. As she attempts to track him down and meets Emmie Sterne, the singer in Crow's band, Tess immediately senses something's off with the blonde, blue-eyed stunner. Tess has no doubts that Crow is innocent--but the company he's been keeping is questionable even if she is easy on the eyes. Determined to find Crow and make sure he isn't in any danger, Tess investigates and soon discovers she hardly knows the man she thought she knew. But more troubling, she realizes she still has feelings for him. And when another corpse surfaces, Tess must find out the connection between the two murders and Emmie's dark past . . . and if a killer lurks behind that pretty face.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0062400649
• ISBN13: 9780062400642
• Release Date: June 2015
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 0.74 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.2" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Enjoyable change of pace for Tess AND Laura

It's a shame to see some of the kvetching about Tess leaving her beloved Baltimore for other climes. Lippman wisely chose as a place she once worked as a newspaper reporter -- Texas. Having worked on a daily in Texas myself (and as a big fan of the city of San Antonio), I can tell you that Laura's depiction of this wonderfully quirky city and its inhabitants is dang near perfect. As with other Monaghan stories, it's as much about Tess as it is about the mystery to be solved ... and there few more interesting main characters in the genre today. Well done, Laura!

Better than Grafton!

Since I started reading the Tess Monaghan mysteries three weeks ago, I can't put them down. They just keep getting better. In Big Trouble leaves the Baltimore setting and moves to Texas where everything is always bigger: bigger characters, bigger plots, bigger romance, bigger crime and mystery!

The best of the series (so far!)

I love that Lippman is willing to let her characters learn from life. Maybe it's because I'm close to both Tess's age (30) and place in life (what do I do when I grow up?), but I really liked this book. As with previous books, I do think Lippman tends to throw in one too many unexpected surprises toward the end, but it doesn't keep the reader from enjoying the good story or the excellent characterizations. For those of you who read this series for Baltimore, don't let the Texas setting throw you off - Lippman's love of geography is just as evident here as in previous Tess books. A good read!

Lippman Does it Again

Tess Monaghan shines in Lippman's new novel, IN BIG TROUBLE. Tess is portrayed, as always, as a completely believable and yet extremely strong female character. Finding her ex-bofriend Crow, and solving the murders that surround him, make for a very interesting and entertaining read. Lippman's writing style also lends to the enjoyment of this book. I highly recommend it; however, if you've never read Lippman you should probably start at the beginning of the "Tess" series.

Lippman scores again with another fantastic book

Laura Lippman once again proves she's one of America's hottest new mystery authors with her latest entry in the Tess Monaghan series, IN BIG TROUBLE. This time, Tess has to leave her precious Baltimore to search for a missing person in Texas -- and he just happens to be her old boyfriend, Crow. It's fun to see Tess as a fish out of water, and there's some great comic relief, especially the Vietnamese owner of the motel Tess stays in (she's hooked on junk food and Spanish soap operas). Fans of Julie Smith and Sara Paretsky should give Lippman's PI a try.