The Girl in the Green Raincoat - Laura Lippman- Review & Giveaway

I'm a big fan of Laura Lippman. I've enjoyed her last two books which were stand alones, but I was thrilled to see that The Girl in the Green Raincoat featured her recurring character - PI Tess Monaghan.

The Girl in the Green Raincoat finds Tess exactly where she doesn't want to be - sitting still. And for a very good reason. She's in the last trimester of a difficult pregnancy. Camped out in the sun room of her home, she whiles away the time watching out the window at the local dog park. She becomes fascinated by a woman who arrives at the same time every day in a green raincoat with her greyhound. Until the day when it's just the dog - trailing his leash...

Unable to get up and out herself,  Tess sends her partner Crow to corral the dog. What seemed like a simple search and rescue to return a lost dog turns into
something more. Attempts to find the girl in the green raincoat leads to a trail of crimes that Tess slowly pieces together from her bedroom. Think Rear Window.

This novella originally appeared serialized in the New York Times two years go. Once I discovered this, it explained why each chapter seemed to have a little story within the story. We get extra glimpses into the character's lives. Tess's doubts about her relationship and impending motherhood make the character even more realistic. I have always enjoyed the character of Whitney, Tess's best friend - we get to see some of her emotional make up this time around. I can't wait to see more about Mrs. Blossom, who is running the agency while Tess is laid up - she is a character just waiting to be fleshed out.  Lippman's characters are engaging, the plots believable and the dialogue witty - I love the way Tess's mind works.

For fans of Tess this is a must. I can't wait to see where Lippman takes the storyline next. For those new to this series, you may want to start with an earlier book to get a sense of the characters and the background. Now that's not to say you wouldn't enjoy this easy, one sitting read - you definitely will - but I know you'll be hunting down the rest of the series!

Read an excerpt of The Girl in the Green Raincoat. You can find Laura Lippman on Facebook too.

Thanks to Harper Collins Publishers, I have TWO copies of The Girl in the Green Raincoat to giveaway. Let's make this one open to everyone, US, Canada and international. Simply comment to be entered. Ends Sat. Feb. 12/11 at 6 pm EST.

Check out what the other stops on the TLC Book Tour think of The Girl in the Green Raincoat.