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276th out of 1,210 books
—
6,534 voters
Another Thing to Fall (Tess Monaghan #10)
by
Laura Lippman (Goodreads Author)
The California dream weavers have invaded Charm City with their cameras, their stars, and their controversy. . . .
When private investigator Tess Monaghan literally runs into the crew of the fledgling TV series "Mann of Steel" while sculling, she expects sharp words and evil looks, "not" an assignment. But the company has been plagued by a series of disturbing incidents
...moreHardcover, 336 pages
Published
March 11th 2008
by William Morrow & Company
(first published 2008)
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Here's the thing. Tess Monaghan is a nearly-normal human being, which is rare for women characters in the mystery genre. She is unswervingly loyal to her city, Baltimore. She is somewhere between being a kid & getting close enough to see middle-age. She is a realistic weight. She occasionally fumbles something, but she never does "the stupid girl PI thing." Ok, so she gets up before dawn to row; every character has a flaw, right? So, I can't resist a Lippman book.
On top of that, this one has...more
On top of that, this one has...more
another book with a mentally ill (bipolar?) woman. they are everywhere. i'm gonna keep track.
also, i think laura lippman is having a hard time. she pretty much says so here .
**SPOILERS**
i have always found her fascination with little girls and the horrors little girls endure/perpetrated a really dark side of her writerly personality. in this book there's a whole entirely-irrelevant-to-the-main-story motif having to do with men who love children too much. it gets to the point that it creates some...more
also, i think laura lippman is having a hard time. she pretty much says so here .
**SPOILERS**
i have always found her fascination with little girls and the horrors little girls endure/perpetrated a really dark side of her writerly personality. in this book there's a whole entirely-irrelevant-to-the-main-story motif having to do with men who love children too much. it gets to the point that it creates some...more
With three critically-acclaimed standalones ( To the Power of Three, Every Secret Thing and What the Dead Know) now behind her, Laura Lippman returns to the Tess Monaghan series with Another Thing to Fall. Those of us who have been following Tess's adventures for years should be grateful, and I am, but I wish I could have liked this book more.
In it, Tess is brought into the world of television production (with which Lippman is familiar because of her husband's involvement with The Wire). It's...more
In it, Tess is brought into the world of television production (with which Lippman is familiar because of her husband's involvement with The Wire). It's...more
Laura Lippman is usually a sharp writer, and Tess Monaghan is usually a good character. This mystery, though, is a bit of a mess. Lippman does some dishonest writing here by having characters' thoughts provided to the reader when only later we find those out to be false. This is true of Johnny Tampa's supposedly first person response to Selene. In addition, Lippman seems to want to prove she knows movie and tv trivia. Who cares. Wikipedia gives everyone that trivia. The shenanigans on the set of...more
Private Investigator Tess Monaghan unknowingly ruins a shoot for the film crew of TV series Mann of Steel and instead of being chastised for it ends up with a new assignment: bodyguard to the show’s youngest actor, Selene Waites. The producer Flip Tumulty and his company have had a run of vandalism, leading to bad press, and Flip is concerned for Selene’s safety. With the aid of her friend Whitney, Tess reluctantly takes on the job, and quickly learns Selene is not as passive and uneducated as s...more
I was a little torn as to how to rate this novel. While I was propelled to keep reading by the suspense that was continually building, I was ultimately somewhat disappointed in the way it all came together. The ending seemed a little cliché and thereby somewhat anticlimactic. I decided on the higher rating, however, after reading the afterward and discerning that, in fact, the finale was actually akin to an real case.
Lippman's recurring character in several of her novels, Tess Monaghan, is back...more
Lippman's recurring character in several of her novels, Tess Monaghan, is back...more
Oct 21, 2010
Annie
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
mystery fans, people who like reading about television and/or celebrities
I finished this book on Tuesday, and this morning (two days later) I woke up thinking, Wait a second- did that [plot point] make any sense? Unfortunately, I already returned this book to the library, so I can't read back and figure it out. I'm going to give Laura Lippman the benefit of the doubt here, because I've found that she's earned it in the past.
This book is solid. I don't usually read series, but I read the Tess Monaghan books when I need a mystery and the library I'm visiting doesn't ha...more
This book is solid. I don't usually read series, but I read the Tess Monaghan books when I need a mystery and the library I'm visiting doesn't ha...more
A television drama production company is on location in Baltimore, making episodes for a new series. The project has been plagued by mishaps, and producer Flip Tumulty suspects sabotage. Fearing for the safety of the series star, the young and stunning Selene Waites, Tumulty hires Tess Monaghan to monitor her safety. But when Tumulty's assistant is murdered, it becomes clear that Tess will have to do some serious investigating.
Another Thing to Fall is entertaining, with its takeoffs on Hollywoo...more
Another Thing to Fall is entertaining, with its takeoffs on Hollywoo...more
Feb 05, 2009
Bookmarks Magazine
added it
Critics agree that for Lippman's Tess Monaghan series, this 10th installment is quite good, if relatively lighter fare than her recent stand-alone work. Lippman, a former reporter who is married to David Simon, the coproducer of the HBO series The Wire, knows Baltimore's unique urban traits and culture, and it shows in her detailed settings, convincing dialogue, and generally nuanced characters. If not all possess as much depth as Tess, however, the Hollywood actors add compelling flair. One rev
...more
Having read all the previous Tess Monaghan books, it was good to get back and visit with Tess and all of Lippman's associated characters. That's what I enjoyed most about the book . . . revisiting the cast of characters. Tess becomes involved with a TV production being shot in Baltimore after wandering into the midst of scene shooting while sculling in the inner harbor. This is her entree into being hired by the production as a babysitter/body guard for the show's starlet. Her job expands as the...more
The 10th book in the series, has virtually no Crow, a smidge of Whitney, and a dollop of Lloyd. Long gone are the days of uncles and parents and aunts. But Mrs. Blossom deserves to return, maybe she will make up for the personal losses that have occurred through the series thus far. I thought this was reasonably well-plotted and the author used the alternating POV that she has used previously (with multiple minor POV diversions) but found myself getting a little bored with the length and detail...more
Another Thing to Fall is the 10th book in the Tess Monaghan series by Laura Lippman.
A tv show is filming in Baltimore and Tess gets hired to watch the bratty star, Selene Waites after a series of accidents/fires have happened on set.
Tess learns some film trade secrets and becomes disillusioned by the industry, while Lloyd gets an unpaid-intern gig and falls in love with the industry.
Tess of course can't JUST watch Selene, she needs to know who / what is behind the fires on set. There is the us...more
A tv show is filming in Baltimore and Tess gets hired to watch the bratty star, Selene Waites after a series of accidents/fires have happened on set.
Tess learns some film trade secrets and becomes disillusioned by the industry, while Lloyd gets an unpaid-intern gig and falls in love with the industry.
Tess of course can't JUST watch Selene, she needs to know who / what is behind the fires on set. There is the us...more
At the end of last year I was recovering from surgery and I had a stack of Tess Monaghan books waiting by my bedside to help relieve the boredom. It was fabulous. I didn't realize that there was one more in the series and was thrilled to fine Another Thing to Fall. Lippman evokes Charm City so beautifully that I always find myself wanting to book a trip when I finish one of her novels.
This one centers around a fictional TV set. I loved the look behind the curtain - but didn't get enough of my fa...more
This one centers around a fictional TV set. I loved the look behind the curtain - but didn't get enough of my fa...more
Three stars--on the strength of the first 90% of the book, which was full of fun details about shooting a movie or TV series, and equally fun Tessisms. The very end--the part where All Is Revealed--was actually pretty routine. Lippman is good at tying up loose ends and tight plotting, but the plot wasn't all that fascinating and there were no surprises or twists. Her insider knowledge on scripts and Hollywood types--and the usual deft writing--are the primary draws here.
Since I have just "met" T...more
Since I have just "met" T...more
It's always hard to attach a star-level when you are reading books just to have something interesting to read. I like mysteries, and I love reading about Baltimore, Maryland, because I lived there. The books don't change my life, but they are well-written and keep you interested throughout.
Laura Lippman was a journalist, and it shows. Good writing, good character development, and the ending ties up the ends without being contrived.
I also like that the main character is not movie-star sexy, toot...more
Laura Lippman was a journalist, and it shows. Good writing, good character development, and the ending ties up the ends without being contrived.
I also like that the main character is not movie-star sexy, toot...more
I'm a big fan of Laura Lippman's mystery novels set in Baltimore, and of her feisty female P.I. Tess Monaghan. This series is best read in order, starting with the first novel, Baltimore Blues.
Another Thing to Fall offers a fascinating insider look into the making of a TV series in Baltimore, along with an eccentric cast of characters, both locals and Hollywood types. Lippman's wry humor, fully fleshed out characters, rotating point of view and intriguing plots make her one of my "go to" mystery...more
Another Thing to Fall offers a fascinating insider look into the making of a TV series in Baltimore, along with an eccentric cast of characters, both locals and Hollywood types. Lippman's wry humor, fully fleshed out characters, rotating point of view and intriguing plots make her one of my "go to" mystery...more
I picked this up based on my reading of Lippman's standalone work, and found it entertaining but not, to my mind, as good. My main problems were that I felt the deaths were dealt with a little too lightly, and that the text was too heavily larded with insider references, both geographic (the book takes place in Baltimore) and industry-related (the action relates to the production of a TV series). There's a vague whiff of trying too hard, in my opinion.
Still, I'd go back and read earlier books i...more
Still, I'd go back and read earlier books i...more
Laura Lippman could certainly teach a class to other authors of series books. She is able to include her secondary characters from book to book without having to give them as much verbal "face time". Yes, this book has Crow, the new old Uncle, the two dogs, and Whitney, but it allows Tess to go to work, do her thing. In other words its more like real life. I liked the way she became so quickly immersed (literally) in the Hollywood side of Baltimore. Once more I am endeared to this unusual city t...more
A television series is being made in Baltimore and somebody is sabotaging it - which of the range of interesting characters connected to the production can it be? Or not? Tess Monaghan, the private detective whose adventures Laura Lippman has related in a number of novels, is hired to keep a chaotic actor under control.
This is the first of the Tess Monaghan stories I have read and I will be reading the rest. Things that distinguish Lippman's stories for me are her elegant, unflashy prose and he...more
This is the first of the Tess Monaghan stories I have read and I will be reading the rest. Things that distinguish Lippman's stories for me are her elegant, unflashy prose and he...more
Ms. Lippman, who is married to David Simon, a producer for the HBO series “The Wire,” seems to have wanted to share what she has learned about what goes on behind the scenes in filmmaking. Thus she devotes most of her attention to this information, and the mystery aspect doesn’t hold up very well. Nevertheless, her books in this series area bit like friends and family: sometimes they’re fun, sometimes not so much, but they’re still your friends and family.
Evaluation: Not the best of the series.
I really enjoy the Tess Monaghan series and this book, although not nearly as good as the last one, was still worth the read. Tess gets caught up in the goings on of a TV series filming in Baltimore and the inside look into the "biz" was really appreciated. The mystery was ok but not as strong as some of the other books in the series as there was just too many people involved in underhanded doings this time around that it got a bit messy. However, as with all books from this series, the secondar...more
I heard Lippman was a great writer who really got the city of Baltimore, so I picked up this mystery and found her very similar to Janet Evanovich. I was hoping for more. Her protagonist, series headliner Tess Monaghan, gets involved with a Baltimore TV production and solves the mysteries it has attracted. Tess maintains a tongue-in-cheek narrative, but this is nowhere as good as Harlan Coben's Myron Bolitar narrative. The resolution seemed superfluous, the author more intent on characterization...more
All Tess Monaghan wanted was a morning of sculling. But while rowing at sunrise, she literally runs into the cast and crew of Mann of Steel, a TV show being filmed right there in her beloved Baltimore. After being pulled out of the water, she expects to be scolded for ruining their shot. Instead, she is offered the job of watching their young star, difficult to manage star, Selene. Seems there have been some incidents on the set that lead the producer to believe that someone is trying to get to...more
PROTAGONIST: Tess Monaghan
SETTING: Baltimore, Maryland
SERIES: #10 of 10
RATING: 3.5
Tess Monaghan has a flourishing PI business going, so she can be picky about the assignments that she takes on. When approached by the producers of a new TV show called "Mann of Steel" and asked to serve as a bodyguard for the female lead, Selene Waites, she initially says no. However, when they offer a significantly higher fee than her usual rate, she decides to accept. A 20-year-old spoiled brat should be no matc...more
SETTING: Baltimore, Maryland
SERIES: #10 of 10
RATING: 3.5
Tess Monaghan has a flourishing PI business going, so she can be picky about the assignments that she takes on. When approached by the producers of a new TV show called "Mann of Steel" and asked to serve as a bodyguard for the female lead, Selene Waites, she initially says no. However, when they offer a significantly higher fee than her usual rate, she decides to accept. A 20-year-old spoiled brat should be no matc...more
Jul 15, 2008
Jennifer
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone who has just watched the latest season of THE WIRE
Recommended to Jennifer by:
Laura Lippman's earlier work
This latest mystery, featuring Baltimore PI Tess Monaghan, finds Tess having to deal with a lot of Hollywood types, who are in town to film the first few episodes of a new TV series, Mann of Steel (sort of a Life on Mars premise featuring a steelworker instead of a cop and traveling much further back in time).
Tess literally rows into a shot while sculling on the Patapsco and before she knows it, she's been hired to babysit one Lindsey Lohan-type actress, Selene Waites. It seems that strange acc...more
Tess literally rows into a shot while sculling on the Patapsco and before she knows it, she's been hired to babysit one Lindsey Lohan-type actress, Selene Waites. It seems that strange acc...more
The tenth entry in Laura Lippman’s Tess Monaghan series finds the Baltimore-native reporter-turned-private-eye rowing her way into the production of the television mini-series Mann of Steel. Tess is hired to provide security for young starlet Selene Waites (think Paris Hilton only with acting ability) due to a series of disturbing incidents plaguing the fledgling series.
At first Tess chalks Selene up to a ditzy Hollywood type, but events quickly show that Selene is cleverer than she lets on. Whe...more
At first Tess chalks Selene up to a ditzy Hollywood type, but events quickly show that Selene is cleverer than she lets on. Whe...more
Another Thing to Fall, by Laura Lippman, b-plus narrated by Linda Emond, produced by Harper Audio, downloaded from audible.com. A.
This is the latest in the Baltimore PI, Tess Monaghan series.
Publisher’s note:
The California dream weavers have invaded Charm City with their cameras, their stars, and their controversy.When private investigator Tess Monaghan literally
runs into the crew of the fledgling TV series Mann of Steel while sculling, she expects sharp words and evil looks, not an assignment....more
This is the latest in the Baltimore PI, Tess Monaghan series.
Publisher’s note:
The California dream weavers have invaded Charm City with their cameras, their stars, and their controversy.When private investigator Tess Monaghan literally
runs into the crew of the fledgling TV series Mann of Steel while sculling, she expects sharp words and evil looks, not an assignment....more
Apr 08, 2008
stephanie
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone who likes thrillers, people familiar with baltimore
Recommended to stephanie by:
a.
okay, i don't know if it's just because the last two books i read were so disappointing, but i think i've found a new favorite writer in this genre. true, she's not as twisted as karin slaughter, she's not as medical tess gerritsen, and she doesn't have weird but somehow believable things with the paranormal going on like iris johansen. but she wins big time for having a completely lovable, strong, believable female protagonist.
i love the baltimore setting, and i love that i know lippman isn...more
i love the baltimore setting, and i love that i know lippman isn...more
1 like · like · see review
I can't believe I read the whole thing. This was supposed to be a murder mystery on the set of a television movie, but the mystery didn't start until one third of the way into the book, and then it was contrived. A few chapters were devoted to the voice of the killer, but the entire book lacked conviction, suspense, drama...all those things anticipated in a mystery. Oh, one more thing, it is hard to relate the book jacket or the title to the story...definitely not the best Tess Monaghan book.
mystery is not my genre but this was a very easy read- not that that makes this a good book (as you can see by the 2 stars it received). i guess this book disappointed me because it wasn't something you could solve even if you were extra clever. you had to wait for the information to be revealed which doesn't really make it a mystery, right? its more of a story that they tell you how it was solved.
so what's the fun in that? i guess you get to go for a ride with a believable PI into a world that...more
so what's the fun in that? i guess you get to go for a ride with a believable PI into a world that...more
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Laura Lippman was a reporter for twenty years, including twelve years at The (Baltimore) Sun. She began writing novels while working fulltime and published seven books about “accidental PI” Tess Monaghan before leaving daily journalism in 2001. Her work has been awarded the Edgar ®, the Anthony, the Agatha, the Shamus, the Nero Wolfe, Gumshoe and Barry awards. She also has been nominated for othe...more
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Mar 15, 2013 10:15pm