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Summary
Summary
New York Times Bestseller
Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Laura Lippman's Tess Monaghan--first introduced in the classic Baltimore Blues--must protect an up-and-coming Hollywood actress, but when murder strikes on a TV set, the unflappable PI discovers everyone's got a secret.
"[A] welcome addition to Tess Monaghan's adventures and an insightful look at the desperation that drives those grasping for a shot at fame and those who will do anything to keep it."--San Francisco Chronicle
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 since its arrival on location in Baltimore: bad press, union threats, and small, costly on-set "accidents" that have wreaked havoc with its shooting schedule. As a result, Mann's creator, Flip Tumulty, the son of a Hollywood legend, is worried for the safety of his young female lead, Selene Waites, and asks Tess to serve as her bodyguard. Tumulty's concern may be well founded. Recently, a Baltimore man was discovered dead in his home, surrounded by photos of the beautiful--if difficult--aspiring star.
In the past, Tess has had enough trouble guarding her own body. Keeping a spoiled movie princess under wraps may be more than she can handle since Selene is not as naive as everyone seems to think, and instead is quite devious. Once Tess gets a taste of this world of make-believe--with their vanities, their self-serving agendas, and their remarkably skewed visions of reality--she's just about ready to throw in the towel.
But she's pulled back in when a grisly on-set murder occurs, threatening to topple the wall of secrets surrounding Mann of Steel as lives, dreams, and careers are scattered among the ruins.
Author Notes
Laura Lippman grew up in Baltimore and returned to her home town in 1989 to work as a journalist. After writing seven books while still a full-time reporter, she left the Baltimore Sun to focus on fiction.
Laura is the author of What the Dead Know, 2016 New York Times Bestseller, Another Thing to Fall, After I'm Gone, and Wilde Lake. She also writes the Tess Monaghan series. She has won numerous awards for her work including the Edgar, Quill, Anthony, Nero Wolfe, Agatha, Gumshoe, Barry, and Macavity.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Hollywood comes to Baltimore in bestseller Lippman's assured 10th PI Tess Monaghan caper (after 2006's No Good Deeds). When Tess literally stumbles onto the set of Mann of Steel, a big-budget TV miniseries shooting in her neighborhood, she finds herself hired as a bodyguard for Selene Waites, the show's 20-year-old hard-partying star. Flip Tumulty-the show's writer and son of a Baltimore-born Hollywood mogul-tells Tess the set has been plagued by vandalism and he fears for Selene's safety. Tess soon uncovers unsettling photos of Selene and learns they were taken by Wilbur Grace, a stalker who later hanged himself. When one of the crew members is murdered, Tess suspects someone may be trying to shut down more than the TV production. While the excitement level may not match that of other recent entries in the series, fans will appreciate the author's usual authentic local color and intricate plotting. 15-city author tour. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
An early morning rowing accident lands Baltimore PI Tess Monaghan (No Good Deeds, 2006, etc.) what may be the worst job of her life. When a film crew's motorboat upends her scull into the Patapsco, Tess Monaghan gets more than a good dunking. She also gets the untempting offer of a job as bodyguard to Selene Waites, bratty young star of the TV show Mann of Steel, the saga of a steelworker who time-travels in order to woo 18th-century Baltimore belle Betsy Patterson. Anorexic Selene doesn't have much body to guard, and the stalker who took creepy pictures of her killed himself. The only reason Tess even considers head writer Flip Tumulty's proposition is the hope of snagging some work on the show for Floyd Jupiter, a former street kid who, absent gainful employment, is fast reverting to his evil ways. Even when Floyd is stuck with the job of unpaid intern and a womanizing writer calls Tess an asshole, the work still seems worth her while--at least until whoever's pulling a series of annoying pranks, like putting hair remover in the male lead's face cream, takes it a step too far, and a production assistant ends up dead. Like lunch at Atwater's, Tess's latest leaves you fully satisfied but looking forward to next time. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Savvy women detectives aren't in short supply, but Tess Monaghan, reporter turned PI, has both a distinctive personality and a relatively untapped location. Her hometown, Baltimore, figures more prominently than usual in her latest thriller, in which a film company, in Charm City to make a television show, hires Tess to protect one of its stars, ostensibly from a stalker. But as it turns out, self-involved Selene Waites, 20, isn't really the one who needs protecting; the director's assistant is brutally beaten to death, and Tess finds her duties have expanded to include solving the crime. It's a kick watching practical, down-to earth Tess investigate and spar with grudging Hollywood types especially Selene, who's so slippery that Tess calls in her tough, cynical friend Whitney to help babysit. Lippman gives the movie people, cast and producers, plenty of personality, although she occasionally drifts close to stereotype: the whiny, aging male lead; the womanizing writer; the filmmaker battling his father's legacy; the young starlet who has better things to do than spend her time in Baltimore; the scheming assistant who's a good match for her self-absorbed bosses. There's also the voice of an unknown other, whose role isn't fully revealed until the end. Plenty of red herrings and personality clashes make this a delightfully quick, satisfying read. Expect Tess' ever expanding fan base to grow still more.--Zvirin, Stephanie Copyright 2008 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Baltimore is the temporary home of a big- budget television series, which doesn't please the locals as much as one would think. Tess Monaghan (No Good Deeds) manages to ruin a day's shooting while out rowing and in the process finds herself the sought-after security detail for Selene, the show's 20-year-old star. Strange things are happening on set, and Tess agrees to babysit providing the producers give boyfriend Crow's latest project, Lloyd, a job. The details are worked out, but when Tess is outsmarted by Selene, she is forced to bring in extra help. Then a production staffer is murdered, and it seems as if everyone on set is suspect, from the producers to the actors to the writers and the staff. The production of a TV series is complicated business, and Lippman includes lots of Hollywood detail in this Charm City murder mystery. It's an interesting story with a lot of characters, but, unfortunately, Tess is the only one that is fully fleshed out. Not Lippman's best effort, but fans of the series will want to read it anyway. Recommended for larger fiction collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 11/15/07.]-Stacy Alesi, Boca Raton, FL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.