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Cover of Baltimore Blues

Mystery · 1997 · PG-13

Baltimore Blues

by Laura Lippman

Tess Monaghan's first case: her rowing partner is accused of murdering his fiancée's employer

For14+GenreMysteryLength260 pagesRead time~6.5 hours

This analysis was generated by AI from publicly available reader reviews, literary criticism, and book discussions. It has not been verified by a BookLens community reviewer and may contain errors. Be the first to verify →

Content snapshot

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What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.

Violence

Some

Murder investigation; the accusation against her friend

Language

Some

Moderate language; Baltimore vernacular

Sexual Content

Barely any

Mild; adult relationships

Substance Use

Some

Moderate; Baltimore bar culture; rowing team drinking culture

Emotional Intensity

Some

Moderate; the first novel's establishment of Tess as a type — the former journalist who applies reporting skills to investigation; the Baltimore setting as character

What this book is about

The first Tess Monaghan mystery: former journalist Tess Monaghan, now working at her aunt's detective agency, takes on her first real case — clearing her rowing partner of a murder charge. Lippman's Baltimore is as specifically rendered as any city in crime fiction — the row houses, the harbor, the specific class dynamics of a city that rebuilt itself and the parts it couldn't.

Notes for sensitive readers

Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.

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