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    The Girl in the Green Raincoat: A Tess Monaghan Novel
    The Girl in the Green Raincoat: A Tess Monaghan Novel
    The Girl in the Green Raincoat: A Tess Monaghan Novel
    Audiobook4 hours

    The Girl in the Green Raincoat: A Tess Monaghan Novel

    Written by Laura Lippman

    Narrated by Linda Emond

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    About this audiobook

    “Lippman is a writing powerhouse. ”

    —USA Today

     

    “I love her books.”

    —Harlan Coben

     

    New York Times bestselling author Laura Lippman—winner of the Edgar® Award and every other major literary prize given for mystery and crime fiction—embroils Baltimore p.i. Tess Monaghan in the strange case of The Girl in the Green Raincoat. Originally serialized in the New York Times, The Girl in the Green Raincoat is now in book form for the very first time—a masterful thriller in the Alfred Hitchcock mode that places a very pregnant, homebound Tess in the center of a murderous puzzle that could cost her her life and the life of her unborn child.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateJan 18, 2011
    ISBN9780062027221
    Author

    Laura Lippman

    Laura Lippman was a reporter for twenty years, including twelve years at the Baltimore Sun. Her novels have won almost every prize given for crime fiction in the United States, including the Edgar, Anthony, Nero Wolfe and Agatha awards. She lives in Baltimore with her husband, the writer David Simon who created hit TV series The Wire and Homicide: Life on the Street.

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    Reviews for The Girl in the Green Raincoat

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    59 ratings38 reviews

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    • 3/5
      This is one of those mysteries solved from the sick-bed. With an über-egotistical mention of Rear Window and Josephine Tey's [Daughter of Time], Tess Monaghan, confined to bed during pregnancy, begins an investigation of a woman she determines has gone missing. Some parts were just plain silly, but Lippman packs a lot into this lightweight novella.
    • 4/5
      Private investigator Tess Monaghan must stay in bed because of her pregnancy so she occupies her time by watching the world go by outside her window. She sees a young woman in a green raincoat walk her dog at the same time every day. Then one day she see the dog running free and the woman is nowhere to be seen. Tess decides to to investigate the woman's disappearance from her bed.The book is a little like the movie Rear window but is still a great read.
    • 4/5
      While on bed rest for the end of her pregnancy, Tess becomes an observer of life outside her house. Someone she observes everyday disappears. And this novella begins. Some humor, easy reading.
    • 3/5
      This cozy mystery novella is sure to entertain fans of Laura Lippman. Just don’t jump to conclusions! Parts of the plot may have a familiar ring to them, but don’t assume the clues lead to a similar conclusion. Sometimes, curiosity that is meant to help does everything but help. You should know who really does need saving before making the attempt, or it might just be you who is in need of rescuing!
    • 5/5
      A unique mystery quite different with a surprising twist to the finish.
    • 5/5
      I loved this book. I've never read Laura Lippman and now plan to start the Tess Monaghan series from the start.
    • 3/5
      This novel was originally done as an installment series for the newspaper, and has now been published as a book. This features the private investigator, Tess Monaghan, in a Baltimore, Maryland setting. The story closely resembles Hitchcock's The Rear Window with a pregnant Tess unable to leave the house. The story also features dialogue from The Bad Seed. Lippman does an excellent job of incorporating this feeling of suspense and hopelessness into her story. Of course, pregnant Tess fights jealousy and insecurity as her body adjusts to this alien within her body. The other characters seem minor in comparison to Tess in this book, as Tess struggles to understand the changes that will soon happen.
    • 3/5
      I hadn't read any Laura Lippman books since "Sugar House", but had no trouble stepping into the world of Tess Monaghan. This was a quick easy read and I enjoyed the nod to "Rear Window". There was a bit of confusion in the middle - who was married to who and when - but that could have been solved quickly with a paper copy instead of Kindle, which is a little harder to flip through. I enjoyed it so much I want to go back and read the ones I missed, plus her newest.
    • 4/5
      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 intosomething 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!
    • 4/5
      If you've seen Hitchcock's "Rear Window" and appreciated his stunning work, you'll love The Girl in the Green Raincoat. Similar to the movie, this book deals with a woman who must be content spending her time watching other people through a window. Tess watches the mundane events that occurs outside, until one day something changes. When she thinks that something is amiss, she does everything in her power to solve the mystery from behind closed doors. Little does she know what she is in store for!At a little under 200 pages, I was a little concerned when this book first arrived. I was wondering how Laura Lippman could fit an intriguing mystery in such a small amount of pages. Let's just say, I shouldn't have worried! It is a quick read for sure, but in the best way possible. The pages just flew by as I devoured Tess' character, her worries, her investigation, and everything else that was wrapped up in this wonderfully written mystery. The prose in this story is also fantastically witty. There were times I laughed out loud at her inner musings. By the time I got to the ending, which was perfection, I was sad that the book was over. Now that I know this is part of a series I'm going to have to go and find the others!The characters are wonderfully developed, from the main character to the most supporting character. Tess, our protagonist, is a an independent woman that has to come to terms with allowing others to do things for her. She is used to holding her own as a detective and is suddenly having to depend on others to do the legwork for her, which maddens her. I loved her tenacity, and even though she has worries about her boyfriend Crow she is always looking at things from a logical point of view. Tess is a woman's woman if I do say so myself!This is the first time I've ever read one of Laura Lippman's books, despite her NYT Bestsellers fame. I'm glad that this book was offered to me and put this fantastic series on my radar! Overall, The Girl in the Green Raincoat is a superbly written novel with witty dialogue, well written characters, and a thrilling plot that doesn't disappoint. All you mystery fans out there need to go pick up a copy as soon as possible!
    • 3/5
      This is the eleventh and final [so far!] book of the Tess Monaghan detective series. The author, Laura Lippman, is obviously a movie buff as her other books reveal, and this book is a knock-off of the 1954 Hitchcock classic, "Rear Window."Tess, a private detective with her own business, is now 35. She isn’t used to being inactive, but is temporarily confined to bed rest because of a high-risk pregnancy. She lives with her boyfriend Crow, who is “alarmingly in touch with his inner Martha Stewart.” Crow outfits Tess with all she might need to combat her frustration and crabbiness over her confinement, including a pair of binoculars so she can watch the neighbors at the dog park. Before long she notices that a dog has been abandoned, a dog previously walked by a woman in a green raincoat. She suspects foul play, and sends Crow along with her best friend Whitney to investigate.As Tess does what research she can on the computer about the missing woman, she also worries about what aspect of herself might go missing when the baby arrives. How will she balance being a mother with having a dangerous, demanding job that she really loves? Moreover, Crow hasn’t said anything about getting married; doesn’t he want to? It’s all making her a wreck. Evaluation: This is more like a novella than a book, and isn’t Lippman at her finest. Nevertheless, it is a must for fans of Tess Monaghan, because of the life-changing situation in which she now finds herself. In addition, other regular characters weigh in with Tess on love, marriage, and parenthood, and this gives us valuable and often touching insights into their lives as well as Tess’s.Tess Monaghan Series in Order:Baltimore Blues (1997)Charm City (1997)Butchers Hill (1998)In Big Trouble (1999)The Sugar House (2000)In a Strange City (2001)The Last Place (2002)By A Spider's Thread (2004)No Good Deeds (2006)Another Thing to Fall (2008) The Girl in the Green Raincoat (2011)
    • 3/5
      Originally serialized in the New York Times, this novella is a quick fun read and a good plot, and great characters. It's worth reading for the witty commentary alone.
    • 5/5
      In the third trimester of her pregnancy, Baltimore private investigator Tess Monaghan is under doctor's orders to remain immobile. Bored and restless, reduced to watching the world go by outside her window, she takes small comfort in the mundane events she observes - like the young woman in a green raincoat who walks her dog at the same time every day. Then one day the dog is running free and its owner is nowhere to be seen. Certain that something is terribly wrong, and incapable of leaving well enough alone, Tess is determined to get to the bottom of the dog walker's abrupt disappearance, even if she must do so from her own bedroom.
    • 3/5
      After reading What the Dead Know in 2011, Laura Lippman became one of my favorite mystery writers. Her latest book, The Girl in the Green Raincoat, was previously serialized in the New York Times and has been called a "masterful Hitchcockian thriller from one of the very best in the business".

      I'm usually pretty compulsive when it comes to reading series in order, but had heard this novella can stand on its own. While that is certainly true, I would have appreciated it even more if I'd already 'known' Tess and understood her history.

      Still, this was a very well-written mystery that makes me want to go back and start at the beginning (Baltimore Blues).

      My rating:
      3.5/5 stars
    • 4/5
      A modern day Rear Window knock off, this novel finds Tess hugely pregnant, on mandatory bed rest, and bored to death. When she asks her boyfriend to get her some binoculars, Tess thinks she uncovers a murder when she spies on the activities of the dog park visible from her bed.A very skillful and entertaining writer, Laura Lippman thoroughly entertained me. I found myself frustrated at Tess's selfishness of her condition--most women would be more concerned about her baby's welfare instead of her own personal inconvenience. But that is somewhat in character with Tess anyway, so while it is annoying, it does not ruin the story.
    • 4/5
      Private Investigator Tess Monaghan has been ordered to have complete bedrest in the last weeks of her pregnancy and has had to leave her business in the capable hands of a colleague, the delightfully named Mrs Blossom. Bored and fed up whilst laying in the sun porch, Tess notes the daily walk of a young blonde woman in a green raincoat and her small greyhound (also wearing a matching green coat) in the nearby park. One day the dog appears running from the park, trailing its lead, but no owner appears. Tess is more than intrigued; she has to know what has happened and from her daybed, directs an investigation not realising the potential danger she is exposing herself and others to.I remember watching the classic Hitchcock film "Rear Window" many years ago and any similarity with this story and the film is fully intentional and acknowledged by the author. Even though this is a novella of just 158 pages, Laura Lippman has created a great character in Tess Monaghan. She is gutsy, witty and wholly believable. Her boyfriend Crow, best friend Whitney and the above mentioned Mrs Blossom complete the cast of regular characters in Tess' life all of whom I found engaging. Even the minor characters were fleshed out enough to have a meaningful part in the story. Dempsey, the missing owner's dog has his own part to play and his antics with the antique chamber pot provided a few amusing moments.The storyline has plenty of pace for such a short book with dubious characters, twists and suspense to the end and as a diversion from the mystery aspect, there is a sub story involving the love life of one of Crow's young colleagues.This was the first Laura Lippman book I had read and also the only one so far in the Tess Monaghan series (of which this #11) however I shall be seeking out the back catalogue. I enjoyed the character of Tess too much to leave her stories at this book.
    • 3/5
      Enjoyable, light mystery in a series I haven't tried before. I would read more.
    • 4/5
      I'm pretty sure I found a new literary friend. She has moxie, a good sense a humor, animals love her, and trouble finds her wherever she goes, even when she is bedridden with a high risk pregnancy. Her name is Tess Monaghan and she is one of Baltimore's finest private detectives. I found Tess engaging. I was definitely interested in getting to know her, to find out what path she took that lead her to become a private investigator. I enjoyed the zany cast of characters with my favorite being Mrs. Blossom, the unassuming, knitting master spy. I lost count of how many times I burst out laughing during this novella. Ms. Lippman has a great writing style, direct without being pedestrian. There were two facets I found troubling. The first was that although I had a Why the face? moment, the ending seemed rushed. I really dislike when that happens. The second was, coming into an already established story, she left me feeling a bit like an outsider looking in on family and friends that held a tight bond. However she did succeed in peaking my interest. And now that my appetite is whet, I really have no choice but to start at the beginning and find out more about my new friend Tess and her family and kooky friends.
    • 4/5
      The Girl in the Green Raincoat, Laura Lippman’s eleventh Tess Monaghan novel, was originally published as a serial in the New York Times Magazine. Since I only became acquainted with Lippman’s work beginning with 2007’s standalone novel, What the Dead Know, other than a short story or two, this is my first experience with Ms. Monaghan – and I seem to be catching her at a bad time.Tess, because of preeclampsia, is ordered to spend the last two months of her pregnancy on extended bed rest. In a takeoff on Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window, Lippman has Tess move her bed out to her winterized sun porch for the duration of the pregnancy. There, armed with a trusty pair of binoculars, Tess begins to study the dog-walkers who use the little park across the street from her house. One walker, in particular, catches her eye - a green-raincoat-wearing blonde whose Italian greyhound always wears a matching green slicker on their walks.When, one afternoon, Tess sees the dog sprinting through the park on its own, she fully expects to find the woman in the green raincoat running behind in a desperate attempt to catch up with her freedom-seeking pooch. But this does not happen and, when neither the woman, nor the dog, has been seen for another day or so, Tess begins to suspect that something is very wrong. So, as a means to avoid going totally stir-crazy on her sun porch, Tess decides to put her detective skills and experience to good use by tracking down the woman in the green raincoat to make sure that nothing has happened to her. Luckily for Tess, she has a crew-of-four willing to do for her what she cannot accomplish from the confines of her little makeshift bedroom: Crow, her boyfriend and father of the baby holding her prisoner; Whitney Talbot, Tess’s best friend; crackerjack researcher Dorie Starnes; and a most unusual private investigator, Mrs. Blossom. As Tess grows more and more concerned about the missing woman’s fate, she will manage (much in the tradition of Rear Window) to move the investigation in a direction that places her sun porch in the middle of all the action.The Girl in the Green Raincoat will work best for readers already at least a little familiar with the repeat characters from previous Tess Monaghan novels. This one is very short, at just over 150 pages, and is probably best characterized as a novella rather than a novel. That does not leave much room for character development in a plot that features such a large supporting cast. Motivations, relationships, and personal histories that can only be guessed at by new readers are likely to be perfectly clear to Tess Monaghan veterans for whom the backstory is certain to be a significant part of the fun of The Girl in the Green Raincoat. This is not a good spot at which to jump into the Tess Monaghan series.Rated at: 3.5
    • 3/5
      I've read other Laura Lippman books (novels and short story collections), and usually love them. I've been meaning to start reading her Tess Monaghan collection. But it was a mistake to start with this book. There's a mystery here, but it is overshadowed by the interactions of the main characters. These interactions would probably be very entertaining if I already knew and loved the characters. But without the backstory, it really didn't grab me.
    • 4/5
      Book on CD performed by Linda Emond Baltimore PI Tess Monaghan is bed-bound and bored, so she takes to watching the people in the park across the way. She notices a young woman in a green raincoat, with her miniature greyhound, also outfitted in a matching green coat. Then one day the dog is running loose and the girl is nowhere to be seen. In a plot reminiscent of Hitchcock’s Rear Window, Tess gets her boyfriend Crow, BFF Whitney, and sometimes partner Mrs Blossom to begin investigating. Crow and Whitney find the dog, and eventually track the pooch through the breeder. But when Tess calls Don Epstein he says the dog is a menace and he and his wife no longer want it. Then Mrs Blossom reports that he seems evasive when asked when his wife might come back. A little internet search reveals that Epstein has been widowed twice previously, and now his third wife is missing…. Something’s definitely up, and Tess will not let it go until she discovers the truth.I’ve been a fan of this series since I read the first installment ([Baltimore Blues]). Tess is intelligent, resourceful, and tenacious. She’s also physically fit, doesn’t take unnecessary chances, and usually gets herself out of any scrapes rather than wait for some strong man to rescue her. I like the way the relationships have evolved over time and that’s a central plot point here. I read this one out of order and am upset with myself for “spoiling” things. So I won’t say anymore here to avoid spoiling anything for other readers. Suffice to say that the plot moved quickly, there were several twists and turns that kept me guessing, and the reveal was a surprise. Linda Emond does a great job performing the audiobook. She has good pacing, and really brings Tess to life.
    • 4/5
      You would be correct in thinking that this story is reminiscent of Hitchcock’s Rear Window. I loved that film – one of my favorites.However, this story is not in any way a re-working or an attempt to duplicate what the great director created. Not that this is bad, but I’d hate to give a potential reader the wrong impression.Fans of Lippman will love this light and quick read. Avid mystery readers might find it a bit less meaty than what they’re used to. At least I did. This is not a detriment to the author’s work here.The Girl in the Green Raincoat is a perfect book for someone looking for an enjoyable weekend read. I like those. I like picking a book off my shelf that I know will allow me to sit, relax, snuggle up to the cats and a cup of cocoa and let the story take over.I’ve never read Lippman and so I know nothing about her character Tess Monaghan. This was my introduction and I quite liked her. Her quick wit and banter are refreshing and far from obnoxious or overbearing. Never did a quip fall on a wrong note.At a little over two hundred pages, the ending comes quickly and my only complaint is that I was left with the sense there could have been a chapter or two more so I didn’t feel “rushed”. That maybe there was some kind of requirement to get it all done within those pages so when it got close, the story had to come together in a curt fashion.That being said, I liked The Girl In The Green Raincoat, and I’ve put Lippman on my list of authors whose books I want to read more of. Definitely.
    • 4/5
      Enjoyed this so much that will definitely read more of the series. Good writing and fast reading. Tess is 7 months preggie and on bed rest. There are similarities to The Rear Window, and I was surprised to learn who was the real killer.
    • 4/5
      Tess Monahan is pregnant and confined to bed rest by the window where she sees a young woman wearing a green raincoat walking a dog wearing a matching green raincoat everyday. One day the dog is running around the park minus it's owner. Tess is convinced that something has happened to the woman and gets her friends to investigate. The author readily admits that she used Hitchcock's movie "Rear Window" as an idea for this story.
    • 1/5
      I am half way through and I just can't do it anymore. This book is so boring.
    • 4/5
      I seem to be on a Laura Lippman kick lately. This book is actually a novella, a 158 page fun read that is quite unusual for Lippman even though it is a part of the Tess Monaghan series. My copy says "available for the first time in book form."The story begins with a very pregnant Tess confined to a chaise lounge in her sunroom by a diagnosis of pre-eclampsia and a close call with a miscarriage. Baby Daddy Crow is happily doing his best imitation of Martha Stewart, cooking and keeping house, while harping at Tess to "stay put" and not to work. Since she is fascinated by the people walking their dogs in the park next to her house, he brings her binoculars and she does her imitation of "Rear Window."Every day a young woman in a celery green raincoat walks an Italian greyhound wearing an identically colored raincoat. The woman talks on a cell phone constantly while the dog prances in front of her and for some reason Tess finds them interesting. Then one evening the dog runs back out by itself and Tess never sees the woman again. Certain something terrible has happened to her, Tess sets out to solve the mystery - to Crow''s horror.Tess' new employee Mrs. Blossom who resembles her name and best friend Whitney help in the investigation. As she gets involved, her house begins to take on a Grand Central Station atmosphere, and since she must leave the door unlocked (Crow would kill her if she got up to answer it), she's wide open to danger. I was fooled by the story, but then I was a little busy laughing at the characters and the antics of the dogs, hers plus the little greyhound, and I kept hoping she wouldn't lose the baby. Want to know how it all came out? You'll just have to read this charming little novella for yourself.
    • 3/5
      I've never read a book by Laura Lippman. I'm not sure why I haven't (although it could have something to do with my recent falling out of love with the mystery genre), but I've seen her name around the book blogging community and when I saw this offering on the NetGalley site, and noticed that it was under 200 pages long I figured I'd give it a go.The Girl in the Green Raincoat is the eleventh Tess Monaghan story, but in spite of not knowing Tess at all, I found myself easily getting my bearings and figuring out who was who fairly quickly. I felt sympathy for Tess and her bedridden state, although I had a harder time understanding just why she seemed to feel resentment toward her unborn daughter. I admit to snorting with laughter at the opening few pages of the book and, as a result, easily understanding the relationship between Tess and Whitney. The mystery was okay, with a nice twist thrown in that, while not completely unseen, still gave me a few details that I hadn't thought of.I do have one nit-picky thing to say though. The raincoat that plays so prominently in this story is described in the book as being "celery green". The book on the cover is definitely not "celery green", being more of an emerald color. It was that very color that drew my eye to the book in the first place, so to have it be described in the book as more of a celery color got to me (probably more than it should have). Such an easy thing to fix - I wonder why it was done that way.
    • 4/5
      The Girl in the Green Raincoat was a fun book. I don't think I have read any other mysteries featuring Tess but she did seem familiar so maybe I have. HmmmmmmmmI felt for Tess who was on "bed rest" because of a high risk pregnancy. I went through that myself when I was pregnant with my boys and it's not fun. It was easy to see how she watched people out of her window and made up stories to go with them. Especially being a PI, she can easily insert trouble with the way her mind works.The story moved along at a nice pace. It is filled with quirky, fun characters. I especially liked Whitney. She is the kind of friend that we all need to have. The superstitions that Tess had about not doing anything for the baby like buying furniture, having a baby shower, baby clothes, etc until the baby was born because it is bad luck gave me a laugh. We Italians have some strange superstitions as well so that was easy to relate to.This is a nice book for a weekend read when you want a mystery but not something heavy and gory. It keeps you guessing and I was quite surprised by the end.
    • 5/5
      I would not consider this book a great work of literature but I enjoyed it so much and it filled such a hole in me that I had to give it 5 stars.A comfy, cosy mystery with the very pregnant Tess bedridden in her last trimester and spending her days on her sun porch watching the world outside. Each day she waits and watches for those who daily walk their dogs past her windows. And each day she sees an attractive young lady in a green raincoat, green pumps, with a green umbrella walking a dog in a matching green raincoat. One day she sees the little dog go running by with his green leash flying behind him. Even though she is bedridden she must find out what has happened to the little dog's owner. A truly enjoyable book. Just right for those rough patches in one's R/L.Recommended but book 12 out of a series of 13. I need to go back and find the 1st.
    • 5/5
      Tess Monaghan is back. And Laura Lippman’s new Tess long short story/novella (at 208 pages call it what you choose) was worth the wait. It’s Lippman’s take on ‘Rear Window,’ as a pregnant homebound Tess watches dog walkers in the nearby park and becomes fascinated by ‘The Girl in the Green Raincoat’ who spends her time talking on her cell as she walks her green raincoat-clad miniature greyhound. Then, no surprise, one day the little greyhound runs free trailing his green color coordinated leash, and the plot thickens.For those enmeshed in the Tess series, this is a must read. Our iconoclastic Tess, pregnant? Tess, who could happily subsist on candy bars, sausage, and beer, and has little concern about her personal safety, is going to be responsible for someone else? Tess and Crow (?) as parents? Who other than Lippman and possibly Crow ever expected this day?And for those new to the series, while ’begin at the beginning’ is the best way to tackle this series where the characters actually change and grow, relationships develop in a believable fashion, nevertheless, ’The Girl in the Green Raincoat’ gives a good introduction to the world of Tess Monaghan. Lippman and Tess handle the ‘Rear Window’ theme with elan. The story is, as are all of the Tess books, interesting on three levels: the mystery element, the Tess-Crow relationship, and, as always, the portrait of Baltimore and its citizens.