In a Strange City is the sixth in the series featuring Baltimore reporter turned private detective Tess Monaghan. In a definite homage not only to the city that she loves – Baltimore, Lippman draws us into a fascinating mystery that celebrates the father of the modern crime novel Edgar Allan Poe.
It is a beloved charm city tradition that everybody appreciates. On January 19th every year, the date being Poe’s birthday a mysterious figure visits the author’s graveside and always leaves behind a tribute of 3 roses and half a bottle of cognac. Nobody knows who the mysterious figure is, but despite this nobody wants to find out who the “Poe Toaster” is. So, who would want to spoil such a tradition?
Tess is persuaded by her boyfriend Crow that it is about time that she observes the annual ritual. What also persuades her is the prospective client she calls the “pig man” who came to see her the day before. As luck would have it instead of seeing a single cloaked visitor to the graveside of the esteemed author there are two people at his resting place. A shot rings out and one man falls down dead while the other escapes. Despite how hard she tries Tess soon finds herself involved in finding a murderer, especially since someone is urging her involvement with cryptic and bizarre clues.
I loved listening to this book on tape, especially since it was not an abridged version. Laurence Bouvard is a good reader and certainly fits the book. Bouvard also certainly manages to put across very well Lippman’s love of Baltimore. One can certainly imagine what is going on. Bouvard is particularly good at female voices, but not that good at male ones which is a shame as this is the only thing that let the recording down.
My only gripe is that she needs to learn how to read male characters a bit
better. I could barely tell the difference when she was supposed to be a male
character, and at times she came across as a bit whinny. However, all in all
this was a good reading of In a Strange City. Despite this, it would certainly
not put me off listening to other books in the series if Bouvard reads them.
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Ayo Onatade