• In a Strange City

  • Tess Monaghan Mysteries
  • By: Laura Lippman
  • Narrated by: Barbara Rosenblat
  • Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (379 ratings)

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In a Strange City  By  cover art

In a Strange City

By: Laura Lippman
Narrated by: Barbara Rosenblat
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Publisher's summary

In a Strange City stars PI Tess Monaghan in a chilling thriller.

When a murder occurs during the annual visit of a cloaked individual to Edgar Allan Poe's grave, Tess is drawn into unearthing a killer.

©2001 Laura Lippman (P)2009 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"Lippman's second Tess Monaghan novel is a perfectly good mystery, but even more, it's an homage to the city of Baltimore." ( Booklist)

What listeners say about In a Strange City

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

a good book but poorly described on audible

The Booklist review referring to the "second in the Tess Monaghan series" is not for this book but for "Charm City." I downloaded this from audible hoping for the second book because of that review.
Nonetheless, it's good, hon.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Of Edgar Allan Poe...

Edgar Allan Poe lived, for a time and until his death, in Baltimore. While he actually died in October, this tale puts the date of his death on a cold, early morning January 19th, and surrounding that death swirl many tales, including an unknown, cloaked person who, yearly, visits the grave with three red roses and a half bottle very expensive wine. On this particular visit, there is a murder ... Another very good read from Lippman. 5 stars.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Kept waiting for it to pick up; it didn't

There's something so cozy about Laura Lippman's prose. Her first-person narrator could be somebody you fall into conversation with while waiting for a bus or pausing on a walk in a park to admire each other's dogs. When it works, as in "And When She Was Good," the plot drives the pokey style along. When it doesn't, as in this effort, the narrator becomes tiresome and unbelievable.

A gang of thieves obsessed with Edgar Allan Poe is a fine idea, but Lippman is unable to illuminate why they are obsessive collectors and what it is about Poe that is so fascinating. For a story about obsessive collectors, try Bruce Chatwin's "Utz." It's obvious in the comparison that Lippman is a once-over-lightly sort of writer, and this particular tale needed some depth.

Plus, I'm tired of Barbara Rosenblat. She's obviously a pro, but there's something cozy about her voice. Listening to it, book after book, I'm beginning to feel as though a stranger is being overly familiar. It's like getting a full-body hug from an acquaintance.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent

Not a thriller (which is good). The pace is a bit slow, but a rich and interesting mystery is laid out in a leisurely rate. The character development is outstanding. The narration is outstanding and greatly enhances each character, and the city itself.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Narrator was dreadful. Story was boring.

I can’t believe they allowed this awful narrator to ruin another Tess novel. She sounds like a 97 year old, chain smoking Cathy moriarty. She takes long, inappropriately placed pauses. Her deep breathing and inhaling is distracting. The story it’s self is boring, confusing and too long. I’ve loved every Tess book except this one.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Disappointment

Narrator is not that great. Hard to keep characters dialog straight. Story was so so.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Another Well Read Book

What made the experience of listening to In a Strange City the most enjoyable?

Learning the snip-it of Poe history true and not so true.

What does Barbara Rosenblat bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Barbara Rosenblat is an excellant reader. She is able to make each character different so when you hear the voice you know which character immediately. She seems to act the book as she reads. She is able to keep an excellant pace so that you don't want to stop listening. SHE IS A GOOD READER OR NARRATOR AS SOME CALL IT. GOOD, GOOD, GOOD READER. Starting the next book Barbara's last one. Not sure about the next reader for book 8.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Started the book at 8 am and I made it to 1am and had to go to bed. 7am comes to fast. Finished it while taking my shower. ( Good external speakers) So good.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Interesting

I like the author. I started the Tess Monaghan series after listening too When she was good. I loved the narrator on the first 3 books from my local library but I was really offputting by the narration of Sugar House & In a Strange City. I am going to try one more but I may not be able to fi ish if they all have the same narrator as the last 2.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Best One Yet!!!

I’m a true Baltimorean and love the Tess Monaghan series, but this one really hit home...I grew up in the Poe Homes on Amity Street!!! I loved this one...can’t wait to start on my next book in this series!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

More “ACTING!” than narrating

Enjoyable, especially if you’re a fan of Mr. Poe — and of Ms. Lippman. I am fond of both the authors, yet I found this production annoyingly narrated: too much acting and sometimes a slurring delivery with way too much attitude. She also mispronounced a few names, such as Ayn Rand. Is it so hard to look up the pronunciation?

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1 person found this helpful