Rated of 5
by Kristen H. (Lowell, MA) Mole hill to mountain while still mole hill
This book starts out with Tessa noticing a girl walking in the park with her dog and then the girl goes missing and while everyone else thinks that Tessa is making a mountain out of a mole hill in this girl's disappearance she is certain something is wrong. This book captivated me from the beginning for it starts with such a simple premise and the whole story stays simple though the ending is a bit of a surprise.
Rated of 5
by Liz M. (Morristown, NJ) The Girl in the Green Raincoat
I really enjoyed this book, it's a short story that keeps your interest with a good plot and characters. This was my first book by Laura Lippman, but not my last. I will definitely go back and find other books written by her. A good book to curl up with on a cold evening!
Rated of 5
by Janice H. (Savage, Minnesota) A Couple of Firsts for Me
This is my first written book review for BookBrowse and my first Laura Lippman mystery. I was intrigued from the opening reference on a modern twist to the movie ‘Rear Window’ and an unexpected forced bed rest for a high risk pregnancy. Why not spend the time solving a mystery with a little help from friends? I enjoyed the book tremendously and once I started the book, I couldn’t put it down. I found myself pursuing the evidence as earnestly as detective Tess and fearing the demise of the lovely Girl in the Green Raincoat. The book’s character’s were delightful from Mrs. Bloom, a co-worker stepping in to do the research and leg work for Tess, her best friend Whitney, who is single, rich and able to help with the brainstorming and Crow, her boyfriend who is trusting, caring and willing to organize all the bring home meals and care for Tess and the expected baby during her confinement. The suspects were uncovered as Tess received the information and very humorous when individuals were not always what they seemed at first impression. I was totally surprised at the outcome of her research and encounter with the suspect and didn’t see it coming as the climax unfolded. The interweaving of Tess’s family stories into each chapter was a welcome perspective into Tess’s past. I loved the story of how her father and mother met and enjoyed hearing about the many interest of her father, the fixer and ‘Wonder Dad’. By telling these stories from her past, I came to know the character well without having read any of her previous novels. I definitely enjoyed this novel and ran out to pick a couple of her previous novels so I could spend more time with Tess Monaghan and her friends. I definitely would recommend this book and look forward to the sequel.
Rated of 5
by Hilary H. (Tucson, AZ) Girl in the Green Raincoat
I've enjoyed many Tess Monaghan books and this lived up to Laura Lippman's usual success. My only complaint was that it was so short. The premise of having Tess confined to bed and linked only via window (rear or not) and electronic devices was cleverly done. Now I need to go read the one right before this because I think I've missed one!
Rated of 5
by Judy B. (Marysville, OH) Don't underestimate The Girl in the Green Raincoat or Laura Lippman
Laura Lippman’s The Girl in the Green Raincoat is great fun…and it’s short! This is another in the Tess Monaghan series, a couple of which I’ve read and enjoyed. The book’s main antecedent is Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window—Tess is laid up, forbidden to move because of complications with her pregnancy (love it—I don’t know of another tough female PI in this genre who gets pregnant). Looking out her window, a la Jimmy Stewart, she watches a girl in a green raincoat walking her dog, who is wearing a matching green coat, in the park across the street. Then one day Tess sees the dog alone running as if pursued, with the leash dragging behind. Well, what has happened to the girl in the green raincoat? Tess suspects foul play and uses all her resources, minus her mobility, to investigate. The surprising and satisfying resolution puts Tess in danger of losing her life. I especially liked this book in the Tess series. Maybe partly because Tess is “imprisoned,” the story is as much about people, families, and relationships as about action, plot, and “whodunit.” I also like Lippman’s characters who are, as Tess puts it, people “the world tended to underestimate.”
Rated of 5
by Ray P. (Selden, NY) Another fine entry in the Tess Monaghan series.
In my opinion, Laura Lippman is the best American Female Crime Writer working today. As a former investigative journalist and resident of Baltimore, MD, she knows her territory and what is going on behind the scenes. Unlike contemporaries like Patricia Cornwell and Kathy Reichs, she does not have to fill in the gaps in plot with sideline discussions of DNA or Forensic research.
THE GIRL IN THE GREEN RAINCOAT was originally released as a serial in the NY TIMES. It is Lippman's version of HItchcock's "Rear Window" as her recurring character, former journalist/current P.I., Tess Monaghan, is very pregnant and ordered to bed rest. Using binoculars from her medically-imposed exile room she spies a local dog park and notices that a woman in a green raincoat that she has seen walking a small Greyhound one day disappears, leaving the dog to fend for himself.
Tess takes in the dog and finds his address from his dogtags. Turns out the dog - Dempsey - is the property of the Epstein family. More ironic is that Don Epstein, the husband of the girl in the green raincoat, is on wife number three (the first two both died under mysterious circumstances). Using her friend Whitney to do some legwork, Mr. Epstein's background shows a pattern of potential homicidal behavior. Will Tess be able to crack this case from her bed? This short novel is intriguing and continues the terrific Tess Monaghan series---intelligent novels that always keep the reader guessing.
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of 5
by Kristen H. (Lowell, MA) 
of 5
by Janice H. (Savage, Minnesota) 
