Think "Rear Window," but with a pregnant private investigator confined to bed rest in he
r third trimester of pregnancy. In The Girl in the Green Raincoat, Baltimore native, Tess Monaghan still manages to get herself in plenty of trouble even when she doesn't leave her room. While suffering through her confinement, Tess watches dog walkers in the park every afternoon. One day, Tess spies a little dog running off without his owner. Tess can't rest until she finds out what happened to the missing woman.
The novella is a departure from Lippman's usual style. The chapters of The Girl in the Green Raincoat were first serialized in the New York Times Magazine. Almost every chapter provides a story within the story, providing the reader insight into the secondary characters. I can't wait to find out what will happen next with Tess Monaghan. How will she juggle being a mother with her chosen career of Private Investigator? If you like Lippman, be sure to check out her last award-winning stand alone novel What the Dead Know.
The novella is a departure from Lippman's usual style. The chapters of The Girl in the Green Raincoat were first serialized in the New York Times Magazine. Almost every chapter provides a story within the story, providing the reader insight into the secondary characters. I can't wait to find out what will happen next with Tess Monaghan. How will she juggle being a mother with her chosen career of Private Investigator? If you like Lippman, be sure to check out her last award-winning stand alone novel What the Dead Know.
I was surprised to learn that this book had been serialized. I wish I had known in advance. I was frustrated by the "story with a story" in each chapter approach because I felt there was a lack of the usual cohesive devices that pull a read from chapter to chapter. The book overall felt like a less complex read. I enjoyed it. I think of it as a great read for times when you get interrupted alot--for example when you are flying. For a long-immerse-yourself-in-a-story, I recommend Lippman's other books.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment about The Girl in the Green Raincoat. I liked the story-within-a-story because I enjoyed learning more about Tess's parents and her friends, but I can see how it might be off-putting if you weren't expecting it. Like you, I'd recommend Lippman's full length novels for an engrossing read.
ReplyDeleteThanks for writing in!