Laura Lippman's Baltimore The annual Book Expo America (BEA) is a book-lover's dream. Open to industry professionals, BEA features books, books, and more books -- in every possible format. In May, BEA returned to New York City after a long absence. I exploited my credentials, paid the fee, and spent three blissful days hunting free books. Months later, I am still reading through the stacks of reviewers copies of forthcoming books, signed hardcovers, paperbacks, and audio tapes -- all courtesy of the hundreds of publishers exhibiting at the Expo. My best "catch of the day" was an advance copy of Laura Lippman's latest, THE LAST PLACE. That book alone was worth the price of admission. Laura Lippman may be the Tiger Woods of the mystery world. Like Tiger, she has won the majors in her field (Edgar, Anthony, Agatha, Shamus, and Nero), although not in the same calendar year. Like Tiger, Lippman is focused on one goal: getting better with each outing. Like Tiger, and potentially frightening to the rest of the field, she seems to be achieving her goal. In THE LAST PLACE, Tess Monaghan faces her most difficult case. One that probes the depths of her psyche, makes her the target of a serial killer, forces her to deliberately choose to kill, partly to avenge the death of Jonathan Ross, Beacon-Light reporter and Tess's sometimes lover, that occurred in Lippman's first book, BALTIMORE BLUES. "Tess never stops searching for answers, for justice, and for self perception and Lippman never quits until she's captured each breathtaking moment of her heroine's dizzying trip." (Kirkus) The summer doldrums hit shortly after I read THE LAST PLACE. I couldn't get the book out of my mind -- and I soon realized that I didn't have a trip planned until the fall. What would I write about for this issue of "Mysterious Travels"? As I floated around the pool (no kidding, I do my best thinking in the pool), I thought about THE LAST PLACE and how I knew nothing about Baltimore (that is, except for history lessons about the battle at Fort McHenry, "The Star Spangled Banner," and, of course, scenes from Homicide -- not a great orientation to the city.) A plan started forming in my water-logged brain. I climbed out of the pool and asked Laura Lippman for a tour of Baltimore -- and she graciously agreed. A week later, I was on Amtrack heading south to Baltimore's Penn Station. It's been weeks since my day-long, whirlwind tour of Charm City and I'm still trying to make sense of it all. (The fault, dear reader, is with my writing skills -- not the knowledge of my tour guide!) And, to be honest, I've put off writing this column because I knew I would never be able to do justice to my tour. It's a true case of, "you had to be there!" |
