Another Thing to Fall
by Laura Lippman
Humorous
Hollywood culture mystery with rich characterization.
In Laura Lippman's ANOTHER THING TO FALL, Private
Investigator Tess Monaghan enters the world of Hollywoood as the
television series Mann of Steel comes to Baltimore. Filled with
humorous and often sarcastic insights into the a culture of celebrity
and a behind the scenes of look at the film/television industry, this
mystery will have readers laughing aloud as Tess's more literary
insights chafe against the world around her.
With rowing season soon at an end, Baltimore P.I. Tess Monaghan takes
her scull out for a workout. Headphones in use, she has no idea of the
dangers ahead until she crashes, ruining the shoot for a television
series. Baltimore has not exactly embraced the presence of Mann of
Steel inside its city. The press pans the movie for its disruption of
the neighborhood , its indifference to the steel industry, a series of
small accidents and the bad behavior of the emerging star, Selena
Waites. The series creator, Flip Tumulty, the son of a Hollywood
legend, hires Tess to act as a bodyguard to protect the interest of his
film and the spoiled actress. After all, a man was found dead,
surrounded by photographs of the young star just about the time the set
experienced the little incidents of accidents or sabotage. Despite her
uneasy introduction to the cast and set, Tess agrees to play
babysitter. Tess discovers that her assignment is not as easy as
appears when she is forced to spend her time with a group of people who
annoy her with their obsession on appearance, their lack of knowledge
about Baltimore, literature , history and just about everything else
that is not film related. Everyone has an angle. Everyone has an agenda
to put themselves first. To make matters worse, Selena gives Tess the
slip, proving she is more devious and hard to handle than Tess ever
imagined. When a murder occurs, Tess cannot help but investigate even
if only unofficially. As she looks more deeply into the cast of
characters and the details of the murder, Tess discovers all is not
what it appears. Fictive celebrity masks, jealousies and the hunger for
fame are only the first layers Tess must unveil to unravel all the
threads that led to murder.
Laura Lippman assembles an intriguing and often hilarious cast of
characters in her latest Tess Monaghan mystery. Selena Waites stars as
the rising Hollywood creation, an actress (or actor as women are now
called in the movie culture) with an insatiable appetite who never
seems to actually eat. Oblivious to everything and everyone around her,
Selena represents the perfect example of a culture and generation
oblivious to all else but the present and fulfilling every whim and
want. Next to Selena stars Johnny Tampa, the aging and overweight actor
looking for a comeback. When Selena's role suddenly grows,
overshadowing his role in the series, is he jealous or hungry enough to
take matters into his own hands? Did one of the entourage of men
surrounding Selena, men captivated by her beauty and celebrity, have a
hand in the mysterious happenings? Flip Tumulty, anxious to make a name
for himself rather be compared to his father's legendary fame will do
anything to insure the success of his new series. How far will he go to
protect or publicize himself? Greer took over her position next to Flip
in a well-orchestrated coup of greed and manipulation. Did she go one
step too far? Whose chain did she rattle just enough to make them
resort to murder?
ANOTHER THING TO FALL
is a masterpiece of characterization. The reader sees Tess's character
mostly as a contrast to the movie culture that has invaded her town.
Through Tess, sarcasm, humor and a broader reality provide a stark
contrast to the insulated world of Hollywood. Readers will laugh aloud
at some of the riotous portraits. This reader has not read such a fun
and funny mystery in years! Humor gives way to a finely detailed
structure of motivations and personalities as these characters chafe
and battle for supremacy in a series which can make or break them. As
Tess reminds herself and the reader, she does not have to like the
characters she investigates ---the job is to discover the culprit and
keep Selena safe. Even the secondary characters are well written and
integrated into the plot with just the right timing. Mrs. Blossom, a
student from Tess's class adds humor and a mystery twist to ANOTHER THING TO FALL .
As Tess unearths more and more clues, ANOTHER
THING TO FALL examines all the motives and seething
undercurrents behind the television shoot. First impressions give way
to something much richer. Just as Tess's sarcasm reaches its height,
the reader suddenly notices that this horrible, humorous cast of
insipid actors and support crew have captured one's heart. In a subtly
orchestrated change of tone, the reader moves from laughing at the
expense of these Hollywood creations to caring for the personalities
beneath. Laura Lippman gives readers a welcome dose of reality with her
critique of the movie/television industry, providing a humorous
antidote to a culture obsessed with celebrity and Hollywood. At the
same time, ANOTHER THING TO FALL
goes beyond humor and mystery to provide the reader with a
compassionate view of the people behind the façade. ANOTHER THING TO FALL is an
intriguing look into character in a mystery with clever plot twists
---- a mystery and so much more. Absolutely brilliant!
Publisher: William Morrow (March 2008)
Reviewed by Merrimon,
Merrimon Book Reviews
