Tess Monaghan sure knows how to make an entrance. While innocently rowing in the middle of the Patapsco River one early October morning, she literally smacks right into her latest case. Of course, that's one way to drum up business, but even for Tess, it does seem a tad bit on the dramatic side.

When some mysterious mishaps start occurring on the set of a television series filming in Baltimore, Tess is hired to keep a watchful eye on a young and rather conniving actress. While rubbing elbows with the Hollywood set, she is rather stumped by the colorful cast of characters who are vying for fame and fortune. From a washed-up actor wishful for a comeback to a writing staff that has more hidden secrets than a magician, Tess is pulled in all directions as she tries to do her job under the scrutiny of the somewhat suspicious and mysterious cast. What she doesn't expect are so many twists and turns when it comes to the simple task of playing the role of a bodyguard.

As if right on cue, a dead body gets added to the unofficial script and now Tess is faced with the task of finding a brutal killer. With the home turf advantage, Tess unearths some long-forgotten secrets that have the potential to re-write the careers of some of Hollywood's heaviest-hitters. At what lengths will she go to in order to bring the killer to justice? And, at what cost to her safety and to the futures of her new-found friends and colleagues will she risk to fulfill her obligation to her client?

ANOTHER THING TO FALL delivers what Lippman fans have come to expect... the right blend of mystery and intrigue from her hometown of Baltimore that put the charm into her story as well as lend a sense of authenticity to the plot. Lippman's latest installment of her highly popular Tess Monaghan Series is a fine example of crime writing at its best

This review is from the hardback edition.