No Good Deeds: A Tess Monaghan Novel

by: Laura Lippman

Published by: William Morrow

Review by Kathy Perschmann

Baltimore: P.I. Tess Monaghan is giving a special workshop for her old employer, the Baltimore Beacon-Light, to teach new reporters proper investigative procedures. She picks three events from the recent news: one is the unsolved murder of Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Youssef.

Little did Tess know that her boyfriend, Crow (actually Edgar Ransome) would be providing her with a star witness--the actual teen who used Youssef's ATM card the night he died. Crow is making his usual deliveries of food to homeless shelters, when he discovers one of his tires is slashed. A young black teen offers to help him change the tire, claiming he had nothing to do with the slashing, that he had chased off the guy that did it.

Crow finds out that Lloyd is homeless, and so offers to buy him a meal and takes him home for dinner and a place to spend the night. When Lloyd hears Youssef's name at Crow and Tess's house, he reacts oddly and later tries to steal a few items from their home and drive off, but ends up causing a car accident, and escapes.

Tess tracks him down cannot forget Lloyd's odd reaction when he heard Youssef's name. A meeting with a reporter is set up to make Lloyd's clue known. Lloyd and Tess are guaranteed anonymity, but Tess's name is given out in a later edition. Crow and Lloyd have to flee and go into hiding, when Lloyd's friend is murdered. Tess is hounded by three investigators who want to know where they are.

Wilma, Youssef's wife, contacts Tess after the article about Lloyd's connection to the murder makes the paper. Wilma fears that Tess is protecting a murderer. She does tell Tess about her husband's safe deposit box she had just discovered.

Was Youssef murdered because of his work? Was it terrorism or drugs? What is in the safe deposit box?

Armchair Interviews says: Characters like Tess and Crow make this an unforgettable summer read.