Arrived from Betterworldbooks.com yesterday.

My review of another copy of this book:

Third in the Tess Monaghan series.

In Butchers Hill we find Tess has moved. She has her own office and her own pad. She's starting to take in money. She is still tied to Tyner Gray, friend, attorney, rowing coach, who signs a contract with each client Tess accepts, giving her some protection through privilege laws.

Tess is involved in two investigations in this novel. First, the case of Luther Beale. Beale is fresh out of prison for shooting (and killing) a young boy who, with his buddies, had been causing trouble in Beale's neighborhood. He tells Tess that he wants to make amends for the shooting, as best he can, by providing money or other financial means for the rest of the little gang, wherever they are now. His manner, though, is stiff and formal and Tess wonders if he has other reasons for wanting to know where these other grown children are. When some of them start turning up dead, she really has to think this through.

Then there's the cool, beautiful woman, Mary Browne, who wants to find her sister, who had gone missing many years ago. But is that what she really wants? It seems too easy.

Tess has to call on several friends she has made over the years to help her solve these cases, and she is accompanied by her rescue greyhound, Esskay (which I am always tempted to read as "Kess", as in translating pig latin).

One of the side benefits of these novels is that Tess loves Baltimore, where she lives. We go to many parts of the city and eat in many of the restaurants and drink in some of the bars. I feel like I would know the place if I ever visited.

Sending to paperbackswap member soon.

Sent today to a fellow paperbackswap member.