By a Spider's Thread - (Tess Monaghan Novel) by Laura Lippman (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

New York Times Bestseller

Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Laura Lippman's Tess Monaghan--first introduced in the classic Baltimore Blues--must track down a missing wife and unravel the secrets in her marriage that led her to flee.

"A hair raising ride."--Boston Globe

Mark Rubin's family is missing--and the police won't get involved because all the evidence indicates that his wife left willingly. So the successful Baltimore furrier turns to Tess Monaghan, hoping she can help him find his wife and three children. Tess doesn't quite know what to make of Rubin, who doles out vitally important information in grudging dribs and drabs. According to her client, he and his beautiful wife, Natalie, had a flawless, happy marriage. Yet one day, without any warning or explanation, Natalie gathered up their children and vanished.

Tapping into a network of fellow investigators spread across the country, Tess is soon able to locate the runaway wife and the children who have been moving furtively from state to state, town to town. But the Rubins are not alone. A mysterious man is traveling with them, a stranger described by witnesses as "handsome" and "charming" but otherwise unremarkable. And the deeper Tess digs, the more she suspects that the motive behind Natalie's reckless flight lies somewhere in the gap between what Rubin will not say and what he refuses to believe.

An intricate web of betrayal and vengeance is already beginning to unfold, as memory begets rage, and rage begets desperation...and murder. Suddenly, much more than one man's future happiness and stubborn pride are in peril. For the lives of three innocent children are dangling by the slenderest of threads.

From the Back Cover

New York Times bestselling author Laura Lippman's Tess Monaghan must track down a missing wife and unravel the secrets in her marriage that led her to flee. . . .

When successful Baltimore furrier Mark Rubin's beautiful wife, Natalie, dis-appears with their three children, the police turn him away, noting that all evidence indicates she left willingly. And there's no crime in walking out on an unhappy marriage. Private detective Tess Monaghan is his only hope, but Tess isn't quite sure what she can do for Mark. She also doesn't know what to make of her new client's claim that he and Natalie were the model for wedded bliss. Tess's instincts tell her there's something off about Mark's picture-perfect view of his marriage--and that he's withholding information from her.

After Tess puts the word out to her network of fellow investigators around the country, she soon locates Natalie and the children. It appears they've been traveling from state to state in the company of a mysterious man--a stranger described by witnesses as "handsome" and "charming" but otherwise unremarkable. As Tess investigates further, she becomes more convinced that Natalie's motive for running away lies in the gap between what Rubin will not say and what he refuses to believe.

Review Quotes

"Laura Lippman in her series featuring Baltimore private investigator Tess Monaghan just keeps getting better and better." -- Houston Chronicle

"By a Spider's Thread--arguably the most complex, moving novel in her Tess Monaghan detective series." -- Time Out New York

"The fast-paced, intelligent story involves a maze of betrayal, surprises and a murder." -- Jewish Week

"Both entertaining and unexpectedly touching. More Please." -- Baltimore Sun

"Tess is feisty . . . And it is a joy to watch her come alive." -- Washington Times

"A sense of place so unerring that it makes Baltimore everyone's hometown." -- Kirkus Reviews

"Again, Yes! To Tess." -- Baltimore Sun

"Compulsively readable" may be a cliché, but it's a perfect description for this novel. -- Toronto Globe and Mail