The Girl in the Green Raincoat / Laura Lippman / 158 pages

Laura Lippman, a former reporter, knows how to write a tight story. In this novella, starring Tess Monaghan, readers are bed-ridden, just like Tess who is in the last two months of her pregnancy. From our perspective on the chaise lounge, we use our friends, the Internet, and our wits to solve the mystery of the disappearance of a girl in a green raincoat who Tess observes with the aid of her binoculars walking her dog in the park. No surprise that speculation can lead to specious theory, and the book has a surprise ending. Lippman manages to also weave in stories about family and love in this short book. You can't help but identify with Tess who wants to be in control of her life but life throws plenty of curve balls. A good, satisfying read.