Butchers Hill: A Tess Monaghan Novel is the third book in the series, after Baltimore Blues and Charm City (soon I will need to make a page to keep these books in order). Now a full-fledged Private Investigator, Tess has opened shop in a section of Baltimore, known as, you guessed it, Butcher’s Hill. The story revolves unraveling the story of the Butcher of Butcher’s Hill, intertwined with story of a birth mother searching for the daughter she gave up for adoption years ago.
Again, as with the first two, I’m pleased with this story. It’s fast-paced, plausible, and our heroine shows signs of growth in her new career (e.g., knowing when to carry a gun, taking advice, knowing when to get police involvement). Unlike other series mysteries (e.g., Stephanie Plum or Kay Scarpetta) where it seems the heroines make the same mistakes over and over, at least here we see growth and believability. Though I did find the ending a bit contrived, overall I enjoyed the story and will continue with the series.