I have read many of Laura Lippman's books and I'm always looking for ones I may have missed. This book of short stories is another excellent example of a skilled author who knows exactly what her readers want, even in short form.

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

I enjoyed this book of short stories, I usually enjoy Laura Lippman's books and would have preferred one full story, but I always enjoy her books.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

Excellent, as always. I am a huge Laura Lippman fan, and this collection definitely stands up. Highly recommend.

As with most short story collections, there were some highs and lows for me in this collection, but overall, I'm totally excited to try more from this author in the future! The writing was great, and the stories were very character driven, which is my jam

Ever since I've been a child, I have held an affinity for short stories. Unfortunately, I have found more often or not, that I love the IDEA of short stories more than the narratives themselves, usually due to the author failing to capture my attention and interest in the span of a few pages. This was not the case with Laura Lippman's new collection of short stories, Seasonal Work, an incisive assortment of tales with a tantalizing true crime/noir vibe.

Seasonal Work is a collection without filler. Every story in this work is at the very least good, with some achieving paramount status in their ability to captivate and surprise. I would love to read a full-length novel of every single story in this collection, the plots are just that enrapturing.

This collection is divided into four parts, with each part containing three stories encompassing a theme - Baltimore, Women, Girls, and Marriage. Included in the collection are:

Seasonal Work: A teenage girl plays along with her stepfather's con, in which he temporarily moves the family to a new city every holiday season to fleece the citizens in funding their Christmas.

The Book Thing: Lippman's much-loved private investigator Tess Monaghan investigates the mysterious disappearance of books at a Baltimore bookstore.

The Everyday Housewife: Tess Monaghan's newlywed mother Judith Monaghan becomes suspicious of her neighbors while adjusting to married life.

Cougar: A mother grapples with the consequences of letting her adult son and his girlfriend live in her basement.

Snowflake Time: A news commentator in the vein of Bill O'Reilly navigates a multi-generational workplace while being accused of sexual harassment.

Tricks: A New Orleans con man invites his latest victim to the French Quarter for a weekend away before he swindles her of her fortune.

Ice: A young black girl dies playing on a frozen pond, and her tragedy is later paralleled in the life of another young girl.

The Last of Sheila Locke-Holmes: In this story inspired by Lippman's own life, a young girl obsessed with Harriet the Spy investigates her own parents' past.

Five Fires: A string of fires in a beach town puzzles its residents in an incendiary tale that could be ripped from the headlines.

Waco 1982: A privileged East Coast journalist learns just how different the news stories are spun in central Texas.

Slow Burner: A wife becomes suspicious of her husband after getting her hands on his burner phone.

Just One More: Set during the 2020 COVID lockdown, a couple plays with fire when they decide to make online dating profiles to see if they eventually match.

Quite reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock's shorts, Seasonal Work will appeal to readers who love crafty tales of deceit.

A genuine treat for Laura Lippman fans, these short stories are a cross between "The Twilight Zone" and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents", but with much more modern settings. While the first third of the book features stories involving Lippman's detective alter ego, Tess Monaghan, the rest of the stories take readers into other dimensions, and with great payoffs. All the while, Lippman winks at the reader, with plots and dialogue that entice you to finish each story as soon as possible.

An interesting read, not an absolute favorite, was not an “I can’t put this down” but drawn in enough to finish. I’ll have to read more of this author. Thanks to the publisher and net galley for this ARC opportunity

This is a collection of short stories. I have read all of Lippman's novels and love them. I think these stories are ok but not nearly as entertaining as her full length works.

I received a copy of this book from New Galley in exchange for my honest review.

Seasonal Work by Laura Lippman is a composition of twelve unique short stories that range from humorous to downright sinister, but each one engaging and thought-provoking. A few of the stories showcase Lippman's famous PI Tess Monaghan or a family member, but the rest, the reader needs no prior knowledge of Lippman's work.

My favorite stories were "Seasonal Work", "Just One More", "Slow Burner", and "Snowflake Time", though most were very good.

I know short story collections can be hit or miss for some people but this one did well to cover the bases and tell complete stories in a short amount of pages. I would gladly recommend this one to friends.

Lippman is unabashedley one of my favorite mystery writers. This collection of stories does not disappoint. Tess Monaghan even appears.

Well worth a read

A real good collection of short stories with a lot of variety on topics. One can read this in one sitting or just randomly pick and choose based on the titles, I recommend reading them all. Fans of Lippman will find this just as enjoyable as her novels.

I don't read a lot of short stories but if it's stories about fierce women I am in. And then when you realise it's Laura Lippman writing these stories then it's a no brainer.

This is an amazing collection of intriguing, thought-provoking, fun, twisty stories. The collection includes 12 stories. Some blew me away, some were oh so good, and a few didn’t quite resonate with me. There’s some element of deception in each of the stories, which brings some added depth. Laura Lippman ofcourse excels in this.

Among my favorites in the collection were “Just One More,” in which a married couple quarantining during COVID decide to join a dating app to see how compatible they really are which takes a twist.
"Seasonal Work" in which a teenager navigates life on the run with a con man.
“Five Fires,” in which a spate of fires rock a small town.
"Slow Burner" in which a wife finds the burner phone her husband is using. to contact a potential love interest.

Having read the author's previous books I was excited to see that Tess Monaghan pops up in a few stories here,

I would definitely recommend this book to fans of short stories.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks so much to the author, publisher, and NG for a copy of this book in exchange for honest feedback. I am not familiar with the author's previous work, but when I saw this book for requesting I was interested. I was vaguely aware of the name for some reason, it rang a bell. I read the summary and was still interested, so upon requesting and receiving the book I was excited! I haven't read too many collections of stories. One of my favorite authors is one who does short stories really well, so I'm not necessarily against them. I thought this collection was indicative of a talented writing style; I was actually really impressed at the range of themes represented in the stories. They aren't just about work or employment, but they range from interpersonal things to finding out a husband's cheating after finding a spare phone. I really enjoyed this collection and will be seeking out further publications (and the previous ones) by this author whose talent is very clear.

This was an amazing collection of short stories. Every time I thought I had found my favorite, the next story was even better! I normally like to read series because the character development is so strong, but Lippman did an amazing job of letting you really get to know the characters even though these were only short stories. This was the first book I have read by her but it definitely won’t be my last! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was just okay for me. I enjoyed Laura Lippman's writing, but unfortunately most of the stories didn't resonate with me and didn't seem quite complete. I put it down around the 60% mark and honestly forgot that I was reading it, and therefore didn't finish it. Because of this, I won't be posting my review elsewhere at this time.

I think anyone who is a Lippman fan will enjoy this collection of short stories, but it didn’t blow me away. I loved the title story, Seasonal Work and also loved Slow Burner. Cougar and Black Beans were also interesting.

A short story collection from the great Laura Lippman. I really enjoyed this. There was a good variety and I was always happy to jump into the next story. I would say fans of Lippman would like this, but there is a wider appeal for this title as well.

Laura Lippmann's new collection of stories is like a buffet of delicious hors d'oeuvres; you know you shouldn't keep eating them but each one is tastier than the last, and who is knows when this talented writer will serve it up her next full length novel?. All the ingredients are here, in each polished entry - drama, pathos, conflict, revenge, love, sex , abandonment,and a soupcon of humor. Few authors get inside the mind of young girls like Lippmann does, or wring tears for lives blighted beyond their control .

Seasonal Work
by Laura Lipman
Pub Date: Jan 4, 2022
William Morrow

I am usually not a fan of short stories, but when I saw who wrote them I decided to give it a try.
Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC. Seasonal Work is a collection of 12 short stories by Laura Lippman, author of Dream Girl.

The short story genre is one of the most difficult. The author has a very limited number of pages to deliver a karate chop, making an abrupt impact and then fading out. This author is still in the process of fine-tuning the storytelling involved in the short story genre. The stories themselves were okay (for the most part), but the pacing was really off. I prefer Lipman's other work.
3 star