Sophia Rose Reviews - Shakespeare’s Trollop by Charlaine Harris, narrated by Julia Gibson

 

Shakespeare’s Trollop by Charlaine Harris, narrated by Julia Gibson

#4 Lily Bard

Mystery

Publisher:  Recorded Books

Published:  11.24.09

Time:  6 hours  54 minutes

Rating: 4.5 stars

Format: audio

Source:  library

Sellers:  Amazon

ADD TO: GoodReads

GoodReads Synopsis: 

Welcome back to Shakespeare - a charming Arkansas town with endless back roads, an eclectic mix of residents, and a dollop of noir. Featuring cleaning woman/karate expert Lily Bard, Charlaine Harris's series puts a unique spin on the traditional cozy to create mysteries that "work on every level. The writing and plotting are first rate [and] Lily is appealing in her own prickly way" --Washington Times

In the latest installment, Lily discovers lifelong Shakespeare resident Deedra Dean murdered inside a car parked in a woodsy area outside town. Determined not to get involved, Lily wants to leave the police work to Sheriff Marta Schuster and her team of deputies, and concentrate on cleaning, high kicks, and her boyfriend Jack's impending visit. But when Deedra's notoriously promiscuous lifestyle provides an extensive list of suspects but very few clues, Lily has no choice but to resume the role of amateur detective and join the investigation.

In this fourth book in Charlaine Harris's highly acclaimed and darkly compelling series, Lily Bard delivers a hard-hitting mix of Southern charm and street smarts, a combination so alluring that long-time readers and newcomers will be dying to visit Shakespeare again.

 

Sophia Rose's Review:

When two of Lily’s cleaning clientele end up in lethal situations, she comes to the notice of the police so Lily is determined to get answers.  Charlaine Harris’ Lily Bard series has been around a bit, but, in many ways, it feels current and is very much relevant.

 

Shakespeare’s Trollop is the fourth in a darker, but engaging mystery series that reads best in order as Lily’s life is told while she goes about solving puzzling, gritty murders in her small Arkansas’ town.

 

All through the series, Deedra has been a side character so promiscuous that she’s got a reputation.  Lily feels parts saddened and exasperated by Deedra’s blithely ignoring safety as she scratches her itch through half the male population of Shakespeare.  Now, Lily’s fears were realized and is the one to discover someone did in the young woman.  Deedra’s associations with men leave the police and Lily with a long suspect list.

And, if Deedra’s death wasn’t enough to rattle the community, another cleaning client of Lily’s- Shakespeare’s crankiest old guy has an arson fire.  Lily being on hand brings her under suspicion though she has little motive.  What is happening to her town?

 

Jack Leeds’ cases take him away often and Lily struggles with the realization that she’s actually lonely and wants something deeper tying her and Jack, but does he want that, too?  And, will a certain tempting moment with young Bobo Wynthrop turn her head?

 

Shakespeare’s Trollop offers a couple good mystery paths, but also the further development of Lily’s character and relationships.  She’s come a long way since the walled-off recluse she once was and I’ve enjoyed seeing her embrace friendships and love, temptations that show she is healing from her past, and a few thrilling moments to show off her karate and self-defense skill when needed.

 

Julia Gibson captures the small-town Arkansas residents, the pace, tone, and above all, Lily so well that this is a series that I consider a must-listen, making a good series of books even better.

 

All in all, a cunning mystery that I didn’t want to put down as Lily followed the trail to a surprising killer.  A thrilling cozy mystery that needs to go on the TBR list.

 

Author Bio:

Charlaine Harris has been a published writer for over forty years. Her first two books were standalones, followed by a long sabbatical when she was having children. Then she began the Aurora Teagarden book, mysteries featuring a short librarian (eventually adapted for Hallmark movies). The darker Lily Bard books came next, about a house cleaner with a dark past and considerable fighting skills.

Tired of abiding by the mystery rules, Harris wrote a novel about a telepathic barmaid that took at least two years to sell. When the book was published, it turned into a best seller, and DEAD UNTIL DARK and the subsequent Sookie books were adapted in Alan Ball's "True Blood" series. At the same time, Harris began the Harper Connelly books. Harper can find the bones of the dead and see their last minute.

When those two series wound to a close, the next three books were about a mysterious town in Texas, called Midnight.

A change in publisher and editor led to Harris's novels about a female gunslinger in an alternate America, Lizbeth Rose. The Gunnie Rose books concluded with the sixth novel.

She's thinking about what to write next.

Sophia’s Bio:

Sophia is a quiet though curious gal who dabbles in cooking, book reviewing, piano-playing, and gardening. Road trips and campouts, museums and monuments, restaurants and theaters are her jam. Encouraged and supported by an incredible man and loving family. A Northern Californian transplant to the Great Lakes Region of the US. Lover of Jane Austen, Baseball, Cats, Scooby Doo, and Chocolate.

As a lifelong reader, it was inevitable that Sophia would discover book blogs and the joy of blog reviewing. Sophia is a prolific reader and audiobook listener which allows her to experience so many wonderful books, authors, and narrators. Few genres are outside her reading tastes, but her true love is fiction particularly history, mystery, sci-fi, and romance. Though, sorry, no horror or she will run like Shaggy and Scooby.

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