Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
Minotaur Books (2000), Edition: 1st, 288 pages
Description
Fiction. Mystery. Anthony Award-winning author Charlaine Harris' fourth entry from her Lily Bard mystery series is a critically acclaimed gem. Trying to keep a low profile as a cleaning lady, Lily gets sucked into a murder investigation when one of her clients is killed in an apparent tryst gone bad. ". quirky characters fully rendered in quick strokes will hold readers as surely as the complex resolution in this cozy on the bleeding edge of noir."-Booklist.
User reviews
LibraryThing member timepiece
I really enjoy the Lily Bard series as a whole, and I think this is a good contribution to the series. In this one, a minor character in previous books is "elevated" to the status of murder victim - if you've read those books, the title will probably tell you who it was.
Due to the nature of the
I also enjoyed the continued development of Lily's relationship with Jack, with both of them learning to cope with their pasts within the relationship. It seems to be a reasonably realistic depiction of a relationship where both sides come with heavy baggage.
Due to the nature of the
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victim (i.e., "trollop"), everyone simply assumes she slept with the wrong guy, and pretty much got what was coming to her. Since Lily knows at least a few other aspects to Deedra's character, she at least considers other motives. She also does her best to conceal the worst of Deedra's acts from her mother while helping to clean out the apartment; it's nice to see Lily being more considerate of the feeling of others - she's often depicted as being very "hard", due to the nature of her experiences. It was also good to see Deedra's character expanded on, even posthumously - learning about her strengths, as well as the weaknesses already alluded to in earlier books.I also enjoyed the continued development of Lily's relationship with Jack, with both of them learning to cope with their pasts within the relationship. It seems to be a reasonably realistic depiction of a relationship where both sides come with heavy baggage.
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LibraryThing member CheriePie69
Lily returns in this fourth book in the Lily Bard (Cozy) Mystery series.
Another murder has taken place in Shakespeare, Arkansas. This time it's Deedra Dean, a well-known woman about town who's known for her somewhat promiscuous ways. Has her lifestyle finally managed to get her done in? And if so,
Of course, being the local cleaning woman to many Shakespeare residents, including the late Ms. Dean, Lily knows a thing or two about Deedra, and also comes across some evidence that just may help the police find the missing pieces they need in the puzzle of Who Killed Deedra Dean.
I really enjoyed this book, and I really like Lily's character as well. She's dark, mysterious, and quite complicated... kind of how I like to think of myself. *grin* These books are really quick reads and I've already read the fifth book as well, a review of which should be coming up shortly. :)
Another murder has taken place in Shakespeare, Arkansas. This time it's Deedra Dean, a well-known woman about town who's known for her somewhat promiscuous ways. Has her lifestyle finally managed to get her done in? And if so,
Show More
it's not going to be easy for a small town police department to find her killer among the many men of Shakespeare who've been to her bed.Of course, being the local cleaning woman to many Shakespeare residents, including the late Ms. Dean, Lily knows a thing or two about Deedra, and also comes across some evidence that just may help the police find the missing pieces they need in the puzzle of Who Killed Deedra Dean.
I really enjoyed this book, and I really like Lily's character as well. She's dark, mysterious, and quite complicated... kind of how I like to think of myself. *grin* These books are really quick reads and I've already read the fifth book as well, a review of which should be coming up shortly. :)
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LibraryThing member hjjugovic
This is another good mystery in the Lily Bard series. The style of these books isn't my usual - more noir-ish, less humorous - but they're well written and different. Once again, I'm reading these out of order due to library issues, but it doesn't seem to hurt the story much. The ending on this one
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was very unexpected! Show Less
LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
Lily is drawn into a murder mystery when she finds a woman dead in a car, she's a woman known for liking men, a lot of them, and the number of suspects is quite large.
Lily Bard is an interesting character and her ongoing relationship with Jack is fun to read about.
Lily Bard is an interesting character and her ongoing relationship with Jack is fun to read about.
LibraryThing member Prop2gether
In her fourth outing with Lily Bard, Charlaine Harris creates more character and mystery than with the previous stories. It is amusing that this title is more "Shakespearean" than prior titles, but it is also more relevant to the story and mystery. Lily also continues to grow as a character of
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interesting shades. Show Less
LibraryThing member rhonda1111
i really liked this series did have a few scenes that i skipped.
LibraryThing member Rhinoa
The fourth Lily Bard murder mystery where one of Lily's clients is found dead in the woods. It looks like a crime of passion and she was known to be a little free and easy with the love. On investigating it looks like it may have been staged.
LibraryThing member nbmars
In the fourth book of the Lily Bard series, another murder has taken place in Shakespeare, Arkansas. Lily moved to the sleepy town of Shakespeare to escape the spotlight after her brutal rape in Memphis four years earlier. But Shakespeare turns out not to be so sleepy, after all.
Lily finds the body
Simultaneously, Lily is trying to define her feelings about her boyfriend Jack Leeds, and whether they should be entering into a more permanent relationship.
Lily finally stumbles upon the killer, and it is a big surprise, no less to Lily than to the reader, albeit a bit safer for the latter.
Evaluation: Harris continues to inject her trademark humor into even her darker series, combining insights into the human psyche with gentle fun:
"Clinton Emanuel looked down at me with those fathomless black eyes. I thought he was deciding whether or not to trust me. I may have been wrong; he may have been wondering if he’d have a hamburger or chicken nuggets when he went through the drive-through at Burger Tycoon.”
I’ve never met a Harris book I didn’t find entertaining. They’re not books you think about forever, but they are nevertheless a very fun way to spend the time.
Lily finds the body
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of Deedra, a local “trollop” for whom she used to clean, and is pressured by the police to try to help find the killer. Since it looks like a crime of sexual passion, the suspects are legion, and Lily knows who many of the men are who have come to Deedra’s apartment. Simultaneously, Lily is trying to define her feelings about her boyfriend Jack Leeds, and whether they should be entering into a more permanent relationship.
Lily finally stumbles upon the killer, and it is a big surprise, no less to Lily than to the reader, albeit a bit safer for the latter.
Evaluation: Harris continues to inject her trademark humor into even her darker series, combining insights into the human psyche with gentle fun:
"Clinton Emanuel looked down at me with those fathomless black eyes. I thought he was deciding whether or not to trust me. I may have been wrong; he may have been wondering if he’d have a hamburger or chicken nuggets when he went through the drive-through at Burger Tycoon.”
I’ve never met a Harris book I didn’t find entertaining. They’re not books you think about forever, but they are nevertheless a very fun way to spend the time.
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LibraryThing member tututhefirst
In this warm and cozy mystery series Shakespeare is the name of a town in Arkansas, not a playwright. Lily Bard, a young woman who works as a house cleaner has evidently come to this small town to escape reminders of a very violent incident in her past. This is the fourth of six in the series, and
In this one, Lily discovers a dead body: one of her clients who had a reputation for being a bit loose with her morals. One of the trollop's latest and most consistent clients (whom Lily can identify as having been in and out of the victim's apartment) happens to be the local sheriff's brother. While the sheriff, with Lily's reluctant cooperation, is trying to solve the murder, Lily is also trying to resolve her feelings about her current boyfriend Jack Leeds, a private investigator who seems to be more absent than present in her life. In the meantime, she continues with her eccentric cast of clients and her personal fitness routine at the gym/karate venue. The murder is eventually solved with the perpetrator probably being a surprise to most readers.
As with other series by Charlaine Harris, humor abounds, the southern setting is charming but not cloying, and readers can settle down to enjoy a good mystery with likable characters and an interesting setting. Definitely worth checking out.
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I didn't feel I absolutely had to have read the previous entries to enjoy this one. I am however, going to be sure to look them up. The past sounds every bit as interesting as the present.In this one, Lily discovers a dead body: one of her clients who had a reputation for being a bit loose with her morals. One of the trollop's latest and most consistent clients (whom Lily can identify as having been in and out of the victim's apartment) happens to be the local sheriff's brother. While the sheriff, with Lily's reluctant cooperation, is trying to solve the murder, Lily is also trying to resolve her feelings about her current boyfriend Jack Leeds, a private investigator who seems to be more absent than present in her life. In the meantime, she continues with her eccentric cast of clients and her personal fitness routine at the gym/karate venue. The murder is eventually solved with the perpetrator probably being a surprise to most readers.
As with other series by Charlaine Harris, humor abounds, the southern setting is charming but not cloying, and readers can settle down to enjoy a good mystery with likable characters and an interesting setting. Definitely worth checking out.
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LibraryThing member benfulton
I know, you're thinking it's just another cleaning lady who solves mysteries on the side...
Don't know how involved the rest of the stories get into the background of the heroine, but there's just barely enough explanation to make the character believable. She may be even too believable for comfort,
That said, the other characters are drawn out nicely, the town of Shakespeare is colorful and interesting, and the obligatory violent confrontation at the end had enough surprises to keep me guessing. So it has its good points and bad points. Worth spending some time on.
Don't know how involved the rest of the stories get into the background of the heroine, but there's just barely enough explanation to make the character believable. She may be even too believable for comfort,
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as events in her past make romance difficult, which in turn makes the romantic scenes a bit flat. In general, actually, Lily Bard is a bit lacking in color. Detectives don't have to be colorful. Kinsey Millhone and Matthew Scudder, for example, get on with their jobs without much fuss, but Lily Bard is so tightly in a shell that she's hard to relate to.That said, the other characters are drawn out nicely, the town of Shakespeare is colorful and interesting, and the obligatory violent confrontation at the end had enough surprises to keep me guessing. So it has its good points and bad points. Worth spending some time on.
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LibraryThing member auntieknickers
I'm recommending the whole of the Lily Bard series to anyone who likes books with strong female characters. Lily has her problems, but she doesn't let them keep her from getting on with the job of solving crimes that come her way.
LibraryThing member Krumbs
An ok mystery. Not sure why Lily Bard was so involved--she didn't like the woman who was killed so her intense involvement just didn't make a lot of sense. Also, the emotional stuff with this character is just awkward.
LibraryThing member jimmaclachlan
Another good one, builds on the previous 3, so this is definitely a series to read in order. The mystery is a bit more convoluted, though.
LibraryThing member MissJessie
This was a decent read, typical of the series. This one was a little less satisfactory to me and I found the ending also somewhat unsatisfactory. I find that Lily is to me becoming too self involved and I get tired of hearing endlessly about her past. I know one could not get over such an incident,
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but constantly replaying it over and over to herself (and the reader) is counter-productive. Also, I thought it was obvious "who did it" about halfway through the book. Show Less
LibraryThing member Cassandra2020
Shakespeare's Trollop by Charlaine Harris - Good
Ah, after The Panopticon I needed a light fluffy read and this cosy mystery was just the thing.
I've not ready anything by Charlaine Harris before - she wrote the Sookie Stackhouse novels that became the True Blood tv series. Well this is nothing like
This is the fourth of the Lily Bard mysteries (annoyed that I started mid-series accidently) set in Shakespeare, Arkansas. Lily is a cleaner and karate expert living in the town. One day, returning from a cleaning job, she spots a car down a track and investigates, only to find the body of Deedra Dean - a 'good time girl' (the Trollop of the title) and also one of Lily's clients.
Lily doesn't particularly set about investigating, but as she is asked to help clean out Deedra's apartment and also cleans for some of her relatives, she finds various clues and gets drawn in.
Nice little, non-demanding, read.
Ah, after The Panopticon I needed a light fluffy read and this cosy mystery was just the thing.
I've not ready anything by Charlaine Harris before - she wrote the Sookie Stackhouse novels that became the True Blood tv series. Well this is nothing like
Show More
that. No vampires.This is the fourth of the Lily Bard mysteries (annoyed that I started mid-series accidently) set in Shakespeare, Arkansas. Lily is a cleaner and karate expert living in the town. One day, returning from a cleaning job, she spots a car down a track and investigates, only to find the body of Deedra Dean - a 'good time girl' (the Trollop of the title) and also one of Lily's clients.
Lily doesn't particularly set about investigating, but as she is asked to help clean out Deedra's apartment and also cleans for some of her relatives, she finds various clues and gets drawn in.
Nice little, non-demanding, read.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Lauren2013
Shakespeare's Trollop
4 Stars
When Lily stumbles across the dead body of Deedra Dean, Shakespeare’s most promiscuous resident, everyone assumes that her lifestyle has finally caught up with her and the suspects pile up. However, a series of seemingly unrelated incidents soon reveal that there is
To begin with, it should be noted that the strongest criticism of this installment in the Lily Bard series is that Harris appears to be engaging in “slut shaming” and “victim blaming”. While I can certainly see why this is the case considering Deedra’s characterization, once cannot escape the fact that Harris is presenting a phenomenon that is, unfortunately, common in our society not because she condones it herself, but because she seeks to expose it for the misogynistic rubbish that it is. As with the 2nd book in the series, denying that something distasteful exists will not make it go away!
Personally, Lily Bard and the colorful residents of Shakespeare, Arkansas, have been one of the highlights of my reading year. The characters, the town and the mysteries have made the series come to life for me and I’m sad that there is only one more book to go.
It is great to see the growth and development in Lily’s character. While she remains brusque and anti-social, she is slowly opening herself to friendships and to the emotional connection that she is forming with Jack. Even though they have to deal with one or two obstacles in their relationship, Lily and Jack emerge stronger than ever and it looks like they are moving in the right direction.
The who-dun-it has some interesting twists and turns although it is easy to guess the culprit once the clues start making sense. The climax and resolution are as exciting as ever and I particularly enjoyedthe fight at the end .
All in all, Harris a skilled storyteller and once I’m done with Lily and company, I will be on the lookout for more of her books.
4 Stars
When Lily stumbles across the dead body of Deedra Dean, Shakespeare’s most promiscuous resident, everyone assumes that her lifestyle has finally caught up with her and the suspects pile up. However, a series of seemingly unrelated incidents soon reveal that there is
Show More
more to Deedra’s death than meets the eye. To begin with, it should be noted that the strongest criticism of this installment in the Lily Bard series is that Harris appears to be engaging in “slut shaming” and “victim blaming”. While I can certainly see why this is the case considering Deedra’s characterization, once cannot escape the fact that Harris is presenting a phenomenon that is, unfortunately, common in our society not because she condones it herself, but because she seeks to expose it for the misogynistic rubbish that it is. As with the 2nd book in the series, denying that something distasteful exists will not make it go away!
Personally, Lily Bard and the colorful residents of Shakespeare, Arkansas, have been one of the highlights of my reading year. The characters, the town and the mysteries have made the series come to life for me and I’m sad that there is only one more book to go.
It is great to see the growth and development in Lily’s character. While she remains brusque and anti-social, she is slowly opening herself to friendships and to the emotional connection that she is forming with Jack. Even though they have to deal with one or two obstacles in their relationship, Lily and Jack emerge stronger than ever and it looks like they are moving in the right direction.
The who-dun-it has some interesting twists and turns although it is easy to guess the culprit once the clues start making sense. The climax and resolution are as exciting as ever and I particularly enjoyed
All in all, Harris a skilled storyteller and once I’m done with Lily and company, I will be on the lookout for more of her books.
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LibraryThing member stephanie_M
a good, solid summer ready. Very easy, but I found completely engrossing. I wish the woman who died had not had to do so, and I hope the author doesn't start killing off every one of the residents of this tiny, little town, just for something to write about. But I love how Lily is now trusting her
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boyfriend SO much, they are talking about living together! I really do hope this relationship works out, and I cannot wait to see what happens next!! The bad guys, btw? Totally yanked out the author's butt at the end. lol Show Less
Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2000-08-14
Physical description
288 p.; 6.38 inches
ISBN
0312262280 / 9780312262280
Similar in this library
Pages
288