Shakespeare's Trollop by Charlaine Harris

# Of book read so far this year: 6
Title: Shakespeare’s Trollop
Author: Charlaine Harris
Year Published: 2004
Rating (1-10): 10
Date Finished: 02/05/09
Genre: Fiction, cozy mystery
# Of pages:194
Where did the book come from: Amazon, $6.99 paperback
Series: Lily Bard #4

Blurb: Shakespeare, Arkansas, is home to endless back roads, historic buildings, colorful residents--and the occasional murder. It is also home to Lily Bard, the local karate expert/cleaning woman with a particular knack for finding skeletons in closets. She is a rather private, unusual sort of person who would rather hide in the shadows than be conspicuously involved in a murder case.

But when the local woman of ill repute is found murdered, being familiar with her dirty laundry could make Lily the next Shakespearean to die. This is the fourth in the Shakespeare/Lily Bard series, and by now the character is well known to the readers.

My Comments: I can’t say enough good about this series. I am very sad that there is only one more book in the series, and Harris has no intentions of adding more to it (I asked her). I admire this authors writing skills, as, being a writer myself, I pay close attention to those sorts of things when reading a book. This one is no exception to the rest – it is well written and has a great plot. There is a lot of sub plots that add to the fun, and that includes Lily’s relationship with Jack. I started to read this book more slowly as I got nearer the end because I simply didn’t want it to be over so soon. I didn’t guess the murderer until right before it was revealed (when I’d started to have some niggling thoughts), and love how the author planned it all out so well. It is an excellent mystery with an interesting lead character.

Real Murders by Charlaine Harris

# Of book read so far this year: 4
Title: Real Murders
Author: Charlaine Harris
Year Published: 1990/2007
Rating (1-10): 9
Date Finished: 01/25/09
Genre: Fiction, cozy mystery
# Of pages: 290
Where did the book come from: PBS
Series: Aurora Teagarden #1

Blurb: Though a small town at heart, Lawrenceton, Georgia, has its dark side-and crime buffs. One of whom is librarian Aurora "Roe" Teagarden, a member of the Real Murders Club, which meets once a month to analyze famous cases. It's a harmless pastime-until the night she finds a member killed in a manner that eerily resembles the crime the club was about to discuss. And as other brutal "copycat" killings follow, Roe will have to uncover the person behind the terrifying game, one that casts all the members of Real Murders, herself included, as prime suspects-or potential victims.

My Comments: Again, I am amazed at the ease in which Charlaine Harris seems to flow from one character series to another! This is the first Aurora Teagarden book in the series, and I found it very interesting. It kept me guessing, and had all the requisite red herrings. I’m not sure if I really like Aurora, the character, yet or not, but I certainly enjoyed the book enough to want to read the next one in the series.  This isn't literary fiction, but a fun ride all the same.

Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris

Of book read so far this year: 3
Title:Grave Sight
Author: Charlaine Harris
Narrator: N/A
Year Published: 2006
Rating (1-10): 10
Date Finished: 01/14/09
Genre: Fiction, cozy mystery
# Of pages: 320
Where did the book come from: PBS (Paperbackswap.com)
Series: Harper Connelly #1


Blurb: Harper Connelly has what you might call a strange job: she finds dead people. The way Harper sees it, she's providing a service to the dead while bringing some closure to the living-but she's used to most people treating her like a blood-sucking leech. Traveling with her stepbrother Tolliver as her manager and sometime-bodyguard, she's become an expert at getting in, getting paid, and getting out fast. Because for the living it's always urgent-even if the dead can wait forever.

My Comments: I am amazed at how many different characters Charlaine Harris can write about, and with such originality. This is another series by Harris that has grabbed my interest and hasn’t let go. This is not as graphic or morbid as you might think, and it is a great cozy mystery! I enjoyed this one very much and look forward to reading the next two in the series. This one had me guessing right up until the end, and I also found it so descriptive that I often felt what the character was feeling. When Harper was shaky, I felt shaky myself! Very good writing and good ending. Satisfying read.

#2 Shakespeare's Christmas by Charlaine Harris

# Of book read so far this year: 2
Title: Shakespeare’s Christmas
Author: Charlaine Harris
Narrator: N/A
Year Published: 1998
Rating (1-10): 10
Date Finished: 01/7/09
Genre: Fiction, cozy mystery
# Of pages: 224
Where did the book come from: PBS
Series: Lily Bard #3

Blurb: Lily Bard heads home for the holidays.Lily heads to her hometown of Bartley for her estranged sister’s Christmas Eve wedding. But there is something in the air besides holiday cheer- there’s murder. And Lily must work fast to clean up the messy case before her sister promises to love, honor, and obey a killer.

My Comments: I absolutely love this series, and am so sad that Charlaine Harris isn’t going to write any more beyond the five that she has written. I am eagerly looking forward to the next two as well. This was an intriguing read as even though there were murders, there was another main mystery as well – that of the kidnapping of a child. There were several good red herrings and I didn’t know who the killer was until right before it was revealed. I really enjoyed this book. It was well written and the characters are consistent and well developed. Harris is an excellent writer, and I plan to read all the books she’s written.