I've gotten very attached to Lily Bard. It was interesting this time around to see her outside of the Shakespeare setting and interacting with her family. Can't say I'm very fond of her new bro-in-law after their last conversation. What a tool. And after she cleaned his house (albeit with ulterior motives) for him too. I like how Lily, even though there seems to be a murder every time she turns around, has gradually started to enjoy life again. She's beginning to trust people, she's making friends and she's coming to think of Shakespeare as home.

I think the cute cover art on some of the editions gives the wrong impression, though. These are not cozy mysteries. Harris doesn't shy away from disturbing subject matter, and this book is no exception. But she doesn't revel in it either.

I don't think I've ever read so many mysteries in such a short period of time. On to the next! ( )

Don't be misled by the title, "Shakespeare's Christmas" is is not a "Christmas Special" where we get to see the people of the small town of Shakespeare acting as if they were in a remake of "It's A Wonderful Life". It is the darkest, and I think the best, book in the series so far. It's set before, not at Christmas and most of it takes place outside of Shakespeare.

The mystery in "Shakespeare's Christmas" is not a polite "whodunnit" murder under the mistletoe, but the death of a young mother, knifed and left to bleed out in the snow, and the search for a monster who preys on children while masquerading as a family friend. It has enough twist and turns to keep you guessing and enough evil to evoke rage in the reader.

As with the first two books, the thing I enjoyed most was the continuing development of Lily Bard. It's clear to me now that the five books in the series track Lily's evolution from someone who has isolated herself so that she can cope quietly with the task of staying alive from day-to-day, to someone who has taken the risk of creating a life that she values with people that she loves, even though she is always afraid of the vulnerability to loss and grief that this could produce.

In "Shakespeare's Christmas", Lily has reluctantly come back to her home town to attend her younger sister's wedding. She knows that she will have to put on her company manners for the wedding showers and rehearsal dinners but what worries her are not the formal niceties but the need to show herself to the family and friends that she walked away from, after her rape and mutilation, when she could no longer live with their pity or their pain.

There are no soft edges here, no Hallmark Moments, instead we get an honest exploration of how Lily copes with being back with people she loves but who she finds it hard to live with, not just because they grieve for who she was but because she no longer wants to be that person.

In her mind there is the old Lily from before the rape and the new Lily she is now: someone solitary, someone vigilant, someone strong enough to protect herself, someone who's old life has been stolen from her, someone who can no longer believe that other people are fundamentally good.

Lily struggles to connect her new self to her family and her friends. One of the things that helps her with this is her encounters with children. Lily believes that she does not understand children, yet the reader sees that her honesty, her directness and her strength mean that she succeeds in winning their trust and their admiration. Like at least some of the children around her, Lily believes in the monster beneath the bed; she believes that safety is an illusion; that vigilance and strength are necessary to survival and that men are willing to use violence to get what they want.

What Lily learns from the children is that she has not become a cold, distant monster; she has become a dragon-slayer.

As events unfold, Lily also learns that part of her strength now comes from being with Jack. Typically for Lily, while she knows this to be true and suspects it to be good, she worries that it will make her vulnerable.

There is evil in this book. An evil made worse because, as Lily and Jack try to search out its source, they find too many potential candidates too close to home. There is also love in this book. As Lily does what she needs to do to make those around her safe, she finally comes to understand that she can be the new Lily, strong, honest, and wary and still be loved as a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a one-time lover, and an old friend.

The book ends with Lily going back to Shakespeare for Christmas. It is her home now. It contains the things in her life that she most wants to celebrate.

After finishing the book, I decided that to read the rest of the series back to back. I'll keep you posted on my impressions. ( )

I am so glad to have Lily actually connecting with her new boyfriend Jack in such a way that he may become permanent. She has grown-up feelings, and recognizes them, and isn't running away from them, or Jack.
Lily is growing, coming out of her shell, and becoming more confident in herself, and others. She is willing to see that opening yourself up to others and their feelings SOME times does not end in pain, and is trying, once more.
Lily went to be in her little sister's wedding, and helped Jack solve a missing child case that transformed into a multiple murder case as well. It kept you guessing as to who the missing child was, right up until the end. The murderer was hidden from us as well. It is my favorite of the first three as well, and LOVE that it's a very serious series, and that they don't keep rehashing the details of The Bad Thing that happened to Lily, 8 (or so) years ago.
Lily is faced with some demons of the past, and is better for it. She goes home and sees her family and friends, From Before her life changed, and lives through it. She hangs around some kids, and seems to connect with them, even though she's convinced herself she doesn't like them much.
All in all, a damn good read. Very addicting, and I finished it in one day. I will read on, until the library doesn't have anymore. ( )

Shakespeare's Christmas
4 Stars

Returning home for her sister’s wedding, Lily is dreading the inevitable confrontation with the harsh memories of her past. All this takes a back seat, however, when Lily finds herself enmeshed in a new mystery as her boyfriend, private investigator Jack Leeds, arrives with the troubling news that Lily's soon to be brother-in-law may be a kidnapper.

While Lily is definitely not the most affable of heroines and some readers may find her directness curt and discourteous, to me she is refreshing, original and admirable. The insights into her life immediately following the attack and the reactions of her friends and family at the time, provide additional depths to her character and reinforce her amazing strength of will and resilience.

Jack and Lily’s romance is going strong and there are several entertaining scenes with the two of them trying to define their relationship and its future direction. Jack can charm the pants off anyone and the reactions of the various Bard family members to his presence are priceless.

The mystery involves a killer’s attempts to cover up a kidnapping and once again the reader follows Lily as she uncovers the clues and confronts the culprit. The actual investigation is rather slow going as the case builds against several likely suspects, but the climax is exciting and the resolution satisfying.

Although the mystery is solved and the villain is apprehended, Lily’s departure from Bartley is somewhat abrupt and there are a couple of loose ends remaining, such as What happened to Jane Osborne? and Lily’s family’s reactions to events.

In terms of the audiobook, Julia Gibson’s narration is enjoyable although there are still lengthy gaps between sections that can be distracting.

In sum, Lily has become one of my favorite heroines and the more I read of this series, the better I like it. Looking forward to the next installment. ( )

I enjoyed how the author took Lily out of the small town of Shakespeare and back to her small hometown, the root of her pain and issues, the family members she felt so awkward around. Of course there is a mystery thrown in when she arrives, to be solved amidst family dramas and wedding plans, Jack popping into town to stir up her loins, and Lily again getting uptight and moody if anyone tries to act normal around her.

The parents and sister don't stand out too much, but they were enjoyable written. The father wasn't in many scenes but turned out to be my favorite. Jack and Lily's relationship, again, not sure about the insta-magic when he appeared last time, see it's still going strong. I was intrigued by the cop and the back-story of how he reacted to Lily tugged on my heartstrings.

These books aren't known for their intense mysteries, but this one holds the more intriguing, complex, and twisted one of the series. Involves kidnapping, child baby switching, potential murders that may have happened offpage a long time ago, and a gross, perverted revelation at the end. Dark stuff but a happy ending after all. This is likely the best mystery of the Lily Bard series, where Lily actually has to snoop a bit on purpose. She doesn't come to by a Hercule Poirot or anything, but it's an interesting story nonetheless.

This one was a better one as, besides the story being rich, the background with her adjusting to her family and hometown made it more lively. Her raised eyebrow at her sister about strength was a little annoying though. Lily has become a bit snobby with some of her preconceptions of others, although she does come to admire some strengths with her sister.

The ending felt too abrupt to me, and I don't get how she couldn't look back at all when she eagerly left her family and hometown. They seem to be sweet people. Overall a good installment of the Lily Bard series, maybe the best yet. ( )

Third in the Lily Bard Mysteries. ( )

Lily Bard is a house cleaner in Shakespeare, Arkansas, who is determined not to be defined by her past as the victim of a violent crime. For that reason, she has avoided visits to her family and her hometown for many years. Lily's sister Varena has planned a Christmas wedding that will finally bring Lily back to Bartley. During some of the pre-wedding activities, Lily and Varena discover the bodies of the town doctor and his nurse in the office where they had been beaten to death. Then Lily's private eye boyfriend shows up to see Lily and meet the family, but that's not the only reason he's in town. He's been hired to look for a girl who was kidnapped as an infant eight years earlier – and Varena's fiance, a widower, has an 8-year-old daughter. Lily realizes that she must help Jack solve his case before her sister's wedding.

This book is darker than most cozies, but it still retains some of the small town charm characteristic of many cozy series. I liked Lily. She's not one of those “too stupid to live” characters that populate so many cozies. She isn't impulsive; she is smart, strong, thoughtful, and aware of the risks she undertakes. The reader, Julia Gibson, seems perfect for Lily's voice. I picked this one up because I was looking for an audiobook with a Christmas setting. Now I will be looking for the rest of the books in this series. ( )

I love an unlikely heroine.
A friend introduced me to the Trueblood series
and I have since discovered more enjoyable easy
relax reads with twists from Charlaine Harris. ( )

There's nothing like a good, quick murder mystery to keep one entertained on the short walk home! I picked up this book from the library for just that purpose - having become bored of "Discovery of Witches" and not wishing to carry that weighty tome home with me. Thus I slipped into the library with the main aim to be - find something short and interesting. This fit the bill nicely. Lily did not quite enamour herself to me as quickly as the rather more amiable Aurora Teagarden, but I did find that she has opened up a little in this book and become a lot less defensive. It is book three in the series, and I have skipped book two, but I do not think it mattered much. I found Lily's interactions with the children to be particularly amusing and despite the gruesome murders, this book kept me entertained for the two days it took me to read it. I shall keep an eye out for more! ( )

Another good mystery, although the story got a little convoluted & confusing at a couple of points. May have been my fault for not following all the character names closely enough, but there were a fair few. Lily goes back to her home town, so she knows everyone & seems to meet half of them.

This has added depth to Lily's character & I like her more with each page. Very admirable lady. On to the next! ( )

As much as I've enjoyed the setting of Shakespeare, Arkansas, for the rest of this series, I did enjoy the change of scenery as protagonist Lily Bard returned to her small hometown of Bartley for her sister's wedding. Since I've just recently read the first book in this series (backtracking a bit), I liked learning more about Lily's background and family.

At the risk of sounding like I'm blaming the victim, Lily does seem to get in a lot of situations where she needs to use her karate skills, but since I've been thinking about taking up a martial art, it continues to intrigue me to see this side of her. Add to the mix that she's a house cleaner by trade, she continues to be an interesting and well-rounded character.

Now that I've read all of the books in the Lily Bard series, I'm hoping that Charlaine Harris will write another! ( )

Lily Bard is a heroine worth following. Charlaine Harris has a knack for depicting interesting characters. ( )

Unlike some other mystery series, this is not one where you can skip books! I've read these out of order so far, and I have no idea how the character got from where she was in the first book to the relationship she has now (two books later). Quite a jump! Also, this is a particularly annoying series in that there is no reason for the character to do the sleuthing. She could have just passed what she knew to the police and been out of danger. ( )

I enjoyed Harris's "Shakespeare" series, but this one was weak sauce compared to the rest, almost as if she had to write it because of a contractual obligation -- the mystery was forced, the characters I enjoyed were sleepwalking, and the conclusion was jumbled, hurried, and unsatisfying. ( )

I've not read any of this series before, and its not at all bad. I loved the awkwardness of the family reunions, due to Lily's being so traumatised by the attack that the only way she could cope and move on was to isolates herself from everyone she loves and the fact that only a big family event - her sister's wedding - could bring her home. Harris writes great Southern USA Gothic novels, which, while seemingly quick throwaway reads, like the best of the Gothic tradition, make subtle comments about social conditions in little asides - the downturn in Bartley's fortunes encapsulated in the surgery's picture window, the ongoing segregation as the black community look after a black homeless man, while the white store owners wrestle with the idea of the Christian thing to do. Very enjoyable. ( )

Lily Bard, 31, now lives in Shakespeare, Arkansas, having fled to this sleepy town in search of solace and anonymity after a brutal rape four years earlier. Her family still acts awkwardly around her, so she dreads returning to Bartley for her sister Varena’s Christmas wedding.

As it turns out, an eight-year-old cold case of a missing girl, Summer Dawn Macklesby, gets hot again, and the suspects are all in Bartley. Lily’s boyfriend, Jack Leeds, who is a private investigator, ends up in Bartley working on the case, and the two of them join forces since one of the suspects is Varena’s husband-to-be Dill.

As dead bodies start accumulating in Bartley, Lily and Jack have to act quickly to solve the crimes and either absolve or convict Dill before Varena commits to him for life.

Evaluation: There was a bit too much about the wedding planning in this third book of the Lily Bard series for my liking. On the other hand, part of Harris’s charm is her ability to evoke the details of life in a small town and to provide a realistic picture of interfamilial relationships. It isn’t the best of the series, but is nevertheless entertaining, and Lily and Jack have great couple dynamics. ( )

like it like the characters,stories liked that lily is a cleaning women at different houses who she meets and she has overcome some terrible things and is getting stronger she karate and weight lifting. ( )

Lily returns to her hometown for a week before Christmas for her sisters wedding on Christmas Eve. She has just started seeing detective Jack Leeds and isn’t sure quite where things stand. Due to her dark past she has a lot of trouble getting close to people and has determined not to ask anything of him. She does take the plunge and ask him to spend Christmas Day with her when she returns to Shakespeare which he accepts.

When she gets to home things are much as she left them. Her family still find it difficult to be around her, but her sister in particular is making a real effort. Lily is out of her depth having to dress up for various dinners, showers and the wedding itself where she is the maid of honour. Problem is that people are starting to die. First the local doctor and his assistant are brutally killed in their office and it looks like it was by someone they knew. More bodies begin to follow and it all seems to be linked to an unsolved case from 8 years ago. Jack turns up to work on the case and there are three main suspects, one of which is Lily’s prospective brother-in-law. They need to solve the case in 3 days before her sister marries Dill.

This was by far the best in the series so far. It kept me guessing right until the end as you don’t really know which of the three men is responsible for the murders and previous crime. Again there is lots of character development and I really like both Lily and Jack. Plus spending time with her family and old friends was interesting to see how her life was completely thrown in the air after her horrendous ordeal. I can’t wait to read the next one. ( )

Love Lily Bard Mysteries... keeps you guessing until the end. Love Lily's boyfriend Jack. Enjoyed getting to know Lily's family and some of her old friends. I'm looking forward to reading the next two Lily Bard Mystries ( )

Glad to see Lily's getting to be happy a bit. ( )

Third in the Lily Bard series, in which family ties are tested and a lost child is found. ( )

I was surprised to find a mystery that I enjoyed so much from the lady I think of as a vampire romance author. It was an interesting story plot, but not overly complex. There was a limited number of suspects. It moved along quickly and had enough action that it kept me involved and engaged. There were many subplots, and relationship plots that it didn’t need a ton of confusing characters, it still moved along smoothly and quickly. It was interesting enough that I would maybe go back and read one of the earlier books in the series, or maybe even try one of the vampire romances. ;) ( )

Yet another good entry into the Bard series...looking forward to more. ( )

Another entry in the Lily Bard mystery series. In this one, Lily leaves Shakespeare to go back to her hometown for her sister's wedding. We learn more about her past and her family, and when people start getting murdered, and her PI lover Jack shows up on a missing child assignment, the mystery heats up. I really enjoyed the development of the relationship between Lily and Jack. While it was interesting to learn more about Lily, I missed the peripheral characters back in Shakespeare. Three and a half stars. ( )

The book takes place before Christmas in Lily Bard's home town, Bartley, Arkansas. In addition to trying to survive her sister's wedding and all of its related socializing, Lily tries to find a young girl kidnapped as a baby eight years earlier before the body count rises more. Kept my interest and I guessed whodunit. ( )