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105th out of 422 books
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367 voters
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Shakespeare's Counselor (A Lily Bard Mystery #5)
Welcome back to the sleepy little town of Shakespeare, Arkansas, where secrets come to hide.
Lily Bard has joined a group therapy session, determined finally to face her past. It sounds positively enlightening, until the murder of a fellow member sends a warning. But who was the message meant for? Why? And who's next to fall victim to a killer's head games?
Lily Bard has joined a group therapy session, determined finally to face her past. It sounds positively enlightening, until the murder of a fellow member sends a warning. But who was the message meant for? Why? And who's next to fall victim to a killer's head games?
Mass Market Paperback, 243 pages
Published
February 1st 2005
by Berkley Prime Crime
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The fifth and final installment in the Lily Bard series wraps up Lily's story quite nicely.
In addition to finally settling down with Jack, Lily has decided to face her past and begin attending group therapy sessions. Of course, these sessions become the scene for yet another murder in cozy little Shakespeare. And as usual, Lily is right smack in the middle of the action.
As others have said, this wasn't the best in the series. I think some of that was because there ...more
In addition to finally settling down with Jack, Lily has decided to face her past and begin attending group therapy sessions. Of course, these sessions become the scene for yet another murder in cozy little Shakespeare. And as usual, Lily is right smack in the middle of the action.
As others have said, this wasn't the best in the series. I think some of that was because there ...more
The fifth (and to my knowledge, last--I don't know if any more are forthcoming) Lily Bard book is almost more about developments in Lily's life than it is an actual crime. This is not to say that there isn't one in Shakespeare's Counselor, because there is, and a pretty warped one at that. Our heroine, now that her relationship with her lover Jack has progressed to a point where she's willing to take his suggestion to start addressing some of the issues in her life, joins a rape survivor therapy...more
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Yes
Shelves:
cozy-mysteries,
fall-challenge-2011
What to say about the Lily Bard series? I read all five books in a short time span (week and half); they all read quickly and flow together nicely over roughly a year time span. At least from what I can gather it is roughly a year. This is why I have decided to post one review for all of them.
My favourite by far was the fifth novel, Shakespeare’s Counselor. I am not sure if it was due to the fact that the story finally reached it climax and I felt satisfied after it was finish or if I...more
My favourite by far was the fifth novel, Shakespeare’s Counselor. I am not sure if it was due to the fact that the story finally reached it climax and I felt satisfied after it was finish or if I...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Shakespeare's Counselor has nothing to do with Shakespeare (unlike the last book I read). Shakespeare is a small town in Arkansas where Lily Bard has settled down to try to overcome the effects of a horrific rape in her past that has irrevocably changed her life and personality into someone she barely recognizes. This series is one of Charlaine Harris's darker stories because of the psychological damage her main character is dealing with, trying to just to survive each day. In this story, Lily r...more
Everyone's favorite housecleaner is working on a career change. Lily Bard is back for her fifth case, and this time it is going to take place just as she is getting her troubled life back in order. The newlywed, who married private investigator Jack Leeds in the previous novel, has started as an apprentice investigator with him in the hopes of getting a better handle on her finances. Considering her previous novice experience and an innate skill for solving crimes, it is not a surprising choice....more
I'm giving this book 5 stars. The others in the series only got 4 stars, but this one has something extra.
Charlaine Harris writes the best final books for a series I've ever seen. Her characters grow and you can see them moving on from where they were in the first book. Whatever the threads were that moved from one book to the other, get tied up, while making it obvious that life did go one even if we didn't get to see it do that. As with the Harper Connelly series, there could easily ...more
Charlaine Harris writes the best final books for a series I've ever seen. Her characters grow and you can see them moving on from where they were in the first book. Whatever the threads were that moved from one book to the other, get tied up, while making it obvious that life did go one even if we didn't get to see it do that. As with the Harper Connelly series, there could easily ...more
I'm relieved that this is the last book (so far) in the series and I can bring my compulsive reading of books I didn't even totally like to an end! I found myself disliking Lily more with each book, and yet completely, compellingly fascinated by her and her story. Maybe that was the point? I thought this was the weakest of the five, and reading the series back to back so closely resulted in noticing the inconsistencies from book to book a bit more than I might otherwise have. Also, lose/loose ty...more
This is the fifth--and final--book in The Lily Bard Mysteries Omnibus.
After waking up one morning and almost strangling her husband, Jack encourages Lily to attend a therapy group for rape victims. No matter how much time goes by, Lily can't shake the terrible nightmares of what happened to her. The dark incident that changed her life, changed who she was, is a dark stain constantly haunting her, especially when she's asleep. So she agrees to go.
To her surprise, she actua...more
After waking up one morning and almost strangling her husband, Jack encourages Lily to attend a therapy group for rape victims. No matter how much time goes by, Lily can't shake the terrible nightmares of what happened to her. The dark incident that changed her life, changed who she was, is a dark stain constantly haunting her, especially when she's asleep. So she agrees to go.
To her surprise, she actua...more
This is one of the highest ratings I have given a Charlaine Harris book. It is the final book in her Lily Bard series and by far the best. It took me two books to really like Lily, because she reminded me a lot of myself. In fact, she embodied a lot of the things I wish I could change and move past. We are not identical by any means, but share similarities. Half way through this books, I knew that I had really grown to love and sympathize with her, because I found myself shedding a few tears ove...more
I thought this one was a pretty solid, if ultimately unnecessary, conclusion to Lily Bard's saga. It bridges the gap for her between cleaning woman and the woman she becomes in her Sookie Stackhouse cameos.
This one was a change of pace, because Lily isn't working her cleaning jobs. I kinda missed them, but the private investigating stuff she got to do was fun to read about.
The core mystery sat on the periphery of this one. Lily gets tangentially involved, but she never reall...more
This one was a change of pace, because Lily isn't working her cleaning jobs. I kinda missed them, but the private investigating stuff she got to do was fun to read about.
The core mystery sat on the periphery of this one. Lily gets tangentially involved, but she never reall...more
This is the final (unfortunately) book in the Lily Bard mystery series. I'm in love with almost anything written by Charlaine Harris, and this is no exception. This series has less humor than the Sookie Stackhouse books, but I don't miss it. Lily is such a series character that I feel like being serious right along with her.
You can read the official synopsis of the book for more on the plot. Sure, there is stalking and murders, but the characters are what I cherish about Harris' boo...more
You can read the official synopsis of the book for more on the plot. Sure, there is stalking and murders, but the characters are what I cherish about Harris' boo...more
So much happens in such a short book. That's true of all the titles in this series, but this one was especially ambitious in the way it brought, very successfully, a sense of hopeful and hard-earned conclusion.
One thing I love about these books is the low-rent setting and all the nods to reality and class difference, the opposite of glossy television shows that ignore characters' salary constraints. The characters shop at Walmart; Lily cleans houses for a living and scrapes by, withou...more
One thing I love about these books is the low-rent setting and all the nods to reality and class difference, the opposite of glossy television shows that ignore characters' salary constraints. The characters shop at Walmart; Lily cleans houses for a living and scrapes by, withou...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This is the last book in the Lily Bard series, and I was sad to see it end. Lily finally decides to confront her feelings about her kidnapping and torture and goes to a counseling session in town. She's making progress but on the third night of the sessions the women show up and find a woman murdered and one of their group missing. Again, she and Jack work to solve the puzzle, especially since Lily life is being threatened. There are some nice elements to wrap up the story. Still, I liked ...more
A good solid conclusion to the series. All of these books have been highly enjoyable. I am sorry to see the series end. Guess I'm just going to have to get started on all of Harris' other works!
(If this review seems familiar, that's because I had a goodreads account before that I'm copying my previous reviews from. Why did I create a new account, you ask? Well, because when I logged out of that account and then logged back in, I find that that account appears not be linked to any of m...more
(If this review seems familiar, that's because I had a goodreads account before that I'm copying my previous reviews from. Why did I create a new account, you ask? Well, because when I logged out of that account and then logged back in, I find that that account appears not be linked to any of m...more
Harris is truly a visionary when it comes to writing book series. Through this 5 book series Lily has been on a personal journey of growth. At the beginning she was focused on surviving one day at a time, keeping to herself and earning enough money to get by from week to week. As the series progressed Lily started to open up to people and was not as closed to the idea of friendship. Simultaneously, Lilt started to live, not simply exist.
In this final book the plot is as twisted as ever...more
In this final book the plot is as twisted as ever...more
The most disappointing thing about this book is that it's the last of the Lily Bard series currently available. Harris is focusing a lot more of her energy on the far more popular Sookie Stackhouse series, which is absolutely her right. But I would love to have another of these to look forward to reading another of the Lily Bard books.
This book has Lily softening quite a bit from previous books. She seeks counseling after she has a PTSD episode has her attacking Jack in her sleep,...more
This book has Lily softening quite a bit from previous books. She seeks counseling after she has a PTSD episode has her attacking Jack in her sleep,...more
This, alas, is the last of the five Lily Bard mystery novels that Charlaine Harris wrote before the Sookie Stackhouse gold mine arrived at her literary doorstep. And they are probably my favorite series of hers. The main character is a housekeeper who is living somewhat off the grid in small town Arkansas after a brutal gang rape a few years before. She fills her spare time taking karate lessons and working out with near obsessive fervor. She is also trying to make room in her solitary life for ...more
I picked this up because I like reading books about therapy and psychological issues. Instead I found a murder mystery on my hands. Usually, I don't pick up murder mysteries because I dislike the images I conjure up when I read them. Usually, they are too intense for me. But something about Charlaine Harris's writing allowed me to enjoy a story with both seriousness and humor. The important themes of abuse, rape, and love are tackled in this novel, but it is not weighed down by these issues...more
The ultimate culprits of the book both surprised me and didn't. I guess I'm slowly beginning to lose my capacity for shock. Even sadder is that what Charlaine Harris writes about actually rings true because people are just that sick and twisted. What is the world coming to? T_T
Niggling note: I still want to know what happened to that mystery writer. She called, and then never shows up in the book again. I guess she was just there to provide Lily with an excuse to go through her ...more
Niggling note: I still want to know what happened to that mystery writer. She called, and then never shows up in the book again. I guess she was just there to provide Lily with an excuse to go through her ...more
This is the fifth and last book of Harris’s series taking place in Shakespeare, Arkansas and featuring Lily Bard.
This book, in the guise of a cozy mystery, is actually an excellent exploration of the problems of women and violence. In the rape counseling group, the women discuss all the pertinent issues that commonly are debated, such as who is to blame.
Still, this isn’t just a dark story. Harris comes through with her typical brand of understated humor.
Rati...more
This book, in the guise of a cozy mystery, is actually an excellent exploration of the problems of women and violence. In the rape counseling group, the women discuss all the pertinent issues that commonly are debated, such as who is to blame.
Still, this isn’t just a dark story. Harris comes through with her typical brand of understated humor.
Rati...more
I love Charlaine Harris' books and this series is one of the best.
Her main character, Lily Bard, is so strong and resilient, goes right to the point. No mushy stuff.
I liked that book because Harris' series with Lily Bard could stagnate and revolve around the same things over and over but it doesn't. In this book, we see things moving forward between Lily and Jack and we see Lily trying to talk about what happened to her.
As usual, it provided suspense, mystery, action an...more
Her main character, Lily Bard, is so strong and resilient, goes right to the point. No mushy stuff.
I liked that book because Harris' series with Lily Bard could stagnate and revolve around the same things over and over but it doesn't. In this book, we see things moving forward between Lily and Jack and we see Lily trying to talk about what happened to her.
As usual, it provided suspense, mystery, action an...more
As this series went on, I liked it less - this book particularly. I felt that it was quite different from the first few, and a little too much "drama." I'm not sure exactly how to explain it - I guess I just found it to be less entertaining, and more about dealing with "issues." I'd still probably read it again, but it certainly wouldn't be my first choice of Charlaine Harris books to re-read.
Turns out to be the final in the Lily Bard series but pleased it doesn't try to wrap up lots of loose ends like the final book in the Harper Connolly series. It's a good read for Lily fans and I found it quite emotional. Lily experiences changes in her personal circumstances and for me it was a bit gut wrenching at points which added to the depth of this installement. The mystery too is good but as ever I mainly just enjoyed spending time with Lily. Shame it's the last one but left feeling a...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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This is the fifth book (and last?) in the Lily Bard mystery series. I can now say that Lily is one of my favorite literary characters in any genre, not just mystery. My favorite part of this one is the deepening of the relationship between Lily and her husband, Jack. The resolution of the mystery in this one is a little weak, but the characters and small town detail more than make up for it. I sure hope Ms. Harris publishes more in this series soon!
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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This book was a very easy read, not complicated at all. Neither was the plot very difficult to follow. It was a straightforward, no-nonsense book to read.
The story however wasn't so compelling. The central character, Lily Bard, is still so wrapped up in her own emotional turmoil that it spills over into her future, catching up with her even in her married state. The ending, as it turns out, was pretty much predictable. As I'd predicted it would be.
The story however wasn't so compelling. The central character, Lily Bard, is still so wrapped up in her own emotional turmoil that it spills over into her future, catching up with her even in her married state. The ending, as it turns out, was pretty much predictable. As I'd predicted it would be.
Lily Bard joins a rape victim therapy group. The therapist seems to have issues herself. She has moved several times to avoid a stalker. Things get scarier when the group arrives for their session to find a new member who looks like the therapist has been killed and left skewered to the wall while the therapist hid in a back room.
I liked the book but I thought it was less interesting that some of the other Lily Bard stories.
I liked the book but I thought it was less interesting that some of the other Lily Bard stories.
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Charlaine Harris has been a published novelist for over twenty-five years. A native of the Mississippi Delta, she grew up in the middle of a cotton field. Now she lives in southern Arkansas with her husband, her three children, three dogs, and a duck. The duck stays outside.
Though her early output consisted largely of ghost stories, by the time she hit college (Rhodes, in Memphis) Char...more
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Though her early output consisted largely of ghost stories, by the time she hit college (Rhodes, in Memphis) Char...more
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