What do you think?
Dead Giveaway
Lily "investigates" a death in the house next to the one she's cleaning
10 pages, ebook
First published December 1, 2001
About the author
Charlaine Harris
203 books37.4k followersCharlaine 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.
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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 17, 2022
eponymous sentence:
p13: "The knife was a dead giveaway...."
missing second Ls:
p2: My first reaction was irritation; not noble, I know, but the Winthrop house is large and Beanie Winthrop is demanding, and I'd been there al morning trying to make the house look clean and polished. Final y I'd made headway in fourteen-year-old Amber Jean's room.
page numbers were transcribed and mistaken for text:
p3: "She's dead!" Patsy wailed in her high Southern voice, her accent trailing out the syl ables to 1
"de-e-aid."
dash:
p6: "JennaBeale wil get that al straightened out at school today," she said, just as if Frankie has spoken.
For Lily to appear in a short story at an Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine after her series has apparently concluded, I think Charlaine wasn't really done with her but may also want to move on to other things. At this point she's also in the middle of another series and has just debutted of another.
I wish I can find a better copy.
p13: "The knife was a dead giveaway...."
missing second Ls:
p2: My first reaction was irritation; not noble, I know, but the Winthrop house is large and Beanie Winthrop is demanding, and I'd been there al morning trying to make the house look clean and polished. Final y I'd made headway in fourteen-year-old Amber Jean's room.
page numbers were transcribed and mistaken for text:
p3: "She's dead!" Patsy wailed in her high Southern voice, her accent trailing out the syl ables to 1
"de-e-aid."
dash:
p6: "JennaBeale wil get that al straightened out at school today," she said, just as if Frankie has spoken.
For Lily to appear in a short story at an Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine after her series has apparently concluded, I think Charlaine wasn't really done with her but may also want to move on to other things. At this point she's also in the middle of another series and has just debutted of another.
I wish I can find a better copy.
February 2, 2012
Lily Bard is my least favorite Charlaine Harris's heroines (which means I still love her). Yet this short never grabbed my attention. I just couldn't believe the situation. I am usually quit will to suspend belief in favor of a good story. However, in this case, I was simply bored.
December 13, 2020
In this short story, house cleaner and amateur sleuth Lily Bard investigates a murder that takes place next to the one she is cleaning. It's a pretty good short mystery story, though it feels a bit dated now in some parts. This short story was originally published in "Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine" in December 2001 and feature's Lily Bard from the Charlaine Harris book series. It was hard to track down. I was able to listen to it read aloud on the Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine podcast. I'm glad I found the episode because in addition to the story, it features a nice interview with Harris and fellow mystery author Toni L.P. Kelner. Overall, I'm glad I found it and it will be enjoyed by Lily Bard fans.
February 16, 2025
I love Lily Bard
January 10, 2014
Lily Bard is the one series from Charlaine Harris I have yet to read, so I tried this shortie to see if I would like to read it.
I have this theory that CH is great with full-length novels, not that good with short-stories. The sample wasn't great, but compared to all the others I read from her, it was good enough to make me put Lily Bard on the series to try.
I have this theory that CH is great with full-length novels, not that good with short-stories. The sample wasn't great, but compared to all the others I read from her, it was good enough to make me put Lily Bard on the series to try.
April 30, 2011
Good quick read. Short story ties with the Lily Bard series.
June 5, 2021
Housecleaner Lily Bard as a hyper observant Holmes like detective.
An "okay" short story.
An "okay" short story.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews