Review: SHAKESPEARE'S COUNSELOR

Shakespeare's Counselor by Charlaine Harris
Book 5 of the Lily Bard mysteries
Narrated by Julia Gibson
Genre: murder mystery
Format: paperback & audiobook

About Shakespeare's Counselor:

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?

Source: Info in the About Shakespeare's Counselor was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32513.Shakespeare_s_Christmas 21/05/2012.

Narrative Evaluation:

This series started off with Lily Bard, our main protagonist, sharp and spot on. For some reason in this book she suddenly gone dimwitted. Everybody else gets it already but her!?! WTF?!! And ironically this is the book in which the story line actually suggests that Lily is suppose to be sharp and spot on! Character development here took a nose dive from quite a high altitude. Good thing Charlaine Harris gave it some sort of parachutting capabilities towards the end, so to speak, and did not end up a splatter on the sidewalk! Still Lily's stupidity is quite annoying. That "parachutting" element is the twist in the plot which slowly unfolded towards the end. I say that this book has the most complex plot thus far in the series.

This seems to be the last book in the series though I am hoping for more. If this is the last and Charlaine Harris is not writing anymore books in this series, then I would say that the Lily Bard saga ended quietly as opposed to a big bang as most serieses would usually craft a series ending. No round up and finale to the over-arc-ing plot of the series. Just dead-ended suddenly.

I think I've been reading/listening to too many Charlaine Harris books. I can now deduce that Ms. Harris is probably very fond of Cracker Barrel. In the Harper Connelly series, Cracker Barrel was Tolliver's favourite. Here, it is Roy's. Cracker Barrel just keeps on cropping up in different serieses in Ms. Harris's work. I wonder if it would show up in Sookie Stackhouse too.... In the end I still enjoyed this book given that Charlaine Harris is a talented and compelling story teller, but at the same time I am now so, so very tired of stupid protagonists, I would rate this book a 3 out of 5.

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 2
Story itself = 4
Ending = 4.5
World building = 4
Cover art = 2
Pace (paperback) = (so so, probably 3) (read with audiobook)
Pace (audiobook) = N/A
Narrator = 2.5

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 cherries


Thank you to the RCT Library for letting me borrow this book!!

FTC Disclosure:
The audiobook was borrowed from the library. The paperback was purchased with private funds. No money received for this review.

Review: SHAKESPEARE'S TROLLOP

Shakespeare's Trollop by Charlaine Harris
Book 4 of the Lily Bard mysteries
Narrated by Julia Gibson
Genre: murder mystery
Format: hardback omnibus & audiobook

About Shakespeare's Trollop:

The Barnes & Noble Review
Welcome back to Shakespeare, a charming little place in rural Arkansas filled with eccentric characters, small-town secrets, and captivating criminal conundrums. For more than four years now, Lily Bard has made her home in Shakespeare, cleaning houses for a living and honing her fighting skills at the local karate dojo. It hasn't been easy for Lily to put her tragic past behind her, but after years of prickly isolation she's finally beginning to build some real relationships. She has a lover she adores and friends who are more than sparring partners.

Then one day, while walking down an unmarked road, an unexpected flash of bright red catches her eye, and Lily immediately senses that something is very wrong. Her worst fears come to pass when the flash of red turns out to be a car holding the naked remains of Deedra Dean, one of Lily's cleaning clients and a lifelong Shakespeare resident with a well-earned reputation for cheerful amateur promiscuity.

Source: Info in the About Shakespeare's Christmas was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32513.Shakespeare_s_Christmas 14/05/2012.

Narrative Evaluation:

This being Book 4 in a series, I have said most of what I can say about this book in my reviews of the first three books. The same small town murder. And it is now starting to feel like same old, same old... The main saving grace of this book is Charlaine Harris' masterful story telling ability. So if you have become addicted to her books, this book is a good dose to feed your addiction. Elsewise, there is naught much different. So, what can I say about this book.... As soon as I read the title, I just knew that Deedra would play a prominent part in this book, and I was not wrong. Having said that, this book is not predictable though. The plot throws a loop which is a nice surprise! Another thing about this series is that, good thing that Charlaine Harris is such a good story teller, otherwise her books would never sell. What, with the cover arts quite dull-looking, would never trigger my book buying radar if I was browsing the book shelves in a bookshop. I think Ms. Harris really got shanked in the cover art department. And then, I thought I would get used to the narrator by now, this being Book 4 and many, many listening hours later. And I kind of did. However, Julia Gibson still sounds boring and monotonous to my ears though...

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 4
Story itself = 4
Ending = 4
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 1.5
Pace (audiobook) = N/A (approximately 7 hours of listening time)
Narrator = 2

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 cherries


Thank you to the RCT Library for letting me borrow this book!!

FTC Disclosure:
This audiobook was borrowed from the library. The hardback omnibus was purchased with private funds. No money received for this review.

Review: SHAKESPEARE'S CHRISTMAS

Shakespeare's Christmas by Charlaine Harris
Book 3 of the Lily Bard mysteries
Narrated by Julia Gibson
Genre: murder mystery
Format: paperback, audiobook

About Shakespeare's Christmas:

Even in a sleepy Arkansas town, the holidays can be murder.

Lily Bard is going home for the holidays. More comfortable in baggy sweats than bridesmaid's frills, Lily isn't thrilled about attending her estranged sister's wedding. She has moved to Shakespeare, Arkansas, to start a new life, cleaning houses for a living, trying to forget the violence that once nearly destroyed her. Now she's heading back to home and hearth--just in time for murder.

The town's doctor and nurse have been bludgeoned to death at the office. And Lily's detective boyfriend suddenly shows up at her parents' door. Jack Leeds is investigating an eight-year-old kidnapping and the trail leads straight to Lily's hometown. It just might have something to do with the murders...and her sister's widowed fiancé. With only three days before the wedding, Lily must work fast to clean up the messy case before her sister commits...marriage!

Source: Info in the About Shakespeare's Christmas was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32513.Shakespeare_s_Christmas 06/05/2012.

Review:

In this book Charlaine Harris veered off the usual main story line which is a small time murder in Shakespeare (though there is still small town murder) and more into the realm of family issues as the backdrop of the murder investigation. This provided a nice change in pace and kept the series from getting boring. While still adhering to the series' main theme which is small town murder. Here we encounter a bit thicker plot than the rest of the series thus far. Though for a murder mystery book, I would still consider the plot a bit thin on the ground. And the cover art continues to fail in it's function as a marketing tool. The main selling point of this book is that, one, it got Charlaine Harris' name on it. And second, it is part of the Lily Bard series which the fan base of the series will surely buy.

A nice little christmas read to remind us of the things which are actually in our lives that we ought to be thankful for!

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 4
Ending = 4
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 2
Pace (audiobook) = N/A (6.5 hours listening time)
Narrator = 3

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 cherries


Thank you to the RCT Library for letting me borrow this book!!

FTC Disclosure:
This audiobook was borrowed from the library. Tha print edition was purchased with private funds. No money received for this review.

Review: SHAKESPEARE'S CHAMPION

Shakespeare's Champion by Charlaine Harris
Book 2 of the Lily Bard mysteries
Narrated by Julia Gibson
Genre: murder mystery
Format: paperback, audiobook

About Shakespeare's Champion:

Lily Bard has started over in the quiet town of Shakespeare, Arkansas, as a cleaning lady. One who works out her anger and the pain of her past in a martial arts class.

For Lily, the gym is a place to get away from her troubles, not find more of them. But when she stumbles on the corpse of a local bodybuilder, his neck broken with a barbell, the town's underlying racial tensions begin to boil over. The white victim was connected was connected to unsolved murders of black residents in Shakespeare, and a dogged policeman is determined to stop the killing. Lily may have to decide whether to stay and fight for justice, or run away once more time.

Source: Info in the About Shakespeare's Champion was taken from the back copy of the paperback edition with ISBN 9780575105270 on 05/05/2012.

My Thoughts:

I bought the MP3 audiobook and borrowed the paperback from the library. I guess I just gotten used to having a paperback to read together with my audiobooks... I know, I know, I'm awkward kind of reader... or picky... depends on your point of view...

After reading/listening to this book, Book 2 of the Lily Bard mysteries, one distinct feature comes to mind... I can say that the main difference between this series and that of Charlaine Harris's more popular series, the Sookie Stackhouse, is that the main protagonist here, Lily Bard, is not too stupid to live (TSTL)! However, this series still carries with it the distinct addictive quality of Ms. Harris's wonderful story telling quality which shines through loud and clear in this book!

I am not very fond of Julia Gibson's reading style though. Her voice has a droning monotone quality to it which borders to boring and dull. Don't get me wrong, it isn't that bad, it's just that I've heard better.

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 5
Ending = 4
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 3
Pace (paperback) = 4
Pace (audiobook) = N/A
Narrator = 3

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries


Thank you to the RCT Library for letting me borrow this book!!

FTC Disclosure:
This paperback was borrowed from the library. The audiobook version was purchased with private funds. No money received for this review.

Review: SHAKESPEARE'S LANDLORD

Shakespeare's Landlord by Charlaine Harris
Book 1 of the Lily Bard mysteries
Narrated by Julia Gibson
Genre: murder mystery
Format: paperback, audiobook

About Shakespeare's Landlord:

Disguising herself with short hair and baggy clothes, Lily Bard has started a new life; she's becoming a cleaning lady in the sleepy town of Shakespeare, where whe can sweep away the secrets of her dark and violent past.

However her plan to live a quiet, unobserved life begins to crumble when she discovers the dead body of her nosy landlord. Lily doesn't care who did it, but when the suspicion od the police and local community falls on her she realises if she doesn't unmask the murderer, her life might not just crumble: it might also end.

Source: Info in the About Shakespeare's Landlord was taken from the back copy of the paperback edition with ISBN 9780575105256 on 14/04/2012.

Review:

I bought the audiobook from ebay and borrowed the paperback from the library. I kinda gotten used to having a paperback back-up whenever I am listening to an audiobook, see...

This is not my usual genre but I am an old Charlaine Harris fan and Miss Harris brought into this series/book the same wonderful compelling story telling quality that I admire so in her! But here is the real bonus, unlike her Sookie Stackhouse series where Sookie is annoyingly too stupid to live (TSTL), Lily, the main protagonist, is actually sensible! The girl uses the brains she was born with. Definitely adds goodness to the reading experinece! However, maybe because this is not my genre, I didn't find it as interesting as the Sookie Stackhouse books. But I honestly think this is more due to reader's preference rather than an actual lack in the story telling quality. Another thing which I did not like in this book is the darkness in the crime element. It sat just about at the borderline of my comfort zone. That was probably one of the reasons that I stopped-started reading this book. I do not like rape and torture and such. I'm an escapist reader. I do not want to know about the state of the world or anything about the human nature. I read for fun. Anyway, this book just about reached my tolerance for darkness. Having said that, I still think that this book is a wonderful start to a promising series!

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 4
Story itself = 4
Ending = 4
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 3
Pace (paperback) = 2
Pace (audiobook) = N/A
Narrator = 4

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 cherries

Thank you to the RCT Library for letting me borrow this book!!

FTC Disclosure:
This audiobook was borrowed from the library. No money received for this review.