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    Shakespeare's Trollop
    Shakespeare's Trollop
    Shakespeare's Trollop
    Audiobook6 hours

    Shakespeare's Trollop

    Written by Charlaine Harris

    Narrated by Julia Gibson

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Anthony Award-winning author Charlaine Harris' fourth entry from her Lily Bard mystery series is a critically acclaimed gem. Trying to keep a low profile as a cleaning lady, Lily gets sucked into a murder investigation when one of her clients is killed in an apparent tryst gone bad. ". quirky characters fully rendered in quick strokes will hold readers as surely as the complex resolution in this cozy on the bleeding edge of noir."-Booklist
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateDec 4, 2009
    ISBN9781440789571
    Shakespeare's Trollop
    Author

    Charlaine Harris

    Charlaine Harris is a New York Times bestselling author who has been writing for over thirty years. She was born and raised in the Mississippi River Delta area. She has written four series, and two stand-alone novels, in addition to numerous short stories, novellas, and graphic novels (cowritten with Christopher Golden). Her Sookie Stackhouse books have appeared in twenty-five different languages and on many bestseller lists. They’re also the basis of the HBO series True Blood. Harris now lives in Texas, and when she is not writing her own books, she reads omnivorously. Her house is full of rescue dogs.

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    Reviews for Shakespeare's Trollop

    3.5/5

    415 ratings27 reviews

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    • 4/5
      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.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      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.
    • 5/5
      I've enjoyed every one of Charlaine Harris' 'Shakespeare' mysteries. These are much darker than her other series with the exception of the 'Harper Connelly' series. If you're expecting anything like her 'Dead' series...don't. But if you like a gritty mystery with a kick-ass heroine with a dark past...you'd be doing yourself a favor to try this series out. These were originally written in the 90s, but have been reprinted in the last couple of years.Lily has to return to her hometown after all this time. Her sister is getting married and Lily will be one of the attendants. Lily isn't doing too badly back home. But then two people are murdered, her detective boyfriend shows up looking into an old missing baby case, and there's another murder. All Lily really wanted was a quiet Christmas!Like I said, I've read the whole Shakespeare series and only wish there were more.
    • 4/5
      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!
    • 2/5
      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.
    • 4/5
      Yet another good entry into the Bard series...looking forward to more.
    • 5/5
      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
    • 4/5
      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.
    • 4/5
      Lily Bard is a heroine worth following. Charlaine Harris has a knack for depicting interesting characters.
    • 4/5
      I have liked the character of Lily Bard from my first introduction to her in "Shakespeare's Landlord". I read with interest both that volume as well as the second book, "Shakespeare's Champion". Honestly, I found them to be just so-so. I thought the charcters were interesting, and Lily's background trauma and personality the meat and bones of each of those novels, much more so than than the actual mysteries within. I was pleasantly suprised with "Shakespeare's Christmas". The mystery of a murdered physician and his nurse and how it related to a missing baby case eight years old was very interesting. We know almost immediately that there are three children who may be this missing baby, living a new life. The process of figuring out which child was stolen, and thereby which parents did what, was more exciting in my opinion, than the first two installments. I also enjoyed seeing a softer side of Lily, as she faces her first trip back home since she left years ago, after suffering a gang rape and mutilations to nearly every part of her body. It was good to see Lily fight to do the right thing in her interactions with her family, and understandable when she needed to leave, get away, and run from all the pitying looks and whispered murmurs. As for the negatives of this book, they are few. I know that "Shakespeare's" always begins the titles but here the book takes place mostly outside of Shakespeare and so I didn't think the title fit as well as the previous ones...And my biggest complaint is that I felt the book ended too suddenly. I thought the mystery wrapped up quite nicely, but I felt we should have seen a final goodbye scene with her parents and sister. Something to show that either everything was fragile, but going to be alright between them, or that nothing had really changed in their complex relationships. If you have been a fan of Charlaine Harris in general or the Lily series in particular I do recommend this one as the best yet.
    • 4/5
      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. ;)
    • 4/5
      This is the third installment of the Lily Bard series and I think the most compelling. Lily Bard lives in small town Shakespeare, Arkansas a small town populated by eccentric characters, a place where everyone knows everyone else's business and Lily as the town cleaner knows more of those secrets than most. Lily Bard is an incredible and surprisingly complex character for the genre. After surviving a vicious gang rape and attempted murder Lily hones herself into an organic weapon with martial arts training. One thing that Lily hasn't faced up to in moving on from her troubled memories is her family. In this installment she reluctantly goes home to reunite with her family for her sister's wedding but trouble, not just of the personal kind, comes home to roost with her. Lily's new love Jack, a private detective ends up spending Christmas in her home town too, as he tracks down a missing child who was abducted years ago. The problem is that he has three likely suspects including Lily's soon to be new brother in law. This is a wonderfully crafted novel, the mystery cracks on at a terrific pace seamlessly blending with the personal angst of the overall character arc. The reactions of Lily's parents regarding their daughter's attack are sensitively handled and Harris eschews taking the easy sloppily characterised route and delivers an uncompromising look at the darker heart of small town America. This is a keeper and well worth shelling money out for. It would be all too easy to make Lily a whiner or self pitying but for the most part this is neatly avoided, and her tragedy is never overplayed there is a particularly lovely scene about her friendship with a boy she grew up with who is now a cop. The overall child abduction mystery keeps you guessing until the last page. I don't give 5 stars lightly but this earned it on every level.
    • 4/5
      a good, solid summer ready. Very easy, but I found completely engrossing. I wish the woman who died had not had to do so, and I hope the author doesn't start killing off every one of the residents of this tiny, little town, just for something to write about. But I love how Lily is now trusting her boyfriend SO much, they are talking about living together! I really do hope this relationship works out, and I cannot wait to see what happens next!! The bad guys, btw? Totally yanked out the author's butt at the end. lol
    • 4/5
      Shakespeare's Trollop
      4 Stars

      When Lily stumbles across the dead body of Deedra Dean, Shakespeare’s most promiscuous resident, everyone assumes that her lifestyle has finally caught up with her and the suspects pile up. However, a series of seemingly unrelated incidents soon reveal that there is more to Deedra’s death than meets the eye.

      To begin with, it should be noted that the strongest criticism of this installment in the Lily Bard series is that Harris appears to be engaging in “slut shaming” and “victim blaming”. While I can certainly see why this is the case considering Deedra’s characterization, once cannot escape the fact that Harris is presenting a phenomenon that is, unfortunately, common in our society not because she condones it herself, but because she seeks to expose it for the misogynistic rubbish that it is. As with the 2nd book in the series, denying that something distasteful exists will not make it go away!

      Personally, Lily Bard and the colorful residents of Shakespeare, Arkansas, have been one of the highlights of my reading year. The characters, the town and the mysteries have made the series come to life for me and I’m sad that there is only one more book to go.

      It is great to see the growth and development in Lily’s character. While she remains brusque and anti-social, she is slowly opening herself to friendships and to the emotional connection that she is forming with Jack. Even though they have to deal with one or two obstacles in their relationship, Lily and Jack emerge stronger than ever and it looks like they are moving in the right direction.

      The who-dun-it has some interesting twists and turns although it is easy to guess the culprit once the clues start making sense. The climax and resolution are as exciting as ever and I particularly enjoyed the fight at the end.

      All in all, Harris a skilled storyteller and once I’m done with Lily and company, I will be on the lookout for more of her books.
    • 3/5
      Another good one, builds on the previous 3, so this is definitely a series to read in order. The mystery is a bit more convoluted, though.
    • 4/5
      I'm recommending the whole of the Lily Bard series to anyone who likes books with strong female characters. Lily has her problems, but she doesn't let them keep her from getting on with the job of solving crimes that come her way.
    • 2/5
      An ok mystery. Not sure why Lily Bard was so involved--she didn't like the woman who was killed so her intense involvement just didn't make a lot of sense. Also, the emotional stuff with this character is just awkward.
    • 3/5
      I know, you're thinking it's just another cleaning lady who solves mysteries on the side...Don't know how involved the rest of the stories get into the background of the heroine, but there's just barely enough explanation to make the character believable. She may be even too believable for comfort, as events in her past make romance difficult, which in turn makes the romantic scenes a bit flat. In general, actually, Lily Bard is a bit lacking in color. Detectives don't have to be colorful. Kinsey Millhone and Matthew Scudder, for example, get on with their jobs without much fuss, but Lily Bard is so tightly in a shell that she's hard to relate to.That said, the other characters are drawn out nicely, the town of Shakespeare is colorful and interesting, and the obligatory violent confrontation at the end had enough surprises to keep me guessing. So it has its good points and bad points. Worth spending some time on.
    • 4/5
      In this warm and cozy mystery series Shakespeare is the name of a town in Arkansas, not a playwright. Lily Bard, a young woman who works as a house cleaner has evidently come to this small town to escape reminders of a very violent incident in her past. This is the fourth of six in the series, and I didn't feel I absolutely had to have read the previous entries to enjoy this one. I am however, going to be sure to look them up. The past sounds every bit as interesting as the present.In this one, Lily discovers a dead body: one of her clients who had a reputation for being a bit loose with her morals. One of the trollop's latest and most consistent clients (whom Lily can identify as having been in and out of the victim's apartment) happens to be the local sheriff's brother. While the sheriff, with Lily's reluctant cooperation, is trying to solve the murder, Lily is also trying to resolve her feelings about her current boyfriend Jack Leeds, a private investigator who seems to be more absent than present in her life. In the meantime, she continues with her eccentric cast of clients and her personal fitness routine at the gym/karate venue. The murder is eventually solved with the perpetrator probably being a surprise to most readers.As with other series by Charlaine Harris, humor abounds, the southern setting is charming but not cloying, and readers can settle down to enjoy a good mystery with likable characters and an interesting setting. Definitely worth checking out.
    • 4/5
      In the fourth book of the Lily Bard series, another murder has taken place in Shakespeare, Arkansas. Lily moved to the sleepy town of Shakespeare to escape the spotlight after her brutal rape in Memphis four years earlier. But Shakespeare turns out not to be so sleepy, after all.Lily finds the body of Deedra, a local “trollop” for whom she used to clean, and is pressured by the police to try to help find the killer. Since it looks like a crime of sexual passion, the suspects are legion, and Lily knows who many of the men are who have come to Deedra’s apartment. Simultaneously, Lily is trying to define her feelings about her boyfriend Jack Leeds, and whether they should be entering into a more permanent relationship.Lily finally stumbles upon the killer, and it is a big surprise, no less to Lily than to the reader, albeit a bit safer for the latter.Evaluation: Harris continues to inject her trademark humor into even her darker series, combining insights into the human psyche with gentle fun:"Clinton Emanuel looked down at me with those fathomless black eyes. I thought he was deciding whether or not to trust me. I may have been wrong; he may have been wondering if he’d have a hamburger or chicken nuggets when he went through the drive-through at Burger Tycoon.”I’ve never met a Harris book I didn’t find entertaining. They’re not books you think about forever, but they are nevertheless a very fun way to spend the time.
    • 5/5
      The fourth Lily Bard murder mystery where one of Lily's clients is found dead in the woods. It looks like a crime of passion and she was known to be a little free and easy with the love. On investigating it looks like it may have been staged.
    • 4/5
      i really liked this series did have a few scenes that i skipped.
    • 3/5
      Good, cozy mystery. 
    • 4/5
      In her fourth outing with Lily Bard, Charlaine Harris creates more character and mystery than with the previous stories. It is amusing that this title is more "Shakespearean" than prior titles, but it is also more relevant to the story and mystery. Lily also continues to grow as a character of interesting shades.
    • 4/5
      Lily is drawn into a murder mystery when she finds a woman dead in a car, she's a woman known for liking men, a lot of them, and the number of suspects is quite large. Lily Bard is an interesting character and her ongoing relationship with Jack is fun to read about.
    • 3/5
      This is another good mystery in the Lily Bard series. The style of these books isn't my usual - more noir-ish, less humorous - but they're well written and different. Once again, I'm reading these out of order due to library issues, but it doesn't seem to hurt the story much. The ending on this one was very unexpected!
    • 4/5
      Lily returns in this fourth book in the Lily Bard (Cozy) Mystery series. Another murder has taken place in Shakespeare, Arkansas. This time it's Deedra Dean, a well-known woman about town who's known for her somewhat promiscuous ways. Has her lifestyle finally managed to get her done in? And if so, it's not going to be easy for a small town police department to find her killer among the many men of Shakespeare who've been to her bed.Of course, being the local cleaning woman to many Shakespeare residents, including the late Ms. Dean, Lily knows a thing or two about Deedra, and also comes across some evidence that just may help the police find the missing pieces they need in the puzzle of Who Killed Deedra Dean.I really enjoyed this book, and I really like Lily's character as well. She's dark, mysterious, and quite complicated... kind of how I like to think of myself. *grin* These books are really quick reads and I've already read the fifth book as well, a review of which should be coming up shortly. :)