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Sunday, February 21, 2010

MEME: Crime Fiction Alphabet

Mysteries in Paradise hosts a weekly meme on mystery authors and books, highlighting a different letter each week. Beginning February 22, 2010, posts with the letter S, for author first or last name or book title are being collected here.


This week I am highlighting a wonderful series of books which all start with the letter S.



S is for Shakespeare, Arkansas where Lily Bard lives.

Charlaine Harris , of Sookie Stackhouse fame, has a darker, and I think better, series here with Lily Bard. She isn't a typical detective, actually isn't one at all. Lily is a housecleaner, new to Shakespeare, Arkansas, trying to rebuild her life after a horrible and violent crime. There are quirky Southern characters, a broken lead character, a love interest, and great atmosphere.

I liked that the series was finite, and the reader can watch Lily's growth and recovery, slowly, but it eventually gets there. I like that Harris doesn't kill everyone in this small town and lets the series run a natural course.


Shakespeare's Landlord by Charlaine Harris
Shakespeare's Champion by Charlaine Harris
Shakespeare's Christmas by Charlaine Harris
Shakespeare's Trollop - Charlaine Harris
Shakespeare's Counsellor - Charlaine Harris

8 comments:

  1. Now here is an author I've never read! I must remedy that. Thanks for your support again Elizabeth.

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  2. I have read all the Sookie books, and all the Harper Connelly books, but this and the Aurora Teagarden books haven't yet made it into my TBR pile.

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  3. I wondered which Shakespeare play you'd written about!

    I've never heard of a place called Shakespeare - it doesn't sound like a safe place to live, a bit like Midsomer.

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  4. kerrie - I love a big list. Harris has a pile of books she's written, 4 different series I believe, and she's still writing! I liked that this was finite, instead of finding a new series with 15 books already written.

    marg - I like to try the Harper Connolly ones next. Sookie didn't grab me at all. It was ok, but that's all.

    booksplease - it's kind of deceiving isn't it? when I hear Shakespeare mystery, I think of Cue for Treason, sort of like the movie Shakespeare in Love.
    She's Lily Bard and she lives in Shakespeare, Arkansas. Nice hook.

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  5. I didn't like the one Sookie Stackhouse book I read but I didn't realise Harris had other series - I'll check into these when next I'm at the libary - I do love the idea of a finite series :)

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  6. I can't believe I've never read Charlaine Harris. I saw a paperback of her work when I was at the Naples airport this weekend, but I didn't pick it up. Thanks for reminding me I should.

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  7. I've got to get back to this, I've only read the first one (at your recommendation, I believe!). A finite series sounds good to me, too, I'm easily daunted by already-existing huge series.

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Thanks for commenting, so nice of you to visit.

(I'll try without the letters for a while - so please dont be a spammer! Let's try no anonymous users)