Book Review: Shakespeare's Trollop

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Shakespeare's Trollop     Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Charlaine Harris
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Amateur Sleuth
Series: Lily Bard # 4
St. Martin's, Aug 2000, $23.95, 227 pp.

Troubled cleaning person Lily Bond's traumatic past includes being kidnapped, gang raped, tortured, and killing one of her tormentors. Her story made national headline news, forcing her to relocate to SHAKESPEARE, Arkansas to avoid the pity of her hometown. As her wounds started to heal, Lily actually finds a place for herself in her new town.

After completing a cleaning job, Lily notices a car parked in a strange place. She goes over to investigate only to find the dead naked body of Deedre Dean, considered by most residents to be the town slut. A coke bottle has been jammed up the woman's vagina. Everyone assumes that Deedre picked the wrong lover except Lily, who as she has successfully done before, begins her own investigation even as the perpetrator targets the amateur sleuth as one of the next victim.

Charlaine Harris' protagonist has grown and changed over the course of this series, which adds a real life feel to the novels. Lily's development in interpersonal relations is fascinating to observe as she overcomes her traumatic past to re-hook with people. Her latest tale, SHAKESPEARE'S TROLLOP, is an exciting amateur sleuth tale that showcases the reasons Lily and her adopted town remains popular. Fans of the series and the sub-genre will enjoy this pleasurable novel.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner

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