Shakespeare's Landlord.
Lily Bard is trying to keep a low profile, stay invisible, but she soon learns that is an impossibility in a small town. With a shattered past and a fear of discovery, the last thing Lily wanted was to be implicated in a murder, however she reluctantly finds that if she is to prove her innocence she is going to have to solve this murder on her own. But in retrospect the death of Shakespeare's landlord could have been the best thing to ever happen to Lily.

Shakespeare's Champion.
When Lily unwittingly steps in to break it up a public fight, she also puts herself in the middle of the towns growing tensions. Not long after she discovers a murder victim. When all she wanted was to be left in quiet, she is again drawn into the lives of those in this small town discovering she is losing more friends then she realised she ever had. If Lily is to survive this race war with her life she is going to have to get to the bottom of this murder.

Shakespeare's Christmas.
Christmas isn't Christmas without family, food and a murder or two. As Lily heads home for the holidays, and also for her sisters wedding, Lily is facing up to some old demons. However someone has kidnapped a child and is desperate enough to kill any who would dare take that child from them. Unavoidably Lily becomes involved, but this time she is not alone. With Jack by her side Lily will uncover a devastating truth and discover a new side of herself.

Shakespeare's Trollop.
When Lily discovers the body of the town trollop in a compromising position she, as with everyone else in town, must assume that the murderer is one of her lovers. Meaning that just about every man in town is a suspect. However as the clues are gathered Lily must admit that things are not adding up. But in a case where little makes sense and where one death leads to another, discovering the truth will not be easy.

Shakespeare's Counselor.
The time has come for Lily to face her past if she is to embrace her future. Very reluctant to join but determined to do so, Lily begins attending meetings for rape survivors. Unfortunately after only a few weeks someone has decided to send a message to her group in the form of a murdered rape victim. As the bodies pile up in this dangerous game of cat and mouse, Lily experiences great loss, abuse of her trust and ultimately a new future.

Lily Bard Mysteries Omnibus is a great series of Who-Done-It tales centred around a strong, independent, intelligent women with a dark past and no future. Written without any supernatural influence by a skilled author of the genre, these in-depth and well thought out murder mysteries will keep you guessing just as much its well developed and colourful characters will keep you entertained. ( )

There are moments of sheer brilliance in Charlaine Harris' writing, but it barely disguises its ties to the romance genre: her obsession with cleaning, fitness and long passages about how attractive or unattractive the characters are, what they are wearing, ad nauseum, dissolves some of the charm of her books. And that is unfortunate.

I feel the fourth is the weakest in the series, and the fifth is the best. ( )

great mystery series -twisty, a very not perfect heroine, interesting complex characters. ( )

great mystery series -twisty, a very not perfect heroine, interesting complex characters. ( )

great mystery series -twisty, a very not perfect heroine, interesting complex characters. ( )