Shakespeare's Christmas

Written by Charlaine Harris

Narrated by Julia Gibson

Lily Bard returns to Bartley, her hometown, for her estranged sister's Christmas Eve wedding. But murder spoils Bartley's holiday cheer. The town's doctor and nurse have been bludgeoned to death. The problem is, Lily's sister's fiancé is a suspect. With only three days before the wedding, Lily must work fast, before her sister promises to love, honor, and obey a killer…

• Language: English
• Publisher: W. F. Howes Ltd
• Release date: Dec 1, 2010
• ISBN: 9781407468389

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.

Reviews for Shakespeare's Christmas

[stephanie_m-868484 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I am so glad to have Lily actually connecting with her new boyfriend Jack in such a way that he may become permanent. She has grown-up feelings, and recognizes them, and isn't running away from them, or Jack.
Lily is growing, coming out of her shell, and becoming more confident in herself, and others. She is willing to see that opening yourself up to others and their feelings SOME times does not end in pain, and is trying, once more.
Lily went to be in her little sister's wedding, and helped Jack solve a missing child case that transformed into a multiple murder case as well. It kept you guessing as to who the missing child was, right up until the end. The murderer was hidden from us as well. It is my favorite of the first three as well, and LOVE that it's a very serious series, and that they don't keep rehashing the details of The Bad Thing that happened to Lily, 8 (or so) years ago.
Lily is faced with some demons of the past, and is better for it. She goes home and sees her family and friends, From Before her life changed, and lives through it. She hangs around some kids, and seems to connect with them, even though she's convinced herself she doesn't like them much.
All in all, a damn good read. Very addicting, and I finished it in one day. I will read on, until the library doesn't have anymore.

[lauren2013_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Shakespeare's Christmas
4 Stars

Returning home for her sister’s wedding, Lily is dreading the inevitable confrontation with the harsh memories of her past. All this takes a back seat, however, when Lily finds herself enmeshed in a new mystery as her boyfriend, private investigator Jack Leeds, arrives with the troubling news that Lily's soon to be brother-in-law may be a kidnapper.

While Lily is definitely not the most affable of heroines and some readers may find her directness curt and discourteous, to me she is refreshing, original and admirable. The insights into her life immediately following the attack and the reactions of her friends and family at the time, provide additional depths to her character and reinforce her amazing strength of will and resilience.

Jack and Lily’s romance is going strong and there are several entertaining scenes with the two of them trying to define their relationship and its future direction. Jack can charm the pants off anyone and the reactions of the various Bard family members to his presence are priceless.

The mystery involves a killer’s attempts to cover up a kidnapping and once again the reader follows Lily as she uncovers the clues and confronts the culprit. The actual investigation is rather slow going as the case builds against several likely suspects, but the climax is exciting and the resolution satisfying.

Although the mystery is solved and the villain is apprehended, Lily’s departure from Bartley is somewhat abrupt and there are a couple of loose ends remaining, such as What happened to Jane Osborne? and Lily’s family’s reactions to events.

In terms of the audiobook, Julia Gibson’s narration is enjoyable although there are still lengthy gaps between sections that can be distracting.

In sum, Lily has become one of my favorite heroines and the more I read of this series, the better I like it. Looking forward to the next installment.

[cbl_tn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lily Bard is a house cleaner in Shakespeare, Arkansas, who is determined not to be defined by her past as the victim of a violent crime. For that reason, she has avoided visits to her family and her hometown for many years. Lily's sister Varena has planned a Christmas wedding that will finally bring Lily back to Bartley. During some of the pre-wedding activities, Lily and Varena discover the bodies of the town doctor and his nurse in the office where they had been beaten to death. Then Lily's private eye boyfriend shows up to see Lily and meet the family, but that's not the only reason he's in town. He's been hired to look for a girl who was kidnapped as an infant eight years earlier – and Varena's fiance, a widower, has an 8-year-old daughter. Lily realizes that she must help Jack solve his case before her sister's wedding.This book is darker than most cozies, but it still retains some of the small town charm characteristic of many cozy series. I liked Lily. She's not one of those “too stupid to live” characters that populate so many cozies. She isn't impulsive; she is smart, strong, thoughtful, and aware of the risks she undertakes. The reader, Julia Gibson, seems perfect for Lily's voice. I picked this one up because I was looking for an audiobook with a Christmas setting. Now I will be looking for the rest of the books in this series.

[amotisse-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I love an unlikely heroine.
A friend introduced me to the Trueblood series
and I have since discovered more enjoyable easy
relax reads with twists from Charlaine Harris.

[lemurkat · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

There's nothing like a good, quick murder mystery to keep one entertained on the short walk home! I picked up this book from the library for just that purpose - having become bored of "Discovery of Witches" and not wishing to carry that weighty tome home with me. Thus I slipped into the library with the main aim to be - find something short and interesting. This fit the bill nicely. Lily did not quite enamour herself to me as quickly as the rather more amiable Aurora Teagarden, but I did find that she has opened up a little in this book and become a lot less defensive. It is book three in the series, and I have skipped book two, but I do not think it mattered much. I found Lily's interactions with the children to be particularly amusing and despite the gruesome murders, this book kept me entertained for the two days it took me to read it. I shall keep an eye out for more!

[jimmaclachlan · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Another good mystery, although the story got a little convoluted & confusing at a couple of points. May have been my fault for not following all the character names closely enough, but there were a fair few. Lily goes back to her home town, so she knows everyone & seems to meet half of them.

This has added depth to Lily's character & I like her more with each page. Very admirable lady. On to the next!

[dukefan86 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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!

[condorena · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lily Bard is a heroine worth following. Charlaine Harris has a knack for depicting interesting characters.

[krumbs_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Unlike some other mystery series, this is not one where you can skip books! I've read these out of order so far, and I have no idea how the character got from where she was in the first book to the relationship she has now (two books later). Quite a jump! Also, this is a particularly annoying series in that there is no reason for the character to do the sleuthing. She could have just passed what she knew to the police and been out of danger.

[murphy4jacobs · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

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.

[riverwillow · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[nbmars · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Lily Bard, 31, now lives in Shakespeare, Arkansas, having fled to this sleepy town in search of solace and anonymity after a brutal rape four years earlier. Her family still acts awkwardly around her, so she dreads returning to Bartley for her sister Varena’s Christmas wedding.As it turns out, an eight-year-old cold case of a missing girl, Summer Dawn Macklesby, gets hot again, and the suspects are all in Bartley. Lily’s boyfriend, Jack Leeds, who is a private investigator, ends up in Bartley working on the case, and the two of them join forces since one of the suspects is Varena’s husband-to-be Dill.As dead bodies start accumulating in Bartley, Lily and Jack have to act quickly to solve the crimes and either absolve or convict Dill before Varena commits to him for life.Evaluation: There was a bit too much about the wedding planning in this third book of the Lily Bard series for my liking. On the other hand, part of Harris’s charm is her ability to evoke the details of life in a small town and to provide a realistic picture of interfamilial relationships. It isn’t the best of the series, but is nevertheless entertaining, and Lily and Jack have great couple dynamics.

[rhonda1111 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

like it like the characters,stories liked that lily is a cleaning women at different houses who she meets and she has overcome some terrible things and is getting stronger she karate and weight lifting.

[rhinoa_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Lily returns to her hometown for a week before Christmas for her sisters wedding on Christmas Eve. She has just started seeing detective Jack Leeds and isn’t sure quite where things stand. Due to her dark past she has a lot of trouble getting close to people and has determined not to ask anything of him. She does take the plunge and ask him to spend Christmas Day with her when she returns to Shakespeare which he accepts.When she gets to home things are much as she left them. Her family still find it difficult to be around her, but her sister in particular is making a real effort. Lily is out of her depth having to dress up for various dinners, showers and the wedding itself where she is the maid of honour. Problem is that people are starting to die. First the local doctor and his assistant are brutally killed in their office and it looks like it was by someone they knew. More bodies begin to follow and it all seems to be linked to an unsolved case from 8 years ago. Jack turns up to work on the case and there are three main suspects, one of which is Lily’s prospective brother-in-law. They need to solve the case in 3 days before her sister marries Dill.This was by far the best in the series so far. It kept me guessing right until the end as you don’t really know which of the three men is responsible for the murders and previous crime. Again there is lots of character development and I really like both Lily and Jack. Plus spending time with her family and old friends was interesting to see how her life was completely thrown in the air after her horrendous ordeal. I can’t wait to read the next one.

[junco1312 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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

[krissa_6 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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. ;)

[harrod_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Yet another good entry into the Bard series...looking forward to more.

[allthesedarnbooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[raizel_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[prop2gether · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

While Lily Bard is an entertaining heroine and this story had more depth than the earlier Shakespeare novels, it does seem a cheat to call it "Shakespeare's" whatever, when almost all the action takes place far away from Lily's new home. It was still a cozy read for murder mysteries, however, and I will read the next in order.

[pacey1927 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[jjmachshev_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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.

[hjjugovic · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another entry in the Lily Bard mystery series, I really enjoyed this one. Again, I've read the series out of order, but that doesn't seem to hurt. Harris manages a noirish vibe in small-town southern settings, and a prickly heroine who jumps off the page. I don't know quite what to make of Lily, and neither do the people in her life. All of it rings true. The mystery is satisfying if a bit conveniently (or inconveniently, from Lily's point of view) tangled in her life. Her relationship with Jack is particularly appealing and well-drawn. Recommended.

[cheriepie69_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another great entry in the Lily Bard Mystery series. In this one, Lily travels home during the holidays to be a bridesmaid in her sister's wedding, and of course trouble follows her... as does her sexy new boyfriend Jack! ;)We learn a bit more about Lily's background in this one as she stays with her family during her homecoming. This is really the first time she's been home since the incident which scarred her both physically and emotionally.I'm looking forward to reading more of this series! Thanks for sharing them Amber! :)