Shakespeare's Landlord

Lily Bard Mysteries, Book 1

By: Charlaine Harris

Narrated by: Julia Gibson

Length: 6 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

From the Anthony Award-winning author of the immensely popular Sookie Stackhouse mysteries comes the first book starring Lily Bard, a reclusive cleaning lady with a penchant for karate. When Lily finds and reports a dead body, her shady past and connections to potential perpetrators make her a leading suspect.

©1996 Charlaine Harris (P)2009 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"While on a late-night job in tiny Shakespeare, Ark., Lily Bard, 31, sees a furtive figure placing large plastic garbage bags in the local park and, untying one, discovers the body of her former landlord. In a quick but anonymous phone call (she is determined to avoid any questioning), she reports it to the police chief. With skill and wry wit, Harris, the author of the Aurora Teagarden series, soon reveals the horrific facts in Lily's background that explain why she is solitary, confrontational, obsessed with self-defense - and why she chooses, despite a first-rate education, to eke out a living as a cleaning woman....Harris's finely tuned, colorful and suspenseful tale, filled with vigorous and unique characters, will leave readers hoping it's the start of a series." ( Publishers Weekly)
"[Lily Bard is] the equal of Kay Scarpetta." ( Library Journal)

Interesting Early Work

I recently discovered Charlaine Harris and I've been rapidly working my way through all her recorded works. I was thrilled to find that this early work had made it to recorded form. Originally published back in 1996, I think this is Harris' first or second published book. It's a simply mystery/suspense format - no supernatural players. Her main characters are interesting, complex, not always likable, which adds interest. She also wrote a great mystery - lots of twists and turns, many potential villains, but enough clues for an astute reader to figure it out. Her later promise is apparent in this early work.

Can't turn it off

Loved this audiobook.. Great story with twists and turns and a main character that has her faults but you can relate to. Julia Gibson has a wonderful way with narration.

Lily Bard my 2nd Fave Harris heroine

After Harper Connolly, Lily Bard is my 2nd Fave Harris heroine. Lily even has a "guest appearance " or two in the Sookie Stackhouse series. Definite recommend. Gibson does well with the narration.

I love Lily Bard mysteries!

I have to say of all the Charlaine Harris books, which include some very good books, my favorite is always the Shakespeare mysteries starring Lily Bard. Now having them in audio format, I have them in paperback, Kindle,and audio. The character is someone who has a life changing event happens and makes herself grow from it. How can you not love that? She is a true hero. But aside from the main character, The entire population of the town of Shakespeare, and the characterizations are the type of writing with the quality, Charlaine Harris puts in all of her work. Plus, if you like the Midnight Texas series, you get to see the early development of one of the main characters here.
Hopefully, someday this series will be another TV adapted series from Charlene, like the Sookie Stackhouse and the Midnight Texas series.

Good, straight-forward mystery

This is the first of Charlaine Harris' "Shakespeare" series and, I believe, one of her earliest mysteries. There are none of the supernatural/paranormal elements that you might expect from her better known, more recent, work.

The Shakespeare series is set in a small Southern town and features a young, single "woman with a past" as the main character. Lily Bard moved to Shakespeare after surviving a horrific rape & assault. She started working as a house cleaner and began studying martial arts. Her work as a cleaning lady gives her an interesting perspective on other residents of the town, and her study of martial arts gives her a feeling of being able to control herself and deal with the unexpected. Up until now she has stayed below the radar, but when she unexpectedly finds a dead body she begins to come out of her self-imposed isolation and get a bit more involved.

I enjoy this series, and recommend reading it in publication order so that you can best appreciate the way the characters grow & develop.

The narrator does a good job - just a hint of "Southern" and just enough differentiation between characters so that you can keep track of who is speaking more easily.

Great start to a great series

Have read this series many, many times. Easy read and entertaining while briefly touching on a serious subject. Well done.

loved it!

I loved this book, I'm ready to start the next! If you love Charlaines books you'll enjoy this one as well.

Boring

Yep. Boring! And I guess I was supposed to type in 13 more words. I hope this does it.

LOVING LILY

I have read all of the Sookie Stackhouse books and was very pleased to see that Charlaine Harris had books about Lily Bard Leeds (a character that makes a couple appearances in the Sookie books). I have read all of the Lily Bard books and love the character (more than Sookie). These books are some of Harris's earlier work and may not be as polished as the more recent books, but they are still a good read. Lily is one of Harris's best character, in my opinion.

Had a hard time with the narrator

I always love Charlene Harris. Her stories are entertaining and I was surprised to find a series I hadn't read. But, the narrator spoils the story. She does not change voice when speaking the different characters. I almost didn't finish the book, but powered through.