Shakespeare's Counsellor by Charlaine Harris
(5th / Final book in the Lily Bard Mysteries)
Lily Bard recognizes that she may need help dealing with past trauma. Her instinct is to stay determinedly independent but her partner Jack convinces her to try a therapy group. Chaos (and murder) ensues.
I'm sad to say that I don't feel like I ever actually got to know the main character in these books. I had high hopes as I have always liked Harris' ability to characterize even the supporting characters, but this one falls flat. Maybe this character was too different, or maybe Harris was trying to make her too different, but there were too many moments when Lily didn't share with the audience that would have helped us make the connection. I understand a character who can't share with the people around him/herself, but when the reader can't even see into the character, that's a problem.
I enjoyed the mysteries themselves - they're similar in style to the Aurora Teagarden and Sookie Stackhouse stories. But those stories also had a main character who made you like her and wanted her to win in the end. They're all quirky, but Lily is quirky in a standoffish way that I would just have preferred to avoid. (I would actively avoid her if she was a real person.)
Anyway, it's understandable why this series is much shorter than those, and why it wasn't as known. Unfortunately, even the best authors flub sometimes.
(#27-2022)
No comments:
Post a Comment