"Shakespeare's Champion is the second book in the Lily Bard series, but can be read as stand alone if you should be so lucky to find this book first. This book finds Lily still cleaning away and uncovering more secrets about the residents of Shakespeare than she ever really wanted to know.
However, Lily has quite a few secrets of her own so she knows how to keep her mouth shut. When she isn't cleaning, Lily is busy going to the gym where she works on bodybuilding and karate. One morning, on her way to an early workout, she discovers a fellow gym member, dead, with a barbell across his throat. Lily desperately wants to believe that it was an accident, but there are too many other suspicious "accidents" including a young black man's unsolved murder, the bombing of a church, and many others. It appears that most of the crimes are racially motivated, but Del is a white bodybuilder who works in the sporting goods store.
How does his death fit in with the others? Lily unwillingly involves herself in investigating the crime and uses her unique vantage point and circumstances to collect information. She quickly discovers that there is something fishy in Shakespeare. Lily doesn't want to suspect one of the longtime residents, but there are only so many newcomers to town. So when Lily discovers one dark stranger showing up at the most unlikely places, such as her client's closet, it is only natural that her suspicions would fall on him...
I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to anyone who likes mysteries and/or tough female characters. Charlaine Harris' characters are wonderful. They are quixotic combinations of practicality, spotenaity, weaknesses and strengths. I felt that I could identify with most of the characters immediately upon meeting them. It was also wonderful to get the start of a love story for Lily. True, she dabbled in a little romance in Shakespeare's Landlord (book #1 in the series), but she has a serious shot at a relationship in this book. The plot was well drawn and, I must admit, the final chapter of the book was a surprise. If you enjoyed the first one, you will love the second one. Just be aware that this is by far the most expensive book to own in the set. It isn't hard to find - just expensive!
"
Debbie, Resident Scholar
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Review Analysis of Shakespeare's Champion
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book descript. of violence and chases - 20% Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30% Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20% How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 30%
Tone of story
- very upbeat
How difficult to spot villain?
- Challenging
Time/era of story:
- 1980's-1999
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 50%
Special suspect?
- lover
Misc. Murder Plotlets
- Proving innocence of very obvious suspect
Kind of investigator
- amateur citizen investigator
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
- life in small town
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Female
Profession/status:
- servant
Age:
- 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
How much violence does he/she use?
- just the right amount
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- killer
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Setting
United States
Yes
Style
Part of a series?
Yes
Person
- mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
How many deaths?
- 1
Sex
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references
Amount of dialog
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
