Deedra Dean, Shakespeare's favorite party girl, has been murdered. Her naked and violated body was discovered in her car in the woods by the unfortunate Lily Bard. Why was Deedra killed? Was it one of her many boyfriends? Or was it something to do with her great-grandfather’s will? Or could it be something else entirely?Charlaine Harris doesn't disappoint, and this fourth novel in the Lily Bard series is another hit. I loved the twisty plot and the way Lily's relationship with detective Jack Lee...

Good for de-stressing after a hard day. If you're looking for a light read to unwind with, Charlaine Harris's "Shakespeare's Scandal" is a solid choice. It's an easy beach read, perfect for escaping reality for a few hours. For fans of cozy mysteries, "Shakespeare's Scandal" delivers exactly what you'd expect. A relaxing book review? This one's it.

This is the fourth book in the Lily Bard series, and while I thoroughly enjoyed the first two, I'm starting to feel like the series is losing steam. Lily is usually such a tough and resilient female character, but unfortunately, her mean-spiritedness and victim-blaming were far more prominent in "Shakespeare's Scandal" than her positive qualities. Lily works as a cleaner for homes and businesses, and she's horrified to discover the dead body of one of her clients. It's immediately obvious to Lil...

I keep coming back to this series because there's just something about Lily that I find endearing. And the way Charlaine Harris crafts her characters makes her books so captivating and hard to put down. It's just that the small-town mentality—the way the people in this town treat anyone who's different, and especially how they treat women—is really quite awful. It gives me a real love/hate feeling about the series. I'll be finishing the last book soon, and I'm hoping for a bright and shiny endin...

I really like Lily! She's feisty, fun, and super smart. The fact that she had to run away from something that was done *to* her instead of something done *by* her just makes her that much more likable. She's so unflinchingly independent that you can't pity her.One of my favorite things about Charlaine Harris' female characters is just how real they are. They work for a living, and Harris doesn't let you forget it. Lily is no exception. It's that very work that seems to always put her on the spot...

I absolutely hated "Shakespeare's Scandal." Honestly, this whole series hasn't been amazing, but it was interesting enough to keep me reading – and I did, because I'm one of those people who can't start a series without finishing it.But this one? This one infuriated me.Charlaine Harris, the author, is a survivor of rape. The lead character, Lily Bard, is a survivor of a brutal gang rape and stabbing. And yet, in "Shakespeare's Scandal," this character engages in so much slut-shaming and victim-b...

Alas, poor Deedra, we knew her well. This fourth book in the Lily Bard series, Shakespeare's Scandal by Charlaine Harris, is Deedra's story in the worst way, as Lily finds her dead and violated in her car at the beginning. Since fans of the series know Deedra, the town "slut" and one of Lily's employers, from the first three books, it has an extra poignancy. The depth it adds to the mystery is yet another reason why I think this series showcases Charlaine Harris at her best. Lily Bard is a rape ...

"But it was not her weakness that had caused her death; it was one of her strengths that had killed her."A lot of readers have been turned off by Lily, the main character, and her judgmental inner thoughts about the victim's lifestyle and what they see as "slut shaming." I've seen reviews where some people wouldn't even continue the series because of it. I wouldn't stop reading a series over something like that, since I know many books start with a character who needs to grow and learn. This boo...

I was so wrong, and I'm glad I revisited this book. Thanks to all the commenters who gently advised me to stick with it. A full review is coming soon!**I'm giving *Shakespeare's Scandal* another chance, but commentators on my original review pointed out that the comment that bothered me is actually examined further on in the book. Plus, I really miss Charlaine Harris at her best.Original thoughts:I'm not going to rate this yet because I'm only about 30 minutes into listening to the audiobook. Bu...

One thing I've come to appreciate about all of Charlaine Harris's series is the way the characters evolve and mature.When we're first introduced to Lily Bard in the series' initial installment, she's a deeply isolated individual, still reeling from a terrible crime. But subtly, almost imperceptibly, things begin to shift. She's no longer fleeing from town to town, desperately trying to disappear. She's built a cleaning business from the ground up, even if she modestly refers to herself as a maid...