Monday, May 26, 2025

Review: Red Lily by Janice Graham


 

Genre: Suspense/Historical Fiction

Description:

“August 1989. Septuagenarian Lillian de la Pérouse is presumed dead, leaving her estate to her American nephew, Carl Box. Carl, who knows Lily only as a mysteriously disgraced relative, arrives in Paris with his faithful companion, a disabled dog named Billy. To his astonishment, he discovers his aunt to be alive and evading an unknown killer.

Lily, a former Dior model and small press publisher, has been smuggling top-secret KGB archives from Moscow to Paris. Lily uses Carl's arrival to lend credibility to her faked death, introducing him to her team of eccentric misfits and sending him on missions in her stead. Along with a beautiful activist Carl recruits along the way, they race through the enchanting streets of Paris, from the bustling markets of the Marais to the romantic banks of the Seine, trying to stay one step ahead of foreign agents, a French detective, and everyone else vying for the files.

As Lily introduces her nephew to her high-stakes world and teaches him the art of living, Carl finds himself transformed by the adventure, by Paris, by romance, and by the ever-growing bond between himself and his unconventional Aunt Lily.

But why did Lily disappear all those years ago? What secrets is she hiding? And who is she, really?”

Author:

“Janice Graham was raised in Kansas and obtained her M.A. in French literature before pursuing graduate film studies at USC and English literature at UCLA in Los Angeles, California. Her screenplay Until September, a romantic comedy situated in Paris, was made into a film starring Karen Allen and Theirry Lhermitte. Her first novel, Firebird, became a New York Times and international bestseller. After a series of contemporary women's fiction, she turned to historical fiction. Romancing Miss Bronte, written as Juliet Gael, is her highly acclaimed novel about Charlotte Brontë. She lives in Paris.”

Appraisal:

Lots of suspense and more than a little mystery, trying to figure out where things are headed and how it will all turn out made for a great read. I found myself wondering how I’d react to many of the events and situations in the story which is always a good sign. One big one was discovering that a family member who you’d been led to view in one way might not have been reality. It makes for a fun and exciting vicarious adventure and a fantastic read.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

A very small amount of adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

Review is based on an advance reader copy so I can’t gauge the final product in this area.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 95-100,000 words

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