BOOK REVIEW #RED LILY #SPY THRILLER #VENDOME BOOKS PUBLISHER #HISTORICAL FICTION #MYSTERY & CRIME #ESPIONAGE THRILLERS

 

MY THOUGHTS AND BOOK REVIEW 

Set in Paris shortly before the Cold War ends and the Berlin Wall falls, Alice Graham's Red Lily is a brilliantly written, wacky spy thriller.

It's 1989 summertime. Carl Box is a paint and varnish consultant from Disney Florida who finds out about the death of his Parisian aunt, who is the family's black sheep but whom he has never seen. Aunt Lily is still alive after someone tried to poison her with iced tea, and he finds out this when he flies to Paris. The two then go out to find a smuggled stockpile of KGB dossiers while Aunt Lily poses as her nephew's mother. Box narrates the events as he and Lily avoid suspicious cops, dangerous spies, and cunning assassins in a crazy trip filled with spy craft.

A cast of quirky, engaging characters, such as a debonair French police investigator, a seductive environmental activist, and a false priest, keep readers interested in this unhurried book.

The protagonist's opening statement of Paris is just one example of the book's exquisite prose and numerous literary and historical allusions. “Paris languished in the August heat, the streets deserted except for the usual tourists and a few remaining Parisians plodding slowly along their routine paths.”

—This sets the atmospheric tone of late-summer Paris in 1989.

Carl’s affection for Billy a two legged dog is evident throughout the story, including a humorous moment when he observes: “Billy had taken to his Prussian blue dog bed like an overwrought lady in a Victorian melodrama.”

For admirers of the genre, Red Lily is an enticing offering because of its accurate portrayal of the time period and its witty, convincing dialogue.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND PUBLISHER VENDOME BOOKS FOR AN ADVANCE COPY FOR MY HONEST REVIEW

BOOK DESCRIPTION 

From the New York Times bestselling author of Firebird comes a delightfully funny and tender tale of family secrets, reluctant spies, and one unforgettable woman!

Paris 1989.

A cold war is ending.

A new family is beginning.

And one dog is about to save the day.

Carl Box has never met his Aunt Lily. She was the family scandal — exiled, disgraced, and never spoken of. So when he’s named the heir to her Paris estate, he packs a bag (and his two-legged dog, Billy) and prepares for paperwork, not espionage.

But Lily is very much alive. And very much in trouble.

What begins as a simple inheritance turns into a Cold War caper filled with coded messages, eccentric operatives, and secrets that could still get people killed. Carl soon finds himself in the role of spy — dodging agents, covering for Lily, and wondering what exactly she’s been hiding all these years.

Red Lily is a warm, witty historical suspense about unexpected heroism and the mysteries of family ties — perfect for fans of Killers of a Certain Age, Jacqueline Winspear, and Only Murders in the Building.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vendome Books

Pages : 390

Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 26, 2025