The author tackles a difficult subject. Writing about historical crime events. The facts dictate the storyline, but creativity is needed to produce a story that keeps the reader interested.
One by one, the Robinson family is dying a horrible death. There are multiple deaths before suspicion of something more sinister is suspected by a young physician, who has self confidence issues.
How many more family members will die and from what cause and motive? The police need proof.
While you shudder at the horrible crimes being committed, the author does a skillful job of weaving together a great story along with some suspense as you try to guess who the villain really is.

The True Colors series of books tell the nonfiction stories of crimes through the eyes and lives of fictional characters. Each book is written by a different author telling the story of a crime unrelated to the other books. If you have not read any of the series, you should start with this one and be sure to read them all.
In The Green Dress, Liz Tolsma is retelling the true life story of the Robinson family murders at the end of the 1800's. The fictional character is a young woman who has lived with the Robinsons and considers them her family. She is joined in her investigation of the family's slow deaths by a young doctor. Their actions are true to the era and will let you "see" how frustrating efforts to the save the family fail as one by one they sicken. An absolutely thriller of a story told with excellent skill by an author I'm going to have to follow now.

The Green Dress
By Liz Tolsma

4.5 stars

This was a riveting historical suspense!

A part of the True Color series based on real events!

Harriet, rushes to the household of Sarah Jane, to her friend's bedside in the last moments of her life. A string of unforeseen sickness plagues the household. All the same symtoms but happen at different times. Harriet moves into the household to help Sarah Jane with her remaining children. While there things become stranger and more bizarre. She comes to know Dr. Wheaton as he helps as best as he can with this returning illness. Time is ticking as Harriet and Michael try to save the remaining family.

This novel kept my interest from beginning to end. The author in my opinion gave good clues which I picked up on and was just waiting for the characters to figure it out. At times it got a little "spooky" but nothing that crossed the line.

I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

The Green Dress is the chilling and true tale of one of the first recorded female serial killers. A series of strange and horrific deaths in the Robinson family cause young Dr. Wheaton to suspect something deeper and more sinister. Milliner Harriet Peters is doing her best to save her “adopted” family but she keeps failing at saving both her family and her barely-established dream. Can they find the murderer before it’s too late? Before Dr. Wheaton’s reputation is ruined forever? Who will believe them?

Liz Tolsma did an incredible job with this one. The Green Dress was nearly impossible to put down once I’d started it. If you enjoy true crime (with a fictional twist), you’ll love The Green Dress and the other books in the True Colors series.

*I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This book will keep you on the edge of your seat! It is full of drama, suspense and mystery that will keep you guessing until the end. If you like christian historical suspense, you will love this book. I highly recommend this book. Thank you Barbour Publishing via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Green Dress
by Liz Tolsma
Barbour Publishing, Inc.
You Like Them
Barbour Books
Christian | True Crime
Pub Date 01 Jun 2020 | Archive Date 01 Aug 2020

I loved this book! I enjoy reading Christian fiction and recommending it to our patrons. This book is enchanting.
Let it take you away from the stress of Covid 19.

Thanks to Net Galley and Barbour for providing this ARC

The Green Dress is part of the True Colors series-a Christian fiction series based on true crimes from America's history. Each book has a color in the title, hence the "True Colors" name for the series. I initially discovered this series accidentally when I received a copy of The Gray Chamber as part of a subscription service. Upon finishing that book, I immediately hopped online to purchase any others from the series that had been published. Each story is so compelling, once I start these books, I just can't put them down!

The Green Dress tells the story of the Robinson family, Boston-area residents in the late 1800's, many of who died under mysterious circumstances over the course of several years. The book follows main character, Harriett Peters, a young lady who has been taken in by the Robinsons. and is understandably devastated as member after member of the Robinson family experiences the same unknown illness. Dr. Michael Wheaton can't help but be suspicious of the events in the Robinson household, and vows to get to the bottom of things before anyone else dies.

I wholeheartedly recommend The Green Dress, as well as the rest of the True Colors series. A perfect blend of Christian fiction, mystery, and true crime!

Thanks go to NetGalley and Barbour Books for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
#TheGreenDress #NetGalley

The Green Dress is part of the True Colors Historical Stories of American Crime series. Liz Tolsma writes in a way that keeps your attention to the end.. This book kept my interest throughout.

You felt like you knew these characters as you would know your neighbors that were not close friends. . Most of the characters are real-life, and the author skillfully meshes the real-life characters with the fictional ones which are well-developed and memorable.

.In a suspenseful plot that twists and turns revealing multiple suspects, Dr. Michael Wheaton struggles to uncover the truth and to protect his love, Harriet Peters, who resides with the Robinsons. The thread of faith is meaningfully woven throughout the narrative.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via netgalley but am under no obligation to write a positive review.

'Something about this house struck him as strange. Sinister.'

I am thoroughly enjoying this series. True Colors is a series dedicated to true crime stories, but fictionalized. Liz Tolsma has done an outstanding job with her retelling of true serial killer Sarah Jane Robinson. Though parts are fiction, the true store remains as non-fiction. I was fascinated and it even prompted me to do some research into the crimes myself. I highly recommend this book and the series.

'You have to get out. Before it's too late for you.'

*I received this book from Barbour Publishing through Net Galley and was not required to leave a review. The opinion expressed here is completely my own.

The Green Dress by Liz Tolsma is the latest installment of the exciting True Colors series. Based on the crime spree of female serial killer Sarah Jane Robinson, the novel focuses on Harriet Peter, the fictional best friend of Sarah Jane’s daughter, and fictional doctor Michael Wheaton. After the death of Harriet’s best friend, she moves in with the family to help. When more of the Robinson family becomes ill, Michael warns Harriet to get out of the house as soon as she can. But Harriet made a promise to her best friend. How can she keep that promise and stay alive?

Tolsma kicks off this romantic suspense by catapulting the reader into the poignant world of 1886 Boston. Lizzie’s sickness and eventual death (based on the true account of Lizzie Robinson) is well-researched and well-executed. Tolsma manages to use these scenes to not only introduce Harriet and Michael but also the character of Sarah Jane.

Harriet is a relatable character willing to do what she can for the family she’s made. Her background, with a difficult family situation, added to the story and made her motivation believable. I liked the way Tolsma weaved it in without doing a huge info-dump. Speaking of backstories, I also liked the way she weaved in Michael’s backstory. I found his history with his mother endearing, and it made me like him more.

The actual timeline of events, from Lizzie’s death to the last victim, serves as the structure of the novel. I appreciated that Tolsma stayed true to actual events, but I wasn’t as invested in the romance because of the time lapse that had to occur to move the story along. However, I do think she did a great job of developing the romance between Harriet and Michael considering the timeline she was given. The last third of the novel was my favorite part as far as their relationship and its development.

The historical notes at the end helped me to appreciate the research Tolsma put into this story. I thought she did an excellent job of fleshing out Sarah Jane Robinson and the manipulation she used. I think characters based on true historical characters would be the hardest to portray because of preconceived notions and the accuracy it requires. Tolsma did a great job of bringing these real people to life. Charley Robinson was my favorite. I almost wish he there could be a story about him. But she did do a great job of making me care about the characters and mourn their deaths with Harriet.

Overall, The Green Dress is a well-written romantic suspense. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves mystery, history, and romance.

(Review will go live on the blog May 22 at 5:00 PM)

You can't make these stories up, truth is stranger then fiction. This was another hit in this fantastic series of stand alone true crime, history and fiction tales.

The author does an amazing job of relating a true historical story through fictional eyes. I loved the way the plot was laid out and how the story unfolded. I was guessing and gasping as more and more details were revealed. It was just mind blowing the ending. The pages flew by as I was sucked into this world.

What I love about this series and this book is how it relays real life people, plots, violence, choices and emotions without any of the distracting (non needed) gory details. This was an excellent story. I received an ARC via NetGalley and I am leaving an honest review.

I have really been enjoying these books in this series. They are Christian stories but they don't seem preachy or to tend to shove their religion at you, which makes for very easy reading. It is interesting to follow along with the main characters. In this one, I was really enjoying reading it! Quite a few times, I thought that I saw "who done it" and why but every time I was wrong. It was a really good read that I would be glad to recommend to others.

I really enjoyed this book! I might have missed this part, but I didn't realize it was a true story until I was finished with it, which makes it all the more interesting! It honestly would be hard to believe if it didn't actually happen. I believe it's also marketed as a Christian book, but those elements were very light, and back in the 1880's almost everyone was a faithful Christian so even if it weren't written by a Christian writer it just simply would have been accurate info. If you are a Christian, like me, you'll appreciate the commentary the characters make in that regard, and if you're not then don't worry because it's definitely not the driving theme of the story. It's just historically accurate for that time period. Overall this was an enjoyable murder mystery/romance novel and I quite enjoyed it!

This was the first book I have read by the author, Liz Tolsma. She did not disappoint. If you like mystery, suspense and intrigue, I would suggest this book to you.
It follows the story of a young lady who ran away from home to avoid marrying a terrible man. A woman found her wandering the streets and brought her into her home. The lady had several children and the girl and her daughter were best of friends. The girl, Harriet, grows up and moves out of the house and starts a business of her own but not a year passes before her dear friend gets extremely ill! Harriet runs to a new (young) doctor in town for help. For the sake of not giving away any spoilers, I will not continue my narrative. However, this story left me with goosebumps. I don’t know if I’ll be able to drink tea ever again!
There was one confusing part at the end that I didn’t quite get. There is a part where several people eat some poisoned food but only one of them gets sick. A little muddled at that part but otherwise extremely well written!

Excellent book. Kept you guessing until the end. I didn’t not realize this was based on a true story. Would love to read more by this author because of the detail in the story.

The Green Dress is a terrific addition to the True Colors series. A well written and entertaining crime thriller. If you are a fan of cringe fiction I recommend this book. I received an arc from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

This is the second book I've read by Liz Tolsma and again, I was not disappointed. This is also her second book in the True Colors series. This series is based on strange but true crimes committed in America.

Liz Tolsma writes in a way that keeps your attention but is not nail-biting intense. I like this very much as I tend to read at bedtime. This book kept my interest throughout. I did not feel that there were any unnecessary passages or too-long or too-in-depth situations. The story flowed well.

Her main characters were well developed but in a way to keep you guessing to who the guilty was. You felt like you knew these characters as you would know your neighbors that were not close friends. They were believable.

The editing was done very well also. This is important to me as I do not like having to re-read something to understand it because of wrong words or incorrect punctuation. I always am thankful for good editing, especially in an ARC book.

I am thankful to NetGalley and Barbour Books for giving me the chance to read and review this book. I am not required to review this and I am really not required to leave a positive review. I give this book a 4 out of 5 star review. A 3 star book is good and a 5 star book is beyond excellent, this book is in between so a 4 star.

They say that truth is stranger than fiction. In this case, truth written as fiction is riveting. Liz Tolsma wrote a fascinating story based on the Robinson family. The story of the Robinsons (true) related through Harriet and Michael's eyes (fiction) draws together an interesting history of a true crime. At times I thought I knew who and how the crime was committed, but then the author threw in something that made me doubt. If you enjoy reading about true crime, mystery, or historical fiction, you may want to give this series a try. Also, there was a thread through the book I found intriguing. You'll have to read it to find out what it was. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

First and foremost, a huge thank you to NetGalley, Barbour Books, and Liz Tolsma for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

I love the True Colors series. Each book keeps getting better and better! While I had figured out the who, what and why early on, I enjoyed finding out what would happen next and how the person/people responsible were finally caught. If you are on the fence about reading this book, do yourself a favor and pick it up!

A suspenseful mystery based on a real crime! Set in the late 1880's, in the town of Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts, a sinister plot emerges around suspicious deaths, drawing the attention of a local doctor.

"None of us know what life is going to bring from day to day. We just live and walk in God’s grace through it all."

The tension builds as the danger grows, and the good doctor struggles to pinpoint the cause of the deadly illness. I could hardly wait for him to figure it out, as the situation worsened. Harriet seemed loyal to a fault, but sacrificial to keep her promise to look after her dying friend's young family members. I wanted her to take the kids and run! Dr. Wheaton made a good, strong hero with his own personal struggles to overcome. I was pulling for him from the start. There were some tender inspirational moments as they discussed their faith and heaven.

Historical mystery fans may enjoy this tale, with a bit of faith and romance.