Cover Image: The Green Dress

The Green Dress

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Member Reviews

The Green Dress by Liz Tolsma is engrossing historical story. At times it was very heartbreaking and had my stomach in knots not sure what would happen since I knew it would was based on a true story. This true color series has been very interesting. Each book is based on a true story in history that is adapted into a fiction story. In this story Harriet is taken in by a family in the Boston area.
Eventually she and the local doctor notice that several members of their family are dying a painful death. Michael is a doctor in the area that suspects something is just not right. It just doesn’t line up.

I would highly recommend the book. It’s a great mystery because you’re not sure why they’re dying and if it’s at the hands of someone, and if so who. And the fact that it’s based on a true story makes it even more interesting. The author also includes additional information and in the back of the book so you know the true story and where she took liberties.

Sexual content – kissing
Violence – several painful deaths. Not sure if you call this violence, symptoms of a poisoning

I received this book from Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review.
You can see my full review at More Than a Review dot com where I rate the level of sex, violence, language and drug/alcohol use in books.

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Rating (on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being excellent)
Quality of writing: 5
Pace: 4
Plot development: 4
Characters: 4
Enjoyability: 4
Ease of Reading: 5

Overall rating: 4 out of 5

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The Green Dress by Liz Tolsma is the next installment in the True Colors book series. Once again this thriller is centered around historical American facts. In 1882 the Robinson family takes in & accepts Harriet Peters in as one of their own & to protect her from a pending disastrous marriage. Harriet & Lizzie Robinson become close as sisters, but a few years later Lizzie & other family members suddenly die from a mysterious unexplainable illness. In desperation, Harriet enlists the help of a local doctor for help. Together they embark on a journey that shows them that all is not what it seems. A very enjoyable historical thriller that leaves you guessing. I received a complimentary ebook copy from Barbour Publishing through NetGallery & was under no obligation to post a review.

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Are you a fan of true crime? Mystery? Historical fiction? Romance?

Then this is the book for you!

You are dropped into the story when Lizzie suddenly falls ill and Harriet is summoned by her to come. Harriet's best friend is found to be suffering from severe stomach pain and nausea, just like several members of the family had before. No known cause, reason and no one else in the area was falling ill. And then dying afterwards.

To the community, Sarah Robinson was an upstanding woman who took in Harriet years ago and helped her to get established as a milliner.

When Lizzie lay dying, Harriet promises to look after the younger children in the family, which ultimately ended up forcing her to move back in to the home. Things aren't as they seemed and life became unbearable under the edicts of Mrs. Robinson and her friend and want to be husband Dr. Beers. Not able to shake the feeling that she should leave, Harriet tries to stand up to Mrs. Robinson. But will she succeed? Will she be the next person to fall ill in from this mystery illness? Or is it just some disease passed down to only members of the family? Or is it even contagious at all?

Follow along as Harriet learns to trust God, meets a gentleman, and ends up totally in over her own head as time goes on? Does she figure out what is going on in time? Is she a victim of this strange malady? Does she live?

This book is a must read for anyone who loves mystery, historical fictions, true crime and romance. I couldn't put it down. But then, that's true of most of Liz Tolsma's books. I've yet to be disappointed when choosing one of her masterfully crafted stories, and this was no exception.

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Wow! What an interesting story! From the very beginning, I was drawn in to the mystery and suspense. What could be happening to these people? Why were there so many unexplained deaths? I wondered about the green dress and the importance of the garment. When I learned the reason for the green dress, I was totally surprised. A great read. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

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I love this series of true crimes. It's hard to imagine anyone could be so evil as the murderer in this story.

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This was such an incredible book! The characters are so well written they are embedded in your soul. This story kept me in such a state of unrest that I couldn’t read fast enough, I was absolutely mesmerized. The author does a fantastic job of keeping the reader on the edge of their seat with each twist in the story. I was anxious, sad, shocked and even relieved through out this story. While reading you will see the foreshadowing that brings the reader to the title of the book, genius how this title came about. There is so much to love about this book that you will find yourself wanting to read more like it, this is one of those books that stick with you!
Was given a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

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The Green Dress is a clean mystery without overt sex, language or violence and proves that an exciting, suspenseful story does not need to rely on the aforementioned qualities. The story takes place in 1886 in
Massachusetts. Medical knowledge was still in its infancy.

Lizzie Robinson befriends a young woman who fled from her own home to avoid marriage to a cruel man. Harriet was invited to live with the Robinson family and the two women become good friends. Harriet found employment that led to her opening her own shop with living quarters above it. One night Harriet is summoned to Lizzie's bedside where she begs Harriet to look after the children still living in the home. What follows is a medical mystery and a whodunit that held my interest to the very last page.

I received an Advanced Reader's Copy from Barbour Publishing through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.
#TheGreenDress #NetGalley

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The Green Dress by Liz Tolsma is part of the True Colors series. These stories are based on actual crimes in American history, and this novel focuses on the notorious Robinson family. One by one, family members die a slow and agonizing death. Harriet Peters, caregiver to the children and friend of the family, begins to realize that it’s way too coincidental that so many people in the same family all died the same way. She invites her own doctor, Michael Wheaton, to help investigate and keep the children safe from the mysterious illness that has taken the lives of so many.

This story is creepy! I read up on the historical events, and the author did a great job of bringing this story from the pages of the past and turning it into a suspenseful and intriguing story. This novel is gritty and dark, not a light read. There is a love story that develops to lighten the mood a bit. I’m usually not a fan of stories set in the 1800’s, but the author did a lot of research and the setting just adds to the macabre and nightmarish circumstances. It’s hard to believe this is based on real life! Also, once you understand why the title is The Green Dress, your head will be spinning.

Definitely check this novel out, especially if you like true crime stories. I’ve found the entire series intriguing.

Overall: 5 stars (I loved it, couldn’t put it down)
Suspense: 5 stars (Non-stop edge-of-your-seat suspense from start to finish)

I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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Liz Tolsma is a wonderful author and does a great job taking a true crime and creating a Christian fiction novel. I believe from her notes she kept to the facts as much as possible. I had a hard time getting through the novel, at no fault of the author's but more because of the plot of the book. If you are interested in true crime stories this is a must-read for you.

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The Green Dress by new to me author Liz Tolsma was a very well written and wonderful story. The story is seen through the eyes of Michael and Harriet Robinson and centers on a true crime tale. Although I am not a big fan of the sleuth genre, I have lately taken to reading mysteries that have very nice twists and turns and this story had plenty of them. I had a hard time figuring out who did the crime and when I thought I knew...the story took me somewhere else. My enjoyment of good historical fiction is what let me to want to read this story. Will I continue with the series, I am not sure at this point. Again, very nice story that will hold your attention.

Thank you Netgalley and Barbour Publishing, Inc. for this ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

4-Stars

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With perfect pacing, a suspense unfolds that kept me up at night turning pages. This 1886 true crime fiction is a story that is hard to believe, yet it really happened. The characters were well crafted and the villain was hinted at but disguised. A bright spot in the story is a romance between two young people with good hearts. There are also lessons of faith in regards to dying, death and heaven that were nicely added. Tolsma is a wonderful story teller and the Green Dress is a great addition to The True Color Crime Series and I am looking forward to the upcoming books in the series. I received a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions are my own.

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Very good historical fiction. I had never heard of the Robinson family or these events. Until I completed the book I hadn't really thought about this actually being a true story. As I was reading, it was just another serial killer except during the 1800:s. It holds your interest even though you can guess who the culprit is and the reasons for the deaths. Sometimes you wanted to shake some sense into several of the characters for not listening or following through to get help or following sound advice. Amazing that police had to be prodded to investigate after 3 or 4 similar deaths. The cover blurb gives an adequate description of the story so I will just say it is a quick interesting read.
I received this book as a complimentary of without any obligation to provide a review. The opinions expressed are my own.
Thanks to the author,publisher,and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

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This was a nice little mystery. It caught my attention from page one and kept my attention to the end. At times I did feel annoyed with Harriet. I kinda wanted to shake her and make her listen to Michael. I enjoyed the story. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy

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If you're a fan of true crime books, you'll want to check out this book and series. I've read all the books in this series. Some I've enjoyed more than others, and this was one of them.

There's murder, suspense, and a bit of romance. The Christian message is present, but it's not overwhelming. The ending wasn't a surprise to me, but it was still an enjoyable read. There were a few twists, and the characters were interesting. I really enjoyed the author's note.

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While I love the cover I read another book in the series and they are darker than I expected so this isn't a book for me. The series is wonderful for crime geeks!

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A thrilling adventure that keeps you longing for more, I love how well written this book was an how it is based on historical events.

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This book had me hooked from the very beginning! I ended up staying up too late reading this! I had kind of suspected what was going on and who was doing it. I have really enjoyed reading these true crime stories that are still Christian Fiction. I really enjoyed this book!



I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

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Another excellent addition to the series. Historical fiction/true crime is such a great choice for storytelling since it gives the author a framework in which to teach as well as entertain. This story does both very well. Strong character development bring to life a good tale.

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Characters were believable and likable, and the dialogue flowed well. The book was just long enough, not drawn-out. I liked this author and look forward to reading more of her work.

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