
Member Reviews

It's 1989, and Carl is happily consulting for Disney about paint colours, when he’s notified that his estranged aunt is dead. Carl travels to Paris with Billy, his two-legged dog to wrap up Lily's affairs, and is eager to return home. But, things don’t work at all as he expected.
He meets a colourful cast of oddballs, and discovers his aunt Lily is actually still alive, and in hiding. Carl's father had disliked Lily for unknown reasons, and kept Carl and Lily separated. Carl finds he likes the woman, and she slowly lets him into her life of publishing works by dissidents from Soviet Russia. Carl quickly becomes entangled in Lily’s affairs, and shows a surprising ability to think on his feet and dissemble, and lie when necessary, as Lily brings him into her clandestine activities, by having him pick up items, pass materials to others, and aid her in retrieving secret documents.
Carl not only gains a lot of appreciation for Lily and her associates and friends, but finds himself growing beyond the narrow behaviours and attitudes acceptable to his deceased father.
There are moments of quiet humour, surprising escapes and unexpected rendezvous with spies, police, and others as Carl travels around Paris helping Lily and unexpectedly finding romance.
The pacing is slow (sometimes too slow), but I appreciated the humour, as well as the historical details of Paris in the late 1980s, Russian dissidents and the process of secreting of documents from the KGB.
There is a mystery that Carl gradually unravels about why Lily was on the outs with his father, and though this is set during the Cold War, this is a warm and cozy book.
3.5 stars.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Book Whisperer for this ARC in exchange for my review.

This was a fun read! Carl finds out his aunt is dead and she left her an inheritance. And that takes him to Paris where an array of crazy events change his world. And his adventure begins as he finds out more about his aunt and his own history.
This book was an engaging read. I would recommend it if you are looking for a cast quirky kooky characters.

Red Lily is a thrilling spy novel. A man discovers that his aunt, believed to be dead, is alive. She challenges him to take on her missions, leading him to question everything. The team is a bunch of misfits. I felt like the story drug on and I wasn't interested in the storyline until the very end.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Red Lily is an intriguing book, set during the Cold War and full of drama and spies. The main characters were interesting, but there were too many side characters and about halfway through I started skimming to do a review. I am in the minority of the reviewers, this just wasn't for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and Book Whisperer for my advanced review copy.

A great read, a whimsical spy thriller set in Paris at the end of the Cold War and mystery that will keep you reading. A book that is paced perfectly and I loved that there was humour, great characters and plot that kept me guessing. This is such a quirky read with a mix of historical content, thrills, mystery, murder, humour. Really it has it all and is was not only entertained by it but I enjoyed in immensely.
A wonderful and fun book to read in a great setting it will take you on a journey. A book I do highly recommend.
Thank you Net Galley and Book Whisperer for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.
I finished this story last night, and slept on it before writing the review, so as to process the entire plot. I preferred the first half of the book to the second half of the book. However it was a good story with some great story lines.
The story is written in first person, following Carl Box from Florida finding out that his french Aunt has died and has named him in her will. He travels to France to investigate which is where the story sets off.
The writing is good, as long as you like writing in the first person. There is a large cast of characters, all very different.
I will be recommending this book.

Red Lily
By Janice Graham
Carl Box is a paint color expert living in Florida working for Disney. Both of his parents are dead and he has no siblings. He is alone in the world except for his Aunt Lily, who has been estranged from his family for as long as Carl can remember – although what caused the estrangement is a mystery to him.
One day, he receives a letter from a lawyer in Paris informing him that his aunt is dead and he is her sole heir. Enclosed in the letter is a first class plane ticket to Paris. Against his better judgment, Carl decides to go to Paris looking for answers about his family's dynamics.
From here the story gets more and more bizarre, with a cast of characters who are almost unbelievable – almost. Strangely, the author has you believing in spite of yourself. By the time you reach the crescendo - the fall of the Berlin Wall - you will find yourself rooting for Carl, Greta, Aunt Lily, Maxim and all the rest of the motley crew.
This is a delightful book. It's fantastic and fun at the same time. Well worth a read.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

I'm usually not a fan of first-person narration, but this book may well have changed my mind. The main character, Carl Box, is exceptional, not because he's flawless, but because his imperfections and personality make him genuinely endearing. I loved the dry wit, the tone, and the easy-to-read writing style.
I haven’t read many novels set during the Cold War, which made Red Lily all the more enjoyable. The historical backdrop adds just the right amount of tension, and it’s easy to get swept up in the intrigue of the spy story.
One of the things I appreciated most was the subtle but heartfelt use of the found family trope. Watching the characters gradually warm to one another, building trust, forming unlikely bonds, and becoming something close to a makeshift family, added unexpected emotional depth to the narrative, making the reader cheer for the characters.
Red Lily caught me by surprise in the best way. It’s sharp, quietly emotional, and full of humanity, a spy novel for readers who care as much about character as they do about plot. I’ll definitely be looking out for more of Janice Graham’s work.

A pleasant and enjoyable read, nicely paced and good characters that drew me into the story. Charming and clever.

The characters were interesting. but there were a lot of them to keep track of. Carl and Greta were likable people. I had trouble following all the agencies and what they represented. I like Ms. Graham's writing style.
#RedLily#NetGalley

Red Lily
Red Lily ticks all the boxes. Mystery, family ties, humor, romantic,spy story—this was not the genre I usually enjoy, but it kept me up at night reading. It includes Russian spies, a crippled dog, fashion model, reunited families and lovers. Read it–you won’t be wasting your time.

Thank you to Netgalley and Book Whisperer for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book and read it in one day. I loved the storyline and the characters. I really didn't want to put it down. I would definitely recommend this book.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
A young man is summoned to France to deal with the estate of his recently deceased long-lost aunt. Accompanied by his rescued dog, that he literally wrangler from the mouth of an alligator, he learns that there are many things that he is unaware of with regard to himself and his aunt's life.

I really liked the concept and the setup for this one was great but about 20% in, when things should have been kicking into high gear, it felt like they started stumbling around in the dark and from there on I never found the threads again... I'm not sure exactly what was missing here, but for me the potential for a zippy Cold War dramedy was never realized. The plot and dialogue felt clunky and the characters never came alive for me the way I wanted them to. The pacing felt exceptionally slow for what it was supposed to deliver, and I never really felt the tension I was expecting.

You receive notice that the aunt you never met has died in France. You need to come take care of her estate. Do you go? Do you stay? Set in the late 1980s, Carl gets such a notice and decides to go to France. Once he is there, things start to get a little odd. Okay, a lot odd. He has more questions than he has answers as he meets the friends of his aunt and discovers who this mysterious relative is that he grew up being told was a very bad person. Things are not always what you're told.
Let's discuss the setting first. I had to keep reminding myself of the time period it was in. Sadly, so few books are set in the 1980s, but it helped that I grew up in that period and recognized so much. Keep that in mind as you read. There are no cell phones and no internet, yet you'll see important history in the story.
Now, on to the story.
It's a mystery. What happened to his aunt? Murder? Who could be behind it? What does all the stuff in her apartment mean? Is she really the woman his father had described? Carl finds himself challenged at many levels as he dives into his family's past as well as that of the Western world. Things are not as they seem. In the process, he discovers parts of himself that he has suppressed. Routine doesn't satisfy him as it did. A little adventure does wonders for his soul.
While this is a mystery with spies, murder, and more, it has deep character. The actual characters are spirited and give you cause to laugh and contemplate. They are characters I'd love to meet in real life. They complete Carl and the reader as well. Life doesn't have to be so regulated that we miss out on all that life offers around us even when one is not in the midst of history being made.
I couldn't put the book down once Carl got to France and began exploring his aunt's life. Wasn't disappointed once. Even when I guessed the ultimate mystery, there was no disappointment as I read. It was tempting to just dive into the book and live the rest of my life with such people.

Red Lily by Janice Graham is an entertaining story that will have you turning pages to see how the adventure will end. I found the plot and characters to be well developed. I received an advance copy of this book on NetGalley and Bookwhisper and I always review every book that I read. I did not really know what to expect with book and I was pleasantly surprised at the story and the mystery surrounding Carl Box's aunt Lily. At times it was amusing, other times the suspense kept me reading well into the night. I enjoyed this book and I think I would read more by this author.

Carl receives a letter that he has inherited from a stranger in another country. He quickly packs and goes to Paris. But he finds no one is dead and he has landed into a funny group of spies. A humorous story full of crazy characters, each with their own part to play. Entertaining story.

Red Lily is a book that is hard to define. It is a little bit mystery, but mostly it is family drama and oddly enough, coming-of-age for a man in his 30s. Aunt Lily has mysteriously died and left Carl Box with an inheritance and a first-class ticket to Paris to claim it. When Carl arrives, things are not as they seem. He meets people who are enigmatic. And he discovers things about himself that he would have never found had he not made the trip out of Orlando. I found the book good, and at times great, but I couldn't bring myself to go higher than 3.5 stars. This would make a good summer read, though. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

RED LILY by Janice Graham
The comparison to Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride holds true for this strange, funny adventure. Carl Box is perfectly content working as a paint consultant at Epcot, “world travel” all within the confines of the park, friends, and the sweet, two-legged dog Billy he rescued from a ‘gator. Then he is summoned to Paris to deal with his Aunt Lily’s estate, and he is plunged into family secrets and international intrigue. It’s wild and crazy, and filled with humor and love. Perfect travel from the comfort of home, and yet, it might make one crave a bit of real travel as well. Historical events reminded me of friends’ stories of being at the point of history in the making, and of the human kindness that prevails on behalf of travelers. This is a perfect summer literary romance-adventure-intrigue, to be enjoyed with lemonade or perhaps champagne.

A totally enjoyable novel. Carl is just a guy who owns a business choosing paints colors for Epcot. He likes his job and his business. He gets news that an estranged aunt has died in Paris and he must go and clear her apartment. Not knowing much about her, other than his father didn't get along or approve of her, he's obligated as her only living relative, so he goes. So begins the adventure...
The twists and turns are so well done. I loved the characters. All of them were so complex and had so many layers. There was no predicting what could happen next or who he would meet. What began as a simple chore, clearing out his deceased aunt's Paris apartment, took the Carl on the adventure of his life.
I can't recommend this book highly enough. Read it! You'll love it.