About the Book

Book: The Green Dress
Author: Liz Tolsma
Genre: Christian Historical Suspense
Release Date: June 2020

Death Seems to Follow Harriet’s New Friend

Book 6 in the True Colors series—Fiction Based on Strange-But True History

When Harriet Peters came to Boston in 1882, the Robinson family took her in like one of their own, and Harriet became closer to Lizzie Robinson than her own siblings. Now, four years later, Lizzie is deathly sick, failing quickly just like several others in her family have done over the past few years. How can so many in one family die from the same mysterious illness? Harriet doesn’t have answers, but she is determined to help the family, bringing in a new-to-the-neighborhood doctor, Michael Wheaton.

As Harriet and Michael close in on the answer, putting their own lives at risk, can the cause be found before anyone else dies?

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My Review:

Riveting story! It was so hard to disengage from the book, it was that good. The beginning of the story sets the stage and reads a bit slow but escalates from there. This is from the “True Color” series. Each book stands alone and is its own unique mystery suspense story. The author writes a wonderful historical fiction based off real American historical crimes.

The story is set in 1886 in Boston with the suspense of a serial killer. The story is based off a true crime. Dr. Michael Wheaton is trying to figure out what is happening to this family. Harriet Robinson is a young lady who is living with this family. For some odd reason many of their family members are dying months apart. The authorities don’t know how they are dying.

The story reminds me the game of Clue. You learn a little about each character’s history along the way. All the while you are brainstorming your own clues to see if you can pinpoint the serial killer and the why.

I had a hard time trying to figure out who the serial killer was. That was refreshing not figuring out a story within a few chapters. Even though you have a serial killer running rampant in the story the main characters are believers and you see it in their talk about faith, dying, and prayers. The story doesn’t feed off the murders or goes into gruesome details. Yes, the green dress in the title is important!

I received a free copy of this book from Celebrate Lit Bloggers in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this information accordance with the FTC Regulations.

About the Author

Liz Tolsma is a popular speaker and an editor and the owner of the Write Direction Editing. An almost-native Wisconsinite, she resides in a quiet corner of the state with her husband and is the mother of three. Her son proudly serves as a U.S. Marine. They adopted all of their children internationally, and one has special needs. When she gets a few spare minutes, she enjoys reading, relaxing on the front porch, walking, working in her large perennial garden, and camping with her family.

More from Liz

We’ve all been there—started a letter or an email or even a list, didn’t like what we had, crossed it out or hit the delete button, and tried again. Now imagine that happening when you’re writing a novel.

That’s what occurred with The Green Dress. Finding the perfect place to start a novel can be tricky, but when you’re trying to balance fact with fiction, it’s even harder. I needed the fictional heroine, Harriet Peters, to have a good reason to come into contact with and become close to the factual Robinson family. And I needed for the hero, Michael Wheaton, to meet Harriet early on. So I dove into the story. Five chapters later, the hero and heroine hadn’t yet met. The book wasn’t working.

I scrapped those chapters and started at a different point. At first, it seemed to be going better. I was happy. Until I got to the fifth chapter, when I realized again that the book wasn’t working. Frankly, it was boring. So those ended up in the virtual trash bin. Meanwhile, the clock was ticking on my deadline. I was desperate to find the right starting point, at a place with high tension. Finally, I had an “aha” moment, and the story flowed from there. That’s how the first five chapters (and the rest of The Green Dress) came to be.

—Liz Tolsma