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Lil and Boris #2
Gone Crazy
25% of all royalties goes to support animal charities!
Sheriff Littlepage Eller lands a case that takes her outside her usual jurisdiction of Crazy, Virginia. Vera Collier, the formidable matriarch of the backwoods Collier clan, is dead, and no one is all that sorry to see her go. The problem: Vera’s squabbling brood of grown children, each of whom is convinced one of the others must have murdered her. Luckily for Lil, she’s got backup in the form of her feline deputy, Boris, whose lie-detector tail and oversized attitude always come in handy.
Someone’s killed Vera, all right, someone who’ll go to great lengths to cover the trail, and if Lil’s not careful she and Boris could find themselves in the same boat –or coffin – as Vera.
Sheriff Littlepage Eller lands a case that takes her outside her usual jurisdiction of Crazy, Virginia. Vera Collier, the formidable matriarch of the backwoods Collier clan, is dead, and no one is all that sorry to see her go. The problem: Vera’s squabbling brood of grown children, each of whom is convinced one of the others must have murdered her. Luckily for Lil, she’s got backup in the form of her feline deputy, Boris, whose lie-detector tail and oversized attitude always come in handy.
Someone’s killed Vera, all right, someone who’ll go to great lengths to cover the trail, and if Lil’s not careful she and Boris could find themselves in the same boat –or coffin – as Vera.
212 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2013
74 people are currently reading
465 people want to read
About the author
Shannon Hill
23 books30 followers Shannon Hill lives in the commonwealth of Virginia and treasures her privacy. She loves cats, chocolate, and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Although she is not nearly as awesome as Sheriff Lil Eller, her cats are as awesome as Boris. One of them even enjoys riding in the car. (Seriously. Who could make that up?)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
June 26, 2018
Second entry in a great series of cozy type procedural. Lil Eller is the sheriff of Crazy Va, population 300. Only now is 299 because Vera Collier, matriarch & general PITA of the Collier family, a secretive & standoffish bunch who keep to themselves & are quick to pull out a shotgun. No one liked Vera. Her 11 kids do not miss her at all, but they suspect one of them killed her. And there is the question of money. They report their suspicions but later close ranks and Lil has an uphill slog to get any info out of them. She does this with the help of her new human deputy, a number of local allies and Boris, her feline deputy.
Plenty of twists in this one, good mystery.
Plenty of twists in this one, good mystery.
March 10, 2017
Definitely a fun series.
May 2, 2015
Love the job
Lil's job was truly good and she really loved it. She was the sheriff of Crazy, Virginia. The population is only 300, but she does keep busy. Recently, a feud between the Littlepages and the Colliers was heated up because a Collier was murdered. Neither side wants anything to do with her because she was the offspring of a Littlepage and a Eller. When Vera Collier was murdered by poisonous mushrooms, later finding it was insulin, everyone was suspected. Follow Lil as she almost gets killed while trying to solve the mystery. Meet Boris, the cat, who is better than a lie detector and who is a pretty good bodyguard. It's not a deep book, but it's a good book to relax with.
Lil's job was truly good and she really loved it. She was the sheriff of Crazy, Virginia. The population is only 300, but she does keep busy. Recently, a feud between the Littlepages and the Colliers was heated up because a Collier was murdered. Neither side wants anything to do with her because she was the offspring of a Littlepage and a Eller. When Vera Collier was murdered by poisonous mushrooms, later finding it was insulin, everyone was suspected. Follow Lil as she almost gets killed while trying to solve the mystery. Meet Boris, the cat, who is better than a lie detector and who is a pretty good bodyguard. It's not a deep book, but it's a good book to relax with.
May 20, 2020
The second book in the series has Lil and Boris ticketing speeders and other routine sheriff duties until they have to deal with the Colliers. This large insular family has closed rank around the murder of the very much hated matriarch. Some of the small town attitudes and humorous events are amusing and some are appalling, but Lil and Boris are endearing. Fans of police procedural, small rural towns and cozy mysteries with cats will enjoy this series. NOTE: be sure to read the Author's Note!
January 22, 2021
Fun )))
Silly as it is, this book goes easy, despite a murder case. A bit messy at the beginning, hard to follow all the families’ characters, but eventually everything gets lined up. Boris the cat is something else. Having the cat-smart-pants of my own, I appreciate Boris a lot. Love a touch of absurd in your life? You will enjoy this book.
Silly as it is, this book goes easy, despite a murder case. A bit messy at the beginning, hard to follow all the families’ characters, but eventually everything gets lined up. Boris the cat is something else. Having the cat-smart-pants of my own, I appreciate Boris a lot. Love a touch of absurd in your life? You will enjoy this book.
October 15, 2022
Love this author
I'm not much for reviewing books, but I have to say I can't wait to read the next book. She knows how to write, paid attention in English class, and has an amazing imagination. Her sense of humor is wonderful and the surprising twists and turns ensure I can ignore almost anything. Please keep at it Ms Hill!
I'm not much for reviewing books, but I have to say I can't wait to read the next book. She knows how to write, paid attention in English class, and has an amazing imagination. Her sense of humor is wonderful and the surprising twists and turns ensure I can ignore almost anything. Please keep at it Ms Hill!
April 6, 2023
I don't usually read a series of books out of order, but I started with this 2nd book in a series and it can stand alone. I wasn't lost. As both a cat and dog person, I enjoy reading books where either feline or canine takes a main character role. I started and finished this book in one day, and I will probably read more by this author.
July 20, 2025
Great Breezy Beach Read-Loved the Cat Boris
Interesting characters, very small townish where everyone knows everyone else’s business til there’s a murder! Liked that the Sheriff is a woman w/a cat! Enough offhand humor to lighten the seriousness of the violence and murder. Liked it enough to buy the next one!
Interesting characters, very small townish where everyone knows everyone else’s business til there’s a murder! Liked that the Sheriff is a woman w/a cat! Enough offhand humor to lighten the seriousness of the violence and murder. Liked it enough to buy the next one!
August 20, 2018
Even crazier
Lil is working her part time job as investor on the murder of an old woman. The prime suspects are her nine children. A twisted bunch who stick together against the world while fighting amongst themselves.
Lil is working her part time job as investor on the murder of an old woman. The prime suspects are her nine children. A twisted bunch who stick together against the world while fighting amongst themselves.
March 17, 2017
good cozy mystery
June 30, 2017
Cat lover's delight!
Dysfunctional families. Animal lovers. Animal haters. Rednecks, hillbillies, and gentile Southern belles. Who could ask for more in a murder mystery?
Dysfunctional families. Animal lovers. Animal haters. Rednecks, hillbillies, and gentile Southern belles. Who could ask for more in a murder mystery?
October 15, 2017
I enjoy a book that ls you know you missed something by no reading the books in order, this did. But the plot is good and you see the characters evolve. It was an easy read of pure entertainment.
June 3, 2018
Very much enjoying this clever and smart series, especially Boris, the deputy cat.
October 29, 2018
Crazy
This book is well written. Amongst the seriousness, there is humor. I like this author and will look for more.
This book is well written. Amongst the seriousness, there is humor. I like this author and will look for more.
June 29, 2020
Cute
Loved the first and second book about small town Crazy. I look forward to reading the third. The characters are
so endearing.
Loved the first and second book about small town Crazy. I look forward to reading the third. The characters are
so endearing.
January 8, 2023
Fun read. Instead of a police dog that travels with the female sheriff, there is an attack cat!
June 22, 2024
Story keeps moving. Never a dull moment. Love the connection Lil has with Boris.
May 11, 2015
I loved the first book in the series, but this one not as much. Although these are cozy mysteries, I would have expected more care regarding the legalities in the story. I seem to remember the procedurals being somewhat sloppy in the first book, but either they were much worse in this book or else I was in a mood where the legal errors bothered me more, but I am sure any real cop or attorney would have been tossing this book across the room in frustration. It is de rigueur for a whodunnit to have several possible suspects with a motive for the murder, but this time the author really overdid it. There were just too many suspects to keep straight, and it was so overwhelming that I couldn't feel anything, positive or negative, for any Collier, except for Jeff who had that underdog thing going for him, because I couldn't remember who was who or who said and did what. My last problem with the book was too many subplots. With this many quirky suspects running around, all the other quirky characters in the quirky subplots were just too much quirk for my taste, and they put a story that needed better focus further out of focus. I found the numerous subplots to be a distraction and a liability, rather than an asset, to my enjoyment of the book--"gratuitous" was the word that kept popping into my mind whenever the story would go chasing off on those little unnecessary bunny trails. All in all a cute, superficial, light mystery that had a lot of entertainment value, but would have been much more attractive is the author would spend a few minutes doing some research of the legalities and if she would have pruned back a lot of the excess bushiness.
September 25, 2015
This is the second novel in the Crazy series starring Sheriff Lil Eller and her deputy tomcat Boris, the feline lie detector who patrol the town of Crazy in the state of Virginia, population 300 keeping the peace in a rural and isolated community. Sheriff Eller has her hands full when Vera Collier matriarch to the Collier clan is murdered and the family is convinced that one of her 11 children is responsible.
I must admit I read the second book not because of the plot but because I like Boris so much. I don't have a pet so this is my substitute. Also because of the characters who populate the town of Crazy, Virginia. I live in the UK and this is the image I have of a rural Southern community in the south of the United States and I have no idea how realistic it is but it is an easy fun read.
I did at times find it a bit confusing with so many members of the same family keeping it all straight in my head. I like the humour in the dialogue and the quirky crimes committed by the locals and the character of Sheriff Eller and, of course, Boris. Boris doesn't have superpowers, doesn't talk and even his job as a lie detector Sheriff Eller is not sure how reliable he is but he is a support and damn useful if she is attacked as those claws come in handy. I will be reading the next instalment so I definitely recommend this cosy mystery series.
I must admit I read the second book not because of the plot but because I like Boris so much. I don't have a pet so this is my substitute. Also because of the characters who populate the town of Crazy, Virginia. I live in the UK and this is the image I have of a rural Southern community in the south of the United States and I have no idea how realistic it is but it is an easy fun read.
I did at times find it a bit confusing with so many members of the same family keeping it all straight in my head. I like the humour in the dialogue and the quirky crimes committed by the locals and the character of Sheriff Eller and, of course, Boris. Boris doesn't have superpowers, doesn't talk and even his job as a lie detector Sheriff Eller is not sure how reliable he is but he is a support and damn useful if she is attacked as those claws come in handy. I will be reading the next instalment so I definitely recommend this cosy mystery series.
October 5, 2016
“Gone Crazy” is the second book in the "Lil & Boris" series, about Sheriff Littlepage Eller (Lil) and her adopted cat Boris, who becomes an unofficial feline deputy with a gift for telling when people are lying to Lil. In this book, Lil investigates a crime outside of her normal jurisdiction of "Crazy", Virginia. The Colliers, a dysfunctional group of grown children can only agree on one thing: one of the other siblings murdered their cantankerous and mean-spirited mother, Vera Collier. Oh, and also that they don't really want to deal with the Sheriff, or with anyone outside their family, for that matter.
When Lil has to investigate, she needs to figure out "how" the deed was done, and "why". Unfortunately, the How question points to other problems, as there might be *two* causes of death, probably unrelated. Which then makes the Who question more difficult, because it implies at least two different murderers, each of whom was unfamiliar with the other's attempt. And since Boris didn't seem to like any of them, his lie-detecting skills were a bit suspect.
I found this short book (~160 pages) fairly amusing, although there were a *lot* of characters. The parts with Boris were entertaining, even though I'm not exactly a "cat person". (But not an anti-cat person either.) So, like the first book, I'll say 3.5 stars, rounded up.
When Lil has to investigate, she needs to figure out "how" the deed was done, and "why". Unfortunately, the How question points to other problems, as there might be *two* causes of death, probably unrelated. Which then makes the Who question more difficult, because it implies at least two different murderers, each of whom was unfamiliar with the other's attempt. And since Boris didn't seem to like any of them, his lie-detecting skills were a bit suspect.
I found this short book (~160 pages) fairly amusing, although there were a *lot* of characters. The parts with Boris were entertaining, even though I'm not exactly a "cat person". (But not an anti-cat person either.) So, like the first book, I'll say 3.5 stars, rounded up.
February 13, 2017
Enjoyed this. Book
I liked the storyline and the authors writing. Kat Stevens is a great character and I'd like to get to know her better.
I liked the storyline and the authors writing. Kat Stevens is a great character and I'd like to get to know her better.
February 11, 2014
Gone Crazy - Lil and Bore book two
Gone Crazy is the next in the Lil and Boris series. I have enjoyed these books tremendously. They resonate with me as I am
a big animal lover myself and Boris is quite the character. I also enjoy the small town atmosphere and the ongoing family shenanigans between the Ellers and Littlepages. The mysteries are fun and entertaining. recommend this book for anyone wanting a light, funny, good mystery. Quick read, very enjoyable. I have the next book in the series already in my queue and look forward to reading it.
Gone Crazy is the next in the Lil and Boris series. I have enjoyed these books tremendously. They resonate with me as I am
a big animal lover myself and Boris is quite the character. I also enjoy the small town atmosphere and the ongoing family shenanigans between the Ellers and Littlepages. The mysteries are fun and entertaining. recommend this book for anyone wanting a light, funny, good mystery. Quick read, very enjoyable. I have the next book in the series already in my queue and look forward to reading it.
June 25, 2014
I really love this series. I love how the whole cat theme isn't overdone but Boris' personality and presences is strongly felt. I love how Lil thinks and acts. How she is a descendant of the town's two founding families who hate one another, not accepted by either family (well except cousin Jack) but clearly displays traits of both families. And mostly I love the quirkiness of the aptly named Crazy, the small town she's sheriff of. The people are crazy, drive her crazy, and give you a crazy good read.
July 11, 2015
the second in the Lil & Boris series by Ms Hill... I LOVE this series! Crazy is my kind of small town, and I really get the whole backwoods mentality of the folks who live in that area... Paint Hollow and the Colliers are a riot - in more ways than one, and how Lil and Boris manage to get them in line is a great little plot to keep my mind going. I HIGHLY recommend this book (and series) to anyone who has a sense of humor and can look at things with an open mind.
I also LOVE that 25% of the proceeds from the sale of these books goes to animal welfare...
I also LOVE that 25% of the proceeds from the sale of these books goes to animal welfare...
January 14, 2014
Mama Collier has passed and her children are claiming she was murdered. No law enforcement officer wants to go into Painted Hallow so Lil takes Boris to investigate the charges. They are,meet with a shot gun and dogs. Boris is ready to take on the dogs when Ken, a son, calls the dogs. Meanwhile Jack Ledgepage and the Ellers both want the same acreage that belong to Mama Collier who died interstate.
June 18, 2016
I really enjoyed the 1st in this series and immediately started in Book 2. There's a storyline from the 1st book that continues through into this book but it's secondary to the new mystery. Again Lil & Boris are investigating crime in their small town but more specifically a murder of the local, backwoods matriarch, Vera Collier. Sounds like one of her many children may have done the deed but investigating what happens in the Hollow is taking your life in your hands.
May 13, 2015
I enjoy Shannon Hill's books. She writes in a way that is funny and realistic to those of us who come from small towns. There was enough mystery to keep me interested, and this time the solutions were fully explained. I've come to enjoy the various characters and their interactions, not always getting along. Boris continues to be an interesting addition to the story, and he does a good job as lie detector and Lil's protector.
May 10, 2015
Book Two. I'm still loving this series!! I really enjoy the storyline, but especially love all the characters that people the small town of Crazy, VA. Well, except for the bad guys!! The cat, Boris, takes his job as 'deputy' very serious - and it's a good thing because Lil, the Sheriff, really needs his help. I am so hooked on this series - I think you would like it, too, if you love cats and strong women!
July 24, 2015
Cute. Did have some trouble keeping all the characters straight - there are a LOT. However, it was an amusing read - perfect for a summer day. Lil is the sheriff in a small town in Virginia - Crazy, VA. Her trusty sidekick is Boris, her cat, who also serves as a living, breathing lie detector. A murder takes place in a large family clan and the hunt is on to find out who killed Mamma Collier.
January 10, 2017
A fantastic follow up
It is good to know that Crazy VA was not a one-off event; that Shannon Hill plans to keep our duo going for a while and there are still tales to tell from Crazy.
Anyone who has lived along the 29 corridor south of Charlottesville will recognize the places and characters. The people of Crazy and its environs have so much depth, its almost like we know them personally.
Worth your time to get lost in this little corner of Virginia
It is good to know that Crazy VA was not a one-off event; that Shannon Hill plans to keep our duo going for a while and there are still tales to tell from Crazy.
Anyone who has lived along the 29 corridor south of Charlottesville will recognize the places and characters. The people of Crazy and its environs have so much depth, its almost like we know them personally.
Worth your time to get lost in this little corner of Virginia
Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews