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Lillian Byrd Crime Story #5
Left Field
Lillian Byrd has been searching her soul after the gut-wrenching experience of killing someone in self-defense. Scrabbling to make ends meet, she takes a job as a quasi detective, solving life’s little mysteries for a pair of eccentric women in one of Detroit’s last prestigious neighborhoods. When she spots a corpse on the next-door lawn, she jumps back into honest work as an investigative journalist.
Her friend Mercedes reveals that the dead woman, Abby Rawson, played on a women’s softball team she manages and pressures Lillian into taking her spot. Softball turns to hardball when Lillian not only plunges into a love affair with the team’s sought-after pitcher but also goes undercover as an exterminator, a squatter, and a charity worker to investigate Abby’s death and the corrupt medical organization she worked for. No one on the team is above suspicion, and as they get closer to snagging the coveted championship title—and Lillian gets closer to discovering the dark truth behind Abby’s murder—she fights to keep her new love in her life and literally save her own.
Filled with Lillian Byrd’s trademark snark, nail-biting twists and turns, and a thrilling climax, Left Field scores a grand slam that’ll leave readers cheering in the stands.
Her friend Mercedes reveals that the dead woman, Abby Rawson, played on a women’s softball team she manages and pressures Lillian into taking her spot. Softball turns to hardball when Lillian not only plunges into a love affair with the team’s sought-after pitcher but also goes undercover as an exterminator, a squatter, and a charity worker to investigate Abby’s death and the corrupt medical organization she worked for. No one on the team is above suspicion, and as they get closer to snagging the coveted championship title—and Lillian gets closer to discovering the dark truth behind Abby’s murder—she fights to keep her new love in her life and literally save her own.
Filled with Lillian Byrd’s trademark snark, nail-biting twists and turns, and a thrilling climax, Left Field scores a grand slam that’ll leave readers cheering in the stands.
7 pages, Audible Audio
First published December 26, 2014
37 people are currently reading
137 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Sims
28 books111 followersElizabeth Sims is an American author and writing authority. Her novels include the Lambda Award-winning Lillian Byrd crime series and the Rita Farmer mystery series, and she writes frequently for Writer's Digest magazine, where she is a Contributing Editor.
Booklist calls her work "crime fiction as smart as it is compelling," and Crimespree magazine praises her "strong voice and wonderful characters."
Are you a writer too—or would you like to be one? If so, you might find inspiration in Elizabeth's book You've Got a Book in You: A Stress-Free Guide to Writing the Book of Your Dreams, published by Writer's Digest Books.
Elizabeth earned degrees in English from Michigan State University and Wayne State University, where she won the Tompkins Award for graduate fiction. She has worked as a reporter, editor, photographer, technical writer, bookseller, street busker, ranch hand, corporate executive, and symphonic percussionist. Elizabeth belongs to several literary societies as well as American Mensa.
To learn more about her and to view a full list of her available works, including free excerpts and book discussion guides, visit www.elizabethsims.com
There you can get in touch and / or join her newsgroup.
Booklist calls her work "crime fiction as smart as it is compelling," and Crimespree magazine praises her "strong voice and wonderful characters."
Are you a writer too—or would you like to be one? If so, you might find inspiration in Elizabeth's book You've Got a Book in You: A Stress-Free Guide to Writing the Book of Your Dreams, published by Writer's Digest Books.
Elizabeth earned degrees in English from Michigan State University and Wayne State University, where she won the Tompkins Award for graduate fiction. She has worked as a reporter, editor, photographer, technical writer, bookseller, street busker, ranch hand, corporate executive, and symphonic percussionist. Elizabeth belongs to several literary societies as well as American Mensa.
To learn more about her and to view a full list of her available works, including free excerpts and book discussion guides, visit www.elizabethsims.com
There you can get in touch and / or join her newsgroup.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 7, 2019
I’m so sad. With Left Field, the fifth and last in the Lillian Byrd Crime series it’s time to say goodbye and that’s not easy because I’ve grown quite fond of the scrawny sneaker wearing P.I.
Elizabeth Sims has created something really special. Her great knowledge of human nature and the way she puts those observations to paper is quite unique. And she is funny as hell and knows how to craft a darn clever mystery.
I’ve been endorsing this series with every 5 star review and this last time will be no different. If you want to laugh and cry and be bolted to your seat from page one you seriously need to read this.
f/f Lillian is getting some
Themes: Detroit, amateur sleuthing, ritzy neighborhood, squatters, I miss Todd, Raquel is not really pet material, softball, Lillian is not into that kind of lovin’.
5 stars
Elizabeth Sims has created something really special. Her great knowledge of human nature and the way she puts those observations to paper is quite unique. And she is funny as hell and knows how to craft a darn clever mystery.
I’ve been endorsing this series with every 5 star review and this last time will be no different. If you want to laugh and cry and be bolted to your seat from page one you seriously need to read this.
f/f Lillian is getting some
Themes: Detroit, amateur sleuthing, ritzy neighborhood, squatters, I miss Todd, Raquel is not really pet material, softball, Lillian is not into that kind of lovin’.
5 stars
September 16, 2017
“Left Field” is the 5th of the five books in the Lillian Byrd crime series, but there is a tease in the author’s Book Discussion Guide that we may meet some of the new characters introduced in “future books in the series”!! Oh please, oh please!!
In “Left Field”, Lillian finds yet another dead body, and that mystery leads to questions about the company she worked for. With her beloved pet rabbit Todd having been buried after a long life at the end of Book Four, Lillian adopts a baby raccoon….but finds that raccoons are different than rabbits.
Lillian’s investigations into the death and the mysterious company leads her to join a softball team (hahaha - this is, after all, a book about lesbians!). She and the pitcher (Parker) hit it off, as they say, and there are several fun scenes with Lillian’s newest love interest. I especially liked one of her descriptive moments:
Such a great paragraph - nothing explicit, but wow! do you want to be with Lillian at that moment, or what? Parker, though, has some bedtime preferences that Lillian isn’t comfortable with, and the book handles different viewpoints toward kink extremely well!
The death mystery took an interesting and unexpected turn, and the mystery of the company she worked with was very well done. As with Book Four, readers figured out the villain quicker than good-hearted Lillian, but the denouement was very exciting!
One thing that surprised me a bit is that for the first time, Lillian wasn’t always looking at Detroit with kind optimism, and rose-colored glasses. She really piled on at a few points about the city being essentially a bombed out dump with corruption everywhere.
Lillian’s friend Lou is back, and plays a great sidekick in many scenes. New characters Flora, her mother Dominica, their neighbors Donna and Blair, and Lieutenant Sorrel are also given interesting personalities and roles.
Narrator Dina Pearlman continues giving a great performance to the series, and “Left Field” is one of the better books in the series. I think I liked Book Four, “Easy Street”, slightly better but this is very close. I’m rating this 4.5*, and nearly rounded up to 5* but at the last minute I’m rating as 4* because I really would have liked Lillian to have found a romantic HEA in her life…she is a great character, a terrific person, and she deserves to have a wonderful woman as a partner in life!
In “Left Field”, Lillian finds yet another dead body, and that mystery leads to questions about the company she worked for. With her beloved pet rabbit Todd having been buried after a long life at the end of Book Four, Lillian adopts a baby raccoon….but finds that raccoons are different than rabbits.
Lillian’s investigations into the death and the mysterious company leads her to join a softball team (hahaha - this is, after all, a book about lesbians!). She and the pitcher (Parker) hit it off, as they say, and there are several fun scenes with Lillian’s newest love interest. I especially liked one of her descriptive moments:
And so we progressed agreeably along the base path to third. This base is my favorite. I could hit triples all year long and not be unhappy, frankly. The physicality, the extra aliveness you feel when you’re naked with another naked compatible individual. Just so damn sweet, you know? And yet so much to look forward to!
Such a great paragraph - nothing explicit, but wow! do you want to be with Lillian at that moment, or what? Parker, though, has some bedtime preferences that Lillian isn’t comfortable with, and the book handles different viewpoints toward kink extremely well!
The death mystery took an interesting and unexpected turn, and the mystery of the company she worked with was very well done. As with Book Four, readers figured out the villain quicker than good-hearted Lillian, but the denouement was very exciting!
One thing that surprised me a bit is that for the first time, Lillian wasn’t always looking at Detroit with kind optimism, and rose-colored glasses. She really piled on at a few points about the city being essentially a bombed out dump with corruption everywhere.
Lillian’s friend Lou is back, and plays a great sidekick in many scenes. New characters Flora, her mother Dominica, their neighbors Donna and Blair, and Lieutenant Sorrel are also given interesting personalities and roles.
Narrator Dina Pearlman continues giving a great performance to the series, and “Left Field” is one of the better books in the series. I think I liked Book Four, “Easy Street”, slightly better but this is very close. I’m rating this 4.5*, and nearly rounded up to 5* but at the last minute I’m rating as 4* because I really would have liked Lillian to have found a romantic HEA in her life…she is a great character, a terrific person, and she deserves to have a wonderful woman as a partner in life!
January 12, 2015
This book is a wonderful mix of humor and mystery. Sims's wit and sensitivity shine through,complimenting the story and enhancing the edge- of- your- seat action. Great Read!
January 27, 2022
I am bereft!
I have come to the end of the Lillian Byrd series and I can’t think of a better, more enjoyable character. Smart, sassy, companionable, industrious and wonderfully humane, I will miss Lillian more than I’ve missed any book personae in a long time. (Plus I know more about golf, softball etc than I ever knew I wanted to).
Great narration. Wonderfully imaginative side characters. Laugh out loud commentary and original story detail. Gah! Five books is not enough.
Reread … still enjoyed this. Knew whodunnit but not how so the story still kept me engaged. And it was fun. Totally recommend.
I have come to the end of the Lillian Byrd series and I can’t think of a better, more enjoyable character. Smart, sassy, companionable, industrious and wonderfully humane, I will miss Lillian more than I’ve missed any book personae in a long time. (Plus I know more about golf, softball etc than I ever knew I wanted to).
Great narration. Wonderfully imaginative side characters. Laugh out loud commentary and original story detail. Gah! Five books is not enough.
Reread … still enjoyed this. Knew whodunnit but not how so the story still kept me engaged. And it was fun. Totally recommend.
January 11, 2016
From page 1 I felt like I was in the hands of an author who knows how to write. Lillian Byrd is a fascinating character and I loved spending time with her. Great writing & plotting.
October 7, 2017
I love this series. I wish there were fifty more. I am so sad to be finished.
December 13, 2020
Not sure if there will be more books in this series but continue to think the 2nd one to be the best, at least for me. I'm glad to see that Lilian is finally getting a break in the near future. Loved how her friendship with Lou evolved and how they were there for each other.
I guess love was not in her cards but love that she now has Tommy.
I guess love was not in her cards but love that she now has Tommy.
January 24, 2021
Book #5 of the series. The author seems to have learnt from the last book, and the story has quiet a few twists and turns during Lillian's investigation. Another new lesbian lover, but she also has her own interests. If you've read the other books of the series, you well be well served with this one.
April 5, 2019
I enjoyed this one. I’m sad that the series is over but I really enjoyed Lillian, her adventures and poor love life. This particular mystery was interesting because it was two mysteries in one. I wish there were more books in the series though. I was warmed by Lillian’s new pet.
April 4, 2022
What a fun cozy mystery! Sims uses a lot of humor, keen sleuthing, and great character development. While the suspense and intrigue build with the story, the diverse characters and dialogue were so well done. I truly loved this story and want to go back and read the other stories in the Lillian Byrd series, as well as see what else this author has written.
May 7, 2022
Just loving this series
Lillian Byrd at it again tenacious, reckless and sometimes naive. Another good story that catches up with old characters and introduces some new ones, all interesting.
Lillian Byrd at it again tenacious, reckless and sometimes naive. Another good story that catches up with old characters and introduces some new ones, all interesting.
November 3, 2020
Fun series
September 20, 2021
This is the perfect ending to this fun and exciting series. I'll miss you Lillian Byrd. Say "thanks" to Elizabeth for sharing your antics with me. I think she's great!
September 28, 2017
This one was good. Left me hoping for more in this series.
March 10, 2017
Love this book
Totally surprised me . Very fun read , great characters. I wish there were more in this series . I can't wait to read more from this author
Totally surprised me . Very fun read , great characters. I wish there were more in this series . I can't wait to read more from this author
February 4, 2015
I was disappointed in the latest Lillian Byrd novel by Sims. I had so loved the main character when I first found the series and was excited when Sims decided to write another installment after a 2-book foray with different protagonist. I don't know if Lillian's magnetism has just run its course for me or if the juxtaposition of reading this book immediately after The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters doomed it for me. It just seem disjointed and confusing and as if the topic was too big for the journalist-detective--white collar crime turned murderous. All I can say is that it didn't flow for me. I kept wanting to like it just as Lillian kept wanting to like the pet raccoon who had replaced her pet rabbit, but the truth is, it didn't hold a candle to the rabbit and this book didn't hold a candle to earlier books in the series.
June 30, 2015
Maybe unlikely, and in some cases whacky but believable characters in all Elizabeth Sims stories is what brings me back to read and re- read her books. In Left field, the anchor of the story is a women's softball team in Detroit. You often don't often see a pairing of recreational sports with murder and corruption and Detroit is a hard place to find humor, but Sims weaves it all together in a way that only she can. in a world where many writers are compared to others of similar styles and characters, Elizabeth Sims truly stands alone.
Left Field is the fifth of the Lillian Byrd series, but in both this and the Rita Farmer stories, they don't need to be read in order. Your first won't be your last.
April 21, 2018
It’s a murder mystery full of humour.
Book five in the brilliant Lillian Byrd Crime Series, every book is a stand alone book and I loved the everything about it. I loved all the characters Flora and Domenica Pomeroy, and Mercedes. A lot of the action was centred around a softball team even thought I know nothing about softball it did not detract from the marvellous story. Lillian is so human and down to earth who will always help her friends, I totally love the character. Great murder mystery perfectly paced which I completely enjoyed. I highly recommend this wonderful book. So sad to see this series end.
Book five in the brilliant Lillian Byrd Crime Series, every book is a stand alone book and I loved the everything about it. I loved all the characters Flora and Domenica Pomeroy, and Mercedes. A lot of the action was centred around a softball team even thought I know nothing about softball it did not detract from the marvellous story. Lillian is so human and down to earth who will always help her friends, I totally love the character. Great murder mystery perfectly paced which I completely enjoyed. I highly recommend this wonderful book. So sad to see this series end.
July 31, 2015
Good
this book I decided to read before realised it had a sexual aspect that doesn't agree with.in this day and age it's acceptable
this book I decided to read before realised it had a sexual aspect that doesn't agree with.in this day and age it's acceptable
February 16, 2016
An interesting mystery involving a softball team, a lesbian heroine, and some eccentric, wealthy, elderly women.
April 19, 2017
Love this series and this story is just as good as the previous 4.
It's fast, fun and has a lot of twists. Keep me wondering until the end.
Hoping there will be more :)
It's fast, fun and has a lot of twists. Keep me wondering until the end.
Hoping there will be more :)
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews