BLOG TOUR: The Stills by Jess Montgomery @JessM_author @TLCBookTours @minotaurbooks #thestills #bookreview

I’m so excited to be featuring my review of The Stillsby Jess Montgomery on International Women’s Day because this book truly celebrates the impact of strong women throughout history even in the face of adversity.

This is the third book in her Kinship series, and I’ve read all three (though I do think readers could jump in at any point). All three books center on Lily Ross, a widow and mother to two young children who was appointed to fill the role of sheriff in her town after her husband (the current sheriff) passed away. Eventually, Lily was officially elected as sheriff—the first woman to do so. Lily may be small, but her spark and personality are larger than life!

Set in 1927, The Stills brings Prohibition to the foreground of the novel (a topic which had been more of a contextual factor in the first two books). Lily has befriended many strong women in the wake of her husband’s death and her time serving as Sheriff. When her friend Marvena needs money to pay for medical care for her daughter, she takes to brewing moonshine as a way to make money. Meanwhile part of Lily’s job as Sheriff is to enforce the laws around Prohibition. Despite this, Lily doesn’t go out of her way to seek out the illegal stills. She knows her community and how some people are scraping by.

However, Lily can’t avoid getting involved when local Zebediah Ranklin falls ill from bad moonshine. As she’s looking into the source of Zebediah’s illness, another troubling issue arises. George Vogel (who has appeared as a villain and foil in previous books), is looking to buy land for some business that Lily suspects may not be entirely legal. George’s wife Fiona is looking for a way out of her marriage to George by implicating him in illegal activity. And as if Lily doesn’t have enough on her plate, a relative of her late husband’s who played a part in his murder had arrived in Bronwyn County.

One thing I always love about Montgomery’s books is the amount of historical research she does to make her fictional story relevant to real events from our nation’s past. Prohibition was a difficult time for many, as an entire industry had to go underground and many had to resort to illegal activities to make ends meet. The stories of the characters in The Stills have so much depth. I felt invested in the outcomes, and not just because I had read the prior books. Fans of historical fiction and mysteries should not skip this series!

About the Book

With compassion and insight, Jess Montgomery weaves a gripping mystery and portrait of community in The Stills, the powerful third novel in the Kinship series.

Ohio, 1927: Moonshining is a way of life in rural Bronwyn County, and even the otherwise upstanding Sheriff Lily Ross has been known to turn a blind eye when it comes to stills in the area. But when thirteen-year-old Jebediah Ranklin almost dies after drinking tainted moonshine, Lily knows that someone has gone too far, and—with the help of organizer and moonshiner Marvena Whitcomb—is determined to find out who.

But then, Lily’s nemesis, the businessman George Vogel, reappears in town with his new wife, Fiona. Along with them is also her former brother-in-law Luther Ross, now an agent for the newly formed Bureau of Prohibition. To Lily, it seems too much of a coincidence that they should arrive now.

As fall turns to winter, a blizzard closes in. Lily starts to peel back the layers of deception shrouding the town of Kinship, but soon she discovers that many around her seem to be betraying those they hold dear—and that Fiona too may have an agenda of her own.

Thank you to TLC Book Tours and Minotaur Books for my copy. Opinions are my own.