Book #3 in The Kinship series. It's an excellent stand alone book made better if you read the three books in order. The trilogy builds a realistic look at American history during Prohibition, an ear not usually set in this type of mystery.
Lily Ross is the Sheriff of Bronwyn County, Ohio during a period of time that women did not hold public office much less assume law enforcement duties. But Lucy's life threw her some definite curves and she has fielded them all to land on her feet. But law enforcement during Prohibition forces her to make decisions that affect the lives of more than just the still operators. When a young man's illness and death cause her to step closer to the local moonshine operations, she will run into both old and new enemies.
Jess Montgomery obviously did her research. She skillfully shares life as lived during the 1930s and 1940s. There were none of the tools available that police use now. Sheriff Lily uses her skills and knowledge to solve the problems that were common in this challenged territory. Excellent writing and an excellent story equal a "must read" title.

I have had the pleasure of reading the first two books from Jess Montgomery's Kinship series. I believe the third installment, The Stills, is my favorite. Five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts about the book.

To really enjoy The Stills, you’ll want to read the previous books in the Kinship series, and not too far apart from each other since that will help with the story flow and to keep the characters straight since there’s a lot going on. The writing is great, and love the character Lily for her admirable and often lonely struggle. Strong 3.5 stars rounded up for this one.

I am a big fan of the Kinship series, having been on the blog tours for the first two books The Widows and The Hollows. I love the intersection of two favorite genres--historical fiction and mysteries and, Sheriff Lily Ross, is a strong, female main character to root for, as are the other strong women in the book. Widowed in the first novel, Lily took over her husband's job as Sheriff of their rural Ohio community, no easy feet, especially in 1927 but Lily was reelected on her own merits last year. Lily's Thanksgiving with her family and friends, Marvena and Hildy and their families, is interrupted with news that a local boy is in a coma after drinking some local moonshine that puportedly came from Marvena's still. Complicating matters is the fact that George Vogel, a shady businessman who Lily has dealt with in the past is in town with his wife and seems to be up to something involving illegal alcohol distribution. The book's POV bounces back and forth mostly between Lily and Fiona Vogel, now George's wife, a former local girl and the widow of a local deputy. Fiona is brought to town by George but has a definite agenda of her own.

What I like most about this series is the well-researched history that Jess Montgomery weaves into the story. I have learned a lot about Prohibition and other historical events from this series, and it usually has me looking for more information while I am reading it. The author works in historical figures (like the very real Assistant Attorney General Mabel Walker Willebrandt) into the books which it doesn't distract from the mysteries and teaches me more about history and subjects I am not familiar with. In this book I found the medical treatments of the times for diabetes and asthma especially interesting. Marvena's young daughter, Frankie, has severe and worsening asthma and part of the treatment is inhaling the smoke from asthma "sticks." Having asthma myself, the thought of breathing in the smoke from these medicinal cigarettes makes me cringe and I feel lucky to have a nebulizer and more modern treatments. I also love unpacking the layers of Lily and Marvena and getting to know more about these women and their friendship with each book. The writing is vivid and descriptive and puts me right into the setting. This third book did not disappoint in any way, and I can't wait for the next one!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3468315796?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1RATING: 4 STARS
2021; Minotaur Books/MacMillan Audio

I will start off by highly suggesting that you read this series in order of publication. Besides growth of characters, there is a bigger story arc that runs through these three books. Each book has its own mystery to solve, but makes this historical mystery so great is all the other things that this book has. When I started the first novel, The Widows I read it more like a historical fiction at first. The setting - time and place - 1920s, Ohio, both seem like characters in the story. The characters are from all walks of life trying to survive in a time where it is seems to set up for failure. From book one, we have seen how Lily and Marvena - women from different backgrounds come together and forge a bond that comes from survival and maternal instincts. In this novel, we do get less of Marvena, which is my own complaint with the book. The Stills is more of Lily and Fiona's stories. Marvena is still around, more with Moonshiners, that Lily is trying to keep order in a time of prohibition. When a young boy gets really ill from tainted moonshine, can the two women work together again. Fiona has married George Vogel, and does not seem to be living a better life as she had hope. Lily thought she had gotten rid of Vogel and her in-laws but they seem to be back in town, and that means trouble will be close behind. I loved how some of the storylines were settled in this novel, but it seemed to also allude to future novels. I am always a bit leery when a series puts out a third novel...is this the one that concludes the series, or will there be more from Lily and town of Kinship. This series is based on a true story, but I am not sure how much of it is factual. I have listened to all three books on audio, and they are fabulous.

***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook/audiobook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***

This is the third book in the “kinship” series, set on the outer edges of 1920’s Ohio (Chillicothe is the big city), and each book centers itself on a different woman, though the central character is always Sherriff Lily Ross. Lily became Sherriff after the murder of her sheriff husband and the first book was her story, as well as the story of labor organizer Marvena, now one of Lily’s best friends. The second novel was about her friend, schoolteacher Hildy, and this book follows the story of Fiona, who is married to the series bad guy, George Vogel.

George is a big time bootlegger out of Cincinnati, and he strong arms his wife into convincing her aunt to sell her her farm, so he can then use it as a front for his operation. Fiona is playing a longer game, though. She despises her husband and thinks getting the property in her name will give her some leverage. While this is very much a novel about prohibition and its effects on small town life – it’s also a novel about families.

In this sphere, Montgomery excels. She’s a dazzling portraitist, illuminating the lives of her characters and bringing their joys and sorrows to life. Lily’s struggle in this novel to move on romantically, to enforce the law even when it involves her friends. As she does not always agree with the prohibition laws, it makes for an interesting background. It’s a wonderful piece of complex plotting, but it’s also a wonderful piece of complex characterizations.

Montgomery also looks at the ways health was addressed in the 20’s – one of the children in the novel suffers from asthma, and the doctor’s prescription is asthma cigarettes (an actual “cure”). Another is discovered to be suffering from the “sugar” – i.e. diabetes, which, if the parents were poor, was almost a death sentence. The hard lives of these families are almost unfathomable. The grace and strength the characters in the novel possess to deal with their challenges provides inspiration.

What I found most moving in this particular book was Lily’s struggle with what she truly believes. It’s illustrated in almost every conversation she has. The other central tentpole of this book was Fiona, and her realization that she could be in charge of her own destiny, as she plots an escape as well as a punishment from her husband. The tension arises when the plans she has in place are almost more than matched by her husband’s brutality and smarts.

These books are a rich, dense read, full of character, setting, historical detail and just plain life. Navigating life is the true journey of all the books so far, and for Lily and Marvena and in this novel, Fiona, that navigation provides the drama and the interest. The effects of prohibition on this small town are devastating in so many ways, and it’s Lily’s job to navigate through them. This is another stunning read from a supremely gifted writer.


https://auntagathas.com/aa/2021/03/29/jess-montgomery-the-stills/

Favorite Quotes:

Week before last, cold shooed warmth into a wish and a memory, then rattled tree limbs to leaflessness with one gnarly hand, while gripping the earth with the other.

Lily shakes her head, recollecting how thin yet shuddery the boy’s breath had sounded, like a gossamer curtain between this life and the next, stirred by deep winds.

That was always the problem with snakes like Luther. They always seem like they can be telling the truth. Fiona shifts in her chair, suddenly uncomfortable. She seems like she’s telling the truth, too—and it’s a habit that quickly becomes easy to rely on. So thrillingly easy.


My Review:

This was an intense and angsty read, which is fitting, as it was a tense and angsty period of history during a dire time in a desolate town. The densely packed and well-crafted storylines were highly eventful, complicated, and compelling with insightful and descriptive prose that was often lyrical in nature. The majority of events occurred over a week’s period and featured moonshiners, a missing revenuer, corruption, murder, poisonings, car crashes, ice storms, explosions, snake handlers, a scheming wife, and tons of fiendish subterfuge that required careful reading to savor and properly assimilate.

The Stills
The Kinship Series, Book 3
Jess Montgomery
Minotaur Books, March 2021
ISBN 978-1-250-62340-9
Hardcover

From the publisher—

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 Zebediah Harkins 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.

The Prohibition Era is a fascinating time in US history, one that today makes us wonder what on earth “they” really thought about this bound-to-fail experiment in controlling people or, rather, in denying people something they want. As we know, it became a lesson in man’s ability to find a way around the rules but also caused a great deal of crime and economic pain.

Moonshining had been around, particularly in the Appalachians, for many years but came into its own during Prohibition, kind of a cottage industry, and Lily Ross was well aware that even some of her friends were involved. Being a woman of some wisdom, she looked the other way when she could, knowing that moonshining was a way to earn some much needed money in her poverty-driven county, but has to pay attention when a young boy falls ill from a bad batch. Besides looking into the source, she also becomes aware that a criminal from her past has come back to town. George Vogel almost certainly has some sort of illicit plan in mind but his wife, Fiona, is no shrinking violet either. These two each demand the sheriff’s attention and, before all is said and done, a man is murdered.

Ms. Montgomery always comes up with a complex plot that demands the reader’s attention but it’s the strength of her characters, especially the women, that keeps bringing me back. This time, we don’t get as much time with Lily’s circle of friends as I would have liked but Lily and Fiona, two very different people, are a pair worth watching. It’s easy to like and admire Lily; Fiona, not so much, but she’s every bit as intriguing as the sheriff and I was spellbound by them both. These women and their surroundings, their time in history, make this a compelling story.

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, April 2021.

The third installment in the Kinship series did not disappoint. So fun to be reunited with Sheriff Lily! The story takes place during the time of prohibition. Strong female characters and an interesting storyline.

Discussed on Episode 125 of the Book Cougars podcast.
www.bookcougars.com

Astonishing. Jess Montgomery is beyond brilliant, and this book is immersive, thought-provoking, and riveting. Written with Montgomery's beautifully evocative style, with careful research and attention to detail, this is a powerful story of family loyalty, temptation, and greed. No one creates setting like Jess Montgomery, and we are transported on every page--not only to 1927, and not only to rural Ohio, but to the essence of these characters' souls. Do not miss this..

I like this but it didn’t grab me. It’s a story about moonshiners and bootlegging in the 1920’s. A big time bootlegger tries to move into a rural county to run his operations. The local sheriff and others conspire to stop these gangsters from infiltrating their town with a big business operation. It was the third in a series and I hadn’t read the first two. It was good and was a good stand alone. I liked it but felt like past events were introduced over and over. The fact that the sheriff was betrayed by her relatives was brought up over and over but we never heard how he was betrayed. I liked this story but because I hadn’t read the previobooks, I think I didn’t understand the whole story. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed are my own..

I'm not a big series reader, but Jess Montgomery's evocative Kinship mysteries are a rare exception for me: An auto-buy, every time. Her stories shine a light on the strong, often forgotten women who helped to shape the character and fortitude of an equally overlooked part of the world. In the latest installment, The Stills, she dreams up for us a heart-in-throat race against the clock set in Prohibition-era Ohio—depicted with the skillful hand of a word stylist, the sharp eye of a historian, and the heart of a mother, daughter, and friend.

#3 in the Kinship series. Montgomery writes not only one of the best historical mystery series there is, one of the best historical series there is. Her research is outstanding and you feel it, smell it, taste it, hear it, but never read it in long boring "see all my research!" paragraphs. Life in Kinship, Ohio is hard and I'm usually worn out by the time Lily finally makes it back home late at night by auto, buckboard and foot throughout the county. In The Stills, moonshine takes center stage as a young man watching over "product" is badly sickened after seeing a man shot, and another dies mysterious causes. The tale is twisty and relies on Lily and her friends' knowledge of the people and the country to get to the truth before it is too late. Truly outstanding. Highly recommended.

Author Jess Montgomery continues her marvelous Kinship series with a look at Prohibition in The Stills. There are two main voices in the book: that of uncompromising Sheriff Lily Ross, a woman who refuses to have a photo of her family hanging in her office because she "doesn't need to remind some folks that they think [she] should be at home," and Fiona Vogel, a woman who's gone along with the accepted ole of women in society but who has decided that "she wants to be in control of her life. To thrive."

The Stills is a nuanced portrait of an era with strong characters who show readers how people dealt, not only with Prohibition, but also with diseases like diabetes and asthma. The role of women in society looms large with the differing approaches of Lily and Fiona. Lily is a straight shooter. She pulls no punches, and her friends know that she will uphold the law regardless the identity of the law breaker. Buffeted by smaller stones and other debris, Lily is a boulder in the river that the water is forced to go around. Fiona is a bird feathering her nest with every little advantage and trick she can gather in the hopes that she can construct a safe place to live. While Fiona hasn't had much luck with men and wants a life where she can ignore them completely if she should choose to do so, Benjamin is a man in Lily's life who seems to like her just as she is. This is a relationship that should prove interesting in future books.

I always learn something when reading one of Montgomery's Kinship mysteries. In the case of The Stills, it was Prohibition and disease as well as a fascinating historical personage of whom I'd never heard: U.S. Assistant Attorney General Mabel Walker Willebrandt, who was known as "the First Lady of Law." People who believe that they can't learn anything from reading mere fiction are sadly misinformed.

The Stills-- as well as the other two Kinship mysteries The Widows and The Hollows-- is a splendid portrait of a time, a place, and the strong women who forged lives for themselves in it. If you haven't read these books, I urge you to do so. Begin at the beginning with The Widows. You can thank me later.

Sheriff Lily Ross investigates the poisoning of a young boy who drank tainted moonshine and discovers the kid witnessed a shooting. More bodies turn up, causing Lily to suspect friend and foe alike. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, another resident of Kinship perfects the art of manipulation.

This installment brings those who betrayed Lily’s deceased husband Daniel to the forefront. Her feelings for Daniel’s old friend, Benjamin grow more serious, and she is forced to rely on him more than she wants.

This book begins on Thanksgiving and ends on Christmas Eve. Montgomery brings the sights, sounds, tastes, and smells of these holiday celebrations in 1927 Ohio to life. She even nicely contrasts the Thanksgiving celebrations of three different families. Lily’s is warm, filled with family, friends, and delicious foods, while another group feasts on tension, dried turkey, and rubbery sides. A third family nibbles on butter sandwiches and sorrow.

I really liked how the book explored issues around diseases and time period medical treatments along with religion from more traditional Christian worship to those that practice snake handling. Prohibition is a big part of the story in this installment, from the perspective of those who imbibe to those who manufacture alcohol from bootlegging to legally made tonics.

As in the other Kinship mysteries, the towns women are at the forefront. In this installment, the prologue is provided from the perspective of the boy who witnesses the shooting, but the bulk of the book alternates between the points of views of Lily and Fiona Vogel, the wife of the owner of Vogel’s tonics. Fiona’s perspective provides much insight on her husband, the big bad George Vogel and shows how she’s changed since their marriage.

The themes of friendship and female empowerment are at the core of this great historical mystery series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an Advance Reader Copy.

This book is well written and well researched.

George Vogel, Sheriff Lily's nemesis, is back in town with other men who Lily doesn't want to see again. Fiona, George's wife, has plans to ruin George and help Lily.

Fiona was very interesting because she's stuck in a marriage to a powerful man. She knows what he's capable of and knows that no one can rescue her. However, Lily seems to be one step behind what the reader already knows. This can be frustrating.

This review is based on an advanced reader copy provided through Netgalley for an honest review.

My thoughts:

This is a very hard review to write. I wanted to love this book. I honestly did. I think if I would have read the first two in the series it would have been much better. Maybe I would have kept all the characters straight. I got lost a few times and that just doesn't happen to me when I read. Sorry about that. It is what it is though.

This book is good. I won't say it's not. It has a lot going on. A bad man. A bad woman. A bunch of people who work for this man, Vogel, and will do anything for him even though he's a first rate jerk. A very rich one though. Riches he gained at the expense and death of others. A woman, Fiona, who married him and I highly disliked even though I think maybe she was suppose to be somewhat likable in a few way. She did do a couple of good things but mostly she's selfish and self centered. I didn't connect to her at all.

Then we have the sheriff, Lily, who is trying hard to bring people to justice and get other things done too. Even possibly have a personal life after the loss of her husband. The loss of her husband was in an earlier book. I did like Lily. I thought she had spunk and was a good and decent person. A female sheriff back in the twenties. Who would have thought that?

There is just a whole lot going on from moonshining to murder in this book. It has the things that I usually like in a book. I give it that. It was not an edge of your seat thriller though and it was somewhat hard for me to keep up with all the characters. It's well written and I do believe if I would have known and read the first two I would have really loved this one much better. I think. There's the feelings. The sad, happy, even a bit of laughter. Not much of the laughter though. A few children who you root for. A whole lot of mention of the Model T car. I am afraid I think that was mentioned a tad to often.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #JessMontgomery, #StMartin'sPress and #Minotaur for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

It's a solid 3/5 stars for me. I recommend you read it for yourself and decide. I also recommend you read the first two before this one.

As always Jess Montgomery gives us a strong sense of time and place in this the third installment of the Kinship series. It's 1927 and Prohibition is in effect and moonshining a way of life. Sheriff Lily Ross is determined to investigate the near death of a child by way of tainted moonshine. As a blizzard moves in she proceeds with her quest to uncover what's happening in her town just gets more complicated.
I loved this book! Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. Shockingly, after I finished Kinship Books 1 and 2, I found Book 3 to read for review! It is an awesome continuation of Sheriff Lily and her investigations. This book starts with a shooting of a Prohibition agent at one the hidden stills. A little boy witnesses the shooting but soon falls into a diabetic coma. Who shot him, why and was George Vogel and his "Vogel Tonics" behind this? I love how they brought back most of the characters from Book 1 and 2 and love the main character, Sheriff Lily and her biggest ally Marvena. I hope there is a book 4. Montgomery has quite a series!! #thestills #jessmontgomery #Mar2021

The Stills is the third installment in Jess Montgomery's The Kinship series. It is truly wonderful and emotional to read this beautifully well written novel and learn more about these strong, courageous women who populated the region of Bronwyn County, Ohio. Full of historical detail and paying homage to the women who accepted roles previously not given to women in this society, Lily Ross is the sheriff of the county where many people's lives and livelihood depend on the moonshining buisness. She has even often looked the other way bu tmoonshining has become a dangerous buisness as prohibition and the Regulators close in on the hills of Appalachian. When a young boy is poisoned and dies from ingesting tainted moonshine as he guards a still in the woods, Lily decides someone has gone to far and enlists the help of her friend, Marvena Whitcomb who herself is a moonshiner to help her solve this mystery before others die.

This book holds a special place in my heart as my heritage is Appalachian. Appalachian families were built on the backs of the women of this region during these times. Women such as my grandmothers who lead extremely hard lives in poverty with unrelenting demands on their time and energy. But they did not complain or falter and were able to find joy in their everyday lives through faith, storytelling and folklore,kinship and family, neighbors and friends and celebrations of simple pleasures and triumps in their daily lives. Giving a lovely voice to just a few of these women from 'the hills", these characters will stay with you long after you finish the book.