It's Thanksgiving 1927 and things are about to come to a head for both Sheriff Lily Ross and Fiona Vogel. The latter has come home to rural Ohio with her hateful criminal husband who wants to buy her aunt's land for his illegal liquor business. At the same tine, when a teenage girl turns up at Lily's door asking for help with her brother who is in what turns out to be a diabetic coma, a whole load of secrets begin tumbling out. I'd only read the first in this series and frankly felt at sea sometimes with how everyone related to each other (and they all somehow do) and what they'd done to each other. That said, Montgomery does make an effort to help. Lily's terrific as is her friend Marvena. Fiona is as devious as her husband (gotta admire her). It's atmospheric (there's a snake handling church) and twisty even though it's not a mystery but historical fiction. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. A good read her fans will welcome.

The Stills is the third book in Jess Montgomery’s Kinship series, and I think each book is better than the one that came before . . . and I’ve enjoyed them all. Set in 1927 Ohio when Lily Ross, the sheriff, is serving her second term, the story takes on the then-timely issue of prohibition. When someone falls ill after drinking tainted moonshine, Lily must investigate, and in true Montgomery fashion, that investigation leads to more unearthing of complex plotlines and twists. Historical fiction fans will sing the praises of Montgomery’s attention to detail and authenticity as the descriptions just leap off the way. Engaging and compelling--overall a fantastic read. Well done!

The Stills is Jess Montgomery’s third novel, following on the earlier titles, The Widows and The Hollows. I read and loved those two earlier books. The Stills continues the story of many of the characters. The books are probably best read in order as the backstory from the earlier novels is relevant. If read as a first experience with Ms. Montgomery, readers may well want to then go back to the earlier titles.

The author has so many strengths. One is her ability to carve out a time and place. Another is her careful building of the relationships between characters. The story’s setting is 1920s Bronwyn County, Ohio during the Prohibition years. This small community where Lily lives is so well portrayed. There are small farms, mines, charismatic churches, stills and speakeasys.

Lily became the Sheriff following on the events of the first novel. She is a widow who is devoted to her children, her mother and her half-sibling. The book opens with all of them, along with some additional guests, enjoying Thanksgiving dinner. Of course, the calm does not last.

One guest at dinner is Benjamin. Lily inches toward becoming closer to him over the course of the story. Another is Lily’s best friend Marvena. She puts Lily in what could be a compromising position in this title.

Other characters include a number of villains. Foremost among these are George Vogel and his henchmen. George is an unfeeling, hard man who has benefited from illegal acts. Will this be the book in which he finally gets stopped? George’s wife Fiona is a master manipulator who has a complex relationship with George. What will happen to her? To their relationship? Is Fiona as clever as she thinks she is?

And, of course, there are the stills, those sites for making moonshine. What events happen there? How will they radiate out to impact the community?

I was very delighted to receive an ARC of this title. I look forward (already) to finding out what comes next for the folks of Kinship.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

The Stills is the third book in the Kinship series by Jess Montgomery. The series is set in rural Bronwyn County in southern Ohio. Lily Ross, the sheriff, is in her second term. Her first term began when she took over for her husband who was killed during his time in office. It is now 1927 and Lily is obliged to uphold the laws regarding prohibition. She knows that there are many illegal stills in her jurisdiction and she sometimes doesn’t make an effort to search for them because it is so much a part of their way of life.

However, when young Zebediah Ranklin becomes ill after drinking moonshine that has been tainted, she knows that she must investigate the source. At the same time, she needs to deal with another issue. George Vogel, a businessman who is known to be a part of some questionable deals, has come to the county with his wife Fiona. George is intent on buying land so that he can start a business that she suspects might possibly be illegal.

George was associated with her husband Daniel and he helped Lily solve an earlier case so she finds herself in a difficult predicament. His wife Fiona is unhappy with her situation and is looking for a way to implicate her husband in criminal activity and thus to free herself from her unhappy marriage to him. Lily must also deal with her husband’s half brother and uncle who played a part in her husband’s murder because they now work for George Vogel and have come to Bronwyn County with him.

Montgomery shares stories that evoke the reality of life for people in southern Ohio in the 1920s. Their lives are not easy and Montgomery writes about them with compassion and depth. As Lily takes on her tasks as sheriff, she deals with moonshining, prohibition, murder, and bizarre healing methods.

The Stills is not only about law and order, it is also about family. Lily sees to her daily responsibilities as sheriff but she must also be a mother and daughter and a friend. She is even able to find a bit of time for a personal romantic interest.

It is not imperative to have read the first two books to appreciate this third book since Montgomery is successful at supplying background information. However, by having read the first and second books in the series before you read The Stills, you will be fully invested in, and appreciative of, the characters and the setting.

This book is truly historical and the author’s notes share facts that formed the basis for the book. Just like the first two books in the series, it is entertaining and it is a light read even though the topics and the circumstances are not. The setting, the time period, and the interactions between the characters draw the reader in, and fans of this series will most likely be hoping for more about Lily and Kinship in a future installment.

This is my third book in the series I’ve read, another high 5 stars. This author has a talent, I have found that rarely can the series keep the momentum going but this one is great. As long as Ms. Montgomery writes about the lives of Lily, Marvena, Fiona and the rest of the clan, I’ll read them. I’m not sure you would need to read the first two but it would certainly add to the depth of the characters.
This story took Fiona to a whole new level, she is a piece of work… I can see Lily dressed in her dark blue dress and riding her mule while carrying her shotgun. The story has a lot of action, bootlegging, bad whiskey, prohibition and possibly the early mob. We even dabble a bit into snake handling.
I highly recommend this entire series and will anxiously be awaiting Lily’s next adventures.
I was given an advance copy from St. Martin’s Press through Net Galley for my honest review, this one gets high 5 stars… Well worth the read.

The following review was posted on my blog (www.blogginboutbooks.com) on 01.30.21:

As sheriff of Kinship, Ohio, Lily Ross is sworn to protect and serve her small Appalachian community. She takes her responsibilities seriously, striving to uphold the law in a fair, consistent manner. When it comes to the popular past-time of making moonshine, however, pragmatic Lily has been known to look the other way a time or two in spite of increasingly restrictive Prohibition laws. Then, a young boy gets dangerously sick after drinking tainted home-brewed alcohol while guarding a local still. Lily is appalled. She vows to find out who is poisoning the moonshine and why.

That's not the only problem on Lily's plate, however. A special agent from the Bureau of Prohibition who was supposed to show up in Kinship has not yet arrived. The man is at least missing, possibly dead. In a move that can't be a coincidence, Lily also discovers that her nefarious brother-in-law, Luther, is working undercover for the Bureau in an effort to take down her least favorite businessman, George Vogel. Although Lily doubts Luther's intentions, she has a vested interest in seeing Vogel imprisoned. His new wife, Fiona, seems to feel likewise. Can she trust Luther and Fiona to help her put their boss and husband behind bars? Or is Lily just a pawn in their bigger game? As she attempts to locate a missing agent, figure out just what Vogel is up to, and keep her town safe from tainted alcohol, she also has decide how she feels about a new suitor as well as an old friend who's breaking the law with the habits she swore she'd left behind for good. Can Lily find a way to solve all the problems in a quaint little town with some big issues?

I enjoyed the first two books in Jess Montgomery's appealing Kindship series, so I was naturally thrilled to get an early copy of the third installment, The Stills (coming March 9, 2021). The books feature an atmospheric Appalachian setting, likable characters, and intriguing mysteries. Although females were extremely rare in law enforcement in the 1920's, Lily makes a believable sheriff. She's brave, determined, and unfailingly loyal to her community. In The Stills, she shines once again as she's pitted against powerful men with sinister intentions. The resulting plot is interesting and exciting, which makes the novel an engrossing read. While this third book in the series is probably my least favorite, it's still a compelling, well-written historical mystery that I very much enjoyed.

(Readalikes: Other books in the Kinship series, including The Widows and The Hollows; also reminds me of the Bell Elkins series by Julia Keller)

Grade: B

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG-13 for brief, mild language (no F-bombs), violence, and blood/gore

To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of The Stills from the generous folks at Macmillan via those at NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

The Stills by Jess Montgomery is the 3rd book in the Kinship Series, a historical fiction mystery collection focused on 1920s Ohio, Prohibition, a female sheriff, and the plight of a family torn apart by underhanded businessmen. I enjoy the series and have read the previous two novels, and I wish I knew whether the author would write more in Kinship. It almost felt like this was the conclusion in some ways, perhaps just of an arc revolving around certain characters who appear in all three. We shall see... but I can say, I hope there will be more. I adore the moonshiners and want to read more about their lives.

Lily Ross is the sheriff, in her second term after her husband, the former sheriff, was murdered. She found his killers in the first book, but now, they are back and working for George Vogel, Lily's sworn enemy yet sometimes benefactor. Lily never wanted to turn to him, but when she needed his help after a murder in the last book, she now finds herself in a bad predicament. A government agent looking to stop locals from making and selling moonshine is potentially murdered. But the true story is a lot bigger, and this time, one of her husband's murderers is front and center. He'd never been convicted, and now, Lily has to decide how to follow the law but still capture the villain.

At the same time, there are stories of different folks around town, all hoping to find a way to make a living and save their families. Some do illegal things. Some are hurt and sick. Others are trying to flee a bad marriage. I think the author captures the time period quite well, and it is frustrating because of how women were treated back then. It also makes me worry that civilization has come so far, we don't realize how tough people had it a century ago. It might make us all a little more grateful these days.

The mystery is light in terms of what's actually happening. The agent was shot and went missing. He could be dead. A few characters had a hand in it. We don't know which one actually pulled the trigger. Then someone was poisoned / stabbed (it's intentionally vague with a snake scene) and we're not sure how it plays with the first murder. But this is the focal point, which is only half the story. So much of this tale is simply about relationships and how people connect with one another. Women asking themselves whether they can betray a husband. Some thinking about how to save a child before they die. It's slow, methodical, and has a lot of ambiance.

I like the writing style. It's a good read, but given it's a very difficult time period full of more thought than action, it's not a thriller you can speed through. Best left to read a few chapters each night to absorb the setting, then remember this was how things happened a century ago. I look forward to another book in the series, and if not, more of something else by the author. She truly transports you to a period where you can only imagine the intensity of doing nothing because there is nothing else you can really do to protect yourself. Life wasn't easy... but if they had books like this, it might have been!

Reading this novel made me feel so much better about quarantine and the craziness of 2020 and 2021. I'm so glad that we aren't living in Prohibition right now! Also so grateful for my modern life in Appalachia and having broken through poverty.

Goodness, what a riveting and beautifully-written book! The third in the Kinship series, The Stills took my breath away My attention was held on every single page and the end came too soon. It's a book to inhale and savour at the same time. Everything you could wish for in a book is here but not over the top, nor is it built of fluff. As in real life, not everything is rosy, either, but more of a realistic portrayal with a believable feel. The character, weather and historical descriptions are gorgeous. The introspection into human nature is exquisite.

Set in Ohio in 1927 during Prohibition, diminutive in stature but far from it in personality, Sheriff Lily Ross investigates a crime. But this crime leads to another and another which is exhausting. We meet other characters including Fiona and George Vogel who don't exactly see eye to eye. Then there is steady and kindly Benjamin and other friends. Families play a major role, too. Oh, the fabulous twists! Murder. Snake handling. Romance. Moonshining. Little white lies which become easier and easier to tell and gain momentum. I love that each chapter is told from characters' perspectives and very much enjoyed the ending.

Hope and truth are key themes. The title is laden with meaning. You will see what I mean. This book is thoroughly enjoyable, particularly suitable for Historical Fiction fans keen for mysteries. The author's notes at the back are fascinating...I was not aware of the historical facts mentioned which gave inspiration for this treasure of a book.

My sincere thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this clever and remarkable book in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated.

I love the descriptions of the cold. Zebediah has a moonshine still and likes to skip school. Ruth had dropped out of school to care for their sick mother. I loved the characters and dialogue. There is a lot of action and a shooting. I liked that lily was a woman and sheriff. Very interesting