The Green Dress by Liz Tolsma is the latest installment of the exciting True Colors series. Based on the crime spree of female serial killer Sarah Jane Robinson, the novel focuses on Harriet Peter, the fictional best friend of Sarah Jane’s daughter, and fictional doctor Michael Wheaton. After the death of Harriet’s best friend, she moves in with the family to help. When more of the Robinson family becomes ill, Michael warns Harriet to get out of the house as soon as she can. But Harriet made a promise to her best friend. How can she keep that promise and stay alive?
Tolsma kicks off this romantic suspense by catapulting the reader into the poignant world of 1886 Boston. Lizzie’s sickness and eventual death (based on the true account of Lizzie Robinson) is well-researched and well-executed. Tolsma manages to use these scenes to not only introduce Harriet and Michael but also the character of Sarah Jane.
Harriet is a relatable character willing to do what she can for the family she’s made. Her background, with a difficult family situation, added to the story and made her motivation believable. I liked the way Tolsma weaved it in without doing a huge info-dump. Speaking of backstories, I also liked the way she weaved in Michael’s backstory. I found his history with his mother endearing, and it made me like him more.
The actual timeline of events, from Lizzie’s death to the last victim, serves as the structure of the novel. I appreciated that Tolsma stayed true to actual events, but I wasn’t as invested in the romance because of the time lapse that had to occur to move the story along. However, I do think she did a great job of developing the romance between Harriet and Michael considering the timeline she was given. The last third of the novel was my favorite part as far as their relationship and its development.
The historical notes at the end helped me to appreciate the research Tolsma put into this story. I thought she did an excellent job of fleshing out Sarah Jane Robinson and the manipulation she used. I think characters based on true historical characters would be the hardest to portray because of preconceived notions and the accuracy it requires. Tolsma did a great job of bringing these real people to life. Charley Robinson was my favorite. I almost wish he there could be a story about him. But she did do a great job of making me care about the characters and mourn their deaths with Harriet.
Overall, The Green Dress is a well-written romantic suspense. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves mystery, history, and romance.
Further Information
You can grab a copy of The Green Dress releases by clicking on the book cover or you can order it from your favorite bookstore. For more on Liz Tolsma, you can check out her website or you can follow her on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest.
If you’re interested in the True Colors series, you can check out my review for The Blue Cloak or The Gray Chamber. You can also check out the True Colors website to see all the books in the series.
Note: I received a complimentary copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
