Die, Die Birdie

I hope everyone is having a lovely Tuesday.  There are just not enough hours in a day to get everything done (especially when you would rather be reading)!  I thought I would share a paranormal mystery series with you today that I enjoy reading.  It is the Relatively Dead Mysteries by Sheila Connolly.  There are currently four books in the series with the fifth one to be released very soon (according to the author).  The main character can see spirits.  But only if they are related to her.  And her family goes back for many, many generations in New England.  The books in the series are Relatively Dead, Seeing the Dead, Defending the Dead, and Watch for the Dead.  I hope you take a look at this unique and enjoyable series.

Die, Die Birdie by J.R. Ripley is the first book in A Bird Lover’s Mystery series. Amy Simms is opening Birds and Bees in Ruby Lake, North Carolina in a beautiful old Victorian home.  It is a shop that will have bird supplies, apiary gear and supplies, and other items related nature such as gardening items.  Amy is hoping to open her shop soon if only her supplies will arrive.  Amy has the shop on the first floor, apartments on the second floor (with a grandfathered in renter), and Amy lives on the top floor.  Amy comes home and finds the front door unlocked (she remembers locking it).  Amy decides to check out the place to make sure no one is inside (besides the crotchety renter).  Amy is on the second floor and finds a body with a feeder hook nearby (which she touches).  The next thing she knows Esther Pilaster, the renter, is accusing her of murder.  The dead guy turns out to be Matt Kowalski.  Amy knew him in high school and they had an encounter with a baseball bat.  Unfortunately, Sheriff Jerry Kennedy (also knew Amy in high school) believes Amy to be the number one suspect (her fingerprints are on the murder weapon).  Amy needs to clear her name pronto so she can open Birds and Bees.  What was Matt doing in her house and why did someone kill him?  Amy dives into the investigation.  She will be busy as a bee trying to find the culprit and getting her shop ready for its grand opening.

Die, Die Birdie is a cute book.  I found it easy to read and the writing was good.  I did feel that the crime happened too early in the story (chapter one).   I wish there had been a little more build up to the murder.  The author tries to divert the reader, but the mystery is really easy to solve (it needed to be more complex or have a good twist).  I give Die, Die Birdie 3.5 out of 5 stars (needs a little tweaking).  The main character and the tenant are good characters, though Amy is a little scatterbrained.  We did not get a lot of information on Amy, but I hope we will in future books.  The setting is a typical small town with gossip central (everyone knows everyone else’s business).  I liked the idea for the shop (unique). I wish there was one in my area (I have several bird feeders in my yard).  I did find some things to be a little too silly (i.e. idiotic) for me (had me rolling my eyes).  Die, Die Birdie is a good start to a new series.  I look forward to reading the next book in A Bird Lover’s Mystery series.

The next book in A Bird Lover's Mystery series is Towhee Get Your Gun and it will be out on January 3, 2017.  You can follow J.R. Ripley on Amazon to receive notification on new releases.  I received a complimentary copy of Die, Die Birdie in exchange for an honest evaluation.  The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.

I am off to cook my mother's dinner and bake some cookies (she ran out of her chocolate chip cookies) before I relax for the night. I hope all of you have an enjoyable evening.  I will be back tomorrow with another honest book review.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader