Die, Die Birdie

J.R. Ripley

Aug 2016 · Lyrical Underground

About this ebook

For Amy Simms, hatching a birding shop in her hometown of Ruby Lake, North Carolina, hasn’t exactly been a breeze. But could a deadlydiscovery clip her wings for good? 
 
It’s just days before Amy plans to open Birds & Bees on the first floor of her creaky Victorian house, but delayed seed shipments have prevented the fledging owner from stocking her shelves. And it doesn’t help that Amy’s best friend and business partner is out of town indefinitely. With locals skeptical about the niche shop taking flight, the last thing Amy needs now is a dead man in her storeroom—or for a crotchety tenant to catch her holding a bloody birdfeeder hook over his body . . .
 
Pigeonholed as a leading murder suspect by police and lacking a solid alibi, Amy’s delving into the victim’s ugly past and buzzing around Ruby Lake for clues on his killer . . . beforeshe ends up like so many of her beloved feathery friends—trapped behind bars!

Ratings and reviews

First let me say, I found this an easy light read that provided hours of entertainment from the hustle and bustle of life. The plot was easy to follow without giving away the true villain. Author J. R. Ripley’s writing style was clear and fresh with wit on each page. Amy was a charming character with a love for life and no illusions about herself. In addition, the secondary characters in this story added much to the story-line. Esther Pester was a hoot and you just know she is breaking the lease rules. Also, Mr. Ripley created several characters that could have been the villain in this book and did not reveal the culprit until the end. In concluding the review of Die Die Birdie, I found this book well-written with a steady pace that did not lag or bog down. In conclusion, Die Die Birdie is a clean cozy mystery that is suitable for anyone that likes a funny well-written story. I look forward to the next installment in this series. I received this book from Netgalley.com in return for honest book review. Book reviews of any novel are dependent on the book review author’s opinion; in addition, book reviews on line under my name and on my blog are my opinion.

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. 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. I received a complimentary copy of Die, Die Birdie in exchange for an honest evaluation. The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.

About the author

In addition to writing the Bird Lover’s mystery series, J.R. Ripley is the critically acclaimed author of the Maggie Miller mysteries and the Kitty Karlyle mysteries (written as Marie Celine) among other works. J.R. is a member of the American Birding Association, the American Bird Conservancy, and is an Audubon Ambassador with the National Audubon Society. You may visit www.JRRipley.net for more information or visit J.R. on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jrripley.