Farewell, My Cuckoo

Farewell, My Cuckoo

A Birds of a Feather Mystery

by Marty Wingate

Random House Publishing Group - Alibi

Alibi

Mystery & Thrillers , Women's Fiction

Pub Date 10 Apr 2018

Review

When a Cuckoo comes to roost how do you protect your nest? Smeaton-under-Lyme is celebrating. Julia’s assistant is getting married and it looks like Michael may soon propose. Unfortunately his sister Pammy shows up, taking over the small cottage Julia and Michael share. Her presence doesn’t lend to romantic interludes leaving Julia and Michael both exhausted and frustrated. Then, a man’s body is discovered, killed by an unknown blunt object - and Pammy may have been the last to see him alive. Add in a rude businessman showing far too much interest in Nuala and her cakes, and a local farmer behaving oddly, you have an intriguing story.

Smeaton-under-Lyme is a charming village, filled with character. Marty Wingate has a talent for breathing life into her settings and characters. Quirky and complex, they are easily liked, even Pammy. The novel is well plotted, with plenty of twists that make it believable and interesting. Unlike many series where each book follows a repeating formula, the Birds of a Feather novels flow smoothly and believably from one another. Farewell, My Cuckoo is an excellent cozy that has just the right mixture of charm, suspense and humor. I highly recommend Marty Wingate’s newest novel.

5 / 5

I received a copy of Farewell, My Cuckoo from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

— Crittermom

Description

Julia Lanchester must defend her love nest from an invasive species: her boyfriend’s sister. And then there’s the little matter of murder . . .

“The cuckoo comes in April and sings its song in May. In June it changes tune and July it flies away.”

Wedding bells are ringing in the small British village of Smeaton-under-Lyme. Julia Lanchester’s second-in-command at the local tourist center is finally getting married, and the lovebirds are giving Julia and her live-in boyfriend, Michael Sedgwick, ideas about their own future. But before anyone can say “Will you,” Michael’s flighty older sister, Pammy, crashes the party, fresh off a breakup and lugging all her worldly possessions around with her in a tangle of plastic bags.

Before long, Julia’s cozy cottage starts feeling more like Pammy’s bachelorette pad. To keep herself from going cuckoo, Julia throws herself into her pet projects at work—until death disrupts her plans. First a body is found on the estate. Then the police discover that Pammy was the last one to see the man alive. And soon Julia gets the feeling that if she ever wants her home—or her boyfriend—back, she’ll have to get to the bottom of this mystery, even if it means breaking a few eggs.

Marty Wingate’s captivating mysteries can be enjoyed together or separately, in any order:

The Birds of a Feather series: THE RHYME OF THE MAGPIE | EMPTY NEST | EVERY TRICK IN THE ROOK | FAREWELL, MY CUCKOO

“Marty Wingate’s Birds of a Feather mysteries provide a perfect blend of quirky characters and atmosphere.”—Christine Goff, bestselling author of the Birdwatcher’s Mystery series

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