Every Trick in the Rook by Marty Wingate

9780425286210

250 Pages
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Alibi, Alibi
Release Date: March 7, 2017

Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Aviary, English, Woman Sleuth

Julia Lanchester is in a romantic relationship with Michael Sedwick. She is working at a tourist center is a small English village. When they are away on a romantic getaway, her ex-husband is found dead, and Michael is a suspect. The journalists begin chasing them, so Michael vanishes, leaving Julia to take over his duties as personal assistant to Julia’s father Rupert.

The story has a fast pace, the characters are developed, and it is written in the first-person point of view. This is the third book in the Birds of a Feather mystery series. I really like the character of Julia and have seen her grow through the series. If you love cozy mysteries, you will enjoy this series.

Another fun cozy mystery. This was a nice quick read. The setting is quaint and you really feel for the characters predicament. I will definitely read the first two because I enjoyed this one immensely!

Another offering in the Birds of a Feather series, this one with some plot twists and turns that will leave the reader guessing what the final denouement will be. The book holds one's interest and provides interesting side information about the flora and fauna of the area. It's a cozy mystery, so no shocking or horrendous details in it. A nice book for a quiet afternoon or two with a cup of tea.

Enjoyable cozy murder mystery that quickly sucked me in. Worth a read. Part of a series but you don't need to have read the others to enjoy this. Although I will probably read those too.

I enjoyed the first two books in this series quite a bit so was looking forward to finally having the time to read this one. Unfortunately, this one did not live up to the first two. The best part of this story was the rook, Alphie who assists in solving the murder. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a bad story, just not a great one.

Julia's ex-husband, Nick turns up dead on the summer resort in the village where she lives and works. Why was he there? Did Julia meet with him? Why was he trying to get a hold of both Julia and Michael, her boyfriend? There were a lot of questions, red herrings and drama in this story. When Michael is questioned about the murder, he decides it would be best for Julia if he moved out, this was something both Julia and I wondered about. Julia is not so much a sleuth in this book but a good observer. She ends up putting herself in a bad situation (we expect that in a cozy, right?) due to her nosiness, but all turns out well in the end. I did not suspect the killer until near the end of the book, but then it became pretty obvious. I will read the next book in this series, because I know how good they can be, unfortunately, this was not the best in the series.

Julia Lanchester finds more Birds of a Feather in Every Trick in the Ro by Marty Wingate. Her ex-husband turns up dead, she is chased by paparazzi and captivated by a pet rook who may hold the answer to the murder. Whodunit? Get ready for a wild ride.

I was given a copy of this title by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Every Trick in the Rook is the third book in the Birds of a Feather series by Marty Wingate. I haven't read the first two, but soon will to see if I can learn more about Julia's family, who all seem like people you'd love to know in real life. The characters are well written, and the story moves at a good pace. While the mystery was easy to figure out, and at times I wanted to slap Julia (our amateur sleuth), it was still delightful enough to keep me wanting to read more. I found the constant references to different birds slightly annoying, but loved the focus given to the rook, and learned quite a lot about them. I'm already hooked on another of Ms. Wingate's series, and can see this one being added to my ever growing list of favorites.

Every Trick in the Rook by author Marty Wingate takes us back to the quaint English village of Smeaton-under-Lyme. The setting of this quaint village is wonderfully described in this series. I love this series and returning to a new release is a delight. The characters are done to perfection for a small English village.

Julia Lanchester is our protagonist. In this next in series her ex-husband, Nick Hawkins, has been murdered on the Fotheringill estate while Julia and Michael are on a long needed weekend getaway. Julia is drawn to investigate his murder and is on the case. Unfortunately for her she finds suspects and clues that interrupt her already busy life and put her in danger.
This series is very well crafted and always includes a great sleuth. I love the location, fast pace of the story and the twist and turns of the mystery. I look forward to the next in series by this author. I loved this book and was unable to part with it until the end of the story.
Thank you for the ARC to the publisher which did not influence my personal review.

Julia Lanchester is on a romantic weekend getaway with her boyfriend Michael Sedgwick when she gets news that her ex-husband Nick Hawkins has been found murdered on the Fotheringill estate. When a witness reports seeing Michael's car near the scene of the crime, the press hounds them and prints scandalous lies. To protect Julia, Michael takes a leave of absence from his job and gets out of town. Julia takes on two jobs: her normal role of manager at the tourist centre in the British town of Smeaton and temporary producer of her celebrity birdwatcher father's show. With the help of Alfie, a clever rook, Julia tries to find Nick's killer. The urn containing Nick's ashes, obsessive love and a confrontation with the killer at the summerhouse where Nick died ends the story.

I received this book for free from Netgalley and Random House in exchange for an honest review.

Such a sweet series.

I mean, uhh, yeah there is always a bit of murder but the village is quirky, yet charming, the romance is appealing, and who doesn't appreciate a spot of sleuthing? And, in this installment, Alfie the Rook steals the show!

Wingate always delivers solid cozy mysteries.

EVERY TRICK IN THE ROOK was an enjoyable read. Author Marty Wingate certainly knows how to keep the reader's attention. Bring on the next installment!

Julia finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery. Her ex-husband is dead. She is determined to figure out who killed him. Journalists in her face, her boyfriend leaving her alone, birds helping her out, and threats to her well being did not stop her. I found it hard to stop reading as I enjoyed how Julia stumbled her way through everything and realized that she could not do this alone. I look forward to more from this author.

I received a copy of this story through Netgalley, and this is my unsolicited review.

A body, a bird and a brainy beauty make for an interesting mix in the murder mystery "Every Trick in the Rook," by Marty Wingate.

Julia Lanchester is enjoying a seaside getaway with her boyfriend Michael Sedgwick. But when a dead body is found on the estate where she works as a tourist manager, there goes her romantic weekend. Julia knows the murder victim, and her previous relationship with the deceased leads to Michael becoming a prime suspect. The press hounds them and Michael feels he must move out of the cottage they share and leave the area to protect Julia and her father, a celebrity ornithologist for whom Michael works.

Julia takes over Michael's job as personal assistant to her father while still working her regular job. It's an exhausting schedule, but Julia adds on one more job: proving Michael is innocent. She gets some unexpected help from a young girl's pet rook. The crafty bird seems eager to help Julia in his own special way. And it's a neat trick when the bird scares off the overeager journalists harassing her.

But when the feathers fly, the biggest trick Julia faces will be how to escape the grasping claws of a crazed murderer looking for a new victim.

Every Trick in the Rook is book three is the Birds of a Feather series and it was just as good as the other two.

Julia has settled in really nicely with her boyfriend and things are going really good at the TIC (The Information Center). Her and her boyfriend decided to take a little vacation to get away from all the responsibilities they have but it's cut short. Cut short because her ex-husband whom she hasn't seen in a long time is found dead. He sent both Julia and Michael an email wanting to talk but neither had gotten back to him. Now Michael is being seen as the killer. There is a mob of ruthless reporters who won't leave them alone so he decides to leave Julia for a while hoping they would follow him.

With her boyfriend gone Julia is not only trying to work her job but his job with her father at the same time. Not only that but try and find out why her ex was here, what he wanted and who might have killed him. Her plate is extremely full and after awhile it starts to get to her but she does a great job trying to balance out everything.

I felt so bad for Julia, she thinks her boyfriend is leaving her though it's just temporarily but at times she is not sure. She tries to be producer of her fathers bird show, work at the TIC alone since the other two that work there had to be somewhere else. She think she can handle it all but is really stressing. She holds it together pretty good, she feels bad because she doesn't feel anything really when it comes to her ex-husband being killed. She just wants to get Michael off the hook. The lead detective doesn't really believe he done it but he is the only lead and was seen in the area that he was killed.

The highlight of the story I think is the young girl and her Rook who come to see Julia at the TIC, the rook is very smart and helps solve some of the mystery. It has a really good mystery and I only figured it out a little bit before Julia. It has a lot of the same great characters from the previous one and some new additions.

I really enjoyed it and it's fun learning about birds.

Julia Lanchester is the manager of the TIC (Tourist Information Center) on the estate of the Earl of Fotheringill. Her boyfriend Michael Sedgwick works for her father Rupert who is a famous British avian expert with his own television show, A Bird in the Hand. Since their schedules are very different - Michael is gone quite a bit traveling with Rupert - they've managed to snag a weekend away together. But before their weekend is over, they're contacted by both Rupert and the police and need to return immediately.

The reason? Julia's ex-husband Nick Hawkins has been found dead on the Fotheringill estate, and

the police want to know why he had a photo of Julia and Michael on his person and if they know anything about the murder. While they both deny any knowledge of Nick's unexpected arrival from his isolated home on St. Kilda in the Hebrides they're now being hounded by 'journos' - those of the magazine rag profession (tabloids) who make up headlines when they can't locate the truth (or don't care to look).

In order to protect Julia from the jackals and unwanted press, Michael (whom they have decided is guilty of the murder) leaves her, hoping to draw them off with him. Her one saving grace is a young girl named Tennyson who has a pet Rook (of the Corvid family) named Alfie, who is both intelligent and protective, and a master of learned tricks. He's taken a liking to Julia and leaves gifts for her in the pocket of her Mackintosh. In fact, he's taken such a liking to her, he shows his displeasure of the journos whenever they come near (if you get my drift).

With her life slowly unraveling before her Julia refuses to allow the police to take their time in finding the true killer and searches for clues herself. But she doesn't count on being the next target on the killer's list, and it's almost too late before she realizes the person she's been looking for has been using clever tricks of their own...

I enjoyed reading this book immensely. The characters are given depth; they are believable and have faults like everyone else, which makes them more human somehow. You can sense the caring that surrounds Julia, from her father to her friends, and while she tries to do it all by herself, there are still those that watch out for her throughout, which makes for a delightful read.

While it may seem to some that the tabloids shouldn't have had this much interest in Julia's ex-husband, we must remember that Rupert is very famous indeed, Julia works for an Earl, and the body was found on the latter's estate. Those things do make news. Not to mention the fact that there was someone who was 'feeding the fire' as it were, and keeping the interest alive. Keeping that in mind will help you enjoy the story.

This is the third book in the series, following The Rhyme of the Magpie and Empty Nest. This time around, Ms. Wingate has given us a story that merges love and hate together, drawing them tightly into a tale of suspense and uncertainty, and keeps the reader drawn into the narrative until the very end. When we finally discover the murderer, it is a reason that is as old as time, but always relevant; and it never ceases to amaze me what can be created in the human mind. Highly recommended.

I really enjoyed this book. I have read the author's Potting Shed mysteries and this on is just delightful. I have to say, my favorite character is Alfie--the rook. This was such a fun read and learning about Rooks, was quite interesting.

I liked the characters. Julia, her boyfriend Michael and all the village. The mystery was good as well. I couldn't figure out who the murderer was. It was late in the book, when certain clues started to come together. I'd like to read other books in the series.

This is the third book in a series. I really thought the title was super cute! Taking us to England, this book is fun and has plenty of feathered fun. What a smart little rook! This is a fun filled read, that left me waiting excitedly for the next book in the series. I like British cozy books, and this series is worthy of my book "nest".

My copy came from Net Galley. My thoughts and my review are my own.

Another absorbing cosy mystery from Marty Wingate. Great characters and storyline. Always interesting subjects and happy endings. Good, quick read.

Every Trick in the Rook

Every Trick in the Rook.jpg

by
Marty Wingate


A Review


Not quite a cozy mystery, but one worth reading nonetheless.


This is the second book by Marty Wingate that I have read. The first focused on the plant life of the English countryside, this book was woven throughout with a look at the birds of the English Island. Julia, her former (and now deceased) husband, her boyfriend, and father are all birders, both recreationally and professionally. As Julia and her friends, with some help from the local constabulary, attempt to discover the reason and person(s) behind her ex-husband’s murder, we are introduced to some of the amazing feathered animals that live in England.


The mystery is intriguing enough to hold the reader’s interest from beginning to end; while the parade of birds that are woven throughout the story will drive the reader Google and other internet search tools to better understand the creatures which “fly” by the reader’s windows. The most interesting species is, as the title suggests, Alfie, a Rook - an intelligent bird, capable of collecting lots of minutia. Some of the collectables are downright gross, while others serve as stepping stones toward pinning down the murderer’s identity and motive.


Cozy - no.


Readable - absolutely.

This book is well worth the time spent reading over the last week. This reviewer recommends this mystery for bird lovers, mystery lovers, and amateur crime solvers wherever they may be found.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Loved this new cozy from Marty Wingate. Can't wait to read the next one.