This is another winner from Marty! I don't know how she does it, but she keeps coming out with great little mysteries that are perfect for when you want a light read with some substance to the mystery! Once again Julia and Michael end up in an investigation that starts on the estate, and Julia wonders if her job is in jeopardy. But no fear, her friends, including the Lord are there to standby her and support her however they can. Even if it appears as though Michael isn't....This was a great book in the series as it shows Julia's father more, as just that a concerned father, willing to protect his daughter. It was interesting to see the established family dynamics fall aside as truth after truth came out, and how ultimately Julia's family was more than just blood! A great entry into the series, be sure to add this one to you Spring reading list!

Julia and Michael carve a weekend out of their busy schedules for a "just the two of us" getaway. Their getaway is interrupted by bad news: the body of Julia's ex has been found on the grounds of the estate for which she works. Even though they've had no contact for five years, Julia feels obligated to find out who killed him ... and why.

I've enjoyed the first two books in this series so I was eager to read this one. As usual, while reading this, I felt as if I had been transported to a small village in England, with a cast of characters that one would expect to find in a small town. I loved the addition of Tennyson and Alfie and hope they become regulars in future books in the series. I missed some of the early clues as to the identity of the killer, but saw the final confrontation coming well before it actually happened. I will certainly look for the next book in this series!

4.5 Stars ~ Top Pick

Julia Lanchester is taking a well-deserved romantic weekend with her boyfriend Michael Sedgwick. They turn off their phones to enjoy nature and time alone, but are interrupted with news that Julia’s ex-husband Nick has been found murdered on the estate where she works as a tourist center manager. The press is relentless to get a story and when Michael becomes a prime suspect, he leaves Julia to protect her, but to Julia it seems like a more permanent “good-bye.” With Michael unavailable, Julia takes over his duties as personal assistant to her father, the famous bird-watcher Rupert Lanchester, while still working full-time managing the tourist center. Although Julia is exhausted, she won’t rest until she proves Michael’s innocence.

Anyone who has not yet read a book by author Marty Wingate is in for a treat. She writes two different cozy series and this one is my favorite. Every Trick in the Rook is the third book in the Birds of a Feather series, but new readers can jump right in and enjoy the mystery. Julia is a main character to root for in all aspects of her life – her career, her personal life, and the investigation. She has always been likable, but it’s a pleasure to see how much she has grown and matured since the first book. There are wonderful scenes with Julia and her family as they help her come to terms with Nick’s death and her separation from Michael. I loved Julia’s determination to get to the truth to clear Michael’s name, but also to get justice for Nick, even though their marriage had been less than ideal.

There are cute scenes throughout the book with Julia and a young newcomer to the village and her pet rook, Alfie. Alfie is a highly intelligent bird who ends up playing an important part of the investigation and in the books satisfying conclusion. Every Trick in the Rook will delight readers of the prior two books in the series and it’s also perfect for fans of Agatha Christie or Hazel Holt who enjoy seeing their amateur detectives doing their sleuthing in a quaint English village.

~ Christine

I found the beginning to be quite slow. But once the action picked up, the plot took wing, as it were. The twists and turns kept me guessing and the information about birds kept me learning and discovering more than who-done-it. I also appreciated the role of the environment, the scenery as a character. I found it easy to relate to the protagonist and did not find it difficult to step into this series in book three.

I loved this book. The rook is a smart bird and is a great detective. Well developed, interesting characters.

I’ve loved both of Marty Wingate’s Birds of a Feather cozies, The Rhyme of the Magpie and Empty Nest; however, Every Trick in the Rook simply didn’t measure up to the first two. It just seemed so contrived. Julia Lanchester, tourism director at Smeaton-under-Lyme, Suffolk, has been happy with both her job and her live-in boyfriend, Michael Sedgwick. Unfortunately, Julia’s ex-husband, gone for five years, turns up one day and gets killed at the estate where she works. The gutter press focuses attention on Michael as a probable suspect and …

…And then the novel veers off course. Michael leaves both Julia and his job working for Julia’s father to lead the tabloid press away from Julia and Rupert Lanchester? Really? Does this make any sense? Why wouldn’t they just stake out both sites? And since when does the murder of a two-bit bird scientist start a press feeding frenzy anywhere? It’s not like Julia is Kim Kardashian. Rupert, while the beloved, longtime host of a BBC Two nature show A Bird in the Hand, would get no more attention than Bill Nye the Science Guy should his family suffer the loss of a no-name ex-son-in-law. Let’s face it: The gutter press doesn’t operate like this. They save their venom for someone who might actually sell newspapers, not a non-celebrity.

I’m not giving anything away — well, not much anyway — as all of this occurs by about 15 percent into the ebook. One implausible event or character leads to another culminating in an implausible climax near the end. I still love Julia Lanchester, but she’s even more self-doubting, impulsive, and whiney than usual. I hope that she — and author Marty Wingate — can get their acts together before book No. 4. They’ve both been so wonderful thus far that I’m hopeful enough that I’ll be back for that novel, despite the flaws of this one.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Alibi Alibi in exchange for an honest review.

Julia Lanchester is taking a well-deserved romantic weekend with her boyfriend Michael Sedgwick. They turn off their phones to enjoy nature and time alone, but are interrupted with news that Julia’s ex-husband Nick has been found murdered on the estate where she works as a tourist center manager. The press is relentless to get a story and when Michael becomes a prime suspect, he leaves Julia to protect her, but to Julia it seems like a more permanent “good-bye.” With Michael unavailable, Julia takes over his duties as personal assistant to her father, the famous bird-watcher Rupert Lanchester, while still working full-time managing the tourist center. Although Julia is exhausted, she won’t rest until she proves Michael’s innocence.

Anyone who has not yet read a book by author Marty Wingate is in for a treat. She writes two different cozy series and this one is my favorite. “Every Trick in the Rook” is the third book in the “Birds of a Feather” series, but new readers can jump right in and enjoy the mystery. Julia is a main character to root for in all aspects of her life – her career, her personal life, and the investigation. She has always been likable, but it’s a pleasure to see how much she has grown and matured since the first book. There are wonderful scenes with Julia and her family as they help her come to terms with Nick’s death and her separation from Michael. I loved Julia’s determination to get to the truth to clear Michael’s name, but also to get justice for Nick, even though their marriage had been less than ideal.

There are cute scenes throughout the book with Julia and a young newcomer to the village and her pet rook, Alfie. Alfie is a highly intelligent bird who ends up playing an important part of the investigation and in the books satisfying conclusion. “Every Trick in the Rook” will delight readers of the prior two books in the series and it’s also perfect for fans of Agatha Christie or Hazel Holt who enjoy seeing their amateur detectives doing their sleuthing in a quaint English village.

I received this book from NetGalley through the courtesy of Alibi. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

This book kept me interested from beginning to end for the simple reason it wasn't too descriptive. It had a nice story line and I loved the characters.

I would give 'Every Trick in the Rook' many more stars if I could.! I didn't want it to end, as I love the pictures of the English countryside that Marty Wingate paints. As always she imparts knowledge about birds and their habits, as well as a perfect mix of romance and mystery. I love that characters get to grow and progress, and are in no way stereotypical. The entire series is a treasure that I can't recommend highly enough.

I was lucky enough to receive this book from Netgalley in return for an honest review. I later found out that this is, I believe number three in the Julia Lancaster series but this did not mar my enjoyment as it works equally well as a stand alone novel.
This is a story based in an English village written by Marty Wingate who is based in Seattle. She obviously loves her subject matter and portrays the village and it's inhabitants very well although, in my experience the only village where the entire population rubs along regardless of status is to be found in a work of fiction. She is also most informative about the wildlife found in this country, especially bird species. The only time the author's research lets her down are in certain phrases which do not sit well within the English language as they are Americanisations, if there is such a word.
This is a lightweight read, no less enjoyable for that. Although it contains a murder, it is in no way gory, or indeed all consuming. No-one gives any detail of the murder or lays down any clues as to whodunnit until about halfway through. Until, and beyond this point we are introduced to different characters whose foibles and strengths we learn about.
One of the main characters is the rook within the title. At first I thought the author was taking this a bit too far but as time went on this became irrelevant and his expertise was in fact pertinent to the solution of the mystery.
If you enjoy murder mystery where every detail of the crime is given in glorious technicolour and then you like to pick up on the clues in an attempt to solve the mystery yourself then this book might not be for you. However, if you enjoy a light, easy read with interesting, well rounded characters set in an english village, perhaps as a holiday read then I thoroughly recommend this book to you and I might even seek out the first two books myself.

Marty Wingate's Every Trick In the Rook was the best British cozy mystery I have read in a while. I liked the characters and the story line moved right along. The common theme of birds and the antics of Alfie made this story more fun. I would definitely read another Marty Wingate mystery.

Once again, Julia is over the top even when she "tries" to behave. The village is upended when Julia's ex turns up dead. I love these characters - Julia, Michael, Rupert, etc. etc. But, within this book, as far as I'm concerned, Alfie steals the show. Loved this addition to the story. Murder seems to follow Julia no matter what, and now journalists as well. The low end type - paparazzi. She and Michael are placed under their microscope of juicy gossip and pointed fingers. Many mishaps, misdirections, mislaid intentions abound. But Alfie, well, he's just the exceptional character Julia needed to bring her aid of an unusual sort. Marty Wingate breathes life into the written tale, painting vivid pictures of community, village life, characters, scenery and more. Want to play a game of keep away anyone? You'll fully understand when you read this book.

Every Trick in the Rook by Marty Wingate is a cosy type mystery with iinspiration coming from the natural world. I read this book in exchange for a review and really enjoyed that Julia, the main character, was helped along by a incredibly smart bird. Julis works for the tourist office in her English town. Her father is a television host of a birding show. Between the two of their jobs there is a lot of interesting background for the mystery of who murdered Julia's ex husband. Add a sweet romance between Julia and the producer of her father's show along with an assortment of local characters that include a little girl and her rook friend and you come up with an enjoyable read.

Another delightful Marty Wingate cozy with characters and a town you want to visit.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. I asked for this book because I recognized the author's name. What I didn't realize is that it was book three in the other series. That being said, I wasn't too lost coming in mid series and it seemed to stand alone just fine. The rook was a delightful character that made this book unique. Occasionally, the British terms threw me off and I really want to know if they do drink that much tea all the time. A cozy read for a winter afternoon.

I have read and enjoyed all of Marty Wingate’s previous books. This is less true of her newest release, Every Trick in the Rook, the third in her “Birds of a Feather Mysteries” series. Once again Julia Lanchester finds herself in the thick of a murder investigation, this time that of her ex-husband, Nick Hawkins. Julia hasn’t seen him in five years, has been divorced from him for three and has no idea why he was trying to reach out to both her and her boyfriend, Michael Sedgwick. That said, understandably both Julia and Michael are questioned by the police, and then they find themselves hounded by the paparazzi. Through what I felt was a series of contrived events, Julia finds herself alone, working both Michael’s job of producing her father’s show and running the Tourist Information Center in the village of Smeaton. I couldn’t get my head around why the paparazzi would be so interested in the murder to the point that Michael leaves Julia in hopes that they’ll leave. Even though her father is a celebrity of sorts, I felt the interest was unrealistic. I also didn’t understand the whole situation concerning Julia’s former marriage. Nothing concerning her marriage made much sense to me, especially in this age of easy divorce, and made me wonder a bit about Julia. These issues negatively influenced my overall appreciation of the book. It took me several days to really get involved in the book, though once engaged, I enjoyed reading the last half in a single afternoon. I have to say, I clearly recognized who the murderer was long before Julia did.

The rook in the title is named Alfie, and I found his character and his part in resolving the murder to be fun. I have no idea if a rook could do half of what Alfie does, but I don’t care. Both Alfie and his owner Tennyson added a nice sparkle to the book. I hope they will reappear in the next book. I would like to see Tennyson’s mother, Gwen, given a larger role, perhaps as a new employee at the TIC? I felt like she could have been put to more use in this book. I also hope to see further development of D.I. Tess Calloway’s character.

Though I didn’t find this book up to Ms Wingate’s usual standard, I still enjoyed it. Two and a half stars.

I was given a free copy of this book by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write an honest review and the opinions stated are solely my own.

This book starts off with the main character Julia is trying to go on a vacation with her very busy boy friend Michael who works for her father Rupert Lancaster whom is a ornithologist with his own tv show. The next thing we find out that Julia's ex husband Nick whom is a loner is suddenly found nearby on the same estate where she works. Of course everyone blames her and her boyfriend as a lovers quarrel. In the end we do find out who did it and why. It was a character that did not stand out right away. Julia does get herself into trouble a couple of times by going out and seeking information that ends up putting her in line for more trouble.
This is the first in this series that I have read but at least the 3rd book I have read by this author. I really enjoy her books. I do think that I will have to go back and read the first of this series and continue with it as well as the other. Since I have not read any of the other books in the series I do feel that I had enough information to know the main character Julia well enough to follow along. There were a few words that were different than I was used to but I really don't mind at all at it did not stop me in any way, I just had to stop only for a brief second to figure out the meaning. I really did enjoy the book.

This book is the third in the series, but the first I have read.
I really enjoyed the characters, the setting and the whodunit.
This is a well written book and I will seek out the previous two books, and look forward to reading more with these characters.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Every Trick in the Rook is the third installment in the Birds of a Feather series featuring Julia Lanchester, manager of the Tourist Information Center in the village of Smeaton-under-Lyme. Julia has settled nicely into her role at the TIC, has moved back into her apartment with boyfriend Michael Sedgwick and Linus - the Earl Fotheringill is so pleased with everything that she's finally going to take a long weekend to the coast.

Delighted to be away relaxing Michael and Julia are interrupted by the news that her ex husband Nick Hawkins has been found murdered near Noggin Hall. Julia hasn't seen her ex in years and is surprised to find out that he'd been looking to meet with her and he had also been reaching out to Michael.

Because Michael works for Julia's father, Rupert Lanchester the renowned ornithologist, it's not long before the paparazzi "journos" appear and begin harassing the couple and accusing Michael of being Nick's murderer. Anxious to draw attention away from Julia, Michael flees town leaving Julia all alone to handle her job and also cover for Michael with her father's TV company. Anxious to clear Michael's name, Julia sets out investigating Nick's past with the help of Detective Inspector Tess Callow.

While the plot line is fast moving and entertaining, the best part of this book was Alfie, the adorable, mischievous rook and his owner, the young Tennyson Gunn who is much wiser than her years. I hope that these two will become recurring characters in the series.

I would strongly suggest starting this series from the beginning instead of jumping into this latest entry as the reader will have a much better understanding of the characters and their roles in Julia's life.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley via Alibi, a division of Penguin Random House Publishing. While not required to write a review I am more than happy to offer my honest opinion.

I have really liked most of Wingate's books, both in the Potting Shed and Birds of a Feather series. Every Trick in the Rook features an opportunity to learn more about Julia's past, including her marriage to and divorce from Nick, who turns up dead near the start of this book. I also liked seeing Julia with her siblings a bit more. While I prioritize plot over characterization, I loved getting to know Julia's family better. But...

SPOILER ALERT

...from the moment we see scratches on the woman Julia presumes to be a tabloid reporter--the very first time she appears in the book--we feel suspicious of her. And then when Julia visits the place Nick died and ends up with similar scratches...

There are other issues, too. Julia's weird incoherence--her inability to express herself clearly--gets very irritating. Michael's moving out feels forced, though the ending at least makes it somewhat believable. And Julia's continued belief that Olive/Doris is a reporter despite all sorts of hints that she is not again make Julia seem sort of...dumb.

Usually, when a character makes my radar go off immediately and I think, "That's the killer," I'm wrong. And I like that. When the murderer seems to be broadcast from at least halfway through the book, it makes for an unsatisfying read.

All the logistics of the TIC and Rupert's bird empire and such are interesting background, and I like the world Julia lives in. But I want the plotting of the mystery itself to be more subtle and complex.

A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review of the book.