My first venture into the world of Birds & Bees and I wasn't super impressed but it wasn't horrible either.

The Good: The setting was interesting. I've really never thought about bird watching as a hobby so it was an interesting bit of information on the subject. The small town setting was also likable and the interactions between the people of the town was fun.

The Bad: Because this wasn't the first book in the series and I've not read anything else by this author I wasn't sure how the character dynamics happened. Amy almost hates her tenant, a little old lady who helps out in the shop when she feels like it. I'm not sure why because she seems nice enough but more inserted into the series for some comic relief. I didn't like Amy's dislike of having her around with n back ground to support the animosity. Also, Amy's boyfriend has an ex-wife also named Amy. This created unnecessary confusion and not humor as perhaps intended.

In a Nutshell: I like the cozy mystery genre and even though I didn't enjoy this as much as I'd hope I'm going to give the author and this series another go.

To Kill a Hummingbird

by J.R. Ripley

I enjoy word play so I was immediately attracted by the title of J.R. Ripley’s To Kill a Hummingbird. This is the fourth book in his Bird Lover’s Mystery Series with two more waiting in the “wings.” This cozy mystery gets off to a slow start with rather stilted dialogue. Ripley spends the requisite amount of time introducing his characters and setting the stage, but the story just seems to drag as the former professor of Birds and Bees shop owner, Amy Simms, arrives in Ruby Lake, North Carolina, for a book signing. The book rambles on for four chapters with the only suspense being the alcoholic state of the professor.

The author includes some interesting information on hummingbirds, but often the inclusion seems forced. I do think, however, that this is a book bird aficionados will really enjoy. My opinion of the book grew steadily more positive as the plot increased in complexity and as the characters interacted with each other. There were interesting twists to the plot as Amy and her boyfriend Derek try to determine who is responsible for several murders. Unfortunately, after the mystery is solved, the author attempts some comic relief which is both unsuccessful and unwanted.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Kensington Books (Lyrical Underground) for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3/5

Category: Mystery

Notes: #4 in the Bird Lover’s Mystery Series

Publication: July 11, 2017— Kensington Books (Lyrical Underground)

Memorable Lines:

“Sometimes when you see a hummingbird hovering over a flower, it isn’t because it’s about to feed on nectar—it could very well be that the bird has spotted a tasty spider or even an insect trapped in a spider’s web.”

This is the 4th book in the series in which I haven't come across before.
Amy and her friend Kimberly run a store called birds and bees on the ground floor of a large 3 story Victorian house. Amys old professor agrees to do a book signing at roses book store and to speak at the monthly meeting.
I loved reading all about the humming birds as in England we have none.
I enjoyed reading about the friendship in the book and the humor it all created . Guessing who the murder was surprising, I shall look out for the next book and go back to read the first 3 books , as I enjoyed this one .
Many thanks for letting me read and review this book .

I had never read any of this series but now I will add the others to my TBR list. The fact that there were hummingbirds and bees caught my attention. Both flourish in my neighborhood thanks to several neighbors who have bee hives and lots of flowers. I really enjoyed everything about the book - the mystery was solid, the info on hummingbirds and bees was interesting and the character development was good. Add humor, especially in the guise of Esther the Pester, It's a winning combination.

I have to say for a non-bird person, I am very committed to this series. I want to see what happens next, I want to know the characters more. Expectations have been set and are expected to be met. Ripley created a series that won’t only delight cozy readers but will become one they eagerly await a release for. Birds, Books and Mystery set readers on chases through the charming setting in North Carolina.

People are faulty by nature. What faults justify being murdered? What faults do you tack up to the “just being human” check list. I was bouncing between these questions while determining the suspects. I have to say, the suspect list was created to make a reader volley between them. I really enjoyed this, it was a nice way to get me off the scent, while also having me kept engaged in the suspect scenes. There were many, sadly I would say this was a favorite victim in this series, and I wasn’t shocked, but was surprised at the murderer.

A clever mystery with some amusing antics along the way. Amy is excited that a favorite professor from her college is coming to town on a book tour. Written in a easy relaxed style with good characters, a fun setting in both the shop and the town, and enough little twists to keep you guessing.

This is a delightful series. This is the 4th Bird Lovers mystery.. Each book is a delight and I recommend each in series. Amy Sims is the owner of a successful bird shop and a devoted ornithologist. When one of her former Ornithology professors is visiting she is excited to see him again as they had a good working relationship and bonded through their love of birds. After he arrives he is soon found dead and a suspect confess, Amy begins to investigate. Her sleuth abilities are excellent and she is determined to find the right suspect. The characters are written to perfection, the added bonus of learning more about birds is delightful and the sleuth is very well crafted. A winning mystery series that is enjoyable for every mystery fan.

To Kill a Hummingbird is the fourth installment in the A Bird Lover's Mystery series featuring Amy Simms, co-owner of Birds and Bees in Ruby Lake, NC. Amy lives on the third floor of her shop with her mother Barbara, and has two tenants Esther "The Pester" and Paul Anderson, owner of the Brewer's Biergarten next door.

Amy is looking forward to having her favorite ornithology professor, Mason Livingston visit Ruby Lake. Mason is scheduled to hold a book signing for his latest novel "Hummingbirds and their Habits" at the neighborhood bookstore, Bookarama owned by Rose Smith, and Amy is hoping to spend time with him catching up on their lives. Things with the Professor seem to be a little off upon his arrival in his tiny birdhouse, he's drinking a lot and is missing scheduled appointments, but Amy is still surprised to find him stabbed in the neck with a pair of scissors.

Although Mason is a stranger to town, Amy soon discovers there is a history between the man and a few of the townspeople, with a handful of suspects to choose from Amy is determined to find the real killer. Aided by the usual cast of characters including her mother and her tenants, Amy relies on boyfriend Derek and co-owner and best friend Kim.

A quick moving storyline with lots of interesting tidbits about hummingbirds. While not necessary to read the series in order, it is helpful in order to get a better understanding of the cast of characters.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley via Lyrical Underground. While not required to write a review I am more than happy to offer my honest opinion.

J.R. Ripley's To Kill a Hummingbird is book four in the Bird Lover's Mystery series. I have read the previous books in the series. While it is not necessary to enjoy this particular book, I do recommend this series. Amy, owner of Birds and Bees, is preparing for a visit from a former professor who has written a book all about hummingbirds and is in town for a book signing. The professor seems distracted, and Amy finds him dead following the book signing. I enjoyed the mystery and especially the focus on hummingbirds. This is another wonderful addition to the series.

A charming and delightful cozy mystery series. Small town dynamics. Interesting bird information. A clever mystery with some amusing antics along the way. I look forward to reading the next one in the entertaining series.

Amy Simms is happy that her friend and former professor, Mason Livingston, is coming to Ruby Lake, NC on his new book tour. Mason is an ornithologist and arrives in style, driving a large truck pulling a tiny house decorated like a giant birdhouse. The man seems changed, however. He's drunk, is a no-show for the monthly Birds & Brews meeting, and just seems off. He does make it to his signing event at the local bookstore, Bookorama, and gives a lively presentation. Too bad it will be his last. Amy returns to the bookshop after hours to retrieve their copies of Mason's book, Hummingbirds And Their Habits, only to find the author dead, a pair of scissors protruding from his neck. Bookstore owner, Rose Smith, immediately confesses to the crime. But did she really kill Mason Livingston? Or is she covering for someone else? Amy immediately jumps into investigation mode to solve the murder of her friend.

To Kill A Hummingbird is the 4th Bird Lover's Mystery. I really enjoy this series by J.R. Ripley! Amy is a great main character. She's intelligent, independent and loves running her store for bird lovers, Birds & Bees. Much to the chagrin of the local police chief, Amy also seems to be a dead body magnet. If someone in town is murdered, Amy always seems to find the body. The cast of supporting characters, from the owners of the Biergarten next to Amy's shop, to the unwanted renter, Esther Pelaster (AKA Esther the Pester), add humor and depth to this series. The background theme of bird watching and bee keeping is always enjoyable. Hummingbird facts are sprinkled throughout this newest book. The mystery portion of the plot is well-paced, with plenty of suspects and lots of twists and turns. The ending is great!

The cover art, as usual, is amazing. The covers for this series are always bright and engaging.

It isn't necessary to read these books in order. A reader could jump in with this book and understand the characters and plot just fine. I highly recommend the entire series. Every book is a fun read with a well-written mystery and plenty of great bird and bee facts.

The Bird Lovers Mystery series just keeps getting better and better with each book! I can't wait for the next one! Luckily, I don't have long to wait. There are two more books in the series scheduled to release in 2017: Chickadee Chickadee Bang Bang and How The Finch Stole Christmas are coming soon! Yay!

J.R. Ripley is a pseudonym for the author Glenn Meganck. Meganck has written more than 20 books. To discover more about the author and his books, check out his website at http://www.glennmeganck.com/

**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from Lyrical Underground/Kensington Books via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.**

This book was good old fashioned amateur sleuth FUN!
The author takes a risk by giving a tease at the front where one character confesses straight out.
Of course that is so ridiculous, you KNOW she is covering for and protecting someone else.
Everyone has opportunity but what could be the motive?

The victim seems to be a popular book author with an unusual topic - hummingbirds. Not exactly controversial. He is invited to this small town by a former student who owns a bird supply store and he'll do a book signing at the local non-chain bookstore. How could he have enemies within the community?
Of course, maybe it was a crime of opportunity by someone suspected of random burglaries to local businesses who leave their doors unlocked. Or someone who took a dislike to his giant red birdhouse on wheels?

Besides tracing down a killer, our heroine must deal with the regular tensions of living and running a business in a small town where everyone is in everyone else's business. Plus having to learn about chicken care.
Settle in and get set to enjoy a fun read with interesting and kind of goofy characters.
You may learn a few things about birds along the way.

To Kill a Hummingbird by J.R. Ripley was a fun cozy read. The main character, Amy Simms owns a store called Birds and Bees. The community is a small one relying on tourists and a lake with other small stores nearby. It is in this community that Amy, a bit of a nosy neighbor invites her old professor to visit and promote his book about Hummingbirds. She has set up a number of events with her neighboring businesses to tie his visit together and include more of the community. What she does not expect is that he will be murdered and so many people could have motives, including herself and the local chief is not her buddy!

The book was a fun read. I liked the premise, the people and the eventual unraveling of information. I did not realize when I read the book that it is one of a series, so it definitely can be read as a stand alone, but I suspect that the prior books help flesh out many of the characters. It is also clear that there are going to be more mysteries coming for Amy Simms. To Kill a Hummingbird by J.R. Ripley was a good read!

In many ways this is a classic cozy set in a small town with an intrepid amateur detective in Amy (who is just great!). At the same time, it's also very informative- I loved the information about hummingbirds. I hadn't read all the earlier books in the series but this one makes me want to seek them out, as well as future books. It's written in a breezy style with good characters, a fun setting in both the shop and the town, and enough little twists to keep you guessing. Thanks to net galley for the ARC.

This is book 4 in the Bird Lover's Mystery series and it's the first I've read. I had no problems enjoying the characters and small town dynamics. Amy is excited that a favorite professor from her college is coming to town on a book tour. Her shop, Birds & Bees is a result of her enjoyment of his class and her love of all things birds. When he's found dead she finds there is a lot of unanswered questions about his past. Police think they have his killer red-handed but Amy isn't so sure. Lots of great tips about the birds and the bees and how to attract them to your yard.

Continuing on with the Bird Lover's Mystery Series, we find our Amy all a twitter over her old professor coming to town. He has a new book about hummingbirds out and is coming to Ruby Lake for a book signing. 

From the moment he pulls up in his tiny bird house home on wheels, something is off. And when Amy finds him after the book signing dead and the bookshop owner calmly admitting she did it, something isn't sitting right with Amy.

Of course our girl can't sit back and wait to find out what is going on and soon she's flitting all over town, looking for answers. And there is no lack of shady characters for her to focus on. 

I've never been a bird person, until this series!  I love a story that entertains and teaches me something new. I never knew there where so many types of hummingbirds! And they are adorable. The characters in this series are quickly becoming like family and I think that's a pretty good sign of a well written series!

Well done, once again Mr. Ripley!

Amy Simms is so likeable and real as she attempts to solve the mystery of the death of her former professor in 'To Kill a Hummingbird'. Her interactions with the entire cast of characters are so genuine that one almost feels as if they are visiting her North Carolina home town. Amy just can't believe the police's conclusion as to who killed Professor Livingston, so she investigates on her own. Her curiosity is to solve the mystery, not to jump again and again into crazy situations. She takes friends with her on interviews and shares her conclusions with her boyfriend Derek and police, which is what real people would do. I loved it

I really enjoy this series.
I love the characters and the premise is an interesting one. The whodunit was well written and kept me guessing.
I look forward to reading more in the series.
I voluntarily read an Advance Reader Copy of the book.

Great Series
To Kill a Hummingbird is the fourth book in J. R. Ripley’s Bird Lover’s Mysteries series. The author shares facts about hummingbirds that I found quite interesting. This is a fun cozy, with a good plot, well-developed, quirky characters, humor, and a little romance. The story flows at a steady pace, with twists and turns, and plenty of suspects to keep me guessing until the final reveal. I recommend this series to readers who enjoy reading well-crafted cozy mysteries.

Amy Simms lives on the third floor of an old three-story Victorian Queen Anne-style house in Ruby Lake, North Carolina with her mother, Barbara. She has one cantankerous tenant, Ester Pilaster (a/k/a Esther the Pester) who she “inherited” from the previous owner, plus one apartment on the second floor. Paul Anderson is the co-owner of Brewer’s Biergarten, along with her ex-husband, Craig Bigelow, and is a temporary tenant while his house is being renovated. Amy and her friend and business partner, Kimberly “Kim” Christy, are the owners of Birds & Bees, which is located on the ground floor but Kim is also a realtor and only works at Birds & Bees part time. Professor Mason Livingston was Amy’s ornithology professor and has agreed to a book signing for his book, “Hummingbirds and Their Habits,” at Rose Smith’s bookstore, Bookarama, and speak at the monthly Birds and Brew meeting that Amy and Paul co-host. Mason arrives towing a tiny house (which is actually a giant red birdhouse) behind his truck. Amy, her boyfriend, Derek, and Barbara attend the book signing and Derek bought each of them a copy of Mason’s book but when they returned home, Amy realized they had forgotten them and went back to Bookarama to retrieve them. Upon entering the bookstore, Amy finds Mason slumped over the table he used during the presentation and signing, with a pair of scissors buried in his neck and Rose claims she killed him. When the time of death is determined, Police Chief Jerry Kennedy is contacted by someone who can provide an alibi for Rose and she’s released from custody. Even though Derek asks her not to get involved with the investigation, Amy just can’t keep herself from asking questions and snooping around. Amy is feeling a little insecure in her relationship with Derek because his ex-wife (also named Amy) has opened a bridal shop right next to the law office Derek shares with his father.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

Preparing for a visit from a past professor has Amy, owner of Birds and Bees, planting flowers and hanging hummingbird feeders.
Mason considers himself a ladies man and his visit to Ruby Lake ends with his death.
This case seems simple, someone admits to doing the deed and that should be the end.
Nothing is ever that simple and before long Amy is poking her nose into the investigation making a few enemies along the way.
I enjoyed this book and the story was fun and colorful.
Some parts dragged a bit and that was the reason for a 4 star rating.
I voluntarily read an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley.