This book is set in Quebec (I have read a few Bones books set here before). This story gave me a very leisurely tour of the cultural backdrop of the place as well as the current mix of lifestyles within the different communities. To those of us who learn about the western world vicariously through the books and TV shows, such books will always be a draw. An old woman is found dead in her home and the local police is put on the case. There seem to be many small niggling things that bother the Chief Inspector enough to put a well deserved holiday on hold (or even cancelled) to delve deeper into the case. Next door to the woman (almost) lives Marie Russell who keeps popping random bird (and a few animal) facts as she is writing a rough draft in her head for a children's book. She has lived in Montreal since she was a child and is now old enough to crave grandchildren. Her thoughts are the main source of cultural information for us as she navigates the reality of her mother's illness, her past, her kids and ex-husband. They are a constant train and chug along as and when the scenery changes. Some of these recollections got a little repetitive and a few could have been avoided as they do not add to the story at large but then again we normally do not have control over nostalgia once given a free rein. Her entry into the investigation is more gradual.

Chief Inspector Roméo, is following up all leads with help from his team. He has family issues as well and it is more fleeting than Marie's but provide us with more fuel to paint a picture of that part of the world going back all the way to 1970s. The ending cannot be completely guessed since there are too many pieces but one of the main reason I give this book four stars is its unique setting and the lead characters are not the usual dashing winners who just snap their fingers for their happily ever after. This is heavier than your average mystery book but worth reading!

This is the rare and wonderful mystery that actually expands near the conclusion as you learn the true back story. Romeo Leduc is a classic world weary detective- overworked and without a personal life (well, there's a selfish daughter). When an elderly woman is found dead in her home, his first thought is that he's going to miss his long planned vacation but then things quickly change when he realizes it's a murder. Who was Madame Newman and why would someone kill her? At the same time, her neighbor Marie Willis is coping with moving her mother into a care home. Ennis Jamieson is an attorney who has a racket going with other elderly residents there. How these three intersect will take some time but it's totally worth it. Lambert has a great way with her characters- the handyman, the local ne'er do well (and his little dog Pitoune)- and with the atmospherics of the Laurentians. This has at its root a shameful, deeply horrible part of history and the role that Canada (and the US) played in its aftermath. Well constructed and written, this is a boffo read. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. I'm hoping there will be more.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ann Lambert and Second Story Press for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

A beautifully written novel, set in the Laurentian Mountains of Quebec, where a reclusive older woman is found strangled and frozen outside her home. Roméo Leduc, the Chief Inspector for Homicide, answers the call on the case.

Marie Russell, a 58-year old writer and divorced mother of two, lives next door to the victim. When Marie's mother, Claire, who is suffering from dementia, offers a clue that links the woman's murder to a terrible incident that happened on Marie's suburban Montreal street in the 1970's, Marie inadvertently becomes a detective on the case.

This novel is much more than a mystery, it is really beautifully written, engaging, and delivers just the right amount of suspense without being frustrating, nor unbelievable. The characters are likeable, even the characters that are probably not supposed to be. The hardest part with mysteries sometimes is how farfetched and unrealistic they can be, and this was not like that at all. The Birds That Stay rotates between numerous characters, and is interesting to see their different perspectives on events.

I believe this novel sets book two up nicely, and I am really looking forward to it!! And in the meantime - I know just who I need to recommend this to!!

Available on 19th Feb, 2019.

I had mixed feelings about this book, and i was hesitating between 2 and 3 Stars.
The first half was really slow, two many sides stories were included, and i didn't feel that interested in the story. The last 30% percent of the book made the whole story much better and it was at that point that i started enjoying it, hence the 3 stars.

An old recluse woman was found dead in her garden. Was it an accident, or murder? No next of kin were located, and nothing about her past was discovered.
There wasn't much of an investigation and a guessing game of which suspect is the criminal. It was more like waiting for all the pieces to fall together so that we can see the whole picture.
I found the story behind the crime very interesting, it included some historical facts or explanations about the post-war period in Canada, something that was completely new for me and i liked learning about it. Other that that, i really didn't care much for the characters. I found the romance unnecessary and it felt rather "un peu tirée par les cheveux".

The story takes place in Quebec, so there is some French dialogue used that I couldn't understand, but that did not take away from my reading experience.
A woman has died, but was it murder? This one was filled with secrets, family decisions, and how the past can come back to haunt us.
It took a while to figure out how all the characters (excluding the detective) were connected. I was probably in the book about 70% before the light bulb went off, which is a good thing. No good book deals all their cards at the beginning of the story.
Lambert's writing has an easy flow to it. I also did not find the book slow, my attention was caught right away. A nice, quick read that has you guessing

The Birds That Stay is a mystery story set in Canada in the 1970’s. There are two main characters, Marie Russell and Romeo Ludec. Marie’s character is interesting in that she is a marine biologist but also an author of nature books and the book is peppered with interesting facts about birds and animals etc. She is divorced and her children no longer live with her and she finds herself organising a place in an assisted living facility for her aging mother with all the worry and guilt associated with the reality of that. Romeo Ludec comes into her life when he is called upon to investigate the death of an old woman and it is through this death that we meet more characters.

The most interesting aspect of the plot relates to information relating to events following WWII and it is that which truly held my interest. This is quite beautifully written but I am afraid it did not make me yearn for Canada; the remoteness of the area, the weather, not for me I’m afraid. All in all a well thought out plot which really worked but just not my bag.

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

The Birds That Stay is a mystery leaning toward literary. It's not written like a typical mystery. The language is lyrical and very descriptive about the area in Canada where the book is set. It's obviously an enchanting place. The story is told from multiple perspectives in the present and the 1970s. It unfolds almost naturally and has a few surprises in store. The characters are dynamic and complex. I recommend if you want a different kind of mystery that's almost literary. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

How beautiful is Canada and its uniqueness in all four seasons. The province of Quebec with it small villages , the distinctive city of Montreal, the splendour of the Laurentian Mountains and the diversity of its people and languages. The mystery is an old one as the past is never forgotten . The characters seem simple in their living but they all hold secrets that surface and make for interesting read. A mystery that is solved in a timely manner .

I am so happy and relieved this will be a series. I enjoyed the writing style and the witty scenarios, the plot is majestically drawn to surprise the reader.

My favorite character is Marie, she has already been through amazing character development throughout this first novel and I am curious what will happen with her further.

This is really a good read and I would give it 5 stars, though I hesitate and it is entirely subjective: I was particularly annoyed by the character of Bridget and her husband Tomas. It is a strange feeling because at the same time, Tomas' character is so complex and drawing on so many angles of life that his complexity alone should amaze rather than not.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this arc.

Thanks to Net Galley and Second Story Press for the Arc of The Birds that Stay in exchange for an honest review.

Usually, as a rule, books billed as mysteries are not complex literary stories, “The Birds that Stay” is the exception. This is so much more than a mystery with its meandering storyline full of interesting Canadian history and well-drawn characters that felt true rather than the typically flat character tropes so common in mystery novels. Lambert’s knowledge of language and craft was evident throughout the novel and left me nostalgic for time spent in Quebec. All said, an excellent novel and I look forward to reading more from Ann Lambert!

This complex novel spins a beautifully laid out mystery set in the heart of the Laurentian Mountains where its inhabitants will play out a collection of events that shaped their lives. Each player reveals memories recalling how life was growing up. While the enigmatic Chief Inspector Romeo Leduc reluctantly answers the call when a reclusive older woman is found strangled in her home….seems the investigation will weave the sins of the past with today’s devastating consequences.

Ms. Lambert’s words clearly resonated not only did I picture vividly the scenery I also reminisced with her characters. Being a Montrealer I enjoy Canadian authors who set their stories near or in my home town and uses the patois and expressions of most of us French Quebecer do. The author does a magnificent job in doing so. It actually made me smile….yes, we really do speak this way….The mystery in itself is very slow in development a bit too slow for my taste but the complexity and the array of fascinating characters made up for it. Yes, it may be slow but no less has gripping tension to keep us glued to every word till the very end. Do not look for great police procedural this story dives more into the background and motivations of its players than anything else. The streets of Montreal 1970, the beautiful Laurentians (not so much today it is-30C) and Hungary 1944 revisited…..and lots more ……well-done.

I enjoyed reading this book. It had a good story to it. I liked the variety of characters in it. It is my first book read by this author. It was so good that I read it in a few reading sessions in one day. I hope to read more books by this author.

Marie Russell finds herself in a bittersweet time of life, with an aging mother whom she is single-handedly moving from the long-held family home into an Assisted Living facility. Marie's children have grown and her husband has divorced her. As she reminisces about her youth, Marie bewilderingly finds herself in the middle of this mystery set in a small village (Ste. Lucie) north of Montreal. Marie is a marine biologist and an author of nature books, and her appreciation of nature is made apparent throughout via the intelligent prose written by Ann Lambert in The Birds That Stay. In fact, Lambert herself must be quite a naturalist, as species of birds, trees and flowers flow easily and descriptions of the weather, lakes and forests are an astute and a complimentary part of this fictional story.

Romeo Leduc is the Chief Inspector of Homicide tasked with sorting out the mysterious death of an elderly woman from Marie's town who has an enigmatic past. The cast of characters is interesting and broad, entitling the reader to a snippet of life in small-town Canada, as well as a look into the past via Marie's childhood memories, and the memories of the cast of characters. Romeo is also divorced, over-worked, and highly regarded amongst his peers.

The mystery itself was an enjoyable quick read. I found myself investing in the characters and enjoying the twist and turn of events. I LIKED the main characters, which is a refreshing change! A few times, it was a bit difficult for me to discern at first which character was the main subject of a chapter. There is a large cast of characters, and often, each chapter changes viewpoints. Also, the romantic attractions described in this mystery could certainly have had more detail and tension. As this is the first of a series, I am surprised that the author didn't draw out the resolution of this relationship further into the series. But those are minor quibbles. Recommended for readers who like an intelligent mystery!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and Second Story Press for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review. #NetGalley #TheBirdsThatStay

Thank you to NetGalley and Second Story Press for an advanced read in exchange for this review.
In a small village near Montreal, an elderly woman is found frozen and strangled outside of her home. As the investigation continues, was this a robbery gone wrong or was she the victim of a hate crime? Marie lives next door and does an independent investigation of her own. She and the detective (Romeo) dig deep to unravel dark days of the past.
This is not a quick thriller. It’s a slow and detailed mystery. I nearly put it down after the first couple of chapters because it was so slow. However, there’s some beautiful work by the author in crafting several characters into the story, which needs to be appreciated. It never felt like a thriller to me but more of a story with some mystery behind it. At times, I felt the characters were too developed (I wanted the story to move on in the plot, not hear so much about a character’s life), but the author does this to add to the story. It’s really about the characters. All in all, it was a good read, just not what I expected. Be prepared for a slower (but very well written) ride. Rounded up to 4 stars.

Note: I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book is a melting pot of characters from different walks of life, whose lives cross when a terrible murder occurs in their Canadian town.

My first reaction upon beginning this book, was that it was chock full of French phrases and language. I didn't think I would enjoy reading a story in which there were so many words in a language I did not understand. I was wrong in my initial assessment. I did enjoy the story, and the French dialect simply added flavor that helped describe what life is like in a French-Canadian town. I am from the midwest United States, and know very little about our neighbors to the north, so this allowed me a view inside their world.

I noticed right away that the author is very descriptive and uses a variety of seldom-used adjectives to describe things. Sometimes this was helpful and aided my mental picture development of the story. At other times, it could be tiresome, especially when I wished to just get on with the story.

The characters in this book are well-developed and the reader is given a wonderful look inside the mind and personality of each character. Ann Lambert made me feel as if these characters were perhaps based on real people she has known in her lifetime.

This book kept me in suspense as I did not figure out who the murderer was until much later in the book, almost to the end.

There were a few grammatical errors and some instances of tense shifting. Nothing that a good editor wouldn't find. Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley, Second Story Press and Ann Lambert for the eARC of this wonderful book.
I absolutely loved this book, I can't say enough about it...sooo good!
The characters, the setting, the story and also the fun facts about animals blew me away. Having lived in Montreal it was a great to spend mental hours in Quebec, I actually got quite homesick and have told my daughter, married to a French Canadian and living in Ottawa, this is a 'must read'.
This is so much more than a mystery, it's a literate novel with two main characters (Russell and Leduc) you will fall in love with and make you pant for the second in the series. I didn't want it to end!
Highly recommended, read this book, people! I wish I could give it more than 5 stars!

So beautifully written a literary mystery.Drew me right in kept me enthralled with the story the characters the atmosphere.Looking forward to reading much more from this author. #netgalley #secondstorypress.#the Birds That Stay,

Beautifully written!

The intricate layers in this story were very appealing. Solidly structured, it was a joy to read.

A wonderfully written and amazing book, it was a joy to read.
The style of writing is great, so full of descriptions and it describes the characters to the point that they seem to be old friends.
It starts slowly but after a bit you're hooked and you cannot put it down.
I hope this is the start of a series and I look forward to reading other books by this writer.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC

This is such a wonderfully written book and so much more than just a mystery story, it’s so full of descriptions about the cast of characters, gorgeous scenery and depictions of nature it makes it a joy to read. The book starts off slowly and you gradually feel yourself being drawn into the lives lives of the people wanting to know more and more and trying to get to the heart of the mystery and this makes it a book that is different from the norm. An engrossing book and not what I was expecting and I really loved it, I hope that we will hear more from Russell and Leduc in the the future and thank you Ann Lambert for a wonderful read and highly recommend the book.
My thanks to NetGalley and Second Story Press for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.