Book Review: Empty Nest by Marty Wingate

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this ebook, free of charge,from Random House/Alibi, via Netgalley, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it 

Since we're doing a bit of world traveling today, how about another cozy mystery set in England?

From one of our favorite authors, comes Book 2, in the Birds of a Feather mystery series,

 just released yesterday:

Synopsis:

Manager of a tourist center in a quaint British village, Julia Lanchester finds herself with more ideas than time. Her boss is the Earl Fotheringill himself, but apart from him, she doesn’t mix well with the aristocracy. Unfortunately, toxic mold forces her from her cottage and into one of the earl’s countless spare rooms at the Hall. She tries to get a handle on her overload of work, while she finds herself arguing with dinner guests, chaffing at the sudden interest the earl’s son has in running the estate, and missing her new beau, Michael Sedgwick.

Her life goes from bad to sinister when Julia discovers poisoned sparrowhawks on the expansive estate grounds. And soon after, she finds one of the Hall’s visitors murdered—felled by the same poison. While simultaneously both spooked and angry, she still can’t keep herself from snooping, and dragging Michael along into her investigation. But will she find the culprit before her own wings are clipped?

Review:

Marty gives us another great English mystery, with birds as a primary focus in the tale! She takes us back to Fotherngill Hall and brings back the characters from The Rhyme of the Magpie, while adding new ones, like the Earl's son, his friend and a new estate agent. Will life continue as it has, or will life get turned upside down for Julie, after a death occurs at the Hall? Once again, her father Rupert, comes to assist in figuring out who not only killed the sparrow hawks on the estate, but the death at the Hall. Book 2 shows Julia spreading her wings more, and learning to seize what is important and to hold onto it. This is a super quick read, and I highly recommend it for a leisurely retreat from the cold weather! 

About the Author:

Marty Wingate is the author of the Potting Shed mysteries from Random House/Alibi - The Garden Plot, The Red Book of Primrose House, and Between a Rock and a Hard Place, as well as her new mystery series, Birds of a Feather. Marty speaks at national events, and writes about gardens and travel. She can be heard on A Dry Rain (adryrain.net), a free podcast available on iTunes. Marty is a member of the Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime, as well as the Royal Horticultural Society and the Garden Writers Association. She leads small-group garden tours to European destinations including England, Scotland, Ireland, France, and on North American journeys. Marty doesn't believe that the thin veneer of tourism - successive one-night stops in a series of hotels - can ever replace getting to know the people, history and culture of a region, and so, when arranging her tours, she always includes time for a cup of tea, a pint of beer, or a glass of wine.Connect with Marty on Facebook or on her website: martywingate.com.