Christmas is coming to Ruby Lake, and the only things on Birds & Bees owner Amy Simms' wish list are peace, quiet, and her beau. What she gets is murder. Before Amy can get into the holiday spirit, she meets Franklin Finch, the arrogant new owner of Christmas House Village, one of the most beloved attractions in town. Locals are upset over his decision to sack staff members for younger, cheaper help and changing the name of the store.

Finch voids the contract with Amy to provide birdseed ornaments for the Village Store and doesn’t care what happens to her or her business. It seems he is the biggest Scrooge around. That is until his dead body is found swinging in the attic of one of the festive Victorians that make up Christmas House Village.

Chief Kennedy isn’t happy when Amy is on site at another investigation scene and shouting murder. He doesn’t believe that Mr. Finch was murdered and would prefer her to drop the matter. Amy sets out to prove him wrong. But while her investigation quickly reveals a gaggle of disgruntled ex-Christmas House Village employees and unusual clues, Amy must move with caution as she focuses in on the killer.

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Series: A Bird Lover’s Mystery - Book 6
Author: J.R. Ripley
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Lyrical Underground

There is much to enjoy in J.R. Ripley’s How the Finch Stole Christmas. The characters are warm, kind and compassionate, as well as stubborn and mischievous. The plot is original with enough Christmas cheer to make it believable without being laughable. There is no sexual content or bad language, and the writing is fluid with no awkward transitions.

Amy’s Christmas may not have a jolly ending if she isn’t careful. Someone doesn’t like her interfering with the investigation into Finch’s death, and they are showing their displeasure. Amy is a determined individual and will not stop until the truth is revealed. She is a very likable character with drive and personality.

The other characters are memorable and well rounded. Ester and Kim are very different people, but in many ways, they are also the same. They work with Amy; one considered her best friend, the other a pain in the behind. Yet they work well together, they care about Amy’s business and life.

The location of Ruby Lake is a wonderful setting for a Christmas story. The town is involved in every aspect of the story and is truly a place the reader would like to visit during the holidays. The descriptions of the other businesses, people, and surrounding scenery are detailed enough to be interesting without being overt.

There a couple of problems, the story ends too abruptly, and a situation does not get resolved, leaving the reader hanging. Unfortunately, this is unnecessary to the plot of the story or the next book in the series. It would have been better to end the book with all situations resolved. However, the book is still enjoyable.

How the Finch Stole Christmas is a fast-paced read filled with action, as well as great characters. It is recommended to those who enjoy writers such as Jacqueline Frost or Donna Andrews. Overall it is a good story that is well worth reading and will keep the reader guessing to the end.

An ARC was provided by NetGalley

Another satisfying book in the series. I strongly recommend that you read the previous books in the series.

It is Christmas time in Ruby Lake and the Christmas House Village is extremely busy. Amy Sims and Derek are looking out a window and see an alteration going on near the Village. They learned the Christmas House Village has been sold and the new owner has fired all the old employees and is naming the Village after himself. He is not honoring previous contracts. Kim is distraught when she discovered the new owner dead. Amy works to clear Kim after the police accept a verdict of suicide.
Problems begin between Amy and Derek when Amy learned Derek knew of the plans to build a hotel on the site of the Christmas House Village. There is not much birding information in this book as the plot is featured. I highly recommend this book and series.

Disclosure: I received a free copy from Lyrical Underground through NetGalley for an honest review. I would go thank them for this opportunity to read and review the book. The opinions expressed are my own.

I was entranced with my latest visit to Ruby Lake, North Carolina, especially at Christmastime. Amy's best friend Kim is in trouble with the whole town for her part in the sale of the Christmas Town Village. Murder ensues, and all of Amy's relationships are upended while she is trying to deal with making her business a success and keeping her aging Victorian home from falling apart. The mystery is well executed and the dialogue is crisp and fun. Things are difficult between Amy and Derek, and I can't wait for the next book to see how that will turn out.

Since this book was a three star for me won't leave any reviews anywhere.
Thanks for granting me access.

the bird themed shop made an interesting center for this mystery story, well written, quirky, and enjoyable. The bird watching hips may come in handy yet.

Who would think that owning a shop featuring all things bird related in a small town where everyone knows everyone else's business would lead to an avocation in murder investigation, but that is exactly what has happened to Amy Simms of Ruby Lake, North Carolina. Amy deals with the ups and downs of running her small business, Birds and Bees but each time a murder has been committed in her small town she has butted heads with Police chief Kennedy, but ultimately it has been Amy who has come up with the solution to the crime. Franklin Finch has recently purchase the Christmas House Village in Ruby Lake and has wasted no time in making enemies by firing the store's long time employees and replacing them with people who will work for less so when he is found murdered there is no shortage of viable suspects. This book will keep you guessing until the final reveal. It is a fun cozy with a well developed plot, quirky characters (especially Esther who I have come to love) and a great sense of humor. An added bonus to this series are the tips about birds and bird watching.

t’s almost Christmas in Ruby Lake, but no one is feeling very festive. Finch, the new owner of Christmas House Village is firing his employees to bring in cheaper help. Amy Simms, owner of Birds & Bees boutiques can’s stand the man either, after he sinks a business deal that they were supposed to have. Nobody likes the guy, so when he’s found dead, that are plenty of suspects. The local police may think he committed suicide, but Amy knows better and sets out to prove it. This is a nice departure from some of the more gruesome murder mysteries I read. Small town politics and grievances along with a sense of neighborliness rounds out this story nicely