The author kept me guessing until the very end.

I quite enjoyed reading Cardinal Sin, a great mystery

It was the oujia board on the cover and the voodoo statue in the book's description that made me pick up Cardinal Sin, the eighth book in the Bird Lover's mystery series. I've obviously missed a lot by jumping in this far along, including the origin of the statue and lots of backstory between store owner Amy Simms and her friends and family, but the book was so enjoyable that I want to catch up on the earlier titles.



Yvonne, a new customer to her shop describes an uncommon bird that she's seen on her property and invites Amy to a dinner party at her cabin on Webber's Pond, a small community of rustic old cabins with some unusual residents. Only a few hours after the ouija board spells out an ominous warning, Amy finds Yvonne dead in her cabin. It's an atmospheric and suspenseful book that I thoroughly enjoyed.

J.R. Ripley's ninth book in the Bird Lover's Mystery series is Cardinal Sin. J.R. Ripley is one of my favorite authors, and this is another great book in the series. Amy meets Yvonne who is new to town. Before she can get to know Yvonne well, the woman is found dead. Amy immerses herself in Yvonne's life including her strange family and odd neighbors in an effort to solve the mystery. The quirky characters (both standard and new) make this series work so well. I am already looking forward to book number ten!

This was truly a different book. I enjoyed reading it very much. Mystery and surprises in the pages of a book. Why did death happen, what did they know that got them killed? Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

This is the 9th book in this delightful series. I have read and enjoyed the entire series.
Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the advance reading copy. My opinion is my own.

In this next in series our protagonist is enjoying her shop Birds & Bees when a exotic new customer walks in with a photo of a rare cardinal taken in her yard. While they are chatting the stranger invites her to a dinner party and she accepts. She is new to Ruby Lake and Amy wants to be a good neighbor and welcome her by attending her party.
As the dinner party progresses the host brings out a Ouija Board and suddenly a mysterious message pops us. I. Am Murdered ! Amy finds out after the party that the new neighbor has been murdered. in her home possibly by a convict that is loose in the area. Amy is on the case and soon the clues abound and suspects are plentiful.
I loved this series as the sleuth is always well crafted to a pleasing conclusion. The likable characters are enjoyable and I always enjoy returning to Amy and her world.

This is book #9 in the series and it's another winner. The town of Ruby Lake, NC is the home of Amy Simms who co-owns Birds & Bees. After taking her best friend, Kim and her tenant, Ester on as investors, she is getting much needed renovations done. Not for the first time murder is added to the mix. Tongues are wagging, saying she is a murder magnet. When a new resident, Yvonne Rice, comes into her shop asking for help in identifying a yellow bird seen near her home, Amy is eager to see it. Soon Yvonne invites people over for a house warming and Amy is one of those invited. One thing leads to another, a Ouija Board is brought out and, much to the dismay of the guests, it spells out I AM MURDERED. That puts an end to the party and soon somebody puts an end to Yvonne. When Amy and Dan, a local police officer return because Amy left her purse, they find the cabin locked and Yvonne has been murdered. The police focus on an escaped con known to be in the area but Amy, the murder magnet and successful amateur investigator, has another theory.
I'm not a birder but I love this series because of the wonderful cast of characters, the humor and the satisfying mystery. It's full of just enough red herrings and twists and turns to keep me reading well past my bedtime. If you are new to this charming series, no worries, it stands alone very well.

Another delightful bird tale. I hesitated to read this one as I was creeped out by the Ouija board on the cover. Since I had enjoyed previous ones in this series, I decided to take a chance. I was glad I did. It had me chuckling, shaking my head, and scratching it in wonder. The protagonist and her friends never fail to amuse me with their antics and/or comments. At least our adorable leading lady knows she does stuff that makes her TSTL.

Cardinal Sin by J. R. Ripley is the 9th book in A Bird Lover's Mystery series, and they just keep getting better. I am not a bird enthusiast, but I really enjoyed this book/series. Amy and her boyfriend are invited to Yvonne Rise's home, a new resident in town, for dinner, along with sever other people. The evening is unusual, and the hostess encourages a game on the Ouija board. When Yvonne is found dead, the mystery begins. This book has more twists and turns, that kept me reading page after page. Just when I thought I was on the right track, I realize I wasn't. I found this book to be a quick read, with a well developed plot and characters. If you love cozy mysteries like I do, than I recommend this book/series.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Kensington Publishing. Thank you.

Bird aficionado Amy is excited when an exotic newcomer, Yvonne, arrives to town and invited her to a housewarming, where Amy hopes to see the rare yellow cardinal on Yvonne's property. After a tasty dinner and dessert with the neighbors (and several pictures of the cardinal), Yvonne breaks out a Ouija board, which spells out an ominous message. Minutes later, Yvonne is shot dead. But by who?

This is the first book in this series I've read. It's always easy to pick up cozies in the middle of the series- there's generally a lot of exposition for anything important or that developed the characters. Amy seems a bit like a dingbat, and her birding business might be more profitable if she spent more than half a day per week in it (or at least tried to promote it while running around town questioning suspects). The constant bickering with the sheriff is tiresome. The murderer and motive isn't easily guessed, so there's that. Overall, it's not a particularly scintillating book, but it's a decent enough way to pass an hour.

I liked this story: it's fast paced, fun to read, and engaging.
It was great to meet again the quirky cast of characters and see how they changed and what was going on in their life.
The mystery was very good and it kept me guessing till the end.
I look forward to reading the next installment.
Recommended.
Many thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Amy Simms is in hot water again. Residents of Ruby Lake, NC all love her....but rumors are flying about her being a murder magnet. Where Amy goes....a body shows. Amy adamantly argues that it isn't her fault. Mysteries just seem to find her. And can she help it if she can't resist snooping....umm sleuthing...to find out the truth? Cardinal Sin is the 9th book in the Bird Lover's Mystery series. And yep -- Amy finds a body. Again.

Newcomer to town Yvonne Rice stops by Amy's shop, Birds & Bees, to ask about an unusual bird she has seen at her cabin on Webber's Pond. She invites Amy and her bestie Kim to come to a housewarming party at her cabin. All the neighbors living around Webber's Pond are in attendance. The evening gets a bit weird when Yvonne brings out a ouija board and the planchette spells out "I AM MURDERED.'' Things get even more weird when just after the party ends, Yvonne is dead. A gaping hole in her chest.

Who killed Yvonne? Is Amy really a murder magnet?

I love this series! The bird watching/feeding theme is interesting and fun. The characters are all small town quirky. I live in the region of NC where the stories are set. It's fun to read about places nearby like Asheville and Charlotte. I like the mix of humor and mystery. These books definitely quality as cozy mysteries -- no cursing, no graphic sex or violence, humor..... I always get an enjoyable afternoon of reading each time a new book comes out.

Fun read! I enjoyed it! I can't wait for the next book! :)

**I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

You gotta love a cozy with a ouija board and birds. Amy's latest outing (feel free to start here if you haven't read the earlier books- you'll be fine) features a yellow cardinal. Yvonne, a new arrival to Ruby Lake, North Carolina, has seen one, which is very exciting for bird lovers. But then, after a housewarming party, she's found dead! Amy has to investigate because she disagrees with the chief of police that an escaped murderer who he spotted in the area is responsible-and then there's another murder. This is a classic cozy with the delightful difference that you learn something about birds. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'm an Amy fan and look forward to the next one!

I can hardly believe this is the 9th Bird Lover's Mystery!

Birds & Bees owner Amy Simms will need help from her fine-feathered friends when an uncommon bird sighting plunges her into a hornet’s nest of black magic and murder most foul . . . 

Amy is enjoying a little down time in her shop Birds & Bees. Things are slow until a woman comes in looking to purchase some bees. After helping her out with that information, the woman introduces herself as Yvonne Rice, a new face in Ruby Lake. Exotic and intriguing, Amy accepts her dinner invitation after seeing a photo Yvonne took in her yard of a rare yellow cardinal. Bringing as her plus 1 Kim.

While Amy has gotten an appropriate house warming gift, Kim has decided to re-gift the Lord of Death statue that neither of them wants. As Yvonne brings out a Ouija Board and has most of them on board to have a go, a mysterious message pops us. I. Am. Murdered.

Confused and a little bothered by the odd folks living around the pond, Amy is just starting to dig into Yvonne when the poor woman is found dead in her home. While there is an escaped convict in the area, this looks very suspicious, as do all the residents there.

Or is there some VooDoo going on with the Lord of Death? No matter, Amy is on the case and she isn't letting anyone tell her no.

This series has grown so much over time. I used to think of Amy as rather a dull character,easily duped and not standing up for herself. Now, you better take this gal seriously! You hear that Ex-Amy??

The characters, the birds, the entire town of Ruby Lake is looking really good to me right now!

Well Done!

NetGalley/ Kensington  Lyrical Underground May 14, 2019

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!

I actually read this about two days ago, but with Easter I haven't been able to get online to review it. I really enjoyed this one; it is yet another one of those great cozy series that you can jump into at any point and just GET. Like I loved the characters and the settings straight away; I hadn't read any bird cozies although I knew some exist. It added another element of learning to the mystery. Speaking of, the murder was not easily solved and ultimately I wouldn't have guessed the reasons behind it.

Basically this is a great book and I can highly recommend it. I definitely need to read the rest! Five stars.

Amy Simms is at it again in Cardinal Sin, by J.R. Ripley.
Amy owns the local bird supply/gift shop and certainly seems to draw attention because of her history as the murder lady.
If you enjoy a fast paced story filled with colorful characters, then pick up your copy today.

Cardinal Sin is the ninth book in J. R. Ripley’s Bird Lover’s Mysteries series. This is a fun cozy, with a good plot, well-developed characters, an interesting mystery, and humor, and a little romance. The story flows at a steady pace, with red herrings and twists and turns thrown in to keep the reader engaged and guessing.

Amy Simms and her friend, Kim Christy, are the owners of Birds & Bees in Ruby Lake, North Carolina. Kim quit her real estate job and works exclusively at Birds & Bees. The shop is on the first floor, and Amy lives on the third floor with her mother, Barbara. Amy’s tenant and employee, Ester Pilaster, recently became an investor and her buy-in allows Amy to have some much-needed renovations done. Paul Anderson is her other tenant and the co-owner of Brewer’s Biergarten, along with her ex-boyfriend. Amy and is dating Derek Harlan, a local attorney who is divorced and has a daughter named Maeve and an ex-wife whose name is also Amy, and Kim is dating Dan Sutton, a Ruby Lake police officer.

When Yvonne Rice, who recently moved to the area, visits Birds & Bees and describes a bird she’s been seeing on her property, Amy gets excited when she realizes that it’s a rare yellow cardinal which is actually a northern cardinal with a genetic mutation. Yvonne invites everyone to her house warming party where Amy, Derek, Kim, and Dan meet most of Yvonne’s neighbors. After an enjoyable meal, when the guests start suggesting it’s time to leave, Yvonne asks them to stay and play a game and brings out her Ouija board. Amy forgot her purse and when tries to retrieve it, she and Dan, who was responding to a 9-1-1 call, find Yvonne, who she spoke to ten minutes ago, murdered in her locked cabin. Jerry Kennedy, the Chief of Police, is convinced Alan Spenner, an escaped convict who’d been seen in the area, is guilty, but Amy, who has a tendency to poke her nose into suspicious deaths, has her doubts. Then, the body of another resident of Yvonne’s small neighborhood is discovered. While trying to find out what happened to them, Amy visits with their secretive neighbors, and can’t get the inappropriate housewarming gift Kim gave Yvonne or the final message from the Ouija board … “i-a-m-m-u-r-d-e-r-e-d” out of her mind.

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

This series a guaranteed good read. I strongly suggest you read the series in order.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

Cardinal Sun is the ninth book in the Bird Lovers mystery series. This has a great plot and wonderful characters. I will be reading going back and reading the others.

The ninth book of Bird Lover series is another excellent read. A stranger, Veronica Rice walks into the store and asked Amy Simms what kind of bird is this one? It turned out to be a rare yellow cardinal. The stranger invites all to a house warming party. While there, the group played with an Ouija board which spelled out "I AM MURDERED". Later that night Veronica is shot to death and Amy becomes involved with the investigation. Amy goes visiting with all Veronica's neighbors. There is an escaped convict in the area. He is considered dangerous as he battered his victims with a bat.
Does Amy find an answer to who killed Veronica and why before she joins Veronica in death? I deduct a star as this is not a birding advantage but an excellent mystery. I highly recommend this book and series.

Disclosure: Thanks to Lyrical Underground for a through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.