Heather Gilbert is back with the third book in her Exotic Pet-Sitter cozy mystery series and it is just as good as the first two. We find Belinda Blake back in her hometown for a visit with her parents.  Once there a close family friend dies and Naomi's son Jonas recruits her to take care of his mom's homing pigeons, until he can find someone to do the job. She is happy to comply for she secretly has a thing for Jonas. Then things start happening. One death, accidental or ?? Then another murder. Then another. They all seem to be connected as they all belonged to the same book club. Belinda's friend is a reporter and enlists her to help find out are these deaths related? If you like unforgettable characters and cozy mysteries with lots of twists and turns, then I highly recommend this book. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC and I am Happy to submit this review.

Belinda Blake is an exotic pet sitter. This is a wonderful interesting book, lots of twists and turns and complex and interesting characters. She is taking care of homing pigeons and doesn't expect to be involved in another mystery death. Another whirlwind fun story! I loved it!

I do love me some Belinda Blake! Intrepid, inquisitive, discerning. Bold and sometimes foolhardy.
Ms. Gilbert maintains the pace with this third in her Exotic Pets Sitter series. And I gotta say, she threw a giant—and unsettling—curve ball in this one!! Not only did I not see it coming, I didn’t like it one bit!
With her knack for stirring things up, feathers fly as Belinda pecks around asking questions. One death is a tragedy, two is suspicious. But a third is no coincidence.
Between her pigeon care duties and quasi-assistant reporter snooping, Belinda has taken a devastated and hurting teen under her wing, AND she’s weighing her heart in a balance of love.
Ms. Gilbert so deftly weaves this story, subtle details turning to pivotal plot points. Belinda is so real, so down to earth, so flawed and human. And so downright loveable!

ROBIN’S FEATHERS
FOUR FEATHERS

I received a complimentary copy of this book, but was under no obligation to read the book or to post a review. I offer my review of my own free will. The opinions expressed in my review are my honest thoughts and reaction to this book.

#Blogwords, Tuesday Reviews-Day-on-Saturday, #TRD, Book Review, Belinda Blake and Birds of a Feather, Heather Day Gilbert

Belinda Blake and the Birds of a Feather
Exotic Pet-Sitter, Book #3
Heather Day Gilbert
5 Stars

Synopsis:

When exotic pet–sitter Belinda Blake starts pecking at the details of a suspicious accident in her sleepy hometown, she inadvertently digs up a murder case that won’t be solved without ruffling a few feathers . . .

The moment Belinda arrives in Larches Corner, her Upstate New York hometown, she’s immediately recruited to care for a deceased friend’s flock of homing pigeons. But Belinda’s plans for a swift visit scatter after a local college student is mowed down in a malicious hit-and-run that has the whole town reeling.

At first, the gruesome demise of Jackson Hait appears to be a random tragedy. But Belinda quickly uncovers connections to a tight-knit group of friends and a similar death three years earlier . . . one that wasn't as accidental as it seemed. Now, Belinda must pluck the truth from a tangled nest of lies before a cruel killer takes wing. (Goodreads)

Review:

The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and those descriptions pulled me into the story from the very beginning and took me along a thrilling adventure.

The characters are well rounded and well developed. I really like the relationship between Belinda and her family, you can tell how much they love each other and how well they get along. I love Belinda’s occupation, that would be such a wild and exciting job to have.

The mystery was well plotted and moved along at a steady pace. I liked the fact that the past and the present were involved in the mystery. There were enough clues to sift through and suspects to consider and it was not easily solved. I was very surprised with the culprit, I did not expect that.

I would recommend this book, and series, to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I really like this series and I am already looking forward to the next book.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.

Belinda Blake and the Birds of a Feather by Heather Day Gilbert is the 3rd book in the Exotic Pet-sitter mystery series. I really liked the first two books in the series, Snake in the Grass, and Wolf in Sheep's Clothing and this book is equally as good. Belinda Blake lives in a carriage house in Greenwich, Connecticut, but she returns home to Larches Corner in upstate New York after a family friend dies. Belinda agrees to take care for the women's homing pigeons, until a new home can be found for them. Belinda plans to return to Greenwich, until a college student is killed in a hit and run, and she wants the truth. I enjoyed this fun book, with it's crazy laugh-out-loud moments, but it is also a wonderful mystery. I can not wait for Belinda's next adventure. I highly recommend this book, if you enjoy unique cozy mysteries.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is the 3rd book in this entertaining series of a exotic pet sitter who not only has a unusual job but she is savvy and talented at solving murders ! I have read and enjoyed the first two in the series and highly recommend this series. It is most fun to read from the beginning however this book can be read as a stand alone. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley. My review is my own opinion.

Belinda pet sits for exotic animals and in the first two books she took care of a giant snake and the second a preserve of wolfs. Its interesting and fun to read about a protagonist that has a unique job. She also reviews video games for a living. I enjoy reading about her pet sitting and its a fun part of this series .

In this next in series Belinda has returned to her parents farm to attend a funeral of the son of a family friend. Soon she is drawn in a mystery and then a suspicious death occurs that she decides to investigate. I loved this sleuth has the author created so many twist and turns in her investigation that I did not guess the ending. A very enjoyable read ! I highly recommend this series.

This is a charming and delightful series. I love animals of all sorts and Belinda Blake has encounters with some doozies. This murder mystery kept me guessing until the culprit was revealed. Some exciting times. It sounds as if there will be new and quite different adventures ahead for Belinda. Since her parents are involved with animals, I am sure they will continue to provide critter antics no matter what Belinda's career choice. I do look forward to reading the next one.

I loved visiting with Belinda Blake and entering her world once again. I did, however, have some issues with the contrived motivation with her involvement in the mystery in the book. That being said the mystery was tense and surprising. I loved being released from the angst of relationship decisions. This was so refreshing and is a big negative in other series for me, so much so that I have stopped reading them. There is such a logical and exciting bridge to the next in the series that has me looking forward to it with great anticipation. I just hope it doesn't restore the relationship angst.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Book 3 in this well-done exotic pet sitter series sent Belinda Blake back to her hometown. The mystery involved both a past event and a present event. I liked how she was inserted back into her former life. Characters were memorable. The end was definitely unpredictable. I had thought that this might be the end of the series (since books often go together in three's), but based on what the author implied, we have not seen the last of Belinda Blake. By the way, I definitely recommend reading this particular series in order. Reading only book 3 would be a bit confusing! Thanks to #netgalley & Kensington books for letting me read a preview of this book! All positive opinions are my own!

This series quickly became one of my favorite cozy mystery series, and this novel my favorite so far. The characters are developed well, and there is just enough information from earlier books woven in so each can be read as standalones. One learns a little about the exotic pet focused on, in this case, white homing pigeons. The mystery is challenging; I was completely surprised at whodunit! Belinda Blake is sufficiently like the average woman in that she has self-doubts in certain areas of her life as well as confidence in her career.

Belinda rents the perfect guest house in Greenwich, CT. She is self-employed as a video game reviewer and an exotic pet sitter, a business she began when living in Manhattan. Stone Carrington the fifth, son of the estate owner, has been a friend to Belinda since she moved into the guest house.

Belinda has been involved in a couple murder investigations. Her curiosity, sense of justice, ability to ask pertinent questions and consider different scenarios make her a huge help to law enforcement. The detective in Greenwich suggested she consider becoming a detective, and she has been considering it, but it is quite a commitment.

Belinda received a phone call from Jonas, her parents’ neighbor in upstate New York and a special friend. After several years of being primary caregiver for his mother since she’s had breast cancer, she passed away that evening. Naomi and Belinda had become good friends, and she is already grieving the loss of the delightful woman.

While she is in Larches Corner, Jonas asks her to help care for Naomi’s pigeons. He hopes to re-home them as he is so busy with the farm that it would be hard for him to fit one more thing into his day. They discuss a hit-and-run death that occurred in which a college senior, Jackson, died. Something about it doesn’t sound right to Jonas, especially since another student, Claire, had been run over by a train three years earlier. Her death was ruled an accident, but a determination has not yet been made in Jackson’s death.

Belinda talked with a high school friend, Chloe, who is now a local newspaper reporter. Jackson and Claire had known each other and belonged to the same literature club. Claire’s boyfriend is now getting engaged to another member of the club. Chloe will let Belinda join her as her “assistant” as she gets her story for the upcoming society wedding. Before the evening is over, one of the club members has been murdered, devastating another local family. Belinda is going to stay a few extra days to help Chloe with interviews for the paper while she helps care for the pigeons.

This cozy is the best! There are good suspects, plot twists and turns revealing many secrets, and even the possibility of romance for Belinda. I appreciate that it is a completely clean read with interesting animals to learn about and the differences between wealthy Greenwich and rural Larches Corner. I also like that I was stunned at the solution to each death! The ending was satisfactory in every way, one that I was really excited about. The only thing I didn’t like was the bit of a cliffhanger…but that’s just my preference and I’m looking forward to the next in series. I highly recommend this to those who appreciate well-written cozy mysteries, unique pets, interesting characters, and excellent resolutions.

From a thankful heart: I received a copy of the eARC from the publisher and NetGalley, and this is my honest review.

This series keeps getting better and it started out great. For a change of pace, Belinda has returned to her home town due to the death of a close family friend. Little does she know that her talent for solving murders will be taking a front seat. The son of the deceased woman asks Belinda to care for his late mother's homing pigeons and, of course, she says yes. If that wasn't enough, her high school friend, Chloe, is a local reporter and is on the trail of a story which soon involves them in deaths that seem to be connected, spanning several years. The victims were all members of a literature group.
As all of this is going on, Belinda is also trying to decide which of her romantic relationships is The One - Jonas, a farmer or Stone, a millionaire. I hope that, by the next book, she will have figured it out. As for the mystery - well, I'll just say I read it in one sitting, staying up into the early hours to find out who dunnit. Boy, that was a surprise. A very satisfying mystery and I will, without any hesitation, get my hands on book #4 as soon as it's published.
My thanks to the publisher Lyrical Press and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Belinda Blake, exotic pet sitter and amateur sleuth is back in the newest story in the pet sitter adventures. Belinda is looking forward to some relaxation and a break from her usual pet sitting responsibilities as she heads back home to upstate New York after the death of a family friend. No sooner has she arrived however when she is asked by Naomi's handsome son to look after his mother's flock of homing pigeons. Belinda's friend and local news reporter Chloe is investigating the death of a local college student by a hit and run driver and pulls Belinda into the investigation. Chloe believes there is some connection between the current investigation and a murder some years back of another woman. As Belinda starts investigating she finds that both women belonged to the same literature club. When another woman is killed with ties to the first two, Belinda is sure there is an answer that will not only link all three murders but also uncover the same killer for all three.
This was the first, but certainly not the last, in the Belinda Blake series I have read. Without having read the first two, I was able to follow along with the characters and plot easily. While this is quite a departure from the other cozy mystery series, with the exotic pets a central theme, there were many of the other elements cozy mystery readers look for and enjoy. The plot was exciting and fast paced with plenty of intrigue and surprises. Belinda was a fascinating heroine with plenty of personal growth over the course of the story. The culprit was a surprise right up until the reveal, a rarity in mystery reads most times. I highly recommend this series for those looking for a fun cozy mystery with a fresh spin.

A well plotted and entertaining story like all the others in this excellent series.
I liked the solid mystery and it kept me guessing.
Can't wait to read the next instalment, highly recommended.
Many thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Belinda, our intrepid pet sitter and video game reviewer, heads home to Larches Corner when Naomi, a close family friend dies. Naomi's son Jonas recruits her to take care of his mom's homing pigeons, something she hadn't planned on doing but ok. AND then, Jackson, a student is murdered in a hit and run. Ordinarily, Belinda would mind her business (not!) but Chloe, her friend and a newspaper reporter ropes her in because the murder looks a lot like one which happens several years before. Chloe's great, the other characters are fun, and, as always, the animals are terrific (although pigeons are a less exotic than her previous charges). It's a smartly written and nicely twisty mystery that kept me guessing. I'm a fan of the series but this would be fine as a standalone. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'm looking forward to the next one!

Series: An Exotic Pet-Sitter Mystery – Book 3
Author: Heather Day Gilbert
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Pet
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Page Count: 168

From Lyrical Press comes book three in the “An Exotic Pet-Sitter Mystery” by Heather Day Gilbert, Belinda Blake And The Birds Of A Feather.

This animal-based cozy is highly entertaining and interesting for readers who enjoy mysteries that make you think. Most will not know who the killer is until closer to the end of the book, and it may give them cause to reflect on the evidence contained within the pages of this book.

Belinda isn’t your ordinary heroine. Here in the third book of the series, we learn that there is more to her than the reader may believe. She isn’t out to play video games or hang out with the rich and wealthy. She may love animals and enjoy the freedom that her life gives her, but she also loves her family and friends; she wants to be a part of their lives. Even though there aren’t any exotic animals this time around, they play a smaller role in the overall plot; it makes for a more intriguing read that shapes the characters far more than either of the other books have combined.

All of the repeating characters in this series are enjoyable, even when they are pushy and outspoken, or meek and private. The animals, in this case, mostly pigeons, are fun to images in the circumstances they are placed. The victim(s) are curious as we know little to nothing about them, but it's hard not to understand them and sympathize.

Readers will enjoy Belinda Blake And The Birds Of A Feather. If the reader is an animal lover, they will want the book to be a bit longer, and the animals more plentiful. Overall, it’s a quick read with a great plot and wonderful characters. However, I took issue with the ending of the book and feel it was a questionable way to end the story. It made me enjoy the book just a little less.

ARC provided by Kensington Books via NetGalley

The first I’ve read in the series – I’ll be honest: the draw for me to this title was the “exotic pet sitter” series and to see just how one could mix exotics, murder, mayhem and make it fun. And Gilbert did just that. Expecting a quiet break after two successive sets of ‘investigations” in the first books, Belinda has headed back to her parent’s house for some quiet time. It’s not long before she’s volunteered to feed pigeons, murders seem to be popping up and Belinda may be in danger, with or without actually investigating.

Twists, turns, a few surprises and even a love triangle come into play here, even as the bodies aren’t ‘cold’ yet – and Belinda is a wonderfully kind and quirky character, something that is highlighted when we are introduced to her colorful family and see some of the choices (romance wise, not to mention her fascination and facility with exotics) that keep readers engaged and me entertained. And the mystery was a twisty one, perfect for choosing and discarding suspects as the case is built and we all have our own ‘favorite’ culprit.

For a first read of a series that has two earlier installments, I didn’t find myself terribly lost or that there were too many unanswered questions. I am assuming that the development and growth in Belinda’s character fits with the earlier titles, and she was engaging and easy to get to know and empathize with. I think fans of this series will really enjoy this book – as for me – I’m now a fan.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-aC0/”> <a> I am, Indeed </a>

Belinda Blake has an unusual career, actually two different jobs, but the most unusual is that she pet sits for exotic animals. She has sat for a ball python in the first book of the series and also worked with at a wolf preserve in the second book. She also reviews video games. She lives in Greenwich, Connecticut, where she lives in a coach house on an estate of the Carrington family. Stone Carrington the fifth is the younger Stone in the family and a friend of Belinda's. When her close friend and neighbor of her parents, Naomi, died, she left to head home for the service and give her support to Jonas, son of Naomi. Like, Stone, Jonas is a close friend. Soon after she arrived back on her parents' farm in upstate New York, a young college student was killed in a suspicious hit and run. Her short visit turns into a longer visit when she is pulled into helping her friend and reporter, Chloe, investigate what soon is believed to be a murder. The young man Jackson was part of a literature group and the second one to have died but won't be the last. Jonas also needs her help taking care of some white homing pigeons that were his mom's.
This is my favorite of the series because there is a great mystery to solve and Belinda is in the middle of the danger. The person responsible is quite a surprise. She also has some thinking to do about her relationships with Stone and with Jonas. However, the story ends with a little bit of a cliffhanger and what may have seemed settled, may not be there yet.
I received a complimentary ARC from Lyrical Press and Kensington Books through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine only.

Belinda Blake is happy with her new life in the Carriage house, but things back home are a little rocky. Her 'friend' Jonas' mother is terminally ill and passes away in the very beginning. There is a continuation of conversational ease here which makes even the sad scenes very realistic. The only thing I did not buy in this instalment was the need that Belinda fell to entangle herself in the local death(s) which eventually does not turn out to be too good for her. Once she does, she keeps the regular updates of her thought process very clear. This is a shorter book than others of its ilk but packs a lot into it. We have a local boy who was run over, and some found the situation and the event very suspicious. Belinda finds out that an old friend of hers is the reporter handling the story. That is how she finds herself questioning people and building a case. It just so happens she does not get it right at all. This absurd scenario culminates in a hostage situation, although Belinda survives. 

I would recommend it to readers of the genre because it is an easy read and there is as much stunned incomprehension and discussion about the killer's identity after its revelation as any reader would have shown. I think it can even be read as a standalone thanks to all the background information provided. It does have a lot more personal drama than the first instalment. 

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience and my prior reading of the first book of the series.

My first read by Heather Day Gilbert and this being the third book within this series, the Exotic Pet-Sitter), I really enjoyed it!

This was a fun and fast read for me, I loved taking a few moments during the day to tear thru a few chapters and then end a busy day by winding down with this cozy read.

I found the characters and the plot to be enjoyable and I think everyone who picks up a copy will find they have a great new series to dig into! I am actually going to go and purchase the first two in the series, I enjoyed it that much!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this one and to share my thoughts. Loved it and can’t wait for #4!

Belinda Blake and the Birds of a Feather is the third book in the Exotic Pet-Sitter mystery series.
Belinda is heading home to Upstate New York after the death of a close family friend.
When a college student is killed , she ends up getting involved.

The mystery was well written with wonderful characters. I was a tad disappointed that we did not see as much of the animals as in the first two books in the series.

I hope the love triangle doesn't continue too much longer too because well *sigh*

Looking forward to the next book in the series and hopefully more animals!