Birds of Wonder

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Pub Date 20 Feb 2018 | Archive Date 23 Apr 2018

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Description

One August morning while walking her dog, high-school English teacher Beatrice Ousterhout stumbles over the dead body of a student, Amber Inglin, who was to play the lead in Beatrice’s production of John Webster’s Jacobean tragedy, The Duchess of Malfi. Barely able to speak, Beatrice calls the police. That is to say, she calls her daughter. Jes is a detective with two years of experience under her belt and a personal life composed primarily of a string of one-night-stands, including the owner of the field in which Beatrice has found Amber. In addition to a house and a field, Child Services lawyer Liam Walsh owns a vineyard, where Amber Inglin, along with a handful of other teens who’ve had difficulty negotiating the foster system, was an intern. Set among the hills and lakes of upstate New York and told in six vibrantly distinct voices, this complex and original narrative chronicles the rippling effects of a young girl’s death through a densely intertwined community. By turns funny, fierce, lyrical and horrifying, BIRDS OF WONDER probes family ties, the stresses that break them, and the pasts that never really let us go.

One August morning while walking her dog, high-school English teacher Beatrice Ousterhout stumbles over the dead body of a student, Amber Inglin, who was to play the lead in Beatrice’s production of...


A Note From the Publisher

Author is available for interviews, blog tours, autographed tours, autographed book giveaways, contests, and book club discussions.

Author is available for interviews, blog tours, autographed tours, autographed book giveaways, contests, and book club discussions.


Advance Praise

“Birds of Wonder is an absorbing, often disturbing mystery in which no one seems truly trustworthy by the end” —Foreword Reviews

"Highly recommended, especially to book-discussion groups looking for their next read” — Booklist

“Birds of Wonder is an absorbing, often disturbing mystery in which no one seems truly trustworthy by the end” —Foreword Reviews

"Highly recommended, especially to book-discussion groups looking for...


Marketing Plan

About the Author:

Cynthia Robinson is a writer and art historian based in Ithaca, New York. Her short fiction has been published by The Arkansas Review, Epoch, The Missouri Review, Slice, and others. She is Mary Donlon Alger Professor of Medieval and Islamic Art at Cornell University and has recently, following a very long hiatus, returned to fiction with her first novel, Birds of Wonder.

About the Author:

Cynthia Robinson is a writer and art historian based in Ithaca, New York. Her short fiction has been published by The Arkansas Review, Epoch, The Missouri Review, Slice, and others...


Available Editions

EDITION Paperback
ISBN 9781641365260
PRICE $16.95 (USD)

Average rating from 44 members


Featured Reviews

Although Birds of Wonder starts off as a murder mystery, and while that mystery frames the novel, it is truly the story of the 6 narrators. Told in turns by these characters as an investigation ensues, the novel offers explorations of issues surrounding family relationships. Mother/daughter, sibling, and marital relationships are explored along with questions of loyalty, love, loss and what constitutes success. Each chapter is told from a single character's perspective. Occasionally, the transition between characters seems slightly jumpy, but overall their stories are eloquently related in their unique voices.

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I found this book to be surprisingly compelling. The writing was lyrical while being effective and I couldn't put it down. I'm not quite sure what I was expecting, but I was pleasantly surprised by the book and author.

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Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book - all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I genuinely enjoyed this take on a typical murder mystery. Birds of Wonder takes the standard police procedural and turns it on its head, creating a story that follows the work to solve a case from the perspective of several incredibly diverse characters.

When a local girl, Amber Inglin, is found dead in a field, no one can predict the rippling effects it will have on the local community. Beatrice, Amber's teacher, who finds the body; her daughter Jes, the local police officer who lands the lead on the case; Liam Walsh, the owner of the field where Amber's body is found, who is also Amber's former child services lawyer and summer job boss; Edward, a local artist and one of the last people to see Amber alive; Conner, her foster brother and his twin sister Megan; and Waldo, a local man who speaks to the birds and works with Liam at his vineyard.

Cynthia Robinson does a remarkable job of intertwining perspectives of six characters, slowly unraveling what happened to Amber, and the consequences of the crime on everyone involved. Beautifully written, drawing in the most stunning descriptions of birds that offset the story line perfectly.

I walked into this book fully expecting a standard crime mystery, and instead found myself pleasantly surprised with a well paced character drama. I absolutely adore books with flawed lead characters, and this one did not disappoint. My only wish is that we could have delved further into Jes and her life.

This book would make a great read for book clubs everywhere - the twists and turns, combined with the complexity and diversity of characters would make for terrific discussion! A solid recommendation for lovers of a good character drama; get this one on your to-read pile.

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Thanks to Netgalley and Smith Publicity for an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review.
Birds of Wonder is a powerful debut novel by Cynthia Robinson. The book has multiple PoVs, but it is mainly focused on Beatrice and Jes. The book begins when Beatrice finds a dead body in Liam Walsh's field. The dead girl happens to be Beatrice's student, Amber Inglin. She calls her daughter, Jes, who is also the primary investigator of the case. Jes resumes her affair with Liam Walsh, who is one of the suspects and things get complicated. The story that follows is very intriguing.

Birds of Wonder can not be called as a thriller or nail biting novel, it mostly focuses on relationships. The secrets they are hiding makes this book interesting and compelling to read. It is a very character driven book and the description of birds make this book worth the read. Robinson's writing is flawless. I highly recommend this book to all the readers who love family drama. 3.5 stars.

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