Books by J.R. Ripley

Cafe owner Maggie Miller's special Halloween promotional evening ends in disaster when she discovers the body of one of her regular customers, strangled to death with an expensive cashmere scarf. What secrets had the late Nancy Alverson been hiding? And why had she been studying books on witchcraft?

When Birds & Bees owner Amy Simms volunteers to act in a local production of Annie, Get Your Gun, she finds herself upstaged by a killer waiting in the wings . . . Who's got time for birdwatching? Amy has enough to do running her shop, fighting attempts by the town planning commission to demolish her old Victorian house, and rescuing an injured towhee. Yet somehow she allows herself to get roped into performing in the Ruby Lake, North Carolina, community theater's new musical after some cast members get injured by mysterious mishaps. The production seems plagued by bad luck, but events turn tragic when a member of the company is found murdered in a locked dressing room. Trading in her binoculars for a magnifying glass, Amy steps into the role of amateur sleuth and soon discovers the victim ruffled a lot of feathers. With a flock of suspects, Amy will need to beat the bushes before the cagey killer takes flight. After all, the show must go on . . .

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and the only things on Birds & Bees owner Amy Simms’s wish list are peace, quiet, and birding beside her beau.  But in small town Ruby Lake, ‘tis the season to solve murders . . .Before Amy can get into the holiday spirit, she meets Franklin Finch—the cocky new owner of Christmas House Village, one of the most beloved attractions in town. Locals have been squawking over his decision to sack veteran staff members for cheaper help. And when Finch blows off a business deal with Amy, it confirms that he’s the biggest scrooge around. Still, she’s stunned the night his dead body is found swinging in the attic of a festive Victorian . . .Clashing against Chief Kennedy once again, Amy sets off to prove that Finch was murdered. 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 seedy killer . . . Praise for J.R. Ripley’s Beignets, Brides and Bodies“Appealing . . . A clever, amusing cozy.” —Publishers Weekly“Ripley’s entertaining second series outing is a tasty option for foodie mystery fans.” —Library Journal

A red-bellied woodpecker may lead to a yellow-bellied killer . . .One morning when unwilling early bird Amy Simms grabs her binoculars for a closer look at the woodpecker who's been waking her up, she can't believe her eyes. Across Ruby Lake, through a curtain of rain, she sees a body being tossed out of an upstairs window at the old McKutcheon place. Or at least she thinks she does. The police chief finds no body-only a discarded dressmaker's dummy-and complains that Amy sent him on a wild-goose chase. She should probably focus on minding her store, Birds & Bees, but Amy can't help snooping. And when she turns up another body-a murdered member of her birdwatching group-Amy once again needs to wing it as a sleuth to zoom in on a killer . . . Praise for J.R. Ripley's Buried in Beignets "Those who like their mysteries relatively nonviolent and delivered with a smile will thoroughly enjoy this little gem." -Booklist "A fun new cozy series. I would definitely read another, so I hope this is the first of many." -Myshelf.com

Includes an excerpt from The woodpecker always pecks twice.

For Amy Simms, hatching a birding shop in her hometown of Ruby Lake, North Carolina, hasn't exactly been a breeze. But could a deadly discovery clip her wings for good? It's just days before Amy plans to open Birds & Bees on the first floor of her creaky Victorian house, but delayed seed shipments have prevented the fledging owner from stocking her shelves. And it doesn't help that Amy's best friend and business partner is out of town indefinitely. With locals skeptical about the niche shop taking flight, the last thing Amy needs now is a dead man in her storeroom-or for a crotchety tenant to catch her holding a bloody birdfeeder hook over his body . . . Pigeonholed as a leading murder suspect by police and lacking a solid alibi, Amy's delving into the victim's ugly past and buzzing around Ruby Lake for clues on his killer . . . beforeshe ends up like so many of her beloved feathery friends-trapped behind bars!

Ruby Lake, North Carolina, might be the perfect place to go birdwatching during autumn, but it’s also a habitat for murder . . .   As Birds & Bees owner Amy Simms guides a halfhearted birding group around Ruby Lake, rumors soon start flying about the annual Fall Festival’s classic car and tractor show. Local eccentric Chick Sherman—boasting the hottest ride in town—has ruffled feathers by mysteriously entering the contest, and curious Amy hatches a plan to sneak a glimpse at the phantom automobile before the big event kicks off . . .   But competition turns deadly when Amy finally spots the sleek ’56 El Morocco—and it’s on top of Chick’s very dead body. With her neighbor and business partner framed as the murderer and priceless Audubon prints suddenly missing from Chick’s home, only Amy can identify the telltale markings of a killer before another hapless victim is plucked from the flock . . .   Praise for J.R. Ripley’s Beignets, Brides and Bodies   “Appealing . . .  A clever, amusing cozy.” —Publishers Weekly   “Ripley’s entertaining second series outing is a tasty option for foodie mystery fans.” —Library Journal