Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the arc.

I struggled to get in to this book and found the start slow. It took me a long while to read it. That said I enjoyed the last few chapters.

I found this book difficult to engage with and confusing to follow. The beginning was slow and the characters did not feel fully drawn. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

I really wanted to like this one more then I did, unfortunately I found the pacing to be too slow and by the time the plot really got going, I didn't really care much anymore. I found the historical aspect really interesting, examining domestic violence during this time period as well as how Lucy's modern views were seen by the town so I did find the ending satisfying.

I also liked the transcripts of the court proceedings interspersed as well and the letters written by Zona for her daughter. I just don't think I connected with this author's writing or the story as a whole, I found myself lacking in intrigue the more I read. Well researched just not a book for me in the end.

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Although I’m not usually a fan of courtroom dramas, this one kept me enthralled. Admittedly, this was partially helped by the fact that I was reading against the clock before my NetGalley licence expired, but I was desperate to know what happened. I finished with 90 minutes to go and the ending did not disappoint.

This is a tale of friendship and betrayal, of deep secrets and of the triumph of social mores over family ties. It is a tale of deception and expectations, of shame and guilt and uncovering truths. As in the best novels set in the late 19th century, there is a ghostly presence and a strong thread running throughout of women rebelling against the restrictions on their lives, both physical and intellectual, with a strong urge towards self-determination, often thwarted by the men who held all the power; fathers, husbands, brothers, editors. It’s about the power and intuition of the feminine and the dangers of the controlling behaviour of men who gaslight their wives. It was spellbinding!

Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this book from NetGalley, but my review reflects my genuine opinions.

Nobody knows much about Trout Shue other than he’s a good blacksmith and seems like a stand-up kind of guy. When he marries Zona Heaster in late 1896, it seems Zona has put her troubled past, involving the secret child born out of wedlock, behind her. However, after the wedding, the happy couple move away and Zona cuts ties with the people she loves.
In early 1897, just three months into the marriage, a boy delivering eggs finds Zona dead at the bottom of the stairs of the home she shares with Trout. A doctor is called who declares that Zona died of an ‘everlasting faint.’
Suspicion falls on Trout, and he is put on trial for the murder of his wife.
The murder of Zona Heaster Shue, in Greenbrier County in 1987 is real, as is the trial of her husband. However, what makes this case so unusual is that it is the first, and possibly only time, that a ghost gave evidence in a murder trial.
When I say that the writing is quite simple, it’s not a criticism. It places the reader in small town America towards the end of the nineteenth century. I really liked Zona as the central character. She is well rounded and complex. There is even a little surprise about her towards the very end of the book, which made me like her even more.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an SRC in exchange for an honest review.

A really interesting plot based on true events, but I just found this too slow, very hard to get into and when I did I soon lost interest.

I really wanted to enjoy this read, and the last few chapters were great and interesting but I got lost in the beginning

Compelling and totally irresistible a read. Couldn’t put it down, even after midnight. I gravitate towards the thought provoking novels based on real historical accounts where women are at the focus and how they are treated by the adopted norm and its rules. It brings in the debate over what is right and what is accepted, and if we are to pursue justice, what does that mean for those involved. And this didn’t disappoint. All three main characters were passionately well written and strong. I also loved the style of prose and the use of letters etc kept the story fresh and real.
Cant wait to read more of Aoife Fitzpatrick. Many thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity of reading this title.

I really enjoyed this book I love a dark gothic mystery and add the southern charm this book carries and I was sold before I even started reading! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for early access to this book.

I really enjoyed reading this book, being based on a true story it definitely had the element of true crime linked to it. I liked the way it was written, built of chapters, letters, and news articles, added another depth to the book. It was a little slow starting, but as soon as the pace picked up I found I couldn’t put this book down. The descriptions of the setting, historical elements and the people were fantastic, I felt as if I were in the room with the characters.

I love the cover and the reason for the title – you will have to read this compelling novel to find out why! – and oh, that I could have read the book in one sitting! Based on real events, the author adds atmosphere, empathy, intrigue and guile, plus her imagination, to a compelling read. Aoife Fitzpatrick’s prose is a delight to read: elegant, engaging and lyrical. She envelops the reader in a time and tide (happily) mostly not seen nowadays, capturing the determination of a mother to find justice, which should never be underestimated. In tandem, the events invite the reader to consider the issues described in the cover material: Who is listened to and who is ignored? Why are women so often not believed? And what does justice truly mean?
I shall look forward to more volumes from this author – a new addition to the many marvellous Irish writers – but hope the proofreading will be a little more thorough. A repeated paragraph was distracting, as were some of the typos (hence four starts) but overall, I truly enjoyed the journey
4*

I loved this Mr Trout on trial for the murder of his wife Heaster Shue, i was back and forth regarding my thoughts of whether Trout did kill his wife Heaster. But what a page-turner and a good look at the attitude towards women.
This historical drama is brilliant and well worth reading five stars for me.

This is a stunning book, beautifully written. Set in Virginia at the end of the nineteenth century, and apparently based to some extent on real events, it centres around the trial of Trout Shue for the murder of his wife, Zona. The complex story is told in an interesting way, using letters written by Zona to her daughter, given up for adoption as a baby, and the accounts written by Lucy, a journalist who was Zona's best friend. Lucy and Zona's mother Mary Jane battle to get justice for Zona and the courtroom drama is very gripping.

The social norms of the time make all three women outsiders to some extent: Zona has an illegitimate child; Lucy is making a career in a world dominated by men; and Mary Jane's psychic experiences and carelessness about her appearance set her apart. They blaze against the rigid society in which they exist and triumph in their own ways. Highly recommended.

Inspired by true events, The Red Bird Sings follows Mary-Jane and Lucy in West Virginia, 1987, as their daughter and friend Zona dies, apparently from the hands of her new husband. Determined to prove the man guilty, Lucy gathers evidence to avenge her best friend while Mary-Jane is convinced her daughter is speaking to her beyond the grave.

This book is well written and I think the historical setting is really good. I liked how we got to know Zona a little bit and received glimpses of her real spirit and character before her marriage to Edward Shue, and death. Mary-Jane as a character is probably one of the biggest and loudest in the books due to her eccentricities and her ferociousness in her love for her daughter but Lucy was definitely the stand-out character for me due to her determined nature and her clever way of making things right.

I enjoyed reading this and I think this is an excellent debut novel. I will definitely be reading anything else Aoife Fitzpatrick writes as she definitely has a talent, especially considering she is an Irish author writing an American setting. It felt very authentic to me. However, this story was fine for me. I enjoyed it, it was very good but it wasn't a stand out novel to me, or one I'd be rushing to recommend. And I think it's just a me thing, and not a big problem with the story itself.

Based loosely on real events, I was enthralled by this story set in West Virginia in 1897. About a lively girl, Zona, who marries the town's charming blacksmith, Trout. After they are wed Zona distances herself from family and friends and is found dead, murdered in her home.

The sense of time and place is spot on. The courtroom drama and the revelations that are exposed gave me a great Perry Mason vibe. Full of tension and intrigue and a bit of gentle mysticism, I couldn't put The Red Bird Sings down once I clicked with it.

This debut novel focuses on a fiction around a real historical trial in America. It was a little slow to start but once the trial starts it was gripping and I could see why the background was needed. Interesting to think about who is believable and why as well as learning about the old superstitions.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly, the front cover is beautiful, and I'm drawn to Gothic novels. The style of writing was difficult to read at times, but once I got use to it, the story picked up its pace.
The story is told through the eyes of Mary Jane and news articles via journalist Lucy.

It's a very different but enjoyable read

Based on a real-life murder trial in 1897 Virginia,Thank you for this advanced copy which was a great read, I had trouble putting this down! I liked the way it was written and it made for an easy read. I would definitely recommend and look forward to reading another book by this author! A stunner! I guarantee you’ll put everything on hold until you arrive at the shocking final scenes!

When Zona is killed just after her wedding, in 1897, her husband goes on trial for her murder. It‘s based on a true story (historical faction?) and has a slightly gothic twist.

I was going to nominate this for a book group I'm in but I‘m glad I didn‘t because, while I enjoyed it, it certainly doesn‘t have the ‘wow‘ factor and I‘m not sure how much discussion it would have generated, other than how women were / are treated.

I'm not a huge fan of gothic anyway, and the blurb made me think that this might be a bit more 'true crime' and I would certainly recommend this to fans of gothic novels and historical fiction.