The Red Bird Sings by Aoife Fitzpatrick is based on the true story of the 1897 trial of Trout Shue for the murder of his young wife in West Virginia.
Ms Fitzpatrick’s writing skills are clear in this her debut book, and while this reader struggles with the difficulty in separating fact from fiction in this type of story, The Red Bird Sings is a solid, well-organised and entertaining work.
While Zona and her friend Lucy come across as Anne of Green Gables types in the background section, as the tension intensifies during the trial, Lucy’s character, in her bravery and selflessness comes to the fore. The balance within the character of blackhearted Shue, a cold, arrogant, depressive, with equal numbers of supporters and opponents, and a clever courtroom twist builds to a dramatic conclusion.
This is a clever telling of a true story veiled in mystery and hearsay.

We meet Lucy Frye in West Virginia, 1897, as she learns of the death of her best friend – the newly married Zona Shue. Through the medium of both flashbacks and Lucy’s reports on the ensuing trial, we learn more about Zona as well as Lucy’s mistrust of Trout Shue – Zona’s new husband.

The suspicion surrounding Trout grows ever deeper when Zona’s mother, Mary Jane, has a vision in which Zona tells her that Trout is responsible for her murder. What follows is the trial of Shue, and Lucy’s struggles to find justice for her friend while ensuring that her memory is honoured.

The fact that story is based on a real trial lends an extra layer of interest to this book, but also perhaps limits it slightly. I found the story fascinating but felt as though I could have connected with each of the characters more, had I been allowed to get to know them a little better.

I did, however, enjoy the book and would read more by this author.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.

Based on real events there are not many surprises in this story. The build up to Zona's death was a little predictable although it did serve to introduce the characters and give a glimpse of daily life in Greenbrier which was imaginative and detailed. The emotion of the funeral preparations heightened the tension and the pace quickened as suspicions were raised regarding the manner of her death. At times it was hard to believe that Trout found it so easy to pull the wool over everyone's eyes but I think part of this is to do with looking at events and behaviour with 21st century eyes that find domestic abuse far too common.
I very much enjoyed the historical setting and the depiction of Lucy as someone able to voice her point of view, particularly through her writing even though she was frowned upon from all sides. Her strength and audacity were a pleasure to read and I loved the image of her smearing pig's fat on her face to protect it from the elements as she rode her bicycle.
Mary Jane I found less convincing. I was willing to accept that her psychic connection with Zona would not allow her to rest until her daughter's killer was brought to justice but the physical manifestations of her 'possession' particularly in the court room seemed unlikely.
It is a moving and emotional story, particularly in the way that Zona's family are so deeply affected by, not only her loss but the subsequent events and it is told with great sensitivity. I was pleased that it ended on a hopeful note.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy.

What a powerful, moving work of historical fiction. As soon as I started reading The Red Bird Sings, I physically couldn’t put it down! Picked it up during a long train journey and felt compelled to continue reading throughout the day. Fitzpatrick deals with Zona’s tragedy with such sensitivity, and amplifies the voices of the women in the community, who were most likely to be overlooked during the period. Their determination shone throughout the narrative. It speculates without becoming overly sensational, and resonates deeply. Despite the incident happening in 19th century West Virginia, it remains a familiar story throughout society today. I’m betting on this being one of 2023’s stand out reads, and it’s a must read for historical fiction fans.

This is a remarkable debut which fleshes out the bones of a real court case into a mesmerising novel. Aoife Fitzpatrick has really captured the essence of the main characters and the attitudes and superstitions of the time and their society. There are strong women dealing with prejudice and finding ways to circumvent convention and the arrogant and conniving men who underestimate them. Ultimately, you are asked to believe that a grieving mother was able to summon the spirit of her dead daughter while being cross examined in court. Whatever you believe, this is a great and captivating first novel.

Reading this book after recent reports of the failures of the police in dealing with Raneem Oudeh and her mother Khoala Saleem- Say Their Names was very poignant. I am also extremely familiar with the Red Barn Murder so that was what peaked my interest in this book. I did google the true story as it was one that, despite previous books/plays I was unaware of. It was a fascinating read and well done to the women who weren't afraid to speak up. The author has clearly done a lot of research.
My one gripe, although I didn't have the formatting issues of the previous review, was that the font size for the trial parts was incredibly small and hard to read for any length of time. Yes I could change the font size on my Kindle but I kept having to change it back again. This was very irritating. If the author wants a difference between the two I suggest doing it a different way because in a physical book you wouldn't have the option to change the size.
Other than that a good read which I enjoyed
3.5/5 stars

I would struggle to be able to review this book due to issues with the file/download. The issues stopped the flow of the book. The issues are:
- Missing words in the middle of sentences
- Stop/start sentences on different lines
- No clear definition of chapters.
- Red font is used throughout

I’m not sure if it was a file/download issue but there were lots of gaps and stops/starts which really ruined the flow. I would love the chance to read a better version as the description of the book appeals to me. I would be more than happy to re-read the book with a better file or as a physical book as the book topic and genre are of interest to me.