Rachel’s arrival is heralded by a mouthy parakeet named Perky and a group of birdwatchers that meets faithfully at Bird Haven. The birdwatchers are an odd assortment and include, among others, Rachel’s childhood friend, Lark, U.S. Representative Forest Nettleman, Charles Pendergrast, a childhood friend of Miriam’s late husband Will, and Eric, the Scandinavian forest ranger. Rachel expects the most exciting thing of the weekend will be spotting a LeConte’s sparrow, but while trying to flush one out of a thicket, Rachel stumbles across a dead body.

The man is identified as a reporter from Birds of a Feather magazine that Rachel heard arguing with her aunt about Will’s involvement in a bird trafficking scheme over fifteen years ago. Since Miriam was the last person to see the man alive, and given the argument, Miriam moves to the top of the sheriff’s suspect list. When Miriam and several endangered birds disappear, Rachel grows very concerned for her aunt’s safety and begins to investigate on her own, almost getting killed in the process.

Rant of Ravens is a very entertaining debut mystery that provides a good deal of information about birds and birding, including a description of ravens and their habits at the end of the book. Birders and nature lovers alike will enjoy this new twist on the cozy mystery.

Rachel Stanhope has the potential to grow into a very strong heroine. She is very gutsy, although she mentions her self-defense class a few times too often, and is willing to go out on a limb, literally, to save her aunt. She is a bit naïve as she dismisses several people that are almost strangers to her, as suspects almost immediately. She is also quite adept at outdoor activities in spite of having grown up in Chicago and spending a good deal of her adult life in Manhattan.

The mystery is fairly straight forward and easy to figure out, but interest is held with the information provided on birding and with the entertaining characters. A quick-paced read with an unusual hook and a lively protagonist will leave reader’s eager for Rachel’s next outing.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry