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Fowl Play: A Critter Sitter Mystery- Book One
When former marketing executive Charlotte "Charlie" Winslow takes a simple pet-sitting job in the small coastal town of Herring Cove, she expects an easy evening with a talkative parrot — not a front-row seat to murder.
The next morning, her client Gerald Whitcombe is dead on his study floor, and the only witness is Sir Reginald, his sharp-eyed African grey parrot with an unsettling habit of repeating exactly what he shouldn't.
As Charlie teams up with skeptical (and increasingly charmed) Deputy Ben Castellano, she discovers Gerald wasn't the beloved town fixture everyone assumed — he was a man with enemies on every corner of Herring Cove. A jilted business partner. An estranged wife with secrets of her own. A son cut out of the family fortune. And a parrot who heard it all.
With her rescue dog Chowder digging up literal buried evidence and Sir Reginald doling out crucial clues one cryptic phrase at a time, Charlie will have to listen more closely than she ever has in her life — before the killer decides she's heard too much.
Fowl Play is Book One in the Critter Sitter Mysteries, a cozy mystery series where every new client's pet brings a fresh case to solve. Perfect for fans of animal-cozy mysteries with a hint of small-town romance.
The next morning, her client Gerald Whitcombe is dead on his study floor, and the only witness is Sir Reginald, his sharp-eyed African grey parrot with an unsettling habit of repeating exactly what he shouldn't.
As Charlie teams up with skeptical (and increasingly charmed) Deputy Ben Castellano, she discovers Gerald wasn't the beloved town fixture everyone assumed — he was a man with enemies on every corner of Herring Cove. A jilted business partner. An estranged wife with secrets of her own. A son cut out of the family fortune. And a parrot who heard it all.
With her rescue dog Chowder digging up literal buried evidence and Sir Reginald doling out crucial clues one cryptic phrase at a time, Charlie will have to listen more closely than she ever has in her life — before the killer decides she's heard too much.
Fowl Play is Book One in the Critter Sitter Mysteries, a cozy mystery series where every new client's pet brings a fresh case to solve. Perfect for fans of animal-cozy mysteries with a hint of small-town romance.
135 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 11, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 20, 2026
interesting new witness of a murder
Who would expect a pet Parrot to be a telling witness to a murder! And you would have to listen closely to what he had to tell! Charlie learned that patience was essential when dealing with the parrot! He would tell all in due time! Nice casual romance developing as they together solve the mystery! Great storyline!
Who would expect a pet Parrot to be a telling witness to a murder! And you would have to listen closely to what he had to tell! Charlie learned that patience was essential when dealing with the parrot! He would tell all in due time! Nice casual romance developing as they together solve the mystery! Great storyline!
September 22, 2026
Enjoyable, despite predictable formula. I liked it because I am fascinated with the intelligence of birds. I found it quite credible, except for the denouement when Sir Reginald suddenly quoted two paragraphs of a discussion, like a tape recorder.
That was a stretch, as were the many violation of customary police practices, but overall, the bird made the story.
That was a stretch, as were the many violation of customary police practices, but overall, the bird made the story.
October 2, 2026
Unexpectedly wise word hidden in the plot.
I enjoyed this book more than I intended to, hoping it was bland enough to make me sleepy. Instead I was drawn into two plots; a murder and a romance. Occasional really wise words blended in, but each worthy of a long pause and reflection.
I enjoyed this book more than I intended to, hoping it was bland enough to make me sleepy. Instead I was drawn into two plots; a murder and a romance. Occasional really wise words blended in, but each worthy of a long pause and reflection.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews