Nora Blackbird is finally having her baby! But even that comes with complications. Sisters Emma and Libby have their own problems, but they try to join forces to help Nora live happily ever after. And nothing could go wrong. Or could it? Michael is the target of a Mob plot, and the cops have set up an observation post right outside the delivery room. Is he going to make it into fatherhood without going to jail? And Nora's trying to cope with a new job offer as she labors to bring her baby into the world. Big changes are in store for everyone. In other words, it's life as usual for the Blackbird sisters!
Winner of the 2009 Lifetime Achievement award for mystery writing from Romantic Times magazine, Nancy Martin announces the release of the 8th book in her popular Blackbird Sisters mystery series, NO WAY TO KILL A LADY. Set in Philadelphia, the story features three heiresses whose parents have run off with their trust funds. Now thay have a chance to regain their wealth when their aunt, "Madcap Maddy" Blackbird dies in a volcano and leaves her estate to the sisters. But Nora Blackbird soon discovers all the treasures in Aunt Maddy's house have disappeared...information that leads her to believe maybe Maddy didn't die the way everybody thinks.
Author of 48 pop fiction novels in mystery, suspense, historical and romance genres, Nancy created The Blackbird Sisters in 2002--- mysteries about three impoverished heiresses who adventure in couture and crime --as if “Agatha Christie had wandered onto the set of Sex and The City.” Nominated for the Agatha Award for Best First Mystery of 2002, HOW TO MURDER A MILLIONAIRE won the RT award for Best First Mystery and was a finalist for the Daphne DuMaurier Award. Currently, she is at work on the Roxy Abruzzo mystery series for St. Martin’s Minotaur. In 2009 she received the Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award for mystery writing.
Nancy lives in Pittsburgh, serves on the board of Sisters in Crime and is a founding member of Pennwriters. Find her on Pinterest and Facebook.
I LOVED this series from start to finish. Thank you, Ms. Martin, for tying up all the loose ends in this final novella and leaving some things for me to imagine of characters I've grown to know and love. I enjoyed the different points of view this go-round and you wrapped all up with your usual humor, emotional punch, class and excellent plotting and writing. I look forward to future books and series to come.
I LOVED the Blackbird series,but this novella was just that,a novella. I wish there were more novels, but alas, no If you haven't read them, start at the beginning and give them a try. Very well done, and it's only the brevity of this work that I gave it 4 stars. Had it been an entire novel, a strong 5+ I even cried when Nora got in trouble
There are a few loose ends that don't get tied up. Like does Lexie ever give Crewe a chance? Does Emma ever find happiness? And I never warmed to the idea of Mick keeping so many secrets. Secrets are not good for a lasting relationship. I also wished Nora would get a backbone and stand up for herself. So many people did some pretty terrible things and got away with it.
It had to happen sometime, and a piece of my heart will be sad to see this series end. Nonetheless, it is a good ending - happy, but not perfect, just like real life.
Book 12 (I counted 12, but I have seen this listed as Book 10.5) in this well-written series ties up a lot of loose ends for the Blackbird Family. Nora, reluctant society matron and the most stable member of the family, is in the hospital to give birth at the same time the girlfriend of her nephew is being brought in from the jail to give birth to a baby Nora and Mick, her sort-of-mobster partner, will take in. Sister Libby is a person of interest in her late husband’s demise, sister Emma is having issues with her former lover, and Mick – Mick’s Family connections are coming back to haunt him.
The publisher declined to continue the series in print, and to me, this story is a love letter from the author to her longtime readers. Long-running storylines were wrapped up, and the ending was most satisfying. I love the dialogue, the settings, the description of fashion, the relationships between the characters, just about everything in this series and I’m sad it is no more. I am deeply appreciative the author took the time to give everyone a good ending. Mind you, I didn’t say “happy,” but good – I felt like I was able to catch up with old friends and was pleased with the resolution to the plotlines.
I can’t say enough about this series. Keeping track of all the characters is a bit like reading a Russian novel, and this series did always straddle the line between romance dressed in mystery clothing and actual mystery to me. But the characters are intriguing and three-dimensional, the plot lines ring true, and I found much to cheer about in the relationship between Nora and Mick. I’m a little lost knowing that there isn’t any more, but at least I can go back and re-read the entire series from the beginning.
All good things come to an end. Nancy Martin knew that the Blackbird Sisters Mysteries had reached their natural conclusion, but she was too thoughtful to walk away. Instead she wrote one more novella that tied up a lot of loose ends and gave readers the feeling that life would go on in a positive direction in this world of the Blackbird sisters.
We have three sisters and a couple of interrelated friends that have been left up in the air as of the last book. In this exciting book, two pregnancies result in two beautiful babies for Mick and Nora with a lot of excitement just getting them born. We feel a surprise resolution for Libby, who for once is speechless. An agreement for Emma with a resulting resolution for the child she bore (Noah) that will make everyone cheer. Everyone has a dream to follow including Nora's best friend Lexie. Best of all it, they all live Happily Ever After...in their own fashion!
If you have read and loved any books in the series, you owe it to yourself to read this conclusion and sit back and sigh. Thanks Ms Martin for giving us what we wanted.
It was a wonderful find when I stumbled across my first Nancy Martin jewel. I have eagerly devoured each treasure. Bye Bye Blackbird is as well crafted as those before it. Each character has been so delicately developed throughout every book in the series that as a reader, I knew I would enjoy this the next chapter in Nora's journey. There is humor, fast paced dialogue and most reassuringly of all, is love, for family and friends which runs through every page. It's very comforting to know if I pick up a book in this series it's like welcoming a close friend in my home for a cup of tea and warm conversation. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Nora's world this time as well.
Overall I have enjoyed this series. I admit that I took a break from the series for awhile because Nora’s character was getting on my nerves! Lol. Always needing to look just right in her Grammy’s couture and her indecisiveness about Michael....yeesh! But I enjoyed this last installment and especially loved the conversation between Emma and Father Jerry. When he admitted to quoting a Gilmore Girls episode; I was really laughing.
This madcap and imperfect ending novella to the Blackbird Sister series is like a gift from the author. Fans wanted impoverished but determined socialite Nora Blackbird and her true love and (mostly) reformed gangster Mick Abruzzi to live happily ever after. So Nancy Martin served up a rollicking and fairly tidy finish which reassures the readers that Nora and Mick will be just fine.
Nancy martins blackbird sister mysteries helped me through so much! Their chaos made me smile. And I was let down that my bookcase will never be fully complete. To think a teeny novella would be able to give this series the ending it deserves. That and to go from writing this classy series to a Brooke about a dog? I just don’t get it.. sorry Nancy Martin you have let this fan down.
This novella had no mystery of its own; it simply referred back to previous books in the series and tied up loose ends. More than 3/4 of it was told from the points of view of Nora's sisters and fiance, which somehow made those characters less likable to me than they are when seen through Nora's loving eyes.
A series I looked forward to. Each book just getting you deeper into the Blackbird family and all their antics. The characters were people you would like to be a part of. Good reading.
A perfect short to sum up the series. A little more from the girls, some romance, drama, the curse and of course the crime ring. A wonderful end to a wonderful series. Sad to see it end.
First book I read on my iPad and honestly- set my iPad up just to read how the series wraps up. I love that Nancy Martin took the time to write a short wrap up book rather than leaving fans hanging- although I would still read any additional stories if she ever came out with them!
It seems like the series has wrapped up with this novella, and I think it's time. Largely happy to see how things have ended. It would have been nice to see a little more character growth from some of them.
Over the years, I enjoyed reading of the exploits and situations the Blackbird sisters have gotten into. I'm sorry to see it end but I appreciate how the author tied everything cleanly. Thanks Ms. Nancy Martin for this series.
I enjoyed the ending to the Nora Blackbird series!! I have loved the series from the first book! Always entertaining!! Love her sisters Emma and Libby. They add a lot to each story lines! Enjoy!
This was a good wrap up for a great series! I'm sad to see this one end. I really love the cast of characters in this series. Ms. Martin has stated that perhaps she will publish an occasional novella to let us see what is happening in the Blackbird sisters lives. I certainly hope she does! Thanks for such a fun series!