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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!

127 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 11, 2016

43 people are currently reading
309 people want to read

About the author

Nancy Martin

140 books562 followers
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.

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5 stars
237 (50%)
4 stars
162 (34%)
3 stars
56 (11%)
2 stars
10 (2%)
1 star
7 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
Profile Image for Doris.
Author 33 books8 followers
March 13, 2017
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.
Profile Image for Beth.
21 reviews
October 27, 2016
It's been a long time

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
Profile Image for Latisha Bramlett.
362 reviews41 followers
August 16, 2017
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.
4 reviews1 follower
October 30, 2016
Bittersweet to see it end

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.
Profile Image for Marcia-Lee Finocchio.
604 reviews6 followers
November 10, 2016
Last book of the series. So sad to see this series end.. wonderful series. A great ending to a fantastic series ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️️❤️️❤️️
Profile Image for Denise Zendel.
780 reviews3 followers
December 19, 2017
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.

Profile Image for Barbara Hackel.
2,971 reviews45 followers
May 12, 2017
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.
338 reviews4 followers
December 14, 2017
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.
Profile Image for Lynette.
13 reviews1 follower
February 21, 2020
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.

Profile Image for Homerun2.
2,790 reviews19 followers
January 4, 2019
3.75 stars

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.
6 reviews2 followers
March 29, 2020
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.
Profile Image for Shannon.
608 reviews7 followers
July 26, 2020
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.
1 review
August 1, 2017
Good reading

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.
22 reviews1 follower
October 23, 2017
The end you were waiting for.

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.
Profile Image for Tara.
711 reviews
January 5, 2018
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!
Profile Image for Julianne O'Brien.
297 reviews
February 28, 2023
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.
3 reviews
June 23, 2023
Winding up a saga on a high note

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.
Profile Image for Luci.
365 reviews26 followers
March 6, 2018
I thought the tone was strange, compared to the others in the series, but I did enjoy it anyway.
Profile Image for kathy.
1,524 reviews
November 20, 2020
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!
4 reviews
January 6, 2021
Ugh! I hate typos... And the last few Blackbird books are loaded with them.. Really takes away from the story. Good story.
Profile Image for Hannah Lang.
1,322 reviews2 followers
April 18, 2021
A very fitting end to this story!! I’m very happy with how things wrapped up for everyone, especially Nora and Mick!
97 reviews1 follower
May 5, 2021
I’m glad it mostly tied things up nicely.
1,161 reviews5 followers
March 21, 2023
Thank goodness Nancy Martin ties up most of the loose ends in the Blackbird Sisters Saga. It’s been a fun ride. Thanks for the fun. And the clothes!
Profile Image for Allyson.
464 reviews1 follower
Read
June 9, 2023
Sad to be done with this fabulous family but glad it was wrapped up so nicely!
Profile Image for Linda.
2,379 reviews62 followers
June 26, 2023
Good end to the series

It’s been a while since I’ve read this series but I enjoyed this conclusion to it. Good to see all the characters moving in a good direction.
264 reviews9 followers
February 13, 2017
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!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews