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When the Devil Bird Cries

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Detective Bernadette Callahan’s honeymoon cruise is marred by unexplained passenger deaths. As the ship cruises from Singapore to Sri Lanka, Bernadette is convinced someone on board is responsible. The ship’s security is powerless to investigate. The captain of the elegant ship with only 200 wealthy passengers does not want to alarm the guests. Bernadette feels compelled to act. Can she solve a mystery cloaked with the intrigue of the multi-millionaire passengers and the secrets they’ve brought aboard? How far can she probe with no authority? As the ship sails deeper into the Bay of Bengal she wonders if she and her newlywed husband have become targets. Can she solve the riddle of deaths before she meets her own? Join Bernadette Callahan on a luxurious cruise ship, boasted to be one of the world’s finest. The ship is sailing on a world tour, but for some of the passengers, the excursions are deadly. Buy this book today to get on board this mystery cruise.

351 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 29, 2020

35 people are currently reading
16 people want to read

About the author

Lyle Nicholson

31 books58 followers
Lyle Nicholson was born in British Columbia Canada. His is the youngest of three sons born to a father who was a cook and mother who was a waitress.

His father, who died when Lyle was 15, was a story teller, something that Lyle adopted at an early age. His life would lead him to travels in Europe, then 5 years in a Monastery. He found he was not a good Monk, as poverty was easy - it was the chastity and obedience that was a stumbling block.

He left the Monastery in 1979, and met and married his wife in 1982. He would spend a few years working for companies, getting fired, starting business's that failed, until he finally started a sales agency that was a success. Lyle retired in 2011.

Retirement didn't work well for Lyle. His mind wanted to explore the regions he's experienced in both meditations and his extensive travels. This has resulted in the publication of one Novella, two Novels, and several free lance articles for magazines in Canada.

Lyle now resides in a small city in Western Canada where he continues to write his thrillers and mysteries with a twist.

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5 stars
91 (58%)
4 stars
48 (30%)
3 stars
10 (6%)
2 stars
6 (3%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
Profile Image for Susan.
7,207 reviews69 followers
December 2, 2020
Raffles‭ ‬hotel,‭ ‬Singapore.‭ ‬Thomas‭ ‬Addington‭ ‬leaves‭ ‬the‭ ‬hotel‭ ‬with‭ ‬a‭ ‬young‭ ‬blond‭ ‬female‭ ‬who‭ ‬says‭ ‬that‭ ‬she‭ ‬is‭ ‬a‭ ‬member‭ ‬of‭ ‬a cruise‭ ‬ship‭ ‬crew‭ ‬which‭ ‬is‭ ‬leaving‭ ‬tomorrow.‭ But later her ‬body‭ ‬is‭ ‬discovered‭ ‬at‭ ‬Clarke‭ ‬Quay.‭ It is for ‬Inspector‭ ‬Lee‭ ‬and‭ ‬his‭ ‬team‭ to ‬investigate.
Meanwhile‭ ‬Bernadette‭ ‬Callahan‭ ‬and‭ ‬her‭ ‬husband‭ ‬Chris‭ ‬Christakos‭ ‬have‭ ‬arrived‭ ‬on‭ ‬the‭ ‬next‭ ‬leg‭ ‬of‭ ‬their‭ honeymon, which is ‬an‭ ‬all‭ ‬expenses‭ ‬paid‭ ‬two‭ ‬week‭ ‬cruise.‭ ‬A‭ ‬wedding‭ ‬gift.‭ ‬Already‭ ‬suspicious‭ ‬because‭ ‬she‭ ‬knows‭ ‬that‭ ‬they‭ ‬have‭ ‬been‭ ‬followed while in Singapore,‭ ‬Bernadette‭ cannot resist ‬taking‭ ‬an‭ ‬interest‭ ‬in‭ ‬the‭ ‬case.
Then‭ ‬deaths‭ ‬start‭ ‬happening on the cruise.‭ ‬What‭ ‬could‭ ‬be‭ ‬the‭ ‬motive,‭ ‬who‭ ‬are‭ ‬the‭ ‬guilty‭ ‬party.
An‭ ‬entertaining‭ and interesting ‬well-written‭ ‬crime‭ ‬story‭ ‬with‭ ‬its‭ ‬likeable‭ ‬main‭ ‬character.
Received‭ ‬an‭ ‬ARC‭ ‬from‭ ‬the‭ ‬author.
Profile Image for Janet.
1,959 reviews3 followers
December 2, 2020
This is a really good story. Twist and turns had me confused so the one I thought to be "Still standing" at the end was not right. Bummed about that. I tell you it is very a good story the plot is generic but the writing is awesome and lead me astray quite a few times. I will be checking out more of Bernadette Callahan stories. I received a complimentary review copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
2,060 reviews13 followers
December 15, 2020
The twists and turns in this intriguing mystery just keep coming. I was hooked from the very first page and didn’t guess the murderer until nearly to the end. The characters are realistic and the storyline is superb. I don’t want to spoil the suspense by telling you what happens, so I will just say, don’t miss this one! I received an ARC copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Profile Image for Jean Holtof.
426 reviews4 followers
December 18, 2020
A fast paced action murder mystery that kept me turning pages to see how Bernadette Callaghan would react to the increasingly devious methods used to eliminate the people in this story. Set on a luxury cruise ship in the beautiful ocean between Singapore and Sri Lanka. I loved it. Thanks Lyle Nicholson for a fantastic read.
76 reviews1 follower
September 10, 2024
What happened here?

Started out ok, but became increasingly more convoluted and difficult to follow. It was irritating that the southern characters were shallow, vain and idiotic. And the editing was so bad that parts of the story were missing or difficult to understand. It seems to get worse with each book. My least favorite of the series, so far.
39 reviews
February 8, 2025
Where is the proofreader?

This was a great story. I enjoyed the characters, the scenery, the story. However, I got bogged down in the last 2/3 of the book with all the typos, grammar and punctuation errors, and mixed up names that I almost couldn't finish. What a shame! Hire competent proofreaders for your next book!
Profile Image for Christine Shaffer.
31 reviews
March 29, 2021
Great Series

This last book kept me going in circles, thinking one thing and trying to figure it out. I enjoyed it immensely, the danger on the ship, and all the touristy places. A good read. I’m ready for more.
11 reviews
April 7, 2024
Great book!

I like the many twists and turns the story line makes. I like the characters Detective Callahan, her Grandmother and her mate and how she has the support of friends in various agencies that she can count on to help her solve cases.
1,252 reviews5 followers
March 15, 2021
A wonderful plot with exotic locations, and great characters that will keep you guessing till the end.
2 reviews
January 25, 2022
I enjoy following Bernadette through her thought process and figuring out the book. She is an individual who can handle herself.
Profile Image for Marseydoats.
2,159 reviews6 followers
July 21, 2025
There are A LOT of mistakes in this book, and it's quite apparent that nobody proof read it at all.
It's still a really good story, and I enjoyed it. But I find sloppiness off-putting.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews

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