A Little Night Murder (The Blackbird Sisters Mystery Series Book 10)

In this 10th outing, Nora Blackbird is hugely pregnant and getting to spend time with her BFF, Lexie Paine, who has just been released from prison. Nora continues to cover Philadelphia’s high-society events for the local newspaper and is taking an on-line course to improve her journalism skills.A murder happens at the estate next to Lexie’s family summer home and Nora, because she moves in the same social circles as the dead woman, is drawn into solving the case. Nora’s wacky family is along for the ride, and the love of her life, mobster-going-legit Mick Abruzzo, has been desperate to prevent Nora from meeting the most notorious member of his mobbed-up family – his mother.There was a lot going on in this book, all of it exciting and enjoyable. The core returning characters are all back for this book, and the new characters introduced were, if not likeable, at least realistic and entertaining. What I like about these books is the characters, even the minor ones, are three-dimensional. The dialogue is realistic, and the love between Mick and Nora is almost palpable. I know they’re fictional characters, but I really like them and care about what happens to them.I do have to agree with another review I read which indicated the mystery takes a backseat to all of the family drama in this book. I care so much about the characters, though, that I didn’t care. And the ending – wow! If I could, I would give this book SIX stars.As with most series, this one is best read in order, because each book builds on the previous one. You could read out of order, because the author does a skillful job of weaving in prior storylines so that you aren’t hit over the head with previous plots, but I think you will enjoy them more in order.

I have to be honest; I love a good Blackbird Sisters Mystery. And this one was no exception and probably the best one in the entire series so far.Nora is finally pregnant with Michael’s baby, and they are planning a secret wedding, but there are so many things in the way. Nora’s job is a journalist for a Philly paper, that may or may not always tell the truth, but Nora is determined to make her part of the paper a success by being honest in her columns, even though her boss continually wants her to dig up dirt, even if she has to make it up. She attends parties and charities galore and then writes about the elite in the society and entertainment pages. Nora seems to know everyone who is anyone.In this particular book, Nora has stumbled on yet another murder while visiting her best friend, Lexie, who has just been released from prison for manslaughter. But this time it’s the daughter of a deceased Broadway legend, Toodles Tuttle. Jenny and her mother, Boom Boom, and a cast of characters from previous Broadway shows, has set up rehearsals in Jenny’s home for a play that was supposedly written by Toodles before he died. But Jenny knows something about this play that no one in the cast wants to come out, and someone wants to keep her quiet….. permanently. Her death looks like a heart attack, but the clues don’t add up.Enter Nora’s outrageous soon to be Mother-in-law who may or may not be involved in this murder, a boss Nora constantly spars with and has to fend off, an older sister who can’t stop talking or trying to plan things, including Nora’s wedding, and a younger sister who wants nothing to do with the little boy she gave birth to with a married man. Now this man can’t handle it, so he’s asked Nora and Michael to take care of him for a few years. Pretty soon she’ll have 3 children under the age of 1 since she is also adopting her nephew’s baby after it’s born in a few weeks.Michael, being the son of the New Jersey Mob boss, is now trying to disband his mob family now that Big Frankie, is in prison, but it has also put many people out of business and they are not too happy with him. Which puts Michael and Nora in constant danger. Michael is also keeping a few secrets of his own, and working with Lexie on a project that they can’t share with Nora, which makes her nervous. Are they headed down a dark path together? Should she trust that they know what they are doing? But she is used to worrying about Michael’s safety, so instead focuses on the murder and begins to investigate. As she gets closer and closer to the truth, her safety and the safety of her unborn baby are jeopardized; she’s not sure who to turn to. She seems to be the only sane person in this mess, but even she has doubts about that.I loved this book and with a madcap cast of characters, with names like Toodles Tuttle and Boom Boom Tuttle how could it not be a fun ride? I’ve enjoyed each of the Blackbird Sisters books, and highly recommend them. The ending was quite a surprise, though. Very unexpected. I like a book that can keep you on your toes. I look forward to the next one in the series. If you haven’t read them, start with book one. How to Murder a Millionaire

Nancy Martin's Blackbird Sisters Mysteries are top grade. Each succeeding book develops the on-going story of Nora Blackbird and her soon to be husband Mitch. A secret wedding is in the planning. But Nancy is noted for developing a multi-tiered plot for each book, so we don't stop with a wedding.. Of course there is a murder. And the cops are working with or against Mitch on stopping drug trafficking in Nora's neighborhood. This one was a long time coming, but was well worth the wait. ( I went back and re-read all my pre-ceding nine books in the series).The pace is fast and the writing is enticing. Don't miss this charming, funny, sad, and just plain fun book. I especially recommend this book to people who like to get deeply involved in the life of the characters they read about.

Nancy Martin just keeps getting better. I waited a couple of days after I got the book to start it because I knew, once I started, I wouldn't be able to stop reading it. The odd ball characters, the crazy sisters and of course the mystery at the heart of it all are just too engaging to put down. Being born and living in the area Nancy Martin writes about, I can tell you, her sense of place and descriptions are wonderful. The ending of this one was like a Frank Capra movie, it was just terrific and completely unexpected. It's a madcap ride I wouldn't miss.

Ein lang erwarteter Band der Serie, aber nicht ganz so toll wie die anderen. Der Krimi ist etwas zu einfach, die ganze Heirats- und Babygeschichte vielleicht etwas gesucht oder zu verzettelt. Die Wendung am Schluss ist ganz gelungen. Habe das Buch eigentlich sehr gern gelesen, dennoch hat es mich nicht vollständig überzeugt. 4.8.

I loved A Little Night Murder. Good mystery, awesome characters, and an fabulous fun read for a summer afternoon. Definitely recommend.

good read