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Blackbird Fly: a novel of suspense, loss, and discovery (Bennett Sisters Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Lise McClendon (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.2 3,630 ratings

Book 1 of 20: Bennett Sisters Mysteries

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There is nothing I can do– my husband is dead.

My teenage son lost his father. But the will? Don’t get me started. I’m a lawyer – my four sisters are too. My hot-shot investment guy will take care of our son; he told me he would. There are so many shocks in that will. Not the least of which is a cottage in France that nobody knew existed.

As the hits keep coming, I have no choice but to rally, thanks to my sisters. I will go to France, fix up this little stone shack, and secure my son’s future. Putting anxiety, grief, ambition, and a righteous work ethic behind, I answer the call.

What my son and I find in southwest France, in a little village in the Dordogne, is so much beauty, new friends, great wine. But also secrets— a squatter, a leaky roof, a creepy wine cellar, a rude mayor, a deadly fall, and more. How are these my problems? I stay and figure it out, because I must, using my fabulous list-making and legal research skills.

Because France, the future, and a certain handsome roofer make this way the only forward.

• • • • • •

PROLOGUE

She didn’t want the summer to end. She wanted it to go on, full of flowers, wine, olives, and — possibility. Yes, possibility, that thing she was so afraid of. Now she hungered for it, she lived for it. She rolled onto her stomach and put the pillow over her head.

Was it possible to hide from your own life, from the prescribed steps, the set-in-stone trajectory? Was it possible to, say, change your name and live in France and be a completely different person, one your parents wouldn’t recognize, someone carefree, a nature girl, a bon vivant? Was it possible to forget the people you leave behind, those who nurtured and loved you, those who made you who you were? If you wished, wished, wished hard enough, would your fairy godmother, or an ogre-ish old widow, give you a string of magic pearls that would transform you into somebody who could do such a thing? A woman who could decide absolutely and exactly what would make her happy, right there, on the spot, and then actually do those things, without compromise or regret?

She sighed under the pillow. How old do you have to be to stop believing in fairy tales? Because she didn’t think she’d actually reached that age.

From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

Review

The descriptions of the French village and house make them a character with very much influence on Merle's experience. Blackbird Fly has love and intrigue, and proof that family bonds are strong enough to reach beyond the grave. --LuxuryReading.com

A literary suspense novel. A great deal goes into character growth and change, and McClendon's love for the French countryside is evident. BLACKBIRD FLY is a rewarding read for the discerning. --GenReview.com

"A heartbreakingly beautiful story of love, loss, sisterhood, and the ties that bind us all together." --Jenny Siler, bestselling author

From the Author

Thanks so much for reading and reviewing Blackbird Fly. I hope you enjoyed it. All the Bennett Sisters Mysteries are now available. Click on the series link or look below.
A novel has a distinct setting but it's the people who drive the action. I wanted to write about a part of France many Americans have never visited. Through the internet Americans living in France provided answers to my questions, sent me photos, became pen-pals and then friends. Generous and friendly to a fault, one new pen-pal lived in Bergerac at the time. Later she moved to Cahors then Puy-l'Évêque, and sent me missives describing her adventures. One delightful consequence of writing this novel was almost life-imitates-art when I finally met Sharon in France.
My research led me to seek out a picturesque bastide village. I used Monpazier as a home base. The village in the book, the fictional Malcouziac, is pretty but it is definitely not Monpazier. The only similarity is the structure of the bastide, the stone walls crumbling, the hilltop location surrounded by vineyards and lush, tree-tangled ravines, the narrow pedestrian streets and half-renovated houses.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B002E9IPSO
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Thalia Press (December 4, 2013)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 4, 2013
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 3951 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 382 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #426,953 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #587 in General France Travel Guides
- #786 in Travel (Kindle Store)
- #2,356 in International Mystery & Crime (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
4.2 3,630 ratings

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Lise McClendon

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Lise McClendon's literary journey is driven by a fascination with sassy heroines, intricate mysteries, and tantalizing secrets. Her novels are rich tapestries woven with these elements, exploring the complex choices women make as they navigate the labyrinth of careers, love affairs, family, travel, and personal passions. Within her gripping narratives, readers are transported into worlds of suspense, crime, hidden truths, and profound love.

McClendon embarked on her writing odyssey by crafting mysteries set against the breathtaking backdrops of Montana and Wyoming, introducing readers to the captivating art dealer Alix Thorssen and evoking the essence of pre-World War II life through the Dorie Lennox series. She then ventured into standalone works such as "Jump Cut," "PLAN X," and "All Your Pretty Dreams," each an engrossing tale in its own right. Her creative prowess culminated in the Bennett Sisters Mysteries, an ever-expanding collection of nineteen thrilling installments.

Discover more about Lise McClendon's literary universe by visiting her website at http://lisemcclendon.com. Don't miss the opportunity to stay connected by joining her mailing list on Substack called Mystery Romance Adventure Oh My!: http://lisemcclendon.substack.com Your insights and feedback are much appreciated.

Beyond her own novels, McClendon collaborated with four fellow crime novelists on the foodie thriller "Beat Slay Love," a darkly comedic homage that adds an audacious twist to "Eat Pray Love." This uproarious adventure is available on Amazon as an ebook, paperback, and audiobook.

In 2020, McClendon embarked on an inspirational project, conceiving and editing the anthology "STOP THE WORLD: Snapshots from a Pandemic." This remarkable compilation captures the tumultuous events of an unforgettable year, featuring contributions from forty authors representing ten countries. Profits from the anthology are dedicated to charitable causes, making it a meaningful addition to any reading list.

Lise McClendon's writing journey has flourished from her picturesque Montana home, where she has penned numerous novels, short stories, and thought-provoking articles. Her creative journey has also extended into the realm of filmmaking, with her short film, "The Hoodoo Artist," earning recognition at the Telluride Indiefest in 1997. McClendon's dedication to the craft extends beyond her writing as she has served on the national boards of directors for both the Mystery Writers of America and the International Association of Crime Writers/North America. She continues to share her expertise as a faculty member at the esteemed Jackson Hole Writers Conference each summer.

In her own words, McClendon emphasizes the indomitable spirit of storytelling that has fueled her passion for over three decades: "After thirty years, writing fiction has become as necessary as breathing. Finding the essential story in the novel, chipping away the rock until the solid core is revealed, is an adventure and a joy."

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5

3,630 global ratings

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Kindle Customer. Jamie Yelton

Really enjoyed this!

Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2024

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This is the 3rd book I have read by this author and the first of the Bennett Sisters Series. I very much enjoy the way this author, Lise McClendon, writes. The characters are very real, their personality traits and flaws are very true-to life and believable. The plot was intricate and interesting, and it kept my interest to the last page. A book worth your time!

One person found this helpful

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Sandy Penny

A Complicated Death

Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2023

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When Merle's husband dies of a sudden heart attack, he leaves her a home in France and nothing much else. She's devastated that an astute money man like Harold would practically lose his shirt in the market. Completely stressed out, she decides to go to France to see the house and finds it occupied by a crazy old lady who says the house is hers and refuses to leave. When that woman is killed, Merle becomes the number one suspect. It gets darker and crazier as it goes, and has a difficult to predict plot twist. But through a little romance into the darkness, and the light finds it way. A little slow in parts, but definitely a great read.

3 people found this helpful

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William E. Hall

Very enjoyable, well written mystery

Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2012

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I picked this book to read at random from my growing list of free Kindle books without really knowing what it was about. I'm glad I approached it in this fashion. In reading the first section I thought the book was going to be simply the tale of a woman recovering from the loss of a husband and the realization that he was nothing like she thought he was. So, I thought it was going to be the story of how this woman learned to cope and then rediscover life. And, in a way that was what the story is about, but the story also turned out to be a well thought out mystery set in a country I know little about, France. The book starts out somewhat slow, but once the story shifts to France and the mystery surrounding the French house set in the French wine country, it really becomes a good story with well developed, interesting characters. I was glad I stuck with it, because the rest of the book flew by. Bravo, to the author for providing a great and unconventional mystery story.

2 people found this helpful

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Mac C.

The plot was great, but the story was so confusing. I had to look stuff up and re-read several parts

Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2024

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I'm glad I got it free! There were so many people, and a few of them were impersonating others so it was very difficult to keep them straight in my head. And there were people who seemed to suddenly drop in to the story, from nowhere! I was reading along on page 239 (chapter 29) and saw "Virginia was tired" and she had been struggling with the baby for hours. I thought, Virginia? Who is Virginia? Did I forget someone important? i knew about the guy she was with, and about the baby, but where, and when, did Virginia become such a part of the baby's life? So I did a search for the name virginia. She was first mentioned on page 239! There were other similar things that I had to look up. It was so disjointed at times. The parts that I understood and liked, well, I liked them a lot, but the rest was either boring or confusing. I really enjoyed Tristan, and a few other characters. Meril was mostly interesting, but it really bugged me that she was upset that people seemed to be making fun of something about her, but she never asked, nor did she look it up like I did. Things would have been so clear to her if she'd shown any curiosity, but she just let it stew and bother her that she didn't know why they laughed at her. It was so out of character for her to not look into it! Oh, well, its not important enough to get worked over. I can take the book or leave it. It was interesting and fun in parts, but so much could be left out. If it had been told in chronological order, it wouldn't have been so disjointed.

2 people found this helpful

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Anne L. Molinarolo

It reads easy with a literary feel to it

Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2014

Verified Purchase

Read from May 16 to 17, 2014 — I own a copy

Blackbird Fly has a little bit of everything in it - a mystery, long held family secrets, humor, loss, grief. It reads easy with a literary feel to it. There is some suspense too with a dash of romance and a feel of an historical novel. It could be described as Women's Fiction, but the novel could be read by men and they could enjoy the book as well. I honestly don't know how to describe this small book except to say that I really, really enjoyed it.

Merle Bennett has just lost her husband, Harry. It seems like her husband hid a few important things from her - another family and the draining of their joint banking accounts, and an old family home in France in which a few more skeletons lay buried. Merle goes to France with her son in the hopes of selling the house, but an old eccentric woman refuses to leave the home, stating that Harry's mother gave her the home. The elderly woman dies suddenly and Merle becomes the prime suspect. Her passport is confiscated and is told not to leave the small French village. She starts renovating the stone home and sleuthing into the old woman's life and death unaware that the old woman is tied to her dead in-laws and their secrets.

Summer in France, wine, riots, unfriendly neighbors except Pere Albert, renovation, murder suspect, and a handsome roofer. What more can Merle ask for?

6 people found this helpful

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Pat

Beautiful writing, very good story. Loved it.

Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2017

Verified Purchase

I don't give 5 stars lightly, but I'm whole-heartedly awarding 5 starts to "Blackbird Fly" by Lise McClendon. I enjoyed the story, the mystery(ies) were well done, and the main characters very convincingly drawn. I didn't feel that anything was overdone, or cliched, or unbelievable. The writing is excellent, and partly for that reason, it was a joy to read. Though the proofreading could have been better, especially in the last quarter (I'm referring to the Kindle version), but the actual writing was so good that I, quite a stickler for good proofreading, managed to 'forgive' that lack. The writer does a great job of getting emotions and action across with subtle understatement, without melodrama.

I felt the author did a very good job of tying up all the loose ends. The ending was more than satisfying, both in terms of wrapping things up and in the sense of the internal growth of the protagonist, Merle.

Thank you, Lise McClendon, for a thoroughly good book!

13 people found this helpful

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Yoga Gal

Good cozy mystery

Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2023

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We’ll written and we’ll plotted. It’s really hard to write a review when you have a word quota. Thank you.

One person found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Beth C

A nice balance

Reviewed in Canada on January 25, 2020

Verified Purchase

I review this book after completing the series with “The Frenchman”. I didn’t take the time before..there was another book to read and another. This book introduces you to family and complicated relationships in a setting of the south of France and a dollop of New York. A lot of it is about self discovery. There is romance and the lack there of. But, I wouldn’t call it a romance novel. There is intrigue but I wouldn’t call it a mystery novel. It’s about the culture of France and food and wine. It’s about women of a certain age. It’s about the crap that life throes at you and how you survive it. I recommend you read it. Warning..it may cause you to crave a nice Bordeaux.

2 people found this helpful

Kindle Customer

A French village mystery

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 1, 2020

Verified Purchase

Merle's husband has died and she inherits a house, in a small French village, which appears to be inhabited by a mysterious woman. Many twists and turns in this story with uncooperative police and unwelcoming villagers. Good strong characters and descriptions of village life. A book one cannot put down.

Bella

Fantastic

Reviewed in Australia on May 13, 2017

Verified Purchase

Very much enjoyed this novel as it wound its way through a somewhat convoluted plot. Nicely written with some terrific characters and unbelievable plot twists. Just short of excellent.

B Thomas

You were only waiting

Reviewed in Canada on February 18, 2022

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McClendon has created a story with many diverse intertwined stories within it. The setting is intriguing, both the actual location in a France and the specifics of the house in disrepair. She has presented the vagaries of dealing with the legal system in many foreign countries true to form. And her depiction of the mental and emotional complications of the heroine will quickly draw you 8n.

One person found this helpful

Kindle Customer

A holiday in France

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 23, 2022

Verified Purchase

This book made me long for a holiday in France. I enjoyed the adventures, the scenery the characters and the smells. My imagination was stimulated. The murder mystery was a little bonus but such a small part of the story. Great story.

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Blackbird Fly: a novel of suspense, loss, and discovery (Bennett Sisters Book 1) Kindle Edition

There is nothing I can do– my husband is dead.

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