The Red Bird Sings: A gothic suspense novel that 'demands you turn the pages' (The Times, Best Historical Fiction)

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'A sparkling, unusual novel that demands you turn the pages' THE TIMES, BEST HISTORICAL FICTION

'Based on a real-life murder trial in 1897 West Virginia, this dazzling debut arrives with a Southern Gothic slant and a feminist spirit' DAILY MAIL

'Compelling' ANNE ENRIGHT

West Virginia, 1897. When young Zona Heaster Shue dies only a few months after her wedding, her mother Mary Jane becomes convinced that Zona was murdered - and by none other than her husband, Trout, the handsome blacksmith beloved in their small Southern town.

But when Trout is put on trial, no one believes he could have done it, apart from Mary Jane and Zona's best friend Lucy, who was always suspicious of Trout. As the trial raises to fever pitch and the men of Greenbrier County stand aligned against them, Mary Jane and Lucy must decide whether to reveal Zona's greatest secret in the service of justice. But it's Zona herself, from beyond the grave, who still has one last revelation to make.

'I was tenterhooked from the very first to the very last page' JO BROWNING WROE, author of A Terrible Kindness

'Keeps you turning pages right until the end. Loved it' JULIE OWEN MOYLAN, author of That Green Eyed Girl

'Truly superb... Compelling and lyrical in equal measure' VICTORIA MACKENZIE, author of For Thy Great Pain Have Mercy On My Little Pain

'Beautifully crafted ... wholly convincing in its historical detail and tone' SARAH GILMARTIN, author of Dinner Party

'An historical courtroom drama and ghost story that had me on tenterhooks until the very end. Fitzpatrick gives us a feminist heroine whose loyalty and courage make her unstoppable. I loved The Red Bird Sings' AINGEALA FLANNERY, author of The Amusements

'Fitzpatrick's prose transports you to 1897 West Virginia, where Zona's story is told by the women who loved her, despite efforts to silence her forever' CAILEAN STEED, author of Home

Reviews

A sparkling, unusual novel that demands you turn the pages. The spirits tell me that this Irish debut author is a talent to watch * Antonia Senior, The Times *
Written with a compelling, lyrical intensity, The Red Bird Sings is a historical drama whose characters are full of a a suppressed fury, and haunted by a need for justice. A deeply felt and accomplished debut * Anne Enright *
A gothic mystery pulsing with suspense, it highlights domestic abuse and the silencing of women's voices * Mail on Sunday *
Truly superb... Compelling and lyrical in equal measure * Victoria MacKenzie, author of For Thy Great Pain Have Mercy On My Little Pain *
I was tenterhooked from the very first to the very last page * Jo Browning Wroe, author of A Terrible Kindness *
An atmospheric debut that keeps you turning pages right until the end. Loved it * Julie Owen Moylan, author of That Green Eyed Girl *
Beautifully crafted ... wholly convincing in its historical detail and tone * Sarah Gilmartin, author of Dinner Party *
Exceptional... What a treat. It's that rare beast: beautiful and literary with an extremely compelling and readable plot * Nicola Garrard, author of 29 Locks *
An absolutely beautifully written story. Aoife Fitzpatrick's prose just lifts straight off the page and transports you to 1897 Virginia, where Zona Heaster's Shue's story is told by the women who loved her, despite efforts to silence her forever * Cailean Steed, author of HOME *
I was spellbound by this incredibly accomplished piece of historical feminist fiction. Thrilling and beautifully written * Jennie Godfrey, author of THE LIST OF SUSPICIOUS THINGS *
An historical courtroom drama and ghost story that had me on tenterhooks until the very end. Fitzpatrick has a magpie's eye for detail and eccentricity, her prose shines... and she gives us a feminist heroine, a girl with a typewriter and a bicycle, whose loyalty and courage make her unstoppable. I loved The Red Bird Sings * Aingeala Flannery, author of THE AMUSEMENTS *
Aoife Fitzpatrick gives voice to a murdered woman in this powerful, unflinching study of domestic brutality. The elegant, masterful prose hums with the righteous fury of women who cannot be contained and will not be silenced. This is not a whodunnit or a whydunnit, but a willhegetawaywith it, where the thrill of the reveal is how the murderer will be nailed for his crime, and boy does Fitzpatrick deliver! When Zona finally speaks, her voice hits like a punch. But this is a tender book too; at its core is the moving tale of a mother's ferocious love for her child. A triumph * Nikki Marmery, author of On Wilder Seas *
A beautifully crafted novel about loss, faith and justice set against the backdrop of 19th century West Virginia. I was transported into the worlds of Mary Jane, Lucy and Zona and into the life of women at that time, where their word meant so little compared to a man's. I had to keep reading to find out what happened whilst also not wanting it to end. A brilliant debut * Alison Stockham, author of The Cuckoo Sister *
A beautifully paced retelling of the nineteenth century real life murder in West Virginia of Zona Shue. Through the voices of her distraught mother, Mary Jane, her childhood friend and would-be journalist, Lucy Frye, and Zona herself, in the form of letters and visions, it explores feminist themes that are contemporary and important. An utterly engrossing read, I adored it. Aoife Fitzpatrick is a powerful new voice in historical fiction * Paula McGrath *
I loved The Red Bird Sings ... a haunting story of love, revenge and grief * Stacey Thomas, author of The Revels *
Excellent, immersive historical fiction inspired by a true story. Beautifully written, this is a brilliant novel that asks questions that we're still trying to answer today * Louise Hare, author of Miss Aldridge Regrets *
Seriously stupendous ... A read-late-into-the-night tense, well-up-weeping touching, truly transformational read * Meg Clothier, author of The Book of Eve *
A masterful debut * Image magazine *
The trial thrills the most, with its combative lawyers, sickening jeopardy and gasp-worthy reveals * Daily Telegraph *

Author Bio

Aoife Fitzpatrick is a native of Dublin, Ireland. Her debut novel, The Red Bird Sings, won the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize in 2020. The winner of the inaugural Books Ireland short-story competition, her work has also been recognised by the Sean O'Faolain Prize, the Elizabeth Jolley Prize and by the Writing.ie Short Story of the Year award. Aoife received an MFA in Creative Writing at University College Dublin in 2019 and in 2020, she was the recipient of a literature bursary from the Arts Council of Ireland.