A Ruffled Feather — Shari Malin

A killer is on the loose, and the only witness is a bird who won't sing.Dr. Aris Thorne and his assistant, Mia Rodriguez, are no strangers to strange cases, but this one is a first. When their new client, the eccentric and reclusive Silas Montgomery, is found dead in his aviary, the only witness is his prized African Grey Parrot, Captain. The police are stumped, but Captain, a bird who can mimic human speech with perfect clarity, holds the key to the murder.Mia is convinced the parrot is their star witness, even if his testimony is a series of cryptic phrases like, The silver cage, and No more tea. Aris, the pragmatic veterinarian, is more skeptical but is intrigued by the parrot's strange behavior. Their investigation unearths a cast of suspects with plenty of motive: a greedy nephew who was just cut from the will, a rival bird collector who coveted Captain, and a mysterious caretaker who was more than she seemed.As they try to decipher Captain's clues, Aris and Mia find themselves caught in a web of bird smuggling and art forgery. They must race against time to piece together the truth before the killer silences their only witness for good.