Dead as a Dodo by Hailey Edwards [Review]

Dead as a Dodo (Yard Birds #2) by Hailey Edwards
Format: ebook
Source: provided for review
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: November 22, 2023

Yard Birds
1. Crazy as a Loon
2. Dead as a Dodo - Kindle

Related Series:
(find all the books in the series on the 1st book review)
Black Hat Bureau
1. Black Hat, White Witch

Hailey Edwards
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Ellie has done her best to keep the spark alive in her marriage to Wally, but she has limited options with her husband cursed into the body of a vintage novelty toy. She thought everything was going okay, aside from the fact he’s battery-operated and bursts into song whenever his motion sensor is triggered, but he’s done being a collector’s item.

When the Middles turn up with a half-dead coworker on her doorstep, Ellie jumps at the chance to help her nephews find who’s responsible to avoid the problems at home. As the attacks grow deadlier, and the rift between her and Wally grows wider, Ellie has to focus on saving herself if she ever hopes to save her marriage.

Thoughts on Dead as a Dodo: NO LIE: I like these sassy ladies and their penchant for diving head first into trouble. To be fair, most of the trouble they find themselves in is to help those around them, but BOY do they tend to end up in interesting places (sometimes getting gored by interesting critters).

So. This time Ellie and crew are kinda, sorta, maybe taking an investigation-adjacent look at a series of attacks on several of the local shifters. The pack alpha might say she doesn't need any help, but Ellie (and the Middles) think a second (or more) set of eyes might not be a bad idea. This turns out to be a great idea because the coven helps piece things together before too many more shifters get hurt.

Meanwhile, Ellie's relationship with her cursed husband is fraying a bit around the edges. Given the nature of Wally's curse, things are already complicated there and the new pastor in town giving Ellie hopeful eyes isn't helping. (Honestly, that entire situation is tough because, yeah, Wally doesn't want Ellie to stop living while he's in this state, but it's also hard for him to watch the woman he loves either throw away her life by waiting on him or leave him behind by pursuing this friendship with the pastor. As an added complication, the pastor is human and doesn't realize that Ellie isn't a widow, just that her honey has been cursed into a novelty fish.) (That last sentence isn't one I ever thought I'd say, but here we are!)

Jackalopes, big shifters, deadly attacks, a rainbow in human form, magic, mayhem, and a coven of aging witches who can still make things happen. GOOD STUFF!