A Little Bird Told Me by Rachael Gray | BBNYA 2025 Finalist Spotlight
One of the things I enjoy most about BBNYA is discovering indie books I might never have found on my own. The competition features hundreds of entries, making every finalist placement a significant achievement.
🏆 2nd Place Finalist in BBNYA 2025
A Little Bird Told Me by Rachael Gray was the runner-up in this year's competition and is the debut whodunit from a promising new voice in cozy mystery fiction that will put your sleuthing skills to the test.
About A Little Bird Told Me by Rachael Gray
Here's a closer look at the cozy mystery that earned 2nd place among this year's BBNYA finalists.
A Little Bird Told Me By Rachael Gray
Series: The Elderwick Mysteries #1
on 08/22/2024
Genres: Cozy Mystery
Formats: Audio CD, Audiobook, eBook, Paperback
Pages: 294
A murder in a quiet village is causing anxiety for a psychologist—who must face her fears to find the killer . . .
2nd Place Winner of the 2025 Book Bloggers Novel of the Year Award
Psychologist Laurel Nightingale has fled from her problems in search of peace and respite. However, after discovering a dead body shortly after arriving in the tight-knit community of Elderwick, she wonders if village life is as wholesome as she first thought.
Local police are convinced the death was accidental, but Laurel suspects murder and enlists her new friend Maggie to join her quest to uncover the truth. When a second body is found, Laurel ruffles feathers by pointing the finger at one of the locals. But when her accusation backfires, she's left alienated and afraid.
With her fear at an all-time high, her sleuthing partner gone missing, and village gossip spreading like wildfire, Laurel wonders who she can truly trust. Is it time to move on yet again? And will her newly formed friendships be enough to save her from this mysterious murderer?
A Little Bird Told Me is the debut whodunit from an exciting new voice in cozy mystery fiction that will put your sleuthing skills to the test.
Why This Book Stands Out
A Little Bird Told Me earned second place in the BBNYA 2025 competition, standing out among a large field of independently published novels. Blending the charm of a close-knit village setting with a classic amateur-sleuth mystery, the story pairs a fresh-start narrative with escalating suspense as newcomer Laurel Nightingale uncovers secrets hidden beneath the community's welcoming surface. With its cozy crime atmosphere, growing sense of danger, and emphasis on friendship, trust, and small-town intrigue, this mystery promises plenty of twists for readers who enjoy putting their own sleuthing skills to the test.
Reader resources:
Curious to learn more or see how this story is resonating with other readers?
Before we move on, here's a quick look at the author behind the story.
Meet Rachael Gray
About Rachael Gray
Rachael Gray is the author of the Elderwick Mysteries series: A Little Bird Told Me, A Turn-up for the Books, and A Storm in a Teacup.
Though she’ll always be a Yorkshire girl at heart, Rachael now lives and writes from the home she shares with her husband in Normandy, France.
Explore more from the author:
Website | Amazon | Goodreads
Where to Buy
If this finalist sounds like your kind of read, you can explore purchase options below.
Support Local Bookshops
If you prefer to shop local, you can purchase A Little Bird Told Me through independent bookstores using Bookshop.org.
Kindle | Paperback | Audiobook | Audio CD
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About BBNYA
The Book Bloggers' Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA) is a yearly competition where book bloggers from around the world read and score books written by indie authors. From hundreds of submissions, a small group of finalists is selected, culminating in one overall winner.
The award celebrates the creativity and diversity of independent publishing while helping readers discover incredible books beyond the traditional publishing spotlight.
BBNYA Website
@BBNYA_Official
@The_WriteReads
More BBNYA 2025 Spotlights & Reviews
Explore more of my BBNYA 2025 reviews and spotlights.
Closing Notes
Thank you to The Write Reads, BBNYA, and Rachael Gray for allowing me to spotlight this finalist today.
Please consider congratulating the author in the comments or sharing this post with a fellow reader who enjoys discovering great indie books.
Happy reading - and thank you for supporting indie authors and stories worth discovering.
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