Paige's Book Shelf: "The Girl in White Pajamas" By: Chris Birdy

I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions are my own.

Are you looking for a new fiction series offering murder and intrigue? Pulling the next book from my shelf I'm happy to share my thoughts about "The Girl in White Pajamas" by author Chris Birdy. 

Bogie McGruder returns to Boston after his brother, a cop, is gunned down. Since the BPD is investigating the death of one of their own, Bogie believes his trip will be a short condolence visit and a chance to meet his secret love child.

My Review:

The Girl in White Pajamas is a murder mystery, but... Murder is not the only mystery to be solved!
The primary location of this book is Boston Massachusetts, a place of mystery and wonders in the eyes of our main character, Bogie McGruder. It is also a place of pain, and the cause of his near death heart attack!

Four years after leaving Boston, Bogie and his eighteen year old daughter Amanda reside in Palm Beach Florida, where life is great... Until...

Bogie's brother Bud is murdered!

Bogie is the co-owner of R&B Investigation and Security with his best friend Rose, who is beautiful, spunky, and hard core. Rose runs the business from Boston and Bogie does his part from Palm Beach in the lap of luxury. Rose and Bogie have never been anything more than friends, and even though they come from two different families, Rose's dad has ALWAYS been more of a father to Bogie than his own.

Returning to Boston is not on the top of Bogie and Amanda's wish list, but they know they need to pay respects to Bogie's half brother, and see their friends and long time broken and dysfunctional family that they left behind.

When back in Boston, and after being roped into the investigation of his brothers murder, Bailey Hampfield decides to have Bogie tracked down. Her life too is in danger, along with the life of her three year old daughter Isabella!

Bailey and Bogie had been in a relationship four years earlier, and her leaving him was the cause of his massive heart attack. (Which he had in flight to Florida, with his daughter Amanda by his side!) (!!!)

The only problem? Bailey was harboring a secret, but was Bogie clueless of her deception? Or has he known all along? Matter of fact, there is more than one secret throughout this book that Bailey does not feel Bogie deserves to know.

Little by little, the truth comes our. What does this mean for them all?

This is a fast pace book. Chris Birdy, she knows how to write in a way that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat and deeply involved with each twist and turn along the way.

One of the things I found that was so great about The Girl in White Pajamas is, Chris Birdy chose to title each chapter. This is not done in many books/novels these days, but I find that by doing this, it hooks you into the next chapter, causing you to search for the meaning of it's title.

I truly loved this book because it kept me involved, I could not put it down. Not only was I constantly wanting to know the meaning of the chapter headings, but I had to discover who this girl in the white pajamas was. I had to!

If you think you have a messed up, wild, and crazy family, you should get to know the McGruders through this memorable read. It left me wanting more!

Please note:

Because we are a family friendly site, I feel that I should mention this book does have profanity and some adult content. This however does not change my opinion, nor does it mean that I will not and do not give it a good review. I loved the story and do not mind saying that I recommend The Girl in White Pajamas and look forward to more from Chris Birdy.

A Chat With Chris Birdy:

Me-Which writer(s) inspire you?

Chris Birdy-I believe the writers who influenced me most are: John Sandford, Joseph Wambaugh, and Susan Isaacs.

Me-What have you written other than "The Girl in White Pajamas"? (*Include books, novellas, short stories, poems, blogs, or anything of interest)

Chris Birdy-The Girl in White Pajamas is the first book in a series. The second book, The Girl in Black Pajamas, is scheduled for release on September 22, 2014. The third book, The Girl in Red Pajamas, is going through edits, and I'm working on the rough draft of the fourth book.My Thoughts-I way overwhelmingly excited to find out that there are in fact up-coming sequels to “The Girl in White Pajamas,” I was defiantly left wanting more, and look forward to reading what Chris Birdy’s novels have in store for me!

Me-Can you give us some insight on how you created Bogie McGruder's character?

Chris Birdy-Ever since I was a child, I'd fall asleep by making up stories in my head. A few years ago, one of the "stories" I made up was a scene between a private investigator and his ex-girlfriend. The scene stuck in my mind and every night I'd go back to it, replay it in my head, and then refine it. What I was actually doing was developing the characters of Bogie and Bailey. Their back stories grew and their physical appearance changed until I was satisfied.

My Thoughts-Could you imagine? A pre-sleep daydream, ending up becoming this wonderful piece of work.

Me-Are you working on something presently?

Chris Birdy-As I said previously, I'm doing edits for the third book while working on a rough draft of the fourth book.

My Thoughts-As I said previously, I am most excited to know that these future books exist.

Me-What draws you to this genre?

Chris Birdy-Since my early days of reading Agatha Christie novels, I've been drawn to murder mysteries. Although I prefer mysteries, I read other genres. I'm an avid reader and go through at least two new books a week so I try to mix it up.

My Thoughts-Chris Birdy reminds me of myself in this aspect. I read at least this much, and look forward to the next great read. This is a quality and passion that has been misplaced by some of today’s generation.

Me-Why do you write?

Chris Birdy-I write because I'm compelled to write. That's how I express myself. If no one ever read my work, I'd still write.

Me-Where do your ideas come from?

Chris Birdy-Many of my ideas come from my life experiences. I've seen and done many things in my life; not all of them were pleasant, but they were all interesting.

My Thoughts-Sometimes, it is the un-pleasant experiences that help shape who we are.

Me-For you, what is the hardest thing about writing?

Chris Birdy-For me, writing is easy. I have so many stories to tell. The hard part is editing and re-editing. That's a drag.

Me-For you, what is the easiest thing about writing?

Chris Birdy-Again, for me, writing is easy. It's how I'm the most comfortable expressing myself.

My Thoughts-Sometimes self expression is important in noting our identity, finding out who we truly are, and in discovering whom we hope to become.

Me-Do you listen to music when you write? If so, what kind?

Chris Birdy-When I write, I listen to Chopin, Mozart or Beethoven. I want background for my thoughts, not competition.

Me-Why did you choose Boston as your central location?

Chris Birdy-I chose Boston for the central location of my story because I know Boston. I've lived and worked in the Boston area for many years. The same is true of Palm Beach. Like me, Bogie McGruder was born and raised in Pittsburgh. There will be more references to Bogie's childhood in the second book. I write what I know.

About Chris Birdy:

Chris Birdy was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After graduation from high school, she did a four year stint in the Middle East. When she returned to the States, Chris settled down in the Boston area and became a true Bostonian by collection college degrees while raising a family.

For more than twenty years, Chris has been a member of the legal community performing investigative work for Boston law firms. Learn more about Chris by visiting her website.

Chris lives outside of Boston and in Palm Beach, Florida with her husband.

Be sure to follow Author Chris Birdy on Facebook and Twitter.