A gripping courtroom drama set in 1897 West Virginia

 

 ⭑⭑⭑⭑ Based loosely on real events, I was enthralled by this story set in West Virginia in 1897. About a lively girl, Zona, who marries the town's charming blacksmith, Trout. After they are wed Zona distances herself from family and friends and is found dead, murdered in her home.

The sense of time and place is spot on. The courtroom drama and the revelations that are exposed gave me a great Perry Mason vibe. Full of tension and intrigue and a bit of gentle mysticism, I couldn't put The Red Bird Sings down once I clicked with it.