Peckersley’s Bird Cafe

Pekersley’s Bird Cafe 

By Michael A Duffy 

Review: 

I struggled not to wake up the household by laughing out loud and then I cried with laughter trying to explain the plot to my husband. One of my top reads of 2024 to date. 

If you have read Michael’s previous book ‘Gavin and the Body Snatchers’ then you will know exactly what to expect when reading his latest edition. If you haven’t, then - go and get that book as well as this one!!!! 

Peckersley’s Bird Cafe is a book of endless humour but mixed with the slightly sad reality of growing old and families growing apart. Norman and Marjorie have their routine but are they stuck in a rut? It certainly seems it until some Squirrels appear and start to stir things up. 

The characters are so well written - they really do come alive. I’m not someone who usually visualises what I read but this is an exception. It is honestly like reading a little screen play that acts out in your mind. Comedy gold at its finest. 

I like how the story is told through the eyes of the two main characters Marjorie and Norman. The two different perspectives add to the drama. And of course there is a cliff hanger that keeps you wanting more. 

In three words: funny, apocalyptic, goodlife

5 stars 🌟 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Blurb 

 

Marjorie Peckersley would prefer to be twenty-something again. Trouble is, she’s just turned 70, which cannot be remedied even by sitting in her garden fishpond. If only husband, Norman, had noticed that she was slowly losing the plot, while their wider family relationships fall into ruins. 

 

But he’s too busy caring for his pride and joy - Peckersley’s Bird Cafe. 

 

When some local animal lovers start rescuing distressed squirrels from a nearby MOD research facility, Norman learns one important truth. Squirrels love both peanuts and bird food in general. The bird cafe faces wipe-out. 

 

Trouble is, squirrels are very cute and capable of getting the whole world of social media on their side. Norman is very grumpy and in danger of becoming the internet’s #EvilGrandad.  

 

Marjorie is very confused, but hopes her husband can come through. In the meantime, she realises she can take steps to rescue herself. 

Author Bio: 

Since retiring from commercial life a few years ago, I started writing fiction to keep the old brain ticking over. A little while back I published ‘Gavin & The Bodysnatchers’, a comedy thriller, on Amazon/KDP. It was inspired by my experiences of bullying bosses in the work-place. So I made sure the boss villain in my book came to a suitable bloody end. To my amazement, other people liked that end too and the novel was very well received in the book blogging community. 

 

The thing about retiring is that you don’t want to work too hard. So I waited a year or so, eating biscuits and getting fat, before starting my next one – ‘Peckersley’s Bird Café. We have squirrels in our garden and I became a little obsessed trying to keep the little buggers off the bird feeders that my wife likes to conscientiously keep well stocked up. Failed at that basically! But it got me thinking about a character for a novel who becomes even more obsessed about the subject than I did in real life. So, Norman – and long-suffering wife, Marjorie – were created.

 

I have sub-titled the book ‘Tales of Northern Folk – Book Two’. ‘Gavin’ was then Book One and I am hoping top start a third book soon to make three in all, a happy trilogy. They are each standalone stories but share the common characteristic of being sometimes comedic, a bit bonkers and set in Northern England. If you care to read anything by me, my aim is that you will have fun!