What do black cats, walking under ladders, opening an umbrella indoors, stepping on a pavement crack or breaking a mirror have in common? They’re all associated with sinister or ominous portents. And if you’re a reader who enjoys stories based on sinister superstitions or ancient curses, you’ll enjoy this short read, The Ruby Bird, by Billie Atamer. This novelette is actually based on the true story of a priceless ruby and emerald bird brooch that once adorned a Sultan’s turban. After the Sultan’s death, the brooch was stolen by a museum night watchman, following which it passed from one person to another. Unfortunately for many, what was also passed along with the beautiful, ornate gemstone studded brooch was a curse it would carry until it was returned to its rightful owner.

It isn’t long after readers start The Ruby Bird, a cultural fiction story, that we see the curse working. Another good person meets an untimely death en route to return the brooch which has brought his family endless pain. When the lovely Lalee finds the brooch in the sand near a beach, her father immediately sets out to find its owner. Will he and Lalee, and the others who step in to help them, succeed in what they all agree must be done? Or will the Ruby Bird and its curse take still more victims?

Apart from the bit of mystery woven into this tale, Billie Atamer uses this story to give readers a wonderful look at the culture, clothing, settings and food of other places, primarily Turkey. The descriptions are colourful, rich in details, and create graphic visuals. Some readers might find the customs and dialogue a tad awkward, but it’s all in keeping with the culture being presented and helps with authenticity. A quick read with an ending that isn’t quite one. Or is it? Enjoy!

The Ruby Bird by Billie Atamer begins with a glimpse into the mystery of a famed brooch, a jewel-encrusted ruby bird that had been gifted to Suleiman I of Turkey by an Indian Maharajah. Centuries later, in the museum situated within the heart of Topkapi Palace, the brooch disappears from its place on Suleiman the Magnificent's turban, where it had perched as part of a gloriously robed effigy of the Ottoman ruler. Atamer then teases with a piecemeal history of the Ruby Bird as it shifts through the hands of unfortunate inheritors – both intended and unintended – and where possession comes with a heavy price as the reader follows it across the globe in a suspenseful journey to Istanbul.

Fresh from a vacation to Istanbul myself where I toured Topkapi Palace, its museum, and visited the tomb of Suleiman the Magnificent, Billie Atamer's fictional story, The Ruby Bird, immediately piqued my interest. I appreciate that the narrative focused on the 20th century, following the aftermath of the theft and its curse, with all of the suspenseful twists and turns I hope for in a mystery...and one of the most spectacular aspects of this gem of a novella is the tension it offers up by the bundle. The story ends with the tying up of loose ends while still hinting at the possibility of a second installment, something I hope to be true, as finding a book that satisfies at the level that this one does can be as rare and valuable as a Ruby Bird.