Aviary

McNamer (Red Rover) delivers a solid story of the dire goings-on at a decrepit old-folks home. Cassie, an 87-year-old widow and resident of the Pheasant Run retirement home, is tired of being left behind when loved ones die and resolves to kill herself by consuming her pill stash. Her plans change, though, after she becomes occupied by friendship and newfound intrigue, beginning when feisty neighbor Viola wakes from a nightmare. The women are wary of gruff Herbie, the new building manager who doesn’t have repair skills, and whom Viola suspects is there to scare all the residents off as part of a scheme to flip the property. Meanwhile, teenager Clayton secretly squats in the building’s basement after a misunderstanding at school involving his crush. After a small fire breaks out at Pheasant Run, residents see Clayton fleeing the scene. The blaze is contained, but Viola and Herbie are missing and the intriguing fire inspector Lander Maki suspects arson. Though a few too many subplots make this feel overstuffed, McNamer brings great care to describing her main characters as they gain a renewed purpose for living. This is worth a spin. (Apr.)