21 July 2022.
ISBN: 978-0-86154-175-1 (PBO)
It is evident that Steve Burrows is an avid birdwatcher from the titles of the six previous books in this series. Each title contains a bird’s name. I am not a birder, and by no means is it necessary to share Burrow’s passion to enjoy the book, nor to have read the previous books in the series.
Set mainly in North Norfolk with scenes in Antarctica, the story follows two seemingly unconnected investigations. DCI Dominic JeJeune is on suspension, and it is left to DS Danny Maik to investigate a series of arson attacks on the local bird hides. When a researcher is murdered in an Antarctic climate research base, Danny asks Dominic to look into a blog post, ‘I will not live to see the storm petrels return’, posted by a murdered man to see if there is a case to investigate. The research station is linked to the local institute, the pet project of a billionaire philanthropist. On the face of it, the two investigations are not linked. However, when a man is burnt to death in a hide in yet another arson attack, matters escalate. Because of Dominic’s suspension, the two policemen are unable to share information.
Although the novel can be classified as a police
procedural, it’s also a book about obsession and principles. There are
important issues at stake that the reader is made to confront. How far can one
go to achieve a laudable aim? At what point does obsession take over? Can the
end ever justify the means?
Burrows has a literary ability to immerse the
reader in the setting, be it the desolation of Antarctica or the remote North
Norfolk coastline. There is a warts-and-all depth to his characters and the involved
relationships between them are realistically drawn.
This is a novel I could not put down. The clever, complex
plot twists kept me reading long into the night. I loved the writing style and his
skill at creating characters – I could feel their frustrations and share their
concerns. Highly recommended.
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Reviewer: Judith Cranswick
Steve Burrows has pursued his birdwatching hobby on five continents. He is a former editor of the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society Magazine and a contributing field editor for Asian Geographic. He was winner of BBC Wildlife magazine’s ‘Nature Writer of the Year’. Author of the Birder Murder series set in Britain’s prime birding county of Norfolk and featuring Canadian DCI Dominic Jejeune. After travelling the world together Steve now lives with his wife and family in Oshawa, Ontario.
Judith Cranswick was born and
brought up in Norwich. Apart from writing, Judith’s great passions are travel
and history. Both have influenced her two series of mystery novels. Tour
Manager, Fiona Mason takes coach parties throughout Europe, and historian Aunt
Jessica is the guest lecturer accompanying tour groups visiting more exotic
destinations aided by her nephew Harry. Her published novels also include several
award-winning standalone psychological thrillers. She wrote her first novel
(now languishing in the back of a drawer somewhere) when her two children were
toddlers, but there was little time for writing when she returned to her
teaching career. Now retired, she is able to indulge her love of writing and
has begun a life of crime! ‘Writers are told to write what they know about, but
I can assure you, I've never committed a murder. I'm an ex-convent school
headmistress for goodness sake!’ Judith latest book is Peril
in Persia.
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