‘A Deceit Of Lapwings’ by Steve Burrows

Published by Point Blank,
26 June 2025.
ISBN: 978-0-86154-179-9 (PBO)

Detective Chief Inspector Domenic Jejeune’s heart sinks when he walks into his superior Detective Chief Superintendent Colleen Shepherd’s office to hear her say she is off for four weeks leave. That wouldn’t be so bad, but her temporary replacement is Detective Chief Superintendent Marvin Laraby. They have history and never got on well together.

The next day a man’s body is found snagged on a half-submerged tree trunk in the river. Strangely it seems the corpse has been deliberately placed there. He is identified as Sampson Lee a mathematician, designing new software for avian research programmes.

On inspection of his house, it is obvious he was actually killed there. Why did the murderer remove the body and place it in the river? Then to everyone’s surprise evidence is found that Lee was also hit on the back of the head by a concrete block at a completely different site, causing massive injuries – why kill him twice?

Further investigations lead Jejeune and his team to discover that parts of the Norfolk coast are rich in “blue carbon ecosystems” which remove huge amounts of greenhouse gases. Many of the valuable sites are on private land. Needless to say, the government wants them – at any cost. Did Lee find something out about this and get silenced?

Enquiries next reveal a connection between Lee and a well-known villain and land owner. Then there is another murder. Never has Jejeune had such a baffling case, seemingly thwarted at every turn, especially by MI5. Matters are also not helped by the continued friction between himself and Laraby. To add to Jejeune’s problems, his partner Lindy’s former boyfriend makes an appearance. Is it all as innocent as she would have him believe?

As strange as it may seem, its Jejeune’s love of birds and their behaviour that helps lead him to the unmasking of the perpetrators.

Another great “Birder Murder” from Steve Burrows. I really do enjoy his books. Thoroughly recommended.
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Reviewer:  Tricia Chappell

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. Steve now lives with his wife in Oshawa, Ontario.  

Tricia Chappell. I have a great love of books and reading, especially crime and thrillers. I play the occasional game of golf (when I am not reading). My great love is cruising especially to far flung places, when there are long days at sea for plenty more reading! I am really enjoying reviewing books and have found lots of great new authors.