Author: Ann Cleeves
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Genre: Mystery/Thrillers
Series: George & Molly Palmer-Jones #1
Format: Audio ALC; Kindle ARC
No. of Pages: 376
Date of Publication: January 6, 2026
My Rating: 4 Stars
DESCRIPTION:
From the author of Shetland and Vera
In England’s birdwatching paradise, a new breed has been sighted—a murderer . . .
Young Tom French was found dead, lying in a marsh on the Norfolk coast, with his head bashed in and his binoculars still around his neck. One of the best birders in England, Tom had put the village of Rushy on the birdwatching map. Everyone liked him. Or did they?
George Palmer-Jones, an elderly birdwatcher who decided quietly to look into the brutal crime, discovered mixed feelings aplenty. Still, he remained baffled by a deed that could have been motivated by thwarted love, pure envy, or something else altogether.
But as he and his fellow “twitchers” flocked from Norfolk to Scotland to the Scilly Isles, in response to rumours of rare sightings, George—with help from his lovely wife, Molly—gradually discerned the true markings of a killer. All he had to do was prove it . . . before the murderer strikes again.
In England’s birdwatching paradise, a new breed has been sighted—a murderer . . .
Young Tom French was found dead, lying in a marsh on the Norfolk coast, with his head bashed in and his binoculars still around his neck. One of the best birders in England, Tom had put the village of Rushy on the birdwatching map. Everyone liked him. Or did they?
George Palmer-Jones, an elderly birdwatcher who decided quietly to look into the brutal crime, discovered mixed feelings aplenty. Still, he remained baffled by a deed that could have been motivated by thwarted love, pure envy, or something else altogether.
But as he and his fellow “twitchers” flocked from Norfolk to Scotland to the Scilly Isles, in response to rumours of rare sightings, George—with help from his lovely wife, Molly—gradually discerned the true markings of a killer. All he had to do was prove it . . . before the murderer strikes again.
First published January 1, 1986
MY THOUGHTS:
George Palmer-Jones takes an offer to look into a crime - yet the crime took place miles away from where he lives. As George is an intuitive bird watcher, traveling from place to place was common for him and other “twitchers”. This time, however, George and his wife Molly aren’t just hoping to spot a rare bird, they hope to catch a killer.
George’s role is an unofficial one, stemming from the request of a magistrate, after another birdwatcher, Tom French, is found dead. George smoothly questions people and has no trouble gaining their cooperation as his investigation gets underway. Still, he remains discreet, keeping birdwatching as the stated reason for his presence during his travels.
Ann Cleeves has made a name for herself with the Shetland and Vera crime series set in the UK, but before those series, she had written this eight-book series. I look forward to reading the other books in this series.
Many thanks to Macmillan Audio and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Ann grew up in the country, first in Herefordshire, then in North Devon. Her father was a village school teacher. After dropping out of university she took a number of temporary jobs - child care officer, women's refuge leader, bird observatory cook, auxiliary coastguard - before going back to college and training to be a probation officer.
Ann's books have been translated into sixteen languages. She's a bestseller in Scandinavia and Germany. Her novels sell widely and to critical acclaim in the United States. Raven Black was shortlisted for the Martin Beck award for best translated crime novel in Sweden in 200
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