This is a complex and interesting murder mystery with well drawn characters and a twisty plot. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC.

While this is the 4th in the Birder Mystery series, it is my second, after A Cast of Falcons. And like that book it offers well described physical settings, some wonderful birds for those inclined, and very complex characters who exist on many levels. This time, the action is divided between the Colombian rainforest and the winter-cold Norfolk coast of England, very opposite sites. Two situations unfolding: a murder at home in Saltmarsh which brings in a Jejeune adversary from earlier in his policing days to cover his position while Domenic is on "vacation" in Colombia attempting to learn more about what happened that has left his brother an international fugitive for murder. The beginning of the novel feels somewhat muted because major characters are not in their usual "habitats" but this is more than made up for as action progresses on both fronts. The story is told in alternating chapters.

I do like Domenic Jejeune, not the typical lead detective in a mystery series, a man who looks for patterns in human behavior as carefully as he attends to his high-level bird watching. And he also cares very much for those close to him. And these people seem to respect and care for him too while also wondering about his secrets. Only his partner Lindy seems to truly know him.

Birds are everywhere in this book, as part of the plot but also part of everyday life. but this is by no means a "cozy" mystery as some novels with such subtitles might be. It is a police procedural with something extra: more depth of character and motivation of the lead and secondary characters, more attention to detail and description of setting. I will definitely be on board for the next installment and hope to fit the first 2 books in to my reading schedule before long.

Definitely recommended for mystery lovers. Those who enjoy birding will find a definite bonus.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Book 4, in A Birder Murder Mystery series

This is the 2nd book I have read in the series, I simply couldn’t resist asking for it when it became available from Dundurn via NetGalley and I was most happy to have received an advance copy, thank you.

This birding series is an original police procedurals and a delight to read featuring the debonair detective Dominic Jejeune. The drama in each is cleverly thought and excitingly transmitted but I do think it is preferable to read this series in sequence, otherwise you will wonder what is going on with Damian, Dominic’s fugitive brother “A Simmer of Hummingbirds” does touch the subject but does not clear up the mystery. In fact it left me so intrigued to learn more that I must read “A Pitying of Doves” and “A Cast of Falcons”, book 2 &3, the installments I missed.

In this latest, the storyline has two scenarios and the narrative alternates between the two. We have Dominic on a birding holiday in Colombia while doing so he takes a side trip and seeks for clues that would exonerate his brother: Damian was charged with murder. Meanwhile back in the UK the team have their hands full with a murder investigation of a local accountant.

This is an absorbing story from start to finish. Switching from one scenario to the other flows smoothly, definitely, Mr.Burrows is a master storyteller and knows how to keep the tension on and feeding it to us one drop at the time. The real strength is the characterization: the players are realistic, well-drawn and are the driving force in this book. Although part of the Birder mystery I found this installment doesn’t overwhelm us with names and descriptions of hummingbirds.

For mystery buffs who love originality have a go at this series.

A Shimmer of Hummingbirds is Steve Burrows fourth birder mystery. I have read all of them with delight. They are a different kind of mystery — the Canadian main character is Jejeune, a detective transplanted into Norfolk in the UK, a birders' paradise. He is a passionate birder too and a wily solver of murders on the windswept and bleak eastern shore of England. He is also difficult to read and his superior finds him obtuse.
In the latest book, Jejeune is on holiday trying to assist his brother who is in jail. The vacation disguise is a birding tour in Columbia. Back home his position has been taken by a former colleague who is trying to solve a murder. The book swings between the two. I'm not going to spoil the story here.
Burrows is a master at tension, pacing, characterization, and plot. You won't be able to put it down until the very last page.... I love his books!
Highly recommended for bird lovers and mystery hounds.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Dundurn for an advance copy of A Shimmer Of Hummingbirds, the fourth title in Domenic Jejeune birding series of police procedurals.

Domenic takes off for a birding holiday in Colombia, partly to see the birds, partly to work out the full facts behind why his brother was charged with murder there. In the meantime his old adversary, DI Marvin Laraby, is seconded to Saltmarsh to replace him temporarily. He soon has his hands full with the murder of Erin Dawes, a local accountant. The narrative is split between the two scenarios.

I found this novel a much easier and more absorbing novel than the previous one, A Cast Of Falcons, where I joined the series. With this in mind I think it is fair to say that the novels do not work particularly well as stand alones because of the on going story line about Domenic's brother, Damian, and his fugitive status. A Shimmer Of Hummingbirds not only does not clear up this ongoing plotline but also leaves another plotline unresolved which serves, I assume, as an appetiser for the next novel. It doesn't work for me - I'll have forgotten by the time the book comes out so I prefer novels to have all loose ends tied up nicely at the end.

Otherwise I thoroughly enjoyed A Shimmer Of Hummingbirds. As most of the birding is done in the heat of Colombia it is exotic enough not to be pervasive, annoying and anoraky. The two plot lines are well done and had me turning the pages to see what was coming next.

The real strength of the novel, however, is the characterisation. The way Laraby worms his way into the team and their reactions to it are fascinating, realistic and well done. Obviously the reader, as the outsider, can see some of the manipulation but it's all very plausible and you could see yourself falling for it.

It is a good read and I have no hesitation in recommending it.