An excellent police procedural with birders in mind
A Cast of Falcons by Steve Burrows Dundurn Mystery & Thrillers Pub Date: May 7, 2016 Review A Cast of Falcons is meticulously written. It is clear Burrows paid close attention to how he described people and events, but most of all birds and their behavior. If you haven't read Burrows's previous novels, it is difficult to jump into A Cast of Falcons. The beginning is uneasy, awkward, much like the relationship between Detective Chief Inspector Jejeune and his brother. (The beginning of the novel is where the brothers are brought together and the language used is meant to reflect that awkwardness, but at the same time it makes it difficult to empathize with Jejeune). While the reasons are not immediately clear, Jejeune's brother is a fugitive and his presence threatens more than Domenic's career. His brother is also slow to reveal the reason behind his presence - and what it has to do with the sighting of a white gyrfalcon and the falling death of an unidentified man in Scotland Thus it is no surprise that Jejeune is off his game when a prominent researcher is murdered. His DS, Danny Maik is left to pick up the slack. With billions of pounds in the offing as a research prize, professional jealousy is a viable motive. But as the project is headed by an extremely wealthy Emirate prince, the Chief Superintendent is unwilling to allow the team to delve too deeply. A Cast of Falcons is a well written police procedural, but definitely not the best choice for newcomers to the series. It is best to come to know and connect with DCI Jejeune first through A Siege of Bitterns and A Pitying of Doves. Fans of the series will be delighted by this third installment and by the role bird behavior plays in uncovering a second murder. If you like police procedurals and you like birding, Burrow's series is a great pick. 4/5 I received a copy of A Cast of Falcons from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. --Crittermom Description The threat from above casts a dark shadow. A man falls to his death from a cliff face in western Scotland. From a distance, another man watches. He approaches the body, tucks a book into the dead man’s pocket, and leaves. When the Scottish police show visiting Detective Chief Inspector Domenic Jejeune the book, he recognizes it as a call for help. But he also knows that answering that call could destroy the life he and his girlfriend Lindy have built for themselves in the village of Saltmarsh, in north Norfolk. Back in Saltmarsh, the brutal murder of a researcher involved in a local climate change project has everyone looking at the man’s controversial studies as a motive. But Sergeant Danny Maik, heading the investigation in Jejeune’s absence, believes a huge cash incentive being offered for the research may play a crucial role. With their beleaguered Chief Superintendent blocking every attempt to interview the project’s uber-wealthy owners, Jejeune and Maik must work together to find their answers. But will the men’s partnership survvive when the danger from above begins to cast its dark shadow?
