Difference between revisions of "A Shimmer of Hummingbirds by Steve Burrows"

From TheBookbag
Jump to navigationJump to search
Line 5: Line 5:
 
|reviewer=Sue Magee
 
|reviewer=Sue Magee
 
|genre=Crime
 
|genre=Crime
|summary=The fourth book in the DCI Domenic Jejeune series reads well as a stand alone - but bewaare - you're probably going to want to go back and read the first three books.  Birders will love it, but even if you don't know a sparrow from a sparrowhawk it's still a good police procedural.
+
|summary=The fourth book in the DCI Domenic Jejeune series reads well as a stand-alone - but beware - you're probably going to want to go back and read the first three books.  Birders will love it, but even if you don't know a sparrow from a sparrowhawk it's still a good police procedural.
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|buy=Yes
 
|buy=Yes
Line 19: Line 19:
 
}}
 
}}
  
Detective Chief Inspector Domenic Jejeune is on a birding trip to Colombia: well it's ''ostensibly'' a birding trip, but the reality is that he's trying to establish what really happened in the manslaughter case which has left his brother a fugitive.  It's a difficult situation as the police force don't want him to do this and the Colombian authorities are understandably reluctant, but Jejeune has always been a law unto himself.  Meanwhile in Saltmarsh on the North Norfolk coast there's been a brutal murder of a woman, and DI Marvin Laraby, Jejeune's nemesis, has been drafted in to replace Jejeune during his absence.  How's that going to work out?
+
Detective Chief Inspector Domenic Jejeune is on a birding trip to Colombia: well it's ''ostensibly'' a birding trip, but the reality is that he's trying to establish what really happened in the manslaughter case which has left his brother a fugitive.  It's a difficult situation as the police force don't want him to do this and the Colombian authorities are understandably reluctant, but Jejeune has always been a law unto himself.  Meanwhile, in Saltmarsh on the North Norfolk coast there's been a brutal murder of a woman, and DI Marvin Laraby, Jejeune's nemesis, has been drafted in to replace Jejeune during his absence.  How's that going to work out?
  
 
I wouldn't describe myself as a birder, but I love to watch them and second to the area where I live, the north Norfolk coast is my favourite place, so this book was going to demand to be read.  There was only one problem: this is the fourth book in the 'Birder Murder' series and I haven't read the first three.  I'm always reluctant to join a series well down the line, as it can be a disappointing read and that's not fair on the author.  A sleepless night and nothing else to read settled the dilemma - and I have to say that it worked out well.
 
I wouldn't describe myself as a birder, but I love to watch them and second to the area where I live, the north Norfolk coast is my favourite place, so this book was going to demand to be read.  There was only one problem: this is the fourth book in the 'Birder Murder' series and I haven't read the first three.  I'm always reluctant to join a series well down the line, as it can be a disappointing read and that's not fair on the author.  A sleepless night and nothing else to read settled the dilemma - and I have to say that it worked out well.
Line 25: Line 25:
 
The birds are not your average garden birds - you're going to meet some once-in-a-lifetime representatives in Colombia along with some that are native to north Norfolk.  If you're a birder - or, like me, an interested watcher - they're birds to drool over.  ''A Shimmer of Hummingbirds'' could have been a birder's book with a police procedural loosely stitched on, but Steve Burrows treads a fine line: there's enough of birding here to keep the enthusiast reading avidly, but it's an accomplished mystery which carries the book.
 
The birds are not your average garden birds - you're going to meet some once-in-a-lifetime representatives in Colombia along with some that are native to north Norfolk.  If you're a birder - or, like me, an interested watcher - they're birds to drool over.  ''A Shimmer of Hummingbirds'' could have been a birder's book with a police procedural loosely stitched on, but Steve Burrows treads a fine line: there's enough of birding here to keep the enthusiast reading avidly, but it's an accomplished mystery which carries the book.
  
The characters are good too: Jejeune's Canadian by birth and a deep thinker.  He reasons where others dash in without a thought.  Sometimes you wish that he could be a little more, well, ''accommodating'', a little less ''principled'', but then he wouldn't be Jejeune.  Even his journalist girlfriend, Lindy, understands that.  Marvin Laraby's a complex character.  He's come from the Met and there's history between him and Laraby: Laraby even suggests that Jejeune was the cause of his divorce.  He fits in well at Saltmarsh too: there are those who would admit that the atmosphere around the station is better when Laraby's there.  Perhaps Jejeune should worry about keeping his job?
+
The characters are good too: Jejeune's Canadian by birth and a deep thinker.  He reasons, where others dash in without a thought.  Sometimes you wish that he could be a little more, well, ''accommodating'', a little less ''principled'', but then he wouldn't be Jejeune.  Even his journalist girlfriend, Lindy, understands that.  Marvin Laraby's a complex character.  He's come from the Met and there's history between him and Laraby: Laraby even suggests that Jejeune was the cause of his divorce.  He fits in well at Saltmarsh too: there are those who would admit that the atmosphere around the station is better when Laraby's there.  Perhaps Jejeune should worry about keeping his job?
  
 
So - the book read well as a standalone.  You get hints of what has gone on in the past but there's nothing there that you think is an obvious spoiler.  The main problem that I could see is that you're really going to be tempted to go back and read the three earlier books in the series.  I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.
 
So - the book read well as a standalone.  You get hints of what has gone on in the past but there's nothing there that you think is an obvious spoiler.  The main problem that I could see is that you're really going to be tempted to go back and read the three earlier books in the series.  I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.
  
For more crime from Norfolk we can recommend [[Elly Griffiths' Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries in Chronological Order|Elly Griffiths' Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries]].
+
For more crime from Norfolk, we can recommend [[Elly Griffiths' Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries in Chronological Order|Elly Griffiths' Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries]].  For something a little different, you might like to try [[Broadlands (DI Tanner Book 1) by David Blake]].
  
 
{{amazontext|amazon=1786072335}}
 
{{amazontext|amazon=1786072335}}

Revision as of 13:22, 16 August 2020


A Shimmer of Hummingbirds by Steve Burrows

Burrows Hummingbirds.jpg
Buy A Shimmer of Hummingbirds by Steve Burrows at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Category: Crime
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Sue Magee
Reviewed by Sue Magee
Summary: The fourth book in the DCI Domenic Jejeune series reads well as a stand-alone - but beware - you're probably going to want to go back and read the first three books. Birders will love it, but even if you don't know a sparrow from a sparrowhawk it's still a good police procedural.
Buy? Yes Borrow? Yes
Pages: 384 Date: April 2018
Publisher: Point Blank
External links: Author's website
ISBN: 978-1786072337

Share on: Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn



Detective Chief Inspector Domenic Jejeune is on a birding trip to Colombia: well it's ostensibly a birding trip, but the reality is that he's trying to establish what really happened in the manslaughter case which has left his brother a fugitive. It's a difficult situation as the police force don't want him to do this and the Colombian authorities are understandably reluctant, but Jejeune has always been a law unto himself. Meanwhile, in Saltmarsh on the North Norfolk coast there's been a brutal murder of a woman, and DI Marvin Laraby, Jejeune's nemesis, has been drafted in to replace Jejeune during his absence. How's that going to work out?

I wouldn't describe myself as a birder, but I love to watch them and second to the area where I live, the north Norfolk coast is my favourite place, so this book was going to demand to be read. There was only one problem: this is the fourth book in the 'Birder Murder' series and I haven't read the first three. I'm always reluctant to join a series well down the line, as it can be a disappointing read and that's not fair on the author. A sleepless night and nothing else to read settled the dilemma - and I have to say that it worked out well.

The birds are not your average garden birds - you're going to meet some once-in-a-lifetime representatives in Colombia along with some that are native to north Norfolk. If you're a birder - or, like me, an interested watcher - they're birds to drool over. A Shimmer of Hummingbirds could have been a birder's book with a police procedural loosely stitched on, but Steve Burrows treads a fine line: there's enough of birding here to keep the enthusiast reading avidly, but it's an accomplished mystery which carries the book.

The characters are good too: Jejeune's Canadian by birth and a deep thinker. He reasons, where others dash in without a thought. Sometimes you wish that he could be a little more, well, accommodating, a little less principled, but then he wouldn't be Jejeune. Even his journalist girlfriend, Lindy, understands that. Marvin Laraby's a complex character. He's come from the Met and there's history between him and Laraby: Laraby even suggests that Jejeune was the cause of his divorce. He fits in well at Saltmarsh too: there are those who would admit that the atmosphere around the station is better when Laraby's there. Perhaps Jejeune should worry about keeping his job?

So - the book read well as a standalone. You get hints of what has gone on in the past but there's nothing there that you think is an obvious spoiler. The main problem that I could see is that you're really going to be tempted to go back and read the three earlier books in the series. I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

For more crime from Norfolk, we can recommend Elly Griffiths' Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries. For something a little different, you might like to try Broadlands (DI Tanner Book 1) by David Blake.

Please share on: Facebook Facebook, Follow us on Twitter Twitter and Follow us on Instagram Instagram

Buy A Shimmer of Hummingbirds by Steve Burrows at Amazon You can read more book reviews or buy A Shimmer of Hummingbirds by Steve Burrows at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
Buy A Shimmer of Hummingbirds by Steve Burrows at Amazon You can read more book reviews or buy A Shimmer of Hummingbirds by Steve Burrows at Amazon.com.

Comments

Like to comment on this review?

Just send us an email and we'll put the best up on the site.