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ramsayl2023's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
vkaz's review against another edition
4.0
Birdwatching didn't interest me as a backdrop for a mystery, but I ended up really enjoying this book! George and Molly are a great amateur detective team.
franreads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
reikiwren's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
3.5
I didn’t enjoy this as much as other Ann Cleeves books. I struggled to connect with the characters and had to skim read some areas to get to the end. This may have more to do with me than with the book itself, however.
cdvicarage's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
beytwice's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting murder mystery with a refreshing setting, deeply rooted in the world of birdwatchers and twitchers galore. The characters slowly grew on me as I read and the plot, though winding and a little long-winded at times, felt compelling and fresh. Not predictable, but with enough clues to the ending scattered throughout.
The ending felt a little inconclusive, I must say. A few more pages to tie up loose ends and leave the reader with a greater sense of satisfaction could not have gone amiss, but overall an enjoyable read.
The ending felt a little inconclusive, I must say. A few more pages to tie up loose ends and leave the reader with a greater sense of satisfaction could not have gone amiss, but overall an enjoyable read.
kirstyreviewsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
A Bird in the Hand by Ann Cleeves
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.
I have previously been unimpressed by books by Ann Cleeves and thought I would give a new series a try. This is a slow-paced, straightforward mystery with a lot of details about birdwatching. I enjoyed getting to know Molly and George and I am looking forward to seeing what Ann does with this series when I read the next book in the series.
Rating 4/5
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.
I have previously been unimpressed by books by Ann Cleeves and thought I would give a new series a try. This is a slow-paced, straightforward mystery with a lot of details about birdwatching. I enjoyed getting to know Molly and George and I am looking forward to seeing what Ann does with this series when I read the next book in the series.
Rating 4/5
angelfireeast24's review
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Classism, Infidelity, Misogyny, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Murder
Minor: Suicide attempt
malongorose's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
judyward's review against another edition
3.0
Tom French, one of the best birders along the Norfolk coast is found dead in a marsh outside of the village of Rushy. Apparently, he had been out early that morning because his binoculars were still hanging around his neck. Tom was one of those people that everyone seemed to like--well, obviously, with one exception. George Palmer-Jones, a retired government employee, is asked to look into the matter and uncovers multiple motives of love gone wrong, envy, and jealousy. With the help of his wife, Molly, George figures out what happened and then had to determine how to keep the murderer from striking again. The best part of the book was the information about the life of bird-watchers in England.