Scan barcode
plantbirdwoman's review against another edition
3.0
This is the third in Goff's series of "Birdwatcher's mysteries" and it is definitely the best of the lot so far. She shows a much surer hand in constructing the mystery this time and the characters of Eric and Lark seem a bit more fleshed out and realistic.
In this entry, Eric, the National Park Service ranger, takes center stage. The NPS is conducting a controlled burn on the parklands near Elk Park, Colorado. A controlled burn that quickly becomes uncontrolled and ravishes several thousand acres of park habitat, and in the midst of all that destruction lies the body of Eric's friend and mentor, Wayne Devlin.
An investigation by the NPS indicates that Wayne probably was responsible for setting the fire that burned out of control and caused so much devastation, but Eric can't believe that and sets out to prove the investigators wrong. In this, he has an ally and helpmate in Lark, his long-time friend who perhaps is on the verge of becoming more than just a friend.
The story of how they go about investigating and of all the red herrings thrown in to confuse the reader kept my attention and interest throughout. I didn't figure it out until near the end.
I had thought I might give up on this series after I finished the third entry, but this one was good enough to keep me reading. Just not right away. I need a break from these characters for a while.
In this entry, Eric, the National Park Service ranger, takes center stage. The NPS is conducting a controlled burn on the parklands near Elk Park, Colorado. A controlled burn that quickly becomes uncontrolled and ravishes several thousand acres of park habitat, and in the midst of all that destruction lies the body of Eric's friend and mentor, Wayne Devlin.
An investigation by the NPS indicates that Wayne probably was responsible for setting the fire that burned out of control and caused so much devastation, but Eric can't believe that and sets out to prove the investigators wrong. In this, he has an ally and helpmate in Lark, his long-time friend who perhaps is on the verge of becoming more than just a friend.
The story of how they go about investigating and of all the red herrings thrown in to confuse the reader kept my attention and interest throughout. I didn't figure it out until near the end.
I had thought I might give up on this series after I finished the third entry, but this one was good enough to keep me reading. Just not right away. I need a break from these characters for a while.
moondance120's review against another edition
4.0
Eric Linenger is a National Park Services ranger involved in a "prescribed burn" near Elk Park, Colorado. The burn goes horribly bad with many acres being destroyed and the body of Eric's boss, Wayne being found in the center of it. The biggest fire is blamed on Wayne although Eric believes it to be a murder. He sets out to clear the name of the man that has been like a father to him.
This is the first book I have read in this series and I see that I need to go back and read the previous two. I enjoyed the characters and the setting. I loved the information on the birds and their habitats. I could have done without feeding the raptors although i do know it is necessary for those in rehab.
The characters are very well done. Eric grew up in Scandinavia and doesn't always understand US idioms. This makes his an endearing character. I like his relationship with Lark and would like to see where it started.
I think the fire portion of the book spoke to me because my father was a firefighter. He was trained in brush fire techniques but it was not used a great deal here in the city when he was with the department. Fire is such a devastating thing. I felt terrible for the loss of the animal habitats.
The mystery was well done and I did not realize who the culprit was until it was revealed. It was a bit of a shocker.
I will need to go back to the beginning of this interesting series and see what else I can learn about birds, bird watching, and the National Parks Service.
This is the first book I have read in this series and I see that I need to go back and read the previous two. I enjoyed the characters and the setting. I loved the information on the birds and their habitats. I could have done without feeding the raptors although i do know it is necessary for those in rehab.
The characters are very well done. Eric grew up in Scandinavia and doesn't always understand US idioms. This makes his an endearing character. I like his relationship with Lark and would like to see where it started.
I think the fire portion of the book spoke to me because my father was a firefighter. He was trained in brush fire techniques but it was not used a great deal here in the city when he was with the department. Fire is such a devastating thing. I felt terrible for the loss of the animal habitats.
The mystery was well done and I did not realize who the culprit was until it was revealed. It was a bit of a shocker.
I will need to go back to the beginning of this interesting series and see what else I can learn about birds, bird watching, and the National Parks Service.
More...