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A review by billymac1962
Birdman by Mo Hayder
5.0
Man, what is it about female mystery writers that makes them come up with the most heinous of crimes? From her bio and picture, Mo Hayder seems like such a nice lady. But with Birdman, her debut novel, she launches herself right into the darkest of Val McDermid's territory.
I couldn't burn through Birdman quickly enough. There is nothing not to like about this novel. Take a serial killer with a bizarre signature, an inspector with a dark past and struggling relationship, and short chapters, and you've got a formula for a novel that deserves to be read without petty distractions like work and sleep.
The serial killer genre has been so saturated over the past twenty years. That's why I'm so impressed when one comes along that stands out from the rest. In a genre that can barely help but become formulaic, the writer can still come up with unique ideas that makes the story her own.
Hayder also does a fantastic job developing her characters. I totally bought into what Jack Caffery was going through, his motivations, and hey, I really liked the guy.
What a great debut. Five stars for sure.
I couldn't burn through Birdman quickly enough. There is nothing not to like about this novel. Take a serial killer with a bizarre signature, an inspector with a dark past and struggling relationship, and short chapters, and you've got a formula for a novel that deserves to be read without petty distractions like work and sleep.
The serial killer genre has been so saturated over the past twenty years. That's why I'm so impressed when one comes along that stands out from the rest. In a genre that can barely help but become formulaic, the writer can still come up with unique ideas that makes the story her own.
Hayder also does a fantastic job developing her characters. I totally bought into what Jack Caffery was going through, his motivations, and hey, I really liked the guy.
What a great debut. Five stars for sure.