Death Shoots a Birdie (Birdwatcher's Mystery)
by Christine Goff
Paperback; 224 pages; published March, 2007
Review by Linda Crisalli
A walk on “trembling” earth, alligators and venomous snakes is not every bird enthusiast’s experience out in the field. But for avid birders Rachel Wilder, Lark Drummond, Cecelia Meyer, and Dorothy MacBean, it appears to be a “walk in the park” as the four take the experience in well poised stride.
In the fifth book of the Christine Goff Birdwatcher’s Mystery series, Death Shoots a Birdie finds the reoccurring characters gathering at Hyde Island, Georgia for the Hyde Island Birding and Nature Festival.
Within the first few pages, you are treated to a “sighting” of Painted Buntings, two brightly colored males skirmishing over the privilege to mate a female, the challenge first by song, then by fight, to the death if necessary. Such is life in the animal world, survival of the fittest and all, but though the title suggests death of a real “birdie” the story evolves around a resort, a golf course and land reserved for bird sanctuaries.
While no birds and injured in this story, there are several mysteries woven into the storyline along with murder and an interesting look into island life off the Georgian coast. I’d suggest keeping your bird guide handy. Many of their local birds are mentioned and the book experience will be enhanced by looking up the visuals as you move through the action.
As for walking on “trembling” earth…this segment builds to be the most exciting part of the narrative. A swampland journey not only presents alligators protecting their nests, snapping turtles, raccoons and bobcats, but venomous snakes that can drop into your canoe from overhanging trees and that always dreaded enemy, that carries a gun, and uses it to shoot a hole in your canoe.
As with previous books, Goff provides specific information on a highlighted bird within the storyline. This book is no exception. On page 209 you will find a list on the Painted Bunting. But this is not the only bird of interest in the storyline. There is believed to be a rare sighting of a bird thought to be extinct. Spotted in an Arkansas swamp in 2005, could this bird also be thriving in the swamps of Hyde Island?
Read Death Shoots a Birdie by Christine Goff and find out how our four heroines handle the mysteries, the murder and the birding where a long list of suspects keep them on their toes and the fight to death drama of the Painted Bunting is a drop in the bucket compared to survival of the fittest at the birding festival.
All books in this series:
A Rant of
Ravens
Death
of a Songbird
A Nest
in the Ashes
Death Takes a Gander
Death Shoots a Birdie
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