posted on 19 Mar 2024

Feather by M.G. Leonard

Award-winning novelist, M.G. Leonard brings us another episode in the eventful lives of the bird-watching detectives that featured in the earlier books, Twitch, Spark and Clutch (the latter of which you’ll find reviewed here).

This time the thrills start with a school trip to the museum where one of the intrepid birding detectives, Ava, finds herself in the middle of a robbery. It seems the thieves were after rare and valuable bird skins covered in feathers that can be sold for plenty of money. Immediately after the thieves have fled Ava discovers a mysterious single black raven’s feather at the site of the crime and has an unsettling encounter with a young girl she somehow feels has something to do with the mysterious crime.

The police are baffled by how the crime could have been carried out but Ava knows two things for certain: she needs to get the detecting gang back together immediately if the crime is to be solved and the answer probably lies with the mysterious girl and the raven’s feather.

Fortunately, the school holidays are just starting and so the twitcher detectives have time to plunge into the mystery. Ava is, of course, right. The girl, who we discover is called Rae, is central to the whole operation and she has a cunning accomplice, a trained pet raven known as Caliban.

What unfolds is a breathless and exciting mystery full of jeopardy. I really don’t want to say too much about the plot because it would spoil the excitement of reading it for yourself. Suffice it say that you’re going to encounter a devious and volatile criminal gang that specialises in stealing important artworks, antiques and other valuable items to sell on but who are busy cheating each other.

Although Rae seems to be involved, we’ll discover that she’s actually a captive of the gang and really needs a friend like Ava who might be able to get her out of the mess she’s in.

There’s tons of humour as well as some real danger here and once you start reading the book you’ll find it difficult to put down. Leonard also manages to include masses of really interesting information about birds and their behaviour – as well as some historical and more up-to-date details about how rare bird feathers have been used for fashion - and fishing!

Published by Walker Books, you can get your copy from your local independent bookshop - who will be happy to order it for you if they don’t have copies on the shelf.

 

Terry Potter

March 2024