A Pitying of Doves

June 1, 2015
The sequel to the author's first birder mystery, A Siege of Bitterns (2014), is just as good as its predecessor. Chief Inspector Domenic Jejeune, the Canadian cop who's been relocated to Norfolk, England, is a bit of a local celeb after solving a tricky murder. Now the head of a bird sanctuary is dead, apparently the victim of homicide. Jejeune is pretty sure he knows why the man was killed, but he's having trouble convincing the higher-ups that he's on the right track. The detective is seriously considering hanging up his badge and turning his part-time hobby (birdwatching, of course) into something more full-time, but his conscience won't let him leave a murder unsolved, even if it means embarking on a path that could put his own life in jeopardy. A cleverly written novel that proves A Siege of Bitterns wasn't just an offbeat one-off. This blend of procedural and cozy is just right for followers of M. C. Beaton's Hamish Macbeth.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)