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Loading... Birdman (2000)by Mo Hayder
Work InformationBirdman by Mo Hayder (2000)
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. I downloaded this book as a Free Friday selection for my nook from Barnes and Noble. It took a bit to get into and it was a bit gory in parts, but all in all, it was a good read. I won't rush out to get the next book in the series, but at some point, I wouldn't mind reading more by this author. ( ) Undoubtedly one of the most visceral listening experiences I have ever had. Birdman, published in 2000, tells the story of a murder investigation after the mutilated bodies of five young women are found near the Millenium Dome in London. The author spares the reader/listener none of the gory details as the case turns out to be even more complicated and gruesome than originally suspected. And the main protagonist of the book, Deputy Inspector Jack Cafferey, has some problems of his own. Only toward the end do things falter just a bit, with some plot elements that seem a bit contrived. In some ways, this book could be compared to the Silence of the Lambs, but it makes that book look like a children's story. It has more in common, in fact, with Red Dragon, which had not yet turned Hannibal Lecter into a mythological superhero of evil. When I was done with Birdman, my first reaction was, maybe I don't want to go down this road with this author again. But then I can't get it out of my head, and I am a bit awed by what the author achieved in her very first novel. Just look up Hayder on Wikipedia and be a bit more astounded at the career path that brought her to writing novels. It is very sad to know that she died--at the early age of 59--last year (2021) of motor-neuron disease. Her other words are apparently just as extreme as this one. Build up your courage and read it. Or listen to the audiobook, as I did, which was extremely well read by Damien Goodwin. The strength of this book I believe is in the story-telling; I was so engaged that I didn't notice whether the writing was all that good or not. I've got to expect that it was. And what a twisted tale it is. I quickly became invested and developed a certain like for most of the characters. The downside came towards the end when more-or-less all the events started to become predictable. It hit all "11-of-the-10" requisite elements of clusterfuckery. Still, the story held true with a solid finish. Notable Lists
Birdman showcases Hayder at her spine-tingling best as beloved series character Jack Caffery tracks down a terrifying serial killer. In his first case as lead investigator with London's crack murder squad, Detective Jack Caffery is called on to investigate the murder of a young woman whose body has been discovered near the Millennium Dome in Greenwich, southeast London. Brutalized, and mutilated beyond recognition, the victim is soon joined by four others discovered in the same area - all female and all ritualistically murdered. And when the postmortem examination reveals a gruesome signature connecting the victims, Caffery realizes exactly what he's dealing with - a dangerous serial killer. No library descriptions found.
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.54Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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