Inspector Domenic Jejeune's success has made him a poster boy for the U.K. police service. The problem is Jejeune doesn't really want to be a detective at all; he much prefers watching birds. Newly posted to the small Norfolk town of Saltmarsh, in the heart of Britain's premier birding country, Jejeune's two worlds collide when he investigates the grisly murder of a prominent ecological activist. His ambitious police superintendent foresees a blaze of welcome publicity from the case, but she and others begin to have their doubts when Jejeune's most promising theory involves a feud over bird watching lists. A second murder only complicates matters. Everyone in town seems to have something to hide. But to expose the secrets of others, Jejeune will first have to face his own inner demons. In the case of the Saltmarsh murders, the victims may not be the only casualties.
Winner: Crime Writers of Canada - Best First Novel
Shortlisted: Kobo - Emerging Writer Award
A Globe & Mail "Best One Hundred Books of the Year" selection
a dazzling debut... Riveting from first page to final line.
- Globe and Mail (Canada)
One of the most delightful …mysteries of recent years. - Daily Mail (U.K.)
A sound plot and well-drawn characters within the police and from all sides of Norfolk's ecological issues make for a most entertaining read.
- The Times (U.K.)