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. ( )

Nice to read a mystery that's unravelled enough that I'm left wondering how it appears to have been solved halfway into the book. Look forward to reading more of Hayder's books. ( )

CW: I really don't know where to begin. Necrophilia, animal cruelty, horrifically described rape and murder scenes. Very disturbing book. ( )

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. ( )