A Nye of Pheasants: Birder Murder Mysteries

Birder Murder Mystery #8

by Steve Burrows

Prior to assuming his new role with a different constabulary, Danny Maik has taken a short holiday in Singapore to reconcile with an old friend, Guy Trueman (from A Pitying of Doves ). When a street brawl turns deadly, Danny is facing a charge of manslaughter, but when evidence emerges that he may have planned the victim’s murder, Danny Maik is looking at the death penalty. He isn’t sure whether his lawyer’s questionable methods are due to inexperience or something more sinister, but either way, his only hope seems to be reaching out to those he can trust back in the UK.

Back in Saltmarsh, Norfolk, Maik’s replacement is trying to resurrect his career after a catastrophic earlier error caused permanent injury to a fellow officer. At first, the signs are promising. His astute observations of clues even DI Domenic Jejeune has missed turns the apparent suicide of a local pheasant farmer into murder. Domenic should be monitoring his new charge’s progress closely, but he is too distracted by Danny’s plight. Others are watching, though, and they are disturbed by what they’re seeing. With the situation heading to a deadly climax, Domenic must decide whether his duty lies in helping his new partner or his old one. The fate of both men lies in his hands. But he can help only one.

Genres: Mystery, Procedural, Birds

378 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 8, 2024

About the author

Steve Burrows has pursued his birdwatching hobby on five continents, while researching articles on a wide range of environmental issues. He has a degree in English from York University and is a past editor of the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society Magazine. After travelling the world together, Steve and his family now live in Oshawa, Ontario.

Reviews

[Will Langdon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Guilty pleasure lol x Not sure this is as good as the others in the series but still enjoyed it with the multi-stranded plot. A lot of the birding and environmental references feel quite shoe horned in unlike previous iterations. The latter particularly, with over frequent wearied observations about how no one agrees these days etc etc which feel quite obvious and starts to get a bit annoying, and page long diversions into statistics about the environmental issues as the characters weigh up both sides in a way that feels excessively saintly and doesn’t feel like the thoughts of real characters. Seems more like the author attempting to push an (admittedly worthy) agenda about how complex a lot of these problems are, in a way that feels a bit ham fisted. Still enjoyed it though even if it was quite meandering, and would recommend this series.

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

Trying to reestablish characters while welcoming new lead to 2 storylines with disjointed plots. Plot connections were contrived. Disappointing.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Danny Maik is in serious trouble in Singapore, and it’s not clear who he can trust. Dominic is on a new case with a new staff member, but is severely distracted by Danny’s issues. Damien is finally in a happy place, birding in Bhutan. This was a really good, suspenseful book in the series. Really enjoyed it.

[Sobi · Rating 2 out of 5]

"A Nye of Pheasants" by Steve Burrows, part of the Birder Murder Mysteries series, unfortunately falls flat on several fronts. As a fan of both birding and mystery novels, I had high hopes for this book, but it failed to deliver the engaging and thrilling experience I was looking forward to. The plot is painfully slow and meandering. The pacing is uneven, with long stretches of mundane descriptions and irrelevant details that do little to advance the story. The mystery itself lacks intrigue and complexity, making it difficult to stay invested in the narrative. By the time any real action occurs, it's hard to care about the outcome.

The characters are another major disappointment. They come across as one-dimensional and lack the depth needed to make them relatable or compelling. The protagonist, who should be the anchor of the story, is frustratingly bland and unremarkable. Supporting characters fare no better, often feeling like stereotypes rather than fully fleshed-out individuals. While I appreciate the author's passion for ornithology, it often feels like the birding elements are shoehorned into the narrative rather than naturally integrated. This detracts from the mystery and makes the story feel disjointed. The drawn-out suspense in Singapore is stretched to a ludicrous degree, dragging the narrative without adding real value. When the solution to the crisis is finally revealed, it is disappointingly nonsensical and unconvincing, leaving more questions than answers.

"A Nye of Pheasants" lacks the excitement, depth, and polish needed to make it a compelling read. While the birding elements might appeal to a niche audience, the lackluster plot, shallow characters, and tedious pacing make it a struggle to get through. I had hoped for a captivating blend of birding and mystery, but this book sadly missed the mark. Having not read the other books in the series, this one does little to encourage me to do so.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why was none of this from Lauren Salter's point of view? If it were a TV show I would have just assumed the the actor was unavailable for this episode - but Burrows had no excuse for not writing her into it.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good as expected - however, the solution to Danny's murder case in Singapore is a bit hazy as to the exact specifics. Did the Singapore cop get away with murder and Danny was okay with that?

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best book so far in this series.

[Rose Sybrant · Rating 3 out of 5]

My parents watch all the British mysteries on public television. This felt exactly like one of those series. There are pubs, villages, hunting and some country lanes and gardens. There are constables and slights against people educated “in the colonies”. 😂 I loved the mentions of birds and birding, of course. I learned that a nye is the collective noun for a group of pheasants in flight.

[TJS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three and a half stars. Nice plot twists and the usual fine imagery. But the murderer’s motivation was implausible, in my opinion. The same was true for an item of would-be exculpatory evidence for another accused murderer, and I’m still unclear how someone thought to find it. I’m surprised the judge gave it so much weight.

[Art Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm new to this author who was recommended to me by a friend and I'm pleased to say it was a great read. Bird watching police detectives, is I can safely say not a one off but is in fact a genre. Britsh author Graham Hughes's Inspector Faraday is the first that I'm aware of but this is a noble addition to this burgeoning genre. It's split action between Singapore and Britain revolving around two assistants of the Inspector Jejuene is cleverly done with plenty of twists and turns. The story has plenty of dead bodies, some of them avian. To paraphrase, This bird has ceased to be, it is an ex-pheasant but has lovely plummage! Even eight books into the series this trope seems to be going strong and never manages to strain credibility. I will definitely be exploring the back catalogue!

[MEF · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve loved all the books in the series, for differing reasons according to the location and situations. The constant has been detective Dominic Jejeune and his idiosyncratic thinking and birding love.
Here we have dual plots and locations of Norfolk and Singapore, I was particularly interested in the latter as I was there just 5 months ago and could visualise the scenes.
Dominic was not there except in spirit, but I felt in his preoccupation with Danny’s plight he was rather absent from Norfolk too and short changed his colleagues on occasions. Others were more to the fore, fair enough, but I wasn’t entirely convinced on occasions and the final announcement by the Singapore detective just didn’t work for me.
Great descriptions and clever sub plots but I missed Dominic.

[Barb.hutchinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another dandy birder mystery in this series and did love the variety of locations with the fabulous pheasants. Satisfying ending on one hand and sad tidings on the other as I stay just this side of spoilers.

[Vista · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pleasant pheasant

I love all the characters in these books. This one, as sometimes happens, had a confusing start, in that it was hard to keep track of people in places and what was going on, but then it quickly became comprehensible. As usual, I look forward to the next book.

[Preeti Nichol · Rating 4 out of 5]

What could be better than a birder murder mystery?

[Brenda Funk · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a satisfying and exciting read! I love this series. And as always, in the reading, I learned a lot about the bird in the title. Well written, great story line. Thanks.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve loved every one of Steve Burrows’ books. I can’t recommend them highly enough: the mystery itself, the birding culture, the people, the relationships. I think I’m going to read this again :-)

[Patricia]

Wow. Two stories in one. The alternate stories in the final 20 chapters was so tense I stayed up past my bedtime to find out what happened. Steve Burrows never disappoints.

[megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5* this series has been enjoyable, with this one lacking a bit of closure. i hope that these continue to be written and published

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

So slow moving. It would have been a lot better minus 75 pages or so. Wheel spinning without moving the plot(s) forward. I finally flipped to the end to see what happened because it was so draggy (as opposed to racing through the book because I was so engaged and wanted to see how it ended).

The author really reached to bring pheasants into the England plot and the Singapore plot. Also, where was Lauren? Very weird that she was mentioned but not present.

At least Dominic was a little less godlike in this one, and Tony Holland was less annoying. Not the worst in the series but definitely not the best.

[Sydney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like others who have reviewed this contribution to an excellent series, I was a bit disappointed. I thought the central problem a bit contrived. And even though all the other ingredients are present — the birds, Jejeune, Lindy — this novel did not seem as substantial as the earlier ones. It seems to me that several books in series that have come out of or after the pandemic have not had the spark of earlier writing. Just an impression, but I wonder if others have experienced this. Probably a 3.5, but because of the series, I'm fine with 4.

[Katrin V · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was disappointed with this one. Definitely not a standalone novel. Burrows tried to do too many things in one book. I am glad to know about nomals and to have looked up their spectacular appearance.

Because the author was trying to maintain tension in two threads with completely different plots some parts of the plot got a bit lost and the technical details of inspection by whom went by too fast.

[Rosalyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

as always, from this author this is a super book.

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

two mysteries in one. well done.

[Deborah Maunder · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good mystery, two stories intertwined nicely!

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best one yet. Burrows has learned his craft and is now a consummate mystery novelist.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another wonderful edition to the Birder Murder Mystery Series. Full of intrigue and mystery. Danny Maik is caught in an untenable situation during a trip to Singapore, he is involved in a street fight where the victim is a police officer. Meanwhile, in the UK DCI Domenic Jejeune has his hands full with a suspected suicide of a young woman at Cleve Hall. Also Danny’s replacement, DC Summer is trying to restore his career following a serious injury to a fellow police officer. I enjoy the integration of the birds in the mystery and the information at the back of the book detailing the Himalayan Monal also known as the Nine Coloured Pheasant, thought to be the most beautiful bird in existence.

[Marcia McLaughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Burrows writing - his descriptions of the landscape, the birds, people are all excquisite. This mystery was more surprising than usual in the conclusion - not what I expected at all. I look forward to birder murder mystery #9