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George & Molly Palmer-Jones #2
Come Death And High Water
The privately-owned island of Gillibry off the North Devon coast is the perfect site for murder. A routine weekend visit by the Gillibry Bird Observatory Trust is made memorable by the owner's announcement that he is going to sell the island. A sale would mean the end of the Observatory...and of all that, for some of them, made life worth living. A fire in Charlie Todd's cottage added to their distress. And when, next morning, after a fierce storm, they found Charlie dead in a bird hide, their pleasant September weekend assumed a dangerous new face. Charlie Todd's murder can be seen as the deed of any member of the Trust. And it falls to one of their own, George Palmer-Jones, to unravel the identity of killer within their midst.
208 pages, Paperback
First published March 12, 1988
607 people are currently reading
938 people want to read
About the author
Ann Cleeves
132 books8,831 followersAnn is the author of the books behind ITV's VERA, now in it's third series, and the BBC's SHETLAND, which will be aired in December 2012. Ann's DI Vera Stanhope series of books is set in Northumberland and features the well loved detective along with her partner Joe Ashworth. Ann's Shetland series bring us DI Jimmy Perez, investigating in the mysterious, dark, and beautiful Shetland Islands...
Ann grew up in the country, first in Herefordshire, then in North Devon. Her father was a village school teacher. After dropping out of university she took a number of temporary jobs - child care officer, women's refuge leader, bird observatory cook, auxiliary coastguard - before going back to college and training to be a probation officer.
While she was cooking in the Bird Observatory on Fair Isle, she met her husband Tim, a visiting ornithologist. She was attracted less by the ornithology than the bottle of malt whisky she saw in his rucksack when she showed him his room. Soon after they married, Tim was appointed as warden of Hilbre, a tiny tidal island nature reserve in the Dee Estuary. They were the only residents, there was no mains electricity or water and access to the mainland was at low tide across the shore. If a person's not heavily into birds - and Ann isn't - there's not much to do on Hilbre and that was when she started writing. Her first series of crime novels features the elderly naturalist, George Palmer-Jones. A couple of these books are seriously dreadful.
In 1987 Tim, Ann and their two daughters moved to Northumberland and the north east provides the inspiration for many of her subsequent titles. The girls have both taken up with Geordie lads. In the autumn of 2006, Ann and Tim finally achieved their ambition of moving back to the North East.
For the National Year of Reading, Ann was made reader-in-residence for three library authorities. It came as a revelation that it was possible to get paid for talking to readers about books! She went on to set up reading groups in prisons as part of the Inside Books project, became Cheltenham Literature Festival's first reader-in-residence and still enjoys working with libraries.
Ann Cleeves on stage at the Duncan Lawrie Dagger awards ceremony
Ann's short film for Border TV, Catching Birds, won a Royal Television Society Award. She has twice been short listed for a CWA Dagger Award - once for her short story The Plater, and the following year for the Dagger in the Library award.
In 2006 Ann Cleeves was the first winner of the prestigious Duncan Lawrie Dagger Award of the Crime Writers' Association for Raven Black, the first volume of her Shetland Quartet. The Duncan Lawrie Dagger replaces the CWA's Gold Dagger award, and the winner receives £20,000, making it the world's largest award for crime fiction.
Ann's success was announced at the 2006 Dagger Awards ceremony at the Waldorf Hilton, in London's Aldwych, on Thursday 29 June 2006. She said: "I have never won anything before in my life, so it was a complete shock - but lovely of course.. The evening was relatively relaxing because I'd lost my voice and knew that even if the unexpected happened there was physically no way I could utter a word. So I wouldn't have to give a speech. My editor was deputed to do it!"
The judging panel consisted of Geoff Bradley (non-voting Chair), Lyn Brown MP (a committee member on the London Libraries service), Frances Gray (an academic who writes about and teaches courses on modern crime fiction), Heather O'Donoghue (academic, linguist, crime fiction reviewer for The Times Literary Supplement, and keen reader of all crime fiction) and Barry Forshaw (reviewer and editor of Crime Time magazine).
Ann's books have been translated into sixteen languages. She's a bestseller in Scandinavia and Germany. Her novels sell widely and to critical acclaim in the United States. Raven Black was shortlisted for the Martin Beck award for best translated crime novel in Sweden in 200
Ann grew up in the country, first in Herefordshire, then in North Devon. Her father was a village school teacher. After dropping out of university she took a number of temporary jobs - child care officer, women's refuge leader, bird observatory cook, auxiliary coastguard - before going back to college and training to be a probation officer.
While she was cooking in the Bird Observatory on Fair Isle, she met her husband Tim, a visiting ornithologist. She was attracted less by the ornithology than the bottle of malt whisky she saw in his rucksack when she showed him his room. Soon after they married, Tim was appointed as warden of Hilbre, a tiny tidal island nature reserve in the Dee Estuary. They were the only residents, there was no mains electricity or water and access to the mainland was at low tide across the shore. If a person's not heavily into birds - and Ann isn't - there's not much to do on Hilbre and that was when she started writing. Her first series of crime novels features the elderly naturalist, George Palmer-Jones. A couple of these books are seriously dreadful.
In 1987 Tim, Ann and their two daughters moved to Northumberland and the north east provides the inspiration for many of her subsequent titles. The girls have both taken up with Geordie lads. In the autumn of 2006, Ann and Tim finally achieved their ambition of moving back to the North East.
For the National Year of Reading, Ann was made reader-in-residence for three library authorities. It came as a revelation that it was possible to get paid for talking to readers about books! She went on to set up reading groups in prisons as part of the Inside Books project, became Cheltenham Literature Festival's first reader-in-residence and still enjoys working with libraries.
Ann Cleeves on stage at the Duncan Lawrie Dagger awards ceremony
Ann's short film for Border TV, Catching Birds, won a Royal Television Society Award. She has twice been short listed for a CWA Dagger Award - once for her short story The Plater, and the following year for the Dagger in the Library award.
In 2006 Ann Cleeves was the first winner of the prestigious Duncan Lawrie Dagger Award of the Crime Writers' Association for Raven Black, the first volume of her Shetland Quartet. The Duncan Lawrie Dagger replaces the CWA's Gold Dagger award, and the winner receives £20,000, making it the world's largest award for crime fiction.
Ann's success was announced at the 2006 Dagger Awards ceremony at the Waldorf Hilton, in London's Aldwych, on Thursday 29 June 2006. She said: "I have never won anything before in my life, so it was a complete shock - but lovely of course.. The evening was relatively relaxing because I'd lost my voice and knew that even if the unexpected happened there was physically no way I could utter a word. So I wouldn't have to give a speech. My editor was deputed to do it!"
The judging panel consisted of Geoff Bradley (non-voting Chair), Lyn Brown MP (a committee member on the London Libraries service), Frances Gray (an academic who writes about and teaches courses on modern crime fiction), Heather O'Donoghue (academic, linguist, crime fiction reviewer for The Times Literary Supplement, and keen reader of all crime fiction) and Barry Forshaw (reviewer and editor of Crime Time magazine).
Ann's books have been translated into sixteen languages. She's a bestseller in Scandinavia and Germany. Her novels sell widely and to critical acclaim in the United States. Raven Black was shortlisted for the Martin Beck award for best translated crime novel in Sweden in 200
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
December 29, 2024
An early Ann Cleeves, much more in the line of traditional English mysteries with a close group of suspects and not too much human misery, unlike her later series like Vera where misery abounds.
It was a perfect book for today, when I’m taking it easy.
It was a perfect book for today, when I’m taking it easy.
January 2, 2022
A nice easy read. The first George & Molly I've read and will probably read another. Prefer Jimmy Perez though!
April 2, 2021
This is a competently-written whodunnit of traditional style, with a closed group of suspects, each hiding their own secrets and a police detective who is too ready to accept the obvious solution while a gifted amateur eventually unravels the mystery. The true killer is finally revealed through the age-old ploy of tempting them into attempting another murder to silence a potential witness.
It is billed as a “George and Molly Palmer-Jones” story, but George arrives late to the party and Molly hardly features, appearing as she does after almost all of the action has happened and contributing very little to the investigation. I haven’t read any other books in this series and perhaps she is more prominent in some of them. That didn’t detract from my enjoyment, but it made me wonder whether George and Molly were usually more of a partnership.
This would definitely appeal to lovers of the classic whodunnit genre.
It is billed as a “George and Molly Palmer-Jones” story, but George arrives late to the party and Molly hardly features, appearing as she does after almost all of the action has happened and contributing very little to the investigation. I haven’t read any other books in this series and perhaps she is more prominent in some of them. That didn’t detract from my enjoyment, but it made me wonder whether George and Molly were usually more of a partnership.
This would definitely appeal to lovers of the classic whodunnit genre.
January 16, 2026
3.5 Quite a good story, though Molly didn't seem to add much to the crime solving equation. The motive for the murder was sound, but I have trouble believing the murderer could physically manage it quite frankly
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 15, 2025
An early Cleeves book reprinted as a trade paperback in 2025. Written in the Golden Age of Mystery/Agatha Christie genre. Murder occurs on an island with one of the visitors as the murderer. Poirot-style conclusion with all the suspects gathered together while the murder is explained and the murderer revealed. A little too much discussion about bird watching.
August 4, 2024
This is the second book in the early Ann Cleeves series featuring George and Molly Palmer-Jones, which I'm currently working through. The first,
A Bird in the Hand,
doesn't quite have the signature Ann Cleeves flair, but she really got into her stride with this second installment. As with the first book, this is set in the world of birdwatchers and ringers, which she depicts as being populated by a strange collection of obsessives and oddballs, of differing levels of ethical integrity.
This installment is set on a private isalnd, owned by eccentric children's author Charlie Todd, whose glory days are almost finished, and who is ready to move on to his next project. The fact that he is planning to sell the island that is home to so much important ornithological research causes consternation among the committee members of the organization that helps preserve the island as a haven for both birds and those who study them.
Murder on an island among a small, incestuous group with a common interest is a classic plot device in the British mystery tradition, and it's impressive that Cleeves was executing this trope so well early in her career as an author. The characterization is also largely well done, though as with the first book, I find Molly Palmer-Jones a little difficult to fathom. Would a retired social worker really express so much compassion for a cold-blooded killer as to suggest that they not be brought to the attention of the police? It seems unlikely, though perhaps Cleeves really intended to create a character in Molly prone to ethically problematic judgments about people and their motivations. It's hard to say.
This is a huge improvement on the first book in the series, with superior plot and characterization, however, and well worth reading.
This installment is set on a private isalnd, owned by eccentric children's author Charlie Todd, whose glory days are almost finished, and who is ready to move on to his next project. The fact that he is planning to sell the island that is home to so much important ornithological research causes consternation among the committee members of the organization that helps preserve the island as a haven for both birds and those who study them.
Murder on an island among a small, incestuous group with a common interest is a classic plot device in the British mystery tradition, and it's impressive that Cleeves was executing this trope so well early in her career as an author. The characterization is also largely well done, though as with the first book, I find Molly Palmer-Jones a little difficult to fathom. Would a retired social worker really express so much compassion for a cold-blooded killer as to suggest that they not be brought to the attention of the police? It seems unlikely, though perhaps Cleeves really intended to create a character in Molly prone to ethically problematic judgments about people and their motivations. It's hard to say.
This is a huge improvement on the first book in the series, with superior plot and characterization, however, and well worth reading.
June 2, 2017
Couldn't bring myself to finish the book, which doesn't occur often at all.
The characters were all very irritating, and even the murder victim himself was very lacklustre.
I struggled on for a while until the dead body was finally discovered, when I had the epiphany that I could do something better with my time instead of finishing a book I wasn't interested in.
I am being a bit harsh possibly. I hope others have had better luck than me.
The characters were all very irritating, and even the murder victim himself was very lacklustre.
I struggled on for a while until the dead body was finally discovered, when I had the epiphany that I could do something better with my time instead of finishing a book I wasn't interested in.
I am being a bit harsh possibly. I hope others have had better luck than me.
January 28, 2023
Another slay by Ann
November 22, 2023
Slowly moving to a just end, AC does a fine job of entertaining her audience. Narrator is steadily paced and fine with the finesse in this storyline. Clean. Audio is better at a faster speed.
October 25, 2024
[Spoiler-free review]
On the small island of Gillibry, the committee members of a bird-watching observatory gather for a weekend visit. Their steady routine of counting, ringing, and logging a variety of birds would be their usual activity until the eccentric owner of the island, Charles Todd, announced his plans to sell the island.
Charles survives a suspicious fire at his cottage, but his luck diminishes the next day when he was found dead, strangled by a net in the bird hide during an unforgiving storm. The high tides suggested that no one could have entered or left the island around the time of the perhaps-unsurprising murder. Among the island's residents, such as a provocateur retired doctor, a posh distant relative of Charles, and a hot-headed warden of the observatory, who may have overestimated the island's stability for his diligent wife and their future plans, all became entangled in suspicion. During his investigation, Gorge Palmer-Jones employed both direct and discreet methods to interrogate the committee members, while the single-minded police detective, with a condescending tone, insisted on their own theory.
It all comes down to Gorge Palmer-Jones and eventually his wife Molly to investigate the case, because at Gillibry Island, everyone is a suspect and nobody could anticipate the next move.
---
This work of fiction by Ann Cleeves did a good job of keeping me intrigued, as the premise and setting were right up my alley. I believe that much of it is Ann's clever method of writing books both from the perspective of an author and reader, answering her own questions as she progresses along. Ann did a wonderful job establishing a melancholic environment despite the mainland being a walking distance away. The impression of a disconnected island where its activities and business remain concealed is a perfect spot for an engaging whodunnit murder mystery. I was satisfied with the eventual reveal and had no objections. There were plenty of hints and small details that flew over my head throughout the story, and found it very rewarding when all the puzzles were connected together at the end.
On the other hand, I thought that Gorge's absence in the first half of the story was odd, and it was up to imagination to give Gorge the trait of being regular at the observatory and having prior encounters with the members. Gorge's wife Molly shows up even later in the story, barely contributing to the detection.
To summarize, 'Come Death and High Waters' is a thrilling murder mystery story that had me hooked with the gloomy setting and intricately-layered characters. Besides a few pacing faults that are easy to discard, the book was a pleasant read and stood the test of time for an '87 fiction. My copy has an excerpt of another book in the Palmer-Jones series which I look forward to reading. With all said, I highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys thrilling whodunnit murder mysteries.
On the small island of Gillibry, the committee members of a bird-watching observatory gather for a weekend visit. Their steady routine of counting, ringing, and logging a variety of birds would be their usual activity until the eccentric owner of the island, Charles Todd, announced his plans to sell the island.
Charles survives a suspicious fire at his cottage, but his luck diminishes the next day when he was found dead, strangled by a net in the bird hide during an unforgiving storm. The high tides suggested that no one could have entered or left the island around the time of the perhaps-unsurprising murder. Among the island's residents, such as a provocateur retired doctor, a posh distant relative of Charles, and a hot-headed warden of the observatory, who may have overestimated the island's stability for his diligent wife and their future plans, all became entangled in suspicion. During his investigation, Gorge Palmer-Jones employed both direct and discreet methods to interrogate the committee members, while the single-minded police detective, with a condescending tone, insisted on their own theory.
It all comes down to Gorge Palmer-Jones and eventually his wife Molly to investigate the case, because at Gillibry Island, everyone is a suspect and nobody could anticipate the next move.
---
This work of fiction by Ann Cleeves did a good job of keeping me intrigued, as the premise and setting were right up my alley. I believe that much of it is Ann's clever method of writing books both from the perspective of an author and reader, answering her own questions as she progresses along. Ann did a wonderful job establishing a melancholic environment despite the mainland being a walking distance away. The impression of a disconnected island where its activities and business remain concealed is a perfect spot for an engaging whodunnit murder mystery. I was satisfied with the eventual reveal and had no objections. There were plenty of hints and small details that flew over my head throughout the story, and found it very rewarding when all the puzzles were connected together at the end.
On the other hand, I thought that Gorge's absence in the first half of the story was odd, and it was up to imagination to give Gorge the trait of being regular at the observatory and having prior encounters with the members. Gorge's wife Molly shows up even later in the story, barely contributing to the detection.
To summarize, 'Come Death and High Waters' is a thrilling murder mystery story that had me hooked with the gloomy setting and intricately-layered characters. Besides a few pacing faults that are easy to discard, the book was a pleasant read and stood the test of time for an '87 fiction. My copy has an excerpt of another book in the Palmer-Jones series which I look forward to reading. With all said, I highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys thrilling whodunnit murder mysteries.
April 3, 2023
Really enjoyed the second book in the series. Honestly, four stars for almost the same reason as why I gave book #1, 4 stars, this drags (a lot) and there's not enough Molly. She takes until almost the 40 percent mark to show up. I also do think the murderer's reasons made sense (in a sad way) so this one I was not totally shocked at the reveal.
"Come Death and High Water" follows George and Molly Palmer-Jones as George is asked to help in an investigation of the death of Charlie Todd, the owner of Gillibry Bird Observatory Trust. There's many with motive to kill Charlie after he announces to those who sit on the board that he plans to sell the observatory. A fire follows (with Charlie escaping) but he's found dead the next day. Since George arrives after Charlie's death, he has an alibi and also the experience of working for the Home Office to help.
This book moves so slow at times. It doesn't really pick up for me until almost the 60 percent mark. I think that there were just too many characters in this one and I kept getting two of the women confused. As I said above, maybe the book didn't work as well for me since Molly wasn't on the scene until the book really gets going. I was just bored by George and his investigation/discussions with people. You didn't know where things were going at all.
The ending was really good though because honestly the murderer made sense and it was set up very well how it was all done.
"Come Death and High Water" follows George and Molly Palmer-Jones as George is asked to help in an investigation of the death of Charlie Todd, the owner of Gillibry Bird Observatory Trust. There's many with motive to kill Charlie after he announces to those who sit on the board that he plans to sell the observatory. A fire follows (with Charlie escaping) but he's found dead the next day. Since George arrives after Charlie's death, he has an alibi and also the experience of working for the Home Office to help.
This book moves so slow at times. It doesn't really pick up for me until almost the 60 percent mark. I think that there were just too many characters in this one and I kept getting two of the women confused. As I said above, maybe the book didn't work as well for me since Molly wasn't on the scene until the book really gets going. I was just bored by George and his investigation/discussions with people. You didn't know where things were going at all.
The ending was really good though because honestly the murderer made sense and it was set up very well how it was all done.
February 11, 2024
This is a book published in 1987, 12 years before Ann Cleeves started writing her acclaimed VERA series and 19 years before she started writing her acclaimed Shetland series. As I had anticipated, Cleeves' writing isn't quite as polished as it later became -- but it is easy to see the raw talent that was on display. The plotting was complicated and the characters were multi-dimensional. It was just the transitions between scenes and the pacing of exposition that betrayed her relative inexperience.
The story takes place on an island that is only an island at high tide. (Apparently this is a concept Cleeves really likes, because a late Vera book was also set on such a place.) It kind of starts like a golden age mystery, with all the characters converging on a location with hints of backstory and intrigue. Then of course someone is killed. One of the key twists in this story is that there's a retired Home Office operative on the scene, and after the police blather around a bit he becomes convinced they have arrested the wrong person. The rest of the book follows his (successful) efforts to find the real culprit, with a satisfying wrap-up that brings everyone back to the scene of the crime. All in all it was a good read.
The story takes place on an island that is only an island at high tide. (Apparently this is a concept Cleeves really likes, because a late Vera book was also set on such a place.) It kind of starts like a golden age mystery, with all the characters converging on a location with hints of backstory and intrigue. Then of course someone is killed. One of the key twists in this story is that there's a retired Home Office operative on the scene, and after the police blather around a bit he becomes convinced they have arrested the wrong person. The rest of the book follows his (successful) efforts to find the real culprit, with a satisfying wrap-up that brings everyone back to the scene of the crime. All in all it was a good read.
July 13, 2022
Come Death and High Water by Ann Cleeves
The privately-owned island of Gillibry off the North Devon coast is the perfect site for murder. A routine weekend visit by the Gillibry Bird Observatory Trust is made memorable by the owner’s announcement that he is going to sell the island. A sale would mean the end of the Observatory...and of all that, for some of them, made life worth living. A fire in Charlie Todd's cottage added to their distress. And when, next morning, after a fierce storm, they found Charlie dead in a bird hide, their pleasant September weekend assumed a dangerous new face.
Charlie Todd’s murder can be seen as the deed of any member of the Trust. And it falls to one of their own, George Palmer-Jones, to unravel the identity of killer within their midst.
This is the second book in the series, but other than George and Molly these are all new characters. With an interesting setting we are introduced to more activities relating to birdwatching - this time banding and netting. For a short book there are a lot of plot twists and good character development. So far a great series.
Rating 4/5
The privately-owned island of Gillibry off the North Devon coast is the perfect site for murder. A routine weekend visit by the Gillibry Bird Observatory Trust is made memorable by the owner’s announcement that he is going to sell the island. A sale would mean the end of the Observatory...and of all that, for some of them, made life worth living. A fire in Charlie Todd's cottage added to their distress. And when, next morning, after a fierce storm, they found Charlie dead in a bird hide, their pleasant September weekend assumed a dangerous new face.
Charlie Todd’s murder can be seen as the deed of any member of the Trust. And it falls to one of their own, George Palmer-Jones, to unravel the identity of killer within their midst.
This is the second book in the series, but other than George and Molly these are all new characters. With an interesting setting we are introduced to more activities relating to birdwatching - this time banding and netting. For a short book there are a lot of plot twists and good character development. So far a great series.
Rating 4/5
January 19, 2024
This was Cleeves' second novel, way back in 1987, and it shows. It's told in an old-fashioned omniscient style, jumping from character to character, so I never felt particularly close to anyone. It's supposed to be a "George and Molly mystery" but for the first half of the book, it felt more like the police inspector, Savage, was the central player -- and I think it would've been more interesting if he had been, because he was a much more interesting character than George. Molly didn't appear at all till quite late, and contributed nothing to the investigation.
I found the skipping around in time annoying. More than once, the author stayed with one set of characters until the end of a chapter, then in the next chapter, jumped back to the previous day to show what someone else had been up to. I was also disappointed in the ending and found it hard to believe the police would really have taken the risk of catching the murderer in a final murder attempt.
I found the skipping around in time annoying. More than once, the author stayed with one set of characters until the end of a chapter, then in the next chapter, jumped back to the previous day to show what someone else had been up to. I was also disappointed in the ending and found it hard to believe the police would really have taken the risk of catching the murderer in a final murder attempt.
October 29, 2016
Only the second book in the series, but all new characters except George and Molly . Took awhile to get involved, but the bird-related activities are informative. In this book, the activity was netting and banding birds on an island research station. I know it's important, but "bagging the birds" is a cringe-worthy expression for me - though I very much want to learn how to capture, measure and band. Ann Cleeves was/is involved in birding activities, so I trust the information. And....worry about inevitable injured birds which are not mentioned! The unveiling of the murderer and how George investigated was a bit unwieldy and implausible, but I was not overly bothered. 4 stars instead f 3 because I appreciate intelligent writing, some interesting characters, and another look at the world of British Birding.
May 27, 2022
I absolutely love Ann Cleeves’s Vera and Shetland series—both the books and the TV series. They are the best of UK crime writing and television. Come Death and High Water was the first book I had read featuring George and Molly Palmer-Jones and I have to say it didn’t match up to Cleeves’s talent. The beginning of the book introduces us to too many flat, uninteresting characters, and even George is flat until he decides Savage is wrong about the identity of the killer and, although retired, he must stick around until he solves the case. And with Molly’s albeit limited and late help, he does. The novel is like a locked-room mystery with a slightly Poirot-like finale in which the puzzle pieces are explained. But this is a mediocre effort at best.
November 6, 2023
An early novel?
A book by Ann Cleeves must be a good choice. I've read so many others that were so skillfully written. But this was disappointing. Very clunky in comparison and rather monotonous. I did finish it as sometimes it's good to go back before the era of mobile phones, DNA, social media and serious forensic science. But the characters were dull and I suspected early on that the dullest would be the one whodunnit.
There were irritating errors of timing. Surely an editor should spot that a sentence of dialogue isn't enough for two men to drink a pint or even for a policeman to need a second cup of tea. The tide times got rather wayward too.
I won't be looking for more George and Molly books.
A book by Ann Cleeves must be a good choice. I've read so many others that were so skillfully written. But this was disappointing. Very clunky in comparison and rather monotonous. I did finish it as sometimes it's good to go back before the era of mobile phones, DNA, social media and serious forensic science. But the characters were dull and I suspected early on that the dullest would be the one whodunnit.
There were irritating errors of timing. Surely an editor should spot that a sentence of dialogue isn't enough for two men to drink a pint or even for a policeman to need a second cup of tea. The tide times got rather wayward too.
I won't be looking for more George and Molly books.
October 3, 2022
The second outing for Ann Cleeves. It was an improvement on her first. More of a 3.5 stars.
On a tidal island in North Devon (a place I know well) is an observatory for birds. The committee that run the observatory has a meeting and the owner of the island announces that he is selling the island to the horror of the group. The next morning, he is found dead. Not long after, his niece is found dead. George and Molly must find the real murderer before an innocent person goes to jail. And among it all is the world of ringers. A good read.
On a tidal island in North Devon (a place I know well) is an observatory for birds. The committee that run the observatory has a meeting and the owner of the island announces that he is selling the island to the horror of the group. The next morning, he is found dead. Not long after, his niece is found dead. George and Molly must find the real murderer before an innocent person goes to jail. And among it all is the world of ringers. A good read.
September 7, 2023
It is such a pleasure to be drawn into a world, in this case, that of bird ringers on a remote island, to be an observer of its community and mysteries. Ann Cleeves drew me in from the start and I was hooked. Not for a minute did I get impatient, or want to put the book down. Nor was it an imperative to get to the next development, but a perfectly based engagement in a world I believed in and wanted to know.
Maybe, as some readers have suggested, the villain is unlikely. Such is the power of the writing, I have no trouble believing. Not witchery, just great writing.
Maybe, as some readers have suggested, the villain is unlikely. Such is the power of the writing, I have no trouble believing. Not witchery, just great writing.
October 29, 2024
I did enjoy this book, it is really easy to read and very conversational in style, the characters and mostly likable and this is very similar in style to agatha christie. (I seem to remember she had a group of people on an island being knocked off one by one) The clues are subtly placed so it wasnt immediately obvious who the killer was but I found the motive to be rather unconvincing which left me feeling a little flat. I was waiting for some kind of twist or a major disagreement to emerge so it kind of ended with a whimper rather than a bang to me.
November 1, 2025
This is the second of the George & Molly Palmer-Jones series - more Ann Cleeves back catalogue for me! - and once again, birdwatching and birdwatchers are involved. I like this even more than I liked the first, though there were a lot of characters introduced in the first few pages and it was a bit confusing until I sorted them out. Which didn't take long, but... another sign that this was Ann Cleeves at the beginning of her career, still learning her craft. But getting better with each book, from my experience.
September 25, 2018
This is one of Anne Cleeve's books from her first series, about bird-watching, written in the 1980s. I vaguely remembered the setting from reading it years ago, but not the details of the plot. This is one of the few books where I think a map of the setting would have been extremely helpful, as the location of the murder in relation to the rest of the island was unclear. I enjoy her Shetland books much more, though she's now finished with Jimmy Perez, apparently.
August 4, 2023
An easy read for when you don't want to engage with anything taxing.
George and Molly Palmer-Jones don't quite carry quite enough punch to make this enthralling. After creating Vera and Jimmy Perez it seems that Ann Cleeves is settling down with more staid detectives, and she doesn't really pull it off.
This was a pretty good mystery but when the culprit is finally unmasked, they were so unlikely and non-sensical as to make the whole thing lose any potency. Very disappointing.
George and Molly Palmer-Jones don't quite carry quite enough punch to make this enthralling. After creating Vera and Jimmy Perez it seems that Ann Cleeves is settling down with more staid detectives, and she doesn't really pull it off.
This was a pretty good mystery but when the culprit is finally unmasked, they were so unlikely and non-sensical as to make the whole thing lose any potency. Very disappointing.
December 3, 2024
The second in the George and Molly Palmer-Jones series. Charlie, a self absorbed, once wealthy children's book author is found dead, murdered. He and members of the board managing the birds on Gillibry Island were meeting for their annual get-to-gether. It had to be one of them but who and why? George, also a bird watcher arrives late and is drawn into helping the police with their investigation. I found the interactions between the local police and George interesting. The ending surprised.
June 22, 2017
I enjoy Ann Cleeves' writing. The settings are interesting and the characters are well thought out. In the three of her novels I have read I have not guessed who did it before the reveal which has been an issue with some other mystery novels in the past. I look forward to my next Ann Cleeves story.
March 4, 2018
this was something really different for me but I really enjoyed it. there was some level of repetition but it was an interestingly constructed crime novel. it's more like the traditional books where it takes to the last 3/4 pages and things tie up. and then it just stops. I really want to read the Shetland series as that seems more up my alley.
December 10, 2018
So far this series is just okay for me. Not nearly as good as Steve Burrows' series for birders (although, admittedly, I didn't like the fifth Burrows quite as much). I am attracted to detective fiction set on islands, but maybe I've read too many of them now. And plot devices stretching into the distant past are getting to me.
January 5, 2019
When a murder takes place on an island, the murderer must be one of a small number of birders on the island for a committee meeting. For a short book, there is a lot of character development and plenty of red herrings. I think I am am going to enjoy getting to know George and Molly better in the remaining 6 books of this series.
February 27, 2022
WOW, just WOW! What a great read!
The characters are so well drawn! I love the fact that George and Molly are not perfect but use their imperfections on the best and most helpful ways for one another. The other characters are so real, too - complicated, with both good and bad motives, just like me! I love the identification and a “just” ending albeit not necessarily a “happy” one.
The characters are so well drawn! I love the fact that George and Molly are not perfect but use their imperfections on the best and most helpful ways for one another. The other characters are so real, too - complicated, with both good and bad motives, just like me! I love the identification and a “just” ending albeit not necessarily a “happy” one.
December 13, 2023
Published in 1987, this must be one of Ann Cleeves' earlier books; there were one or two details in the writing which fixed it in the last century. The story centres around a bird watching centre on an island in Devon, and was well written, somehow methodical and a pleasure to read. (and I didn't guess the perpetrator!)
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