Birds of Prey

Rockton/Casey Duncan #Short Story - “Hawkshaw Hunting”

by Harlan Coben (Editor), Kathy Reichs, Tess Gerritsen

The world’s greatest thriller writers prove they’re up to a unique challenge in this action-packed collection. It all started with a simple, yet sneakily difficult challenge from global best-selling author Harlan Pick a bird of prey, then use it as the inspiration for a brand-new story. The response from some of the best writers on the Game on! The Eleven stories that are twisty, scary, surprising, and bursting with imagination. An egg worth more than its weight in gold. A mysterious operative known only as Owl. An eagle-watcher who sees more than she should. Even a story that somehow places the Maltese Falcon in a nursing home. Contributors Tess Gerritsen C.J. Box Kathy Reichs Ace Atkins Heather Graham S.A. Cosby Hank Phillippi Ryan Robert Dugoni Allison Brennan Gregg Hurwitz Kelley Armstrong Commissioned by the International Thriller Writers Association, Birds of The Harlan Coben Challenge is a highly bingeable anthology that’s a treat for thriller fans.

Genres: Short Stories, Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Thriller, Anthologies, Mystery Thriller

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 6, 2022

About the author

Harlan Coben is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and one of the world's leading storytellers. His suspense novels are published in forty-five languages and have been number one bestsellers in more than a dozen countries with seventy-five million books in print worldwide.

His books have earned the Edgar, Shamus, and Anthony Awards, and many have been developed into Netflix Original Drama series, including his adaptations of The Stranger, The Innocent, Gone for Good and The Woods. His most recent adaptation for Netflix, Stay Close, premiered on December 31, 2021 and stars Cush Jumbo, James Nesbitt, and Richard Armitage.

Reviews

[Allison Brennan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Normally, I wouldn't review a collection of stories in which I have a contribution; however, none of the authors in this collection were paid for their story -- all the proceeds go to International Thriller Writers to support aspiring and published authors so I felt it was OK to share my thoughts.

This was a fun collection to be a part of. I love themed collections because it gives us a starting point, but with a vast canvas on which to build our stories. All these stories were different and I thoroughly enjoyed them. I listened to 1-2 every morning on my walk (some stories are shorter than others.) The narrators were talented professionals chosen in part for the story they were reading, which fit their voices well. I'm not going to rate individual stories, I think they were all solid, but IF I had to pick a favorite of the bunch, it would be a toss up between Hank Phillipi Ryan's "Jail Birds" because of the twist at the end that made me smile, and "The Falcon" by Robert Dugoni because of the originality of the story (and that it was set in my old stomping grounds -- no, I didn't go to Stanford, but I grew up near by). I also really liked S.A. Cosby's "Silent as a Shadow" because he has a strong story voice and the narrator was outstanding, even though the story itself was a little sad.

[☆Amanda☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good (besides the 2nd last short story). Loved the author notes and there were some really entertaining stories, some okay ones, and then the one bad one which was about a vampire, but just the inner monologe.
The final story by Kelley Armstrong was a nice short story that tied into her Rockton series!

[Judy Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Harlan Coben Challenge by Editor Contributor: C.J. Box. BIRDS OF PREY is a creative collection of short crime stories (mystery/suspense/thriller anthologies) by some of the most popular thriller authors. Narrated by a full cast.

A nice idea and highly entertaining. THINK mysterious BIRDS! However, some of the narrators were bad, some of the stories were not very good, and a few were very good!! The opening, and some of the sound effects—not so much!

My current rating per author/story.

"The Coffin Bearer" by Tess Gerritsen
4.5 Stars *

"Precious Cargo" by C.J. Box
4.0 Stars

"Owl" by Kathy Reichs
2.0 Stars

"Kudzu" by Ace Atkins
3.5 Stars

"Predator or Prey?" by Heather Graham
4.0 Stars

"Silent as a Shadow" by S.A. Cosby
3.0 Stars

"Jail Birds" by Hank Phillippi Ryan
5.0 Stars *

"The Falcon" by Robert Dugoni
4.0 Stars

"Watchers" by Allison Brennan
4.0 Stars

"Red of Beak and Claw" by Gregg Hurwitz
5.0 Stars *

"Hawkshaw Hunting" by Kelley Armstrong
4.0 Stars

Available on Audible Originals.

Blog Review Posted @
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: Oct 6, 2022
Oct 2022 Must-Read Books

[Cathrine ☯️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 😐🙂😀

[C C Garrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what expected. Some stories were good, but the others I could not pay attention to their stories

[Darcy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review is for the following stories only:

Kudzu by Ace Atkins
This one kinda made me sad. I felt for the guy and how he was loosing the family home, despite what was carried out in the end.

Watchers by Allison Brennan
This one was quite harrowing once the plane showed up. Things got a bit crazy, but with quick thinking they were able to get help and save the evidence of what really went on.

Red of Beak and Claw by Gregg Hurwitz
This one was just weird to me, then a bit frightening when you really realized what was being talked about.

Hawkshaw Hunting by Kelley Armstrong
It's always good to be back in Rockton, so I was excited to read this one. What should have been an easy task for Eric and Casey was anything but. I liked how Nadia and Jack showed up towards the end, a great way to tie the 2 series together.

[Glenn O'Bannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worth a listen (only on Audible)

* “The Coffin Bearer” by Tess Gerritsen  5.0
* “Precious Cargo” by C.J. Box  4.0
* “Owl” by Kathy Reichs (Terrible reader, weak story) 1.5
* “Kudzu” by Ace Atkins  3.5
* “Predator or Prey?” by Heather Graham  4.5
* “Silent as a Shadow” by S.A. Cosby  3.0
* “Jail Birds” by Hank Phillippi Ryan  5.0
* “The Falcon” by Robert Dugoni  4.0
* “Watchers” by Allison Brennan  4.0
* “Red of Beak and Claw” by Gregg Hurwitz  (Brilliant Story!) 5.0
* “Hawkshaw Hunting” by Kelley Armstrong 4.5

[Joe Valenti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty cool little collection flof stories. Neat challenge!

[Monnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I suspect the last time I read a short story I was still in high school. Now I’m an octogenarian who typically reads 100-plus books a year. Does that give you some idea how much I do not love to read short stories? I’m exaggerating a bit, of course, but you get the point.

Sometimes, though, you’ve just got to make an exception – and this wonderful collection of thriller stories, all with the theme of birds of prey, is one of those times. It began as a challenge from one of my favorite authors (Harlen Coben), who invited to other thriller writers to write them. I have no idea how many he pitched the idea to, but 11 agreed. Learning that proceeds from book sales benefits the International Thriller Writers group was an incentive for me to overlook length, as were the names of favorite writers who took up the challenge and the opportunity to sample works by other authors with whom I’m not very familiar or haven’t read at all.

Did I love every story? Some were stellar efforts and a couple were less than, shall we say, thrilling, but none was a complete turn-off. Now that I’ve finished, though, it’s impossible to review any of them; it’s tough to describe what happens in a short story without revealing way too much of the story. What I shall do, however, is list the authors and their bird of choice and leave it up to others to decide whether to snag the book for themselves. As a side personal note, if you ever see me listening to an audiobook you know I’m ready for the undertaker, but I think in this case it might be interesting since I believe the narrations are by the authors themselves (some, I’ve heard, complete with sound effects).

Whatever version you prefer though, I encourage you to give this one a go; it takes no time at all to read and is, pardon the expression, quite a hoot. Amid my thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me the pleasure of reading a pre-release copy, here’s the cast of characters and their birds:

Tess Gerretsen: Seagull

C.J. Box: Peregrine Falcon

Kathy Reichs: Owl

Ace Atkins: Buzzard

Heather Graham: California Condor

S.A. Cosby: Owl

Hank Phillippi Ryan: Falcon

Robert Dugoni: Falcon

Allison Brennan: Bald Eagle

Gregg Hurwitz: Vampire Finch

Kelley Armstrong: Northern Goshawk

[R. Small · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall this collection of stories was pretty good. Definitely had some mixed feelings reading this though. A few of the stories REALLY stand out… they had that sharp and gripping edge I was looking for. Unfortunately others felt like they needed a little bit more love.
I lived the concept of the challenge but not every story hit the same… but the stronger ones made it worth the read…

Overall a 3.5 star rating from me…

[Brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Birds of Prey is a short story anthology based on an idea from Harlan Coben - How do you craft a story around a bird of prey. Every author is a well-known thriller writer, all with their own take on the prompt. Reichs, Cosby, Hurwitz, Box and others. Sometimes it's an actual bird - like a goshawk - others it's a name - like Owl or Robin and Jay - sometimes it;s a movie or a statue. One of my favorites was the story by Kelley Armstrong and the story of a hidden town. And this format was right in Box's wheelhouse.
Harlan Coben does an introduction that's full of bird puns. I love a good pun but many were borderline. My wife would say he didn't know when to stop.
I like these collections because it gives a reader a good chance to check out an author you may not have read before - and see one of your favorites in a different format.
These are all fast-paced stories and this is a quick read. Great collection.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was totally different than what I have been reading but it was fun and exposed me to different authors, birds, nature. Everything. Excellent compilation. A quick fun read

[Mtm66]

3.5

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not nearly as good as other mystery writer anthologies. Some fun and interesting ones but also a couple of real clunkers.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice collection of short stories. There was only one that was a bit odd, and that I did not enjoy. A few new to me authors that I plan to check out some of their books or series.

[Sheron Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I needed a bit of Halloween and this filled the bill. Really enjoyed the short stories.

[Susan Coley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book with lots of good short stories.

[Janice Branning · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved a few of the stories.

[Kim C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the audio was excellent. I enjoyed listening to each author and why they chose the bird for their short story. Then the narrator of each story brought a different perspective and did a great job telling each story.

My criticism is that some stories are better than others. Some made no sense.

Hopefully all the authors donated any money they earned to charity.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this compilation of very entertaining mystery stories. Included are some of my favorite authors like Kathy Reichs, Allison Brennan, Robert Dugoni, Gregg Hurwitz and more.

[Chrissy]

I only read "Hawkshaw Hunting" by Kelley Armstrong

Hawkshaw Hunting 4 stars
This is a Rockton short story (set between book #6 and #7) with a Nadia Stafford crossover/Easter Egg. The story didn't add any information about the characters that you didn't know from the series, so you're not missing anything if you skip it, but it was fun seeing Casey and Eric meet Nadia. You can also easily read this if you haven't read either series and it might whet your appetite for more.

[Kevintipple · Rating 4 out of 5]

Birds of Prey: New Crime Stories, edited by Harlan Coben and C. J. Box, is a mighty good read. Published by The Mysterious Press, I had hoped that the C. J. Box story taking wing here would feature his signature character, Wyoming Game Warden Joe Pickett. Alas, that idea flew off towards the sun and was lost from view.

After a pun filled introduction by Harlan Coben that clearly rubbed off on this reader, the anthology opens strongly with “The Coffin Bearer” by Tess Gerritsen. Readers are taken to the coast of Maine as Maggie returns to her isolated island cabin. Seagulls are far out at sea and kicking up quite a bedlam so Maggie detours to investigate the ruckus. She spots a lobster buoy in the mist that belongs to a local. Minutes later she soon finds his eerily quiet boat. She finds signs that something has happened, but there is no sign of the missing lobster man. The last thing she wanted when she rented out the isolated place for the weeks to come was be a part of anything. That included any interest in her by the locals and the authorities. Now she is of considerable interest and that is another issue.

This short story was one of my favorites in the read. Several more personal favorites, in order of appearance, are below.

The person is known as “Owl.” He did some things back in the day for the miliary. At one time, that work included time working for the Armed Forces Medical Examiner. That means the Owl has top secret clearance. That clearance, and the skills he has, are needed in “Owl” by Kathy Reichs. Not only is a woman missing, her occupation, and where she went missing, are all part of a situation. There are also other troubling aspects as well.

Getting the car at the police auto auction was not the greatest idea Paul ever had. Maybe it was. In “The Falcon” by Robert Dugoni, Paul had the idea, and several guys chipped in on the project. Then the consequences started happening.

This short story struck a chord with me. When I was growing up in the 60s and 70s, my dad would tell three or four stories about guys he knew that did this sort of thing. All these decades later, I’m fuzzy on the details, but am crystal clear that dad was convinced it was always a really bad idea.

It was supposed to be a fun gig in “Watchers” by Allison Brennan. Monitor a pair of eagles and their babies in a nest located in the towering cliffs along the Verde River in Arizona. Lily Nolan loves the work and the experience as she takes picture after picture of the eaglets and their parents. Her approved access to the closed breeding ground in the Prescott National Forest has allowed her to take incredible pictures. She also saw something that she should have never seen. Now, Lily, and her fellow watcher, Kevin, are in real trouble.

The final tale in the anthology, Hawkshaw Hunting by Kelly Armstrong, takes readers to the Yukon Territory of Canada. There lies a very small and very isolated town that is the refuge of criminals that really want to get away and have the money to pay for off the grid isolation. As the story begins, our narrator works as a detective for Rockton. Her husband, Eric Dalton, is the sheriff. They and their Newfoundland dog, Storm, are at the Whitehorse Airport awaiting the arrival of Max Whitlock. A white-collar criminal, he paid a lot of money to spend the next two years hiding in their small town that survives by charging serious fees to killers and other criminals that have a need to get away and an ability to pay for it. Like the opening story, setting and atmosphere are characters in their own right in this tale where the complications start with his arrival.


While I only highlighted five short stories in the read that were my personal favorites, all eleven tales are good ones. Each tale is introduced by the author who explains why they chose a certain bird, the research involved, and/or other background details that enhanced the reading experience for each short story.

Simply put, Birds of Prey: New Crime Tales is chock full of solidly good crime fiction. Commissioned by the International Thriller Writers, editors Harlan Coben and C.J. Box did a fantastic job with the book. The read is very much worth your time.



My digital ARC came from the publisher, The Mysterious Press, through NetGalley, with no expectation of a positive review.


Kevin R. Tipple ©2026

[Bookreporter.com Mystery & Thriller · Rating 4 out of 5]

It all started with a dare. Global bestselling author Harlan Coben pitched an idea to fellow members of the International Thriller Writers, challenging them to come up with a short story that has at its heart a different bird of prey.

The result is BIRDS OF PREY, which is ably edited by Coben and C.J. Box, the latter of whom also provides a piece. Coben’s prologue, which is filled with outrageous dad jokes and bird puns, is worth the price of admission all by itself in a collection that needs to be savored.

Here are four stories that especially stood out for me:

“The Coffin Bearer” by Tess Gerritsen. Each author is given the chance to write a brief intro to their story explaining their inspiration for the bird of prey that they chose. In this case, Gerritsen makes reference to the seagulls that fill the coastal portion of her home state of Maine. The narrator hears them before she sees them in the opening paragraph while on her way to Gam Island. However, it is when the gulls begin to shriek in unison that she starts getting concerned. She is there to find the body of Ben Bouchard, whose remains lie beneath the choppy waters of the Atlantic.

“Precious Cargo” by C.J. Box. Box’s story features the falcon, which he often comes across in his tales set on the open plains of Idaho. The Jessup family is enjoying a camping expedition that comes with a fishing guide, among other things. But their perfect outdoor vacation is literally crashed by a suspicious mountain climber whose arrival may not have been by chance.

“Owl” by Kathy Reichs. Best known for her Temperance Brennan series, Reichs steps out of her comfort zone to write a story involving a spy who is known only as “Owl.” Owl is spending a nondescript evening at a Washington, D.C. pub when he is approached by an agent from the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. What comes next is a journey into the heart of the country’s alien history, which has been made very apparent in the year of “disclosure.” The tale is extremely clever, as is the fact that Owl’s actual identity is not revealed until the final pages.

“Silent as a Shadow” by S. A. Cosby. Cosby speaks to how he was raised to appreciate and respect rural folk legends. His contribution to this book centers on a scam involving a clever young man working at a pharmacy who finds himself in the debt of a local drug lord who expects payment in pharmaceuticals. He is able to turn the tables on this precarious situation in an unexpected way. But even more unexpected is the bizarre fashion that Cosby introduces his bird-of-prey influence into the story.

I love short story collections that are based on a theme, and this one is brilliant. Birds of prey are rarely seen in modern fiction. With the clever minds of some of the best thriller writers in the business, BIRDS OF PREY will entertain readers in many different ways.

Reviewed by Ray Palen

[ᒪᗴᗩᕼ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2⭐

• thriller anthology • short story collection • challenge introduced by Harlan Coben • featuring “birds of prey” • My fav: Watchers by Allison Brennan •

Honestly, the stories were just too short to make a lasting impression on me.
I averaged my ratings, excluding the 1.5-star books, to create a more balanced overall rating.

THE STORIES:

The Coffin Bearer by Tess Gerritsen, narrated by Lisa Flanagan - 3.75⭐ The ending made the story worthwhile.

Precious Cargo by C.J. Box, narrated by Fred Berman - 3.25⭐Meh, Fred Berman was good, though.

Owl by Kathy Reichs, narrated by Nicki Endres - 1.5⭐ First, the narrator was terrible, and second, the story wasn't much better.

Kudzu by Ace Atkins, narrated by Macleod Andrews - 1.5⭐ I got nothing…

Predator or Prey? by Heather Graham, narrated by Justis Bolding - 4.25⭐ While super predictable, I still found myself engaged, and the narration was fantastic. I like how she worked a non-bird of prey into being a bird of prey.

Silent as a Shadow by S.A. Cosby, narrated by Cary Hite - 1.5⭐ I'm not sure this even qualified as a story—it didn't pique my interest at all.

Jail Birds by Hank Phillippi Ryan, narrated by Helen Laser - 2.75⭐ It was okay…but not noteworthy, the narration was good, though.

The Falcon by Robert Dugoni, narrated by Dan Bittner - 3.5⭐ The narration was solid, and the story contained some meaningful life lessons.

Watchers by Allison Brennan, narrated by Amanda Dolan - 4.75⭐ It’s not surprising that my favorite of the bunch is by this author, since I like her. This story actually had some thrills and mystery to it. The narration was solid.

Red of Beak and Claw by Gregg Hurwitz, narrated by Julia Motyka - 3.5⭐ At first, I hated it…since it’s rather poetic. But then I figured out what it was all about and—I guess it grew on me. The narration was decent.

Hawkshaw Hunting by Kelley Armstrong, narrated by Eunice Wong - 2.75⭐ This is a Rockton story, and I’ve read the first book of the series. However, I figured out a while ago that Kelley Armstrong’s writing isn’t for me.

•My Score 3.56/10•

[Carole Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good thriller needs a great predator

In this short story compilation there is a different sort of predator figuring in each plot, a bird of prey rather than a human on the hunt (although there are more than a few of those to be found as well). Renowned thriller writer Harlan Coben came up with the challenge for eleven of today's best thriller writers....create an original story with a bird of prey as an inspiration. Most took the challenge literally and wove an actual bird into the story; an owl, a bald eagle, a goshawk, and more. Others used a bit more creative license and invoked something with the name of such a creature. The result is a collection of tales that share a common springing off point but bear the unique imprint of their author. For readers of the thriller genre and/or of short stories (especially ones like the annual The Mysterious Press Presents the Best Mysteries of), this is a no-brainer to pick up, while fans of any of the eleven featured authors (Tess Gerritsen, C.J .Box, Kathy Reichs, Ace Atkins, Heather Graham, S. A. Crosby, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Robert Dugoni, Allison Brennan, Gregg Hurwitz and Kelley Armstrong) might pick this up to read their favorite writer's entry but discover a new author (or more) in the bargain. I assumed that I would enjoy Tess Gerritsen, C. J. Box and S. A. Crosby the best and I did indeed think each of those three tales to be outstanding, but found Kelley Armstrong to be every bit their equal in quality. A fantastic variety of settings and styles, and as with all short story collections the reader can chose to devour the book all at one time or savor a story or two a day. My thanks to NetGalley and Mysterious Press for allowing me access to this 4.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 5 compilation in exchange for my honest review.

[JigsawGirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Birds of Prey
The introduction was amusing as Harlan Coben delivered one bad pun after another.

The Coffin Bearer Tessa Gerritsen
--A short intense suspenseful story that reveals a horrible secret and a dangerous pact.

Precious Cargo C. J. Box
OMG!! A totally unexpected ending.

Owl Kathy Reich's
Creepy and kind of weird, but not really.

Kudzu Ace Atkins
Very emotional, sad tale involving greed, family, and loss.

Predator or Prey? Heather Graham
The not so bright move on Haley's part. The indecision. The terror, and the California Condor.

Silent as a Shadow S. A. Cosby
Desperation, old legends, karma, and the owl.

Jail Birds Hank Philippi Ryan
Looks can be deceiving and arrogance and cruelty ultimately pays a price

The Falcon Robert Dugoni
The theme of this story is be careful who you trust. Another intense, suspenseful story that left me holding my breath.

Watchers Allison Brennan
A suspenseful thriller that causes the heroine to make a potential life changing choice.

Red of Beak and Claw Gregg Hurwitz
I hate to say it, but this did not hold my attention. I felt like it was a rambling commentary on a relationship. I think the relationship was comparing a vampire and its human prey to a vampire finch and its prey. Whatever it was, it didn't do much for me. I just waited for it to end.

Hawkshaw Hunting Kelley Armstrong
An intriguing story about a city that doesn't exist, but does, and piqued my interest enough to start reading the Casey Duncan series.

This audio book was engaging, intriguing, and entertaining. I would recommend for that reason, and also if you want to.sample some authors that may be new to you.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wasn't bad as an anthology, and I guess you could say that there's something for most anyone. But some stories were great and others I found to be very disappointing. With one exception, they all had good endings. My biggest complaint is that several of these were not what I would call a "thriller."
Coffin Bearer (4.0) - pretty good, liked the narrator.
Precious Cargo (4.0) - not bad
Owl (3.0) - disappointing, especially because I really like most of Kathy Reichs work. The narrator was terrible, though, and it may have contributed to my dislike of the story.
Kudzu (4.0) - kinda saw the ending coming, but I loved the sheriff and it was a good story.
Predator or Prey? (3.5) - meh.
Silent as a Shadow (4.0) - great narrator. Interesting story.
Jail Birds (4.0) - kinda knew what the twist at the end might be, but it was still a good story. Jay made me so mad I almost quit listening but the ending is great.
Falcon (4.0) - not scary at all. But a good story with a great ending.
Watchers (3.5) - meh.
Red of Beak and Claw (2.0) - my first thought when it finished was "wtf was that??" I mean, I get the point and what the narrator is supposed to be, but still... wtf.
Hawkshaw Hunting (4.5) - I liked this one best. The narrator was good, the story was good, the ending was excellent, and I liked the characters. Based on this story, the author seems like one I would like so I have sought out more of her work.

[Regina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not usually a big reader of short stories since they typically lack the development and substance needed in order for me to become fully invested, but the premise of Harlan Coben's challenge intrigued me. Plus, a few of my favorite authors contributed to this anthology, so I couldn't pass it up. I am amazed at how much I enjoyed reading the majority of these shorts. Two weren't much to my liking, but all the others I would rate between 3.5 and 5 stars. My absolute favorite was the story by S.A. Cosby. His writing is just so beautiful and lyrical that the length of his tale made no difference to me. What I loved most about this book though were the author's blurbs provided before the start of each of their stories. It was interesting to learn the personal motivations behind which bird they chose for their stories and why. So cool! I had a lot of fun reading Birds of Prey and becoming acquainted with some new authors. I will definitely be checking out some of their other books.

Thank you to Penzler Publishers and NetGalley for granting me a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a compilation by short stories by: Tess Gerritsen, C.J. Box, Kathy Reich, Ace Atkins, Heather Graham, S.A. Cosby, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Robert Dugoni, Allison Brennan, Gregg Hurwitz, and Kelley Armstrong. It was apparently released a few years back as an audio book and is not making its way into print.

I guess I didn’t read the synopsis of this book when I requested the ARC - any book by Harlan Coben is worth requesting. So when it turned out to be a series of short stories by multiple thriller authors (most of whom I have read their books), I was a little surprised. But I dug right in, and for the most part, it was a fun read (I basically read one story per day) and each story was written with a bird of prey as the basis. I finished all except the one by Gregg Hurwitz (which surprised me because I have really enjoyed all of the novels that I have read by him - the entire Nowhere Man series). Each had its unique perspective with a short intro by the author explaining why they chose that bird of prey.. My thanks to Mysterious Press and Edelweiss for the ARC of this book.

[Denice Langley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Only seasoned readers will understand me when I say......I was so excited to get this book that I started reading it 5 minutes later. An anthology of stories with a central theme of birds of prey, the idea for the book started with a challenge by Harlan Coben to a group of my favorite authors. It's almost like he chose the stories just for me. I recommend anthologies often; they are a great way to discover new authors, investigate a genre, or break a reading slump. The stories are all excellent, with most of them tying into the author's previous work so readers are treated to short stories from their favorite series. a base of IFYKYK that worked very well. I usually don't declare a favorite, but a Rockton short story that combines with my favorite characters from the Nadia Stafford series was a very welcome surprise by Kelley Armstrong. Many of my friends and family are going to receive a copy of this book. It is not only full of great stories, it's a fundraiser for the ITW.