Yellow Bird

Charlie "Doc" Adams Mystery #7

by Rick Boyer

A Doc Adams Mystery.
Doc's old medical school chum and one-time drinking buddy, Jonathan Randolph, calls up one cold January night to invite Doc to pay him a visit on Cape Cod. Not long after the awkward reunion, Doc's presence is once again requested -- at an autopsy. A man has been found shot to death next door to where Doc and Jonathan met. Doc immediately recognizes the dead man as George Brenner, another friend from the past. And Randolph has disappeared without a trace. Is Doc's old friend the murderer . . . or the next victim?

Genres: Mystery, Mystery Thriller

45 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

A pseudonym used by Richard L Boyer.

Series:
* Charlie "Doc" Adams Mystery

Awards:
Edgar Award
◊ Best Novel (1983): Billingsgate Shoal

Reviews

[Arnold Kanarek · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read in the Doc Adams series and I enjoyed it very much. The protagonist is a mouth surgeon who has done some forensic work and gets involved in the cases. His brother-in-law is a police detective and the partnership is an interesting sidebar. I also enjoyed the way the author introduces Doc's personal life, as it gives an insight into the personalities of the characters. I look forward to reading more books by this author, Rick Boyer.

[Mai · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing about this book stands out to me.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

#7 in the Doc Adams series.

Doc Adams series - Bay Area oral surgeon Dr. Charlie Adams's case spirals outward from a telltale bang during a visit to unlikable old school chum Jonathan Randolph on the Cape. What that shot leads to is Doc's amazed identification of a John Doe found in political hopeful Northrop Chesterton's closed-up house (next door to Randolph's) as another old acquaintance, George Brenner. Why did the killer deliberately arrange to have Doc and his wife Mary on hand to witness the fatal gunshot? Why does an investigation into Brenner's background turn up such contradictory testimony about his behavior? And how is the murder tied in to Chesterton's mysterious intimacy with his houseboy, Owen Lightner, and a drug ring identified by the ``Yellow Bird'' logo on Brenner's missing T-shirt?

[Jill Manske · Rating 2 out of 5]

Where to start in reviewing this disappointing book? I'd never read a book by Boyer before, and am very unlikely to pick up another one. The plot and dialog are right out of a "B" movie script. The conversations between characters are often stilted, with more formal language than normal people use (unless giving a speech). The plot and storyline are just plain ridiculous. I kept hoping the book would improve. But, no such luck. It's definitely not worth reading and certainly not worth purchasing.

[Marilyn Shapiro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yellow Bird is being considered by critics as the Iraqui War's equivalent to All Quiet on the Western Front. Two young men become friends when both join the army and are shipped to Afghanistan. Brutal at times, but a very beautifully written story of what our servicemen are experiencing while in Iraq/Afghanistan and when they return home. One of New York Times' 10 Best for 2012.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has to be my favorite -- probably because I got to read it before it was published. Darn it, Rick... get back to writing about Doc!

[Tommyb]

Fiction

[Kim Gates · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gruesome reality of our boys during the Iraq War.

[Rita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book. So beautiful, brave and heartbreaking. Thank you Mr Boyer