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Birds in Flight
Two estranged sisters reunite to solve the harrowing mystery of their missing mother.
In 1998, the American Jorgenson family had been on a year-long road trip in Australia. One humid, storming night, the mother - Elsa Jorgenson - vanished in an isolated stretch of Australian everglades. Elsa was never seen again.
That night, twelve-year-old Lily Jorgenson was left alone and terrified in the family camper—even her teenage sister Iris is missing. When Iris comes racing back through the rain, she refuses to tell where she’s been. Lily is certain her sister is hiding a dark secret.
24 years later, Lily is a travel writer living a settled life with her son in Pennsylvania, USA. Lily and Iris are estranged, with Iris’s secret having torn them apart. When floods dredge up their mother’s backpack from the everglades, tantalising clues are uncovered, and the police reopen the cold case.
Lily returns to Australia, determined to force Iris to finally tell her secret - and to do that, she'll have to reunite with her. But when Lily unlocks the gut-wrenching events of the past, everything she thought was true about her family is about to shatter.
In 1998, the American Jorgenson family had been on a year-long road trip in Australia. One humid, storming night, the mother - Elsa Jorgenson - vanished in an isolated stretch of Australian everglades. Elsa was never seen again.
That night, twelve-year-old Lily Jorgenson was left alone and terrified in the family camper—even her teenage sister Iris is missing. When Iris comes racing back through the rain, she refuses to tell where she’s been. Lily is certain her sister is hiding a dark secret.
24 years later, Lily is a travel writer living a settled life with her son in Pennsylvania, USA. Lily and Iris are estranged, with Iris’s secret having torn them apart. When floods dredge up their mother’s backpack from the everglades, tantalising clues are uncovered, and the police reopen the cold case.
Lily returns to Australia, determined to force Iris to finally tell her secret - and to do that, she'll have to reunite with her. But when Lily unlocks the gut-wrenching events of the past, everything she thought was true about her family is about to shatter.
388 pages, ebook
First published March 7, 2023
1319 people are currently reading
3991 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 677 reviews
March 5, 2023
I always enjoy this author's books but I loved this one! What can be better than a road trip, and the one in this book which explores the Australian coast and visits so many places I know well was delightful.
Of course the scenery and the highlights of each place visited is just the background to the story, the relationship between the two sisters, Iris and Lily, and the mystery of the disappearance of their mother. I found Iris a most unlikeable character which made it easy to believe that she and Lily could have been estranged for so many years and the build up to their reconciliation is also credible.
Anni Taylor writes really well and this book was practically unputdownable. I totally failed to pick the guilty party but the author did set up several possibilities. The ending is bittersweet but true to life.
Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys a good mystery with lots of interesting characters and a beautiful Australian setting. Five stars.
Of course the scenery and the highlights of each place visited is just the background to the story, the relationship between the two sisters, Iris and Lily, and the mystery of the disappearance of their mother. I found Iris a most unlikeable character which made it easy to believe that she and Lily could have been estranged for so many years and the build up to their reconciliation is also credible.
Anni Taylor writes really well and this book was practically unputdownable. I totally failed to pick the guilty party but the author did set up several possibilities. The ending is bittersweet but true to life.
Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys a good mystery with lots of interesting characters and a beautiful Australian setting. Five stars.
March 10, 2023
It was 1998 when Elsa Jorgenson and her two daughters, Iris and Lily, did a year long road trip through Australia. From America, Elsa had left her husband behind, saying they needed space, telling her children they were divorcing. But the night Elsa disappeared, last seen running along the highway, with twelve year old Lily alone in the caravan, not knowing where Iris was either, was when the two girls' lives changed irrevocably. Their father took them back to America and once Iris was old enough, she returned to Australia, where she'd remained, estranged from her sister all those years.
It was twenty four years later that Lily, living with her son Jake and Lily's father in Pennsylvania, received a telephone call from a police officer in Australia. Her mother's backpack had been found and the cold case would be reopened. So Lily and Jake headed to Australia, wondering if now was the chance to find out more - and to discover the secrets Iris had continued to keep close to her chest, having refused to tell Lily anything back in 1998...
Birds in Flight is an exceptional psychological thriller from the pen of Aussie author Anni Taylor which I devoured! I've always loved Ms Taylor's work, and this one is definitely one of her best. With great characters, plus the vivid word-pictures of Australia's east coast, right down to the penguins on Phillip Island, I felt I was with them on the road trip, completely involved in the plot. Birds in Flight is one I highly recommend.
With thanks to Anni Taylor and NetGalley for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
It was twenty four years later that Lily, living with her son Jake and Lily's father in Pennsylvania, received a telephone call from a police officer in Australia. Her mother's backpack had been found and the cold case would be reopened. So Lily and Jake headed to Australia, wondering if now was the chance to find out more - and to discover the secrets Iris had continued to keep close to her chest, having refused to tell Lily anything back in 1998...
Birds in Flight is an exceptional psychological thriller from the pen of Aussie author Anni Taylor which I devoured! I've always loved Ms Taylor's work, and this one is definitely one of her best. With great characters, plus the vivid word-pictures of Australia's east coast, right down to the penguins on Phillip Island, I felt I was with them on the road trip, completely involved in the plot. Birds in Flight is one I highly recommend.
With thanks to Anni Taylor and NetGalley for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
June 8, 2023
Forever free
This is an amazing story that takes place in a beautiful part of Australia and Tasmania. It's about two sisters who come together to uncover what happened to their mother, who disappeared a long time ago. Once I started reading, I couldn't stop. I enjoy mysteries, and this book had a great puzzle that kept me engaged. The story was smooth and the characters were likable. I can't wait to read more books by Anni.
This is an amazing story that takes place in a beautiful part of Australia and Tasmania. It's about two sisters who come together to uncover what happened to their mother, who disappeared a long time ago. Once I started reading, I couldn't stop. I enjoy mysteries, and this book had a great puzzle that kept me engaged. The story was smooth and the characters were likable. I can't wait to read more books by Anni.
March 2, 2023
Birds In Flight is the story of two estranged sisters, reuniting after twenty four years in an effort to solve the mystery of what happened to their mother and a young child accompanying her one dark, stormy night a lifetime ago. Their mother had fled their father and America for a life road tripping around Australia in an old camper van for reasons unknown to her two unhappy daughters. They traveled from place to place, sometimes pausing long enough to get to know a few of the locals before being abruptly jerked up and forced to move on again by their skittish mother. While dutiful Lily quickly adjusted to her mother's flighty ways, rebellious daughter Iris resented the life she'd been forced to leave behind in America and took every opportunity to make her resentment and displeasure known. And then came the fateful night they drove through the Australian everglades on the way to the next small town - her mother stopping on the side of the dark road, picking up the small child traveling with them and disappearing into the black, rainy night never to be seen again. Later, Lily will recall being alone in the van, petrified and jumping at shadows when police abruptly stormed the van shouting questions. A man had reported seeing a woman in the area running down the road chasing a little girl and called it in to authorities. What Lily can't forget or justify is the sight of her older sister Iris running back to the van, soaked to the core with her yellow rain jacket held over her head. Iris refusing to answer questions about where she'd been or what she'd done, warning Lily to keep her mouth shut. Iris creating a rift between siblings that grew wider day by day until their relationship is hopelessly fractured by lies, secrets and innuendos. A fracture that will keep them apart, living on two different continents for twenty four years.
Now, a lifetime later, Lily receives a phone call from police in Australia - during a big flood of the Everglades, something of her mother's surfaces. Could this be the piece of evidence they've been waiting for? Lily returns to Australia to meet the detective and hopefully, finally, shake the truth about what happened that fateful night from her sister Iris. The two sisters form a tentative, fragile truce and, with their own children in tow, decide to reenact their mother's road trip from twenty four years ago - hoping to uncover clues, to find answers and maybe, just maybe, find their way back to each other. But is either woman ready to accept the truths that emerge when skeletons are rattled? Will it bring them back together . . . or finish ripping them apart?
Birds In Flight is the second book I've read by the multi-talented author Anni Taylor. Her descriptive narrative brings Australia, with its ever changing landscape and environment, to life in living, breathing color - the vivid sights and smells, the unrelenting heat and cold, the merciless dry and wet. I felt like I was on the road trip with Lily and Iris, both as young girls with their mother and later as adults with children of their own. Through past and present chapters, the author renders a mesmerizing tale of two doomed road trips twenty four years apart. The tempo of each road trip sets a steadily increasing, ominous pace, building tension as they move from place to place, person to person, asking questions, seeking answers even as the strain and half-truths between siblings fester. As they travel, they begin learning more about their mother's life and motivation before them, and it shocks and saddens them, driving their desire to find either her . . . or justice for her. Characters are well-fleshed out and believable with a few red herrings woven in throughout. Taylor does an excellent job of manipulating both characters and readers through an emotional, twisted plot line to an ending I didn't see coming.
Anni Taylor is an author that's earned a spot on my short list of favorite authors. Her books are highly readable and entertaining while also managing to draw attention to social issues such as misogyny, estranged siblings/families, abuse and social class. Birds In Flight is a dark, highly atmospheric story about love, loss, forgiveness and second chances. It's about the true meaning of home and embracing our past in order to live our future to the fullest. It's about learning to forgive even if you never forget. Highly recommended to fans of mysteries, suspense and thrillers with a lot of depth and heart.
A big thank you to Author Anni Taylor for reaching out to me to review Birds In Flight. I became a fan after reading One Last Child and am highly impressed with Taylor's writing. I had the pleasure of interviewing Taylor for Mystery & Suspense Magazine. You can read my interview and my review of Birds In Flight there and on my blog Cross My Heart Reviews. Birds In Flight is available on Mar. 7, 2023.
FYI: The current cover of a camper is not the final book cover.
Now, a lifetime later, Lily receives a phone call from police in Australia - during a big flood of the Everglades, something of her mother's surfaces. Could this be the piece of evidence they've been waiting for? Lily returns to Australia to meet the detective and hopefully, finally, shake the truth about what happened that fateful night from her sister Iris. The two sisters form a tentative, fragile truce and, with their own children in tow, decide to reenact their mother's road trip from twenty four years ago - hoping to uncover clues, to find answers and maybe, just maybe, find their way back to each other. But is either woman ready to accept the truths that emerge when skeletons are rattled? Will it bring them back together . . . or finish ripping them apart?
Birds In Flight is the second book I've read by the multi-talented author Anni Taylor. Her descriptive narrative brings Australia, with its ever changing landscape and environment, to life in living, breathing color - the vivid sights and smells, the unrelenting heat and cold, the merciless dry and wet. I felt like I was on the road trip with Lily and Iris, both as young girls with their mother and later as adults with children of their own. Through past and present chapters, the author renders a mesmerizing tale of two doomed road trips twenty four years apart. The tempo of each road trip sets a steadily increasing, ominous pace, building tension as they move from place to place, person to person, asking questions, seeking answers even as the strain and half-truths between siblings fester. As they travel, they begin learning more about their mother's life and motivation before them, and it shocks and saddens them, driving their desire to find either her . . . or justice for her. Characters are well-fleshed out and believable with a few red herrings woven in throughout. Taylor does an excellent job of manipulating both characters and readers through an emotional, twisted plot line to an ending I didn't see coming.
Anni Taylor is an author that's earned a spot on my short list of favorite authors. Her books are highly readable and entertaining while also managing to draw attention to social issues such as misogyny, estranged siblings/families, abuse and social class. Birds In Flight is a dark, highly atmospheric story about love, loss, forgiveness and second chances. It's about the true meaning of home and embracing our past in order to live our future to the fullest. It's about learning to forgive even if you never forget. Highly recommended to fans of mysteries, suspense and thrillers with a lot of depth and heart.
A big thank you to Author Anni Taylor for reaching out to me to review Birds In Flight. I became a fan after reading One Last Child and am highly impressed with Taylor's writing. I had the pleasure of interviewing Taylor for Mystery & Suspense Magazine. You can read my interview and my review of Birds In Flight there and on my blog Cross My Heart Reviews. Birds In Flight is available on Mar. 7, 2023.
FYI: The current cover of a camper is not the final book cover.
August 14, 2023
This is a long winded story about 2 estranged sisters who manage to do more in a couple of weeks than an entire police force did in 24 years.
The book starts off in the thick of it, fast paced and intriguing and then slows right down so a whole lot of nothing can happen for about 75% of the book and then speeds back up to what can only be described as a tornado of I’ll conceived resolutions and far-fetched pot twists that had my bullshit meter going off so much I damn near had my head implode.
1. Iris was a selfish twit as a teen and as an adult she is a truly awful person. She lied and manipulated everyone, she withheld vital evidence, and then blamed innocent people for all of her wrongdoings. The fact that nobody called her out on any of this just irritated the shit out of me.
2. You can’t just keep a kid you find in the bush. They’re not puppies. It doesn’t work like that. The venn diagram of this plot line and the plot holes is a circle. At some point that kid is going to a) need medical care, b) need ID and c) want to get a drivers license, and then what? Oops, sorry love, but you don’t technically exist.
3. A kid goes missing in Australia in 1998, that kids photo is everywhere. There is no way in hell the commune in Tasmania missed it. 98% of missing kids in Australia in 1997 were found within 30 days, so if a 4 yo girl of x description turned up with a couple of meth addicts while the whole country was looking for a kid matching that exact description, you would call the cops.
4. A couple of random meth addicts are not taking a 4 yo kid from Brisbane to Tasmania for shits and giggles. Also you need ID and the kid didn’t have any.
There are no secrets in small towns, especially secrets involving underage prostitutes having sex with cops and getting pregnant. Also, see point 2. About how you can’t just keep a kid you find, even if you find said kid in the arms of the underage girl you secretly impregnated.
5. Cops don’t dictate who gets to foster a child removed from its parent/Guardian and they definitely don’t pay teenagers to stalk people around the country.
6. These 2 sisters didn’t have to work for any of the information they found, it all just fell into their lap, and it all relies on a lot of people not saying anything about everything when a 4 yo is missing, but telling everything to 2 complete rando’s 24 years later. And the florist, my god.
I know I’m in the minority here because most people loved this book but there was just too much fanciful nonsense to get past and it ruined the story.
The book starts off in the thick of it, fast paced and intriguing and then slows right down so a whole lot of nothing can happen for about 75% of the book and then speeds back up to what can only be described as a tornado of I’ll conceived resolutions and far-fetched pot twists that had my bullshit meter going off so much I damn near had my head implode.
1. Iris was a selfish twit as a teen and as an adult she is a truly awful person. She lied and manipulated everyone, she withheld vital evidence, and then blamed innocent people for all of her wrongdoings. The fact that nobody called her out on any of this just irritated the shit out of me.
2. You can’t just keep a kid you find in the bush. They’re not puppies. It doesn’t work like that. The venn diagram of this plot line and the plot holes is a circle. At some point that kid is going to a) need medical care, b) need ID and c) want to get a drivers license, and then what? Oops, sorry love, but you don’t technically exist.
3. A kid goes missing in Australia in 1998, that kids photo is everywhere. There is no way in hell the commune in Tasmania missed it. 98% of missing kids in Australia in 1997 were found within 30 days, so if a 4 yo girl of x description turned up with a couple of meth addicts while the whole country was looking for a kid matching that exact description, you would call the cops.
4. A couple of random meth addicts are not taking a 4 yo kid from Brisbane to Tasmania for shits and giggles. Also you need ID and the kid didn’t have any.
There are no secrets in small towns, especially secrets involving underage prostitutes having sex with cops and getting pregnant. Also, see point 2. About how you can’t just keep a kid you find, even if you find said kid in the arms of the underage girl you secretly impregnated.
5. Cops don’t dictate who gets to foster a child removed from its parent/Guardian and they definitely don’t pay teenagers to stalk people around the country.
6. These 2 sisters didn’t have to work for any of the information they found, it all just fell into their lap, and it all relies on a lot of people not saying anything about everything when a 4 yo is missing, but telling everything to 2 complete rando’s 24 years later. And the florist, my god.
I know I’m in the minority here because most people loved this book but there was just too much fanciful nonsense to get past and it ruined the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 22, 2023
When the many mysteries were actually being solved about a 24 year old disappearance, I was all in on the action. I just thought there were too many points along the way where a whole lot of nothing was happening, and it ended up feeling much longer than its 390 pages. On the audiobook, the main characters who grew up in America, pronounced everything as the Aussies do, so a bit distracting. That said, I'd like to try this author again.
June 3, 2023
Omg..is this really the same author who wrote One Last Child, which I loved?!?!
This was so cringe, the wording the phrasing..everything. I found myself rolling my eyes so many times and started skimming pages towards the end. So much filler words and story lines too. It’s like she just wanted to crank out another book and just started throwing words on a page. And the characters..,ugh….boring.
Worst book I’ve read this year.
This was so cringe, the wording the phrasing..everything. I found myself rolling my eyes so many times and started skimming pages towards the end. So much filler words and story lines too. It’s like she just wanted to crank out another book and just started throwing words on a page. And the characters..,ugh….boring.
Worst book I’ve read this year.
June 7, 2023
I've read just about every one of this author's books, including her YA fare written as Anya Allyn, except for her detective series, because that's just not really my thing. I think this is one of her better offerings under the name Anni Taylor, but I don't think it's without flaws. Although it's exactly the kind of story I tend to gobble up, I wish it had been told differently (dual timelines for example, or divided into distinct parts, possibly even multiple POVs). I just think this would have upped the suspense and thriller aspect. I would also have loved more of a focus on the romance, because I'm a SUCKER for a good romance wrapped within a mystery/thriller. Taylor is a good storyteller though, and really has a talent for conveying deep emotions. So even though her books aren't usually my favorites, they're comforting reads for me, and I'll continue following her work.
March 29, 2023
In 1998, Elsa Jorgenson suddenly disappears during a road trip with her daughters, Lily and Iris, in Australia. Iris also vanishes briefly, but returns, and the girls begin a tumultuous journey without their mother, who has completely vanished. Twenty-four years later, Lily returns to Australia, determined to get answers. She will start with her estranged sister, Iris, for Lily is convinced Iris is keeping secrets.
Birds in Flight is a compelling and nuanced mystery that will keep you guessing. The secrets and revelations are riveting. Among the serious issues discussed are mental health, depression, abuse, abandonment, and cult-like behavior. This book is so richly layered, and as each layer is lifted, more of an absolutely intriguing mystery is revealed. It's a dynamic story of family secrets and the quest to finally solve them. It's also a road trip book in more ways than one, as Lily and Iris retrace their mother's footsteps and learn her life story.
I had a hard time putting this mystery/adventure down, and the conclusion is clever, heartbreaking, and unexpected. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a complex mystery that explores family dynamics. This is a story you won't soon forget.
Birds in Flight is a compelling and nuanced mystery that will keep you guessing. The secrets and revelations are riveting. Among the serious issues discussed are mental health, depression, abuse, abandonment, and cult-like behavior. This book is so richly layered, and as each layer is lifted, more of an absolutely intriguing mystery is revealed. It's a dynamic story of family secrets and the quest to finally solve them. It's also a road trip book in more ways than one, as Lily and Iris retrace their mother's footsteps and learn her life story.
I had a hard time putting this mystery/adventure down, and the conclusion is clever, heartbreaking, and unexpected. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a complex mystery that explores family dynamics. This is a story you won't soon forget.
January 29, 2023
BIG thanks to both Victory Editing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Birds in Flight!
Expected publication March 7, 2023.
Birds in Flight is about sisters, family relationships, and dark, dark secrets. I loved this book and I did NOT want to put it down!
Lily and Iris's mother disappeared on a road trip with the girls 24 years ago. The circumstances were suspicious and the sisters haven't had contact with each other since then. Lily lives with her son in Pennsylvania, USA, as a travel writer. Australia is the home of her sister, Iris. Floods have dredged up their mother’s backpack from the everglades and tantalizing clues have been uncovered. I'm not writing any more than that because I absolutely don't want to write anything that might give the rest of the book away!!
Birds in Flight is the first book by Ms. Taylor that I've read, but it won't be the last!
Expected publication March 7, 2023.
Birds in Flight is about sisters, family relationships, and dark, dark secrets. I loved this book and I did NOT want to put it down!
Lily and Iris's mother disappeared on a road trip with the girls 24 years ago. The circumstances were suspicious and the sisters haven't had contact with each other since then. Lily lives with her son in Pennsylvania, USA, as a travel writer. Australia is the home of her sister, Iris. Floods have dredged up their mother’s backpack from the everglades and tantalizing clues have been uncovered. I'm not writing any more than that because I absolutely don't want to write anything that might give the rest of the book away!!
Birds in Flight is the first book by Ms. Taylor that I've read, but it won't be the last!
April 23, 2023
Although this is a mystery, it's more of a story about two sisters getting to know each other again. After new evidence in her mothers disappearance comes to light, Lily decides to head to Australia to do some digging herself. She decides to recreate the road trip from her childhood, and Iris basically barges her way into the trip. Lily and Iris clash a lot, but their shared memories bring them closer together.
There are flashbacks throughout the story about Lily and Iris' trip as children, as well as some chapter from the POV of their mother, which were some of the most interesting in the book.
My only disappointment is where it ended, there was a confrontation that I was hoping to come that didn't, it felt a little unfinished in that regard.
There are flashbacks throughout the story about Lily and Iris' trip as children, as well as some chapter from the POV of their mother, which were some of the most interesting in the book.
My only disappointment is where it ended, there was a confrontation that I was hoping to come that didn't, it felt a little unfinished in that regard.
March 14, 2023
This turned out better than I thought. There are many angles to the story that kept my interest. I liked it when the daughters finally found the journal and many pieces fell together for a more solid picture of what happened that night.
I missed one key piece that I failed to pick up on that factored large in the overall plot.
There is one flaw—the author has a character using an iPod in 1997 but they didn’t come out until 2001.
Thanks to victory editing and NetGalley for the ARC.
I missed one key piece that I failed to pick up on that factored large in the overall plot.
There is one flaw—the author has a character using an iPod in 1997 but they didn’t come out until 2001.
Thanks to victory editing and NetGalley for the ARC.
March 1, 2024
4.5 stars
October 30, 2023
Lily and Iris, two estranged sisters come together to, travel through Australia on a bus with their children to solve the mystery of their mother, Elsa, who disappeared 24 years earlier. Memories of their younger years are entwined to solve the mystery as they visit people the circle of people they knew and joint connections leading them to an unexpected resolution.
September 3, 2024
The story begins with mysterious disappearances of a woman and a young girl in Australia. Fast forward to 20+ years later, it follows two estranged sisters taking a road trip to reconnect and figure out clues from that fateful night.
The story had a lot of unresolved heartaches in the dark past of the characters, set in both Australia and the US. While I absolutely loved reading about the Australian backdrop and following the two sisters’ journeys, the multiple storylines and the many smaller characters didn’t really work for me. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3.
The story had a lot of unresolved heartaches in the dark past of the characters, set in both Australia and the US. While I absolutely loved reading about the Australian backdrop and following the two sisters’ journeys, the multiple storylines and the many smaller characters didn’t really work for me. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3.
August 27, 2023
Another great Anni Taylor book! Really enjoyed this sad story.
April 27, 2024
This book had potential, but it just fell flat for me. It just dragged. Nothing happened until 80% of the way through the book. There is this ~*mystery*~ just looming but barely progressing until, all of a sudden, the character’s just tell you what happened. The answer was reaching and tried to involve way too many people (for reasons? How mysterious!) and required quite the suspension of disbelief.
The characters were also terrible communicators, irrational, and often jumped to conclusions that didn’t follow the logic of the conversation. It didn’t create the tension that I am sure the author intended, it just made the characters come off as extremely immature and unlikable.
A lot of typos too. *eye twitches*
Man, the more I write, the more I realize this book was just not good. I must have a read a different book than everyone else here.
The characters were also terrible communicators, irrational, and often jumped to conclusions that didn’t follow the logic of the conversation. It didn’t create the tension that I am sure the author intended, it just made the characters come off as extremely immature and unlikable.
A lot of typos too. *eye twitches*
Man, the more I write, the more I realize this book was just not good. I must have a read a different book than everyone else here.
April 11, 2023
I give this book 4.5 stars. It was so close to a 5 star rating, but there were a couple of things that had me scratching my head.
I enjoyed the travelogue as the girls went on a road trip around Australia, recreatin the trip they'd taken with their mother years before that ended suddenly with her unexplained disappearance. Would they find out what happened to her.
There were good examples of communes and cults, demonstrating the differences, and shedding light on what shaped their mother's life.
I enjoyed the travelogue as the girls went on a road trip around Australia, recreatin the trip they'd taken with their mother years before that ended suddenly with her unexplained disappearance. Would they find out what happened to her.
There were good examples of communes and cults, demonstrating the differences, and shedding light on what shaped their mother's life.
August 8, 2023
I read 3 Anni Taylor books that I loved (maybe it was the character Det Kate Wakeland or narrator Caroline Lee) but this book just didn’t do it for me.
We find out a woman goes missing 20+ years ago and for the first half of the book, we’re purely speculating while trying to understand her estranged daughters’ relationships.
The last half goes into this twisted back story that wasn’t even hinted at. It felt like a completely different story that didn’t even fit. I also didn’t really enjoy the characters.
We find out a woman goes missing 20+ years ago and for the first half of the book, we’re purely speculating while trying to understand her estranged daughters’ relationships.
The last half goes into this twisted back story that wasn’t even hinted at. It felt like a completely different story that didn’t even fit. I also didn’t really enjoy the characters.
August 4, 2023
Loved this book, lots of surprises and kept me guessing until the end. First book I’ve read of Anni Taylor’s, looking forward to the next.
December 9, 2024
Setting: Australia (East Coast); 1998 and 2022.
In 1998, Elsa Jorgenson has brought her daughters, Lily (12) and Iris (14), to Australia from America, initially settling in a rented house but later setting out on a road trip along the East Coast of the country, together with two other children from their neighbourhood, Ellie and wheelchair-bound Grace. One stormy night on the road trip, Elsa leaves her daughters in the caravan and sets off on a shopping trip with Ellie and Grace - never to return. Witnesses say that they saw a woman and small child running up the road and disappearing into the everglades but they are never found, only Grace is found in the abandoned car. Back at the caravan, Lily gets a shock when the police come calling as she is on her own, Iris having disappeared off on her own, despite being instructed to stay with her younger sister....
24 years on, Lily is back home in Pennsylvania with her father, has a teenage son of her own and is a travel writer. She has been estranged from her older sister Iris for many years, Iris having returned to Australia where she now has a family. When the Australian Police contact Lily saying that her mother's backpack has been found, she decides to take her son over to Australia to try to solve the mystery of her mother's disappearance...
This is the sixth book I have read by this author and it was everything I have come to expect from her - great storyline and characters, great twists and turns and surprise reveals as the story unfolds, all set against a true-to-life Aussie setting with wonderful descriptions of time and place. Unpredictable and shocking revelations throughout as the story and background are painstakingly revealed - 9/10.
In 1998, Elsa Jorgenson has brought her daughters, Lily (12) and Iris (14), to Australia from America, initially settling in a rented house but later setting out on a road trip along the East Coast of the country, together with two other children from their neighbourhood, Ellie and wheelchair-bound Grace. One stormy night on the road trip, Elsa leaves her daughters in the caravan and sets off on a shopping trip with Ellie and Grace - never to return. Witnesses say that they saw a woman and small child running up the road and disappearing into the everglades but they are never found, only Grace is found in the abandoned car. Back at the caravan, Lily gets a shock when the police come calling as she is on her own, Iris having disappeared off on her own, despite being instructed to stay with her younger sister....
24 years on, Lily is back home in Pennsylvania with her father, has a teenage son of her own and is a travel writer. She has been estranged from her older sister Iris for many years, Iris having returned to Australia where she now has a family. When the Australian Police contact Lily saying that her mother's backpack has been found, she decides to take her son over to Australia to try to solve the mystery of her mother's disappearance...
This is the sixth book I have read by this author and it was everything I have come to expect from her - great storyline and characters, great twists and turns and surprise reveals as the story unfolds, all set against a true-to-life Aussie setting with wonderful descriptions of time and place. Unpredictable and shocking revelations throughout as the story and background are painstakingly revealed - 9/10.
August 26, 2023
Birds in Flight is essentially a family saga mystery detailing the tumultuous relationship between two sisters after their mother disappeared 24 years ago.
The author did a brilliant job at framing the mystery, I could not put the book down without finding out how and where Elsa disappeared to. All of the characters in this one were quite well written and interesting. Iris and Lily's fractured relationship wasn't hard to come to terms with considering Iris' more than unpleasant attitude at times. Once they start reading the journal though, some of what Iris' feelings were about came to light.
I liked how well thought out the plot of this book was.Elsa's life in the religious community, her husband's torturous ways , the way she found independence and eventually became a bird in flight was an amazing symbolism with the title.
Lily and Iris managed to repair their relationship a bit which was great imo and it was an enjoyable read.
4 stars.
The author did a brilliant job at framing the mystery, I could not put the book down without finding out how and where Elsa disappeared to. All of the characters in this one were quite well written and interesting. Iris and Lily's fractured relationship wasn't hard to come to terms with considering Iris' more than unpleasant attitude at times. Once they start reading the journal though, some of what Iris' feelings were about came to light.
I liked how well thought out the plot of this book was.Elsa's life in the religious community, her husband's torturous ways , the way she found independence and eventually became a bird in flight was an amazing symbolism with the title.
Lily and Iris managed to repair their relationship a bit which was great imo and it was an enjoyable read.
4 stars.
August 11, 2023
Great cold case crime read.
Listened to the audiobook and even my partner, who I don't think has read or listened to a book since ever, got into it, was captivated by the story and finished the whole thing with me (a small miracle).
Listened to the audiobook and even my partner, who I don't think has read or listened to a book since ever, got into it, was captivated by the story and finished the whole thing with me (a small miracle).
February 11, 2024
this would be an AMAZING movie
June 18, 2024
Honestly didn't have super high expectations, but was pleasantly surprised! It was detailed and heartfelt and really kept me feeling close to the story rather than a passive observer.
February 5, 2025
Too long, but good plot
August 2, 2023
This was a beautiful story and also a good mystery novel. A lot of reviews say they couldn't put it down, and I did feel that way, too. There was always more I wanted to find out.
March 21, 2025
I really liked the twists and turns, the tension, and the storyline.
November 1, 2023
It’s a good cold case read. Enjoyed the characters and their story lines. I was especially surprised by the clever ending.
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