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Frank Janek #1
Peregrine
Circling high over Rockefeller Center is a peregrine falcon, the most awesome of the flying predators. She awaits a signal from her falconer. It is the bird attacks, plummeting from the sky at nearly 200 miles an hour, striking a young woman and killing her instantly. So begins Peregrine, a chilling tale of obsession. By chance, newscaster Pamela Barrett witnesses the slaying. Her impassioned account of it on television that evening thrills the falconer, a brilliant madman who identifies with his deadly bird. He becomes fascinated with Pam and enmeshes her in a bizarre and deadly scheme even as she finds herself drawn to him by an erotic need she doesn't understand. As killing follows killing, the police and the media engage in cutthroat competition to find the murderer. Two falcons fight to the death above Central Park. Call girls, rich eccentrics, dealers in the black market for rare birds--all play their roles in this study of secret passion, desire, fulfillment, and ecstasy.
304 pages, Paperback
First published February 12, 1983
15 people are currently reading
231 people want to read
About the author
William Bayer
56 books28 followersWILLIAM BAYER is the author of nineteen fiction and non-fiction books. Thirteen of his novels are now available in ebook and audiobook editions. His books have been published in fourteen foreign languages. Two of his novels, Switch and Pattern Crimes, were New York Times best sellers.
Bill was born in Cleveland, Ohio, son of an attorney-father and screenwriter-mother ( Eleanor Perry). He was educated at Phillips Exeter and Harvard where he majored in art history. His Harvard honors thesis was an analysis of a single painting by Paul Gauguin: “D’où venons-nous? Que sommes-nous? Où allons-nous?” For six years he served in Washington, Vietnam and New York as an officer with the U. S. Information Agency. He has been a grantee of The American Film Institute and The National Endowment of the Arts.
His novels have won the following awards: Peregrine (The Mystery Writers of America Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel, aka “The Edgar”); Switch, (the French Prix Mystère de la Critique); Mirror Maze, (the French Le Grand Prix Calibre 38); The Magician’s Tale (The Lambda Literary Award for Best Mystery); The Dream Of The Broken Horses (the French Prix Mystère de la Critique).
His novel, Switch, was the source for seven television movies, including two four-hour mini-series. In all of them the main character, NYPD Detective Frank Janek, was played by the actor Richard Crenna. All seven movies were broadcast nationally by CBS in prime time.
Bayer is married to food writer, Paula Wolfert. They have lived in Paris, New York, Connecticut, Tangier (Morocco), and San Francisco. They currently reside in the Sonoma Valley, an area North of San Francisco which Jack London called “The Valley of the Moon.”
Bill was born in Cleveland, Ohio, son of an attorney-father and screenwriter-mother ( Eleanor Perry). He was educated at Phillips Exeter and Harvard where he majored in art history. His Harvard honors thesis was an analysis of a single painting by Paul Gauguin: “D’où venons-nous? Que sommes-nous? Où allons-nous?” For six years he served in Washington, Vietnam and New York as an officer with the U. S. Information Agency. He has been a grantee of The American Film Institute and The National Endowment of the Arts.
His novels have won the following awards: Peregrine (The Mystery Writers of America Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel, aka “The Edgar”); Switch, (the French Prix Mystère de la Critique); Mirror Maze, (the French Le Grand Prix Calibre 38); The Magician’s Tale (The Lambda Literary Award for Best Mystery); The Dream Of The Broken Horses (the French Prix Mystère de la Critique).
His novel, Switch, was the source for seven television movies, including two four-hour mini-series. In all of them the main character, NYPD Detective Frank Janek, was played by the actor Richard Crenna. All seven movies were broadcast nationally by CBS in prime time.
Bayer is married to food writer, Paula Wolfert. They have lived in Paris, New York, Connecticut, Tangier (Morocco), and San Francisco. They currently reside in the Sonoma Valley, an area North of San Francisco which Jack London called “The Valley of the Moon.”
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
July 30, 2020
Peregrine, which won the Edgar Award for Best Novel in 1982, is the book that introduced New York City homicide detective Frank Janek. Divorced for a number of years, Janek lives alone and repairs old accordions in his spare time. But most of all, Janek is devoted to his job and gets consumed by this first case which has to be one of the oddest in the history of crime fiction.
The book opens when a reporter for a New York City TV station, Pamela Barrett is struggling to hold on to her job. By chance, she happens to be at the ice skating rink at Rockefeller Center when a giant peregrine falcon drops out of the sky and knocks a young female skater to the ice. The bird then slashes the woman's throat and flies off into the sky.
Amidst the panic, Pam notices that some Japanese tourists have been filming the skaters and captured the attack on film. She persuades them to give her the film, races back to the studio and reports the scoop of the year. She does this so successfully that she becomes an overnight sensation, breathlessly reporting to terrified New Yorkers the latest news about the killer bird.
Most people initially assume that the attack was just a bizarre act of nature but then the falcon strikes again, killing another young woman and it now appears that some madman has actually trained this bird to kill human beings and is controlling the bird's action. Pam thus takes a deep dive into the world of falconry, attempting to discover how the bird could be trained to kill a human and, more important, who is responsible for the bird's actions.
Enter Frank Janek, who's in charge of the police investigation of the murders. He too would like to know who trained and is controlling the bird. But Janek and Pam are adversaries in the sense that each wants the other to freely share information, but neither of them wants to do so. Janek wants to solve the crimes; Pam wants to maintain her ratings and build her career. She wants credit for bringing the falconer down.
As the book progresses, we meet the killer and learn a great deal about falconry. The book devolves into a psychological study of all three of the main protagonists, but especially the killer who is seriously weird.
The book has an interesting premise, but forty years after its original publication, it doesn't have the impact that it might have had originally. Or, to be fair, it didn't work for me as well as I might have hoped. The book seemed to get bogged down a bit with all the psychological analysis, and the premise requires perhaps too much a suspension of disbelief. The climax is more than a bit bizarre and left me shaking my head. That said, I enjoyed the character of Frank Janek and so will still go ahead to read the second book in the series.
The book opens when a reporter for a New York City TV station, Pamela Barrett is struggling to hold on to her job. By chance, she happens to be at the ice skating rink at Rockefeller Center when a giant peregrine falcon drops out of the sky and knocks a young female skater to the ice. The bird then slashes the woman's throat and flies off into the sky.
Amidst the panic, Pam notices that some Japanese tourists have been filming the skaters and captured the attack on film. She persuades them to give her the film, races back to the studio and reports the scoop of the year. She does this so successfully that she becomes an overnight sensation, breathlessly reporting to terrified New Yorkers the latest news about the killer bird.
Most people initially assume that the attack was just a bizarre act of nature but then the falcon strikes again, killing another young woman and it now appears that some madman has actually trained this bird to kill human beings and is controlling the bird's action. Pam thus takes a deep dive into the world of falconry, attempting to discover how the bird could be trained to kill a human and, more important, who is responsible for the bird's actions.
Enter Frank Janek, who's in charge of the police investigation of the murders. He too would like to know who trained and is controlling the bird. But Janek and Pam are adversaries in the sense that each wants the other to freely share information, but neither of them wants to do so. Janek wants to solve the crimes; Pam wants to maintain her ratings and build her career. She wants credit for bringing the falconer down.
As the book progresses, we meet the killer and learn a great deal about falconry. The book devolves into a psychological study of all three of the main protagonists, but especially the killer who is seriously weird.
The book has an interesting premise, but forty years after its original publication, it doesn't have the impact that it might have had originally. Or, to be fair, it didn't work for me as well as I might have hoped. The book seemed to get bogged down a bit with all the psychological analysis, and the premise requires perhaps too much a suspension of disbelief. The climax is more than a bit bizarre and left me shaking my head. That said, I enjoyed the character of Frank Janek and so will still go ahead to read the second book in the series.
November 17, 2008
It's very seldom that I give a book only one star (if I dislike it that much I normally won't finish it). However, having set myself the task of reading all the Edgar Best Novel winners, I finished this one regardless. It was icky. I'm not the biggest fan of thrillers in any case, I much prefer whodunnits. When the thriller genre is mixed with sadistic eroticism, sex scenes from a woman's point of view that were obviously written by a man, and general misogyny, count me out. I felt icky after reading this book. It's about a falconer who trains an extra-large peregrine falcon to kill humans on command. And of course, the humans are young career women. I would not recommend this book to anyone.
January 10, 2017
We've seen it all before, that eternal triangle: Pamela Barrett, a beautiful and ambitious local TV reporter, Marchetti, the tough New York City cop who once shot his partner, and Hollander, a falconer who has trained his falcon to stun its victims then slash their throats. Add to the mix Nakamura and his hawk-eagle, Kumataka, that's come to the Big Apple to fight Hollander's little feathered monster (“She is never tired. She has come to New York to kill.”), a psychiatrist who's seen it all, and Hollander's hobby of turning tiny women into human furries who dress as birds and claw at him while he "trains" them, give it the Edgar Award, then furrow your brow over how anyone can read this psychosexual stew with a straight face.
August 13, 2020
Peregrine won the Edgar Award for best novel in 1982, long before I started reading mysteries, so it's not surprising I hadn't heard of it until a friend's recent review on Goodreads.
But I am so glad I read that review. Frank Janek, the accordion-repairing detective, and the novel have held up well. It is still a very good read -- so good that I have already downloaded the next novel in the series.
(Peregrine is actually a prequel to a three-book series which I will be devouring shortly.)
I was also unaware the books had been the basis of a television series featuring Richard Crenna.
In this first entry, Janek is hunting for a falconer whose bird is attacking beautiful young women in New York City. Janek and two other characters share somewhat equal billing (hey, it is a prequel).
But the writing and the plot are well done. If, like me, you were unaware of this award-winning mystery series, give it a try. You won't be disappointed.
But I am so glad I read that review. Frank Janek, the accordion-repairing detective, and the novel have held up well. It is still a very good read -- so good that I have already downloaded the next novel in the series.
(Peregrine is actually a prequel to a three-book series which I will be devouring shortly.)
I was also unaware the books had been the basis of a television series featuring Richard Crenna.
In this first entry, Janek is hunting for a falconer whose bird is attacking beautiful young women in New York City. Janek and two other characters share somewhat equal billing (hey, it is a prequel).
But the writing and the plot are well done. If, like me, you were unaware of this award-winning mystery series, give it a try. You won't be disappointed.
August 9, 2020
The mystery here is not "who done it" but will he be found? & how? will Pamela make it through alive?
Threats against women are a key element here, coming to a head with threats against Pamela. Quite frankly, I am sick to death of that stuff. But in Bayer's hands, this isn't the usual gratuitous "sex & violence" at all.
And although Pamela does some of the usual "stupid stuff for a smart woman," is isn't the cheesy thing where the woman (almost always written by a man) does something so obviously stupid that she puts herself in grave danger, from which she must be rescued by the male hero. No.
Bayer starts with a very creative premise and follows it through beautifully. He is very good!
Threats against women are a key element here, coming to a head with threats against Pamela. Quite frankly, I am sick to death of that stuff. But in Bayer's hands, this isn't the usual gratuitous "sex & violence" at all.
And although Pamela does some of the usual "stupid stuff for a smart woman," is isn't the cheesy thing where the woman (almost always written by a man) does something so obviously stupid that she puts herself in grave danger, from which she must be rescued by the male hero. No.
Bayer starts with a very creative premise and follows it through beautifully. He is very good!
March 22, 2018
What will you dislike the most about Peregrine? That a male author created a female main character and constantly describes every thought she is having, which is usually about what she would do for her career and how to get men to be attracted to her? Or the thinly-buried Freudian undercurrent that inspired the author to create this character and then visit such degradation on her? Or the hackneyed tropes like a criminal genius who anticipates and orchestrates every move the authorities make, or the cop who is presented as troubled, and then whose every misadventure is strenuously explained away by the author so that all of his actions were completely unavoidable? Or will it be because you always wanted to get a novel published and this thing was not only published instead, but it won awards?
While reading, I kept wondering if this book may have been intended as a satire. The cop blows off steam, for example, by repairing accordions, and the far-fetched falcon-as-weapon plot device would fit a spoof. There are some effective riffs on how horrible events can so quickly become media frenzies and the topics of sardonic entertainment (especially in New York!) But this is hard to square with the sadistic streak that runs through this book, and in the interview afterward it becomes clear that the author (who also admits to lying to get into Harvard) meant it all too seriously.
While reading, I kept wondering if this book may have been intended as a satire. The cop blows off steam, for example, by repairing accordions, and the far-fetched falcon-as-weapon plot device would fit a spoof. There are some effective riffs on how horrible events can so quickly become media frenzies and the topics of sardonic entertainment (especially in New York!) But this is hard to square with the sadistic streak that runs through this book, and in the interview afterward it becomes clear that the author (who also admits to lying to get into Harvard) meant it all too seriously.
May 26, 2017
Is it possible to train a peregrine to
1. Kill people?
2. Fight against other birds?
1. Kill people?
2. Fight against other birds?
August 28, 2020
This is the first in the Lt. Frank Janek series although he is something of a secondary character to that of Pam Barrett a tv news reporter who stumbles upon the first Peregrine Falcon attack, just when her career appears to be over. The story is very heavy on the large birds of prey and falconry and its followers. In fact, I would say that it becomes obsessive to the point of obsession and the detriment of the story. The story is itself far fetched and borders onto fantasy. Lots of violence and sex.
Obsession is a big factor in the many characters of the falconer, the breeder of birds, the news reporter and her boss Herb. Frank Janek drifts in and out of the story has a large team of detectives and just about gets there in the end.
I suppose I liked it enough to make a 3-star assessment.
Obsession is a big factor in the many characters of the falconer, the breeder of birds, the news reporter and her boss Herb. Frank Janek drifts in and out of the story has a large team of detectives and just about gets there in the end.
I suppose I liked it enough to make a 3-star assessment.
November 15, 2025
This mostly forgotten (?) horror novel from 1981 is better than its cover would suggest. It’s an original idea that’s taken much further than I expected. I hate to use such a cliché, but it’s really a novel about obsession, i.e., how much people from different backgrounds can be sucked into essentially a hobby, to the point where it takes over their lives.
Also, if this is your thing, it’s definitely a New York novel of that era, both elegant and sleazy, complete with such stereotypes as Hardboiled-Police-Detective! and Single-Girl-in-the-Big City!
Also, if this is your thing, it’s definitely a New York novel of that era, both elegant and sleazy, complete with such stereotypes as Hardboiled-Police-Detective! and Single-Girl-in-the-Big City!
May 31, 2021
(3 1/2). An old school feel in this one, but a real nice set up of a good New York story. The old adage of hiding in plain sight really applies here and we have layers unpeeling in a smooth sequence. I understand this won an Edgar award, but there are still times when this drags a little, and Bayer works awfully hard to insert some sex and the craziness of the falconry world. An interesting and good paced read. Pretty good stuff.
January 15, 2023
Okay, so, I did like a lot of what this book did, especially with the conventions of the genre. First up, love that we learn the identity of the killer seventy pages in. The protagonist doesn't, but we do, and that's super fun. Also, the bird thing? Real weird. That was real weird. So fun. Love it.
March 10, 2023
Peregrine by William Bayer was a random find. Just thought this cover looks cool, lets try it. The story is pretty wild. A peregrine falcon kills woman on command by a mysterious falconer in New York City and a reporter tries to make a good story but also to nail the basterd. Realy simple but original premise and wildly fun so far. It won the Edgar Award in 1981 for a reason !
July 7, 2017
Stumbled across this NYC gem,a fear filled trip back to 1981. Thriller will also appeal to monster/creature on the loose types. A companian piece to 'Wolfen'?
April 16, 2021
William Bayer won an Edgar for this book in 1982.
Excellent read. Great insight in falconry.
Excellent read. Great insight in falconry.
September 13, 2022
Maybe I’m just not strong enough and it’s my fault I can’t suspend my disbelief long enough and far enough and frequent enough to enjoy this disaster of a book.
July 4, 2023
Absolute garbage. How did this book win an award? Were there no other books nominated that year?
October 24, 2025
Surprisingly good - well written and engrossing. Worthy of the time
June 7, 2025
An older book from 1981... but it left a lasting impression
The peregrine falcon soars over Manhattan when a falconer signals the bird of prey, which instantly zooms down at incredible speed attacking a female skater in Rockefeller Center while a Japanese tourist films the deadly assault. Her throat is ripped open in a nanosecond. "Lucky" by being at the right place at the right time with evidence to show her viewers the brutal killing, Newscaster Pamela Barrett obtains the film and gives a first hand account on TV.
The falconer enjoys Pam's broadcast and contacts her by mail. Others die as violently as the skater while the psychopath continues to fascinate in a macabre way Pam, who the Falconer is obsessed with owning. However, she sees a pattern to the victims as each is young and looks eerily similar to her. NYPD Detective Frank Janek struggles with stopping this maniac, but Pam believes she is the key as bait to stop an assailant whose weapon is a bird trained to kill upon command.
The peregrine falcon soars over Manhattan when a falconer signals the bird of prey, which instantly zooms down at incredible speed attacking a female skater in Rockefeller Center while a Japanese tourist films the deadly assault. Her throat is ripped open in a nanosecond. "Lucky" by being at the right place at the right time with evidence to show her viewers the brutal killing, Newscaster Pamela Barrett obtains the film and gives a first hand account on TV.
The falconer enjoys Pam's broadcast and contacts her by mail. Others die as violently as the skater while the psychopath continues to fascinate in a macabre way Pam, who the Falconer is obsessed with owning. However, she sees a pattern to the victims as each is young and looks eerily similar to her. NYPD Detective Frank Janek struggles with stopping this maniac, but Pam believes she is the key as bait to stop an assailant whose weapon is a bird trained to kill upon command.
January 22, 2009
to things atracted me to this book, the falconary theme and the "edgar allan poe award". I have mixed feeling about it.
although I dont think the book is that good as a mistery its very rich and elaborated from the phsycological point.
This is a diferent thriller. we know who the killer is from the start and the relevance is not on the who but on the why. the story is told from three different points of view the killer, the detective investigating the murders and a tv reporter that stumbles into the killers nest. From this three characthers the killer was the one I liked the less, how much deeper we go into is mania the more ridiculus it seems, that mfact tainted my interest in the book, I liked bayer's writting style, the narrative form, but I thought the falconer to reveal himself more pathetic than scary.
although I dont think the book is that good as a mistery its very rich and elaborated from the phsycological point.
This is a diferent thriller. we know who the killer is from the start and the relevance is not on the who but on the why. the story is told from three different points of view the killer, the detective investigating the murders and a tv reporter that stumbles into the killers nest. From this three characthers the killer was the one I liked the less, how much deeper we go into is mania the more ridiculus it seems, that mfact tainted my interest in the book, I liked bayer's writting style, the narrative form, but I thought the falconer to reveal himself more pathetic than scary.
February 13, 2009
This book won an Edgar Award and the plot sounded interesting, but I was very disappointed. The concept seemed too unrealistic; the characters are shallow. I didn't really care about any of them.
William Bayer has written two very good books under the pseudonym of David Hunt; this book did not come close to those. It is the first of a series, but I am not too sure I will read any more.
William Bayer has written two very good books under the pseudonym of David Hunt; this book did not come close to those. It is the first of a series, but I am not too sure I will read any more.
September 3, 2016
A very unusual mystery/suspense novel where a peregrine falcon is used to commit a series of gruesome murders in New York City. The falconer and another character in the book who was an expert on raptors both turned out to be very twisted in different ways. This one definitely kept me turning the pages. I am a fan of mystery/crime novels and I would rate this one highly.
October 6, 2012
Read this for my book club. It was a pretty enjoyable light read of a thriller. There wasn't much depth to it and it ended with kind of a fizzle but it wasn't ever confusing or boring. It kind of felt like more of an adult novel book in its simplicity. I really liked imagining the main protagonist, Pam, with awesome early 80's newscaster hair, though.
November 19, 2008
Read this book last month for my Partners in Crime book club. Interesting mystery/thriller. William Bayer has done his research on falconry on this book. I've learned things about falconry that I could never thought could be done. Very intersting read, indeed. I give it a 3 out of 5 stars.
October 24, 2012
Good mystery book. The end might be a bit "fast", all this for that type of thing, but the bird as a killer is a good story. Wouldn't mind reading some of the author's other novels. Entertaining, easy to read, a good rainy day story!
March 11, 2009
A really good mystery set in NYC
October 4, 2009
the ending is surprisingly taut for what is often stereotypical writing
July 30, 2016
Great start and middle but gets flat towards end
July 15, 2017
Creepy in the extreme, but very well done.
June 23, 2017
Went into this thinking the premise was pretty laughable, but found myself enjoying it quite a bit. The writing is good, even if you have to have a little suspension of disbelief throughout for some story elements.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews