Birdman

Mo Hayder

Well once the gender issue was resolved .. Birdman is not for the weak of heart, weak of mind, or those easily offended. This novel packs a lot of punches and you have to keep dancing to keep up. This is a debut novel, but lacks nothing for that fact. It's the story of a serial killer, but this is a loose definition, and to tell you more would certainly dampen the effect which Hayder throws at the reader. This novel has so many plot twists, and so many surprises, that each page leaves you in anticipation of the next. The characters are well developed and their interactions are carefully planned. Hayder takes the reader inside each crime scene with great regard to detail, explicit descriptions and surprise discoveries kept me up past the midnight hour turning the pages. She reveals the killer at midpoint, then leaves you wondering who really did it. For those who love a well plotted suspense thriller, one which makes you keep at the guessing game, this novel will not disappoint. Especially effective is the ending, when Birdman gets his due, which will leave you with a feeling of no better justice done.