A Shimmer of Hummingbirds

Two cases propel Burrows’s riveting fourth Birder Murder mystery (after 2016’s A Cast of Falcons). Chief Insp. Domenic Jejeune travels from Saltmarsh in Norfolk, England, to Bogata, Colombia, ostensibly for a birding tour, but his real purpose is to gather information to exonerate his brother, a fugitive sought by the Colombian authorities for criminal responsibility in the deaths of four people. Meanwhile, Domenic’s superior, Det. Chief Supt. Colleen Shepherd, brings in Det. Insp. Marvin Laraby, his nemesis from his former job, to lead the investigation into the murder of Erin Dawes, found smothered with a pillow in her cottage in the wake of an apparent burglary. After Domemic returns to Saltmarsh, Shepherd assigns him to the Dawes case with strict orders to use only evidence that backs up Laraby’s findings. Nevertheless, suspecting that the police have the wrong man in custody and knowing he’s jeopardizing his position by defying Shepherd’s orders, Domenic sets out to catch the real killer. Burrows keeps the tension high all the way to the chilling climax. Bird lovers will enjoy the avian lore. Agent: Meg Wheeler, Westwood Creative Artists. (May)