Customer Reviews

The Bird Yard: A Novel

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book left me breathless! It is a tightly paced and beautifully written novel that is as fascinating as it is disturbing. The well developed characters really pull you into the story and the author's depiction of Brogan, a lonely and abandoned boy haunted by the memories of his dead mother, is poignant. It is a human story but one that dwells on the dark thoughts that reside in the human mind. Martin has been compared to Minette Walters and while I have not read enough of Walters book to agree to the comparison, I will say that Martin's writing is as compelling as Ruth Rendell, my favorite mystery writer. I think Martin has a bright writing career ahead of her, and I can't wait to read her next book.

THIS IS A THOUGHTFUL AND WELL PACED MYSTERY WHICH DOES NOT SCIMP ON CHARACTER AND PLACE DEVELOPMENT AS IT TIGHTENS THE SCREWS OF FEAR. A WONDERFUL READ FOR THOSE WHO HAVE SEEN THE FACE OF EVIL IN THE MOST ORDINARY OF THOSE AMONGST US, AND HAVE NOT TURNED AWAY. THE WRITING IS FLUID. THE ATMOSPHERE IS PERMEATING. AND THE END RESULT IS A TALE LIKELY TO KEEP EVEN THE MOST HARDENED MYSTERY FAN AWAKE AT NIGHT LONG AFTER THE FINAL PAGE IS TURNED.

The writing's not quite as vivid and the scenes aren't as memorable as A LIKENESS IN STONE. It's a very good book, but not quite as stunning as her first novel. The characters are three-dimensional but generic (generic troubled detective, generic abused kid, generic crazed pedophile) and the abducted child theme is getting a bit overdone (see also last year's STOLEN AWAY and GONE, BABY, GONE. Where the ending of the first book was a shocker, this one comes to its inexorable conclusion exactly in the way you expect, which is appropriate but not all that satisfying. Worth buying, worth reading, but not the A+ her first book was.

This psychological thriller is a masterpiece. Well-written with a carefully thought-out plot, The Bird Yard deserves an Edgar Award immediately! It's hard to believe the author has only written one other book, (A Likeness in Stone). My only complaint is that I can't start her next one right away.

On a crumbling Council estate on the outskirts of Manchester, a strange man has built a large aviary to house his collection of exotic finches. Several young boys have been seen there over the years, and some have disappeared. Detective Superintendent Parker has spent five years looking for young Joseph Coyne, and when yet another boy goes missing the investigation leads the policeman to the Bird Yard. Neither he nor Murray Hanson, a consulting criminal psychologist, are prepared for what lies ahead...

Urban decay and the Hitchcockian flutter of the birds in the aviary form the background to a tale of paedophilia and ritual murder that doesn't quite reach the levels of Julia Wallis Martin's moody masterpiece, "A Likeness in Stone." The tension leaks away through inaction and the investigative aspects are not very intriguing; the subplot involving the psychologist dealing with his own personal demons seems contrived, and the ending is predictable. Overall, the book would have worked better if it had been about sixty or seventy pages shorter. Nevertheless, even in this less successful work Ms Martin rises well above the herd and her work will bear watching in the future.

I read this book when it first came out and am still haunted by it. It's a very sad story that for much of the time keeps you on the proverbial edge of your seat. I'd never read anything by this author before, but if this very rich, very evocative style is her trademark, she will definitely be one to watch.

Electrifying and unusual! The scope of the plot has depth and holds your interest until the last page. Having read "Likeness in Stone" and noting its unique approach, I could hardly wait to read her next book. I wasn't disappointed as this author has skillfully designed a wonderful, descriptive mystery that centers around a ritualistic use of beautiful birds,"finches", and the pursuit of young boys for sexual favors. Using a criminologist and a policeman to develop the bizare, sexual deviate's plot to kill the boys, you hang on every strand desperately hoping against hope that another boy is not an innocent victim. I have read all of Minette Walters' books and I rather think this author is better.

Julia Wallis Martin has been able to keep up the pace and level of "A Likeness in Stone". The story is very well written and keeps the reader fascinated to the very last page. Julia Wallis Martin are of the same quality as The Alienist, The Memory Game and The Church of Dead Girls.

An abandoned, derelict neighborhood in Manchester, England is slated for demolition. Only a single, crumbling house is still inhabited, by a solitary man and hundreds of exotic finches. The eerie aviary sets the tone for the entire novel, a compelling police procedural centering upon an urgent search for a missing boy. DS Parker recruits a forensic psychologist to assist in what increasingly appears to be a serial killer case, and, as these two men form a grudging working partnership, author Martin takes readers within their minds as they struggle with the horrific details of the case. A haunting journey, surreal and malevolent, with richly developed characters and compelling psychological underpinnings.

It can't be easy to take a subject like this and make it compelling, but Julia Wallis Martin does just that. It's a really gripping read with credible characters. The plight of Brogan and Roly is drawn with much compassion and intelligence. If you've already read A Likeness In Stone then you won't be surprised by Martin's ability to weave complex plots and create a chilling atmosphere. Long Close Call follows - only published in the UK at the moment, but get it if you can, get hold of a copy. Wallis Martin writes wonderful psychological thrillers, really one to watch.