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Bird on the Wing |
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| Bird on the Wing by Bob Bibby Pierrepoint Press (UK) 262 pages, March 2000 ISBN 095331961X Reviewed by Morgan Ann Adams The second novel featuring maverick detective Chief Inspector Tallyworth is set on the beautiful Scottish island of Skye. A deeply complex plot centers around the death of Cassie Dillon, a woman Tallyworth has known for a mere week as they begin an intimate bird watching cruise together. When Cassie is found dead, naked and strangled, Tallyworth finds himself in the unusual position of suspect, rather than detective. Surrounded by complicated characters, Tallyworth must prove his innocence and find the real killer. Police partner Georgina (George) Elliot and local female police inspector Maggie, aid him. What Tallyworth uncovers about his new friend Cassie and the island of Skye creates a fast-paced novel of detection and revelation. Fortunately for Tallyworth, both Maggie and George do the brunt of the investigative work. Unfortunately for Tallyworth, these strong women emerge as the more interesting characters. At times, the ignorance from all three supposed police investigators overlapped, creating awkward sections of dialogue. Sometimes, Tallyworth is written as a suave genius, capable of unraveling any mystery, and at other times he seems utterly bumbling. The author's habit of using narration to get inside the thoughts of some of the primary suspects causes an unusual effect in this mystery. Within the first half of the book, the reader is convinced of the innocence of each main suspect. By leaving the plot to develop more secretly, it takes much of the fun away from the mystery fan that relishes the game of guessing the murderer from a big list of suspects. Conversely, this method assumes a reading audience of great intelligence. There are no obvious suspects. Those characters whose motives and proximity are just too coincidental are removed from the list of suspects through their own thoughts. This forces the reader to look more closely at the extraneous characters and situations thought previously to be superfluous. The complexities of the plot unravel in segments, allowing the detectives a rich series of discoveries. The ending revelation of the murderer by Tallyworth seemed to be a leap in logic. Chief Inspector Tallyworth has the Sherlockian ability to create a full scenario based on seemingly incongruous clues. Making this ability problematic are Tallyworth's many, many incorrect guesses until that point, leaving the reader to wonder where the sudden brilliance came from. Though it is hard to believe Tallyworth is capable of such advanced thought, in retrospect, the clues did leave an honest trail to the murderer. The character of Tallyworth does have enormous potential for future novels. I was greatly thrown by the cover of the book, which showcases a close-up face of a young woman overlaid with a map to places unknown. Though I strongly abhor the practice of choosing a book by its cover, this novel is not properly represented by its dark and enigmatic covering. Filled with descriptions of the lush island of Skye, Bird on the Wing gives birth to an oddly satisfying mix of relaxing scenery and calculated murder. Though the characters could use polishing in later endeavors, the mystery is well plotted and engaging. An interesting setting complimented by strong female characters and one quaint detective brings Bob Bibby a wealth of fodder for future stories. |
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