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Birdman (Jack Caffery #1)

3.84 of 5 stars 3.84 · rating details · 3,758 ratings · 406 reviews

Greenwich, south-east London. The Met's crack murder squad, AMIP, is called out by nervous CID detectives to a grim discovery. Five bodies, all young women, all ritualistically murdered and dumped on wasteland near the Dome. As each post-mortem reveals a singular, horrific signature linking the victims, officers realize that they are on the trail of that most dangerous off...more

Paperback, 448 pages

Published October 10th 2000 by Dell (first published 1999)

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Jul 24, 2012 Chad Sayban rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: recommended

Detective Inspector Jack Caffery has a lot on his mind. He has a girlfriend he doesn’t love. He has a neighbor haunting him who may have murdered Jack’s brother years ago. He has parents who don’t want to be around him. And now he has five mutilated bodies that were found buried at a construction site in Greenwich, England. Soon Jack finds that it is not just the killer he is fighting against. There are others in the Major Crime Investigation Unit who don’t want to see him succeed. Jack isn’t su...more Detective Inspector Jack Caffery has a lot on his mind. He has a girlfriend he doesn’t love. He has a neighbor haunting him who may have murdered Jack’s brother years ago. He has parents who don’t want to be around him. And now he has five mutilated bodies that were found buried at a construction site in Greenwich, England. Soon Jack finds that it is not just the killer he is fighting against. There are others in the Major Crime Investigation Unit who don’t want to see him succeed. Jack isn’t sure if his boss does either. Employing every forensic and investigative weapon at his disposal, Jack tries to find the sexual serial killer in spite of the distractions. But even when he has found his suspect, it still might not be the end of the reign of terror by psychopath known as The Birdman.

Birdman is British novelist Mo Hayder’s first novel, and the first featuring Detective Inspector Jack Caffery. The series now totals five installments. Right from the start, Hayder does a masterful job of capturing the utter confusion that surrounds a police investigation, where there are far more unknowns than reliable facts. Jack Caffery makes for a compelling hero – not without many flaws – but duty-bound to do the right thing when he knows what the right thing is. He is an everyman with a knack for putting disjointed pieces together. Hayder also provides the characters around Caffery with diverse personalities and vivid dialog.

It is with the crime that Birdman really hits its chilling stride. Without ruining the plot, I will say that it is very well constructed and produces a really big twist in the middle of the story. There are a few well-placed red herrings to keep the reader guessing, but no dirty tricks to spring a manufactured “gotcha” on you. Everything passes the plausibility test with flying colors. Hayder also brings a dark, foreboding edge to the world of her characters. It isn’t over-the-top gothic, but it is just inauspicious enough to make you want to tiptoe through the pages so as not to draw attention to yourself.

Birdman is also quite unsettling. It is graphic and at times sadistic. The villain is so incomprehensible, and yet realistic, that is will give you the chills right from the beginning. The scenes are intense and there don’t seem to be any taboos to Hayder’s storytelling. It is not a crime story for those with a weak stomach. However, this is one of the only negatives – and it depends on the reader as to if it is truly a negative – that I can identify in this page-turning crime thriller

Birdman resonates with a raw intensity. It is not perfectly written. Some of the sentences seem clunky at times, but the story moves very well. The characters are real and the peril is even more so. I kept turning the pages feeling a bit like a voyeur wondering what was going to happen next. I will certainly be picking up the next book in the Jack Caffery series.
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Mar 02, 2013 Holly rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of mysteries, crime, serial killer novels

Recommended to Holly by: goodreaders reveiwers

Shelves: fiction

Reading this book is a lot like riding your bicycle to the top of a moderately high hill, pedaling along a stretch of mild bumps and then taking the long, scary slide down to flat earth. It's a job at first, with its slow introductions to the characters and even slower exposition of the crime to be solved. But the protaginist Jack Caffrey is worth the wait, well drawn and mostly familiar to those of us that read crime novels. He's been knocked around by life since he was a kid whose brother was...more

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Apr 12, 2013 Ingrid Verschelling rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

Vogelman is het debuut van Mo Hayder, een Engelse schrijfster, die momenteel al meerdere thrillers op haar naam heeft staan. Ik was Diep aan het lezen, toen ik een berichtje kreeg van iemand van Dizzie, dat ik met Vogelman moest beginnen, omdat ik anders veel zou missen. Ik was al halverwege en inderdaad werd er toen teruggegrepen naar dingen, die in het verleden gebeurd waren. De goede volgorde van deze serie is Vogelman, De behandeling, Ritueel, Huid en dan Diep.

De hoofdpersoon in Vogelman is...more Vogelman is het debuut van Mo Hayder, een Engelse schrijfster, die momenteel al meerdere thrillers op haar naam heeft staan. Ik was Diep aan het lezen, toen ik een berichtje kreeg van iemand van Dizzie, dat ik met Vogelman moest beginnen, omdat ik anders veel zou missen. Ik was al halverwege en inderdaad werd er toen teruggegrepen naar dingen, die in het verleden gebeurd waren. De goede volgorde van deze serie is Vogelman, De behandeling, Ritueel, Huid en dan Diep.

De hoofdpersoon in Vogelman is Jack Caffery, een Londense rechercheur. Het is de eerste dag van zijn nieuwe baan en hij krijgt meteen te maken met een gruwelijke vondst. Er worden vijf lijken opgegraven op een braakliggend terrein vlak bij de Millennium Dome, allen van prostituees. Ze zijn vreselijk verminkt. Bij de lijkschouwing blijkt dat er gruwelijke dingen met deze meisjes zijn gebeurd. Het wordt al snel duidelijk dat ze één detail gemeen hebben: alle vijf hebben naast het hart een ingenaaid vogeltje. Later blijkt, dat de moordenaar de lichamen van de vrouwen na hun dood heeft misbruikt. Alle vijf de vrouwen blijken regelmatig in het café Dog and Bell te komen. Dit is de enige aanwijzing die het team heeft.
Rechercheur Jack Caffery probeert de zaak zo snel mogelijk op te lossen om verdere moorden te voorkomen. Hierbij is Caffery het niet eens met de meerderheid van de politiemensen. Volgens hem moeten ze de dader heel ergens anders zoeken dan de verdachte, die de politie op het oog heeft. Eén rechercheur is erop uit om een getinte jongen voor de moorden aan de schandpaal te nagelen. Als de moordenaar zelfmoord pleegt, denkt men dat de zaak is opgelost, maar dat is helaas niet het geval.

Je leert Jack Caffery goed kennen. Hij worstelt niet alleen met de ontmaskering van de Vogelman, maar ook met zijn relatie met zijn vriendin Veronica en de onverwerkte dood van zijn broertje Ewan. Caffery wordt gekweld door herinneringen uit zijn jeugd over de dood van zijn broer na een stom ruzietje. Hij woont in het oude huis van zijn ouders naast dezelfde man, die waarschijnlijk zijn broer heeft vermoord. Deze is nooit veroordeeld. Het is een obsessie geworden, wat niet bevorderlijk is voor zijn relatie.

Het verhaal wordt verteld in korte hoofdstukken. Mo Hayder schrijft niet alleen vanuit het perspectief van de inspecteur, maar ook vanuit dat van de dader. Het hoofdpersonage en de dader worden vrij goed uitgediept. Het verhaal komt wat traag op gang, maar halverwege het boek wordt je erin meegezogen. De spanning is zo opgebouwd dat je na ieder hoofdstuk verder wil lezen. Elk hoofdstuk geeft steeds iets prijs wat je in het vorige hoofdstuk nog niet wist. De gedetailleerde manier waarop de gruwelijkheden beschreven worden, doen het lijken of je zelf bij het onderzoek aanwezig bent, zo beeldend wordt het beschreven. De beschrijvingen zijn wel luguber en doen denken aan die van Karin Slaughter, maar ik vind die van Mo Hayder beter te verteren. Het verhaal zit ijzersterk in elkaar en het plot is compleet verrassend. Het personage Jack Caffery is goed uitgewerkt, echt een mens van vlees en bloed, met zijn obsessie en zijn fouten.

In een interview las ik, dat 'Vogelman' als een therapeut was voor Mo Hayder. ,,Ik volgde in de VS een filmopleiding waar ik me specialiseerde in animatie met kleipoppetjes. Maar alle films die ik maakte, eindigden steevast in een bloedbad. Een vriendin die als psychiater bij de CIA werkte, zei: 'Je hebt een hoop woede in je, je moet hulp zoeken'.'' Die psychiater bezocht ze, maar ze had naar eigen zeggen meer baat bij het schrijven van haar thriller. ,,Het wordt me nu allemaal een beetje duidelijk. Mijn moeder vertelde me dat ze niet in staat was mijn boek te lezen, omdat het zo duister is. Ze zei: 'Toen jij klein was probeerde ik je altijd af te schermen van de donkere kanten van de samenleving'. Misschien was die bescherming te benauwend en word ik daarom zo gefascineerd en aangetrokken door het gewelddadige.''

Als je van spannende verhalen houdt, dan moet je dit boek zeker lezen. (less)

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Mar 04, 2013 Jonathan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Birdman is the first book in Mo Hayder's Detective Inspector Jack Caffery series, featuring a quite broken DI, who has haunting dreams of his older brother, who disappeared when both were very young. There are definitely still some serious psychological problems, both with Caffery and his parents. This book delves into some serious stuff, both internal to Caffery and the gruesome crimes committed.

5 bodies are uncovered and obviously a serial killer is on the loose. There are some very strange an...more

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Feb 26, 2013 Georgia rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have been enjoying a lot of BBC series on PBS, including the police dramas, like DCI Banks. When I picked up Birdman by Hayder, it had the same feel as those British police dramas and I was engaged immediately.

The main character, Jack Caffery, is a man haunted by the ghost of his long dead brother, a trail of failed relationships and he is new to his current position in the police department. Flawed but trying to do his best, Jack is someone I think anyone can relate with and root for - espec...more

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Jan 02, 2013 Tanja rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Als Inspector Jack Caffery mitten in der Nacht angerufen und zu einem brachliegenden Industriegrundstück gerufen wird, ahnt noch niemand, dass es nicht bloß ein Zufall ist, dass man dort eine Leiche gefunden hat. Zumindest nicht, bis man weitere Leichen entdeckt. Leichen, bei deren Obduktion etwas schier Ungeheuerliches ans Licht kommt: jeder der Frauen wurde ein kleiner Vogel dorthin implantiert, wo für gewöhnlich das Herz schlägt.

Während Caffery noch nicht weiß, wie er die Morde aufklären soll...more Als Inspector Jack Caffery mitten in der Nacht angerufen und zu einem brachliegenden Industriegrundstück gerufen wird, ahnt noch niemand, dass es nicht bloß ein Zufall ist, dass man dort eine Leiche gefunden hat. Zumindest nicht, bis man weitere Leichen entdeckt. Leichen, bei deren Obduktion etwas schier Ungeheuerliches ans Licht kommt: jeder der Frauen wurde ein kleiner Vogel dorthin implantiert, wo für gewöhnlich das Herz schlägt.

Während Caffery noch nicht weiß, wie er die Morde aufklären soll, weil der Täter, wie es scheint, keine persönlichen Spuren hinterlassen hat, hat der Vogelmann selbst seinen Auftritt. Er erzählt seine Geschichte – wie ihn seine Mutter demütigte und er schließlich entdeckte, worin seine wahre Natur liegt. Wie er zu studieren anfing und letzten Endes nicht länger widerstehen konnte – den Leichen widerstehen konnte. Dass zeitgleich eine weitere Figur die Bühne betritt, verwirrt und fasziniert gleichermaßen.

Im Verlauf der Ermittlungen gerät Caffery schließlich an die Information, dass jede der ermordeten Prostituierten vor ihrem Verschwinden einen Auftritt im Dog and Bell, einem Pub hatte. Dass sich dort auch gleich ein potenzieller Verdächtiger findet, erscheint nicht ganz überraschend – ist Cafferys neuer Kollege doch ein offener Rassist, der sich natürlich sofort auf den einzigen Anwesenden dunkler Hautfarbe stürzt.

Nach und nach werden die Opfer identifiziert und Caffery trifft auf die junge Malerin Rebecca, die früher selbst Prostituierte war, heute aber nur noch die Mädchen bei ihrem Auftritt im Dog und Bell malt – und die außerdem auch noch eine der Toten kannte. Von Anfang an knistert es zwischen den beiden. Als dann eine weitere Leiche gefunden wird, eine Frau entführt und nach dem Schema des Vogelmannes schwer verletzt wird, ist plötzlich auch noch Becky verschwunden.

Die Ereignisse überschlagen sich, da nichts mehr einen Sinn ergibt – steht doch fest, dass der Mann, der die Prostituierten ermordet hat, nicht mehr lebt. Und dennoch sieht es stark danach aus, dass er trotz allem Becky und ihre Mitbewohnerin in seiner Gewalt hat. Caffery gibt alles, um den Fall zu lösen und steht am Ende vor einer Entscheidung, die sein Leben verändern wird – so oder so.

Nachdem ich ja das unglaubliche Talent besessen habe, zuerst Zeil 4 und danach Teil 3 der Reihe rund um Jack Caffery zu lesen, war ich nun also der Meinung, auch mal den Anfang des Ganzen lesen zu müssen. Dass dieser Anfang so … nun ja, Übelkeit erregend werden würde, hätte ich mir ja denken können – aber so? Nicht wirklich.

Mir ist immer nicht ganz klar, wie Hayder das macht – ihre Leser so vollkommen gefangen zu nehmen mit ihren Büchern. Man zweifelt keinen Moment an dem Mann, der Frauen ermordet, um sich an ihren Leichen zu vergehen. Man stellt nicht infrage, dass er das wirklich tut. Man glaubt Mo Hayder … und einem wird schlecht.

Da ich aber allerdings ein ganzes Weilchen gebraucht habe, um das Buch zu lesen – sowohl aufgrund des Ekelfaktors, als auch deshalb, weil es Passagen gab, die sich buchstäblich wie Kaugummi zogen, sieht meine Endbewertung dann also wie folgt aus …(less)

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Nov 29, 2012 Clare rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime

I got lent this by a horror-fanatic friend, and there is some real stomach churning stuff here. It's not a good idea to read late at night if you get jumpy and/or are prone to nightmares!

I have to agree that most of the characters were incredibly irritating, including Jack - his inability to break-up with Veronica really pissed me off how they had been together for any length of time I have no idea. I sort of understood why she ended up behaving the way she did, even if I think it's completely s...more

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Nov 08, 2012 Akagi rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime

Although I enjoyed Pig Island this wasn't the case with Birdman. It was (for me) mediocre at best, and if it had been my first time reading Hayder I probably wouldn't have been all that interested in reading any more of her work if given the choice between that and the countless other books on my shelf.

That said Birdman does keep you reading until the end. Not, I found, because of any of the characters, but because the crime itself is interesting and there are enough questions throughout the no...more

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Oct 09, 2012 Naomi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime, detective, hardboiled, serial-killer, audiobooks

There was potential here, under the tired tropes and stupid behavior of one dimensional stock thriller characters. I wish Hayder would get a grip on her metaphors, though, they're kind of ridiculous. Sometimes a sky is just blue, Hayder. Also, your artistic love interest for Caffrey? The most irritating character in the book, and since most of the characters spent their time irritating me, that's saying something. Hopefully in the subsequent novels, the plot doesn't depend on every character's a...more

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Jul 24, 2012 Carol rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: detective, horror, police-procedural, suspense, thriller, mystery

D.I. Jack Caffery is having a bad day. He wants to dump his pretentious needy bitch of a girlfriend when she suddenly announces her cancer is back. What timing, but Jack has his suspicions. And there is a badly mutilated body found buried in a field he is called to investigate. Correction, on closer inspection there are five mutilated corpses buried in same the field. All women, all strippers. Busy day for Caffery. Each body is cut up in a similar manner and each killed in the same way. All vict...more

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Mar 06, 2012 Doreen added it

This is the first installment in the Walking Man series which introduces Jack Caffery, a British Detective Inspector.

Jack leads the investigation into the deaths of five women whose bodies are found with evidence of strange mutilating surgeries. The victims were all drug users/prostitutes who would not be missed. The investigation becomes personal for Jack when he begins a relationship with Rebecca, an artist/former stripper, who knew several of the victims. Everyone is lead to believe that the...more

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Feb 27, 2011 Jerome Parisse rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Birdman is Mo Hayder's first novel, published in 2000. As an entrée served by Hayder before a long list of courses more bloody and frightening than each other, Birdman is perfect. In her debut novel, Hayder introduces Jack Caffery, a detective who will feature in some of her subsequent novels. "Birdman" is the nickname given by the police to a serial killer who has buried five of his victims - five butchered women - in an empty field in London's Greenwich area. Caffery soon realises that the psy...more Birdman is Mo Hayder's first novel, published in 2000. As an entrée served by Hayder before a long list of courses more bloody and frightening than each other, Birdman is perfect. In her debut novel, Hayder introduces Jack Caffery, a detective who will feature in some of her subsequent novels. "Birdman" is the nickname given by the police to a serial killer who has buried five of his victims - five butchered women - in an empty field in London's Greenwich area. Caffery soon realises that the psychopath he is on the trail of is much, much worse than any other he has ever encountered before. Hayder's writing is not dissimilar to the scalpel used by Birdman: precise, lacerating, and bloody. But it's also effortless, and like any good writing, doesn't draw attention to itself; it simply serves its purpose, a story that will keep you on edge untill the very last page of the book. Hayder makes smart use of the environment, the sounds, the colours and the smells; it's almost as if it were not a story you're reading, but a film played on the screen of your mind. Even better, her dialogues sound true and efficient. But what distinguishes Hayder's crime novels from others is an ability to create characters who are real people, not flawless heroes. These characters don't work in isolation, the search for the killer is a team effort win which every member of the crime division has a role to play. And Caffery is simply the musical director who facilitates the development of the piece. I had read Gone - another Jack Caffery novel - before reading Birdman, but this was not a problem. Each Hayder book can be read as a standalone. Birdman shows all the signs of a great writer, including some of the subtlety and smart plotting that Hayder will further develop in her other novels.

Two small things disappointed me in Birdman, maybe because I had experienced some of Hayder's later writing. The first disappointment is that towards the end of the story, Caffery does two things which make me instantly lose my compassion - and my interest - for him. If I had not read Gone, maybe I wouldn't have wanted to experience him again. The other disappointment was, once again towards the end of the book, what I perceived as gratuitous gore - the story could have ended without it and without losing any of its edge. This said, and not to end on a downer since I really liked the novel, Birdman is a one-sitting type of read, a story full of twists and dead ends that I guarantee you will not see coming, a book to be read absolutely by any crime lover.

I was given "Birdman" by Transworld Publishers as part of The Great Transworld Crime Caper, in which I am currently taking part.
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Jul 09, 2009 Devin rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book reminds me a lot of the Hannibal series. Very creepy, a little disturbing, but very suspenseful and exciting. What was very unique about this story is that it takes whole chapters in the point of view of the killer and relates years of development that led to the way things are currently. There isn't a whole lot of guess work, so you are often waiting for the main character to figure out what you already know. I thought it was interesting because I really came to understand the suspect...more

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Nov 15, 2012 Veronica Florence rated it 4 of 5 stars

This had a slow start for me. First it is set in London, so I had to quickly adjust to the pacing and dialect. Then the beginning was filled with a lot of police and medical jargon that wasn't explained particularly well making it difficult to read. But after making it through the first few chapters, I was rewarded.

Jack Cafferty is a detective put in charge of a murder case. A woman's body is found in a construction yard. It looks as though she has been dead for a while. But the most disturbing...more

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Feb 20, 2012 Jeanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I've often wondered what it would be like to write a book. Not just any book, mind you, but one from my favorite genre: a mystery/thriller. I would want that novel to have an, admittedly, flawed protagonist...a young and extremely bright detective, perhaps, working his first big case. One that doesn't sleep well at night, has relationship problems, and maybe drinks a little too much, still haunted by the demons of his past? And the case he'd be working on...it couldn't be a normal case...no. The...more I've often wondered what it would be like to write a book. Not just any book, mind you, but one from my favorite genre: a mystery/thriller. I would want that novel to have an, admittedly, flawed protagonist...a young and extremely bright detective, perhaps, working his first big case. One that doesn't sleep well at night, has relationship problems, and maybe drinks a little too much, still haunted by the demons of his past? And the case he'd be working on...it couldn't be a normal case...no. The crime would have to be heinous from the beginning, and then grow more and more so as the reader gains often unwilling insight into the truly depraved soul of a killer. I'd add in intriguing side characters, two or three of them almost as twisted and frightening as the murderer, along with all sorts of twists and turns in my plot so that the readers find themselves internally clinching everytime our hero leaves home...maybe even have them clinching while he's still there, just for good measure. Because I'd want the readers of my book to not get overly comfortable with how they assume things will shake out. I'd want them to be so unsure and involved that even the most jaded readers of the genre would have a hard time putting my book down until the last page has been turned. Since this is my own particular fantasy, I'd not only make this my book...but my very first book. As fantasies go, it's pretty far fetched, wouldn't you say? For me? Yes. For Mo Hayder? No. It is her reality.

I've read more mystery/thriller authors' first books than I would ever like to count or admit to over the years, and I've never read a better one than this. This is not only Ms. Hayder's first book, but the first one in her "Walking Man" series, and I can hardly wait to get my hands on the next one. Readers of delicate sensibilities beware...this is not cozy fare. It's harsh, gritty, and violently bloody with the subject matter going way beyond disturbing, so it's not going to be for everyone. But if you go for such a read, then I predict you're going to love this book. I know I did.(less)

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Feb 09, 2011 Nikki-ann rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There’s a sadistic killer on the loose in Greenwich, London. At first, one young woman has been found murdered and dumped on wasteland, but she’s not the only one. Another four are found shortly afterwards. They are all found to have been ritualistically murdered, raped and mutilated, each with a disturbing signature, revealed during post-mortem, linking them. It’s up to Detective Inspector Jack Caffrey to investigate and catch the killer before any more women come to harm, but it’s not going to...more

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May 13, 2012 Michelle (meshe) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, kindle

This is the first book in the Jack Caffrey series and boy does it pack a wollop. It's a mystery/thriller, but I would also categorize it in my favorite genre, sick shit. Jack Caffrey is a Detective Inspector who himself has a tragic and dark past that makes him flawed and sympathetic character . He's investigating a series of murders involving girls from the wrong side of the track. 5 bodies are discovered in a trash dump and at autopsy some disturbing clues are discovered. Each body has a bird...more

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Dec 26, 2009 Mazel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: thriller

Greenwich, dans la banlieue de Londres. Cinq cadavres de femmes sont découverts dans un terrain vague, non loin du Dôme du Millénaire. Toutes ont été effroyablement mutilées, selon un étrange rituel...

L'autopsie révèle une signature commune a ces cinq meurtres, et un premier profil de l'assassin : un maniaque sexuel de la pire espèce, aussitôt surnommé Birdman pour une raison des plus sinistres. Tout dévoué à sa tâche et endurci, malgré sa jeunesse, par l'expérience et les drames de sa vie pers...more

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Jul 03, 2012 Meghan O'Connor rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 18, 2013 Noeleen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Many friends have recommended Mo Hayder books to me over the years so I was really looking forward to getting started on this series. Unfortunately I felt that this book was pretty mediocre, even the few twists and turns presented didn't grab my attention to any great extent. I did like Jack Caffrey's character but I found the back story quite flawed regarding his missing brother and his subsequent interactions with his 'neighbour'. This book is not for the faint-hearted. It's pretty gruesome in...more

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Feb 23, 2013 Jason rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was rather conflicted about this book(it was a quick and sometimes diverting read) - but one thing about it WAS clear. To me, it is books like this - that become popular with comments about how "great" they are...that make me realize how easily most readers are pleased and entertained by the lowest common denominator.

Books just like this are a dime a dozen. The story may be slightly engaging with a few twists - but the writing is hackneyed and redundant and the characters are insipid caricatu...more

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Sep 19, 2012 Arah-Lynda Hay rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

No matter where I lay this book, it immediately improved the visual aspects of that space. True, even when it lay half hazard amid the detritus of day to day. And it is not only the visual aspects that appeal; there is a feeling of what? present. And you’re drawn back, again, considering. This book doesn’t just reside here, it rocks, it rolls, it rules. Great and clever cover art!

Which brings us to the story and it’s a good one. Meet British, Detective Inspector Jack Caffery. He is young, driven...more

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Aug 17, 2012 Alice rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Mlle Alice, pouvez-vous nous raconter votre rencontre avec Birdman?

"Une fois n'est pas coutume, il me semble que c'est dans un magazine que j'avais lu un article élogieux sur les talents de Mo Hayder dans le domaine du thriller."

Dites-nous en un peu plus sur son histoire...

"Pour sa première enquête au service du SRES, l'inspecteur Jack Caffery ne va pas tomber sur une enquête de routine mais sur pas moins de cinq cadavres enterrés dans un terrain vague, mutilés et renfermant un petit oiseau da...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Lisa Nakamura rated it 2 of 5 stars

A pretty good yarn with some twists, but I thought the author wallowed in the gore excessively and lost sight of developing the characters. The characters are thin stereotypes and even the main character's development is choppy and not well rooted. That the author relies on detailed description of the gross and gory is, I think intended to provide realism and some street cred for the author, which it does, but then goes on and on overshadowing the needs of the characters to give richness to a pr...more

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Dec 28, 2009 Ashley rated it 5 of 5 stars

I thought this book was brilliant. This is the third book that I have read by Mo Hayder and it is by far my favorite. Birdman is one of those books that hooks you from the start and keeps a hold of you until the very last page. I found the plot pretty original, especially with how the bad guy dies in the end. The characters are well rounded and dynamic. What I really love about this book is that the reader is able to get into the mind of the antagonists. We get a first hand glimpse as to what po...more

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Apr 09, 2013 Ashton rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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Jun 15, 2012 Synne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

I read this book in a day, and that means it was very exciting to me. I loved the killings and the psychology of the killer (I promise I'm not a psycho, I just love me some brutal murder in books and on mah tv-screen). I also love how Hayder changed point of views, so the book didn't drag too much. The protagonist, Jack Caffery, is a complex character with an interesting back story which I'm sure we will come back to in the following books. The ending was action filled and surprising, I loved it...more

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Mar 05, 2011 Everybookhasasoul rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2011, for-review

Hayder has created a fast paced thriller that had me as a reader hooked from the very first sentence.

This thriller introduces police detective Jack Caffery who is on the hunt for a killer that all the tabloids are nicknamed 'The Millennium Ripper.' Caffery is an interesting character that keeps the reader guessing who he really is.

The 'Millennium Ripper' has murdered five prostitutes; all the victims have been brutally mutilated and murdered in a way that would suggest that the killer has a medi...more

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Jul 01, 2012 Crystal rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wow...just wow. That was maybe the most disturbing book I've ever read. Probably not the most disturbing book ever written, but it will haunt my nights for years to come I'm afraid. I had fully intended at the start of this book to continue with the series, but I'm honestly not sure I could handle it.

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Nov 23, 2009 Catherine rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-loved

This was my second reading of this book. I enjoyed it so much a few years ago that I decided to read it again when a 3rd linked book came out. A very well written serial killer thriller. Includes graphic details of the very deviant crimes - for me this made it more realistic but not for the squeamish. The reader is told who the killer is before the end of the book and is an observer on the facts that the police know to see if they will find the answer. Also has an interesting subplot for the mai...more

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About Mo Hayder

Mo Hayder left school at fifteen. She worked as a barmaid, security guard, film-maker, hostess in a Tokyo club, educational administrator and teacher of English as a foreign language in Asia. She has an MA in film from The American University in Washington DC and an MA in creative writing from Bath Spa University UK.

Mo lives in Bath with her daughter Lotte-Genevieve.

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* Jack Caffery

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title link	preview: Birdman
avg rating	preview: Birdman Goodreads rating: 3.84 (3758 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/130260.Birdman?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348467664l/130260.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/130260.Birdman?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Birdman by Mo Hayder[/url]

Birdman (Jack Caffery #1)

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