A Shimmer of Hummingbirds: Birder Murder Mystery 4

By Steve Burrows

Newly appointed police inspector Domenic Jejeune doesn’t mind ruffling a few feathers. Indeed his success has elevated him into a poster boy for the police. The problem is Jejeune doesn’t really want to be a detective at all; he much prefers watching birds.


Recently reassigned to the small Norfolk town of Saltmarsh, located in the heart of Britain’s premier birding country, Jejeune’s two worlds collide with the grisly murder of a prominent ecological activist. His ambitious police superintendent foresees a blaze of welcome publicity, although doubts soon emerge when Jejeune’s best theory involves a feud over birdwatching lists. A second murder does little to bolster confidence.


Jejeune must call on all his birding knowhow to solve the mystery and deal with unwelcome public acclaim, the mistrust of colleagues and his own insecurities. For, in the case of the Saltmarsh birder murders, the victims may not be the only casualties…

• Language: English
• Publisher: Oneworld Publications
• Release date: Apr 5, 2018
• ISBN: 9781786072344

Steve Burrows

Steve Burrows has pursued his birdwatching hobby on six continents. He is a former editor of the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society magazine and a contributing field editor for Asian Geographic. Steve now lives with his wife, Resa, in Oshawa, Ontario.

Reviews for A Shimmer of Hummingbirds

[loumarday · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I haven't read any of the others in the series but I did find this to be an entertaining read though I may be missing out on the back story of JeJeune that might have made me more interested in him as a character. I did quite enjoy his dedication to birding, as I am an avid bird watcher (albeit amateur). I will also say I was hoping a little more for some light reading than a full on police procedural but if that's the type of book you're interested in then this may be just the thing for you.

[dallenbaugh_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This turned out to be a very good mystery, and at times a real thriller, even if there was some unevenness in the development of the plot. The last third of the book was much more captivating than the first part although the first part did set up the action but maybe could have been tighter. The writing for the most part was very good, and the characters were interesting and well fleshed out. Maybe a few too many bird lists, but what can you expect with a birder mystery. I will read another in this series.

[bgknighton · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Good mystery, good characters, good premise, I wanted to like it but it just was not my cup of tea. Maybe if it was not the fourth in the series and I had gotten to know the characters as they developed...

[glendalea_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Overall, I thought A Shimmer of Hummingbirds was wonderfully written. The author excels at moving the story along with the descriptive narratives of places and actions (plus the plot twist that I did not see coming).However (and there is always a "however"), I do not recommend this if you have not read any of the other books in the series. This was the first I'd heard of Steve Burrows and was intrigued by the description. Sadly, I always felt like the third wheel on a blind date. There was a lot of insinuated backstory between all of the characters (plus the whole thing with Jejuene's brother) and while I liked the overall story I just could not get a feeling for any of the characters. Please don't get me wrong though. I am now interested in reading the first three books just to see how these characters wound up the way they did, I just don't recommend jumping blindly into this series.

[bbofje · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I received a copy of "A Shimmer of Hummingbirds" by Steve Burrows from The LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. WOW! A great mystery - wonderfully written. I intend to purchase the authors first books in this series and read them in order.

[gypsysmom_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

To me this fourth book in the birder murder series was the most suspenseful and the ending leaves the reader hanging so the suspense continues. Fortunately for me the fifth book is in the Winnipeg Public Library system and I have a hold on it so I won't have to wait in suspense very long. In the last book, A Cast of Falcons, DCI Domenic Jejeune's mysterious brother, Damian, appeared in England and we learned a little about why he was a fugitive from justice. He had guided a man who had a contagious disease into a remote area of Colombia to look for a rare hummingbird that can only be found there. The disease was passed on to four indigenous people in the area, the Karijona, who died of it. Colombia has strict laws about contacting the Karijona and Damian was charged with murder. In this book Domenic goes to Colombia on a birding tour hoping to find some further evidence that might absolve Damian or at least mitigate the charge. Back in Norwich a murder of a woman has necessitated that a senior inspector be called in to lead the investigation. The detective available is Marvin Laraby, a man who was born in the lower class and resents anyone who is from privilege. Laraby and Jejeune have a history from when Jejeune was with the Met, the London police. Laraby also has a very different style of investigation from DCI Jejeune but it seems to go over well with the investigative team, especially DCS Shepherd and DC Salter. Jejeune's girlfriend, Lindy Hey, did not accompany Domenic on his trip because she is busy with her journalistic career. She keeps busy but is a little on edge because of a strange tattooed man in the neighbourhood. Then, while she is at the office late one night, there is an explosion. She is not seriously injured and she insists that Domenic not return. Domenic is concerned but agrees. He wonders if a criminal he once arrested (with Laraby) might be out although he received no notification. His mind is mainly concerned with what he is learning in Colombia so he just asks Sergeant Maik back home to make some discreet inquiries. Everything comes to a head all at once it seems and kept me reading quite late into the night. Very good read and it didn't hurt that there were references to all kinds of neotropical birds that I've never seen. Steve Burrows went on a birding trip to Colombia while researching this book and it sounds like heaven for a birder.

[lpg3d · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A Shimmer of Hummingbirds is the fourth entry in the birder murder mystery series featuring Inspector Domenic Jejeune. It is an outstanding murder mystery with two plot lines (one in England, and one in Colombia) occurring simultaneously. You don't need to be a birder to enjoy this great book, and it works well standing alone without having read the previous three books in the series. Highly recommended.(Note: the publisher provided me with a copy of this book through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers.)

[picathartes · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another brilliant book by Steve Burrows. At times I thought the story (stories) was losing track or not pieced together very well, but overall this is another great book. Oftentimes, if not at all times, the strength of a story lies in the characters an author creates. A lesser book can have a well thought out and finely crafted story, but if the characters fail then the book fails to make a positive impression. In this case, the main characters of the birder murder mysteries are the real treasure; at some point along the way, they will make their presence truly felt and leave you thinking... that's it, right there is the reason I am reading these books.This 4th installment by Burrows is really for the avid birdwatcher as he combines two stories on two continents; the series' native Norfolk and Colombia, the birdiest country on the birdiest continent. This book also brought together a lot of pieces of Dominic Jejune's past, all of which continues to engage. I will admit though that I was shocked to learn that either Burrows or Jejune has a disdain for vultures. What the f-! What bloody 1-star book am I now reading?!? Vultures are one of the most likeable birds, if not some of THE MOST magnificent species in the of birds of prey family. A real world Jejune would never fail to grasp or appreciate that. Okay, maybe Harpy Eagle takes top billing (as evidenced by part of the story), but no one could ever deny the awesomeness of a condor let alone any of the "lesser" vultures. I'm still appalled... and I am not quite sure how I am ever going to get over that egregious oversight if not outright slight.Anyway, now to find the next book in the series....