Book 23: The Dinosaur Feather
I really liked this book. At it’s heart, it’s a murder mystery, but the murder takes place at the Institute of Biology in Copenhagen and the victim is a professor of biology specializing in the evolution of birds. So there’s lots of science. Parasitology, palaeoornithology, palaeobiology. I mean, who doesn’t love palaeobiology! Seriously. I’m not being ironic here…
This alone would make for a thoroughly enjoyable read for me. But in addition to a hearty dose of evolutionary science, the book also offers up unusually detailed back-stories on several of the main characters, through which we find that they are all, in some way, broken or flawed. Their flaws help us to understand the paths they are on, and the difficulties they face in coping with the world. My one complaint about these kinds of deep revelations is that, as outsiders with a view into the lives and interactions of all of the characters, we know when someone should open up and be vulnerable (because we know who they should open up to). And isn’t it frustrating when they don’t do what we know they should!
In the end, it wasn’t perfect. Some things were a bit too much of a stretch of the imagination, and as usual, people not equipped to do so took risks they never should have. But overall it was a satisfying conclusion, and worth the read.
Rating: Borrow it, then lend it to friends.
