The Conjuror's Bird

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Editorial reviews

Independent, November, 2005
Two gripping, intercut narratives...a lyricism that captures the joy of the natural world...a highly successful and informative entertainment.

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Review
'A highly readable page-turner' (Guardian 20060129)

'A pacy confection of history, mystery and romance... a most engaging and unusual novel'

(The Times 20060129)

'An enjoyable tale of love, loss and taxidermy . . . a cracking holiday read.' (Observer 20060129)

'Two gripping, intercut narratives... a lyricism that captures the joy of the natural world... a highly successful and informative entertainment'

(Independent 20060129)

'An absorbing historical detective story . . . a beautifully evoked narrative from the past' (Guardian 20050228)

'Ambitious and intriguing... part thriller, part love story, part quest, this is a hugely readable book.' (Spectator 20060601)

'Ideal for book clubs, ideal too for any lover of commercial literary fiction. An exciting and absorbing debut novel from Davies.'

(Publishing News )

'Poignant and beguiling... like all the best novels, it left me with a sense of having learned something.'

(Andrew Taylor, author of The American Boy )

“[A] gripping book of literary suspense. . . . Davies indulges in clever speculation about the bird’s whereabouts and adds an appealing strain of romance surrounding the identity of Banks’s mistress. . . . A captivating novel.”

(Publishers Weekly (starred review) )

“Suspenseful, intriguing, and romantic, this is great entertainment and an excellent choice for book discussion groups; highly recommended."

(Library Journal (starred review) )

“A gripping blend of history and conjecture, romance and detection...it consists of two parallel stories wrapped around the race to unravel one of natural history’s most enduring puzzles. [An] elegantly crafted journey into the nature of loss and love, memory and history."

(Canberra Times )

“This book I loved on so many levels. Firstly for a greater understanding of the life of Sir Joseph Banks…then for the excitement of a great mystery… A truly fantastic book full of three centuries of secrets and surprises."

(Manly Daily )

'This book haunts me: I was moved, intrigued and entertained and, with each page turned, I wanted, very much, to know what was going to happen. Economically and beautifully drawn, the enigmatic delicacy of the characters and the way the stories of the past and the present intersect so teasingly, so elegantly, makes THE CONJUROR'S BIRD a deeply satisfying novel. And, best of all, the layers of the story take one deeper and deeper into the worlds of the past and the present until, in the end, there seems nothing more to discover in the lives of these characters; yet I wanted more. I heartily recommend this book!' (Posie Graeme-Evans, author of THE INNOCENT and THE )

'An entertaining read' (New Books Magazine )

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Guardian
'[An] absorbing historical detective story ... a beautifully evoked narrative from the past'

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Product Description
It seems a long time ago that Fitz and Gabby were together, with his work on extinct species about to make him world-famous. Now, it’s his career that is almost extinct.



Suddenly, though, the beautiful Gabby reappears in his life. She wants his help in tracing the history of The Mysterious Bird of Ulieta, a creature once owned by the great 18th Century naturalist Joseph Banks.



It soon becomes clear that Fitz is getting involved in something more complicated – and dangerous – than the search for a stuffed bird.



To solve the puzzle, he must uncover the identity of the amazing woman Banks loved – a woman who has disappeared from history as effectively as the specimen he is hunting.



A mixture of detection, romance and history, THE CONJUROR'S BIRD has all the makings of a word-of-mouth bestseller. (20060129)

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Synopsis
It seems a long time ago that Fitz and Gabby were together, with his work on extinct species about to make him world-famous. Now, it's his career that is almost extinct. Suddenly, though, the beautiful Gabby reappears in his life. She wants his help in tracing the history of The Mysterious Bird of Ulieta, a creature once owned by the great 18th Century naturalist Joseph Banks. It soon becomes clear that Fitz is getting involved in something more complicated -- and dangerous -- than the search for a stuffed bird. To solve the puzzle, he must uncover the identity of the amazing woman Banks loved -- a woman who has disappeared from history as effectively as the specimen he is hunting. A mixture of detection, romance and history, THE CONJUROR'S BIRD has all the makings of a word-of-mouth bestseller.

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From the Publisher
Martin Davies' novel is a great read, and the audiobook edition really catptures the atmosphere of the two narratives, one from the present, one from the past. Martin himself carefully fine-tuned the abridgement to make sure that this audio is both an excellent extra dimension for anyone who enjoyed the book, and a great listen for fans of fiction on audio who are coming to it for the first time.

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About the Author
Martin Davies grew up in North West England. He has travelled widely, including in the Middle East and India, and his plan for THE CONJUROR'S BIRD was put together on a trekking holiday in Greenland. He lives in South West London and works as a producer for an international media company. (20060129)

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Customer reviews

review by: usuallybuysbargains from Amazon date: 2008-06-17 rating:
the conjurors bird
I committed 2 grave sins of book buying with this one - (1) i bought it because i liked the cover, and, (2) because it was cheap. After a fairly slow start i really enjoyed it,(i would go as far as to say i couldn't put it down!) very original and a nice surprise for a bargain buy!!

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review by: date: 2008-04-12 rating:
Delightful read
I have just read this book for the second time and am pleased to say that I enjoyed it just as much, if not possibly more, than the first time! Perhaps because the book is rooted in fact, the characters seemed all the more believable. This is a gentle read - no explosive fireworks - but gives an incredible insight into an age long gone and a love doomed from the start.

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review by: date: 2008-02-13 rating:
A Gripping Blend of Past and Present

Naturalist Joseph Banks became famous after voyaging with Captain Cook on his first voyage of discovery to the far side of the world. Banks had been fortunate to encounter many sights and sounds that no other Englishman had ever had the opportunity to see, but none of them had come close to capturing his imagination like the image of the elusive woman, a woman with the most striking green eyes, who haunted the woods close to his home.

A couple of hundred years later a man stumbles on an old portrait of a young woman with alarmingly striking eyes, but who is she.

John Fitzgerald the discoverer of the portrait, has lost too much, the brash assertiveness of his youth. The belief that one day he was bound to make a name for himself and the love of his life, Gabby. But an unexpected call from his lost love brings it all rushing back to him and also embroils him in a mystery that repels and fascinates him at one and the same time.

Now he is in a desperate race to solve the puzzle of the Conjuror's Bird. And the woman in the portrait could provide the key.

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review by: robjob3 date: 2008-02-13 rating:
Didn't expect to enjoy this, but I did.
I bought this second hand as a time-filler, but enjoyed it so much that I reached the end and started back at the beginning again. It is a loooooong time since I found a book that made me want to do that! There are several inter-twining stories (Joseph Banks and his mistress, Fitz and the bird hunt, Fitz and Gabriella's tragic past, Fitz's grandfather and the African peacocks), which interleave very well without distracting from each other. This is quite a skill.

I was not over-excited about starting it - a book about extinct birds . . . not really my cup of tea, but it is written so warmly that since finishing it I've found myself googling the Ulieta bird and ordering biographies of Joseph Banks.

My only quibble is that it could have been a little more complicated - some of the pieces fit a little too neatly, but it's really a small complaint.


review by: date: 2007-06-16 rating:
A captivating read
A fascinating fictional reconstruction of what might have happened, pulling together various loose threads surrounding the absence of Joseph Banks from Captain Cooke's second voyage and building on them a captivating twin threaded story. Both modern day and historical threads were interwoven superbly, the plot, with its various twists and revelations, was well paced, and the characters came fully alive. Pretty much unputdownable, and well worthy of 5 stars.

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