'This book I loved on so many levels...the excitement of a great mystery...a truly fantastic book.' -- Manly Daily (Sydney, Australia) 20051104 'An exciting and absorbing debut novel.' -- Sue Baker, Publishing News 20050812 'A pacy confection of history, mystery and romance...Davies interweaves his complex narrative with energy and authority...a most engaging and unusual first novel.' -- The Times 20051119 'This book I loved on so many levels...the excitement of a great mystery...a truly fantastic book.' -- Manly Daily (Sydney, Australia) 20051104 'An exciting and absorbing debut novel.' -- Sue Baker, Publishing News 20050812 'A pacy confection of history, mystery and romance...Davies interweaves his complex narrative with energy and authority...a most engaging and unusual first novel.' -- The Times 20051119 'A poignancy that will aptly linger with you after you've turned the final page' -- Lincolnshire Echo 20051213 'Intriguing and cleverly constructed' -- Choice 20060101 'Ambitious and intriguing... part thriller, part love story, part quest, this is a hugely readable book whose concerns linger in the mind... Davies' novel hints, unobtrusively but effectively, at many of the issues underlying man's urge to collect ornithological specimens, and also the uneasy relationship between science, business and the natural world.' -- Andrew Taylor, Spectator 20060213 'A pacy confection of history, mystery and romance... amost engaging and unusual novel' -- The Times '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 20060129 'Ambitious and intriguing... part thriller, part love story, part quest, this is a hugely readable book.' -- Spectator 20060129 'Ideal for book clubs, ideal too for any lover of commercial literary fiction. An exciting and absorbing debut novel from Davies.' -- Publishing News 20060129 '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 20060129 "[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) 20060129 "Suspenseful, intriguing, and romantic, this is great entertainment and an excellent choice for book discussion groups; highly recommended." -- Library Journal (starred review) 20060129 "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 20060129 "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 20060129