I really sank into A Bird in Winter and was engrossed in it for days. The story is excellent, as we follow Heather (or Bird) on her escape journey across the UK and into Norway and Iceland, using multiple identities and disguises to cover her tracks. Exactly why she is running or who is pursuing her is revealed very gradually.
A Bird in Winter is beautifully written, well paced, has wonderful settings vibrantly described, and the characters are interesting and well-defined. I finished it a couple of months ago and – the true sign of a good novel – have continued to reflect on it since I finished it. I loved reading about an intelligent, independent middle-aged woman and her working life. There are not enough novels targetting older career women.
A Bird in Winter is part thriller and part reflective psychological novel; I enjoyed both the exciting on-the-run scenes and the quieter intervals in the cold northern landscapes where she settles in and tries to blend into the snowy background in an isolated village. The scene where she flees her pursuer in Iceland is particularly gripping.
I think I enjoyed this even more than Apple Tree Yard. It’s a more mature book and more unusual. I will definitely be looking out for this author’s work.
My thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for giving me an ARC. My reviews are always 100% unbiased and honest regardless of how I acquire the book.
A Bird in Winter is available from all major booksellers.
You might also like: Murder by Natural Causes | Helen Erichsen