The Dinosaur Feather by S.J. Gazan
My friend Paula introduced me to a new Scandinavian murder mystery The Dinosaur Feather, a first novel by Danish author S.J. Gazan which won a bundle of international prizes.
It’s creepy in the way that all Scandinavian mysteries seem to be. And to top it off, Gazan introduces an original cause of death that is fairly disgusting. But the plot is engrossing with well drawn characters.
Anna Bella Nor is a whiny single mom and a PhD candidate at the University of Copenhagen’s Institute of Biology where she is investigating dinosaur evolution. When her thesis advisor is found dead with a copy of her thesis in his lap, Anna really has something to whine about as she is a suspect, and Dr. Helland’s death may postpone her dissertation defense.
The lead police investigator is a loner named Soren Marhauge whom Anna calls “The World’s Most Irritating Detective.” Soren who has his own problems finds the petty academic atmosphere almost as mysterious as the weird death.
A second death ratchets up the tension at the university and the police station as Anna and Soren are both forced to grapple with issues from their respective pasts.
Maybe more that you want to know about the bird/ dinosaur connection but over all a good read.
(FYI birds are descended from dinosaurs, a concept that was controversial until recently when fossil discoveries in China settled the debate.)
Print This Page
Leave a Reply