A bird in the hand

the long version

Young Tom French is found dead, lying in a marsh on the Norfolk coast, with his head bashed in and his binoculars still around his neck. One of the best birders in England, Tom put the village of Rushy on the birdwatching map. Everyone liked him. Or did they? George Palmer-Jones, an elderly birdwatcher, decides to look into the crime. He finds mixed feelings aplenty, but remains baffled by a deed that could have been motivated by thwarted love, pure envy, or something else altogether. But as he and his fellow birders pursue rumors of rare sightings, George -- with help from his lovely wife, Molly -- gradually discovers the true markings of a killer. Now all he has to do is prove it . . . before the killer strikes again.