Liked the story/themes but the writing was a bit poorly done. ( )

An entertaining read, and with clever literary allusions and a twist at the end. My only issue, and this is only an issue for a biologist like me, were the biology mistakes.
• Huia don't have iridescent feathers and red wattles; their feathers are matt black and their wattles orange.
* There are issues with the names of specimens from the vantage point of the late 19th century, Zamenis hippocrepis wasn't in the genus Zamenis in the 1890s, isn't white, and isn't found in Egypt. Dipsas dendrophila hasn't been in that genus since the 1850s. Cithaerias aurorina wasn't so named until 1910.
* Magpie Hall is named after the Australian magpies that hang around the house, but the cover and interior illustrations are of (totally unrelated and very different-looking) European magpies. The climax of the novel is a group magpie attack (a la The Birds) in April, but only nesting pairs attack, and they nest around September.
So, for those who don't suffer from biology pedantry, I'd recommend this. ( )

Part thriller, part family history, taxidermy and tattoos ( )

A quick enjoyable read. Magpie Hall is the setting for this tale. Thirty-something Rosemary Summers retreats to her deceased grandfathers rural home to finish writing her thesis on gothic Victorian novels. She becomes immersed in her own family history i.e. her great , great grandfather who 's passion for taxidermy and tattooing she shares. Revelations ensue as the story swings smoothly between past and present. A second successful story from this writer. ( )

I was so looking forward to this novel after The Sound of Butterflies. I feel let down.

To me the novel was only saved by the climax ie the last 60 odd pages hence 3 stars and not 2. I found the plot up to that point pretty ordinary. It's only because the point of view changes it keeps the plot moving - if it had only one point of view, it would be a seriously ordinary novel.

I laughed out loud at this description:
"How different the smell of the two men: Sam was all earth and lanolin; Hugh smelt of warm paper, fresh from the photocopier." In parts the novel is a cliched love story.

I give The Sound of Butterflies as gifts. I won't be gifting this on unfortunately. It lacks the depth of Butterflies, in my opinion. ( )