Product Description

It seems a long time ago that Fitz and Gabby were together, with his work on extinct species about to make him world-famous. Now, it’s his career that is almost extinct.



Suddenly, though, the beautiful Gabby reappears in his life. She wants his help in tracing the history of The Mysterious Bird of Ulieta, a creature once owned by the great 18th Century naturalist Joseph Banks.



It soon becomes clear that Fitz is getting involved in something more complicated – and dangerous – than the search for a stuffed bird.



To solve the puzzle, he must uncover the identity of the amazing woman Banks loved – a woman who has disappeared from history as effectively as the specimen he is hunting.



A mixture of detection, romance and history, THE CONJUROR'S BIRD has all the makings of a word-of-mouth bestseller. (20051119)

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8498 in Books
• Published on: 2006-09-21
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Independent, November, 2005
Two gripping, intercut narratives...a lyricism that captures the joy of the natural world...a highly successful and informative entertainment.

Review
'THE CONJUROR'S BIRD is a rare treat of a book; a romance, thriller and historical novel all in one - and perfectly formed.' (Lucy Hale, Hodder Sales Director 20060526)

'An exciting and absorbing debut novel...'

(Sue Baker, Publishing News 20061007)

'Enjoyable, gently told yarn...'

(The Bookseller 20061007)

'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 20060129)

'This book I loved on so many levels...the excitement of a great mystery...a truly fantastic book.'

(Manly Daily (Sydney, Australia) 20060129)

'A poignancy that will aptly linger with you after you've turned the final page'

(Lincolnshire Echo 20060129)

'Intriguing and cleverly constructed'

(Choice 20060129)

'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 20060129)

'The book flits easily back and forth between the past and the present and I found it not only a page-turner but one where the turning accelerated as the story went along' (Lincolnshire Echo 20060129)

'Goddard-esque, drawing several mysteries and periods together in a fascinating tale'

(Bookseller 20060129)

'A highly readable page-turner' (Guardian 20060129)

'A pacy confection of history, mystery and romance... a most engaging and unusual novel'

(The Times 20060129)

'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 20050228)

'An absorbing historical detective story . . . a beautifully evoked narrative from the past' (Guardian 20060601)

'Ambitious and intriguing... part thriller, part love story, part quest, this is a hugely readable book.' (Spectator )

'Ideal for book clubs, ideal too for any lover of commercial literary fiction. An exciting and absorbing debut novel from Davies.'

(Publishing News )

'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 )

“[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) )

“Suspenseful, intriguing, and romantic, this is great entertainment and an excellent choice for book discussion groups; highly recommended."

(Library Journal (starred review) )

“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 )

“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 )

'This book haunts me: I was moved, intrigued and entertained and, with each page turned, I wanted, very much, to know what was going to happen. Economically and beautifully drawn, the enigmatic delicacy of the characters and the way the stories of the past and the present intersect so teasingly, so elegantly, makes THE CONJUROR'S BIRD a deeply satisfying novel. And, best of all, the layers of the story take one deeper and deeper into the worlds of the past and the present until, in the end, there seems nothing more to discover in the lives of these characters; yet I wanted more. I heartily recommend this book!' (Posie Graeme-Evans, author of THE INNOCENT and THE )

'An entertaining read' (New Books Magazine )

Guardian
'[An] absorbing historical detective story ... a beautifully evoked narrative from the past'

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Customer Reviews

the conjurors bird
I committed 2 grave sins of book buying with this one - (1) i bought it because i liked the cover, and, (2) because it was cheap. After a fairly slow start i really enjoyed it,(i would go as far as to say i couldn't put it down!) very original and a nice surprise for a bargain buy!!

Delightful read
I have just read this book for the second time and am pleased to say that I enjoyed it just as much, if not possibly more, than the first time! Perhaps because the book is rooted in fact, the characters seemed all the more believable. This is a gentle read - no explosive fireworks - but gives an incredible insight into an age long gone and a love doomed from the start.

A Gripping Blend of Past and Present

Naturalist Joseph Banks became famous after voyaging with Captain Cook on his first voyage of discovery to the far side of the world. Banks had been fortunate to encounter many sights and sounds that no other Englishman had ever had the opportunity to see, but none of them had come close to capturing his imagination like the image of the elusive woman, a woman with the most striking green eyes, who haunted the woods close to his home.

A couple of hundred years later a man stumbles on an old portrait of a young woman with alarmingly striking eyes, but who is she.

John Fitzgerald the discoverer of the portrait, has lost too much, the brash assertiveness of his youth. The belief that one day he was bound to make a name for himself and the love of his life, Gabby. But an unexpected call from his lost love brings it all rushing back to him and also embroils him in a mystery that repels and fascinates him at one and the same time.

Now he is in a desperate race to solve the puzzle of the Conjuror's Bird. And the woman in the portrait could provide the key.