The Conjuror's Bird

Historical Fact: In an expedition to the South Seas in 1774 a new type of bird was found in Ulieta. One speciman of this bird was collected. It was described in some notes, drawn in detail and taken to England. Since it was a rather plain looking bird it was given little further interest.
It became interesting later, because no other speciman of this bird was ever found anywhere, living or dead. To add to this, the original speciman disappeared without a trace. Only the notes and the picture, along with other accounts of people who saw the speciman back then, remain to prove it had ever existed.

Given this fact, The Conjuror's Bird almost writes itself. Indeed, although it follows a fictional character, John Fitzgerald, and his quest to discover what has happened to the bird, being helped and hampered by other fictional character's, this fictional John actually does all the things the real life author Martin Davies had to do to find out as much as he could about this bird.

Only the ending of the book really deviates from real life, although even this is subtle enough to leave the reader thinking maybe, just maybe.

A well researched, well written all round pleasent read.

Well done Martin.