Reviews for The Blackbird Papers

The average rating for The Blackbird Papers based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2019-06-29 00:00:00 Steven Woodward This was a pretty good first novel; a good made-for-tv-thriller. Ian Smith used my favorite setting for American detective fiction (moody New England with its Ivy League schools, patrician background, clipper Yankee culture, leafy hills and valleys, and stark weather). I also liked the story. Plot: Prominent African-American scientist Wilson Bledsoe is brutally murdered. To head this case that involves possible race hate, corporate misdeeds, and wildlife abuse (blackbirds), Wilson's estranged FBI agent brother Sterling is summoned to Dartmouth College and its scenic Upper Valley world. The author is a doctor, so the science was well-researched and readable. I became engrossed with blackbirds,the Upper Valley, Brooklyn, and the USDA (thank you, Google). The Blackbird Papers was casual and entertaining, with just enough history and mystery and to keep the reader alert. I will certainly read Smith's 2008 novel The Ancient Nine as well as his upcoming books (thrillers set in Chicago). Hit: The ending. The twist at the end of this "whodunit" tale was truly shocking. Miss: The women. Most of the women characters were not well-developed. They were not given full humanity; instead, they were "types." His other mysteries, hopefully, are better. I will give them a chance. 3 stars

Review # 2 was written on 2015-03-22 00:00:00 Tracy Nichols [... (hide spoiler)]