Birds in Flight

By: Anni Taylor

Narrated by: Harriet Gordon-Anderson

Length: 11 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

Two estranged sisters reunite to solve the harrowing mystery of their missing mother.

In 1998, the American Jorgenson family had been on a year-long road trip in Australia. One humid, storming night, the mother - Elsa Jorgenson - vanished in an isolated stretch of Australian everglades. Elsa was never seen again.

That night, twelve-year-old Lily Jorgenson was left alone and terrified in the family camper—even her teenage sister Iris is missing. When Iris comes racing back through the rain, she refuses to tell where she’s been. Lily is certain her sister is hiding a dark secret.

24 years later, Lily is a travel writer living a settled life with her son in Pennsylvania, USA. Lily and Iris are estranged, with Iris’s secret having torn them apart. When floods dredge up their mother’s backpack from the everglades, tantalising clues are uncovered, and the police reopen the cold case.

Lily returns to Australia, determined to force Iris to finally tell her secret, and to do that, she'll have to reunite with her. But when Lily unlocks the gut-wrenching events of the past, she finds that everything she thought was true about her family is about to shatter.

ANNI TAYLOR lives on The Central Coast, north of Sydney, Australia, with her partner and four boys. Her thriller novels include The Game You Played, Stranger in the Woods and Poison Orchids.

©2023 Anni Taylor (P)2023 Audible Australia Pty Ltd.

Kept me hooked, even with mispronunciations

Great story with many evolved characters. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get past the pronunciation of some of the words. The Poconos, for instance. A quick online search could have helped with the correct pronunciation. And interested. Who pronounces it innerested? Other than those pet peeves of mine, the book was pretty good. The narration was very good as well.

Absolutely Brilliant

In 1998, Elsa Jorgenson suddenly disappears during a road trip with her daughters, Lily and Iris, in Australia. Iris also vanishes briefly, but returns, and the girls begin a tumultuous journey without their mother, who has completely vanished. Twenty-four years later, Lily returns to Australia, determined to get answers. She will start with her estranged sister, Iris, for Lily is convinced Iris is keeping secrets.

Birds in Flight is a compelling and nuanced mystery that will keep you guessing. The secrets and revelations are riveting. Among the serious issues discussed are mental health, depression, abuse, abandonment, and cult-like behavior. This book is so richly layered, and as each layer is lifted, more of an absolutely intriguing mystery is revealed. It's a dynamic story of family secrets and the quest to finally solve them. It's also a road trip book in more ways than one, as Lily and Iris retrace their mother's footsteps and learn her life story.

I had a hard time putting this mystery/adventure down, and the conclusion is clever, heartbreaking, and unexpected. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a complex mystery that explores family dynamics. This is a story you won't soon forget.

I also listened to the audiobook, and the narrator, Harriet Gordon-Anderson, was phenomenal. She was able to voice different characters and accents with ease. And her ability to truly make the characters who were talking on the phone actually sound that way was astonishing.

Five stars for the book. Five stars for the narration.

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

WHAT! Just when I thought I knew...

More than once did I think I had it all figured out. That I had solved the case. Wrong! It keeps you engaged as the story opens up and the truth is revealed. Wow! A surprise indeed. Forget the naysayers. Read the five star reviews and then give it a listen.

Excellent book! loved the suspense...

Listened via audible and hard to stop listening. The suspense really kept me going. Narrator was great! She also did very well on the different accents of the characters. Can't wait to start another book by this author.

Loved it!

This book has well written characters, I was easily able to finished it in a day (couldn’t turn it off) and would highly recommend.

Birds in Flight review

I enjoyed this audiobook and all the twisty bends to the end! I recommend this author and will listen or read again!

A wonderful, beautiful story.

I am so glad I listened to this book. It kept me intrigued the whole entire time, but not only that it also taught me a lot, which is what I look for in each book. The author made a great statement regarding strength, and love, and forgiveness, while the narrator performed so well, that all those feelings transferred to the listener.

Loved every minute of it ❤️

What a story!!! It had me hooked from the beginning to the end.. I'll definitely be listening to it again 😌

Loved this book

Loved the book. Great writing and reader. Twist I didn’t see coming. I’m going to check out other books by this author

Amazing

One of the best books I’ve read in a long time. Heartfelt and engaging, with surprises along the way.