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Steve Burrows is a Canadian author and birdwatcher that writes mystery novels. Burrows was born in the United Kingdom. Although, his family eventually made Ontario their home after he finished grammar school.
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Order of Birder Murder Mystery Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Siege of Bitterns | 2014 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | A Pitying of Doves | 2015 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | A Cast of Falcons | 2016 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | A Shimmer of Hummingbirds | 2017 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | A Tiding of Magpies | 2018 | Description / Buy | |
| 6 | A Dance of Cranes | 2019 | Description / Buy | |
| 7 | A Foreboding of Petrels | 2022 | Description / Buy | |
| 8 | A Nye of Pheasants | 2024 | Description / Buy |
The author attended York University, where he acquired his degree in English. Eventually, his position as the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society Magazine editor took him to Hong Kong.
Burrows’ debut novel (A Siege of Bitterns) landed on bookshelves in 2014. The novel was received well, compelling the author to write more books. Most of the author’s fans don’t know whether Burrows prioritizes birdwatching over writing or vice versa.
Writing sounds like the obvious choice for the author’s fans, but only because they don’t realize how many years Burrows has poured into birdwatching. The hobby has allowed him to travel the world.
The author cannot remember a time when he wasn’t interested in nature. As he matured, Burrows was surprised to realize that birdwatching was ubiquitous.
He found birdwatching societies in every community he visited because every area had birds that congregated. As such, it was only natural for some of the people in that area to develop an interest in birdwatching.
Burrows doesn’t think he would have traveled as frequently if it wasn’t for his hobby. Birdwatching did not give in a choice in the matter. As an avian enthusiast, if you wanted to see a particular bird, your only option was to visit the places where it could be found, even if that meant taking a trip to a different continent.
No one was surprised when he decided to saddle Domenic Jejeune with a similar passion for birds. The character is good at his job. However, Domenic’s competence doesn’t fill him with joy.
Everyone he knows supports his line of work. They keep telling him how good he is at executing his duties, not to mention the importance of his responsibilities.
These words have forced Domenic to persevere in a field he doesn’t like. The detective would rather venture into the wilderness to watch his favorite birds. Nature is exhilarating and relaxing, whereas detective work saturates his life with unending despair.
Fortunately for the victims he encounters, Domenic is willing to put his hobby on hold to help the helpless.
The author chooses his words very carefully. As a former English teacher, Burrows appreciates language and won’t hesitate to correct his wife whenever she uses the wrong terminology.
He believes that every situation has an appropriate word. For that reason, he continues to decry the negative consequences of social media. Social media forces users to find the quickest way of expressing themselves.
While the practice makes sense, Burrows worries that social media will compromise humanity’s ability to speak precisely, creating opportunities for misinterpretation.
Steve Burrows Awards
Burrows has won the Arthur Ellis Award.
Best Steve Burrows Books
The author’s publishing career had a strong start. The Globe and Mail called his debut novel one of the top 100 books of the year it came out. Burrows’ best books include:
A Siege of Bitterns: Few other inspectors in the UK police service have received the acclaim Domenic enjoys. However, the detective is far from happy. Domenic is an enthusiastic birdwatcher, and police work doesn’t interest him.
When he’s reassigned to a small Norfolk town, Domenic is surprised when his detective work encroaches upon his hobby.
Someone killed an ecological activist. The murder was quite gruesome. The superintendent has welcomed the publicity. She can only see the benefits it brings to the table.
However, her faith in Domenic’s abilities begins to crumble when the inspector starts investigating a feud over a birdwatching list.
A Pitying of Doves: Two men are dead. One was an attache with the Mexican Consulate, the other the director of a bird sanctuary. The questions surrounding the case have piqued Domenic’s interest.
Although, his attention is starting to waver because a full-time research position studying birds has just opened up. The inspector couldn’t have asked for a juicer opportunity to abandon police work.
But the murder mystery is too important. Domenic knows that he should solve the case before moving on. But every clue he finds complicates the puzzle. For some reason, embittered aviary owners and bird sculptors are at the heart of the case.
When Does The Next Steve Burrows book come out?
Steve Burrows doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is A Nye of Pheasants and was released on February, 8th 2024. It is the newest book in the Birder Murder Mystery Series.