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Lyrebird by Jane Caro
Lyrebird by Jane Caro
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Lyrebird: A Novel
by Jane Caro
A Unique Crime Thriller Driven by a Wholly Original Premise
🦜 THE ECHO OF A CRIME
A gripping Australian thriller where an ornithology student must prove that a bird’s mimicry is the only witness to a cold-blooded murder with no body and no missing person.
Extended Synopsis
In Lyrebird, award-winning commentator and novelist Jane Caro presents a haunting mystery that begins in the desolate Barrington Tops. Jessica Weston, a young ornithology student, captures a video of a lyrebird displaying a terrifying behavior: it is perfectly mimicking the screams of a woman begging for her life. Jessica realizes that because lyrebirds are master mimics, the event they are "recording" must have actually occurred nearby. However, her evidence is ridiculed by the police, despite the support of a rookie detective, Megan Blaxland. With no body and no reported missing person, the case is dismissed.
Twenty years later, a body is unearthed exactly where Jessica predicted. Now an associate professor, Jessica reunites with a recently retired Megan to spearhead the cold case investigation. As they delve into the forgotten files and local secrets, they discover that the bird’s "witness" testimony was just the beginning of a much deeper, more dangerous conspiracy. Caro’s second adult novel is an evocative and insightful exploration of systemic disbelief, the persistence of the truth, and the risks of finally being heard.
Author Biography
Jane Caro AM is a Walkley award-winning Australian columnist, novelist, and social commentator. A former advertising copywriter and academic, she was awarded the B&T Women in Media Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023. Caro is a prominent voice in public education and feminism, and her previous novel, The Mother, was a commercial and critical success. Lyrebird showcases her signature ability to blend sharp social insight with high-stakes suspense.
Reader Targeting
- Australian Crime Fiction Fans: Readers looking for evocative settings and authentic regional voices in the mystery genre.
- Unique Premise Seekers: Thriller enthusiasts who enjoy "wholly original" concepts, such as biological mimicry used as forensic evidence.
- Feminist Thriller Readers: Fans of stories centered on female detectives and academics navigating institutional barriers to justice.
Accolades & Awards
- Hailed as "unputdownable" and "compelling" by leading Australian literary critics and authors.
- Praised by Joann Sauers for its "mind-blowing and wholly unique premise."
- A definitive exploration of the cold case genre from an evocative, insightful writer.
Product Specifications
| ISBN-13: | 9781761471537 |
| ISBN-10: | 1761471538 |
| Publisher: | Allen & Unwin |
| Binding: | Paperback |
| Page Count: | 368 |
| Publication Date: | April 2025 |
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