“Secrets to ears and wishes to dandelions: both spread in the same fashion.”
At one point, a key character shares this saying to another in Karma Lei Angelo’s latest thriller The Hummingbird Feeder. The line summarizes a good portion of this gripping and suspenseful novel. From the first chapter to the last, the tension is so taut that a circus performer could walk across it.
Hummingbird takes place in our main character’s Ameena Jardine’s first week on the job as detective. Ameena, or AJ, is pulled out of her human resources orientation to investigate a murder near the estate of a prominent and powerful business owner—successful entrepreneur, Amanda Claremont. Amanda runs the Claremont Farms and Nursery in New Hampshire, sits on a number of influential commissions and travels extensively. She has people in high places in her back pocket, forcing the detectives to tread lightly when dealing with her. At first, this doesn’t seem to be a problem as Amanda is more than willing to talk freely about her enterprise and her history, particularly to AJ. Meanwhile AJ’s boss, Conrad McMillan, and AJ’s new partner, Jack Kinston, work behind the scenes to identify the motive behind the murder.
Taking place primarily over one week, the sequence of events moves quickly and pulls the reader deeper and deeper into AJ’s and Amanda’s world. More of a psychological thriller for most of the book, the ending acts like a satisfying exclamation point to the novel’s sentence. As the story progresses, the reader learns more about AJ. The tapestry of her life is woven into a multi-faceted representation by the last chapter. The novel excels as a character study. The murderer’s motive, only hinted at in the first three quarters of the book, is revealed in a shocking scene and stays with the reader long after the conclusion.
Hummingbird is a prequel to the author’s Jardine trilogy, but it isn’t necessary to read any of the author’s other works to enjoy this standalone novel. That said, some minor plot points are resolved in the following series of novels. Hummingbird itself is a compact and satisfying read—interesting, and authentic. The author shares her research in appendices at the end of the book, including maps, photographs, and lists, to enhance the experience.
Karma Lei Angelo states that her novels are inspired by the X-Files. That show had a running narrative and one-offs. Hummingbird Feeder reminds me of an X-File one-off—a good one. An entertaining read from start to finish, Hummingbird delivers on its promise as a thriller.