Dance of the Scarecrows

At a Halloween night party in a small Connecticut town, six men dress as scarecrows to perform a comic dance. The next morning their leader, still in costume, is found brutally murdered in a cornfield. Enter Jonathan Wilder, a respected ornithologist and one of the best bird artists of today. Handsome, restless, adventurous, he travels the world to paint the birds featured in his nature guides. But he is no detective. Still, when the mayor is also found dead, Jon is sure he knows the killer but the police believe they have the suspect too: Wilder himself.
Now, Jon must apply all his wits - as well as his knowledge of the way of birds - to clear his own name and prevent himself from becoming a victim of the real murderer. To help him, he enlists the help of his closest friend, woodcarver Colin Hightower, and a beautiful young divorcee who has recently moved to town, Lorelei Merriwell. But unmasking the murderer becomes a dangerous and daunting task; time is running out, and questions without answers keep arising.

A surprising amount of malevolence is seething in picturesque Scarborough, Conn., and Sipherd (Christmas Store) artfully doles it out throughout this well-constructed tale. Six of the town's most prominent citizens, dressed as scarecrows, put on a comical musical performance for the community on Halloween. When scarecrow Roderick Ramsey, the First Selectman, is found murdered in a bizarre fashion the next morning, suspicion falls upon innocuous and scholarly ornithologist Jon Wilder, who discovered the body and whose knife, the murder weapon, was found not far away. Hoping to clear himself, Jon begins a clumsy and often embarrassing investigation of his own, aided by his uncompromising nature and by some colorful friends (a loquacious cabinetmaker and a beguiling antiques dealer). After another of the scarecrows is murdered, Jon gets into high gear and is beginning to piece together a complex conspiracy theory when he discovers that his own life is at risk. Bird lore and legend are woven effortlessly into the story, enriching it considerably. A crow feather proves to be a highly significant item. Many of the town's residents seem to be senior citizens, and the author proves to be an expert at delicately peeling away layers of deception to reveal that there is definitely something nasty behind those benign and elderly facades.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Who is killing off the most influential men in the little Connecticut town of Scarborough? That's the question for Jonathan Wilder, ornithologist and renowned bird artist, in this blandly agreeable, feebly plotted mystery debut by former Sesame Street writer Sipherd (The Courtship of Peggy McCoy, 1990). Jonathan, a rather juiceless hero, discovers the first body--that of smug, womanizing Rod Ramsey, the town's first selectman--strung up in a cornfield. Soon he's amateur-sleuthing obsessively, convinced that the murders (the next to die is restaurateur Bernie Benjamin) are linked to a nefarious scheme by the town leaders to sell off pristine local land to corporate developers. Eventually, of course, Jonathan himself becomes both a suspect and a target for sniping bad guys--while he also finds time to begin a low-key, somewhat precious romance with a newcomer to town, the lovely antique-store owner, Lorelei Merriwell. Bird-watchers may appreciate the bits of ornithological lore (crow feathers are a central clue), and Sipherd daubs in the local atmosphere fairly gracefully. But the mystery is a twistless yawn, and everything else--from the environmental themes to Jonathan's tragic past to the supporting cast of local types--seems mechanical and familiar. -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Winner of three Emmys, Sipherd has written what he promises is the first in a new mystery series. Its protagonist is Jonathan Wilder, a painter of birds and an ornithologist who lives in a small town in Connecticut. When the mayor is murdered (the body is found tied to two-by-fours used to hold a scarecrow), Wilder sets out to find the killer--prompted by the fact that he is a prime suspect. Helping him is a woodcarver-friend and the obligatory beautiful woman, a young divorcee who is new in town. There is lots of talk about birds and small-town politics (the mayor had been running for reelection at the untimely moment of his death). Sipherd uses such devices as a missing knife, a crow's feather, and a restaurant fire to build the suspense. At times, the dialogue is somewhat stilted, but Sipherd keeps the reader guessing right up to the end. George Cohen

This new series opener features Jon Wilder, a dedicated ornithologist, environmentalist, and painter who sleuths when necessary. Shortly after Wilder confronts Scarborough's leading politician about shooting ducks out of season, someone kills the man. Police suspect Wilder until a second prominent citizen is killed. Not surprisingly, Wilder takes the offensive?with the aid of a robust woodworker and an attractive antiques dealer. The narrative, usually pointedly descriptive, begins in dullish fashion but picks up speed with the introduction of conflict. Marginal.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.