Review: Feather (The Twitchers series) by M.G. Leonard

Feather is the final wintery adventure in The Twitchers seasonal mystery quartet, and, oh my goodness, what an exhilarating and heart-warming ending to a series that has completely captured me with its intriguing mysteries, daring sleuths and superstars of the bird world.  

Ava is on a school trip to the Royal Swan Natural History Museum when she discovers that a heist has taken place:  hundreds of bird of paradise skins from the Alfred Wallace collection have been stolen.  The only clue is a large, black feather left on the floor, but the police are not interested.  The Twitchers have found their next case …

And so begins another fantastic mystery as the Twitchers find themselves following a trail of clues which leads them into ever-increasing peril. Could the mysterious girl, who Ava meets outside the museum, and her raven help solve the mystery?  Will the Twitchers be able to outwit a dangerous gang of thieves and recover the bird skins before time runs out?

This is a brilliantly fast-paced and action-packed mystery that kept me gripped throughout.  I loved following the Twitchers as they work together to piece together clues, putting themselves in danger to help someone in need as well as working as a team to attempt to recover the bird skins for the Museum.  There is a real feeling of urgency and a genuine sense of danger as the children get closer and closer to uncovering the truth, but will they be able to escape the clutches of devious criminals who will stop at nothing to escape justice?

I adore this group of friends who have been brought together through an appreciation of bird-watching and caring for the environment.  Their friendship feels incredibly authentic and I love the camaraderie between them.  They all have their strengths which, when brought together, makes them a formidable sleuthing team.  Ava discovers the heist at the museum and immediately takes the case to her friends.  She shows herself to be incredibly kind-hearted and empathetic when dealing with a difficult situation.  I love how Ava, Tara, Twitch, Jack, Terry, Ozuru and Tippi are so supportive of each other, their curious natures and their tenacity in bringing criminals to justice.  Their respect for, and enjoyment of, the natural environment, and their passion for bird-watching and protecting birds, really shines through in these adventures. 

Feather is a perfect ending to this exceptional adventure series which celebrates bird-watching, caring for the environment and friendship as well as having a fantastic mystery at its heart.  I know that, just like Twitch, Spark and Clutch, this one will be flying off my class library shelves.