The Naming of the Birds

By: Paraic O'Donnell

Narrated by: Charles Armstrong

Something is troubling Inspector Henry Cutter. Sergeant Gideon Bliss is accustomed to his ill-tempered outbursts, but lately the inspector has grown silent and withdrawn. Then, the murders begin. The first to die is the elderly Sir Aneurin Considine, a decorated but obscure civil servant who long ago retired to tend his orchids. If the motive for his killing is a mystery, the manner of his death is more bewildering still. The victims that follow suffer similar fates, their deaths gruesome but immaculately orchestrated. The murderer comes and goes like a ghost, leaving only carefully considered traces. As the hunt for this implacable adversary mounts, the inspector's gloom deepens, and to Sergeant Bliss, his methods seem as mystifying as the crimes themselves.

Why is he digging through dusty archives while the murderer stalks further victims? And as hints of past wrongdoing emerge—and with them the faint promise of a motive—why does Cutter seem haunted by some long-ago failing of his own? To find the answers, the meek and hapless sergeant must step out of the inspector's shadow. Aided by Octavia Hillingdon, a steely and resourceful journalist, Bliss will uncover truths that test his deepest beliefs.

Hypnotic and twisty, The Naming of the Birds will leave you questioning what matters most—solving a case or serving justice.

©2025 Paraic O'Donnell (P)2025 Orion Publishing Group Limited

Once I caught up…

I have to admit that I stopped and checked the description of this book after having read the first few pages. The story didn’t match what I thought the book to be. I stuck with it but had to continually check back to make sure I understood what was happening. It took some mental effort for me to keep up due to the style of writing. It was a good plot but I’m still not sure I understood everything.

Didn't grab me

I had to finish to see how it ended but I wasn't enthralled with story. It had a great plot, just something about it did not click with me. However, the narrator did a great job with all the character voices. Listening to him made this easier to get through.

It was more a horror story to me

This was different from what I expected and that is probably what I liked best.
This was a very disturbing tale of how very bad things can be done by people (monsters) to children.

Did Finch let Nightingale go?

The writing is very detailed orientated.
The performance is very good.
This could have been a shorter book. It is worldly beyond necessity. It is a duel between the police inspector and the assassin. All other parties are carefully advised to step aside. In the end is the assassin teaching the inspector or is he allowing others to understand the reasoning behind his decision.

Sherlock type writing!

The Naming of the Birds is one of the best novels I have read in 5 years!Characters with layers that are slowly peeled off, great background and explanations of events with some mysterious elements. Recommender read !

Pretty much everything.

Evocation of 19th Century London in all its filthy glory: a good reminder of what happens when the powerful have no brakes. Maybe the best narrator of the genre too.

No development

The story did not develop. It may not be a fair review, I gave up listening about 3 hours in. I usually listen to the end even when I don’t love the story to see if it works out in the end, but I couldn’t on this one.

Couldn’t get into

Hard to listen to, couldn’t get into the story. Would not recommend. Although I never do this, I tried to return, but was unable to since it was not bought with credits.

Disappointment

I could not get into this story at all. Maybe it is just me. I kept hoping it would pick up but it never did. I bought it on sale so could not return it.