Book
The feather detective : mystery, mayhem, and the magnificent life of Roxie Laybourne / Chris Sweeney.
"The fascinating and remarkable true story of the world's first forensic ornithologist Roxie Laybourne, who broke down barriers for women, solved murders, and investigated deadly airplane crashes with nothing more than a microscope and a few fragments of feathers"-- Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9781668025840 (hardcover)
- Physical Description: xi, 301 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (chiefly colour) ; 24 cm
- Edition: First Avid Reader Press hardcover edition.
- Publisher: New York : Avid Reader Press, 2025.
Content descriptions
| Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
Search for related items by subject
| Genre: | Biographies. |
Available copies
- 1 of 1 copy available at Tsuga Consortium.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cookstown Branch | 598.092 Laybo-S | 31681010428647 | NONFIC | Available | - |
- Baker & Taylor
"The fascinating and remarkable true story of the world's first forensic ornithologist- Roxie Laybourne, who broke down barriers for women, solved murders, and investigated deadly airplane crashes with nothing more than a microscope and a few fragments of feathers"-- Provided by publisher. - Baker & Taylor
Explores the work of a pioneering forensic ornithologist, explaining how she used feather analysis to solve crimes, prevent aviation disasters, and aid law enforcement, all while overcoming gender barriers to revolutionize both forensic science and the study of bird remains. Illustrations. - Simon and Schuster
âA biography that reads like a novel.â âThe Wall Street Journal ⢠âLaybourne was a badass.â âLos Angeles Times ⢠âSweeneyâs biography must be read to be believed.â âThe Millions ⢠âEngrossing...Riveting...This entrances.â âPublishers Weekly
The fascinating and remarkable true story of the worldâs first forensic ornithologistâRoxie Laybourne, who broke down barriers for women, solved murders, and investigated deadly airplane crashes with nothing more than a microscope and a few fragments of feathers.
In 1960, an Eastern Airlines flight had no sooner lifted from the runway at Boston Logan Airport when it struck a flock of birds and took a nosedive into the shallow waters of the Boston Harbor, killing sixty-two people. This was the golden age of commercial airflightâluxury in the skiesâand safety was essential to the precarious future of air travel. So the FAA instructed the bird remains be sent to the Smithsonian Institution for examination, where they would land on the desk of the only person in the world equipped to make sense of it all.
Her name was Roxie Laybourne, a diminutive but singular woman with thick glasses, a heavy Carolina drawl, and a passion for birds. Roxie didnât know it at the time, but that box full of dead birds marked the start of a remarkable scientific journey. She became the worldâs first forensic ornithologist, investigating a range of crimes and calamites on behalf of the FBI, the US Air Force, and even NASA.
The Feather Detective takes readers deep within the vaunted backrooms of the Smithsonianâs National Museum of Natural History to tell the story of a burgeoning science and the enigmatic woman who pioneered it. While her male colleagues in taxidermy embarked on expeditions around the world and got plum promotions, Roxie stayed with her birds. Using nothing more than her microscope and bits of feathers, she helped prosecute murderers, kidnappers, and poachers. When she wasnât testifying in court or studying evidence from capital crimes, she was helping aerospace engineers and Air Force crews as they raced to bird-proof their airplanes before disaster struck again.
In The Feather Detective, award-winning journalist Chris Sweeney charts the astonishing life and work of this overlooked pioneer. Once divorced, once widowed, and sometimes surly, Roxie shattered stereotypes and pushed boundaries. Her story is one of persistence and grit, obsession and ingenuity. Drawing on reams of archival material, court documents, and exclusive interviews, Sweeney delivers a moving and amusing portrait of a woman who overcame cultural and scientific obstacles at every turn, forever changing our understanding of birdsâand the feathers they leave behind.
