"The Miss Marple of Eiderdown", Roxie Laybourne, had a fascinating life. She was the first forensic ornithologist and as she had no manuals, she broke the ground herself. Born in 1910, she adored aviation and birds as a child. Adventurous doesn't begin to describe her and she shrugged off many mishaps as part of the experience. Naturally, she progressed into working at the Smithsonian in educational taxidermy. She became an expert on feathers and made court appearances at murder and poaching trials (murder weapons can be feather pillows, people loved feather hats!), worked with the US Air Force and helped the FBI. One of her jobs was to identify feathers and remains from airplane bird-strike accidents. She invented a way to clean the feathers and remains, weigh them and examine them microscopically. Included are a few photos of feathers and Roxie at the end of the book which further brought Roxie's story to life.

She was intrepid and undaunted by being a woman in a man's world. Decades of hard work didn't deter her, either. Though she was divorced and widowed, she continued working as long as she possibly could. A few of the many stories which stand out to me are the forensics, feather anatomy, bird sexing, her creating "restraining jackets", and weekly skinning sessions. I appreciate the inclusion of Carla Dove, now the Feather Identification Laboratory head. What a compelling field of study!

I had not heard of Roxie before reading this book and now feel much more knowledgeable. Ornithology forensics is truly amazing and the author did it justice. The writing is accessible and intriguing highlighting Roxie's passions, personal family bits, and scientific information. The whole package in one book.

Fascinating stories from a fascinating life. Who knew someone was working so hard to create life saving work with feathers. Kudos to her for forging such a path

Chris Sweeney's The Feather Detective, a biography of feather specialist Roxy Laybourne was a delight for a number of reasons—
• I hadn't heard of Laybourne and was delighted to have this chance to "meet" her through Sweeney's writing.
• I appreciated the acknowledgement of the differences and tensions between full-on academic types and those who have built significant knowledge, even without clusters of letters following their names.
• It was just plain cool getting a sense of the complexity of feather structure.
• I respected the story of Laybourne's determination to be exactly who she was at a time when expectations for women were narrow and strictly monitored.
• While the information on the hazards of bird strikes for air travel were a bit unnerving—particularly since safety practices don't seem to have caught up with the world we live in at this moment—the topic was interesting and significant.
• I was interested to see the ways the Venn diagram of air safety, violence, and smuggling overlapped at that little area labeled "feathers."

If you enjoy reading high-quality nonfiction for laypeople and enjoy examining the way a particular bit of knowledge can unite the seemingly unrelated you're in for a treat with The Feather Detective. We could all use a bit more of the personal drive and intellectual curiosity that Laybourne possessed.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher; the opinions are my own.

This book hit many of my favorite interests. Forensics, The Smithsonian, museums, and birds. Sweeney didn't just crack the glass ceiling, she shattered it! Scientists now follow her methods of classification for feathers. She's an expert on aviation bird strikes. She's trusted to testify by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the FBI. She's a role model to many young people. And she worked into her 80's! What a great person!

This was a fascinating book that did a great job of combining narrative nonfiction with biography, museum history, forensics, and social history. Learning all of this through the lens of Roxie's life kept the book together and on track and made it all just as compelling for me. It took all of my favorite parts of nonfiction and made this book that I just couldn't put down. I love when books walk across genres (especially nonfiction) and this book will appeal to so many. Roxie's life is one of those captivating stories that you never know where it will go and she refuses to be put in one box - she is portrayed in all her complex nuances and despite many not knowing her story, we all benefit from her life's work.

The Feather Detective is a fascinating look at Roxie Laybourne, the woman who helped make planes fly safer by identifying birds from tiny feather fragments. Her story is incredible although the book sometimes glosses over moments that feel they deserve more depth. Still it’s an engaging read about a woman who made an impact behind the scenes.

A fascinating portrait of bird and aviation pioneer, Roxie Laybourne. During her many years as a "feather detective" Roxie broke gender barriers, advanced the study of bird feathers, and made important contributions to aviation safety through her work on bird strikes. She seemed to be an irrepressible spirit to the end.

I learned a lot from this fascinating tale of a diminutive, determined woman ahead of her time, who became the feather expert for the Smithsonian and Fish and Wildlife, works with the FBI, etc. Roxie established the process for logging, categorizing, and indexing the feathers. Starting as a taxidermist, much of what she learned was self-taught, before going to college and getting her master's degree. Much of her personal and professional lives were difficult, but she persevered, continuing to be a powerful influence well into her 80s, helping to educate and cultivate those who followed.

An inspiring biography of a formidable twentieth century Smithsonian ornithologist who never bows to the biases of sexist and intellectually condescending peers as she doggedly works her way up from staff taxidermist to the world's leading expert on the morphology, chemistry, and other structural characteristics of avian feathers. Roxie Laybourne never completes a PhD yet ultimately becomes the go-to expert for identifying any species of bird from the evidence of its feathers alone. This leads her to become a frequent and very busy consultant and courtroom expert in identifying the causes and circumstances of bird strike-related air disasters.. Something of an eccentric, Roxie holds court--to the evident dismay of her more conventionally credentialed colleagues--for half-a-century at the Smithsonian, until her mid-90s. Throughout her career she accrues mentees and admirers in the military, at the FAA and FBI, and throughout the forensic and legal communities.

The content of Roxie's life is fascinating and uplifting. Chris Sweeney's portrayal is appropriately awed but the style of presentation tends to fall a tad short in terms of verve, rhythm, and reader engagement. Otherwise a first-rate bio.

Wow. Chris Sweeney's "The Feather Detective" is an in depth look at a true hero in aviation, wildlife management and conservation, and general science. Roxie Laybourne was an incredible force in the creation of wildlife forensics. I am so glad this telling of her life and work will be coming to bookshelves as she should be a more celebrated figure whose work has advanced so many fields.

Sweeney brought Roxie to life through this fascinating read. Roxie was a determined and thoughtful women and through her determination and hard work became the leading expert on feather identification. Much of her story takes place in the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History surrounded by thousands of bird skins that were used for comparison. However, as she solidified her place in history, she testified in a number of trails with murders and poachers and other kinds of crimes related to, or whose evidence included, feathers. Her passion remained with aviation and improvements to the field.

Sweeney's telling of her life shows she was quite the character who was not your stereotypical mother or grandmother. Interviews with those who knew her show a caring, funny, and interesting person who overcame a lot of challenges and struggles to make the mark she did - even though that was never her intention.

This book is recommended to anyone interested in birds, forensics, and aviation as she made an enormous impact on all these fields that we all benefit from.

Thank you to Chris Sweeney for this wonderful book, I have been waiting for more about Roxie after learning about her a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed this fascinating portrait of an inspiring woman. Thank you to Avid Reader Press and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book for my unbiased, honest review.

This book was fascinating. Roxie is a bad ass who made herself a name in a world where men were the main focus. She became a feather legend. I loved learning about her investigations with the FBI into bird strikes on aircraft - i had no idea the history around this. I also love birds and appreciated the photos of feather barbules at the end.

This was a phenomal non-fiction book that kept me fully engaged. Thank you so much NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this book.

This is an amazing book that highlights the pioneering work of Roxie Laybourne at the Smithsonian Institute. Self-taught in forensic ornithology, she played a crucial role in teaching others how to identify bird feathers and species. During her career her skills enabled her to assist the FBI in homicide and poaching cases and she became renowned for her skills.

Her incredible legacy stems from her groundbreaking work with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), where she identified bird species responsible for airplane crashes. This, in turn, allowed the FAA to develop strategies to mitigate such incidents. Although this continues to be an issue, her training of others means her legacy is in safe hands.

Before reading this book, I had no knowledge of bird strikes in aviation, and it has truly enlightened me. Roxie Laybourne was an extraordinary woman, and I’m so glad I chose to read this book.

I received an advanced reader copy from netgallery and this is my honest review.

This is a wonderful book. It's nice to see that some people who are acknowledged experts in a generally unknown field get recognition. This young lady certainly deserves that, and this book is a good start.