We chat with Jane Caro about her upcoming thriller, Lyrebird.
A&U: Hey Jane! Thank you so much for talking with us. Can you please tell our readers a little bit about your upcoming book Lyrebird?
JC: Jessica Weston flees a forest in terror after she hears a lyrebird – the subject of her PHD – mimic a woman screaming in terror and begging for her life. She has recorded the bird’s spectacular display and verbal repertoire on her camera but the only person she can convince that a crime has taken place is brand new detective Megan Blaxland. No body is found and no relevant missing person is identified.
The case goes cold for two decades. Then a body is found, exactly where Jessica said it would be. Megan Blaxland is called out of retirement to investigate the case. She and Jessica join forces, leading them into a world of human trafficking, triads, gambling addiction, the powerlessness of those with nothing in the face of those with everything and men who are prepared to do just about anything for greed and revenge.
As they dig into a murky world, they uncover cruelty that the perpetrators thought they had gotten away with, and danger for those they love. But they also uncover courage, generosity and friendship. All the time, the forest is suffering due to human neglect and the ravages of climate change. And, in the end, it also takes its revenge.
A&U: Lyrebird has to be one of the most original ideas for a thriller ever. How did you come up with it?
JC: I was walking in the Barringtons with my husband when a lyrebird came out of the undergrowth and walked along a few feet in front of us. We followed as quietly as we could, aware of the privilege of seeing this wild creature so close. I began to think about the incredible ability of lyrebirds to mimic all the sounds they hear – other bird calls, certainly, but also a radio being tuned, chainsaws, human laughter and as I thought about how much our species now impinges on all the others, the idea of it mimicking a human murder came to me. Nature sees what we do and plays it back to us.
A&U: Did you have to do any special research for the book?
JC: Yes, lots of research into lyrebirds, certainly, the effects of climate change, including what it is like to be caught in a catastrophic bushfire, but also human trafficking and organised crime in Australia.
A&U: When it comes to writing are you a plotter or a pantser?
JC: Pantser – to the despair of my editors and proof readers.
A&U: What are you looking forward to reading in 2025?
JC: 1945. A Reckoning by Phil Craig, Broke Road by Matthew Spencer, Wing by Nikki Gemmell, The Season by Helen Garner, and Juice by Tim Winton.
Lyrebird
by Jane Caro
Lyrebirds are brilliant mimics, so if they mimic a woman screaming in terror and begging for her life, they have witnessed a crime. But how do you convince anyone that a native bird can be a reliable witness to a murder, especially when there is no body and no missing person?
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