William Bayer, Otto Penzler Presents: Peregrine

Otto Penzler Presents: Peregrine

William Bayer

Forge, Jun 2005

ISBN: 0765311615

The peregrine falcon soars over Manhattan when a falconer signals the bird of prey, which instantly zooms down at incredible speed attacking a female skater in Rockefeller Center while a Japanese tourist films the deadly assault. Her throat is ripped open in a nanosecond. "Lucky" by being at the right place at the right time with evidence to show her viewers the brutal killing, Newscaster Pamela Barrett obtains the film and gives a first hand account on TV.

The falconer enjoys Pam's broadcast and contacts her by mail. Others die as violently as the skater while the psychopath continues to fascinate in a macabre way Pam, who the Falconer is obsessed with owning. However, she sees a pattern to the victims as each is young and looks eerily similar to her. NYPD Detective Frank Janek struggles with stopping this maniac, but Pam believes she is the key as bait to stop an assailant whose weapon is a bird trained to kill upon command.

Otto Penzler brings back one of the most exciting thrillers from 1981, Peregrine. The story line grips the audience from the start as the bird of prey soars at an incredible speed tearing the young woman's throat in a blink and keeps the pace of the falcon throughout the tale. Underlying the chills is the obsession of the three key human players. Pam though appalled also "welcomes" the killings as a chance to make it big as a media star; Janek "appreciates" the case as his opportunity for salvation (and the springboard for his own series); while the falconer keeps bloody score as the sport's champion whose exploits Pam and other broadcast.

Harriet Klausner